du·ty

noun

a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility.

a task or action that someone is required to perform.

.....

The call comes in around 3:30 PM. One of the victims has been found.

Prosecutor Cha had been the one who took the call and she quickly passes the news on before listening intently to the person on the other end. No Ji Wook signals the rest of the group to quieten down. There are about twelve of them gathered in the hastily set up operations center and all eyes are on Prosecutor Cha. Finally, she puts down the phone. Everybody waits in tense silence.

“It's Kwon Ji Soo. She's alive.” 

This announcement is met with a buzz of relief and a flurry of questions. No Ji Wook grabs his legal pad and crosses the room.

"How is she? Can she take questions?" he asks.

Prosecutor Cha shakes her head.  “Ms. Kwon has been taken to the Metro Hospital in Anyang; but she’s not fully conscious yet. They'll check her for sedatives and any unknown substances. The police's special victims's unit is also on standby but they'll need the next of kin to sign permission forms if she's still not conscious.”  The SVU handled ual assault cases. At this stage they did not know what they were dealing with.

“Where was she found?” Prosecutor Park had approached the desk as well.

“A local man saw her lying in a wooded area and called the Anyang police. When they ran her ID through the system they saw she was one of our missing victims.”

No Ji Wook pauses for a second, thinking of the logistics. Anyang was about 30 to 40 minutes south of central Seoul. The victim had last been seen leaving her workplace in Gangnam 3 days ago, but she lived north of the city. Anyang was the wrong direction.  Too many things did not add up.

“Prosecutor Cha, head over to the hospital. Call the minute there’s an update on her situation,” she nods at Ji Wook.

He turns to the man opposite him. “Prosecutor Park, get a crime scene unit to head over to the field. Make sure the police there have a statement from the person who found her.  We’ll also need to find other witnesses, CCTV camera locations, anything that can tell us how she got there. I’ll meet you there.”

He doesn't  wait for Jung Woo to protest or comment. There was no time for that. They would be running out of daylight soon and the evidence would be harder to find.

He turns his attention to Investigator Bang. “Talk to the relatives again. They’re probably heading to the hospital; so go with Prosecutor Cha and see if you can find them there,” He’s about to finish then turns back again. “They're likely in shock, so don’t push too hard. Just see if they remember any new information.”

Investigator Bang nods. He’s done this a long time, so he has a particular knack for handling people and situations. He notes  though that the old Prosecutor No would not have hesitated to interrogate people no matter their circumstances. But this new No Ji Wook was showing some sense. Investigator Bang felt like a proud father.

Ji Wook turns around to address the rest of the team when he feels a presence right behind him. He looks and sees Deputy Na standing there. Crap. He forgot, he was not the lead anymore. He was just so used to overseeing his own investigations (and barking out orders).

“Thank you Prosecutor No," the older man says wryly, "I’ll take it from here. Prosecutor Cha and Park, you may proceed.” Deputy Na turns to address the room.

“We still have two missing victims and a possible kidnapper on the loose. I need the rest of you to keep searching through all the evidence already gathered. Cell phone records, car black boxes, CCTVs, witness interviews. Who was the last person they spoke with, where was the last known sighting? Did they have family problems, gambling problems, boyfriend problems? Affairs? Somewhere in there is the clue and you’re going to find it.”

Deputy Na turns to see No Ji Wook still there. “What you are you waiting for? Crime scene. Go”

Ji Wook nod then grabs his briefcase and hurries out. He checks his watch. It was 3:30 already.  He remembers his promise to meet Bong Hee for dinner. It was obvious that that was not going to happen; not if he had to head over to Anyang. It was going to be a long night for him and his team.

He presses the speed dial  for Bong Hee’s number and braces himself. 

The phone rings while Bong Hee is at the office. She looks at the caller ID and smiles to see it's Ji Wook. But then she looks at the time and notices it's not even 4 o'clock yet. He wouldn't be leaving his office so soon. 
 

She knew instinctively. He wasn't going to make it.

"Hello," she answers.

"Eun Bong Hee. I'm sorry, something has come up."

Of course. "That's ok, Jagiya," she sighs. She's pretty resigned to this by now,  "Don't forget to grab something for dinner." 

"I will. Love you." He hangs up.

Eun Bong Hee sighs again. She understands. Truly. The fact is there were a lot of lives and families who depended on him. As a prosecutor, No Ji Wook served the public and he took his duty seriously. Bong Hee knew better than most how seriously.

She opens the file in front of her and tries to concentrate; but she must have looked pretty despondent because later  CEO Byun came by with an offering of tea to cheer her up.

She smiles gratefully and briefly considers asking if he would like to get drinks after work; but CEO Byun was supposed to be cutting down on the alcohol. Doctor's order apparently, though he never failed to grumble about it in their meetings. Also, because he was going to be her father-in-law, it might be a little weird to be drinking, just the two of them. This whole colleague/in-law thing needed some getting used to.

Her other colleague, Ji Eun Hyuk, had been away most of the day at the courthouse and had not returned. Prosecutor Cha and Prosecutor Na Ji Hae were probably swamped. She really needed to start finding drinking buddies who were not lawyers or prosecutors.

"Lawyer Eun-nim, where would you like these filed?"

Bong Hee looks up to see their new intern holding a stack of folders.  Yoon Eun Ho was a law school student at Yonsei Univerity and had just started working for their firm.  Her fiance had grumbled about her hiring the man for his looks; but, to be honest Bong Hee had had nothing to do with it. The Intern's father had been CEO Byun's partner at his previous law firm and before they knew it, the kid was hired. To be fair, Yonsei Law School was one of the most prestigious in the country (though Ji Wook had scoffed, saying it was subpar to Seoul National University where he had gotten his degree) and the new Intern had so far been scarily efficient. 

"Lawyer Ji-nim asked me to verify the statutes for these cases. They're done. Where should I put them?" 

"Just leave them on his desk," she gestures to the large table that used to be Prosecutor No's back when he had started the firm. They were still running their offices from his house; which was very convenient for her when she stayed overnight. But, she knew at some point they would need to move out. She would miss it here though.

The Intern drops off the files and turns back to Bong Hee.

"Do you have any other assignments for me, Lawyer Eun-nim?"

She looks at her watch. It's almost 5pm. "Eun Ho-shi, what are your plans tonight?"

"Studying for the Bar exam."

On a Friday night? Did he have no friends? During her law school years, Bong Hee found time to go out and study. Then again she hadn't gone to Yonsei.

"Well, change of plans," she declares, "Your next lesson will be the importance of team-building and company dinner meetings. Welcome to the working world."

She grins and texts Eun Hyuk to tell him where to meet up (Re: Mandatory Meeting!) then goes to find CEO Byun. She was not going to sit home all alone staring at the clock if she could help it. 

She finds older lawyer sitting in the receiving area/living room his eyes glued to the television. She's about to invite him when she notices what's on. It's another press conference just like yesterday's; but instead of her fiance it's the new Chief Prosecutor standing in front of the crowd.

"...one of the victims has been safely found that. Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation we cannot reveal anything further at this time.

I am also announcing a joint special investigations team  who will agressively pursue all avenues. I want to assure you we are doing all we can. Our people are working around the clock to bring those who are missing back to their families."

The crowd of reporters erupts with questions. The Chief Prosecutor takes a few brief ones before walking away flanked by several other SPO higher ups. The screen then cuts away to more sensational coverage of the breaking news and speculation on which victim had been found.

"This is why..." CEO Byun muses. "I keep telling Ji Wook he should just become a regular lawyer. Look at all the headaches of a prosecutor job. They don't pay you well even if you work long hours. The public is always angry," he tsks and shakes his head, "Aigo... I don't understand why he went back."

Eun Bong Hee smiles sadly. She knew why. Some might find No Ji Wook cold, or brusque. Some might even call him unfeeling. But they were wrong.

The problem was that No Ji Wook felt too much. To sit and watch injustice happen was not an option to him.

Her phone lights up with a text.

[Eun Hyuk: Hey, I'm here already. Where are you guys?]

She quickly types back a response and ushers CEO Byun and the Intern out. There was nothing she could do to help her fiance; so, at the very least, she was going to make sure she did not stand in his way. She pastes on a cheerful smile on her face.

"What do you guys want? SoMaek? One-shots? Cocktails? Tonight is Intern Yoon's first official dinner so we are going to go all out! Am I right CEO Byun?"

The older Lawyer cheers loudly. His wife had been nagging too much lately and it's been so long since he had any fun. Eun Bong Hee laughs along though she knows she'll keep a close eye on him tonight. Future mother-in-law would not be happy if she had to send him home drunk.

As for Intern Yoon, his expression doesn't change from his usual serious look though he follows along uncomplainingly. Huh. Well, she knew how to loosen up the uptight lawyer types. They didn't call her Crazy Woman Eun Bong Hee for nothing.  

She laughs as they walk to the neighborhood restaurant where Eun Hyuk is waiting. Even if her heart is hurting, or she feels tired inside, Eun Bong Hee tells herself she would endure it. For him. For No Ji Wook. For just a little bit more she could endure it.

Introducing New Character:

Yoon Eun Ho
Law Intern, Graduate Student at Yonsei Law School

Serious and studious, Yoon Eun Ho is determined to make his own way in the legal world. He's decided a small boutique law firm is a good place for him to pick up work experience.