Chapter 12

12. Fragments of the Truth (2)

Jiseul took a sip of tea and wiped away the tears gathered in her eyes.

Then she continued her explanation step by step.

“At first, it was just a small suspicion. People we’d been investigating under the Team Leader’s orders would suddenly get into accidents or die. And the circumstances were always strange… That’s when I started wondering whether Phoenix might have been responsible. So Crow and I began investigating.”

“…”

“We secretly searched the team’s internal servers, hacked top-secret security documents, tracked suspicious records… And eventually we found out the truth. Phoenix had been used in at least ten murders.”

“Is that why you reported it to my brother?”

“Yes. I wanted to expose the truth, but the two of us couldn’t do anything on our own. So I went to Prosecutor Shin. I told him everything.”

“I see.”

“Yes. He believed every word I said. And he immediately began investigating. But…”

Jiseul couldn’t continue for a moment.

Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice became strained.

“But the case was buried, and my brother died. Is that what happened?”

Woohyun’s voice was cold and razor sharp.

His expressionless face seemed colder than ever.

At that moment, Jiseul felt her breath catch in her throat.

The unbearable reality pierced her heart like a blade.

Her chest tightened painfully, and her hands trembled so violently that she felt another attack might strike at any moment.

Suppressing the fear rising inside her, she forced herself to answer.

“Yes. They eliminated him by disguising it as suicide. They even framed him for corruption and trampled all over his reputation.”

“…”

“…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“No. That’s what makes it even harder. As you know, the police concluded it was suicide from the very beginning.”

Unable to stop the tears pouring down her face, Jiseul lowered her head.

Despair and frustration crashed over her like waves.

Junghyeon was gone, yet she was still here, still breathing.

The reality of that felt unbearably cruel.

“I never should’ve told him. It was my problem. I should’ve handled it myself somehow… Because of me, Prosecutor Shin…”

“No.”

The word cut through the air like a knife.

Woohyun, who had been listening silently, interrupted her immediately.

Then he continued in a cold voice.

“Don’t ever think that. This isn’t your fault, Ms. Han Jiseul. My brother was a righteous man by nature. He couldn’t tolerate injustice. He did what he believed was right. Even if the result was his own sacrifice. The people responsible for his death aren’t you. They’re the ones who killed him.”

Jiseul furiously wiped away her tears and looked up.

Then she slowly shook her head.

“But none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t created Phoenix.”

“Would it really have been different? Not a chance. They would’ve found another way. If they couldn’t use you, they would’ve used someone else. Whether it was a program or some other killing tool, they would’ve created something.”

There was firm conviction in Woohyun’s voice.

And the message he was sending was clear.

None of this was her fault.

Jiseul couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Her chest tightened painfully.

Until now, the only person who had ever said those words to her was Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon.

And besides Crow, Junghyeon had been the only person she’d ever shared this secret with.

She was grateful for Woohyun’s words.

Yet they only deepened her longing for Junghyeon and her guilt over his death.

More tears spilled down her cheeks.

“The problem isn’t your program. The problem is the people who abused it. You showed enough courage already. You stepped forward to expose the truth.”

“But Prosecutor Shin died, and I… I ran away from reality. I was a coward.”

“Because you didn’t have the power to fight back. At that moment, there wasn’t any other choice.”

His voice remained cold, sharp, and logical.

Yet somehow, those words comforted her more than anything else.

“I’m going to uncover the truth behind my brother’s death. Now that I know why he died, I have even less reason to back down. That’s why I need your help, Ms. Han Jiseul. You’re the only person who knows the truth.”

Woohyun spoke firmly as he looked directly at her.

His eyes burned with unwavering determination.

And in that moment, Jiseul saw Junghyeon in him.

He didn’t seem as warm or gentle as his brother.

But the unwavering sense of justice was exactly the same.

“Then fight alongside me if you truly feel responsible for my brother’s death. We’ll uncover the truth and bring those criminals before the law. That’s the only way my brother can truly rest in peace.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, Jiseul looked at Woohyun.

She could see the sincerity and determination in his gaze.

“You’re really going to fight? Even though it’s obviously dangerous? They’ll come after you. If you seriously dig into this case, you’ll become a target too.”

“Do you think I offered because I don’t understand the danger? There are things that must be done, no matter the risk. Things you simply can’t walk away from. For me, uncovering the truth behind my brother’s death is one of those things.”

“What if something happens to you too? I-I don’t think I could keep living if that happened.”

At her anxious words, Woohyun smiled arrogantly with complete confidence.

“That won’t happen. I won’t die, and I won’t let the truth stay buried. That’s exactly why I need your help.”

Jiseul roughly wiped her tear-stained face.

Then she spoke honestly.

“More than anyone, I’m the one who wants the truth revealed. But they’re just too powerful. No matter what we do, it feels like throwing an egg against a rock… Honestly, I don’t have any confidence.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. They’re not a rock, and we’re not eggs. And no matter how much time passes, the truth always comes to light eventually.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It means we have a real chance. The fact that my brother lost his life means Shin Junghyeon himself became a major threat to them. Which means he got closer than anyone else to the truth. We can’t let his death be meaningless.”

“…”

“If I know my brother at all, he left clues behind. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe he couldn’t be eliminated. So let’s start by finding those clues.”

Jiseul listened quietly.

And little by little, she felt her perspective changing.

Looking at things through his eyes made her feel frustrated with herself.

The case was still ongoing.

Even at this very moment, someone could be dying because of Phoenix.

Yet she had already given up.

The thought made her feel foolish.

If Prosecutor Shin could see her now, he might’ve clicked his tongue in disappointment.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, she felt herself snap awake.

The fog clouding her thoughts slowly began to clear.

“You’re right. This wasn’t the time to give up. I should’ve tried everything I could. I was being stupid.”

Jiseul let out a long sigh filled with regret.

If things continued like this, Junghyeon’s death would become nothing more than a meaningless sacrifice.

That couldn’t be allowed to happen.

They had to prove it wasn’t suicide.

And they had to clear his name of the false corruption charges.

Woohyun quietly watched her with sharp eyes.

Their gazes met.

After a moment, he slowly nodded.

“Good. Then can I take that as your answer? That you’ll help me. That you’ll search for the clues my brother left behind. And that no matter who stands behind this case, you won’t back down.”

“…Yes.”

When Jiseul slowly nodded, Woohyun smiled faintly.

“Thank you. Then let’s start with Ghost Bird. Tell me everything about the team. Because in the end, this all started there.”