Chapter 35

Gangnam Police Station Front.

A mysterious figure appeared wearing a black kimbap long coat with the hood pulled up, a mask, and sunglasses fully equipped.

Since it’s a place often visited by people who do not wish to reveal their identity, the appearance wasn’t particularly unusual.

‘Short.’

The figure was quite small in stature.

It didn’t seem fitting for this environment.

Why would a junior high student come to the police station? It would seem awkward.

“What brings you here?”

“S-sorry, where is the cyber investigation team?”

“Go to the 4th floor of the main building you see over there.”

“G-good, thank you.”

‘Some kind of criminal, I presume.’

In movies or dramas, criminals are always handcuffed and dragged into police cars with sirens blaring, but in reality, there are far more who walk in of their own accord.

Rather than serious offenses that lead to arrests or detentions, there are many cases where people come in for questioning after receiving summonses.

Judging by both her attire and demeanor, she was undeniably a criminal. Of course, she was none other than Jeon Seol Ah.

Seol Ah, guided by the police, headed toward the main building.

The entrance to the main building of the police station’s headquarters was guarded by a bulletproof glass door, worthy of a police fortress.

There was a checkpoint nearby where a security officer was in charge of controlling access.

Once upon a time, this role was handled by the Civil Defense Corps, but now that the corps had been dissolved, many retired police officers or soldiers re-employed as civil servants took on the position.

In other words, an elderly man was seated there.

“To enter the main building, you must fill out a visitor application form and present identification.”

“Nn… yes.”

Name, phone number, visiting department, purpose of visit.

Plus, submitting an ID was burdensome.

This visit wasn’t for anything positive, and Seol Ah felt a queasy sensation in her stomach.

After filling out her name, phone number, visiting department, and purpose of visit…

‘Maybe I should have stayed home?’

A suspect refusing to attend a police summons could result in an arrest, but no such penalty existed for witnesses.

However, if during the investigation a witness is converted to a co-conspirator or another suspect, their refusal to attend could be regarded as non-compliance with the investigation, which could negatively affect sentencing.

‘But what exactly is this about?’

Seol Ah had heard that witnesses face no penalties for not showing up, but the possibility of being deemed an accomplice worried her immensely.

She finally decided to attend.

To respond appropriately, she had to know exactly what this was about.

“Here you go.”

The security officer’s squinting eyes widened in surprise when handed the completed form and the ID.

“Could you please remove your sunglasses and mask? We need to verify your identity.”

“…”

If she stayed dressed suspiciously, they wouldn’t let her in. Reluctantly, Seol Ah removed her sunglasses and pulled down her mask for identity confirmation.

“Take off your hood too, please. My eyesight’s a bit blurry.”

‘Why does the hood have to come off? Isn’t the face visible enough?’

Of course, it was out of personal interest. A hidden desire to see her beautiful face more clearly.

Though she felt something was off, Seol Ah disliked causing a fuss at the police station entrance and complied, pulling the hood down.

“Ah, are you a celebrity?”

“No, I’m just an ordinary person. Is there anything else you need?”

Seol Ah’s ears turned bright red from embarrassment, knowing she shouldn’t come here for trivial reasons.

Let’s be good. Yep. Let’s not end up at places like this.

“Once you’ve stamped your visitor pass, the door will open. Please remember to return it when you leave.”

Finally, Seol Ah secured her visitor pass. She re-donned her mask, sunglasses, and flipped up the hood before entering the main building.

“Among the people I’ve seen in my sixty years, you’re the most dignified beauty. They say long life brings more to see, and this is true. What a treat for the eyes, indeed.”

The security officer muttered this under his breath as he watched her ascend the stairs through the bulletproof glass.

4th floor, the office of the Cyber Investigation Team.

The police station office didn’t look much different from regular offices. Computers, fax machines, mountains of paperworks.

The sound of knocking echoed inside.

“Come in.”

The sight of the mysterious figure opening the door drew everyone’s attention.

“Who’s Officer Kim?”

Seol Ah, though self-evaluating herself as having social anxiety and being a recluse, wasn’t entirely incapable of conversation.

She just had one problem. Her face was so captivating that it hypnotized people, leading to declarations of love and chaos breaking out every time she revealed it.

“Please come this way.”

Officer Kim was a neatly dressed man in his 40s.

In the Cyber Investigation Team, since they rarely worked in the field with ambushes or arrests, they dressed far more business-formally compared to the strong armed detectives who wore sneakers and casual wear.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come for the witness investigation.”

“Ms. Jeon Seol-ah?”

“Yes.”

“You’re right on time.”

‘Could you speak a little quieter?’

Seol Ah’s small hope for as few people as possible to know about her remained unheeded by the officer.

“Also, I don’t understand what this is all about.”

“You can hear it while writing the statement. Please sit down and submit your ID.”

Seol Ah handed over her ID while sitting.

“Please uncover your face.”

As the investigator assumed a strict attitude, Seol Ah grew even more nervous. Why treat someone like a criminal? Still, there was something troubling her.

Seol Ah pulled down her mask and removed her sunglasses but left her hood on. The investigator compared her ID photo with her real face.

The investigator’s expression quickly oscillated between ‘Isn’t it sexual harassment to say someone’s beautiful nowadays?’ and ‘Why is such a beautiful person doing this? Tsk tsk,’ both somewhat frightening expressions.

Soon, the investigator began typing something into the computer while Seol Ah could only see the back of the monitor.

A moment later, he resumed speaking.

“What’s your relationship with Miss Yu Ri?”

“Who?”

“Miss Yu Ri.”

“I don’t know who she is.”

“Have you ever used the SNS account ‘Legend 2000’?”

“…Yes.”

“And you’ve also posted pictures of Miss Yu Ri?”

“Is this person Miss Yu Ri?”

“You didn’t know who she was?”

“Yes, I didn’t.”

“Did you genuinely not know?”

“Nn, I didn’t!”

Having never been inside a police station before, she felt immense stress from the investigator’s harsh tone.

“Have you ever been paid for promotion or anything similar?”

“Promotion?”

“Thousands of people have accessed the site after watching your broadcasts, Ms. Seol-ah. Did you not know?”

“It’s not like that!”

“Hmm.”

“Really, I don’t know what’s going on. Could you please explain the situation first?”

After a brief contemplation, the investigator began explaining while looking at Seol Ah’s face.

“Miss Yu Ri uploaded a video of having sexual intercourse with her current boyfriend to an overseas site and sent it to her ex-boyfriend. After receiving the link, the ex-boyfriend filed charges against her. She is currently under investigation for pornography distribution under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.”

“Huh????”

Why film the video, and why send it to the ex-boyfriend?

With a face like that, how could she have two boyfriends? Or maybe this isn’t right?

The dizziness… it’s just overwhelming.

“Many Koreans accessed the overseas site, and the main cause was the group sharing on Teamfight Arena Gallery, referencing ‘Red Pill’ promoted by broadcaster Sol and Jeon Seol Ah. That’s why you were summoned as a witness. Do you understand?”

“Yes? No, I mean, uhm… I understand, but yes?”

This doesn’t make sense, right? Just… doesn’t it?

“If the promotion was made through coins rather than bank transfers, it would still be investigated. Is this really not a paid promotion?”

“It’s not, I didn’t even know who this person was.”

“Then why did you post the pictures on social media?”

“Me…”

Seol Ah found her words caught in her throat.

Why must I be at a loss for words?

“Becuase there are too many people harassing me online! Yes! I’m a victim too.”

“What does sexual harassment have to do with posting photos?”

Oh, come on, at least acknowledge my feelings!

Less attractive people get harassed less frequently, right?

“To keep my appearance secret, I thought it would lessen the harassment.”

Seol Ah, who automatically became deferential and obedient in front of an investigator.

She softened her words as much as possible despite her inner thoughts.

“So you used someone else’s pictures as a shield?”

“The picture was from a Chinese site! I thought it was irrelevant to the Korean internet because it was a Chinese face! But why a Korean person? It’s so unfair!”

This is so truly unfair.

Seol Ah appealed her emotions through her facial expressions. With naturally angelic eyes now filled with grievance, she blinked repeatedly.

“…Don’t you think this was wrong, even by your standards?”

“Me, guilty!?”

“Even without breaking any laws, it would be good if you adhered to some basic moral rules.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If all your statements are true, you won’t likely hear from us again regarding this case.”

“But, will Miss Yu Ri know about me?”

She thought internally, “I don’t want to get entangled with someone mentally unstable.”

“Your identity in the witness statement will be anonymized.”

Phew, thank goodness.

“Thank you!”

“Please stop impersonating others. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“Uh… yes…”

There was now another person aware of her true identity, and that fact alone made Seol Ah immensely tired.

I should’ve just not shown up.

She came worrying about possibly being involved in a serious crime, but it turned out to be such absurd content.

But such things do exist, don’t they?

Somehow, we instinctively feel like we should always listen to doctors and police.

Seol Ah, a regular citizen, was weak to doctors and cops.

As Seol Ah left the police station, she realized something peculiar.

The words Officer Kim had left earlier.

“Keeping an eye on you.”

“Wait, he’s watching me?”

Could that officer regularly watch my broadcast?

Just thinking about it made goosebumps prickle down her back, and her head began to spin.

The criminal’s life must truly be so arduous.

Live gracefully.

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