You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 361

“Your Honor, I submit the recording file of the witness’s phone call with Mr. Byun Seung-min as evidence.”

As Kang Min-jae took out the USB, the prosecutor’s side stood up and shouted.

“This evidence was not agreed upon in advance! Also, it is proper to submit a transcript, not a recording file. I ask that it be dismissed.”

As the prosecutor spoke, I rummaged through my document case, retrieved a file, and held it up.

“Here is the transcript the prosecutor mentioned. I submit it as evidence as well.”

As soon as I finished listening to the recording file with Jung Na-jin, I immediately sent it to a stenography service to create a transcript.

Even if the prosecutor tries to block the submission now, claiming it’s evidence that wasn’t agreed upon, it’s still evidence that can be submitted after the trial is over.

Blocking it here is just a waste of time.

“In addition, I request that this recording file be played in court for everyone to listen to.”

“Your Honor, playing it in court is an unnecessary procedure.”

“The sounds are somewhat indistinct, so to address any suspicion of inaccuracies in the stenographic record, this will resolve it.”

The judge sighed and turned off the microphone.

Then, he conferred with the associate judges on either side.

Either way, both we and the prosecution have been submitting evidence that was not agreed upon in advance, continuing the debate.

There’s no reason to reject only this transcript when everything else has been allowed so far.

Even if the judge accepted something from Wooshin [likely a bribe or favor], there’s no reason to block the transcript, which can be submitted later anyway.

“We will play it.”

The courtroom, about to play the recording file, fell silent.

The sound of the mouse clicking echoed throughout the wide courtroom.

Along with the sound of the USB being recognized, a media player program soon appeared on the screen.

[Okay, customer, I understand. Please contact the customer center. This is something I can’t help you with. I’ve told you many times, right? Yes? I’m hanging up.]

Jung Na-jin’s voice signaled the start.

[Why are you hanging up when I haven’t finished talking? Hey, are you kidding me right now?]

[Judging by how noisy it is around you right now, it doesn’t seem like you’re in a situation to talk on the phone. Please call the center tomorrow morning.]

Throughout the argument between Byun Seung-min and Jung Na-jin, sharp noises were mixed in from afar.

Jung Na-jin said that she put down her phone around this point and started her own work.

[Aaaagh! Aaaagh!]

It was a woman’s scream.

The first to react to this was none other than the bereaved family members.

Her mother, who was holding a handkerchief, widened her eyes.

Byun Seung-min thought it was movie noise.

Considering that ambient sounds are usually louder to the other person when recording a call, it’s understandable, but the recording didn’t end there.

[Aaaagh! Just because you’re Go Sang-joon’s sons doesn’t mean you can do this! Do you think you’re something special? Huh? You think you can do these things and no one can say anything to you, so you have nothing to fear?]

“That’s Sang-eun! That’s, that’s our Sang-eun!”

The bereaved family member, who had maintained silence except for not being able to hold back tears throughout the trial, jumped up and shouted.

“Honey, just a little bit… just bear with it a little longer.”

Fortunately, a middle-aged man, who seemed to be her father, stopped her.

[No, I’m telling you several times that I put money in the account, but the money isn’t being withdrawn! Does it make sense that I can’t change my insurance product because of that!]

[Let go of me! Go Yoon-ho, you crazy bastard! Let go!]

As the name Go Yoon-ho began to be heard clearly, the entire audience began to stir.

Behind Byun Seung-min’s annoyed voice, the housekeeper’s voice continued to be mixed in.

[Aagh! Please, sob, I said I understood, aagh! Aaaagh!]

[No, I put money in, but what’s with recommending against getting big insurance because of a system problem? Isn’t it good for insurance sellers if people get big insurance anyway? …But why is it so noisy? Why is the movie sound so loud?]

Byun Seung-min, who was focused on the call and dismissing the noise outside as movie sound, seemed to realize something was wrong now.

As if he was receiving a call indoors, the sound of opening a door and the sound of insects were heard.

[Are you doing this because you trust your father? Did Go Sang-joon say it’s okay to do this? Is the whole country yours, you crazy bastards! I’m going to make an issue of this, I can’t just let this go!]

[What are you talking about, you bitch!]

The housekeeper’s voice grew louder, and the voices of Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok were also captured.

[Wow, what the hell…]

Byun Seung-min’s small voice, sounding flustered, was also heard.

[Damn, I’ll call you back later.]

With those words, the sound of manipulating the phone, like flick, flick, was heard.

Perhaps Byun Seung-min tried to press the button to end the call around this point.

However, whether Byun Seung-min’s hand slipped, the call was not disconnected, and his mutterings were heard.

[Crazy… The battery is dead, damn it.]

[Ugh! …Ugh!]

[Crazy, what is it?]

Along with a dull sound, the housekeeper’s voice, which had been screaming incessantly, stopped abruptly, and Byun Seung-min muttered in a frightened voice.

[Bitch, get up and stop acting.]

[What, hyung [older brother or close male friend]. I don’t think she’s acting?]

[…What are you talking about?]

Behind Byun Seung-min’s trembling breathing, the voices of Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok were heard faintly.

[There’s blood, a lot of it.]

[Is she dead?]

[I think she’s dead… She’s not breathing.]

[Damn it, we’re screwed.]

[Should I contact Chief Han?]

[Go Yoon-seok, are you crazy? She’s already dead, what are you contacting him for? Do you think Father will leave us alone if he finds out?]

[Then what are we going to do with the body?]

[We just have to get rid of it.]

Byun Seung-min’s breathing, eavesdropping on the two people’s conversation, grew louder and louder, and soon there was a small sound of skin rubbing as if he was covering his own mouth.

The brothers, with the corpse in front of them, were lost in thought for a long time.

For about 20 seconds, a silence filled with only the sound of insects flowing.

[Ah… No.]

[What are you going to do?]

[Let’s just bury her in this house. And frame Kim Hwa-young for it.]

And at the same time, the call was disconnected and the recording ended.

The courtroom, where the recording had ended, was filled with silence.

“I will submit this transcript and the original recording file later.”

It was my voice that broke the silence.

Not only the prosecutors, but even the audience filling the gallery had a blank expression as if they had lost their words.

However, starting with the reporters who quickly began typing on their laptops, the reporters began typing on their laptops like crazy.

The sound of keyboards filled the courtroom.

“…That’s all.”

* * *

“Kim Hwa-young! Kim Hwa-young!”

After the trial, anticipating that many reporters would swarm us, we took Kim Hwa-young out through the back door and put her in her brother’s car that was waiting.

Of course, there were reporters who recognized this and rushed over, but we pushed them all away and put her in the car, so I don’t think there will be any major problems until Kim Hwa-young returns to the hospital.

“Kim Hwa-young is currently under a lot of stress due to the case, so she is not available for an interview.”

It was less than 5 minutes later that the reporters gathered at the front gate received a call and swarmed to the back gate like a swarm of ants.

“Attorney Cha Joo-han, you presented a new suspect in court. What are your thoughts on this?”

“That’s what the prosecution should do. I don’t think I have anything to add.”

“With only the sentencing date ahead, what kind of verdict do you expect Kim Hwa-young to receive?”

“That’s for the court to decide.”

“This is the second trial that has garnered national attention. There is criticism that the trial was full of evidence that was not agreed upon in advance in court. What are your thoughts on this?”

“As you know, the time we had to prepare was very short due to the existing lawyer being dismissed and us being newly appointed. We could have postponed the trial date, but the defendant was under a lot of stress because she was being unfairly accused and put on trial, and our legal team concluded that it would be better not to postpone the trial date in order to resolve this.

Therefore, it is true that evidence that was not agreed upon in advance came out, but it was all evidence that was legitimately obtained through legal channels, and above all, it was decisive evidence that would reveal that the defendant was innocent, so we could not give it up.”

“Can we interpret Kim Hwa-young’s active participation in the trial, such as directly questioning the witness, as an expression of her innocence?”

“That’s right. Kim Hwa-young lived as a star who dominated her era, but soon retired and chose a reclusive life. That’s why she has never spoken about the abuse that has been inflicted on her under the guise of raising suspicions. This is because she thought there would be people who would try to attack her continuously, latching onto anything she said.

However, when a situation arose where she was driven into a corner by even giving false testimony, I think she couldn’t bear the unfairness. Kim Hwa-young is also an ordinary person. Celebrities can’t just endure the suspicions that are constantly being thrown at them.”

I think this was the first time I had given such a long interview after the trial.

It was a necessary step.

Until now, Kim Hwa-young had never properly stated her position, except for the media manipulation that Taekwang had done.

Someone is needed to convey her voice in place of Kim Hwa-young, who cannot yet stand in front of the camera.

“Then I’ll stop here.”

Kang Min-jae and I passed through the reporters and headed to the parking lot.

Taesik said he would park the van in the parking lot and wait with Byun Seung-min, so I was going to settle things there.

Isn’t that so?

Anyway, I entered the trial with Byun Seung-min with 400 million won on the line.

Fortunately, the recording file came out from Jung Na-jin, whom I met 3 days before the trial, but if it hadn’t, I would have completely ruined the trial because of Byun Seung-min.

“Lawyer!”

As soon as I opened the van door, Byun Seung-min rushed at me.

“Lawyer, I really didn’t mean to mess it up. It’s not that I was trying to lose it, I really didn’t know either. I didn’t know it would turn out like that in the middle!”

Byun Seung-min began to make excuses as if he had been waiting.

I pushed Byun Seung-min away and got into the van.

I can’t create this scene in front of everyone, can I?

Byun Seung-min also got into the van quietly following Taesik’s signal.

“Mr. Byun Seung-min.”

“…Yes.”

“Our deal was for the photo. Not Mr. Byun Seung-min’s testimony.”

“…I know that, but still, because of that, that witness, yeah, because of what I talked about, the insurance lady revealed that it was Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok’s doing! So, didn’t I play a part in it anyway? Yes?”

“That’s what Ms. Jung Na-jin did. Mr. Byun Seung-min stood on the witness stand without a photo anyway, and because of that, Mr. Byun Seung-min became a witness who damaged our case.”

“…”

“So I can’t give you 400 million won.”

“…Ha, are you kidding me? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have contacted you in the first place, I would have just run away!”

“You even took out a 500 million won insurance policy, and you’re not satisfied with that, so you tried to earn more money and got screwed, so you feel very dirty, right?”

Byun Seung-min gritted his teeth without saying anything.

If he had planned to get the insurance money and get out from the beginning, Byun Seung-min would have remained unknown to us, and we would not have known how much of a bastard he was or how much insurance money he was receiving.

“You seduced Park Sang-eun and told her to take out insurance that would benefit each other? Stop talking nonsense. You would have harmed Park Sang-eun someday even if it wasn’t for Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok. Isn’t that right?”

“No. Damn it, that’s not it!”

“If you want to get the insurance money from Hanyoung Life, you’ll have to think about suing. If you have other insurance policies with other companies besides Hanyoung Life, you’ll have to sue them too. It will take months to sue. And Wooshin will be trying to catch you during that time, right?”

“…”

“Don’t die and hold on tight. I don’t know if you’ll be able to get the insurance money if you do that. Anyway, our deal is over. You’ll admit that too.”

I took out my wallet and handed him the cash inside.

It’s probably around 500,000 won [approximately $400 USD].

I don’t carry that much cash because I’m a card fanatic.

“Use this to run away and buy delicious things from time to time. I heard you ate jjajangmyeon [black bean noodles] and tangsuyuk [sweet and sour pork] so well.”

When I winked at Taesik, Taesik threw Byun Seung-min out of the van as it was and closed the door.

Byun Seung-min, who had fallen to the floor with a thud, looked around in embarrassment and began to knock on the van door.

“Damn it, what are you going to do if I get caught here, damn it! Take me with you! At least drop me off anywhere, damn it, drop me off anywhere!”

I don’t know what Wooshin will do to Byun Seung-min.

And I don’t want Wooshin to kidnap Byun Seung-min here.

But whatever Wooshin does, all of that is the price Byun Seung-min has to pay.

“Let’s get going.”

The van left as it was, and Byun Seung-min ran after the van’s tail for a long time before stopping, panting.

Byun Seung-min is the only witness who witnessed Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok killing the housekeeper.

So he is a necessary witness for the investigation.

Wooshin may try to appease him by giving him billions of won, but that doesn’t seem likely as long as there is a voice recording.

Anyway, because Byun Seung-min kept taking pictures thinking the call was disconnected, all the conversations Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-seok had were recorded.

We are grateful for that… It’s just a pity that the object of our gratitude is such a bastard.