You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 570

You Have Been Defended – Episode 570

As soon as we received the news of Onodera’s grandson’s sick leave application, we asked Kirihara Sachiko to visit Korea again.

She seemed to have barely slept all night trying to find out the truth about Onodera’s grandson’s sick leave, but she came to Korea without hesitation.

“Generally, it is known that it takes three months to return to daily life after a heart transplant.”

The world was buzzing about the House of Angels, but right now, our top priority was Onodera’s grandson’s heart surgery.

Because it was the key to initiating a special investigation and winning that special investigation.

Thanks to Kim Mi-ja, we were able to obtain a recording of Woo-shin colluding with influential Japanese politicians in human trafficking, but the most important thing was direct evidence that they actually tried to carry it out.

That’s why it was so important to catch the moment when Im Hyun-il or So-eun left the country.

We saved Seong Yoon-do and Jung Min-do.

Now there’s nothing to fear.

We just need to focus on the surgery.

“Yes. That’s probably why Onodera’s grandson applied for three months of sick leave. After receiving this news, I reorganized the surveillance of Okashima Hospital. Watertight.”

Kirihara placed several photos on the table.

The photos contained images of Onodera’s daughter and grandson.

However, the condition of the photos was not very good.

The quality was poor, or even if the quality was good, it felt like they were taken from a great distance.

It seemed to be a difficult environment to approach.

“As you can see, the security is tight. This is the first time I’ve seen a prime minister’s family protected to this extent. It’s true that Onodera cherishes his daughter, but he’s probably doing this because he feels guilty.”

“Then, as you mentioned earlier, it must have been difficult to tail Onodera’s daughter and grandson.”

“Yes. I could force a tail, but if they realize they’re being watched, they’ll try to hide even more. Since Hayashi Kenichi is the surgeon and Okashima Hospital is the place for the surgery, there’s no point in chasing after them; it’s just dangerous.”

“That’s right.”

“We’ve planted people at all the entrances and exits of Okashima Hospital, including the main and auxiliary entrances, and even what look like tiny hidden entrances. But we haven’t seen Onodera’s family or close aides visiting yet. Onodera Masao is also being careful about his movements since he hasn’t been prime minister for long. So, he’s mostly holed up in the prime minister’s official residence after work hours.”

“Then, is it not possible to confirm where Onodera’s daughter is now?”

“The security personnel near her Kyoto home have been significantly reduced recently. At first, I thought it was a one-time change, so I watched a little longer, but it became clear this morning. Seeing that, I think she may have already come up near Okashima Hospital. But since she hasn’t been seen entering or leaving Okashima Hospital, it means she hasn’t been admitted yet.”

“What’s the probability that you missed her entering Okashima Hospital?”

“I can’t say there’s absolutely none. There’s always a chance. But if she had already been admitted, even if we didn’t see Onodera’s grandson, we should have seen his daughter. No matter how VIP [Very Important Person] the hospital room is, she would need something and come out at least once, right?”

I nodded at Kirihara’s words.

If she hasn’t been admitted to Okashima Hospital yet, it can be interpreted that there is still some time left until the surgery.

“What about the matter you mentioned about getting the blueprints of Okashima Hospital back then?”

“Not yet. It’s a matter that needs to be approached carefully, so it’s difficult to rush. And I can’t guarantee that we can get the blueprints. It’s better to make plans assuming we don’t have the blueprints.”

“Yes, I will. I didn’t think it would be easy to get the blueprints anyway. It’s hard to get the blueprints submitted to the government office, but getting the blueprints that were not submitted to the government office and hidden is not an ordinary task. Rather, it would be amazing if we succeeded.”

“As Attorney Cha said, it generally takes about three months to return to daily life after a heart transplant. So, Onodera’s grandson probably applied for three months of sick leave. The sick leave will be counted from the start of the semester, so until when will he be absent? Knowing that would make it easier to predict the timing of the surgery.”

Choi Jong-hyun, who was listening to the story, asked.

“That school starts on September 1st. So, they think he can recover enough to live a normal life by December 1st, right?”

Kang Min-jae frowned as if he was uncomfortable with Kirihara’s answer.

“The general case is considered three months, but recovery may be slower depending on the patient’s condition. Besides, I remember that Onodera’s grandson has all sorts of allergies. I heard it in the wiretapping file back then. He can extend his sick leave, but he wouldn’t want to take his time from the beginning, would he? Of course, they’ve already explored ways to perform surgery without causing anaphylaxis [severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction], but you never know. I think the surgery will be a little earlier than September 1st.”

Kirihara tapped the table at Kang Min-jae’s words.

“Yes. I think so too. He’ll have surgery before September 1st at the latest. There are only two weeks left until then. I think the surgery will be done within the first week. If it goes beyond the second week, there won’t be much time left.”

“That’s right. Onodera’s grandson hasn’t been admitted yet, but he’ll start with a checkup before the surgery. It’ll take three or four days to get the checkup and preparation done thoroughly. So, assuming the surgery will be done within the first week, the next three or four days will be the most important.”

Kang Min-jae nodded and opened the calendar page of his notebook to take notes.

“Considering the leeway, it’s right to proceed with the surgery in the first week, but we don’t know how the situation will change depending on the attention the House of Angels is receiving. No matter how much they want to accommodate Onodera’s grandson, they can only perform surgery if there is a donor.”

“Attorney Cha is right. He may be admitted in the second week, so we need to be patient and watch.”

Choi Jong-hyun also nodded.

“That’s right. I’m just saying which side is more likely; I don’t think it’ll be done unconditionally in the first week. Oh, and I’ve also selected two hotels that Onodera’s mother and son might have chosen to stay near Okashima Hospital. The area isn’t that crowded, so there aren’t many good hotels. I’m monitoring those places together from today. Of course, they may be staying somewhere other than a hotel, but unfortunately, my power doesn’t reach that far.”

Kirihara seemed to be fully prepared.

I brought the box that was on one side of the desk.

“This is the jammer I mentioned before. If we can’t stop Im Hyun-il or So-eun from leaving Korea, there may be situations where it’s needed in Japan. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the instructions included. Would about ten jammers be enough?”

“Yes, I think that’ll be enough based on the coverage distance you told me back then.”

Kirihara briefly opened the box, then carefully placed it next to her bag as if she were treasuring it.

“How’s the situation in Korea? Is there any movement from Hayashi Kenichi or the child named So-eun from the House of Angels?”

“There’s no special movement yet. However, Woo-shin seems to be pushing Im Hyun-il, and he’s been attending various important positions. But he hasn’t met with anyone from Go Sang-joon or Go Yoon-soo’s side other than Woo-shin Hospital officials.”

“They may be intentionally reducing contact. In fact, what would Go Sang-joon or Go Yoon-soo have to say to Hayashi Kenichi? ‘Do the important surgery properly, and if you do well, I’ll guarantee your future’… They’d just say something like that. That’s enough over the phone.”

“That’s probably it.”

“What about the House of Angels? The House of Angels has become a huge topic in Korea these days. It’s Chief Reporter Choi’s work, right?”

“It’s not my work, but the work of all of us.”

Choi Jong-hyun answered humbly.

Jo Bong-joon didn’t come to this meeting because he was preparing for the broadcast, but if he had come, he might have shed tears of emotion.

They argue with each other whenever they get a chance, saying that they contributed more to the broadcast.

“If Woo-shin is planning to replace the generation as you all think, and Go Yoon-soo is thinking of cleaning up the House of Angels this time… If we miss this case, there may be no next chance.”

“That’s probably it.”

“But I’m concerned that the House of Angels has become a hot topic. It’s certain that Onodera’s daughter and son have left Kyoto, so I’m predicting that the surgery will proceed. But since the House of Angels has received so much attention, I wonder if it’ll be easy to smuggle the child out. If the child can’t come to Japan, the surgery can’t be done, right?”

“I think it won’t be difficult. The attention has decreased a lot, but what people are paying attention to is not exactly the House of Angels itself. They are interested in the people who put the two teenagers in crisis. Even that will be forgotten more in the future.”

Looking at it coldly, that’s true.

It is true that the name House of Angels is often mentioned, and there are many people who call the House of Angels the House of Devils and mock it.

But that doesn’t mean they care about each and every child living in the House of Angels.

On the day we turned on the last broadcast, there was no room to step in front of the House of Angels.

The same was true the next day.

But what about the day after that?

The number of reporters who were stationed in front of it was reduced by half.

What about today?

Half of that half was reduced.

The reason is that Kim Young-ji and the director have not been to the House of Angels at all since the incident broke out.

They hadn’t appeared even after being stationed in front of it for several days, and many people predicted that the two would continue to not show up until things calmed down, so it’s perhaps natural.

“Still, there may be reporters stubbornly staying in front of the House of Angels, right?”

“But there are ways to disguise it. No matter how many reporters are there, the children there have to eat and receive deliveries, right? Trucks will come and go.”

Choi Jong-hyun put another photo on the table and said.

It was a photo of vehicles that regularly go in and out of the House of Angels.

It includes not only the vehicles of the staff, but also the vehicles of people who regularly volunteer at the House of Angels.

“In fact, there are other ways besides trucks. Anyway, the director and Kim Young-ji… They are the key people in this House of Angels drug teenager case. If these two people show up in front of the House of Angels, reporters will flock to them like bees. In the meantime, you can sneak them out to a place where there are no eyes.”

When I supplemented the explanation, Kirihara also nodded.

“That’s right.”

“And Go Yoon-soo is stubbornly aiming for our carelessness. That’s why he threw the House of Angels as bait. It’ll be the same this time. He’s aiming for us to think, ‘Surely Woo-shin won’t be up to any tricks at the House of Angels in this chaos?'”

Kirihara nodded.

“Chief Reporter Choi and the lawyers are very meticulous, so I’m not too worried. In fact, I even think that our turn won’t come. I think you’ll take care of it in Korea before Hayashi Kenichi or the child from the House of Angels comes to Japan. Oh, I’m saying this out of caution, but I’m not being careless.”

She said playfully, then shouted ‘Ah!’ as if something came to mind and continued.

“Oda Tomiko… No, has there been any other information from Kim Mi-ja’s side?”

“Not yet.”

“Oda Satoshi seems to know the date of the surgery. Is it a bit dangerous for Kim Mi-ja to probe? IAIJ [International Anti-Interference Joint] solved the visa problem, so all she has to do is leave now… She’s leaving anyway. Is it difficult to probe boldly? I’m not forcing you; I’m asking because I don’t know the atmosphere there well.”

“I think it’s dangerous to probe.”

There is a way to tell Kim Mi-ja to probe once if it doesn’t seem dangerous while watching the atmosphere, but I’m not going to do that.

Isn’t she the kind of person who would do that if she thought it would be necessary for us even if it became dangerous?

She’s not in our country, so it’s difficult to deal with when a crisis arises.

Even if Kirihara is there, it’s an adventure.

“Yes, I understand. Since it’s an emergency situation from now on, how about sharing the situation in Korea and Japan at a fixed time every day, even if there’s nothing special? Of course, if something special happens, I’ll contact you right away.”

“That’s good.”

“When would be good?”

“Around 5 p.m. would be appropriate.”

“Okay. Then let’s assume that if there’s no contact by 6 p.m., an emergency has occurred.”

“In that case, I’ll contact you through the emergency contact network shared in advance.”

“Yes. I’ll do that too. You guys are for defeating Woo-shin. I’m for defeating Onodera. Let’s do our best until the end, us.”

Kirihara stood up and held out her hand to me for a handshake.

I shook her hand lightly.

If I part with Kirihara today, I will meet her again after everything has happened.

“Take care of yourself.”

She added with a determined look.

* * *

After parting with Kirihara, I left the hotel.

I had already made an appointment with Park Young-gi to tell him about the House of Angels, which had recently become a hot topic.

Since I heard new news from Kirihara today, I should give him a hint.

Everything will be decided within the next two weeks.

─ Oh, Attorney Cha. Where are you?

“I’m in the hotel elevator now.”

─ Really? You came faster than I thought. Okay.

Originally, I didn’t carefully choose a place when meeting Park Young-gi.

Many people know that I’m close to Park Young-gi, and I don’t meet him often, so there was no need to be conscious of Woo-shin’s surveillance.

However, from the point of considering a special investigation, contact became more frequent and security became important, so I carefully made contact.

So, the place where I decided to meet him today was also this hotel.

“…….”

I stood in front of the room where I was supposed to meet Park Young-gi and pressed the doorbell.

I thought he would open the door soon, but it took longer than I thought.

I pressed the doorbell about three more times at about 1-minute intervals, but there was no answer.

Did something happen?

I took out my cell phone to call Park Young-gi, but the door opened.

“Welcome, Attorney Cha. Long time no see, right?”

And I was surprised as soon as I confirmed the identity of the person who opened the door.

Because the person who opened the door was not the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office, but the President.