Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: With the God of Law
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209.
Screech.
"Prosecutor Kang. Huh? Chief, Prosecutor Kang isn't here?"
Kim Si-hwan, the prosecutor who had poked his head into Room 323 again, expressed curiosity at Kang Hyun's unexpectedly empty seat.
"Yes. He already clocked out."
Seong Tae-o's expression said, *He's back again*, but Kim Si-hwan seemed utterly unfazed as he craned his neck to peer at Kang Hyun's desk.
"Yeah. He's wrapped up all his busy work, so he should head out on time. Of course..."
"Is there something you need? Or if you have a message, I can pass it along for you?"
"There's this case that's stumping me, so I wanted to ask about it. Huh, that's weird though. Leaving right on the dot? Doesn't fit his character."
"He's not gone home."
"Huh? If not home, then where?"
"He's off to club activities."
"Club activities? What club?"
"Yoga."
"Yoga?"
At Seong Tae-o's offhand remark, Kim Si-hwan's expression sharpened like a prick.
"Senior Prosecutor Hwang said she's going to yoga too."
With the look of a prosecutor's instincts kicking in, he stood in the middle of Room 323, lost in thought as if piecing together a deduction.
Then.
"Gasp!"
"...What's wrong?"
"No way... Could it be? The two of them got close behind my back? That can't be."
"What are you talking about..."
"Where's this yoga? Where do they do it?"
"Probably the club room."
"The two of them... Suspicious!"
Kim Si-hwan staggered as if in shock. Seong Tae-o's expression screamed *I've seen it all*, but Kim Si-hwan paid no mind.
Bang.
Suddenly, the door flew open, and in walked Kang Hyun, dressed in workout clothes and holding a water bottle.
"Huh?!"
Kim Si-hwan snapped to attention with a gasp.
"...What are you doing here?"
"Huh? You haven't gone up yet? I thought you were working out?"
"It's break time. Senior, want to join?"
"N-No."
Kim Si-hwan cleared his throat awkwardly a few times at Kang Hyun, who had breezed into the room casually and was now gazing at him with bright, expectant eyes.
"Ahem, well, you see. I had a question..."
"Case 6787, assault on an elderly person—issue is whether violation of the Elderly Welfare Act's prohibition on injury constitutes an aggravated provision for assault and battery under the Criminal Code, right?"
"Huh? Yeah!"
Kang Hyun rattled off exactly the part Kim Si-hwan was puzzled about, as if he'd anticipated it.
Kim Si-hwan had boldly declared he'd solve his own case perfectly while Kang Hyun's chaotic one passed by and had thrown himself into it diligently, but it wasn't that easy, apparently.
"Yeah, and then..."
"Whether it qualifies as a family protection case?"
"Yeah! You saw my case. You've been so busy lately—how'd you check it all out?"
Kim Si-hwan marveled once again at the flawless Kang Hyun, sending admiring glances his way.
"I skimmed it through the system. Refer to Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Domestic Violence Crimes, Article 1, Article 2 Paragraph 1, Article 3 Subparagraph Ga and Pa, Paragraph 6; Elderly Welfare Act Article 39 Paragraph 9 Subparagraph 1, Article 55-2, Article 55-3 Paragraph 1. Post-amendment, check Article 55-3 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 2."
"Y-Yeah. Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 2?"
Kim Si-hwan suddenly whipped out his notepad and started jotting it down, while Seong Tae-o watched with a bemused expression.
"The Elderly Welfare Act violation targets elderly victims exclusively, with the same act as assault and battery under the Criminal Code, so no essential difference—treat it as an aggravated provision. And if you rule that the Elderly Welfare Act violation doesn't qualify as a family protection case, it violates Domestic Violence Punishment Act Article 2 Paragraphs 3 and 6. Depending on the tactic, it falls under the special act's Article 3 Subparagraph Pa."
"Yeah! That's it! Spot on. Awesome. Thanks!"
"But anyway, you need to get the suspect in Case 3 and the victim face-to-face for interrogation, so it's a case that requires a trip to the Central District Prosecutor's Office. If it's not resolving, transfer it to Seocho first—they can direct the investigation from their prosecutor's office to Seocho Station, then send down the records. That might be faster for investigative cooperation."
"Right... Speaking of Seocho Station, that Lieutenant Yoo Chae-eun."
"Huh? How do you know Chae-eun?"
"I met her once a long time ago. I heard she got a special promotion to inspector this time. Maybe grab a meal together or..."
"Ah. Sure. Go for it. She'd like that."
"Go for it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, she hasn't been answering my calls..."
Bang, thud!
Kim Si-hwan mumbled vaguely, hinting that Kang Hyun should make contact instead, but Kang Hyun had already flung open the door and vanished.
"...Haha, guy's busy, huh?"
As Kim Si-hwan looked sheepish, Seong Tae-o, who had been watching quietly, picked up the conversation.
"Prosecutor."
"Yes?"
"Do you perhaps like someone?"
"Gasp."
"Someone you know from Prosecutor Kang?"
"Gasp! How'd you know?"
"I just heard it."
"Really? Was it obvious?"
Instead of panicking, Kim Si-hwan's face lit up as he leaned in toward Seong Tae-o.
He must have wanted someone to notice.
"Well... I've been agonizing over it alone, but it was love at first sight. I reached out a few times, but no reply. But she seemed interested in me too? Her eyes that day weren't ordinary."
"Ah..."
"No, not here! Chief, got a minute? I have no one to vent to. Work's been crushing me lately, stress is piling up."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Suddenly intrigued, Seong Tae-o straightened up and pondered briefly.
"Truth is, back in school, I did some sports and was pretty popular."
"Ooh! As expected of the chief! I have a good eye for people."
"Ahem, embarrassing to say it myself, but in a word, I'm a master of 'men's romance.'"
"Men's... romance?"
At Kim Si-hwan's brightened face, Seong Tae-o continued benevolently.
"I'll coach you on a few simple points. Want to grab a coffee?"
"Sounds good! Coffee's on me."
Up they sprang.
The two, who had dramatically clicked, strode out of the office with manly steps.
It looked like express romance coaching was about to commence.
"Hoo..."
"Ugh."
"Haa..."
Hwang Jae-eun held a challenging pose steadily on the yoga mat, finally succeeding in a forearm stand, balancing on her elbows alone.
Kang Hyun and a few others struggled desperately to mimic her, but that was it.
"Ugh, can't do it..."
Choi Tae-ri, right up front, gave up first and flopped onto the mat.
"Urgh."
Beside her, Kang Hyun's face was beet red as he strained with all his might.
"Huff, huff."
Kang Hyun, lacking technique and relying purely on raw core strength, was trying to surpass Hwang Jae-eun's yoga experience but seemed to hit his limit.
"...Alright, now fold your knees and extend your ankles."
Hwang Jae-eun moved on to the next pose impassively, almost infuriatingly so.
The club room, site of the extra KW case investigation, had returned to its original state, now filled with yoga mats and a few Pilates machines.
Namyangju Branch Office, once in chaotic hell, was gradually settling back to normal.
"That's it."
"Uwaaah."
"Good work."
End.
People collapsed with clatters, sprawling exhausted.
As others prepared to head back leisurely, Kang Hyun wiped his sweat with a prepared towel, drank water, straightened his clothes, and approached Hwang Jae-eun.
Drenched in sweat from the long-overdue workout, she flung open a corner window to vent the stuffy club room air.
"Senior."
"What."
"How long have you been doing yoga?"
"Since college. When you were deep into tennis."
"Huh? How'd you know I did tennis?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Huh?"
"You were famous in college. Every week at that local tennis court, you'd run into Korea University's male and female campus gods."
"...Gasp."
She smirked, lips twitching, then tossed him an energy drink.
"But at least I beat you at something, junior. Yoga's the problem though."
"Nah, what're you saying. I learned a ton watching you work this case."
"Bull. Bet you had a good laugh watching me flounder."
"No, really."
"Whatever."
Hwang Jae-eun spat out her lines in sequence, utterly nonchalant, as she drank water and wiped down.
She seemed back to her poised, aloof senior prosecutor self, brimming with composure.
A relief, truly. And there was one more relief on top of that.
"...You really plan to transfer out at the next personnel shuffle?"
"Yeah. You haven't decided yet, right?"
"Nope. But why Southern District Prosecutor's Office, not Central?"
At Kang Hyun's question, she chuckled softly. Her answer was simple.
"Because Southern has a yoga club."
"...Huh?"
She closed her eyes briefly, then gazed out the wide-open window.
A small window invisible during search ops. Below, the city's leisure blended peacefully with green lawns.
"I was gonna return to Central to grind away, obviously. But I changed my mind. Now I want to pursue what I enjoy, live leisurely. Prosecutors are human too."
"...Yeah."
"Southern's atmosphere is free, not heavy on hierarchy. They say even prosecutors in suits there wear jeans and white tees, humming tunes at work. I wanna try that."
Kang Hyun couldn't picture Hwang Jae-eun humming in jeans and a white tee, but he nodded with a smile.
"Good choice, senior."
"Yeah. Good choice. I think you'll make a good one too."
She flashed a rare grin. At Hwang Jae-eun's precious smile, a light one naturally spread across Kang Hyun's face.
Around 7:30 p.m.
Choi Tae-ri appeared alone before Seong Tae-o, who had been waiting for Kang Hyun, beaming brightly.
"Let's go! Chief."
"Huh? Where's the prosecutor?"
They'd planned dinner to celebrate wrapping up work, but Choi Tae-ri, who should have come down with him, had heard something.
A question mark popped up over Seong Tae-o's head.
"Right here."
"...?"
Shake, shake.
She waved something in her hand back and forth, naturally drawing Seong Tae-o's eyes to Choi Tae-ri's palm.
"See? He's right here."
"...Where?"
"...Right here. Can't you see?"
"...!"
What Choi Tae-ri held was a single card.
Indeed, Kang Hyun had handed cards to his staff and vanished.
"This is our prosecutor's spirit. With his final words to eat till our stomachs burst... he went to see his mother."
Seong Tae-o, staring at the card with Kang Hyun's name, grasped the situation and let out a small sound with a smile.
"Gasp! Prosecutor... Thank you..."
"Says eat all the beef you want."
"R-Really?"
"Really!"
"Wow!"
The two, buzzing with excitement, made a huge fuss happily. Good thing the office was empty except for them.
"I told the others to invite plenty and eat big... I checked with Admin Officer Lee. Chief, anyone you wanna call?"
"...No one."
"Me neither..."
A brief silence.
"So Officer Lee said she'd find someone. Told her anyone she knows is fine!"
"Y-Yeah! Good job, Officer Choi Tae-ri. Sharp at work too, excellent...!"
"All thanks to our excellent chief!"
"Hahaha. Of course it'd be great if our prosecutor joined the dinner too. But for his mom—what can you do."
"Right! He's gotta see his mom! We can eat with the prosecutor later."
The two matched rhythms perfectly in moments like this. As they buzzed with glee, Choi Tae-ri's gaze toward Seong Tae-o suddenly shifted.
"Chief."
"Yeah?... What?"
"Shall we... do that thing?"
"That thing?"
Seong Tae-o paused in thought, then caught on and nodded vigorously.
Snap!
Eyes met, hands extended and crossed. The two drew an X in the room and shouted their spirited chant energetically.
"Aja, aja! Fighting!"
"Let's do it for Prosecutor Kang Hyun, who's off to see his mom too!"
"Yes! One, two, three!"
"Aja, aja! Fighting!"
Having met Kang Hyun, the two had found passion in their social lives.
Their futures stretched long and turbulent ahead, but they were steadily, diligently illuminating the dark parts one by one.