A Partner’s Burden

Choi Suhyeok squinted, trying to gauge my meaning, then his eyes widened as he hurriedly explained.

“…That! It’s not that, Lawyer Cha. I wasn’t deliberately hiding it.”
“I know. You’re not the type to do that, Detective Choi. Still, this was an important story that I needed to confirm.”

He probably couldn’t easily talk about someone else’s personal life.
Especially if it was a tragic story of a close friend.
But the situation was what it was.

“If there’s something I don’t know, Detective Han could be at a disadvantage. When I can’t respond right away.”
“…I’m sorry.”

I turned my gaze and looked at Han Seungmin, who was looking back and forth between us.
He looked somewhat anxious, but also surprisingly calm.
As if the person involved in the incident wasn’t him.
Among the three of us, the one who looked the most anxious was none other than Choi Suhyeok.
I explained to Han Seungmin the reason why I had come here.

“A little while ago, Detective Choi came to the office to ask for help.”
“Suhyeok did? I was wondering where he had gone…”
“Yes. So I did a little investigation of my own to grasp the situation… and I learned about Detective Han’s family story.”
“Ah.”

Choi Suhyeok continued to look at me, unusually unable to find his composure, fidgeting.
Han Seungmin smiled at Choi Suhyeok and waved his hand.
The many scars on that hand caught my eye.

“It’s okay, Suhyeok. I see. What you investigated must be correct, Lawyer Cha.”
“…I’m going crazy.”

Choi Suhyeok couldn’t help but mutter.
I opened the file to the page I had marked in Choi Suhyeok’s car.

“Then is it also true that you injured the middleman who was distributing MH5 a year ago, and that a disciplinary action was discussed because of that?”
“Yes. …As you already know, lawyer, my younger sibling died because of that drug.”

How many people can keep their composure when their family is involved?

‘It’s impossible not to lose your reason. Especially if they died…’

If a person you had been living with, making eye contact with, and talking to just a few days ago suddenly disappeared from the world.
And if you came face to face with the cause of it…

[Exclusion of Sergeant Han Seungmin from investigation due to excessive force]

At that time, it seemed to have been passed off as just an assault during the suppression.
The other detectives who knew the circumstances must have kept quiet.

‘Looking at their reactions, it seems like they buried it quietly, but I don’t know how the office manager found this out.’

Swish.

I flipped through the file and then closed it.
This was also important, but what was most important was the present.

“Please tell me from the moment you went to the scene a little while ago.”

Han Seungmin’s story was similar to Choi Suhyeok’s.

“…Because of that past incident, I haven’t taken on cases like this. Especially if there’s even a slight hint of a connection to MH.”

I just looked at Han Seungmin.
At times like these, I would have a thought.
That the few stories written on a piece of paper can never be the whole story.
When you look at someone in the eye and talk to them, you are faced with a situation that you couldn’t have known from the text.
Han Seungmin took a breath and then continued.

“That detective from Team 2 was seriously injured during an operation a few days ago and was hospitalized. I was the only one who could go for support. Suhyeok was also on another case.”

He looked straight at me.
I also looked him straight in the eye.

“…First, I tried to block his escape. Since there was already a considerable physical distance between us, I judged that a gun was the only way.”
“Where exactly were you aiming?”
“I aimed for the rear wheel. But… in the meantime, the distance had widened again, and it hit his back.”

I nodded once to mean that it was enough.
The warning sound had not gone off once.
As the number of clients increased, the moments of facing them were a kind of stress, but.

‘It’s been a while since it hasn’t gone off even once.’

Thanks to the clients who kept lying during the consultation, I had been suffering from tinnitus all along these days…
I slowly shared my current conclusion with the two.

“To be honest… in the current situation, it’s not clear how I can help you.”

Choi Suhyeok had been just listening to our conversation without opening his mouth once.
He slowly lowered his head and covered his face with both hands.

“I’m not saying we should give up.”

Choi Suhyeok quickly lowered his hands and raised his head.
I smiled at Choi Suhyeok, meeting his eyes.

Han Seungmin, before we left his house, smiled and comforted Choi Suhyeok.
And me too.

“Hey, Suhyeok. Calm down.”
“Would you be able to calm down if you were me? Your partner is about to lose his job.”
“…I guess I wouldn’t be able to either. But if you show it like that, you can’t be a detective. Keep your head straight when you’re driving, you bastard. Do you want to get the lawyer into big trouble too? Should I call you a taxi?”
“How can you say something like that in a situation like this?”
“Lawyer, please take good care of our Suhyeok.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll try.”
“Thank you, lawyer. He may not say it, but he really likes you.”
“Haha, I know that too.”
“I knew you would know. And as you can see now, he’s more of a coward than you think. He can’t even stand up for himself.”
“I didn’t know you two got along so well.”

Thanks to Han Seungmin, the atmosphere in the car this time was not bad.

“Good afternoon!”

The detective with a youthful face and a sharp, military-like demeanor, who was guarding the front of the hospital room, bowed his waist 90 degrees as soon as he saw Choi Suhyeok approaching.
Choi Suhyeok accepted his greeting with a leisurely gesture.
He raised his index finger, holding his phone, and drew the detective’s attention to it.

“Oh, Detective Kim. I’m at the hospital now. I’ll take care of it here. I’ll also take it to the evidence storage room. I’m sending the rookie.”

Following Choi Suhyeok’s words, the fatigue that had filled the youthful face slightly disappeared.
Choi Suhyeok put his phone in his pants pocket and patted the rookie detective’s arm with his other hand.

“You heard me, you bastard. I’ll finish up here, so go in and get some sleep.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Yeah, didn’t you just hear me on the phone?”
“Thank you, Detective Choi!”

And so, Choi Suhyeok naturally sent away one of the detectives who had been guarding the front of the hospital room.
Only after all the presence had disappeared did he gesture to me, who was hiding and watching from the opposite corner.
As soon as I was in front of the door, Choi Suhyeok whispered.

“…Is there really a way here? That guy is already dead. I did as you said, but.”
“Yes. So we have to find it quickly.”

Choi Suhyeok and I went straight from Han Seungmin’s house to the hospital where the culprit had died.
Even though it was already past two in the morning.
And so, we entered the hospital room.

“But just in case, Detective Choi, please watch the door. The nurses might come.”
“…Yes. I will.”

Is it because he’s experienced a similar situation a few times?
Choi Suhyeok nodded at my words, even though he was suspicious.
I put on latex gloves and opened my mouth, picking up the culprit’s luggage that was placed next to the bed.

“Even though he was arrested on the spot, since the suspect has died, the drug distribution case will probably be closed as ‘no right to prosecute’.”
“…I guess so. That’s why I’m more worried about Detective Han.”

Since we were back to back, I couldn’t see Choi Suhyeok’s face.
Nevertheless, the dejection that Choi Suhyeok was feeling was conveyed through his back.

“Detective Kim said he would be waiting at the station, so we have to finish quickly, Lawyer Cha.”
“Yes. Detective Kim took the phone, right?”
“Yes.”

I carefully examined the culprit’s belongings and then opened his blood-stained coat.

‘The only thing I can do now is to shake the board.’

Someone might say that it’s unjust for me to help Han Seungmin and Choi Suhyeok.
In conclusion, one could also say that Han Seungmin had killed a person.
That was not wrong.
But isn’t everyone’s justice different?
I read Detective Han Seungmin’s intention.

‘…He looked desperate.’

It was not a desperation for himself.
It was feelings for a colleague.
If he didn’t have that kind of personality, he wouldn’t have been able to continue being a detective after experiencing such a thing.

‘That guy from a year ago was also released.’

The reason was lack of evidence.
Even a few hours ago, Han Seungmin must have pulled the trigger, hoping that the same thing would not be repeated.
Because an on-the-spot arrest is the most powerful evidence.

‘He’s definitely a good police officer and a good person.’

I was sure of that.

‘If not, I wouldn’t have helped him.’

He really aimed at the motorcycle, not the person.
The role of a lawyer is not limited to the courtroom.
To prevent a client from going to court.
That was also something a lawyer could do.
If I could just prove the culprit’s other crimes, even if it wasn’t MH5 distribution, I could overturn the situation.

‘And another detective was also shot by the culprit.’

I moved my hands meticulously and asked Choi Suhyeok.

“Detective Choi, has that phone gone to forensics?”
“They said they would handle it as an emergency, but they also said there probably wouldn’t be anything. It was just a messenger app that couldn’t be traced and a few memos.”
“What about the call history?”
“There wasn’t any.”

I could feel the dried and hardened blood on my fingertips. An unpleasant sensation came over me without me realizing it.
Nevertheless, I carefully fumbled around that place as well.

‘Then there must be another phone.’

The clothes were already black, and with the dried blood, it was difficult to identify.

“Uh, Detective Choi. Could you please turn off the lights for a moment?”
“The lights? Yes. Can you see anything?”
“Just for a moment.”

Click.

As Choi Suhyeok moved his hand, even though he was expressing his question, the hospital room instantly became dark.
And a faint red light appeared before my eyes.
I moved my hand towards it.
On the outside, it was just an inner pocket, but when I touched it with my fingertips, I felt a sense of incongruity.

‘The pocket is too big for what it looks like.’

Swish.

As expected, there was another pocket made with a lining inside the pocket.
It was a thick pocket made with several layers of cloth so that neither blood nor anything else would seep in.

Rip.

As I tore it off, Gram told me what was inside.

[It’s an old slide phone.]

“You can turn on the lights now.”

Click.

“Why did you suddenly turn on the lights, where did you find that?”
“I focused all my senses on my fingertips and found it in the pocket inside the pocket. Fortunately, it’s not password-protected.”

Choi Suhyeok immediately approached me.
And so, we were clinging to the screen that was just two fingers wide.

“…This should be enough.”
“Yes. We’ll be able to prove that it wasn’t excessive force.”

We were able to find numerous call logs and messages in it.
And also the low-quality photos in the gallery, taken after a ‘drop’.

“Oh my! You can’t go in there! Where did the detective who was here earlier go?”

As soon as we came out of the hospital room, we ran into a nurse.
Choi Suhyeok naturally stepped forward and held out his official ID.

“I’m another detective in charge of this case. That detective has gone back to the station, and I’ve come to get the evidence.”
“Ah, so you’re a detective. Then can I clean the room?”
“Yes. You can do that now. If you happen to find anything in the room, please contact me here.”

Choi Suhyeok took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to the nurse.
Choi Suhyeok, who had been fidgeting until just now, had now returned to his usual self.

“Then please continue your hard work.”

I also gave a light bow to the nurse and then returned to the car with Choi Suhyeok.
As soon as I got back to the car, I urged Choi Suhyeok and entered the address into the navigation.

“Detective Choi, hurry up and start. Quickly.”
“What’s wrong? First, let’s,”
“There’s no time for that. We have to go now.”

Vroom.

And so, we left the hospital parking lot at a high speed.
It was right after I had handed Choi Suhyeok the phone I had just found in my pocket.
Because a new message had just arrived on the old phone.