jus·tice

noun

just behavior or treatment.

the administration of the law or authority in maintaining this.

the quality of being fair and reasonable.

.....

When No Ji Wook had decided to be a prosecutor, he had been hell-bent on hunting down criminals and making his father, his birth father, proud. His Aboeji had been a well-known prosecutor but a terrible fire had taken his and No Ji Wook's mother's lives when Ji Wook was still little. Many believed the arson had been started by a convicted criminal seeking revenge.

For a long time, No Ji Wook had been haunted by the memory of the fire. He had been inside the home, trapped in the hot flames before barely making it out alive. In his nightmares he kept seeing his father's outstretched hands and the shadowed outline of the man who had killed his parents over and over. That monster had died in the fire, but the reverberations of what he had done echoed long afterwards. No Ji Wook had pursued vengeance by becoming a prosecutor and chasing any and all wrong-doers without mercy.

In a sick twist of fate, the monster in his nightmares had turned out to be Eun Bong Hee's father. By then, No Ji Wook had already fallen in love with his beautiful, brazen woman and the ensuing pain and confusion this realization brought almost broke him. It seems their ill-fate was not going to let them go.

For a while it seemed that even love could not surmount the pain of the past. But it hurt... To not be with her, to not hold her. She had left him, even though he had told himself - and her - he was willing to endure everything. After all, the sins of the father are not those of the child. 

But, exactly as Eun Bong Hee had said, her father had been innocent and No Ji Wook had been ridden with guilt after realizing his faulty childhood memory had damned an innocent man who had died trying to save his family. In the end, it had taken a steadfast belief in each other and the strength of their love for he and Bong Hee to get back together.

And now, finally..... finally she was his. 

Or almost. 

No Ji Wook sighs as he remembers  Bong Hee's words last night about postponing the wedding. She had been her usual cheerful self this morning when they woke up and had not seemed at all upset. 

But still, he himself had felt guilty. Lately he had been busier and busier and the recent kidnapping cases had added even more to his workload. The public grumbling was getting louder and his higher-ups were pressuring him to make an arrest soon. At this rate, if they did get married, his wife wouldn't have much of a newlywed life; not with him away at the office most of the time and working long days and weekends.

Which means, unfortunately for him, Bong Hee had a point; it did make sense to delay the wedding. He needed to find a way to delegate all the work coming his way so he could have more time for his marriage.

No Ji Wook sighs again and looks at the computer in front of him. Instead of the usual lists and reports, there was a website with a large picture of a sandy beach and gorgeous blue-green waves. Below it smaller images of candle-lit scenes and an airy bed beckons visitors to an idyllic getaway in Bali.
 

He looks at it longingly then clicks out of the window. He had planned to surprise Bong Hee by arranging a honeymoon trip for them far away where it would be just the two of them enjoying the sun, sea and sand. But he couldn't do so yet; not until the wedding date was set. He thinks longingly of kicking back and relaxing on the beach. They would take walks at sunset holding hands; and end the days with long, long nights, just the two of them. For a moment the image seems so real.

A knock sounds on his door and with steely determination he shoves those thoughts aside and focuses back on the job at hand.

"Come in," he calls out. Investigator Bang walks through the door, his arms full with folders and reports. Behind him follows a smaller figure, face hidden by a large box. The person misjudges the door opening and ends up bumping it. In the next instance the box tumbles over and papers explode everywhere.

"Oh no, oh no.. I'm so sorry! So, so, so sorry," she scrambles to the floor throwing the papers haphazardly back into the box as quickly as possible.

"STOP!!" Ji Wook yells, his face glowering in frustration. "You! Trainee! Do not just throw those in however way you like."

She freezes at his angry tone then bows in apology.

"Ah, y-yes Prosecutor-nim. I'm sorry." After a few moments she looks at him hesitantly. "E-Excuse me, Prosecutor-nim. How should I put them back in?"

No Ji Wook growls in frustration.

"The same way they were before!!" he barks out; then, with a frustrated glance, he gives Investigator Bang a look, signaling that he needs to take this over, before stomping out.  Not only was he swamped, he had also been saddled with the most hopeless prosecutor trainee ever to graduate from the Judicial Training Institute. 

An image flashes in his mind of another judicial trainee who had rubbed him the wrong way. But the memory makes him smile. Bong Hee had never been incompetent. In fact she had handled everything he had thrown her way uncomplainingly though there had been many moments he was sure she had been on the verge of murdering him. Not literally though, he made sure not to joke about that with her. She was a little sensitive about the word 'murder' after almost being convicted. By him.

No Ji Wook walks  into the empty elevator and presses the button to the top floor. He semi-seriously wonders if he can persuade Eun Bong Hee to come back and work with him as a prosecutor. He missed those days when she had been here with him at the SPO. And  he missed when they had been lawyers at his firm. Even if work got busy, she was by his side every step of the way and they had been a great team.

The elevator opens a floor after his and in steps a familiar face. 

"Prosecutor No!"

The person smiles happily to see him. Ji Wook nods and keeps his face neutral, though truthfully he was glad to see his friend. He'd been so busy he hadn't had time to meet anyone lately.

"Lawyer Ji, you here for a case?" he asks.

"Ahh...  " Ji Eun Hyuk laughs then rubs his neck in a gesture that gave away he was hiding something.

Ji Wook hides a smile. Eun Hyuk must be here to meet Prosecutor Cha then. Way back when, the thought would have been bitter to Ji Wook for they had all been the closest of friends until he'd found Ji Eun Hyuk in a compromising situation with his then-girlfriend, Cha Yoo Jung.

But that seemed like ancient history now. Meeting Bong Hee had made everything else seem unimportant, and if those two wanted to date, he couldn't care less.

"You know, it doesn't matter to me, right?" he declares; catching Eun Hyuk, who had admitted nothing, off guard. "From one man to another, if you love someone don't hesitate."

Eun Hyuk just laughs sheepishly and nods. Then he turns to Chang Wook. 

"How's the wedding going?" 

Ji Wook sighs, "It's not," he says, noting with irony that he should not be handing out advice he couldn't take. His friend's eyes widen with alarm.

"Are you and Bong Hee ok?"  

The elevator door opens and they both step out

"We're fine. It's just... with everything else going on, trying to plan the wedding has been too overwhelming. For Bong Hee especially," Ji Wook admits guiltily, knowing that he had left most of the hard work dealing with their family and the details to his fiancée.

"Maybe you should get a wedding planner. Want me to talk with Bong Hee?"

Ji Wook considers this for a second but the real problem was not the wedding. The real problem was his all too-consuming work-life.

"Thanks, but no. We need to work this out between us. And I need to make more time for her."

Even as he said this he was hurrying away to the large suite at the end of the hallway. He leaves his friend standing in the hallway watching him as he disappears behind the doors to the Prosecutor General's office. 

"This is unacceptable!"

The man behind the large desk, throws a heavy folder down in frustration then gets up to stare out the window.  Anger is evident in the tenseness of his shoulders and the grim set of his face.

"You're telling me, it's been over three days and we're still not close to an arrest? I have the Ministry breathing down my neck. I have reporters calling the front desk constantly. My wife is complaining to me that her Mahjong friends want to know why we are sitting on our *s doing NOTHING!!"

This last part is yelled almost at No Ji Wook's face, though Ji Wook takes it stoically; his expression unchanging. He's used to it by now. Whenever the higher-ups get frustrated they would take it out on any easy target. And right now, that was him.

His team and the investigative taskforce he had set up had been reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV recordings, interviewing witnesses and scanning through the victims bank and phone records to find any clue to their disappearance. They had a few leads but nothing concrete yet.

This answer, however, was not good enough for the Chief Prosecutor. Behind the CP stood his second-in-command and behind him No Ji Wook's department head. They were gathered for his daily report of the kidnapping cases which had quickly become the top priority for the SPO. The public was clamoring for any kind of break in the case and there had been whispers that a serial killer might be on the loose sparking even more fear.

"This case is getting out of hand," the CP continued, "the public needs an answer and they want it now. I'm establishing a Special Investigative Joint Taskforce and there will be a press conference at 5 today to announce it. You better have something for me to report by then or else I'll replace you and your team with someone else who's actually competent!"

He presses the intercom on his desks that pages his secretary. "Tell them to come in," he barks. 

In the next instance the door opens and in walks Prosecutor Cha Yoo Jung who nods at Ji Wook. Right behind her is another face, very familiar and most unwelcome. Somehow, Ji Wook should have guessed this would have happened the minute he got the call yesterday.

The man who had entered was none other than Park Jung Woo, his classmate from their judicial trainee days. He had been a brilliant student who had later climbed the ranks of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Department (or NARCs) to become a Senior Prosecutor. If No Ji Wook had not been removed, he probably would have done the same in his division.

For some reason, Jung Woo had always been competitive with No Ji Wook, though Ji Wook himself could care less for such things. He'd been glad they'd ended up in different departments and that their paths rarely crossed because Jung Woo had always been a smug bastard who thought he knew everything (this was a quality Ji Wook didn't realize he himself shared).

Said smug face was looking at him with what looked like a smirk on his face.

"Heard you might need some help, old friend." 

Ji Wook just rolls his eyes. Sometimes it was best not to interact with lesser mortals.

The Chief Prosecutor looks at them all sternly, "All three of you and your teams will make this investigation your top priority. Deputy Na will be the team lead and you will report to him directly. Now, get out. I have to call the Minister and he's going to ream me over because I have nothing to report," he says this with a glare at No Ji Wook before stalking back behind his desk.

Everyone disperses, though Deputy Chief Na gestures for the three Prosecutors to follow him to his office.  They spend the rest of the morning scanning through everything that Ji Wook's team had already gathered but hours later they still aren't close to any answers.


 

Eun Bong Hee taps her pen against the legal pad she was holding and glances at her watch. She has another half hour before she has to go to the nearby courthouse, which means she could wait a little more.

Her eyes glance at her phone again. No calls or messages.

Investigator Bang sitting at his desk nearby gives her a sympathetic look and Bong Hee smiles back with resignation. Her fiancé was probably still stuck in that meeting. She had been hoping they could take a quick lunch break together but it was looking more and more unlikely.

In the meantime she was waiting at his offices while reviewing the details of her case this afternoon. It was a simple public drunkenness charge, but the client was a rich person's kid who was trying to get into the diplomatic services and did not want this on his record. As a lawyer she had made it a point not to judge any of her clients based on their circumstances. Rich or poor she was going to defend them equally, and this person deserved a fair day in court.

But, this wasn't to deny that the rich often had a better advantage; those with less means couldn't always afford lawyers. So Bong Hee had started offering some pro-bono and reduced fee services. Word-of-mouth had spread mainly through her Omma's neighborhood gossip pipeline and Bong Hee was considering recruiting more lawyers who were of like mind.  Eun Hyuk might be interested, though he had a definite partiality to money and the finer things in  life. As for CEO Byun...

No, Bong Hee shakes her head. He would probably yell at her for doing work for no pay in the first place.

A crash of papers and an anguished moan breaks her thoughts. A young woman is sitting at a desk nearby, hair askew; drowning in mounds of files and papers. Bong Hee couldn't help but sympathize. A flashback of herself in that same position three years ago makes her smile nostalgically. No Ji Wook was a hard-driving taskmaster who was the bane of any prosecutorial trainee. Even so, she missed those days.

"Ahh.....!" the trainee gasps out in frustration before banging her head on the desk a few times.

Bong Hee looks on in alarm. Investigator Bang was taking a phone call and was not paying any mind to this.

"Uh... excuse me. Are you alright?" she asks.

"Yes...? No.. I mean yes. I don't know...." the trainee moans.

The young woman's name, was it Na Bong Sun? Bong Hee smiles, realizing how close their names were. She walks over and sits down in front of the trainee.

"Na Bong Sun-shi, it may seem overwhelming; but you can do this. After all, you completed your first degree, then your law degree, took the bar exam, survived two years of judicial training and passed the judicial exam. One over-bearing Prosecutor is not going to stop you," she smiles encouragingly at the other young woman.

The other woman smiles at her (probably grateful for any kind word, poor thing), when another voice butts in from behind them.

"Hey, who are you calling 'over-bearing'?" the Prosecutor in question is standing in the doorway giving her a frowning look. Eun Bong Hee ignores this and smiles up at her fiancé. For some reason she really, really missed him; it felt like forever since she had last seen him heading out the door early this morning.

"Hello, Jagiya!" She greets him as she gets up to give him a hug. His arms come around to hug her back, and she knows he is smiling. After all, he wouldn't be holding her as tight if he hadn't missed her too.

"Prosecutor No, you're lucky. I was going to use a different word but I toned it down for politeness' sake," she teases. "Still terrorizing new trainees, are you?"

At this reminder Ji Wook steps back and glowers at the trainee in question,  "Na Bong Sun-shi, did you get those papers sorted?"

"Ah y-yes Prosecutor-nim. They are in chronological order right here," she gestures at the stack in front of her.

"I would congratulate you on a job well done," he starts, "except you wouldn't have had to do it if not for your own clumsiness. So congratulations on wasting four hours of your time!" he barks.

The trainee flinches and bows again in apology, and Bong Hee rolls her eyes; but Ji Wook is already out the door, pulling her along with him. 

"Prosecutor No," she warns him softly, "you really should treat your people kinder. After all she's still learning."

"I expect her to learn. What I don't expect is for her to waste everyone's and my time."

No Ji Wook growls in frustration but then looks at Bong Hee and forgets all about it. He smiles widely realizing she must have stopped by just to see him. The corridor looks empty so he leans down to steal a kiss, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. She smiles as he kisses her and he leans in for another one.

"That looks illegal. And even if it isn't, it should be," a voice surprises him out of nowhere and he glances up to see Park Jung Woo coming down the hallway. The man looks on with interest at Ji Wook and Bong Hee, the latter of whom was blushing prettily.

Was it him, or did Jung Woo's eyes look with a little too much interest at Bong Hee? Ji Wook turns around with his default glower on his face.

"Prosecutor Park, did you get lost? Your division is on the other floor."

"Nope, I'm right where I wanted to be. Though I had not expected to find an angel walking these corridors," he gazes at Bong Hee as he says this.

Ji Wook can feel a territorial growl coming up his throat but before he can say anything his fiancée steps around him.

"Eun Bong Hee, Defense Lawyer" she introduces matter of factly with a slight nod. Ji Wook smiles smugly to see her unswayed by the other man's wiles.

"She's my fiancée," Ji Wook proclaims, wrapping one arm around Bong Hee. "We're going to be married," he adds, in case the first statement was not clear.

"Ah, I see. Congratulations are in order then," Jung Woo bows. "Lawyer Eun, nice to meet you. Park Jung Woo, Senior Prosecutor in the NARCs division, at your service." 

He looks at No Ji Wook with a little glint in his eye. "Ji Wook and I go a ways back. He was always one of the brightest trainees around and I enjoyed a little healthy competition with him then. Too bad he left the Prosecutor's Office. Otherwise we'd be at the same level now."

Everyone knew Ji Wook had been fired for not prosecuting a presumed murderer. Said murderess being Eun Bong Hee.

"I'd rather not be on your level," Ji Wook retorts. Then, remembering he had more important things to do, like spending time with his fiancée, he turns and walks away still holding on to Bong Hee.

"Hold on, we need to talk about the case," the other man protests.

"Set up an appointment with my office," Ji Wook calls back without turning, "I'm on my lunch break."

He walks Bong Hee to the stairways so they can walk up the short flight to the ground floor. Once in the stairwell though he pulls her back in his arms and gives her a longer, more satisfying kiss. Ahhh. He had really needed that.

"Long day, already, huh?" she asks sympathetically.

He nods, his head resting closely on hers, arms holding her tight.

"Shall I make you dinner latwr then?" she asks.

Ji Wook smiles. They both knew Bong Hee was a terrible cook. But even so she had been trying her hardest to pick up some recipes; and, even if the rice was slightly burnt or the vegetables a little soggy, Ji Wook had been enjoying her efforts knowing how much love she put into it. 

He leans back to look at her, "Dinner sounds great, sweetheart. But..." he adds a little regretfully ".. I might have to go back to my office afterwards."
 

Bong Hee smiles. "That's ok, Jagiya. Just come over to my place when you can and text me before you leave. I'll wait for you."

Ji Wook grins happily, wondering again at his good luck for landing such a woman. If this was ill-fate, he would happily relive this life over and over. Her mention of meeting at her place though does make him pout a little.

"When are you moving in with me?" he asks.

She laughs at this and grins up cheekily, "Well, my lease is up in a month so.... maybe I'll consider it then. What's rent like at your place?"

"Oh, it's very expensive..." Ji Wook smiles, leaning closer.

"Uh-huh, how expensive?" she whispers back, eyes locked on his lips as he moves closer and closer.

"This expensive," he breaths against her lips, before claiming them.

......

Introducing New Characters:
 

Na Bong Sun
Prosecutor Trainee

Na Bong Sun has been assigned as No Ji Wook's prosecutorial trainee for three months. Her uncle is the new Deputy Prosecutor General.

Moon Shin-Il
Prosecutor General

Moon Shin-Il was recently promoted from the southern district offices to become the new Prosecutor General after the previous one was imprisoned on charges of false evidence and attempted murder. He is under pressure to clean up the Supreme Prosecutor Office's reputation after the fallout and scandal.

Na Byung-Soo
Deputy Prosecutor General

Na Byung Soo was promoted from Department Chief of the Anti-Corruption Department to become Moon Shin-Il's second of command. His niece, Na Bong Sun is a Prosecutorial Trainee.

 

Park Jung Woo
Senior Prosecutor,  Violent Crime and Narcotics Department

Park Jung Woo is a previous college mate of No Ji Wook who now oversees investigations of drug and gang-related crimes. Dealing with the cut-throat world of organized crime means he doesn't let a little thing like the rule of law stop him from doing what he must.