All characters, corporations, and organizations appearing in this novel are fictitious creations of the author's imagination and bear no relation to reality.
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"Order."
At the justice's single word, everyone held their breath and watched his mouth.
"The guilty portion of the lower court judgment regarding defendant Jo Jaeman is reversed, and this portion of the case is remanded to the Seoul High Court. The prosecution's appeal regarding defendant Jo Jaeman is dismissed in its entirety."
[Supreme Court, Jo Jaeman Political Funds Act Violation, Reversal and Remand in Favor of Acquittal.]
[Key Witness's Recanted Testimony Determines Congressman Jo Jaeman's Victory or Defeat.]
[Jo Jaeman Reverses Non-Candidacy Declaration and Declares Candidacy Following Final Acquittal.]
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"Jihun, I'm sorry. I know how hard you've prepared, but I have too much to do in the National Assembly to waste my time in idleness."
Jihun raised his head and looked at Jo Jaeman's face. Jo Jaeman was looking at Jihun with a familiar smile.
A raw, unadulterated smile of one who craves power.
Whenever Jo Jaeman showed such a smile, only good things ever happened to him. Because Jo Jaeman himself made even bad things turn into good ones.
"You understand me, right? Since you're still a preliminary candidate, what do you say to voluntarily withdrawing?"
"Congressman, I've spent the past month doing nothing but campaigning. And now, after all that..."
When Jo Jaeman's election campaign accountant was reported to the National Election Commission for violating the Political Funds Act, he testified during the prosecution's investigation that he had acted on Jo Jaeman's orders. Consequently, Jo Jaeman had been forced to spend a long time shuttling in and out of court.
As the Conservative Party, even though Cheongsan City was their home turf, they did not want Jo Jaeman—who was on trial for violating the Political Funds Act—to run.
On the day Jo Jaeman appeared before the prosecution for violating the Political Funds Act, his lawyer urged him to do everything possible, including declaring that he would not run and retiring from politics.
Even in such a situation, it was Jihun who had run to protect such a Jo Jaeman—who could not relinquish his position to others—and to safeguard his district, Cheongsan City.
"Isn't it fortunate that all you did was campaign? Hey, bring that here."
Jo Jaeman gave the order to a campaign staffer standing behind him while talking to Jihun, and the staffer brought a document and handed it to Jo Jaeman.
"Read it."
Jo Jaeman handed the document to Jihun, who sat across from him. Jihun took the document and began reading it with a grave expression.
"Congressman... This is..."
"It's your candidacy withdrawal statement. Decide wisely."
"If I withdraw, it could also affect your image..."
When Jihun hesitated, Jo Jaeman looked at him with an expression that showed his displeasure.
"Is it because of money?"
When Jo Jaeman said that to Jihun and gestured, this time a campaign staffer approached carrying a shopping bag.
"I heard you took out loans and ran around borrowing money here and there for this. Take it."
Jihun opened the shopping bag Jo Jaeman handed him. It was quite heavy, and inside, fifty-thousand-won bills were piled high.
"Congressman, I cannot accept this."
Jihun pushed the shopping bag back toward Jo Jaeman. Jo Jaeman's brow furrowed deeply in clear displeasure.
"What's gotten into you? The kid who always listened to me so well is suddenly being this stubborn?"
"Congressman, I have served you for thirteen years. I have worked like a dog doing everything you told me to for thirteen whole years."
"Jihun, do you really think you can beat me in the primary? I'm grateful. Now help me out."
"Congressman, I won't work under you anymore. I'm sick and tired of you staying clean while I wear all the filth."
Jihun spat out the words at Jo Jaeman as if unwilling to lose.
"Since entering politics, I felt a sense of fulfillment for the first time during this election campaign. It's something I never once felt by your side."
"Hey! Gim Jihun! Watch your mouth!"
"I don't know how you coerced the accountant, but I am different. I'll be taking my leave now. I have a remaining schedule."
Jihun said that and rose from his seat.
"Hey! Gim Jihun, sit down!"
Jihun turned his back on Jo Jaeman, who was shouting at him at the top of his lungs, and walked out of the office.
To think that the reward for thirteen years of enduring and doing every kind of dirty deed under Jo Jaeman was this kind of treatment—Jihun suppressed his nausea and headed toward where the people waiting for him were.
"Mr. Jihun, what did the congressman say?"
A Cheongsan City council member approached Jihun and asked. They had been Jo Jaeman's organization, but Jihun, having inherited them directly, had been campaigning alongside them.
"It's nothing. Mr. Junho, where is the next schedule?"
Jihun opened his mouth to Choe Junho, who had been Jo Jaeman's personal secretary and was now helping him.
At that moment, the cell phones of everyone except Jihun began to ring, and they all seemed to check their phones.
Jihun checked his own phone just in case, but no message had come. When Jihun raised his head, the city council member began to open his mouth with a troubled expression.
"Ahem... Mr. Jihun. I have urgent business, so I'll be going now..."
Starting with the city council member's words, the people who had been campaigning with him began to leave one by one.
Jihun wore a face utterly steeped in defeat, as if he guessed the reason.
"Chief of Staff Gim, this..."
Then Choe Junho approached Jihun's side and showed him the message received on his cell phone.
The message sent under Jo Jaeman's name contained an order to immediately withdraw from the election campaign.
"Junho... Just go..."
"How could I leave you..."
"I'm fine, so follow the congressman's orders."
Choe Junho still stood blankly, looking at Jihun.
"Hey! Secretary Choe! Can't you hear me? I said go."
"I can't go. You're the one who made even an ignorant guy like me capable of doing this kind of work..."
"Junho, think of your family. If you don't go now, you'll fall into the abyss with me."
Choe Junho seemed to resolve himself at Jihun's words, raised his phone, and pressed the call button.
"Congressman, I quit. Thank you for taking me in all this time."
Choe Junho said only what he had to say and hung up. Jihun looked at him as if he were foolish.
"I've endured until now not because of Jo Jaeman, but because of you, Chief of Staff. Let's go."
Jihun looked at such a Choe Junho and let out a short laugh.
**
A few days later, Jihun was waiting to hear the results of the nomination screening.
Although Jo Jaeman's core organization had all pulled out, Choe Junho had remained, allowing them to reorganize and continue campaigning as a preliminary candidate.
"Yes... Yes... I understand. Thank you for your hard work."
When Jihun hung up, Choe Junho, who had been by his side, approached and asked.
"Chief of Staff, how did it go?"
Jihun shook his head instead of answering.
"Junho, I don't think I can turn back now. It's not too late, so you turn back."
When Jihun said that, Choe Junho took out an envelope from his jacket's inner pocket and handed it to him.
Jihun opened the envelope Choe Junho handed him, and a single document was inside.
"I prepared this knowing something like this could happen someday. It's a statement recording the days when I first went to collect political funds in Jo Jaeman's stead. The day I lied saying I had sent it back to him. And after that, it's a log of my direct observations of Jo Jaeman receiving money."
Jihun looked at Choe Junho with surprised eyes.
"Junho, you know what kind of person Jo Jaeman is. Stop..."
"I have to set things right, even if it's now."
"I'll go meet Jo Jaeman."
"Hey, Choe Junho! Junho!"
Even though Jihun called out urgently, Choe Junho headed out of the office with resolute steps, as if he couldn't hear.
**
-Chief of Staff Gim, Soyeong's father hasn't been reachable for days. If by any chance...
"Sister-in-law, I'm also trying to find out Junho's whereabouts right now. What did the police say?"
-They said what worry is there when he's a grown adult... That he'll come back in a few days...
"Those bastards... Sister-in-law, I'm looking into it from every angle, so please wait a little longer."
Jihun hung up the phone with Choe Junho's wife and fell into uncontrollable rage. He should have stopped Choe Junho more that day.
Jo Jaeman would have tried to silence Choe Junho by any means necessary. Because that was how Jo Jaeman turned matters unfavorable to him into nothing.
Jihun picked up the phone, found the familiar number, and pressed the call button.
"Yeongsu, it's me. I'm heading up to Seoul right now, so let's meet."
Jihun rose from his seat and rummaged through a bookshelf filled with old books, pulling out a notebook hidden between them.
'Jo Jaeman, this contains everything you've done for thirteen years. You will definitely, by my own hands...'
Jihun organized his thoughts and left the house with a hardened expression.
**
At a cafe in Seoul, Jihun was talking with a man.
"...Is this for real?"
"Yeongsu, you're not asking because you don't know. I suffered under Jo Jaeman for thirteen years."
The blood drained from Jang Yeongsu's face as he read the notebook Jihun handed him.
Jang Yeongsu was Jihun's college classmate and worked as a reporter for Hanseong Economic Daily, South Korea's leading economic newspaper.
When Jihun started his National Assembly career, he met Jang Yeongsu again after a long time, and they were of great help to each other. A few years later, Jang Yeongsu became the dedicated beat reporter for the ruling Conservative Party, maintaining a symbiotic relationship with Jihun, who had become Jo Jaeman's chief of staff.
For several years, Jihun and Jang Yeongsu had risen steadily in their respective positions, closely using each other like a crocodile and a crocodile bird.
"I know your words can't be false, but... why all of a sudden...?"
"Junho went missing. From the day he took evidence of Jo Jaeman's corruption and went to see him."
At Jihun's words, Jang Yeongsu's already grave expression hardened further, and he looked at Jihun.
"You've steeled yourself, haven't you? I'm fine. You be careful..."
"Yeongsu, my life is already over. Shouldn't we take Jo Jaeman down with me?"
Jihun stood up after those last words and patted Jang Yeongsu's shoulder. Jang Yeongsu would attack Jo Jaeman on his behalf based on the materials Jihun had given him.
"Hide out for the time being. I'll contact you once things are settled."
At Jang Yeongsu's last words, Jihun nodded and left the cafe.
**
To hide his whereabouts for the time being, Jihun swept clothes into a bag and came out to the living room.
When Jihun came out dragging a large bag, his mother, Jo Jeonghye, looked at him with surprised eyes.
"Mom, I'm going to go on a trip for a change of pace for a while."
"But, Jihun, where are you going at this late hour..."
"Don't worry about me. Make sure to eat well. I'll call often."
Jihun hugged his mother tightly once as if being chased by something and left the house.
Dragging his bag, Jihun was walking through an alley to reach the main road when he felt a vibration from inside his clothes, stopped walking, and answered the phone.
"Yeongsu."
-Jihun, where are you now?
"I'm trying to lay low for a while, as you said."
-Yeah, good thinking. I think something's tailing me. I don't know since when, but probably since I met you...
At that moment, a loud crash was heard over the phone, and after that, no sound came through.
"Yeongsu! Jang Yeongsu, you bastard!"
Jihun called desperately holding the phone, but the other party gave no answer.
Jihun hung up and tried to exit the alley with quick steps. At that moment, he sensed a presence behind him and turned around.
"Mr. Gim Jihun, it's been a while."
< 001. Jo Jaeman (Revised) > End
ⓒ Nesisipbun
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