Desire

Chapter 2: Do You Believe In Love? (2)

The next morning. The villa of Seo Geon-u, chairman of the Eunseong Group.

Jeongsun, who was in charge of the chairman’s meals, arrived to work at 7:10 am.

It was almost the same time when Chairman Seo got up.

Jeongsun’s first order of the day was to make the boss’ favorite Tanzanian coffee.

However, it was almost eight o’clock in the morning and he hadn’t appeared yet.

Chairman Seo, who stayed at the villa for a few days every month, always came out to the living room like clockwork to check the news.

For the first time she felt troubled.

At eight o’clock she couldn’t wait anymore, so she knocked on the bedroom door.

"Chairman."

She called out carefully, but there was no answer.

The bedroom door opened a sliver.

Did he sleep with the door open?

"Chairman, are you awake?"

She pushed open the door a little more.

"Chairman?"

When there was no answer, she walked in despite feeling rude about the intrusion.

Chairman Seo was sleeping peacefully on the bed.

"He must have been very tired."

She drew up his blankets to cover him, but when her hand brushed against his chest–!

"Oh my God!"

Chairman Seo’s body was cold to the touch.

*

Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

Jiyeon looked at the complainant sitting opposite of her.

Her eyes were sharp as she scrutinized every detail of her subject.

He had a cast on his leg and was dressed in mountain-climbing clothes.

A pair of crutches leaned against the table.

He was the victim of a traffic accident. Until now.

"So, did you agree to settle?"

"Yes. Yesterday Kim Heejeong expressed her intention to reach an agreement."

“Women shouldn’t drive since they don’t look behind them and change lanes haphazardly. They don’t even know what the rear is. Even for shameless people, isn’t it a little too shameless? I need to make a living. Even after four weeks of hospital care I have not been offered a word of apology. I’m a nice man though, so I’ll just agree."

"Things have changed. We won’t settle."

"What? I thought you decided to settle yesterday?"

"Yes. But we’re not settling today."

"What do you mean?"

"I am very impressed with you, Oh Sangbong. You were able to efficiently find a hospital, file a claim, then drive an agreement. So I did a little research."

Jiyeon had been looking into the situation for the past several days and carefully arranged her research in front of Sangbong.

"Oh Sangbong. You have a very extensive accident record. Did you really receive 230 million won from insurance and injury compensation? You make more than me. Eleven accidents per year? That means you were hit by a car almost every month. Tell me, why do cars target Oh Sangbong when the average person won’t even get hit once in their life?"

Sangbong suddenly became uneasy.

"Ah... I don’t have much luck in these weak bones of mine..."

"No luck in the weak bones?"

Jiyeon held up her phone and showed Sangbong his social media profile.

"You were hit by cars over thirty times... and yet you regularly enjoy hiking and fishing. Are you Superman?"

Sangbong looked at the picture of himself smiling on the summit of Jirisan.

He was cornered.

What kind of prosecutor was this meticulous? Didn’t she have anything better to do? It was only a traffic accident.

"I will tell Kim Heejeong, who is accused by you, Oh Sangbong, my opinion. This is a typical insurance fraud case, and starting tomorrow we will open an official investigation."

Sangbong fell to his knees.

"Prosecutor! It’s not like that. We don’t have to settle. I just—"

"According to insurance fraud law you have to forfeit the insurance and settlement money you have received so far. Have you used it yet?"

"Please, prosecutor..."

He began to beg.

Jiyeon’s expression did not change. She kept her glare on him.

‘This is too good to be true. I could cry. Evildoers are good at begging. They write letters of apology and still eat well despite the bad things they have done...’

She was having these bitter thoughts to herself when there was a knock.

It was a clerk from the administrative office.

Jeongho was a bear-sized, gentle-looking man, and he didn’t usually interrupt her.

"What is it?"

"The chief prosecutor wants to see you. Can you come quickly?"

Jiyeon let a sigh escape from her mouth.

She didn’t know if this time she would be threatened or reprimanded or pardoned...

She had to hang in there. She had come so far.

.

.

.

The office of Chief Public Prosecutor Han Junggwon at the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors’ Office.

Jiyeon was quiet with a stiff expression.

The chief prosecutor did not bother hiding his displeasure.

Department Chief Lee, who was accused of sexual harassment, was one of his favored subordinate prosecutors.

"Prosecutor Cha Jiyeon. Why don’t you reconsider one more time?"

Jiyeon was appalled.

"You want me to change my statement? You want me to reconcile with the department chief? Wouldn’t it be right for the chief prosecutor take the lead in punishing perpetrators?"

“It’s not a reconciliation–”

The chief prosecutor’s sentence was interrupted by a phone ringing.

It was the hotline that connected the branch office of the National District Prosecutor’s office and the National Police Agency.

A red bulb informed him that the call was from the Incheon Police Agency.

"What is it..."

The chief prosecutor answered the call.

"This is Han Junggwon. Yes. Yes? What? Really?"

As he was talking on the phone his face turned ashen.

"This is... Okay. I will report it directly to the prosecutor general."

Jiyeon’s intuition told her something was wrong. As soon as he hung up the phone she addressed him.

"What happened?"

"Well, the situation is... Chairman Seo Geon-u is dead."

"What? Chairman Seo Geon-u of Eunseong Group? How?"

"Heart attack. He was found dead at a villa in Incheon. They called right away because the address is in our jurisdiction."

Jiyeon quickly checked her phone for any news articles.

"The media outlets haven’t found out yet."

"I have to report this to the prosecutor general soon."

As soon as the chief prosecutor attempted to use the hotline, the bulb lit up again.

This time it was the prosecutor general’s office.

What? He was just about to call him. Did he hear it from another route?

The chief prosecutor cleared his throat with a cough and picked up the phone.

"Chief Prosecutor! Did you hear?"

"Yes, I heard... Wait, what do you mean? Murder case?"

Murder?