You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 546

“Situation is over. Requesting immediate backup. Situation is over. Requesting immediate backup.”

Heo Min-woo took out his radio, quickly murmuring into it, then firmly pressed Jung-min, who was writhing, onto the sink.

He then handcuffed Jung-min’s hands with the cuffs he had in his pocket.

“Shit, Keueung, Keueueung!”

Heo Min-woo, watching Jung-min sniffing and trying to inhale the powder scattered on the sink due to the commotion, was now at a loss for words.

He had expected Jung-min to be addicted for a long time when he first heard the story from Cha Joo-han, but the condition was worse than he thought.

Even in a situation where he was being arrested as a flagrant offender, he was trying to sniff up even a little bit of the powder.

Heo Min-woo roughly pushed Jung-min aside, pulled out a paper towel, wet it with water, and neatly wiped away the unsightly powder scattered on the sink.

“Detective Heo!”

At the same time, the bathroom door burst open, and detectives rushed inside.

“Let go! Shit, let go!”

Seeing the detectives enter, Jung-min seemed to realize his situation, and his resistance became even fiercer.

No sooner had he tried to hand Jung-min over to another detective than Jung-min started kicking.

“Aigo, Jung-min. If you hit a police officer here, that’s an additional charge of obstructing official duties. And what if that officer gets a medical certificate and sues you for damages?”

Heo Min-woo sighed and helped the detectives who were struggling to subdue Jung-min.

Knowing full well that Jung-min had turned to drugs because of the House of Angels, he wouldn’t actually sue for damages for being kicked a few times, but he thought he needed to scare him a little.

But Jung-min didn’t give up.

“I’m a minor, you *ssaeng* [a vulgar term]! I’m a minor, so can you do this?!”

“This kid has a strange thought process. You’re not even a juvenile offender, so what’s being a minor got to do with it? You’re a juvenile delinquent. If you act tough because you’re a minor, it’s disadvantageous to you. What did the officer say? I told you your statements could be used against you, right?”

“……Ssi, shit, it doesn’t make sense. It’s not like I wanted to do it! The officer, ssi, gave it to me! You gave it to me, but this is a crime? Does that make sense?”

After sniffing a little powder, his tone noticeably returned to normal.

It wasn’t his first time seeing a drug offender, and there were definitely several minors among them, but it was the first time he had arrested someone with such a miserable feeling.

He was afraid that Jung-min might take the police lightly if his expression softened, so he hardened his expression and replied.

“Stop cursing.”

Then he gestured to his junior detective.

“What are you doing? Take him away quickly. And looking at the documents, those people over there are Jung-min’s guardians, right? They’ll have to be investigated too, right?”

Heo Min-woo found the director and Kim Young-ji among the onlookers gathered at the bathroom entrance.

He was worried that they might run away, but as Cha Joo-han had said, they didn’t.

Rather, they had confident expressions.

He wondered if they could be that brazen, and apparently they were.

“You’re from the House of Angels, right? Min-soo, give me the file.”

The investigator, who was clearing the way through the onlookers to take Jung-min into custody, quickly ran at Heo Min-woo’s words.

And handed him an L-shaped folder.

Heo Min-woo took out a piece of paper from it and compared it to the faces of the director and Kim Young-ji.

“That’s right. I’m late to introduce myself. As you can see, I was here. I’m Detective Heo Min-woo from Gangnam Police Station. As you just saw, Sohn Jung-min, a student under the protection of the House of Angels, was arrested as a flagrant offender for drug use and possession. I think you two need to be investigated in connection with this, so let’s go to the station together.”

“……Listening to what Jung-min just said, the detective gave him the drugs first. Isn’t that entrapment?”

Kim Young-ji reacted sharply.

Then Heo Min-woo nodded readily.

“That’s right.”

“Entrapment isn’t allowed, is it? Can I formally protest?”

“You can protest, but I don’t know where you heard that entrapment isn’t allowed.”

Heo Min-woo shrugged.

“There’s a widespread perception that entrapment is illegal, which really makes it difficult for us.”

“…….”

“To explain in detail, it’s complicated, but briefly… There are two types of entrapment, one is illegal and one is legal. Inducement entrapment is illegal. But we only provided Sohn Jung-min with an opportunity, and Sohn Jung-min took that opportunity. And this type of investigation is called opportunity-providing investigation, which is a legal form of entrapment. Besides, the standards are a bit more lenient for drug cases……”

Heo Min-woo, who was rattling off explanations, sighed and handed the file back to his junior detective.

Then he stepped out of the bathroom and said.

“Well, you’re going to hire a lawyer, whether it’s a public defender or a private lawyer, so it’ll be easier for you to ask them directly if you can insist on an illegal investigation even in this case. But if you still want to hear an explanation from us, please tell us. Investigator Kim Min-soo here will kindly explain it to you.”

Heo Min-woo said that and looked around the cafe.

Sung-yoon was sitting at a nearby table with another police officer.

Heo Min-woo made eye contact with him and then said to the director.

“Ah, and Director, Uhm Sung-yoon wants to leave the House of Angels. We’ll take him, so don’t worry too much.”

Heo Min-woo turned to Sung-yoon without even looking at the director and Kim Young-ji’s reactions.

Then he gestured to the police officers who were protecting Sung-yoon.

As they were about to get up with Sung-yoon, the director, who had been frozen for a moment, shouted.

“Take him? We haven’t received any official documents! Do you think that’s procedurally possible right now?”

“Ah, I guess you’re the type who only understands when you explain in detail. First of all, there are no procedural problems. To put it in a more formal tone, Uhm Sung-yoon is currently feeling considerable fear and anxiety towards the House of Angels and its related parties. The person concerned is strongly requesting separation, and based on various statements and circumstances, the department in charge has also determined that separation measures are necessary. Therefore, we will implement separation measures, so please take note.”

“Where are you trying to take the child……! Where are you trying to take the child……!”

“If I tell you that, it wouldn’t be a separation measure, would it? If you’re worried about Sung-yoon, you don’t have to worry. It’s a safer place than the House of Angels. You haven’t forgotten that I’m a police officer, have you?”

The director couldn’t say anything.

Of course, that’s the case now, and they’ll try to pull something later, but the important thing is that they’ve secured the safety of Jung-min and Sung-yoon.

When he first discussed with Cha Joo-han about the possibility of the director violently causing a disturbance, Cha Joo-han said, ‘If you take emergency and urgent measures with the authority of a police officer, they’ll have nothing to say.’

But when Heo Min-woo asked, ‘Isn’t that only possible in cases of domestic violence?’ Cha Joo-han muttered to himself something incomprehensible.

‘Not yet…….’

He didn’t know what it meant, but he probably saw an article about a related bill being proposed in the National Assembly.

“Sung-yoon, you must have been scared, but you did well.”

Heo Min-woo patted Sung-yoon on the shoulder as he opened the passenger seat door for him.

Then Sung-yoon shook his head.

“No. It wasn’t that scary because you were already at the cafe.”

It wasn’t just the people from the House of Angels who were at the cafe in advance.

There were a total of 10 people prepared to protect Sung-yoon in case of an emergency.

Three police officers and seven people attached by Cha Joo-han.

Considering the commercial district where the cafe was located, they were all arranged to look like ordinary college students or office workers.

“Whew, then I should take Sung-yoon to the lawyers, and I think I should go to the police station to talk to Jung-min. Are you okay with that?”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Then…… what’s going to happen to Jung-min now?”

“Well. Unlike you, it seems like Lawyer Cha can’t protect Jung-min because of the drug charges, so I’ll be taking care of him. In principle, he should go to a shelter or something, but I’m worried.”

“Lawyer Cha said that it might be safer for the police to keep him in custody……”

“For that to happen, an arrest warrant has to be issued, but I don’t think an arrest warrant will be issued because Jung-min is a minor and a victim as well as a suspect. It’s okay because I’m taking care of him. I think Lawyer Cha will think so too?”

“I don’t know much about that…… I just hope Jung-min is safe.”

“He’ll be safe. But you shouldn’t tell anyone else that I’m protecting Jung-min. It’s unofficial, and Jung-min could be in danger.”

“Don’t even tell the lawyers?”

Heo Min-woo smiled slightly and shook his head at Sung-yoon’s question.

“The lawyers are okay. The *hyungs* [older brothers/male friends] you live with are okay too.”

“……Yes. But can I ask you just one more thing?”

“Of course.”

“Will Jung-min go to jail?”

Heo Min-woo sighed.

It was the thing he was most worried about since Sung-yoon asked him to rescue Jung-min in the first place.

Cha Joo-han had even told Heo Min-woo to reassure Sung-yoon so that he wouldn’t be scared because Sung-yoon had asked this question several times.

“He’s a minor, it’s his first offense, and he probably started it involuntarily, whether it was at the recommendation or coercion of the House of Angels, so I don’t think he’ll go to jail.”

“……Yes.”

“Then can we leave now? I’ll talk to Jung-min and give you updates later.”

Sung-yoon nodded heavily.

As Heo Min-woo’s car began to move, Sung-yoon turned his gaze out the window.

As they entered the area near the *hagwon* [private tutoring academy] district, he saw groups of students who looked to be about his age walking around.

Even though they were carrying heavy-looking bags, they were laughing and talking loudly, as if they were having so much fun.

‘If I had been born into an ordinary family, would I have looked like that?’

Sung-yoon, who had been lost in thought for a moment, shook his head wildly.

Still, how grateful he was that those lawyers had appeared before him.

If it hadn’t been for them, he would still be under the control of the House of Angels…….

* * *

Two weeks ago.

“……Aren’t you worried about Jung-min, Teacher?”

It was the day he met Kim Young-ji separately at a cafe near the school and told her that Jung-min seemed to be doing drugs.

When those lawyers told him to inform the House of Angels that Jung-min seemed to be doing drugs and see their reaction, he was skeptical.

Until Kim Young-ji, who had been saying like a habit that she was worried about Jung-min, burst out laughing when he presented the possibility of Jung-min’s drug addiction with evidence.

She always treated Sung-yoon as if he was a child who didn’t know anything.

Each time, Sung-yoon wondered if that was the case.

He felt embarrassed, thinking that adults might see things differently.

But wasn’t this different?

The first to suggest the possibility of drug addiction was not the young himself, but those lawyers.

“Pick something to drink. I’ll buy it for you, so drink it and let’s go in together.”

Kim Young-ji tried to divert Sung-yoon’s attention and resolve the situation by making a fuss.

She seemed to no longer want to have a serious conversation about Jung-min.

So the conclusion was as good as out.

“I’m not going in right now.”

The lawyer with the cold impression told him that if Kim Young-ji showed the expected reaction, he should never return to the House of Angels and come to him.

“Why?”

“I’m meeting up with the kids later because of the performance evaluation.”

“No. Come with me quickly.”

Even if it was an orphanage, they didn’t control outings until late hours.

Kim Young-ji’s words that it wasn’t allowed made Sung-yoon more and more convinced that what those lawyers were saying was right.

“No, even if I’m an orphan, do I have to follow everything Teacher says? Anyone can see that there’s no reason to stop me from doing this? Do you have something to hide?”

The lawyers advised him that if Kim Young-ji tried to take Sung-yoon in that spot, he should react loudly and make sure everyone around him could hear by clearly stating the subject.

That wasn’t difficult for Sung-yoon.

All he had to do was unleash the emotions he had been holding back.

“Sung-yoon, why are you doing this…….”

“Why are you doing this, Teacher! Is the House of Angels originally a place that prevents the kids they’re taking care of from studying?!”

“Come out and talk for a second.”

“What am I going to talk about with a teacher who won’t tell me any reason and won’t let me do the performance evaluation! Was the House of Angels originally a place like this?!”

Sung-yoon felt the gazes of the people around him and emphasized the word House of Angels as advised, shouting even louder.

“You, just you wait.”

And as if to prove that the lawyers’ words were all correct, Kim Young-ji gave up on Sung-yoon and left.

Left alone, Sung-yoon checked through the glass window that Kim Young-ji had turned the corner of the alley and immediately approached the table behind him.

There sat the men whom the lawyers had told him to talk to if he was in an emergency or wanted to contact them.

Sung-yoon opened his mouth weakly.

“……Hyungs. Please, take me to the lawyers.”