Tak-hyeon Lee got into the car, shut his eyes, and said,

"I'm tired."

"Chairman. That was a hard thing to have to do."

Do-beom Hwang looked at him with pity.

On an ordinary day Tak-hyeon Lee wouldn't have sat face to face with the Prosecutor General, and he had just gone and bowed his head to the man.

Even with his eyes shut, Tak-hyeon Lee let out a faint laugh and spoke.

"Don't think I bowed my head to Prosecutor General Song for Mun-jong's sake. I did it for Ilhyeon."

Do-beom Hwang nodded and told the driver to go.

Then he turned around from the passenger seat and asked Tak-hyeon Lee, whose eyes were still closed,

"What did Prosecutor General Song say?"

"A man is dead."

Tak-hyeon Lee opened his eyes and looked at him.

"One dead and one who came within an inch of it. And the one who lived walked in on his own two feet and filed a report. How do you smooth a thing like that over?"

"Then—"

"There has to be an investigation and somebody has to be punished. Prosecutor General Song said there's no way around that part, and I agreed."

"So the case can't be buried after all."

Tak-hyeon Lee stopped a moment, let out a small sigh, and said,

"The case can't be buried. But the man can be swapped out."

"Swapped out? You mean—"

"Mun-jong's attending secretary will take the responsibility and go in for him."

"That's a relief."

Do-beom Hwang looked reassured at that.

"Solicitation of murder does need clear evidence, and all there is now is circumstantial, so if Mun-jong denies it flat there's nothing to be done."

"And they said they'd shape the investigation that way, so you don't need to worry."

Tak-hyeon Lee thought back to what the Prosecutor General had promised him across the table.

"The Prosecutor General said he'd give the order himself to the Special Investigation Division prosecutor who started it. So we can trust it and wait."

"About that prosecutor, though."

Do-beom Hwang thought of Dae-su Park and asked carefully,

"Prosecutor Park keeps…