The False Witness

Han Jaejeong wore a grave expression.

It was because of the woman sitting across the table from him.

She was the girlfriend of the man under suspicion, but she hadn't said a word.

Not for over an hour.

"Look... I'm not saying your boyfriend's the killer. We're just verifying his alibi. You know staying silent only makes it look more suspicious, right?"

The woman kept her lips ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sealed.

"You want us to just let it go and have him declared guilty and shot?"

At the mention of execution by firing squad, her face grew serious.

It was the first reaction she'd shown.

"I know your boyfriend isn't the killer. But to clear him, we need an alibi, and he claims he can't remember what he did a week ago. That's why we brought you in."

"What did Oppa say?"

Her "Oppa" referred to her boyfriend's older brother.

"He said he slept. That night. Nothing after an early night following a fight during the day. That's all he remembers, and even asking others confirms he went to bed early."

When she fell silent again, Jaejeong pulled out a cigarette in frustration and lit it.

She extended her hand.

"Give me one too."

He handed her a cigarette and kindly lit it for her.

There had to be a reason for her silence and for smoking with such a heavy face.

"Then... can you listen to my story without prejudice?"

She took a deep drag, exhaling a long sigh laced with smoke.

"Yeah. I've waited an hour. I'll hear anything, so just say something."

The woman fiddled with her burning cigarette for a moment before speaking again.

"The early days in the boundary zone were hell. Everyone put on good faces during the day, but at night, they turned into beasts like the rest. You know that? There are way fewer women among the survivors than you'd think."

"Yeah. I know."

"So what do you think happened? At first, soldiers kept order by watching the workers, but later? No. We were no different from animals."

"In what way?"

"They're people who should've died out there. Most in the boundary zone. How many soldiers died saving and accepting them? That's why they put up fences and did their isolation-not-isolation."

"I've heard some of that."

Jaejeong recalled the stories he'd heard while in the safe zone.

People who should've died outside originally.

For the sole reason of being saved, their lives became no different from beasts scraping by in the mountains and fields.

"They didn't care what happened inside the boundary zone. Only recently have they started actively rounding up troublemakers. Anyway, at night..."

The woman trailed off.

Her face was pained.

"Everything you can imagine happens. We knew, but there was no one to report to, no one who'd listen. Single women who came in alone were easy prey."

"What happened to you?"

"What else? The obvious. I was lucky, though. Someone saved me when things got dangerous. That's my boyfriend now. But besides him, someone else came looking for me."

Jaejeong's brow furrowed.

"I refused, of course, and resisted all I could, but it was unavoidable from the start. Rejecting that person's offer would've meant hell for me."

"When did this even happen? It wasn't that bad when we arrived at the safe zone."

She scoffed.

"The fence area where food trucks come and go had soldiers passing through, so some order there. But the farthest edge from the tower? Once a day, the work leader stopped by. That's it. Or no one at all."

Jaejeong was speechless at this story he'd never heard before.

It was the first time hearing the rampant rumors in such detail.

"You think this is the first dead body? No way. Grab anyone and threaten them to death—they'll spit something out."

"Make it simple."

"Murders happened from the start. They just didn't get caught. Or maybe they knew and looked the other way."

"People died and no one cared?"

Jaejeong couldn't shake his doubt.

Not until her next words.

"How would they know without a body?"

"No body?"

"They think people just vanished. Not that they were killed. But they were. Definitely."

"What makes you so sure?"

"People with no reason to disappear started vanishing one by one."

Jaejeong scratched his head.

At some point, listening made him feel like she was blurring ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the point.

"Fine. We can't verify that now, so set it aside. What's the point? Who came to you besides your boyfriend?"

"I can't say."

Jaejeong grew frustrated.

Why bring up someone she couldn't even name?

Maybe just to say consider my situation because of stuff like this.

But what did that have to do with her boyfriend being a suspect?

"Alright, Lee Yeon-hui. From now on, I ask the questions."

Jaejeong leaned forward.

"You don't have to name him. Just answer: Is that person connected to this case?"

Yeon-hui nodded slowly.

Her face darkened at the mere mention of the mystery figure.

"Do you think that person is the killer?"

It was a key question.

But Yeon-hui clamped her mouth shut again.

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

Jaejeong couldn't read her—whether she was hiding something or had something else to say.

She kept derailing at crucial moments, resetting the conversation.

"Uh... Witnesses around the victim said they saw you somewhere after the park fight. Were you acquainted?"

"Why would I mix with trash like that? I'd have said if I was."

"Got it. Last one: If you could say just one thing, what would it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be?"

"...My boyfriend said that afternoon."

Jaejeong tilted his head, waiting.

Sudden shift to her boyfriend.

"He said he wanted to kill them. That scum don't deserve to live. If he ever got the chance later, no mercy."

"Can you stand by that?"

"I'm just repeating what I heard."

"Then why all the earlier talk?"

Yeon-hui fell silent again.

"Ha... This is tough. Fine. Thanks for the testimony. We'll use it in the investigation. You can go."

"And he probably used a kitchen knife."

Jaejeong paused mid-lean-back.

"What?"

"Kitchen knife. That's enough to know, right?"

Yeon-hui stared at Jaejeong with an inscrutable expression.

"Why accuse him like this when he helped you?"

"Even trash doesn't need killing. Thinking about murdering them is different from actually doing it. That's all."

With that, Yeon-hui left the barracks.

Jaejeong found Park Yi-hyun-seok and explained the situation while following his brisk pace.

Park responded calmly amid his busy movements.

"Putting your account together, there are suspicious points. But knowing the murder weapon and the circumstances match. In the past, this wouldn't suffice, but given the times, we push forward."

"He'll deny it to the end. It's a stretch to pin him as the killer on this alone..."

As Jaejeong voiced his unease, Park stopped and looked up at him.

"Remember this: We just need to find the killer. As long as we have someone to stand before the people, even if evidence isn't perfect."

"...!"

"If there's a real killer as you fear, this will make them lie low. They'll see what happens to murderers."

"Hold on."

Jaejeong grabbed Park's arm again.

"We haven't discussed punishment."

"Execution. Or exile. Remove them from the safe zone one way or another."

Park said ruthlessly.

"Publicly, too. Everyone will watch and be cautious. Even any real killer."

"Stop there."

"What?"

Park looked puzzled at Jaejeong's unexpected reaction.

"I'll decide everything on this case. You just get reports, Doctor. I'll find the killer and put them before the people. Don't interfere further."

"Suddenly?"

"My police career wasn't spotless, but I don't frame innocents. Need it simpler?"

"Try."

Park straightened, listening intently as he halted.

"If this repeats and gets abused, anyone could face it later. Think your son will stay a kid forever?"

Park stood stunned, then nodded.

As if he hadn't considered that.

But he didn't yield.

"Dragging this out breeds mutual suspicion—it's over then. Didn't think of that?"

"Killing randoms? Who'd trust the tower? That's the fastest way to internal collapse. As the safe zone grows, management gets harder. Lose trust, and it's impossible. Your biggest worry is maintaining the system, right?"

Jaejeong held firm.

Park pondered briefly.

Then checked his watch and spoke.

"If you'd opposed on ethics alone, I wouldn't listen. But your points are persuasive."

Jaejeong waited.

"Fine. We'll stop here. Two more days. Find him definitively. Fail, and it's my way after."

Park hurried off, leaving Jaejeong.

Jaejeong headed straight to the construction site's container office.

Now, time to extract a confession.

Whatever Yeon-hui's reason, if true, the trusted witness's words could force it.

"Bring him out."

At the container, Jaejeong gestured, and soldiers dragged the man out.

They forced him to his knees.

"Wh-what's this?"

"Testimony. All out."

"What testimony?"

The man's face crumpled like paper.

"That afternoon after the fight with the victim, you said you wanted to kill them. Scum like that don't deserve to live."

"That was...!"

"Who do you think told us?"

The man seemed to search his memory.

Then his eyes bulged in realization.

"Y-Yeon-hui, why..."

"And she added: Probably a kitchen knife. Thing is, we haven't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠told anyone. That the victim was killed with a kitchen knife."

"...Yeon-hui really said that?"

Jaejeong nodded.

"Nothing else?"

"Nah."

"Got it. I admit... I did it."

Finally, the man confessed fully.

"Lock him back. Watch him tight till I return."

Soldiers shoved him in at Jaejeong's order.

At sunset, he'd interrogate properly and wrap it up.

That was when Jaejeong was leaving the site.

A familiar face brushed past.

Lee Yeon-hui.

And a small paper scrap falling to the ground.

Jaejeong snatched it up and called, but she was already far off.

He unfolded the folded paper thoughtlessly—and froze like ice.