"Prosecutor, begin."
At Kim Yoon-hyuk's words, the prosecutor stood up as if she had been waiting.
"The defendant, Lee Han-young, shows no signs of remorse. The reason the defendant brutally murdered someone was the one billion won that entered his bank account. In order to conceal the fact that he accepted a bribe, the defendant committed a horrific act that should never be committed by a human being, let alone a judge. We request the defendant's wife, Yoo Se-hee, to take the stand as a witness."
When the prosecutor finished speaking, Lee Han-young saw his wife, Yoo Se-hee, entering the courtroom.
In the silent courtroom, only the sharp clicking of Yoo Se-hee's high heels echoed.
Lee Han-young's gaze followed her.
And the moment he saw her expression, an empty laugh escaped him without him realizing it.
The look in Yoo Se-hee's eyes as she looked at Lee Han-young was not that of a wife gazing at her husband who had become a criminal.
She was nothing more than a prostitute standing naked before greed, seeking profit.
After she finished taking the oath, the prosecutor asked,
"Did you know that there was one billion won in the defendant's bank account?"
Yoo Se-hee glanced briefly at Lee Han-young, then nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you ever hear who that one billion won came from?"
"Yes."
"And who was it?"
"I heard it was a director from some company related to the case, but I don't remember the details clearly."
Lee Han-young shouted angrily,
"I never said anything like that!"
"Defendant, remain silent!"
The prosecutor's voice cut in sharply.
Amid the commotion, Yoo Se-hee's pitiful voice filled the courtroom.
"Honey… you even killed someone. That man's wife came to our house carrying a baby that's barely a year old, begging you to save her husband. If you go outside right now, the news is full of nothing but your name. Admit it now. You have to stop here—only then can you retain even a shred of honor."
Tears of sorrow welled up in Yoo Se-hee's eyes.
In contrast, a bitter smile hung on Lee Han-young's lips.
Lee Han-young and Yoo Se-hee were not bound by love.
Their marriage was a contractual relationship formed by mutual necessity, sealed with signatures on a marriage registration.
Even so, he had believed that the years they spent together would amount to some sense of marital loyalty.
But there was no loyalty in a contract.
Lee Han-young stared straight at Yoo Se-hee, who was holding back tears.
'You said you did theater in college. You'd have made a good actress if you'd kept at it.'
Time passed.
Kim Yoon-hyuk, as always, looked at Lee Han-young as if he were an insect and spoke.
"Prosecutor, please present your closing argument and sentencing recommendation."
The prosecutor rose and said,
"Your Honor, I will now present the final statement and sentencing recommendation regarding the defendant, Lee Han-young. The defendant accepted a bribe of one billion won. He then murdered the person who attempted to expose that fact, dismembered the body, and disposed of it in the sea. The defendant's evil deeds did not end there. He framed another person for his crime and personally stood in court to deliver a verdict in that case. Even after that, the defendant continued to stand in court, pretending to be a righteous judge."
The corners of Lee Han-young's mouth curled upward coldly.
"We must consider the fact that a judge, who should administer fair justice, trampled on the honor of the judiciary. Through this trial, we hope to sound a warning to society and ensure that no member of the legal profession ever commits such acts again. Accordingly, the prosecution applies charges including murder under Article 250 of the Criminal Act, and seeks life imprisonment to permanently isolate the defendant, Lee Han-young, from society."
Lee Han-young began to chuckle.
Seated in the judge's chair, Kim Yoon-hyuk ignored the sound of Lee Han-young's laughter and spoke.
"Defense counsel, please give your final argument."
The lawyer seated beside Lee Han-young stood up.
A defense attorney should have passionately argued in defense of the accused, but he spoke with an indifferent expression.
"The defendant, Lee Han-young, has carried out many duties as a judge over the years. I ask that the court consider his past service when rendering its verdict."
With only that, the lawyer sat back down.
Kim Yoon-hyuk turned his gaze to Lee Han-young.
"Defendant, if you have anything to say to the court, speak now."
Meeting Kim Yoon-hyuk's eyes, Lee Han-young let out a faint laugh.
"Murder? Bribery? What a load of bullshit. You know it, don't you? You know everything. Are you just pretending not to? Is it because you want to succeed?"
Kim Yoon-hyuk shook his head.
"Defendant, I ask that you choose your words carefully in this solemn courtroom. If you have nothing further to say, we will conclude here."
"No, I'll say just one thing."
"..."
"When I sat there weighing other people's crimes, I didn't realize it. But sitting here now, being weighed myself, it feels like shit. You drag in such pathetic evidence and make someone into a criminal?"
"Defendant Lee Han-young!"
Lee Han-young turned his gaze to the prosecutor who shouted.
"Aren't you ashamed to call yourself a prosecutor while doing this? Take off that uniform. It's embarrassing."
"...!"
The prosecutor's eyebrows trembled violently.
Lee Han-young then looked at Kim Yoon-hyuk.
"You've got thick skin, so I guess you're not embarrassed. But Yoon-hyuk, remember this. That seat you're sitting in now—comfortable, right? Enjoy it a little longer. I'll move your ass to the seat I'm sitting in now. This seat's pretty comfortable too."
Kim Yoon-hyuk nodded.
"That would be nice, but I don't think you'll get the chance."
In Kim Yoon-hyuk's eyes as he said that, Lee Han-young felt absolute confidence and an inexplicable chill.
'What is it?'
But Lee Han-young had no time to dwell on the feeling.
Kim Yoon-hyuk was already standing up.
"We'll end here for today. The verdict will be delivered in one week."
As Kim Yoon-hyuk rose, the associate judges quietly followed behind him.
The associate judges cast brief glances at Lee Han-young.
Their eyes were filled only with contempt.
The next day, at the detention center.
A detention center is different from a prison.
Prisons hold those who have been convicted and are serving sentences, while detention centers hold those who are still on trial.
There, Lee Han-young was sitting face to face with Kim Yoon-hyuk.
"You'll accept the prosecution's request and sentence me to life imprisonment, won't you? But what can I do? I'll appeal. I'll endure and endure until the world of Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin comes to an end."
Kim Yoon-hyuk responded only with a faint smile.
Lee Han-young continued,
"Sitting here really makes a man humble. I want to seat you here as soon as possible. I think you could use a little humility too."
"An appeal? It's useless. Even if you try, it'll be dismissed. No—before that, I don't think you'll even get the chance to appeal."
The smile on Lee Han-young's lips slowly faded.
The very fact that Kim Yoon-hyuk had come here felt strange. Kim Yoon-hyuk's gaze felt chilling.
"Why did you come?"
"Han-young, aren't you and I living the same damned life?"
The look in his eyes was no longer the one that regarded Lee Han-young as an insect.
Even his voice was gentle.
Kim Yoon-hyuk continued,
"You marry a woman you don't even love, get stabbed in the back, and end up sitting here. And I have to judge you while looking at fabricated evidence. The world is filthy."
"What are you trying to say?"
Kim Yoon-hyuk took a bottle of soju out of his bag and placed it on the table. Then he brought out two shot glasses.
He slid one glass in front of Han-young and tilted the bottle.
Gurgle. The glass filled.
Watching quietly, Lee Han-young frowned.
"What are you doing right now?"
"I'm sorry. I came to deliver a death sentence."
This time, what Kim Yoon-hyuk held was a small pill.
Placing it beside the soju glass, he said,
"Have it as a side dish."
Even a fool could tell it wasn't an ordinary pill.
"What is it?"
"Cyanide."
The corner of Lee Han-young's mouth twisted.
"You think I'll eat that?"
"Your mother."
At the word "mother," Lee Han-young's eyes trembled.
Kim Yoon-hyuk continued gently,
"She's doing well, right? I heard she prays every day because she worries about you. She's getting old—must be hard for her."
It was a threat: if he resisted, his mother would be harmed.
"You bastard!"
Lee Han-young slammed the table with his hand and stood up.
But Kim Yoon-hyuk's expression did not change.
"Don't shout. You know it, right? Do you think I have power? I just do what I'm told."
"This is a detention center. If you kill me here, it'll cause a huge problem."
Kim Yoon-hyuk shook his head.
"The scenario's already been written. You resist the prosecutor's sentencing request, escape from the detention center, then commit suicide by cyanide. You'll be found three days later in a wooded mountain area near Gapyeong. You'll probably go down in history as a great figure remembered for the shame of the judiciary. You know the Chief Justice can turn something like this into a movie, don't you?"
Lee Han-young's lips went dry.
Kim Yoon-hyuk lifted only his eyes and looked at Lee Han-young, who was standing with his hands on the table. His gaze was still gentle.
"Sit down. And let's end it at that. No matter how much you hold out, only your mother will suffer. As long as your mother lives in South Korea, she can't escape Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin. The living should go on living, shouldn't they?"
Lee Han-young's gaze dropped to the floor. His trembling voice spilled out.
"Why… why exactly is this happening?"
Kim Yoon-hyuk let out a short laugh.
"You knew Chairman Jang Tae-sik was in cahoots with Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin, didn't you? Do you know how much the stock price dropped while Jang Tae-sik was serving time? You might as well have laid hands on their wealth."
"That's it? That's the reason?"
"The higher you go, the more petty the reasons become. You've seen it plenty in court, haven't you? People killing others over reasons that aren't even worth calling reasons."
A small sigh escaped Lee Han-young's lips.
"What did you get in return?"
"Get? The road I'm walking on will just keep getting paved with asphalt."
With that, Kim Yoon-hyuk gestured with his chin.
Drink up.
There was no color left in Lee Han-young's face.
Drink the alcohol, take the cyanide, and you die.
Of course he didn't want to die.
But if he refused, he didn't know what would happen to his mother.
As Lee Han-young hesitated, Kim Yoon-hyuk spoke again.
"Don't think about begging the Chief Justice. The conclusion's already been decided."
Lee Han-young's hand began to tremble violently.
Forcing a smile, he spoke.
"Why would I beg that bastard Kang Shin-jin? He's the one who's wrong."
"Even if you don't drink it, it doesn't matter. In ten minutes, you'll be forcibly labeled an escapee. People will come in and drag you out. Then—bang—you'll get shot in the mountains. It'll hurt a lot. So just drink a glass of soju and go."
In a world seized by filthy bastards, there was no way to escape.
Biting his lip hard, Lee Han-young asked,
"Just one thing. How do you guarantee my mother's safety?"
"Can you trust anything I say? You're just going to believe and die. Still, I'll promise this—I'll try to make sure no harm comes to your mother."
Kim Yoon-hyuk raised his wrist and checked the time.
"Drink."
Lee Han-young shut his eyes tightly.
What was money worth anyway?
To pay for delivering a just verdict with such a miserable death.
"You, Kang Shin-jin, and all the other bastards—I'll judge you even in death."
"Go ahead."
Lee Han-young drank the soju. Then he picked up the cyanide.
Kim Yoon-hyuk began humming an old Goryeo song.
"I will live, I will live, I will live in the green mountains."
The moment Lee Han-young swallowed the cyanide, he felt his insides begin to burn.
Even in that agony, he did not erase the cold light from his eyes as he stared at Kim Yoon-hyuk.
'Bastard.'
In the end, Lee Han-young could not endure it any longer and collapsed onto the table with a thud.
Kim Yoon-hyuk looked at him and smiled coldly.
"Die, you idiot."
The Chief Justice's office.
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock, and the door creaked open.
Kim Yoon-hyuk entered and bowed toward Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin, who was looking out the window.
"I've come with news of his death."
Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin nodded without turning his gaze from the window.
"Today, we lost one unfortunate judge. But it was unavoidable for the sake of the greater cause. Proceed as planned, and from now on, keep your mouth shut and live quietly."
"Yes, sir."
Kim Yoon-hyuk bowed deeply to Chief Justice Kang Shin-jin.