Chapter 8

Chapter 8

[Translation By Divinity]

“First of all, I would like to make it clear that what I am about to testify cannot be perjury because it happened on a crowded subway train with many witnesses.”

Kang Hyun took a breath.

Then, he glanced at the defendant for a moment and continued.

“That day, when the man was caught red-handed by the victim, he said he would delete the videos but suddenly threw his phone away. And I picked it up and handed it over to the police.”

The prosecutor, looking flustered, asked again, “So you’re saying the police took the phone without asking the defendant for consent to voluntarily submit it?”

“Yes. That’s correct. After I handed it over, the police took it without any specific consent. If they didn’t follow up with proper procedures afterward, it was indeed forcibly taken.”

Kang Hyun even answered the question the prosecutor was about to ask. With Kang Hyun’s testimony, the seized phone became inadmissible evidence.

Murmurs.

The few spectators in the courtroom raised their voices in surprise, causing a brief commotion.

“Order! Please continue.”

The judge said, his expression now one of resignation. The prosecutor, biting his lip as if to swallow it, turned around to end the examination.

Prosecutor Kim Jung-min clenched his teeth and tried to wrap things up, saying to the judge, “…The witness was flustered at the time of the incident, and considering the witness’s credibility…”

Seeing the lawyer watching with his arms crossed and a smile, and the defendant smirking smugly, Kang Hyun could almost feel the prosecutor’s shame.

‘How despicable. Just wait. I’ll wipe that smirk off your face soon.’

Kang Hyun said in a loud voice,

“Prosecutor. I’m not finished with my testimony.”

Kang Hyun raised his hand high, stopping the prosecutor’s words.

All eyes were on him.

But he didn’t mind and stood up abruptly.

The judge, the prosecutor, the lawyer, and the spectators all turned their attention to him.

“I’ll continue my testimony.”

Kang Hyun, seemingly satisfied with having captured everyone’s attention, continued speaking in a confident voice.

“The scales held by the statue of Lady Justice are not balanced; they are slightly tilted to one side. This signifies that the law does not pursue absolute equality but exists as relative equality, siding with the weak.”

Usually, if a witness behaved this way, the examining prosecutor or lawyer would try to stop them, fearing they might give irrelevant or irrational testimony.

“That’s correct. Please continue.”

However, Prosecutor Kim Jung-min, perhaps sensing something or having no other choice, nodded and silently stepped back.

“…Despite this being a trial strictly adhering to the principle of legality and the prohibition of analogical interpretation, many people await the wise judgment of the presiding judge, hoping for the realization of justice.”

But unlike Prosecutor Kim Jung-min, the lawyer seemed displeased with Kang Hyun’s attitude and stood up, shouting,

“…Your Honor! I request that the witness refrain from making statements unnecessary for the testimony!”

However, the judge shook his head and sided with Kang Hyun.

‘What an extraordinary young man.’

This wasn’t the eloquence of a high school student. It was as if the prosecution had another lawyer on their side. The judge, smiling as if he were looking at a fascinating creature, urged Kang Hyun to continue.

“Objection overruled. Please continue.”

“…Of course, I acknowledge that there’s a high possibility that the defendant’s mobile phone will not be admitted as evidence due to procedural violations. However, considering the elements of the crime of illegal filming using a camera, etc., please consider the verdict of guilt or innocence based on other submitted evidence, even excluding the illegally obtained evidence.”

Kang Hyun pleaded with the judge, his eyes sparkling.

This was Kang Hyun’s answer.

Was there any need to dwell on the already illegally obtained evidence? Just because one procedure was flawed didn’t mean the entire trial was ruined.

“Prosecutor.”

“Yes, witness.”

“I saw that the police officers also seemed to have forcibly seized the mobile phone in the heat of the moment, but I clearly witnessed the defendant filming the victim, and that’s why I reported it.”

“…!”

“Accordingly, when I asked the defendant to ‘show me the phone,’ he retorted, ‘I’ll delete it.’ There were many people in that train car who saw that and even filmed the scene.”

The prosecutor’s eyes changed as he observed the witness’s unexpected actions. He seemed to have realized the weight of Kang Hyun’s words.

“Prosecutor.”

Kang Hyun urged him with his eyes, as if to say, ‘Holding onto a rotten rope will only lead to a fall.’

“I am testifying that there were many people who witnessed the defendant committing the crime in the act, and also saw him resisting when his actions were exposed.”

“…I see.”

The prosecutor finally understood Kang Hyun’s intention. He gave Kang Hyun a slight nod and then, with his arms wide open, stood in the middle of the courtroom in front of the judge.

“Your Honor, that concludes my examination. I have no further questions for the witness. And…”

The prosecutor spoke with determination.

“Since Exhibit 6 and other evidence are illegal, we will accept the defendant’s objection to the evidence.”

The courtroom buzzed once again.

The prosecutor had admitted that the phone and the videos on it were inadmissible as evidence, rendering the statements and investigation reports based on them invalid.

“However, based on the witness’s testimony, we will prepare new witnesses and evidence that can be used as evidence, regardless of Exhibit 6. We will collect and submit additional corroborating evidence as soon as possible, so we request that the trial be postponed to the next date!”

At the prosecutor’s loud voice, Judge Choi Ho-jung frowned deeply, as if he had expected this, and lowered his head.

A brief silence followed, and Kang Hyun swallowed nervously as he waited for the judge to speak.

The prosecutor’s request to discard the key evidence and bring in additional evidence meant that the trial would be delayed and not proceed smoothly.

Considering the considerable fatigue associated with trials, this was likely not what the judge wanted.

However, the answer was ultimately clear.

“Request granted.”

The prosecutor’s face brightened at the judge’s words.

The media would be abuzz about the case involving illegally obtained evidence. They would criticize the lax investigation by the special judicial police and the prosecution.

But the case would be resolved.

If they acknowledged this and submitted new evidence, the culprit would have no way to escape.

On the other hand, the defense lawyer’s face immediately fell.

But just then.

“Damn it, what the hell is this! What’s going on here?”

The defendant, the criminal Han Jae-soo, who had been silent until now, revealed his true colors and growled. The lawyer tried to restrain him, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Fuck, you said the footage I took was illegal evidence and inadmissible! You should acquit me, why is this dragging on! What the hell is going on!”

The judge shouted in a harsh voice at the increasingly agitated defendant.

“Order! You should be reflecting on your actions, not causing a scene!”

The judge glared at the defendant.

This wasn’t a typical action for a judge.

Finally, the defendant’s spirit seemed to break, and he slumped back into his seat.

A brief silence fell, and the judge turned to Kang Hyun.

“Witness, you may leave now. And…”

He looked down at Kang Hyun with a satisfied smile.

“I sincerely thank you for readily agreeing to appear in court as a witness.”

At the judge’s unusual words, the people in the gallery started murmuring loudly.

Some even gave Kang Hyun a small round of applause.

‘I did it!’

Kang Hyun felt a thrill deep within him, along with a sense of accomplishment at the judge’s unexpected praise.

‘I pulled it off!’

He had cleared a path through this seemingly tangled case, like unclogging a blocked drain.

“This concludes today’s proceedings. The next trial date will be as follows… The courtroom will be the same, Courtroom 413…”

Kang Hyun nodded as he listened to the judge’s closing remarks.

With the direction set like this, it was only a matter of time before a proper verdict was reached in the trial.

It would take time to gather new evidence and witnesses, but that was the prosecution’s job, so Kang Hyun was content for now.

‘It was hectic. But…’

Upholding justice in the courtroom.

Protecting the weak and punishing evil.

What could be more exhilarating than this?

A dream he would never have dared to dream of before. Witnessing those dream-like people in person made Kang Hyun’s heart race uncontrollably.

And today,

Along with this thrill, he seemed to have found a clearer direction for his dreams.

‘It’s so cool! And if I keep working hard, I can do it too!’

A smile naturally spread across Kang Hyun’s face.

* * *

As Kang Hyun was leaving the courthouse, someone called out to him.

“…?”

He turned around to see the prosecutor from earlier waiting for him. It was unusual for a prosecutor to not return to the Prosecutor’s Office immediately after a trial.

“Witness, no, student Kang Hyun.”

It seemed he had come to express his gratitude. Kang Hyun feigned ignorance and asked playfully,

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes, first of all, I’d like to apologize. I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult situation by calling you as a witness without even hearing about the situation beforehand.”

“No worries, thanks to you, I got to see something interesting.”

“Is that so?”

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, unsure of what to say to Kang Hyun.

Perhaps it was because Kang Hyun’s eloquence made him seem interested in the legal field.

“Thank you for today. Thanks to you, a case that was about to get tangled up seems to be clearly resolved. If it had continued and resulted in an acquittal or something, I would have blamed myself entirely.”

“I simply answered as a witness you requested. I just stated what I saw.”

He shook his head at that.

“It doesn’t seem like people think that way, though?”

Kang Hyun looked around at his words, and he saw a few familiar faces. They were the people who had observed the trial.

“That’s him from earlier. The student, right?”

“I thought he was a lawyer.”

They all glanced at Kang Hyun with curious eyes as they passed by.

Indeed. To ordinary people, Kang Hyun today was clearly not an average person.

Even if he wasn’t a judge or a prosecutor, he was someone who made them think, ‘Maybe he’s worked in the legal field.’ He was the one who wisely judged the flow of the trial and resolved the situation before it got complicated.

“In this trial, it felt like you were the prosecutor, Kang Hyun. I was impressed and think you did a great job. It made me realize that I need to work harder and have a stronger sense of duty as a prosecutor.”

He spoke with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

Kang Hyun smiled awkwardly and said, “Even without my help, I’m sure you would have found a way to reach a proper verdict, Prosecutor.”

At Kang Hyun’s words, Prosecutor Kim Jung-min grinned, just like the judge had earlier, as if thinking, ‘Look at this kid.’

Kang Hyun’s composure and confidence, which had been evident throughout the trial, continued even now.

“Well, anyway, thanks to you, things worked out well today. So, about that…”

“…?”

He hesitated for a moment before asking,

“You’re a high school student now, right?”

“Yes, I’m in my second year.”

He hesitated again before speaking.

“During your vacation, would you like to work with me at the Prosecutor’s Office?”