Chapter 2

2. Han Jiseul

“No. Absolutely not. I don’t believe that for a second. I know what kind of person the Prosecutor was. No matter what anyone says, he would’ve never done something like that. I’ll never believe it.”

Jiseul rubbed at her aching eyes as she answered in protest.

The whole situation felt unbearably unfair and infuriating.

The fact that she couldn’t say anything properly despite knowing it had clearly been murder.

The fact that she had to hide the truth no matter what.

Three months ago, Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon had been found dead inside his car.

Several empty soju bottles and partially burned charcoal briquettes had been discovered inside the vehicle. The cause of death was ruled as carbon monoxide poisoning.

The police had concluded from the very beginning that it was suicide, and the entire investigation had been conducted under that assumption.

They claimed there wasn’t a single piece of evidence pointing to murder. An autopsy had even been performed at the family’s request, but no signs of foul play had been found.

Before long, Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon had been disgracefully portrayed as a corrupt prosecutor involved in misconduct and corruption.

The story became that he had taken his own life because he couldn’t withstand the pressure.

That was when Jiseul truly realized how terrifying power could be.

It wasn’t enough that they’d taken the life of an innocent man.

They’d saddled him with the crime of corruption and stained the honorable life he’d lived with filth.

What frightened her even more was that she didn’t even know who was behind it all.

“Then why didn’t you come to see me right away? Why wait until now, three months later?”

Jiseul wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and asked the question she’d been wondering about.

After losing the most important person in her life, she’d spent two months living like a shell of herself, drowning in grief and guilt.

A month ago, Songi had finally forced her out of the house and dragged her to the café.

She had only just started feeling a little better.

Now that Junghyeon’s name had come up again, the pain in her chest felt so intense she could barely breathe.

“I only found out recently that you were the last person my brother spoke to.”

Woohyun answered expressionlessly.

His eyes seemed deeply sunken.

Jiseul found that strange.

How could he have only learned something so simple now?

“What do you mean…? The police never gave you any information?”

“No. The investigation was rushed to a close, and the family was continuously excluded. They even blocked access to the communication records. Finding out about you was the result of secretly hiring a private investigator.”

His answer only deepened her guilt.

She couldn’t breathe properly.

Her chest felt as though a massive boulder were crushing it.

For a moment, it felt like the world was spinning.

She’d never imagined the police had handled things that way.

Then should she have told the family the truth herself back then?

Honestly, she didn’t know.

She couldn’t decide what the right answer was.

Jiseul hadn’t even attended Junghyeon’s funeral because she was afraid something might happen.

She’d let her lifelong benefactor go without seeing him one last time.

It was a regret she’d carried ever since.

Along with the undeniable truth that his death had happened because of her.

“I understand. That’s all I wanted to ask. If you happen to remember anything, please contact me.”

The man stood and handed her a business card.

“Okay. I’ll contact you if I think of anything.”

Jiseul accepted the card out of courtesy and quietly nodded.

All the while thinking she’d probably never contact him.

The man gave a small nod and left the café.

Soon the door closed, and silence settled over the café once more.

But Jiseul couldn’t move right away.

It felt like another panic attack was coming.

She took several deep breaths, desperately trying to calm herself.

She couldn’t let Songi see her fall apart again.

After spending quite some time regulating her breathing, she finally rose from her seat.

Then her eyes fell on the business card the man had given her.

[Shin Woohyun. CEO and President of WS Soft Co., Ltd.]

WS Soft.

The company name seemed oddly familiar, causing Jiseul to pause.

The WS Soft she knew was a very famous company.

WS stood for Windstorm, and true to its name, the company had stormed into the IT industry and made an enormous impact.

Its flagship product was a messaging app called WinChat.

Thanks to overwhelming support from younger users, the app had exploded in popularity.

It was also a rising powerhouse closely chasing CocoaTalk, the nation’s most widely used messenger app.

So he was the CEO of a company that famous.

Junghyeon’s younger brother seemed to be quite an impressive person himself.

And judging from his demeanor, he certainly wasn’t someone easy to deal with.

Letting out a long sigh, Jiseul trudged back toward the counter.

Songi looked at her with concern.

“What’s wrong with you now? Did that guy say something weird?”

As Songi’s sharp gaze swept over her, Jiseul composed herself and shook her head.

“No. He didn’t say anything.”

“Then who was he? It looked like he came specifically looking for you.”

“He said he’s Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon’s younger brother.”

“Ah…”

Songi fell silent.

No one understood better than Songi what Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon meant to Jiseul.

They had been best friends since high school and were among the very few people who could truly confide in one another.

Even so, there were many things Jiseul had never told her.

They were all confidential.

Secrets she would have to carry to her grave.

“I’m gonna head home now. I’m really not feeling well.”

Jiseul forced a smile and hurriedly brightened her expression.

She didn’t want Songi worrying about her any more than she already did.

“Okay, okay. Go home and get some rest. You can come in a little later tomorrow.”

Songi gently patted her shoulder, looking as though she understood everything.

Jiseul immediately grabbed her bag and left the café.

The rain had stopped, but the temperature had dropped significantly, making the night bitterly cold.

She couldn’t tell whether the chill seeping into her back came from the weather or from longing.

The face of Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon kept replaying in her mind.

It felt as though she could hear his voice like a hallucination.

‘It’s not your fault.’

That low voice that had always soothed her heart.

Those warm words of comfort he had offered so steadily.

‘Don’t worry. The world won’t always move according to their plans.’

If it hadn’t been for her, he never would’ve died like that.

He never would’ve been forced to bear such a cruel false accusation.

Guilt and longing made her eyes sting once again.

How wonderful it would be if time could be turned back.

Back to before the Prosecutor died.

She knew it was impossible.

Even so, she’d thought about it hundreds, thousands of times.

If she could return to three months ago, there was nothing she wouldn’t give.

Even if the price was her own life.

* * *

Woohyun got into his car with a heavy heart.

He’d come because he felt he needed to see her at least once, but he hadn’t learned anything particularly useful.

Han Jiseul.

Twenty-nine years old.

Freelance web and app developer.

Graduate of the Computer Science Department at Hyemyeong University.

That was all the detective agency had managed to uncover about her.

He still had no idea what connection she’d had with his brother or why Junghyeon had spoken with her multiple times before his death.

The image of her large, tear-filled eyes lingered in his mind.

Just as she’d described Junghyeon as her lifelong benefactor and mentor, she looked as though she’d burst into tears whenever his name came up.

Maybe it was because she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she didn’t look twenty-nine at all.

She appeared intelligent and capable, yet young enough that someone might mistake her for a college student.

He couldn’t imagine his brother having been romantically involved with her.

She seemed to know something more.

But he doubted she’d tell him even if he asked directly.

He probably could’ve pushed her harder and forced out some answers.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

She looked like she was on the verge of breaking down at any moment.

Besides, he couldn’t interrogate someone he’d only just met as though she were a criminal.

Thinking he’d have to visit her again another time, Woohyun started the car.

At that moment, the café door opened and the woman stepped outside.

Pulling her thin cardigan tightly around herself, she hurried down the street.

Her long hair whipped in the wind, constantly covering her tiny face.

It was Han Jiseul.

Apparently she was getting off work.

According to the information from the detective agency, the café was owned by Jiseul’s friend, Yoon Songi.

Jiseul occasionally helped out there and seemed to live without holding a regular job.

A freelance developer from the prestigious Hyemyeong University wouldn’t have any trouble making a living without working at a café.

Since it belonged to her friend, she was probably just helping out now and then.

Honk—

When Woohyun pressed the horn, Jiseul, who had been walking past his car, turned around in surprise.

Maybe it was the streetlight.

But at that moment, when their eyes met, she looked unnaturally pale.

That was probably why he spoke without thinking.

“Ms. Han Jiseul. Where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride.”

Jiseul looked at him with surprise before quietly shaking her head.

“No, it’s okay. My place is right nearby.”

“It’s very cold tonight. And you’re dressed too lightly. You’re going to catch a cold.”

“Well, I didn’t realize it’d get this cold…”

“Get in.”

Without saying anything further, Woohyun gestured toward the car.

Jiseul hesitated briefly before carefully opening the passenger door and getting in.

“What’s your address?”

“923 Seohwa-dong. Blue Hill Officetel.”

Woohyun entered the address into the navigation system and started driving.

He even turned on the heater in case she was cold.

“How long have you known my brother?”

As he drove slowly, he asked the question he’d been curious about.

Jiseul looked at him for a moment before relaxing her guard slightly and answering.

“Twelve years.”

“Then you’ve known each other since high school. Back when my brother was a rookie prosecutor.”

“Yes.”

“How did you meet? You don’t seem to have had any connection to him.”

“That’s difficult for me to talk about.”

Jiseul looked uncomfortable and avoided his gaze.

There seemed to be circumstances she couldn’t explain.

Woohyun asked several more questions after that, but Jiseul remained reserved.

The only things he learned were that she practically revered his brother, that his death had left deep emotional scars on her, and that she found his questions extremely burdensome.

Her apartment wasn’t far away, and they soon arrived at the officetel.

He wanted to learn more, but there simply wasn’t enough time.

“Thank you. Please drive safely.”

Jiseul left a brief farewell and got out of the car.

“Sure. Get inside safely.”

Woohyun responded with a similarly formal farewell and watched her enter the building.

Her small, slender back and slightly weary shoulders remained strangely vivid in his mind.

Thinking that she was a woman with an oddly mysterious aura, he turned the car around.

The chill that followed the autumn rain was settling heavily into the night.