It was the last day of winter, but autumn already spread out all over the courtroom. The public who sat on the bench had heavy breathing while staring at the judge. The suspect, a 23-year-old boy, was dazed but pliant. His skin had turned pale and his gaze dropped to the floor.

Prosecutor Seo Youngjae sat sternly while waiting for the verdict. He looked intimidating with his black robe and dark aura. His saliva had a drought after an hour of oral argument and intense roasting with the lawyer. The hearing wouldn’t last without massive scrutiny from him that even the lawyers would puke in their pants.

On the other...