"I have not done anything."
Jisoo stared right into the judge's eyes who glared back with a suspicious look in her eyes.
The thin woman gave out an intimidating vibe which left the local in silence for minutes between every phrase. Her appearance spoke for her personality. Her lips were thin and clenched, her brown hair was tied in a strict bun on her head and on her nose rested a pair of narrow specs.
The prosecutor, a short, chubby man in his 50's who sat next to Hyungwon on the other side suddenly rose from his chair.
"May I tell our, the prosecutors story that we have figured out from our long investigation?"
The judge nodded.
"I suppose that Jisoo Hong broke into Mr Chae's house at 14: 00, once he found him in the kitchen, he grabbed the knife, hanging on the wall over the worktop and immediately started stabbing him. The stabs were many and deep which indicates a murder with an emotional or personal motive which causes frustration. Say, Jisoo..."
The neatly dressed prosecutor turnt to Jisoo. "Your loyality to the catholic church and ragious dissatisfaction against how taxes has been handled in the protestantic, only church has not been a secret." The chubby man rose one eyebrow as he continued. "Therefore, that is a clear and the only motive that could've provoked this murder. After the murder was done, Jisoo left the house and went home to pretend that nothing happened. Plastic gloves in Jisoo's home that we found also explains why no fingerprints were directly found on the knifes but instead on the worktop where he had put his hand after washing off his hands under the faucet." The procecutor finished as he proudly walked up to the judge's podium and handed her photos taken by a polaroid camera.
The photos showed the bloody knife, the corp and its stabs. The plastic gloves found in Jisoo's bathroom as well.
The coldgazed judge looked through the photos and nodded before laying her cold glance at Jisoo who looked like he was going to faint after all the accusations, raining over him as an orcane in the matter of maybe just a minute.
"Do you have anything to say as your defense, Mr Hong?"
Jisoo looked around, his eyes wide open and his earlier tan skin turning almost grey. He almost looked sick.
"I-It wasn't me! I promise...please." He trembled. "I would never...Ever. Do I look like a killer to you? Do you think I could take a persons life?!"
"There is NO need to shout." The judge replied with her sharp voice.
"No, YOU listen to me! Maybe I'm not wealthy, maybe the taxes disturb me, maybe I find it unholy but m'am. I...would NEVER take a persons life!" Jisoo rambled like he had never spoke before. His voice was full of insecurity and it sounded like he'd break down in any minute.
The local was filled with silence, none of the relatives in the audience said a word. The judge glanced from side to side. To Hyungwon, the prosecutor, the yet quiet lawyer who had said nothing to the now aggressive Jisoo. She glanced down at the photos as well. Thought for some minutes. Minutes that felt like hours to all of them.
"I have come to a decision."