Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.

Plato

Bad karma, was that really a thing? He had lived quite a peaceful and nice live up to that point, anyone would say that. His parents were alive, he had a sister, now nephews and no one close to him died in the last few years. He wasn’t ugly nor short nor disabled in any way. He was smart and thought of himself as a man of logic who only occasionally let his heart take the lead. He had dated and none of his past lovers complained about him so in this lifetime the only ones that could curse at him were those he had put in jail. That couldn’t possibly bring bad karma since he was doing a good thing.

So, what exactly did he do that was so bad in this lifetime or his previous ones to bring about such bad fortune this time around? Did he hit his head? Had he gone crazy? Was he in fact a very weak scared person who couldn’t handle the pressure of losing his first big case? He had convicted murderers before, but he had won those cases so maybe he was in fact having a mental breakdown and was lashing out on the wrong people in the wrong way.

He had to be insane...surely, he needed a psychological check up to establish his mental health because otherwise he wanted to swear he would never agree to a deal that involved killing someone. His rage from the day before had been just that, a fit he threw because he had been overwhelmed. The fact that he didn’t insist on finding a killer, not pushing through even after being scared by the sudden flash, not returning to that spot even once, the knowledge that he wasn’t corrupt nor evil, those had to be enough to prove he wasn’t rotten or scheming. But how exactly was he trying to convince?

His mouth opened and he said yes but the only reaction he got in return was a nod of the head and then a sign that he could get up and leave. Shouldn’t they laugh at him, find him absolutely ridiculous or a complete fool that had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps he would have felt better if they just mocked him and then sent him back to his car because now, he felt simply too awkward, needy of air and yet numb. It felt like a dream.

He continued being just as numb and as disconnected to reality that he wasn’t even sure how he arrived at his apartment. No one told him how or when it was going to happen. He had asked but the answer came from his left side TW gangster, urging him not to worry about it. Apparently, he wasn’t supposed to know so that his reaction could remain genuine. It made sense but it also scared him but above everything...it was a thrill. Not knowing when or how meant he could be asleep, and the guy be killed during that time. He could be in court or drinking a coffee or on a jog while the was taken by surprise.

Was this the thrill that scum felt while waiting for his next victim? Not knowing when but waiting, part afraid and part enthusiastic, making all sort of scenarios in his head about how things would go down... was he experiencing what it was like to be the very man he wished to see behind bars or dead? Waking up and looking into the mirror was now a different experience. It was as if he was looking at someone, he couldn’t really recognize but one that looked just like him.

Something had changed. For a strange reason, he no longer felt the stress of losing the trial as it had been replaced with reassurance. It became a mantra in his head. Only one person had to die to make sure no one else did. Those relatives were going to find comfort in knowing the one who tortured their kid had been killed. Then again, he never asked, and no one told him. What if it was going to look like an accident or an inmate being upset?

He was turning dark. With each hour he became more at peace with his choice, more convinced he was right in thinking the man should die and along with that came more evil thoughts. An appropriate murder would have been one similar to what he had inflicted. The accomplice...he should have arranged something for that creep as well. But just as his desires turned darker so did his impatience. When were they going to do it?

One day after the other had passed and no news of a death came. Where they going to wait for the verdict and then act? With each passing day, he moved from being conflicted in his choice to being energised by the promise of his death to, finally, the fear he had been lied to. As the day of his closing statement came, Kyuhyun became impatient, wanting to see the death of that man and fearing he might have to face such enemy himself. He had prepared himself, just in case, but he desperately wished the so-called brokers would keep the deal.

“Kyuhyun!” his friend raised his voice at him a little, making him snap out of his thoughts.

There he was, getting ready at his seat, waiting for the doors to open so that the accused could enter the courtroom and then the judges and then be done with it. It wasn’t going to happen, so he thought and instead of being disgusted in his disappointment he simply showed frustration.

“I am fine.” He lied to his co-worker, taking out all the needed files before fixing an imaginary wrinkle in his robe.

His eyes noticed the accomplice taking a seat right in front but there seemed to be something different about his demeanour. He was moving and turning and looked unbelievably uncomfortable as if he wanted nothing more than to make a run for it. Where had his stuck-up attitude go? The man was just a side kick, an extra that was overpowered and controlled by his so-called friend, but he still kept behaving as if he was wronged and entitled especially since he was facing less severe charges.

It became obvious that he was looking around to spot someone and Kyuhyun couldn’t help but follow the other and look in that direction as well. There she was. A prosecutor getting air stuck in his lungs as the judges entered because of very familiar woman seated in the benches. This time wearing a navy suit jacket, a pair of white loose suit pants, high heels and an elegant hairstyle, anyone would have thought she is a businesswoman and not a broker for the corrupt.

The star of his life, the one he very much wanted to see down on his knees admitting to his wrongdoings was next to enter the room. That man didn’t seem any different than the last time they met in court and that told Kyuhyun that the one they had gotten in contact with, managing to shake was the side kick. Had they misunderstood? That guy was simply a tool so surely they didn’t mistake the target. Kyuhyun had agreed to a 500 Won dealing that would rid the world of a murderer and psychopath not of an object with no thoughts of his own.

Kyuhyun kept his posture and good manners in court while the judges entered but the very moment he sat down; he turned his eyes towards the crazy woman that brought out the evil in him. This time they made eye contact. He didn’t know if he had imagined it but it seemed like she gave him a small nod. She was really confident in herself and to be fair, quite bored as well. Such a serious situation didn’t seem to be her kind of thing, not when she seemed to have so much fun planning murders.

Whatever she planned; it was probably going to unfold after the trial so why was she there? Did she decide to see the victim just as she had made arrangements to meet the prosecutor in need of a killer? It became clear only minutes later, both the reason for her arrival as well as the reason why the side kick was so fidgety. Was the law such a big joke to them? For what godforsaken reason, someone seemed to have gotten a consciousness and felt the sudden need to confess to his sins.

“My client would like to revise his statement. After much thought and consideration, my client would like to testify against the other accused. His guilty consciousness will not let him sleep if he doesn’t confess in aiding his friend in kidnapping so that he may later and kill them.”

The chaos that followed had to be the kind of fun that woman came to see. Even though he shouldn’t have, Kyuhyun looked at her and saw her smiling. Careful, delicate as to not be obvious in a room full of flabbergasted people but smiling. Was this part of her plan? Had she planned to turn the side kick and get them closer to a conviction and have them turn against each other, hoping they would try to kill each other? If so, Kyuhyun wondered just what they could have used to convince such a loyal dog to betray just as they were so close to being free. They did turn against each other. The crowd inside wasn’t the only one enraged. That monster saw red in front of his eyes and began yelling, trying to grab the other and hit him if he wasn’t going to back down. The judges became loud too, ordering them to keep quiet and threatening to clear the court and even delay the trial if they didn’t stop. The security personal moved towards the two, attempting to break them apart. Chaos. Just absolute chaos, making a complete fool of the justice system, of the law, the court and even of the reason why they were there.

And now the reason became obvious. The mayhem and mockery were the reason she was there. Her intention was to flash the justice system the middle finger. A prosecutor hiring a hitman, making fun of a trial, starting a fight inside the court, everything was simply to disgrace an entire system. What could be the finishing touch to such a disaster? If this was a flashy showcase of how little she cared about the law, there had to be a grand finale.

“Clear the court!” one of the judges ordered.

Kyuhyun looked towards her again and his eyes narrowed in dismay when he noticed her keeping her eyes on the two arguing and almost going at each other’s throat. With the decision if the judges everyone was helped to clear the room. A shriek made the black-haired turn back towards the accused and this time his eyes opened wide in complete shock. It had to be a dream.  It was impossible for one to just grab a pen and stab another while fighting off the security with power like that of Hulk or someone similar.

As everyone cleared the room, Kyuhyun had to do the same. No matter how hard he tried to look back to see what exactly happened after that it was impossible to do that once the doors were closed. This was going to be on the news, and they were going to find reason after reason to continue on the subject because of how big if an issue it was. He had to find her so he began looking left and right, trying to see where she might have gone.

He couldn’t find her anywhere around and that could have only meant that she came to see her art and left after achieving the desired result. But what else did she want to achieve besides making a fool out of everything? Both men got injuries, so they were going to be taken to the hospital. Hospitals usually prevented people from dying.

“So much for any deal is a deal...” he mumbled to himself, finally reaching a calmer state of mind that could allow him to properly check himself and his possessions.

“Prosecutor Cho...” a voice spoke from behind him.

“Detective Choi...” Kyuhyun acknowledged the other. “What brings you here?” he smiled towards the man that was slightly taller and more tanned than him.

“I was asked to testify in a case but the events in your court trial made it so my presence would be needed. I was the detective...am still the detective working the case, so they want me to m interrogate the assailant. Will you be joining me?”

Kyuhyun thought about it for a moment. As a prosecutor he took lead of the investigation n team, often made decisions that they followed, and his instructions had to be followed. It was a somewhat subordination kind of relationship where the prosecutor was like a team leader for the police, but he had always respected what they wanted to do and rarely refused if they wanted to take a different approach. Truth was that now he had to go and talk with the side kick and figure out if his intentions of confession were true and remained, but it also felt stupid.

Knowing what he knew, it was obvious the change in stance wasn’t out of his own free will. Maybe he had even been forced to jump on the other. If so, was he aware of the deal and thus did his part in it? It wasn’t going to look great if the man suddenly confessed, he did that because the public prosecutor in charge wanted his friend dead.

“Let’s wait for them to get checked and treated and then we can summon him. I fee like we need to take a step back and re-evaluate things.” He suggested instead

“Alright. I will let my man know.” The detective agreed. “On another note...” he changed his voice a little. “Are you alright, Kyuhyun? You look pale.” He continued, worry evident in his voice.

“Oh, dear friend...one does not see something like this every day.”

Friend. Yes. Detective Choi Siwon was a friend and a clever one at that. From his very first case, Kyuhyun had met the man and found that they often shared similar thoughts on how to proceed in a case. They slowly became friends in the last few years and even though they couldn’t be extremely chummy with each other they did indulged in speaking casually to each other from time to time and even in the occasional beer. Because he knew this friend well he had to be careful with what he said. Siwon was a straight arrow cop and he would follow a hunch till the end if something felt wrong.

“I will bring him at your office later. Maybe rest a little.”

That was a very good idea and he was going to listen to it. They exchanged pleasantries before they each went on their way. But Kyuhyun wasn’t going home nor to a sauna or hotel. The best place for him to be was his office even if his dear friend and fellow prosecutor Lee Hyukjae was going to make his ears bleed with all the questions. It took 30 minutes to go back and he felt  he need for music so that he could achieve some inner peace. He couldn’t let this hinder his job and he had plenty of cases to worry about and to see through.

The office was quiet though. Even Hyukjae seemed too calm given the happenings. Everyone had a stiff expression and seemed somewhat cautious about opening their mouths to talk. Apparently, they were paid a visit by their boss and he had been very interested in speaking to Kyuhyun to the point of making a note to ask them to tell him to come. He much preferred having his ear bleed from Hyukjae’s questions to sitting down to have a chat to the man that warned him this was a hard case to win. He had expected the questions and so he had the time to prepare for the answers.

Park JungSoo. The head of his division, a man with a reputation of his own and very pragmatic when it came to his job. He had clearly told Kyuhyun that the chances of winning were slim but that he was going to allow him to push forward as lead prosecutor so that he could toughen up.

“You met a strict judge assembly, two wicked lawyers and a scum with connections.” The dark brown-haired chief told him after asking a series of questions about things he was curious about.

“I failed.” Kyuhyun admitted. “I failed because I couldn’t anticipate their moves. Even today...a sudden change of heart.” he snickered in disbelief.

“Sometimes you have to think like them to win a fight against them.” JungSoo smiled towards his junior. “This won’t look bad for you. Apparently, the lawyer stated the change if heart came after challenging and eye-opening interviews with the prosecution.”

That was more than surprising. Were they really saying the prosecution had been so good at putting just enough pressure when needed to secure a confession and statement despite the failure to have the evidence admitted? Was this also part of that evil woman’s master plan as per their so-called deal?

“I am taking too much of your time. You’ll get really busy again so take the chance to breath a little.”

Kyuhyun respected this man a lot. He was strict and mean at times, but his inputs always resonated with him and his advices were always on point. He was also an alma that he looked up to back in his college days so Kyuhyun had been more than happy to be assigned under his watch. Despite how serious the conversation had been, it had actually helped the black haired relax a bit more and find more strength to push forward with the case. Returning to his office, all of his co-workers were rounded up in the middle of the room, listening to something Detective Choi was saying.

“Detective Choi...” Kyuhyun entered and moved closer with surprise and curiosity. “You said you bring the assailant but...”

“I am afraid that will not be possible.” Siwon looked apologetic and then let out a sigh.

“He just told us...” Hyukjae spoke next. “There was too much blood since he was punctured in a vital spot. He died soon after reaching the hospital.”

“Just great...” Kyuhyun sighed though he had to admit a part of him was relieved such a monster was gone for good. “Let’s get his friend statement on the change of statement and reason for assault first and then....” he looked towards the detective, resuming his purpose as a prosecutor.

“I am afraid that is also not possible.”

“Why?” now he was slightly annoyed, wondering just what in the name of God happened this time. This case was really exhausting him and kept putting him in a tight spot and awkward position.

“He was left alone in the bathroom and...” Siwon spoke again. “He... he was found dead. Suicide.”

“What the ?!”

He cursed with all his heart. What was this, a makjang drama or a crappy movie or...? This was more than ridiculous. At worse he had expected for the to die and use the statement of his lackey to close the other 3 cases of the victims he couldn’t at the beginning. That would have been some sort of divine punishment. Suicide though? Was this also part of the stage play that woman orchestrated or an unfortunate casualty, like a side effect? She could have just put an inmate to stab him to death or stage a car accident after his release. Why on earth did she have to cause such a mess and complicate things like this? How on earth was the suicide justified when that man had been grinning at the last trial?

Who would believe such a thing? It was as if she had made things like this on purpose so that someone might notice how weird it was, that it didn’t fit together so that they could follow through and eventually discover all of this happened because of him. She was no broker or solution to getting rid of a mass murderer and . She was just another kind of devil. He had stupidly made a deal with someone even worse than then one he had killed.