Chapter 235: A Certain Day in the Monotonous 2011 of My Previous Life
"How did you get here?"
I'd pulled an all-nighter preparing for that morning's trial, so I was dozing on the cot in the back of the prosecutors' office. At the faint voice of Section Chief Oh asking how he'd come, I cracked my eyes open, and a familiar voice replied.
"I'm here to see Prosecutor Cha Juhan... Is he inside, by any chance?"
"What's the matter?"
"Oh, it's personal..."
"Do you have an appointment?"
As the conversation between Section Chief Oh and the visitor continued, the other voice grew clearer.
Yang Dongjin?
I rubbed my disheveled face and stepped out. Dongjin was setting down a box of Bacchus drinks, grinning sheepishly.
We'd both been so busy we could only meet if our schedules aligned perfectly, so his sudden visit felt out of the ordinary.
"Section Chief, do you have a moment?"
With suspects coming and going—sometimes more than ten a day—I checked my watch before even noticing how utterly exhausted Dongjin looked. He stood awkwardly beside me, visibly apologetic.
"About thirty minutes, I think."
"Got it for now."
I brewed some coffee for Dongjin and sat across from him. I'd sensed something was up the moment I saw him—he'd lost so much weight he was unrecognizable.
We hadn't seen each other in ages; life had kept us apart. Our last check-in had been a single New Year's call to confirm we were still alive. So his unannounced visit was welcome, but worrying.
Still, Dongjin didn't get straight to the point.
"What's up with the no-call visit?"
"I called a few times, but you didn't pick up. So I came by... Should I not have?"
"Not what I meant, man. I was catching a quick nap. Pulled an all-nighter last night, so I must've missed them."
I gestured to the towering stack of documents on my desk.
"How's your wife?"
"She's fine, of course. Just those dark circles from the baby keeping her up. Haha... But damn, you look beat. I shouldn't have dropped by on such a busy day without warning."
Dongjin kept glancing at me in a way I'd never seen before—repeating I shouldn't have come and I shouldn't have bothered you. It was clear he'd agonized long before deciding to show up.
"So, what's going on?"
"It's not exactly..."
"Come on, something's up, right?"
"...Yeah. Might take a while to explain."
"Don't worry—just spit it out."
Only after prodding him a few times did Dongjin finally speak, haltingly.
"You know that case? The second son of Hanyeong Group who died at our hospital."
"Oh, yeah, I saw the articles. Too swamped to follow closely, but wasn't it the department head's patient? Head steps away, some other doc jumps in greedily for the VIP, pushes an overly risky surgery?"
Dongjin fell silent at my response, then slowly nodded.
"Right. Makes sense you didn't reach out—you would've if you knew. It happened in my department."
I'd been out of my mind back then. After my father's funeral, whenever I wasn't buried in work, I was digging into the Myeonghwa Pharmaceuticals case. Scouring everywhere for connections to Myeonghwa, I naturally uncovered how Go Sangjun had rushed Antrozol Alpha to market just to bulk up a subsidiary for his 'sprained' son's sake.
That resolve to take down Wooshin Group had formed early that year. From then on, I threw myself into work like a madman. Never one for promotions, I grew obsessed with standout results and unsolved cases—convinced I needed to climb high to strike at Wooshin. No time to call Dongjin.
"Your department? So you're involved?"
"Actually..."
"...Actually?"
"The surgeon was me."
"What?"
I was speechless. Even knowing it happened at Myeongdae Hospital, it never crossed my mind Dongjin was connected. He wasn't the type to greedily poach a VIP without the head's okay and rush in recklessly.
"What do you mean? That can't be you. Something's off."
I knew little about the case—it was over three months old, already indicted and assigned to Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. That implied suspicion on the lead surgeon, Dongjin.
But why?
"...It is. It went wrong, Juhan. Help me out, yeah?"
"Tell me more. What exactly happened? Is it like the media said?"
"No. It wasn't me barging in without permission—the head forced me to sub in. Tough surgery, he lacked confidence. So I had to step up instead."
"And?"
"...It didn't go well. Patient died. Then the head flips, claims he didn't do it, pins it all on me..."
Typically, proxy surgeries list the nominal lead as the surgeon on record. Even if Dongjin operated, it would've been logged under the head externally. But from what Dongjin said, once it failed, the head twisted things to dodge blame—pushing Dongjin forward like you did it anyway.
And since proxy surgery itself is a huge violation, the head was falsely claiming Dongjin jumped in unauthorized.
"Why tell me now?"
"..."
"If I'd known sooner, I could've said something before indictment. Why wait?!"
"How could I burden you? You're struggling too. And drag you into trouble? No way..."
Dongjin covered his face with both hands, head bowed. His words stung—he knew my pain from Dad's death and Mom's illness better than anyone, so he'd held back.
I sighed.
"What'd your lawyer say?"
"No way to prove the head lied. And proxy or not, I did it—so still a Medical Act violation. Suggested pleading to reduce sentence..."
"Both violations, sure, but different severity—and he wants to just cut the time?"
"That's why... I came to you. Feels hopeless."
"No evidence the head forced you?"
Dongjin nodded limply.
If indicted like this, the head slithers free like an eel, leaving Dongjin as the doc who sneaked in during the head's absence without consent. With the victim Hanyeong Group's second son, expect all-out pressure. Dongjin's career as a doctor? Over. Heavy legal fallout too.
He deserved punishment for the proxy, sure—but only for that, not the head's frame-up.
"Who's the handling prosecutor?"
"...Shin Eunhye."
"I'll look into it. Free tonight?"
"...Yeah."
"I'll call later. Meet or talk then."
"Thanks, Juhan. Sorry..."
"Cut that. Head out for now—talk later."
No sense keeping a wrecked Dongjin longer. I sent him off, then dug into Prosecutor Shin Eunhye on the case.
Assigned to Criminal Division 2; she was too. Two classes my senior at training academy. Same year as Lee Ye-jin, apparently.
Confirming Ye-jin was in her office, I headed straight there.
"Shin? Yeah, same class as me. Why?"
"Checking a case she's handling."
"You doing legwork now, Cha? Hmm... Urgent?"
Ye-jin's face hardened at my nod.
"Yeah."
"Hmm, wouldn't recommend rushing her. She hates that stuff."
"...No choice."
"What case?"
"Myeongdae Hospital Medical Act violation."
"Hanyeong second son?"
"Yes."
"Someone you know tangled up?"
"...Yes."
"Ugh, fine—I'll tag along. Smooth it over."
Ye-jin called Shin right there; she could squeeze in before lunch ended.
En route, I briefed a curious Ye-jin on Dongjin's side. She'd followed the case closely from the start—questioned if Dongjin was lying, given the discrepancies.
But I shook my head firmly. Dongjin and I went way back to our dirt-poor kid days. Contact sparse from busy lives, but we were family. Studied together, played together, even got into trouble together.
No truth-sight ability needed—I knew Dongjin wouldn't do that.
"...That case is probably getting indicted."
Meeting Shin Eunhye, she answered before I even finished asking about progress.
"Too clear-cut. Three witnesses saw the suspect know the lead was away, insist on operating anyway. Context of him being demotable made him desperate for the VIP... No evidence backs his claim."
"...I see."
Nothing more to say. Begging for deeper review or vouching for Dongjin would smack of influence-peddling.
"So why the urgent check from you, Prosecutor Cha?"
"Cha here was digging something similar. Needed quick confirmation, right?"
Ye-jin jumped in; I nodded slowly. Despair killed any follow-up urge.
"We'll head out. Thanks, Prosecutor Shin."
"Sure. Goodbye."
That night, I met Dongjin for more details. He suspected the head bribed witnesses; the chief's son—Dongjin's rival—piled on hoping for his downfall.
I suggested hunting proof of the forced proxy. Days passed; no progress. Dongjin got indicted. My position barred full intervention anyway.
But that wasn't the end.
"Cha, come see me a sec."
Hwang Youngchan showed up at my office, face dark—seeming pissed at me.
"What is it?"
He stepped in, shut the door, drew the blinds tight, then yelled in an angry tone.
"Cha, what the hell have you been up to?!"