On a quiet street, people were moving along without paying attention to each other, each trying to get somewhere to complete their own business.It was getting dark and the streets were slowly becoming deserted.The clock tower made a tinkling sound as if to indicate that another hour had passed. It was seven o'clock in the evening.A black Rolls Royce appeared at the beginning of the street after the clock ticked a little further.The driver was driving fast, as if in a hurry.He maintained his speed until he came in front of a building glowing with blue and white lights.On top of the building was a sign identifying it as the Seoul Police Headquarters. The car drove into the parking lot and came to a comfortable stop.The driver inside didn't move for two minutes, as if trying to calm down.He breathed in and out rapidly, his head resting on the steering wheel.He stared at the thick file on the side seat of the car with unfocused eyes, as if he still couldn't believe he was holding it. After a few seconds, he shook himself as if he had come to his senses, picked up the file, opened the car door and got out.His movements were stiff, as if he was nervous.He closed the door hard behind him.At any other time, he couldn't believe he was doing this, but right now he was in no mood to think straight.
The driver who got out of the car was a young man.He looked to be in his mid-twenties at the most.His black hair, cut slightly long in the front, fell down to his eyebrows and covered a small part of his face, giving him a distinct air.His hair was messy as if he had been constantly working on it on the way to work.Any other time he would have scolded himself for coming to work like this.
With his black eyes and full lips, he had a presence that would make nine out of ten people take another look at him, and he was dressed casually in an English-style long-sleeved white shirt, unbuttoned at the top to show off his well-built body, and loose black pants.
Not paying attention to the stares directed at him, he locked the car in one motion and drove quickly to the police station.He bowed his head to the greetings of the police officers standing in front of the building, showed his card and went inside.On the card was written Commissioner Park Dae Hyun.The respect for this young man was evident even in the eyes of the officers.It is a pity that the young man did not have time to talk to them.
He knocked twice on the door, and when he heard the sound of approval, he entered. He briefly glanced at the desk with his superior's name on it and at the rest of the room. Finally, he turned his eyes to the man who was looking at him as if to ask him what he was doing here. He ran what he was going to say through his mind one last time and took a deep breath, concentrating to keep his voice from trembling.
-Good evening, Chief, I'm disturbing you but I have important information to share. It's about Minister Kim, he said in a tense but excited voice. The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows as if he was surprised by what he had just said and gestured for him to sit down.
-You know that today is your day off, don't you Commissioner Park, is there a day when you don't enter the door of this building?
-I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important, Chief, I'm just a little too excited to reveal the truth after a long time,- said the young man as he shyly put his hand behind his head, realizing what he had done, he immediately lowered his hand.
The middle-aged man smiled at his gesture without showing it.
-Do you want something to drink or are you going to get straight to the point?
-Sir, you know I've been investigating the bombing of the high school since the day I got here and even before that.This morning I got a message from an informant saying he had audio and video from that day and he wanted to meet. I agreed, but when I went to the meeting place, no one was there, instead there was a secret code.I went where the code took me and found a flash drive and some files.I only heard from my informant two hours ago.They left his body in front of a hospital near here. He probably realized he'd been discovered and left the information. We can't be grateful to him enough. I've been going through the video and audio and it's really conclusive evidence that the bombing that day was carried out by the Minister and those behind him. As much as I wanted to publish and expose it all, I knew the right thing to do was to come to you, he said and handed the file he had with him to his supervisor.A wave of relief washed over him as he stood up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.The middle-aged man came to him with understanding eyes and patted him on the shoulder.
-You have done a good job, Commissioner Park, your brother can now sleep in peace. Now go and have a good night's sleep. After tomorrow our work will be much more difficult, he said, and then added: Do you have another copy of these documents?
The young man shook his head in the negative and said that he didn't have any, whereupon the old man smiled:
-Well done, son. With the success of this case, your promotion is imminent,‖ he said and returned to his seat.
The young man bowed respectfully for the last time and left the room.
After his exit, the middle-aged man's smile disappeared and he quickly dialed someone on the phone.
-Minister Kim, Park Dae Hyun has found important evidence about that day, I'm afraid this will not be good for your plan,- he said nervously.
-Has this information been passed on to anyone but you? -said a cold voice.
-No sir, for the moment only I have it,‖ he said confidently.
-Leave the rest to us, Chief Jung, you can get back to work, he said, and the phone hung up. He said without turning around:
-Finish Park Dae Hyun. It was a mistake to leave him alive until now. As the saying goes, a fly is small but it makes you sick, so do it the moment he leaves the police station, he said sarcastically.
-Yes, sir,‖ the person said, and left quickly.
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Dae Hyun was sitting with 4 of his friends, drinking coffee and chatting cheerfully, relieved to get the information to his supervisor.All the tension seemed to have disappeared from him.He was about to take another sip of his coffee when his phone rang.As soon as he saw the caller, a grin appeared on his face and he took the last sip, stood up and said goodbye with a gesture indicating that he was leaving.
He picked up the long ringing phone just before it went off and spoke in a cheerful voice:
-You made it ring so many times that I thought something had happened, Mr. Prosecutor,‖ he said, and an exasperated sigh came from the other side.
-How do you know it didn't happen, as if you came home,‖ the other party said sarcastically.
-But ask me why I didn't come home,‖ the man said in a voice that sounded accused and wronged by the accusation.
-Why didn't you come, at least you can give me some news, you left in a hurry in the morning, I wondered, said the other side anxiously.
-I have great news, I'll tell you when I get home, I'll be there in half an hour. I just left the police station, said the man excitedly.
-The roads are crowded today, so be careful not to get into an accident on the way here,‖ Dae Hyun said. A grin appeared on Dae Hyun's face.
-Should I tie my belt too, mom,‖ he said, but before he could continue his sentence, the phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.It all happened in an instant.A fast car entered the street, fired a single shot without stopping and disappeared from sight.Dae Hyun collapsed to the ground before he realized what had happened.He had a grin on his face and disbelief in his eyes.
Unintelligible sounds continued to come from the phone on the ground.
A few officers, realizing what had happened, rushed to the scene and looked in disbelief at the blood-soaked floor and the lifeless body of their captain.Some couldn't hold back their tears and collapsed to the ground.The sane ones called an ambulance and tried to disperse the gathered people.One officer, realizing that the phone was still ringing, picked up the phone and looked at the screen.He realized who it was by the words "prosecutor" written on the screen and brought the phone to his ear.On the other side:
-Dae Hyun what's going on why aren't you answering, for God's sake what's going on?
-Is this Prosecutor Kang Min Joon, the officer asked.
There was no sound from the other side for a moment.
-Yes, who are you and why are you holding the phone?
-Commissioner Park has been shot, we are not sure of his condition but he doesn't look good,‖ said the officer in a trembling voice.
There was no answer from the other side and the phone suddenly switched off.
2 days later
It seemed that a rather large crowd had gathered in front of a grave, and after a long time all but two people left.
Kang Min Joon looked at the name on the tombstone, ignored his eyes filling up and asked the man behind him.
-You're sure you only told five people what happened, aren't you, Commissioner Choi?
-Yes, Mr. Prosecutor. Only us and Chief Jung. I don't know if he told you, he said, realizing what that meant.
-He didn't get a chance. -You realize what that means, don't you?
The man nodded absent-mindedly.
-There's a traitor in our midst,‖ Commissioner Choi said in disgust. Kang Min Joon replied.
And I won't stop until he gets his comeuppance, let's go, we'll start all over again, he said and turned around, looking at the tombstone one last time.
On the tombstone, in obviously new writing, PARK DAE HYUN, WITH US FOREVER.
1996-2022,