Ice Room | Kookjin

Chapter 13

"This is maybe, but... Maybe he didn't want to give you any unnecessary information. Seokjin-ssi, you're so straightforward so it might become a burden to you, and it might not help the investigation."

"Huh...? What do you mean?"

"President Seon's beta son... Seon Sangho's case is only known to a few, even at MPD. At the time, I had just gotten out of Police school and was working at a police station."

"How do you know about it when only a few people know at MPD...?"

"A drowned body was found near my station, and the person who received a dispatch request was my boss who was training me. I went with him to the scene and Dr. Jeon came to do the inquest."

"...So you've known him for 6 years."

"Yes." Sungjun pauses before stating, "...Well at the time, I was doing my work under my superior, and just stunned, watching Dr. Jeon do his work. His hands checked the body in a flowing motion, with no wasted movement. It was my first time standing in for an inquest, but it was so shocking... His decision was so quick."

"I think I know what you mean. I thought the same when I was there during the inquest. Did he smoothly request an autopsy then too?"

"Yes. The body was found at night, so the administrative autopsy was conducted the next day. It was another coincidence that Dr. Jeon was on rotation to be part of the autopsy."

"And the administrative autopsy showed suspicions of it being a murder..."

"Yes. Seokjin-ssi, as you said, it seems like there was some kind of observation that would not make it a suicide. Dr. Jeon immediately switched over to 'judicial autopsy'. But then, he got into an argument with the detective handling the case... Not only the detective, but also with other medical examiners."

"An argument...? Why...?"

"The Seoul Medical Examiner's office, is essentially a place to conduct 'administrative autopsies'. So when it becomes a 'judicial autopsy', the body will be sent to a forensics class in a university. Even then, Dr. Jeon insisted to switch over right then and there. They were piled with a lot of work, so if they switched into a judicial autopsy there..."

"..." Seokjin can imagine that the other medical examiners would complain if they have to take on something that's not their job. Not only will it take time, it will also take over the autopsy table for a long time. "I can understand why the medical examiners will get angry, but why did the detective...?"

"Now that I think about it... It might be that the higher-ups had already put pressure on them."

"What...?" Pressure...? The investigation was cut off one day, all of a sudden. That's what Dake said. Seokjin get a bad feeling that sends shivers down his spine.

"The body was identified at an early stage, and he was the only son of Seon Constructions. Enough reason to be suspicious. But the detective handling the case was already trying to settle it as a suicide. Maybe... Dr. Jeon felt a sense of danger... That the autopsy will be led by the police if he hands it over to the forensics class."

"What...? There's no way the police would alter the autopsy result to their liking..."

"I am sure how they handled it was so strange that it made him think that. Dr. Jeon was able to make it into a judicial autopsy, but it was treated as a suicide."

"...Was it really a suicide?"

"No one can answer that besides Dr. Jeon. The only thing left was 'We did a judicial autopsy but it was a suicide', a shameful result for the medical examiners. And since that case, Dr. Jeon's been seen as a medical examiner who does autopsies just out of interest... More and more people started to think that way. At the time, they had also planned to take data on drowned deaths, so even more so... I am sure it was very difficult for him to work for a while." 'He did the judicial autopsy just because he wanted to collect data on drowning'. Dake also mentioned that.

"Just out of interest... There's no way that's true! Dr. Jeon is cold and scary and super rude, but he would never..." He handles the remains with such kindness. "He did the autopsy because it was necessary."

"Yes."

"I...believe Dr. Jeon." Seokjin say it firmly, without hesitation. Seokjin think its clear as day. Seokjin wonder if Dr. Jeon carried all of this unjustness by himself. Alone, without relying on anybody.

"I think so too. There really aren't any medical examiners like him."

"Yes..." Seokjin believe him. Dr. Jeon. Even if that's conceited, Seokjin can't help but think that.