TLWSS 15

Chapter 15

Kim Gi-jin’s grandmother, Madam Lee Hwa-young, called at 5:20 a.m.

I had been in deep sleep and initially mistook the phone ringing for an alarm.

Half-asleep, I reached for my phone and saw an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

• Are you attorney Yoo Hyun-jae?

It was a husky, gender-ambiguous female voice.

The tension in her voice instantly woke me up.

“Yes, speaking.”

• I am Kim Gi-jin’s grandmother.

For a brief moment, I tried to recall who Kim Gi-jin was.

Kim Gi-jin!

I remembered he was a friend I had recently made.

“Yes, ma’am. Hello.”

• Are you really Gi-jin’s friend, Attorney Yoo?

“Yes, that’s correct. What happened?”

• Can you come here right now?

From her tone, I could tell this was far from an ordinary matter.

“Did something happen to Gi-jin?”

• He’s at the police station right now.

Madam Lee’s voice through the phone was heavy.

• As a suspect in a murder case.

It felt like electricity surged through my head.

“Which police station?”

• Ansan Cheongrok Police Station.

“Understood. I’ll be there.”

I hung up and immediately got out of bed.

Even though it was early morning, the winter air outside was pitch dark.

I hurried toward Cheongrok Police Station.

I immediately recognized Gi-jin’s grandmother.

An elderly woman with neatly tied white hair, wearing a mink coat that reached her ankles and ankle boots—she was not someone you’d normally see sitting in a police station at dawn.

But more striking than that was the powerful silver aura surrounding her—so intense it was impossible to miss.

It was clear she had been the one protecting Gi-jin’s aura all this time.

Madam Lee Hwa-young was no ordinary person.

When I approached, she turned her gaze toward me.

Her eyes were pitch black, as if absorbing all light in the world.

Only two kinds of beings had such eyes.

Ghosts… or shamans.

“You’re Attorney Yoo Hyun-jae?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I expected as much. You carry good energy.”

“Thank you.”

“Gi-jin said you are his friend and asked me to contact you.”

She spoke calmly.

• That idiot… he bragged his grandmother owns over 100 buildings and never even mentioned she’s a shaman.

‘Right now, she’s just a grandmother worried about her grandson in the cold dawn.’

• But still, how can—

As the red-eyed voice tried to speak, it suddenly cut off—like someone had muted it.

The red eyes panicked, clutching their throat and shouting silently.

“I silenced it because it was too noisy. It’ll come back when the time is right.”

Madam Lee looked directly at the space where the red eyes were.

That had never happened before.

Judging from the red eyes flailing beside me, she was clearly not an ordinary shaman.

Then the police station door opened and a young woman entered.

She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a neatly pressed ivory wool coat. Her pale face was clean and striking.

Her gaze confirmed it immediately—she was also a shaman.

“Mother, I brought it.”

She held up a fur coat carefully.

It was Kim Gi-jin’s outerwear—the same one I had seen at the restaurant.

The two appeared to be master and disciple.

“Haemi, check if the talisman is still inside the coat.”

The young woman named Haemi examined the inside.

“There’s nothing.”

“Just as I thought…”

Madam Lee closed her eyes, silently calculating something, then sighed.

I needed to understand the situation first.

“What kind of murder case is Gi-jin suspected in?”

“He had a girlfriend. Song Seul-gi… I told him not to get involved with her, but he never listened…”

She pressed her temples as if in pain.

“You know her too, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“They’re saying Gi-jin killed her.”

“…What?”

I recalled Gi-jin just days ago, casually walking with his arm around Seul-gi.

Gi-jin killed her?

“How is he right now?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t even been able to see him yet.”

“I can meet him as his defense attorney immediately.”

She studied me silently, as if assessing something.

“Please do. Take this case. No matter how much it costs.”

“Understood.”

I submitted the visitation request and showed my attorney ID.

Soon, I was led into the meeting room.

Gi-jin was brought in behind a transparent acrylic partition and sat down.

His hair was messy, clothes disheveled—he still looked half-drunk.

“Gi-jin.”

“Hyun-jae… w-waaah… Hyun-jae…”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I was too drunk… I can’t remember anything.”

He looked terrified.

“Seul-gi is dead?”

“Yeah… they say she’s dead. I fell asleep in the bathroom, then the police woke me up and said I killed her.”

“You were alone with her at home?”

“Yes… and… there was blood on my hands.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t me, Hyun-jae! I didn’t kill her! But what if I did? I don’t remember anything… what if I really killed her?”

He was trembling and crying.

“Don’t say things you’re not sure about. I’ll find out what happened.”

“Hyun-jae… I’m counting on you…”

After hearing everything, I stood up.

Time had already passed significantly.

Madam Lee brought clean clothes for Gi-jin for a change of clothing.

I arranged a family visit.

Seeing his grandmother, Gi-jin broke down crying.

“Grandma… what do I do?”

She said nothing and simply held his hand.

“I didn’t kill her… I didn’t, right? You believe me, don’t you?”

“I know you are not someone who would kill. But I told you not to get involved with that girl. Why didn’t you listen?”

“I’m sorry… but I really liked her… did Seul-gi really die?”

He sobbed like a child.

Madam Lee let out a long sigh.

“Everything… is karma.”

At that moment, the police chief entered.

Rank insignia: four chrysanthemums—Chief Superintendent, the station chief.

“Chief!”

Everyone tensed.

“Carry on.”

He walked straight to Madam Lee and bowed slightly.

“Madam Lee Hwa-young?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Chief Superintendent Jang Dong-ho. Is there anything uncomfortable for you here?”

“No.”

“If you need anything, please let us know.”

“Yes.”

“We will ensure your grandson is treated properly while he is here.”

“Thank you.”

He treated her with utmost respect.

The station was silent.

Every officer was listening carefully to his words.

When he left, the station returned to noise again.

“He’s an incredibly famous shaman,” Gi-jin whispered to me. “Politicians even kneel before her during elections.”

Only then did I understand.

The chief was trying to make an impression.

If even a police chief acted like that, I could only imagine her influence.

Later, in the interrogation room, I sat beside Gi-jin.

Detective Jo Yang-soo gave me a sharp look.

“You’re the lawyer?”

“Yes. Yoo Hyun-jae, defense attorney.”

He looked mildly annoyed.

“Gi-jin, you know he’s being investigated for drug use, right?”

“You tested him?”

“Yes. Results will come soon.”

He believed this was a drug-fueled murder case.

Such bias is dangerous in investigations.

Early assumptions shape everything that follows.

I carefully reviewed the interrogation report line by line.

Detective Jo sighed.

“You’re really picky, aren’t you?”

After hours of work, he was irritated.

I ignored it and focused.

Every word mattered—one sentence could become a blade in court.

Eventually, I finished reviewing and signing corrections.

“Wow… you’re meticulous,” Jo muttered.

After a break, his aura had softened slightly.

Gi-jin was returned to detention, and I left the station.

It was past noon, but I wasn’t hungry.

As I stepped into the sunlight—

• Hey! I’m back! Testing, one two three!

The red eyes finally returned.

They had been silenced all morning.

‘I see… Madam Lee really is powerful.’

• Powerful? More like a stubborn old woman.

‘Have you ever seen someone suppress you that easily?’

• Except you, no.

The red eyes trembled.

“Attorney Yoo.”

I turned.

Haemi stood there quietly.

“My mother would like to see you.”

At that, the red eyes immediately hid behind me.

Clearly frightened.

“She is at the shrine.”

A black sedan was waiting nearby.

I got in.

The driver moved silently.

Haemi spoke.

“You’ve had a long morning.”

“It’s part of the job.”

“How is Gi-jin doing?”

“He’s shaken, but stable.”

“I’m relieved.”

Her demeanor was unusually mature for her age.

Her aura was a cold silver-blue—pure, yet distant.

A girl burdened with too much.

We arrived at a six-story building in Dogok-dong.

The shrine occupied the entire second floor.

There was no signboard.

Inside, incense lingered faintly.

No flashy statues, no gold decorations—just a simple altar and powerful painted talismans on the wall.

A woman in pale jade hanbok was praying.

It was Madam Lee.

She bowed deeply, hands clasped in prayer—for her grandson.

“I heard everything,” she said after rising.

Then she looked at me.

“Please save my grandson. I will give you anything—money, connections, anything.”

I felt a crushing pressure.

“As for whether I can save him… that is for the heavens to decide. I can only promise I will do everything in my power.”

Silence followed.

Then she nodded.

“As expected. My divination was not wrong.”

She bowed deeply.

I returned the bow.

A quiet breath of relief came from behind me.

Haemi stood silently, listening to everything.