Chapter 1: I Was There

“Since there is no conclusive evidence or eyewitness testimony, the defense moves to have the defendant acquitted.”

“This is ridiculous!”

As soon as the defense attorney finished his closing arguments, quiet murmurs of disbelief spread throughout the courtroom.

Everyone’s resentful eyes turned toward the man seated in the defendant’s chair.

His head was bowed, and he remained completely motionless. Yet the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips was chilling and revolting.

“That bastard is the killer! He’s the murderer!”

A furious voice suddenly erupted from somewhere in the audience, expressing the anger everyone else was holding back.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Order! Order in the court! Prosecution, please present your closing arguments.”

Tae-jun slowly rose from his seat at the prosecutor’s table and looked toward the audience.

There sat the victim’s mother and her family, weeping endlessly as though they had lost everything in the world.

For a moment, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth, and his brows instinctively furrowed.

It was a painfully twisted sight: the victim’s family drowning in tears while the perpetrator sat there smiling.

He had been a prosecutor for three years now. One would think he would have grown accustomed to situations like this by now, but he still couldn’t bring himself to accept them.

Especially when he was dealing with scum like that man.

“Your Honor, I would like to call one final witness.”

At Tae-jun’s words, the courtroom immediately began to stir.

“Your Honor! We were never informed of this witness beforehand. We cannot accept a witness who has not been discussed with the defense!”

The defense attorney, his face filled with alarm, rushed toward the judge’s bench and shouted.

“This witness is a crucial eyewitness to this case. I strongly request that the court allow the testimony.”

As Tae-jun pressed his argument, the faint smile on the defendant’s bowed face gradually disappeared.

“The court approves the witness.”

After a brief moment of consideration, the judge accepted the prosecution’s request.

At that, the defendant slowly lifted his head.

His eyes burned with murderous intent. He glared at Tae-jun as though he wanted to cut off his breathing right then and there.

“Your Honor, pursuant to Article 165, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act, I request that the witness testify through a video relay system to ensure their protection.”

Rather than avoiding the defendant’s gaze, Tae-jun met his eyes directly and spoke with unwavering confidence.

“Approved.”

The situation had suddenly taken an unexpected turn. The icy atmosphere that had filled the courtroom began to heat up rapidly.

“Additionally, I request permission for the witness examination to be conducted through audio only, without transmitting any video.”

The judge flipped through the documents submitted by the prosecution, looking puzzled.

“Why does it have to be audio only? Wouldn’t it be enough to conceal the witness behind a screen during the video transmission?”

“Just a moment.”

Tae-jun approached the judge’s bench and handed him a small note.

“Hmm… Very well. The request is approved.”

After carefully reading the note, the judge gave a slight nod and accepted Tae-jun’s request.

Equipment for the witness’s remote testimony began to be installed throughout the courtroom.

Cameras were set up so that the witness in the adjacent room could observe everything happening inside the courtroom in real time. Speakers were also installed to transmit the witness’s voice clearly.

It was almost like preparing for a live broadcast between two separate locations.

“It looks like everything is ready. Prosecution, you may begin questioning the witness.”

The judge’s deep voice rang out, signaling the start of the proceedings like a whistle announcing the kickoff of a match.

“Witness, can you hear me clearly? Or rather, can you see me?”

Tae-jun looked toward the camera installed inside the courtroom. His voice was gentle, yet carried a solemn determination.

However, not a single sound came from the speakers.

“Witness? Can you hear me? Hello? Please respond if you can hear me.”

Worried that the witness might have changed his mind and decided not to testify after all, Tae-jun’s voice gradually grew more urgent.

“Did the prosecution even prepare a witness? If you’re just trying to waste time, I suggest you stop immediately. Nothing you do will change the truth. Your Honor, the prosecution is deliberately delaying the trial. I request that the witness application be withdrawn at once.”

Seeing Tae-jun’s confident demeanor crumble, the defense attorney, who had been growing increasingly nervous, finally broke into a triumphant smile.

He knew it. He had checked and rechecked countless times. There wasn’t a single eyewitness at the crime scene.

And now, out of nowhere, the prosecution was claiming to have found one?

It was nothing more than a desperate trick by Tae-jun to somehow win the case.

“Prosecutor, are you going to proceed with the witness examination or not?”

The judge looked at Tae-jun impatiently.

“Please wait just a moment. Witness! If you can hear me, please—”

[“…Yes. I can hear you clearly.”]

At that moment, the trembling voice of a young man came through the speakers.

“Phew… Thank you for making such a difficult decision, witness.”

Tae-jun let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Are you seriously claiming that this person is an eyewitness to the incident?!”

The defense attorney shouted from the opposite side, his face filled with disbelief.

A witness?

That was absolutely impossible. No, it was something that simply could not happen.

“Witness, you are here today because you witnessed the murder that took place on November 14, 2018, at an abandoned factory in Eunhyeon-myeon, Yangju, correct?”

In response to the defense attorney’s reaction, Tae-jun deliberately picked up the thick case file and walked toward the center of the courtroom. Facing the camera, he began questioning the witness.

[“Yes.”]

“Then, did you see the defendant sitting over there at the scene that day?”

[“…Yes.”]

The young man’s voice trembled slightly, but there was an unmistakable certainty in it.

The courtroom erupted into murmurs once again.

“Could you describe in detail what happened that day?”

[“…”]

But silence followed.

“Witness?”

Tae-jun swallowed nervously and cautiously called out again, worried that the witness might have fallen silent once more.

“Witness, can you hear—”

[“There’s a small fishing spot called Doha Reservoir near the abandoned factory where the incident took place.”]

Relief washed over Tae-jun as the witness’s trembling voice finally came through the speakers again.

“Take your time. Just tell us everything you remember seeing that day, in as much detail as possible.”

It felt as though he were walking across a sheet of thin ice. He had to be careful with every single word.

[“There’s an open lot a little way from there where I often go to fly my drone. That day, I saw the defendant sitting alone at the fishing spot.”]

“But how can you be certain that the person you saw was the defendant?”

[“Even though it’s called a fishing spot, it’s a pretty remote place. Hardly anyone goes there. That’s why I clearly remember finding it strange that someone had come all the way there to fish alone.”]

“Was the defendant actually fishing?”

[“No. He just had a fishing rod propped up. He spent quite a while looking around the factory before eventually going inside.”]

“Then, did you personally witness the defendant committing the murder inside the factory? If so—”

“Objection, Your Honor!”

Before Tae-jun could finish his question, the defense attorney interrupted in an agitated voice.

“The prosecution is asking leading questions, attempting to establish unverified circumstances as facts and putting words into the witness’s mouth!”

“Sustained. Prosecutor, please be careful.”

“Then let me rephrase the question. Witness, did you happen to hear any screams coming from the abandoned factory? Or did you see the defendant carrying anything suspicious when he came out? For example, a murder weapon?”

[“Well… I didn’t hear anything, but I think I might have seen him carrying something…”]

“Fuck! Stop talking bullshit! That’s all a lie! Every word of it is a lie!”

Unable to contain his anger any longer, the defendant suddenly jumped out of his seat, charged forward, knocked over the speaker, and began shouting.

“Defendant! What do you think you’re doing in the courtroom? Bailiffs! Restrain him and put him in handcuffs immediately!”

Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, the judge hurriedly called for the court bailiffs.

“Let go! Get your hands off me! Hey! If you really saw me kill someone, then come out here and show your face!”

They barely managed to handcuff him and force him back into his chair, but it did little to calm him down.

He thrashed around like a wild animal, sending a chill through the entire courtroom.

“Silence! If you cause another disturbance, I will have you removed from the courtroom. Defense, you may cross-examine the witness.”

“When exactly did you see the defendant?”

The defense attorney’s face had become thoroughly contorted. Things were already going badly for him, and the defendant’s outburst had only made matters worse.

[“I think it was around six in the evening…”]

“Six? Are you absolutely certain it was six?”

But as soon as he heard the witness’s answer, the defense attorney’s crumpled expression gradually relaxed.

Tae-jun, on the other hand, felt increasingly uneasy.

[“Yes.”]

“The sun set in the Yangju area at 5:21 p.m. on November 14. You’re claiming that you saw the defendant at six in the evening, near an abandoned factory surrounded by darkness, without even a single streetlight or CCTV camera. How can we possibly trust your testimony?”

The defense attorney waved a stack of documents in front of the camera as he shouted.

[“No, that’s not it. I’m certain I saw him with my own eyes…”]

“Forget what you personally believe you saw. Can you provide any concrete evidence proving that the defendant is the murderer?”

[“Well, that’s…”]

“That’s all.”

Cutting off the witness before he could finish, the defense attorney returned to the defendant’s table with a satisfied expression.

He gently placed a hand on the defendant’s shoulder and nodded.

It was almost as though he were congratulating him in advance on his acquittal.

Every pair of eyes in the courtroom turned toward the defendant.

The unpleasant corners of his mouth began twitching again.

Would they never be able to erase that disgusting smile from his face?

Just as everyone in the courtroom lowered their heads in despair and helplessness—

[“I saw it!”]

A desperate male voice suddenly rang out through the speakers.

“What did you see?”

Tae-jun rushed toward the camera and shouted.

Perhaps this was his last chance to win the trial. His last chance to wipe away the tears of the grieving family.

[“The knife! I saw where that man threw the knife away!”]

“Your Honor! The witness is fabricating testimony because his previous statements failed to hold up!”

Taken aback by the sudden revelation, the defense attorney shoved the pile of documents off his desk and rushed toward the judge’s bench.

[“No! That’s not all. I even saw where he hid it!”]

But the man speaking through the speakers refused to back down.

“Witness, don’t lie! Do you have any idea how serious the crime of perjury is?”

[“I clearly saw him throw the knife into the rainwater gutter on the factory roof!”]

“Witness, stop lying! Where is your evidence? You have no conclusive evidence!”

The heated exchange between the defense attorney and the witness continued.

Then—

“It’s all lies! Lies! You bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!”

Before anyone could stop him, the handcuffed defendant charged toward the front of the courtroom.

As though venting all his rage, he began kicking the speakers and cameras furiously, screaming at the top of his lungs.

He had completely lost his mind.

He was nothing more than a rabid beast.

“Bailiffs! Get the defendant out of here immediately!”

The judge’s furious command echoed through the courtroom.

“Let go! Get your hands off me, you bastards! It’s all lies! Every last bit of it!”

The courtroom descended into complete chaos.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

At that moment, Seong-jin burst through the courtroom doors, panting heavily. He approached Tae-jun and handed him an envelope containing documents.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Tae-jun gave him a brief nod before hurriedly opening the envelope and checking its contents.

The moment he read the documents, a smile spread across his face before he even realized it. He clenched his fist tightly.

“Order! Everyone, please remain quiet. It seems we will be unable to continue today’s proceedings. The next trial will be scheduled for—”

“Just a moment, Your Honor! I have conclusive evidence proving that the defendant is the perpetrator of this murder!”

Just as the judge was about to adjourn the trial, Tae-jun confidently raised the envelope in his hand and shouted.

As if by magic, the chaotic courtroom fell completely silent.

Every eye turned toward the envelope in Tae-jun’s hand.

“Your Honor! We cannot accept evidence that has not been discussed with the defense in advance—”

“Inside this envelope are the murder weapon recovered from the rainwater gutter of the abandoned factory, exactly as the witness described, along with the results of fingerprint and bloodstain DNA analysis conducted on the knife. Both the defendant’s and the victim’s traces were found on it.”

The defense attorney, who had stubbornly continued arguing until the very end, finally slumped into his chair as though he had given up on everything.

“And, as you might have expected, the forensic results show a 99.99 percent match with the defendant. Your Honor, I hereby submit this knife and the forensic analysis results as evidence.”

After handing the documents to the judge, Tae-jun looked toward the defendant, who was being dragged out of the courtroom.

The unpleasant smile had vanished from his face forever.

In its place was a twisted, rotting expression filled with anguish and confusion.

“That’s right. That expression suits you much better.”

Tae-jun muttered quietly as he walked back toward the prosecutor’s table.

“I hereby deliver the verdict. Considering the brutality of the defendant’s methods, his failure to show remorse, and the grave nature of his crimes, this court sentences the defendant to life imprisonment for murder under Article 250 of the Criminal Act.”

When the judge finished speaking, a heavy silence descended over the courtroom.

“Whoa!”

A moment later, applause and brief cheers erupted from various parts of the audience.

And then—

“Phew…”

Amid the celebrating crowd, Chief Choi let out a deep, exhausted sigh and slowly rose from his seat.

He then approached a young girl who had been sitting at the far end of the audience since the beginning of the trial, watching everything with an expressionless face.

“You did a good job again. You’ve worked hard.”

Chae-rin responded to Chief Choi’s awkward smile with a slight bow.

Then she stood up, her expression cold and unreadable, and walked toward the courtroom doors.