Chapter : 7. I Don’t Have a Hobby of Peeping
Saturday arrived.
As usual, Ji-hyeok came to work and spent the morning drafting documents in his prosecutor’s office. Around one o’clock in the afternoon, he was summoned to the Chief Prosecutor’s office.
“That drug offender. Jo Man-deok says he’s going to file a complaint against you, Prosecutor Jang.”
The Chief Prosecutor scratched his forehead as he delivered the news.
Jo Man-deok.
The hulking man who had swung a knife at Ji-hyeok not long ago.
“I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. My actions should be recognized as justified.”
“True. Your hand was cut by the knife.”
As the Chief Prosecutor rubbed his temple, his glasses shifted slightly.
“And that big guy ended up with injuries requiring six weeks of treatment, including a fractured wrist.”
Instead of answering, Ji-hyeok simply raised his heavily bandaged hand and gave it a little wave.
“I know, I know. But do you think a drug addict is in his right mind? He’s claiming you used excessive force. The wooden fence was smashed to pieces too.”
“Excessive force?”
“I heard he found out you’re a third-degree black belt in judo. Looks like he’s planning to make an issue out of that. According to him, he’s just a weak and helpless civilian.”
Ji-hyeok let out a dry laugh.
Jo Man-deok wasn’t particularly tall, but his build was enormous.
Even putting two average adult men together probably wouldn’t match his size.
And the knife that bastard had been swinging around—was that supposed to be some kind of fashion accessory?
Reading Ji-hyeok’s expression, the Chief Prosecutor spoke again.
“Article 11 of the Constitution.”
“All citizens shall be equal before the law. No person shall be discriminated against in political, economic, social, or cultural life on account of sex, religion, or social status.”
Ji-hyeok’s deep voice recited the article without hesitation.
The Chief Prosecutor slowly closed his eyes and nodded.
“Whether it’s a prosecutor or a drugged-up attempted murderer, everyone’s equal before the law. So let’s handle this by the book.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare documentation showing that all legal procedures were properly followed.”
The Chief Prosecutor removed his glasses and blew lightly on the lenses.
“You know what you’ll need, right?”
“Witness statements with signatures. CCTV footage. Objective evidence.”
“Good. Get to it.”
Ji-hyeok returned straight to his office.
He briefly considered assigning the task to an investigator, but instead pulled his phone from his jacket.
Then he searched for the phone number of Solsol Pet Salon.
After finishing all the cleaning at the shop, Da-sol changed into her clothes for going home and waited for Ji-hyeok.
The bell over the door jingled, followed by the sound of polished dress shoes.
She turned around.
Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyeok strode toward her.
Judging by his impeccably tailored suit and neatly styled hair, he’d gone to work today as well.
As expected.
This had to be about the case.
“Mr. Prosecutor.”
She greeted him warmly, but Ji-hyeok stopped in place and stared at her face.
Was it because she still had to look up at him despite wearing high heels?
Or was it because of his intense gaze?
Either way, it made her uncomfortable.
Is there something on my face?
Did I get some of the snacks the veterinarian next door gave me stuck on my face? I should’ve checked a mirror.
Pretending to stay calm, Da-sol turned her head slightly, ran her tongue over her lips, then casually brushed a hand across her face.
When she looked back at him, the bandages wrapped around Ji-hyeok’s large hand caught her eye.
“Is your hand okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“You had stitches, didn’t you? They said your tendons and nerves weren’t damaged?”
“Fortunately not. They said it should be fine in a few days.”
Ji-hyeok answered simply.
“Oh, Mr. Prosecutor, just a moment.”
Da-sol prepared two cups of coffee and placed them on the transparent table where Ji-hyeok was seated.
“Please have some while it’s still warm.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Da-sol wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
Her eyes drifted toward Ji-hyeok’s large hand as he lifted his mug by the handle.
His skin was pale and smooth, making him look like someone who had never struggled a day in his life.
Yet his long fingers had thick, solid joints.
They looked like the kind of hands that, once they grabbed hold of something, would never let it escape.
“So, what was this important matter?”
“It’s about that drug offender. He’s claiming he was subjected to excessive force in an attempt to receive a lighter sentence.”
“Oh my goodness! That’s ridiculous! He had a weapon!”
Da-sol’s eyes widened dramatically.
Her expressions were incredibly animated.
Her bright eyes and striking features became even more captivating every time her emotions showed.
Ji-hyeok found his gaze drawn to her again.
“The drug offender believes otherwise.”
“Even when everyone knows it’s nonsense, you still have to respond to it?”
She sounded more wronged than he did.
“Since he’s formally submitted a complaint, it becomes part of the official record and has to be reviewed.”
“But he’s a drug criminal! Aren’t people like that supposed to get no leniency at all? Better yet, they should just lock him in solitary confinement so he can’t make another sound.”
After taking a sip of coffee, Da-sol grumbled under her breath.
“Seriously. Why even entertain something like that? Just making everyone’s lives harder.”
Ji-hyeok took another sip of the warm coffee as he quietly watched her indignant face.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Da-sol frowned slightly before looking back at him.
Their eyes met.
She flinched.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand! I wasn’t talking about you, Mr. Prosecutor. I wasn’t saying you’re a bother.”
“What have I done for you to say that?”
“It’s… the way you were looking at me…”
Ji-hyeok chuckled softly and set down his cup.
“Anyway… since you’re here… Ah! You need the CCTV footage, right?”
Da-sol slapped her thigh with a smack, her eyes sparkling.
She looked oddly excited about it.
“That’s right. And the witness statement we talked about before. Could you help me with that?”
“Of course!”
She sprang to her feet, hurried behind the reception desk, and turned on the computer.
Ji-hyeok followed behind her.
Bracing his left hand on the back of her chair and his right hand on the desk, he leaned forward to look at the monitor.
Their faces ended up close together.
A fresh, sweet fragrance brushed past Ji-hyeok’s nose.
Click.
“Here it is. Oh my goodness!”
As Da-sol turned her head, she realized Ji-hyeok had been standing right behind her all along.
Startled by how close his face was, her already large eyes grew even rounder.
She was the type of person whose emotions showed plainly on both her face and in her movements.
“…Here’s the footage from that day. Take a look, and if you need anything else, the files are automatically organized by date in this folder. You can copy whatever you need onto this.”
She took a USB drive from the desk drawer and placed it beside the mouse.
Then, saying she’d work on the witness statement, she returned to the table with the coffee.
The first clip from the relevant time showed Da-sol drying a dog with a hairdryer.
She held treats in one hand and the dryer in the other, swaying her hips and waving her arms as she danced in front of the dog.
The bright smile on her face was pleasant to watch.
Another clip was the complete opposite.
It clearly captured Jo Man-deok attacking with a knife.
Ji-hyeok copied that portion onto the USB drive.
While waiting for the transfer to finish, he glanced toward the nearby table.
Da-sol sat there, gripping her pen tightly as she stared down at the witness statement.
Resting his elbows on the table, Ji-hyeok clasped his hands together beneath his chin and quietly watched her.
A sky-blue dress.
Her hair tucked behind her right ear, while the rest flowed freely over the other side.
A serious expression without the slightest movement.
It felt like looking at a painting.
And quite a beautiful one.
Ah.
Why am I sitting here with my chin propped up, staring at her? It’s not like I have a hobby of peeping at women.
Clicking his tongue at himself, Ji-hyeok turned his attention back to the monitor.
At some point, the file transfer had already finished, and the copy window had disappeared.
Well…
She’s noticeably beautiful. I suppose that’s understandable.
After removing the USB drive, he sat beside Da-sol and glanced at the witness statement.
Despite how much thought she’d put into it, she’d already filled an entire page.
Her handwriting was elegant.
And apparently she had so much she wanted to say that a couple of lines had spilled outside the designated writing box.
“I think this form’s space is way too small.”
Da-sol rested the tip of her pen against her lips.
She still wore that same serious expression.
“Let me see.”
Ji-hyeok picked up the statement and began reading.
“So? What do you think?”
Da-sol suddenly leaned closer, looking over Ji-hyeok’s shoulder at the paper.
Her long hair brushed against his left arm.
Ji-hyeok turned his head and looked down at her.
“I haven’t finished reading it yet.”
“Oh, right. Go ahead and finish. It’s a little long, isn’t it…?”
He had already finished reading it.
He’d only said that to tease her.
Still, Da-sol remained close beside him, rereading what she’d written.
Her sweet fragrance lingered in the air.
Warmth radiated from her at his left side.
As if facing some nerve-racking ordeal, Da-sol fidgeted with her fingers.
Suppressing the smile threatening to appear, Ji-hyeok finally spoke.
“It’s excellent. Honestly, with a statement like this, we might not even need the CCTV footage.”
“Really?”
“You must’ve written a lot of witness statements before.”
“…You’re not making fun of me, are you?”
“I’m joking. You did a great job.”
Da-sol beamed, unable to hide how happy she was.
Did she simply enjoy being praised?
Or was she just having fun with the situation?
Or perhaps…
Ji-hyeok was still thinking about it as he slipped the statement into an envelope.
Just then—
Jingle.
The shop door opened with a cheerful chime.
“Huh? Director?”
