Chapter 16
The consultation room had a cozy atmosphere. The director looked more like a comfortable counselor than a stern specialist— the kind of face that put patients at ease, encouraging them to open up honestly. I hoped Ye Hee-sook had felt that way too.
"Hello."
"Ah, yes. Hello. You're representing Kim Yeonjun, correct?"
"Yes. I'm Cha Juhan. This is Lawyer Kang Minjae."
I handed over my business card, and the director reciprocated with his own.
"You're busy with appointments, so I'll cut to the chase and ask a few quick questions."
"Go ahead."
"When did Ye Hee-sook first come here?"
"Two months before the incident."
"Did she ever mention suffering domestic violence?"
The doctor hesitated at my question but soon spoke up.
"Releasing a patient's health information is a bit..."
"She didn't even testify about it to the prosecutors, did she?"
"No, neither the police nor the prosecutors ever came by."
His name wasn't on the witness list, but I hadn't expected they truly never visited. Given that antidepressants were found in her system, the prosecution must have checked her hospital records through the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. If they never came...
"Was it off-the-books? No insurance?"
"Yes. She wanted complete privacy, so we scheduled late-night sessions after hours."
Even so, the manager was a prosecution witness. And one of the few who knew Ye Hee-sook was seeing a psychiatrist. Yet the prosecutors never visited her doctor? I could guess how they planned to use the manager. They caught him red-handed, so they've got time to play it safe.
"It's already public knowledge that the late Ye Hee-sook and her husband were repeatedly assaulted by their son. The autopsy confirmed prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. This isn't leaking health info."
"Hmm..."
"More importantly, your testimony could change the suspect. Please tell us."
"I don't think it would change the suspect."
The doctor stated firmly. And the result over his head was
[TRUTH]
Hologram confirmed above the doctor's head.
He genuinely didn't believe it would change the suspect. Did he really think Kim Yeonjun was guilty? Had Ye Hee-sook told him Kim Yeonjun was the abuser?
"What do you mean by that?"
"I never heard who assaulted her specifically. Just that it was one of her two sons."
It was a relief, but fell short of my expectations.
"Director, didn't Ye Hee-sook explain her situation in detail? Like why one of her sons was doing this, what triggered it...?"
Kang Minjae asked urgently, but the doctor shook his head.
"No... She hadn't fully opened up to me. She just said she was getting verbal abuse and beatings from her son. She didn't want to go into details, so I prescribed based on her overall exam and symptoms."
"Ha..."
Kang Minjae glanced at me like what now? I had hoped for Kim Hyeongjun's name too. Still, no reason to despair early—other clues might emerge.
"Then tell us about the counseling sessions."
"Sigh... Ye Hee-sook had severe psychological trauma. Beyond treatment, I suggested combining meds and counseling with her son involved. She said she'd bring him, but never did. Over time, his behavior spiraled out of control. As a person, not just a doctor, I thought she should report him before something worse happened. I urged her to take legal action first."
"What was her reaction?"
"At first, she said she couldn't report her own son. Plus, their family had this perfect public image, so she really resisted."
"'At first,' you said. Did her attitude change later?"
The doctor fetched a chart from the shelf. The writing was illegible to me, but it seemed organized by week. He traced each one with his finger, lost in thought.
"Yes. Around week three, she asked what would happen if she reported it. Whether that level of assault even qualified... Her thinking seemed impaired on the issue. By week seven, she'd quit all broadcasting work."
"Why? Visible injuries?"
"Partly, but mostly because social life became impossible."
"Why?"
"She said hearing cursing outside or seeing it in media made her relive the abuse scenes. Even her hobby of watching movies became unbearable."
Her condition was gravely serious. She knew it wasn't directed at her, yet it triggered her that badly.
"You mentioned she asked if that level of assault was reportable. Did she decide to report it?"
"Unclear. But I advised gathering evidence in case she did."
"Evidence like...?"
"She said assaults always followed verbal abuse, so I told her to start recording from the cursing."
Recordings! There might be footage from the incident day.
"Did you see any recordings?"
"No. She was torn between maternal instinct to protect him and survival instinct. Even in sessions, she'd subtly justify his actions. Never showed me any footage."
"...Did she mention where she kept them or how?"
No one in the investigation—Kim Yeonjun, the grandmother, Kim Hyeongjun—ever mentioned recordings.
"No idea. But she did say that whenever he started cursing, she'd reflexively hit record. Now, just hearing profanity anywhere makes her press the button unconsciously. Then she'd snap out of it and stop it. It happened more and more."
"The camera might have captured the incident."
"Possibly."
If so, something's off. Police swept the scene, but if they found the camera, Kim Yeonjun wouldn't be charged. It would've shown Kim Hyeongjun murdering his parents and handing over the bat.
"When was her last visit?"
"About a week before she passed."
"She kept up the recording habit till then?"
"Yes. It was almost obsessive, as I said."
We need that camera. It's the one physical proof.
"Could you testify in court tomorrow at 10 a.m.?"
"...What exactly?"
"What we discussed today."
"Understood. I'll testify."
"Thank you. Sorry, but we're in a rush—I'll head out. I'll fax the related docs."
I grabbed my coat and bolted; Kang Minjae followed.
No time. Gotta find that video fast.
"Lawyer, to Ye Hee-sook's house?"
"You go first. I'll meet Kim Yeonjun at the detention center."
"Why him...? Oh, if she went for the camera that day, he might've seen."
"He might not have thought much of it."
"Right. Whew, video footage... That'd seal it."
Police searched everywhere—could we find what they missed?
"Drop me at the office. You head straight to the scene and hunt that camera."
"Got it. I'll call if anything turns up."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Recordings?"
Kim Yeonjun brightened visibly.
"Might have footage from that day."
"I had no idea Mom was recording."
"Recall the day in detail. When Kim Hyeongjun started cursing the couple, did Ye Hee-sook suddenly go somewhere? Any odd behavior?"
He fidgeted with his fingers, eyes upward, straining to remember.
"So... after dinner, during fruit... Bro suddenly picked a fight with Dad... Cursing started..."
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"...I don't know."
He hung his head. Thinking he'd lost this hope, he started sniffling.
"I don't remember, Lawyer... My mind's blank."
"Where did Kim Hyeongjun usually assault them?"
"Living room and master bedroom. Fights started in the living room; Mom fled to the bedroom... He'd grab her, yell to face him properly. If she shook him off there, assaults began in the living room. If she made it inside, in the bedroom... Dad tried intervening and got hit too..."
"On the day, from when Kim Hyeongjun started cursing—where was Ye Hee-sook?"
"Fight in living room, Mom ran to bedroom. Dad was there too... They locked the door; bro pounded, demanding it open. Mom eventually did, he entered with my baseball bat. I followed..."
"Got it. We'll search."
Cameras likely in living room and master. Incident footage probably master—couldn't risk turning on a living room one with him glaring.
"L-Lawyer."
"Yes."
"...If we don't find it, do I go to prison?"
Trial tomorrow—he couldn't help being anxious. His eyes trembled as he looked at me.
"Don't think like that. Just be yourself in court tomorrow. No need to delay. Be honest—your real feelings, your real story. No faking calm or sobbing."
"...Okay."
No message from Kang when I checked my phone leaving detention. I drove toward Dogok-dong and called him.
📞 Kang Minjae
"Lawyer! Kim Yeonjun doesn't know the camera spot?"
"Nope. But high chance in master and living room."
"Scene's master, so I checked there first. Nada. Living room next."
If no master cam, living room footage of usual assaults would prove Kim Hyeongjun.
"Lawyer!"
Forty minutes later at Ye Hee-sook's house, Kang sat on the sofa with plastic sheets down.
"I'm losing it. Gotta log evidence today..."
"Worst case, up to trial start. Don't rush."
"How not to? You a robot? Wait, you kinda are. When do you charge? Plug in at night?"
He was pretty worked up. Ignoring him, I ducked under police tape into the master.
Blood from the bodies had congealed black across the floor. Two scene preservation outlines starkly showed the couple's final moments. Echoes of that horror.
To capture everything here, cameras at each ceiling corner.
Corners were pristine white wallpaper. I scanned from angles. She'd want full room view for evidence.
Speaker blocks here.
In 2018, spy cam crimes boomed; civilian detectors were easy. Would've helped.
"No luck in living room. How well-hidden is it?"
"Couldn't let Kim Hyeongjun find it."
"Police take it?"
"They'd have watched and nabbed him."
"Bribed by him...? Nah, he's no chaebol heir."
He headed back to scour the living room. I resumed master search—God knows how many times.
Started midday with balcony sun; ended late night as sun set.
"Heading in."
"Good work."
"...Yeah."
I watched his weary shuffle away. Trial in 14 hours, and no camera.