The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 209

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 209

Even if the sky falls and there’s no way out (4)

“You crazy son of a bitch!”

Sergeant Park’s curse words pierced Officer Ha In-soo’s ears.

“Why did you shoot!”

“I, I was told to shoot…….”

“Of course, I was talking to Sergeant Kim!”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“And why didn’t you load a blank? No, you’re not even authorized to carry live rounds…….”

“This isn’t my gun, I accidentally grabbed Sergeant Kim’s gun in the confusion when we were dispatched.”

Only then did Sergeant Kim realize that he was also screwed.

He loved guns so much that he would often play around, spinning the cylinder like Russian roulette, but he hadn’t properly put it away because he had received the report and left in such a hurry.

But he didn’t care much. He was supposed to carry a taser gun instead of a pistol anyway.

But at the news of a murderer, the junior officer was so out of it that he not only grabbed his gun but also fired a live round. At a citizen, no less.

‘Damn it.’

But before he could dwell on it, their superior shouted.

“What are you doing, you guys? Call 119 [the emergency telephone number in South Korea, similar to 911] and stop the bleeding!”

“Yes, yes!”

The other officers rushed towards the fallen citizen.

“Cough!”

At that moment, Choi Seo-joon coughed and vomited blood.

His shoulder was already in bad shape from being stabbed with a knife, but the live round had torn his organs, so his condition was bound to be serious.

To make matters worse, the citizens were holding their phones even closer to the fallen Choi Seo-joon.

The officers were so flustered that they couldn’t stop the citizens and began to staunch Choi Seo-joon’s wounds.

Meanwhile, the citizens’ murmuring grew louder.

“What should we do?”

“Is he really dead?”

“Wow, he was trying to save a citizen…….”

“No, the police shot him by mistake.”

“Seriously? He got shot trying to save a complete stranger?”

“When is 119 coming?”

“Look at the blood. There’s blood all over the floor.”

“Oh, scary.”

“Where did the woman who was taken hostage go?”

“I think she ran away over there…….”

“She ran away after being saved?”

“No way, would she do that?”

“No, she’s really not here…….”

“What if Choi Seo-joon dies because of this…….”

“Sigh, what’s going to happen to Korea?”

The citizens just said one thing or another, but because there were so many people, the murmuring didn’t die down.

Rather, there were even people live-streaming this video on social media or the internet.

Sergeant Park took out his handkerchief and stopped the bleeding from Choi Seo-joon’s shoulder and stomach, shouting.

“Prosecutor, don’t lose consciousness!”

But Choi Seo-joon’s eyes had already rolled back and closed.

His consciousness had already disappeared into the depths of the abyss.

“Damn it!”

Sergeant Kim barely managed to keep his head from turning blank and shouted.

“When is 119 coming!”

“Th, they’re on their way now.”

At that moment, an ambulance arrived with a siren, and they took Choi Seo-joon to the emergency room.

***

“He’s still in a coma.”

Three days.

It had already been three days since Choi Seo-joon had been stabbed and shot, but he still hadn’t woken up in the intensive care unit.

When they said that they couldn’t guarantee his life even after the surgery, it was like a bolt from the blue, but fortunately, he had survived the first 24 hours, which were said to be the most dangerous.

Han Ji-yoo was just grateful and grateful for that fact, but as more time passed, Choi Seo-joon was still not waking up.

Han Ji-yoo had been feeling a sense of despair as if the sky had fallen for the past few days.

Choi Seo-joon said that this matter might be dangerous, but he never said it would be this bad.

Surely something had gone wrong.

She didn’t like the idea of taking risks in the first place, but she had agreed to his words that it couldn’t be helped, but she never dreamed it would turn out like this.

If she had, she would have stopped him in the first place.

To her, the safety of her family was more important than promotion or success.

But the deed had already been done, and all Han Ji-yoo could do now was to stay by Choi Seo-joon’s side.

But even that was not allowed.

“Visiting hours are over.”

At the nurse’s words, Han Ji-yoo was ushered out of the intensive care unit.

“Sister-in-law.”

Sung Tae-hyun was waiting outside the hospital room.

“Ah…….”

She opened her mouth and looked around them.

“Where’s Ji-soo……?”

“I told her to go home and rest, even if it’s just for a little while, so I’m here to watch over him.”

Sung Tae-hyun carefully suggested.

“Sister-in-law, please take a break too. I’ll stay here.”

“No.”

Han Ji-yoo shook her head.

“I can visit one more time before closing time……. I’ll see him then.”

Sung Tae-hyun couldn’t force her any further at her desperate words.

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“My wife is worried. She even bought porridge…….”

“I can’t get anything down.”

She shook her head and refused.

“Then have some tea. You’ll collapse if you don’t eat anything.”

Han Ji-yoo nodded with difficulty.

Sung Tae-hyun slowed down his pace with Han Ji-yoo towards the cafe in the hospital basement, worried that she might collapse.

She ordered a warm tea, but Han Ji-yoo only drank enough to moisten her mouth and didn’t touch it anymore.

Even Sung Tae-hyun, the great Sung Tae-hyun, didn’t know what to say in this situation, so he struggled to choose his words for a long time before finally opening his mouth with difficulty.

“Ji-hoon is doing well.”

He brought up the story about her son, who he was taking care of in place of Han Ji-yoo because of this incident.

“He’s getting along well with our twins. He eats well and goes to the bathroom well. You don’t have to worry about Ji-hoon.”

“Thank you.”

“Please tell me if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

Han Ji-yoo couldn’t answer at length.

Just looking at the fact that the representative actress of Korea had a pale face without makeup, you could tell how heartbroken and sad she was without having to say it, so Sung Tae-hyun didn’t say anything more.

A long silence flowed for a long time until the hot tea turned cold.

How long had it been?

Sung Tae-hyun’s cell phone on the table vibrated.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

He hurriedly picked up his cell phone and hid it.

“It’s okay. You can look at it.”

Only then did Sung Tae-hyun lower his cell phone under the table and check it.

-Sender: Chief Jo

-Chief Prosecutor Hwang Cheol-min of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has submitted his resignation. I will find out more about the details.

‘Why?’

The chief prosecutor is resigning at such an important time.

But it was meaningless to inform Han Ji-yoo of this fact.

“You can go.”

“No.”

Sung Tae-hyun put his cell phone away and wrapped his hand over Han Ji-yoo’s hand on the table.

“Prosecutor Choi…… No, hyung [Korean term for ‘older brother,’ used by males to address older male friends or relatives] will definitely wake up.”

“Do you think so?”

Her voice was filled with desperation.

“Yes. He definitely will. Hyung is a strong person.”

“…….”

Han Ji-yoo bowed her head and nodded with difficulty.

And after another long silence, she grabbed the chair and barely got up.

“Go in. I can be here alone.”

“No. I’ll drive you home after the visit later.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, there are so many reporters outside…….”

From the day Choi Seo-joon collapsed, reporters had been stationed in the hospital parking lot.

They were trying to get a word from Han Ji-yoo or hear about Choi Seo-joon’s health from hospital officials.

Was it because he had fought against a criminal to save a good citizen and was stabbed, and then shot by a police officer’s mistake? Public opinion about Choi Seo-joon was reversed again and began to skyrocket, and as a result, even writing a short article about Choi Seo-joon was now considered a scoop.

“It’s really okay. You can go back.”

Han Ji-yoo struggled to get up and headed back to the intensive care unit where Choi Seo-joon was.

***

When Han Ji-yoo left the hospital to go home after an additional visit, the reporters who had been waiting jumped up and held out their cameras and microphones.

“What is Choi Seo-joon’s condition now?”

“Is there a chance that Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon will wake up?”

“Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon is hospitalized due to a police mistake. Do you have anything to say to the police?”

Han Ji-yoo silently walked towards her car in response to the reporters’ questions.

She felt like she was going to cry even if she stayed still, and she didn’t want to answer them.

No, she didn’t even have the energy to speak in the first place.

But then one reporter’s question pierced her ears.

“The victim who was taken hostage and survived said that she feels responsible for this situation and feels sorry and guilty towards Choi Seo-joon. Do you resent her?”

Han Ji-yoo tried to pass by without answering the reporters, but she had no choice but to stop when she heard that question.

She had remained silent even when she wanted to complain about the frustration of being caught up in scandals several times while working in the entertainment industry, but she couldn’t just pass by this time.

Eventually, Han Ji-yoo turned around and looked at the reporters instead of opening her car door.

The camera flashes went off again, and Han Ji-yoo opened her mouth.

“To be honest, it would be a lie if I said I didn’t resent her.”

She raised her head and looked at the many reporters and cameras.

“When the doctor told me that they couldn’t guarantee my husband’s life, I was overwhelmed with such great sadness that I needed someone to resent and blame.”

Han Ji-yoo sincerely revealed her thoughts.

“I didn’t understand why he went to save another citizen even after hearing the citizens say, ‘Choi Seo-joon is not a national prosecutor, but a national traitor.’ ‘Go die,’ ‘Are you even a prosecutor?’ I didn’t even want to understand.”

She took a slow breath and continued.

“While I was doing that, I went into the intensive care unit this morning and saw my husband’s face. He was still wearing an oxygen mask and relying on machines for his life. Because the bullet shattered in his body and his organs were severely ruptured, without life support…….”

She couldn’t continue.

Tears streamed down Han Ji-yoo’s cheeks, but she shook her head and looked at the reporters again.

“But when I saw my husband’s face, he looked more peaceful than ever. He even looked happy. At that moment, I realized that I was wrong.”

Han Ji-yoo wiped away her tears with difficulty.

“My husband…… Choi Seo-joon was doing what he had to do as a prosecutor for the people. Even if he doesn’t recover from this, if the same situation unfolds, my husband will throw himself again.”

Her voice choked with emotion, she continued.

“So even if my husband never wakes up, I will never resent the victim. I won’t blame the police officers either, because it wasn’t intentional.”

The noisy reporters’ mouths were shut.

“I’ll just tell my son that he was the most proud father anyone could ask for. Even if other people point fingers, I know that he is a person who has nothing to be ashamed of before heaven.”

Han Ji-yoo’s lips were even trembling, but she didn’t stop talking.

“I still think that I would give up everything if only my husband could wake up. Because he is such a precious person and a loving husband.”

Eventually, even the sound of the camera shutters disappeared.

“I hope that my husband will wake up yesterday, today, tomorrow, and in the future, but I will never blame or resent anyone. So…….”

Han Ji-yoo looked at the main camera in front of her with tears streaming down her face and said.

“Victim, please don’t blame yourself and live your life. My husband will be happy if you live happily.”