The interrogation room at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office was designed to be intimidating. It was a small, soundproofed box of neutral colors, stripped of all personality, a place where narratives were dismantled and truths were forged under the harsh, unwavering glare of fluorescent lights. Kwon Ji-hyuk sat at the heavy wooden table, his hands resting motionless on its surface. He looked fragile, his slim frame swallowed by the formal suit Aura's legal team had provided, but there was a new, brittle composure to him. He was no longer the weeping mess from the police station. He was a man with a script.
His lawyer, the ever-stoic Mr. Park, sat beside him, a silent, reassuring presence. Across the table, radiating an aura of supreme confidence, was Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-joon. He was a man known for his ambition, his love of the media spotlight, and his skill at turning high-profile cases into personal triumphs. He had been handpicked for this case by forces allied with Chairman Choi, and he was here to collect the head of Han Yoo-jin on a silver platter. He smiled, a thin, predatory expression. This was supposed to be the easy part.
"Let's begin, Mr. Kwon," the prosecutor said, his voice smooth and paternal, a carefully crafted tool to encourage cooperation. He leaned forward, his hands clasped on the table. "We have reason to believe, based on the evidence and preliminary interviews, that you were not acting alone on the night of Ms. Park Eun-sol's tragic death. We believe you were coerced, perhaps manipulated by a powerful figure. We are here to help you. All you need to do is tell us the truth. In your own words, tell us who instructed you to be at that bar."
This was the moment. The loaded question. The entire case, the future of Aura Management, hung on the next words out of Ji-hyuk's mouth.
Ji-hyuk took a slow, shaky breath, just as Yoo-jin had coached him. He looked down at his hands, playing the part of the reluctant, terrified witness perfectly. He began to speak, his voice soft and hesitant, reciting the story that Ryu had so carefully crafted, the story that Yoo-jin had now repurposed.
"There was… a man," Ji-hyuk began. "A powerful figure in the industry. He contacted me a few weeks ago. He said he saw my potential, that he could make me a superstar, bigger than anything Aura could offer. He said he wanted to help me."
The prosecutor leaned in further, a gleam in his eye. This was going exactly as planned. "And this man, he had influence? He was a producer?"
"Yes," Ji-hyuk whispered. "He said he knew how the industry really worked. He told me that to become a true star, I needed a story. Something dramatic. He… he arranged for me to meet that girl, Somi. He said it was just for a drink, a quiet meeting to generate some harmless online rumors. A little scandal to make my name famous before the drama aired."
The prosecutor could barely contain his excitement. He had him. "And this producer, who arranged this entire situation, who put you in that room where a young woman died… give me his name, Mr. Kwon. Tell me the name of the man from Aura Management who did this to you."
Ji-hyuk slowly lifted his head, his eyes—haunted and filled with a convincing, righteous fear—locking with the prosecutor's. He delivered the payload.
"His name is Ryu," he said, his voice suddenly clear and firm.
The prosecutor froze, the triumphant smile faltering on his face. The name was wrong. It was completely, utterly wrong. "Ryu?" he repeated, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. "I don't know that name."
"He was a senior analyst at OmniCorp," Ji-hyuk continued, his confidence growing as he stuck to the new script. "He told me his career was destroyed by Han Yoo-jin. He said this was his way of getting revenge, by using me to ruin Yoo-jin's reputation and his new project. He was the one who controlled everything."
The interrogation room was suddenly thrown into chaos. The prosecutor, blindsided and furious, tried to regain control. "Mr. Kwon, let's not get confused. The evidence points to someone inside Aura Management. Are you sure you're not misremembering the name? Perhaps under duress? Was it Han Yoo-jin who contacted you?"
Mr. Park, who had been silent until now, chose this moment to intervene. "Prosecutor Kim," he said, his voice sharp and authoritative. "My client has answered your question. He has given you a name. If you have evidence to the contrary, please present it. Otherwise, this line of questioning borders on harassment."
The prosecutor's face reddened. He tried a different tack, attempting to poke holes in the story, to steer Ji-hyuk back towards the expected narrative. But it was useless. Ji-hyuk, fueled by Yoo-jin's promise of vengeance, was unwavering. He repeated the name again and again. Ryu. The ghost from OmniCorp. The puppet master. The man behind his suffering. The story was consistent, detailed, and, most importantly, it shifted the blame entirely away from Aura.
The interrogation ended not with a bang, but with the frustrated, angry slam of the prosecutor's file on the table. His slam-dunk, career-making case against Han Yoo-jin had just evaporated, replaced by a complicated, messy conspiracy involving a mysterious, unknown third party.
In the hallway outside, Mr. Park immediately went on the offensive with the waiting officials. "My client is not a suspect," he argued, his voice loud enough to be overheard. "He is the key witness in a larger, more sinister conspiracy. This man, 'Ryu,' is clearly dangerous. My client's life could be in danger. He has cooperated fully. We demand he be released on bail immediately, pending the investigation into this new suspect."
The legal ground had shifted beneath their feet. Ji-hyuk was no longer the probable perpetrator; he was the primary victim.
The news, as Yoo-jin knew it would, leaked to the press almost immediately, likely from a source within the prosecutor's office trying to control the narrative of their own spectacular failure.
The headlines were explosive.
RISING STAR KWON JI-HYUK POINTS TO MYSTERIOUS 'THIRD MAN' IN OVERDOSE SCANDAL
FORMER OMNICORP PRODUCER 'RYU' NAMED AS MASTERMIND
AURA MANAGEMENT'S HAN YOO-JIN: VICTIM OF CORPORATE REVENGE PLOT?
The media narrative, once a tidal wave of condemnation aimed squarely at Ji-hyuk and Aura, was thrown into a frenzy of confusion and speculation. The story was no longer simple. It was complex, intriguing, and had a new, shadowy villain. Yoo-jin was no longer the prime suspect; he was now cast as another potential victim of a bitter rival's vengeful plot. He had won the media battle, for now, by sacrificing his enemy's pawn.
Late that afternoon, a national police bulletin was officially issued. It included a grainy, decade-old corporate ID photo of a man with an unremarkable face and nondescript glasses.
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING: RYU. FORMER SENIOR ANALYST, OMNICORP. CONNECTION TO THE DEATH OF PARK EUN-SOL AND CONSPIRACY.
Ryu was no longer a ghost, an unseen force of nature. Han Yoo-jin had given him a name and a face, and he had made him the most wanted man in the country. He had been flushed out of the shadows and into the harsh, unforgiving light. The hunt had officially begun.