IRLPLBIO Chapter 41 Part 1

Chapter 41 #9. The law is close, but fists are closer (3)

Not long after that, Choi Hyeong-gyu stepped down from his prosecutor position. He had buried his son in his heart, a son who, during high school, had been so tormented by school violence that he took his own life. The video of that son, it was said, had belatedly been released online.

It wasn’t his fault. But the sight of his son crying, crawling, and suffering became a series of dozens of episodes, constantly reappearing. Others, under the guise of conducting an investigation, reviewed those videos, and finally, the process of people questioning whether his son was also at fault for not resisting was utterly horrific. It was not something one could easily endure with just a prosecutor’s sense of duty.

Afterwards, Choi Hyeong-gyu became a lawyer. He actively advocated for victims of school violence and led campaigns to eradicate illegal videos. The term ‘secondary victimization’ becoming widely recognized was also thanks to his efforts.

Many people praised him as remarkable. However, the Choi Hyeong-gyu that Jae-gu saw looked as if he had aged decades in just a few years. He seemed like a man who had lost his life’s driving force, decided to work haphazardly until he collapsed and died.

That same Choi Hyeong-gyu now revealed the sharpness he possessed during his time as a prosecutor.

“You helped my son, didn’t you? Thank you.”

“By any chance… does Eun-ho have an older or younger sibling?”

“No, Eun-ho is an only child. He wouldn’t have had anyone to lean on without siblings, so I’m glad he has a friend like you.” Choi Hyeong-gyu immediately revealed this without questioning why Jae-gu asked. He didn’t seem to notice Jae-gu’s expression changing by the minute as he listened.

If Choi Eun-ho was an only child, then Choi Hyeong-gyu’s son, who died from school violence, was indeed Choi Eun-ho. It wasn’t that Choi Eun-ho had suddenly transferred schools without a word; in fact, by then, he had already…

Jae-gu, thinking, clenched his teeth. His stomach churned.

At the time, he had only thought the reporters camped around the school were noisy. He hadn’t even thought to find out what they were investigating. Even though if he had known, many things would have been different.

In his past life, Han Seong-cheol had hidden Eun-ho’s death, intending to exploit it. Even after Eun-ho’s death, he released the videos, humiliating both Eun-ho and Choi Hyeong-gyu. Perhaps the habit of those Alpha Club members leaving videos now was something Han Seong-cheol had taught them before he transferred to the provinces.

As the past and present interlocked and previously unknown details emerged, his disgust grew. If no one else, he definitely wanted to bring down Han Seong-cheol.

“You look pale… Are you okay, hyung? Hasn’t the medicine worn off yet?” Kwang-cheol, unable to just watch Jae-gu turn from deathly pale to bluish, stepped in. It seemed Jae-gu had been shocked during his conversation with Choi Hyeong-gyu, and Kwang-cheol felt frustrated not knowing what the problem was.

Kwang-cheol, who had been staring pointedly at the innocent IV bag, muttered, “This won’t do.” As he tried to stand to call a nurse, his clothes were pulled back. It was Jae-gu’s hand gripping the edge of Kwang-cheol’s clothes. His knuckles were white from how tightly he held on, as if it were a lifeline.

Instead of saying anything, Kwang-cheol gently placed his hand over Jae-gu’s. The warmth of Kwang-cheol’s body temperature spread to Jae-gu’s fingertips, which had grown cold with tension.

“Student?” Choi Hyeong-gyu called Jae-gu. His eyes showed concern for his son’s benefactor.

At the same time, Jae-gu realized why Han Seong-cheol had tried to strip Choi Hyeong-gyu of his position.

The instigator of the incident that led Choi Eun-ho to his death was none other than Han Seong-cheol. It was more than enough reason for Choi Hyeong-gyu to harbor ill feelings towards not only Han Seong-cheol but also the Dae-yeong Group.

Furthermore, at that time, Choi Hyeong-gyu was the head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Department. Even if he couldn’t touch the core subsidiaries protected by Chairman Han Chang-hun and Chairman Han Moo-jin, it would have been simple to overturn a few small subsidiaries that Han Seong-cheol had gotten his hands on.

For Han Seong-cheol to rise, any elements hindering his progress had to be eliminated. That was precisely the reason he released Choi Eun-ho’s videos.

The more he thought, the more distant he felt, and Jae-gu tightly closed his eyes.

He was relieved he could know, even if belatedly. He was relieved it wasn’t too late this time.

After thinking it over repeatedly, he opened his eyes again.

“Eun-ho and… I’ll get along well with him.” Jae-gu barely managed to squeeze out the words.

In his past life, Choi Eun-ho was the only person who spoke to Jae-gu. Considering that he took care of the isolated Jae-gu despite his own difficult circumstances, Choi Eun-ho was truly a good person.

It was the same this time. Fearing loud noises, flinching even when a hand was raised to greet him, Choi Eun-ho still helped Jae-gu avoid drinking anything strange.

Choi Eun-ho was already Jae-gu’s friend.

“Thank you.” Choi Hyeong-gyu’s face brightened.

He said Jae-gu was the one who encouraged his son, who always just bottled things up, to speak openly. The method might have been a bit aggressive, but for his son’s sake, he could overlook it for a moment. He also wanted to help if he could.

Just then, the sound of footsteps pounding down the hallway stopped at the hospital room door.

“Jae-gu!” Im Ho-sin, having rushed in, immediately called out Jae-gu’s name. He had forgotten even the polite honorifics he used with clients, and his face was flushed. He didn’t seem to notice his tie had flown over his shoulder from running so hard down the long corridor.

Im Ho-sin, meeting Choi Hyeong-gyu’s gaze, became unusually tense.

“Hello, I am Im Ho-sin from DK Law Firm. Let’s discuss what’s happening calmly with me.” Wiping his sweaty hands vigorously with a handkerchief, he extended his hand for a handshake to Choi Hyeong-gyu. The prosecutor, whose rigid expression seemed to leave no room for a needle, instead of immediately taking his hand, scrutinized Im Ho-sin from head to toe.

“DK?”

“Yes, that’s right. As Mr. Yang Jae-gu’s representative here…”

“Hmm, DK, you say.” Each time Choi Hyeong-gyu paused, a bucketful of cold sweat added to Im Ho-sin’s back.

It was then. Choi Hyeong-gyu’s expression, which had seemed stiff and dry, visibly softened.

“I called you to say thank you.”

“Yes, I fully understand your regrettable feelings, but… pardon?”

“This Yang Jae-gu here, he helped my son, I hear.”

“…Pardon me?”