CI 2.13

After the procedure was completed, the client moved back to the detention cell with the police officers to wait for the results of the hearing. The client’s mother, sensing the ominous atmosphere, burst into tears, and the client tried to cling to the easy target, Son Yeo-il.

“Attorney, what’s going to happen to me? No, I’m really innocent!”

Although irritation welled up inside him, Son Yeo-il suppressed his desire to grab the client by the collar and instead, responded deliberately.

“What happens is for the judge to decide, but I clearly told you. Destruction of evidence is grounds for detention, and if you lie to me, I can’t help you.”

Perhaps it was because of the fierce energy that was rising from Son Yeo-il’s eyes that rendered the client mute. Leaving the client fumbling at his words behind him, Son Yeo-il left the court with Representative Bae.

“Anyway, that’s what happened, Won Hee-yeon. I was a bit overwhelmed during the weekend because I suddenly received a call saying that person was arrested…”

When they returned to the office, it was soon lunchtime. Won Hee-yeon came to pick up Son Yeo-il on time, and the two went to a garden restaurant on the outskirts of Yongju City for lunch. For some suspicious reason, Won Hee-yeon insisted that on a day like today, Son Yeo-il needed to eat a lot of meat.

The grade Two Plus Hanwoo beef was indeed so delicious that it melted as soon as it touched the tongue, but Son Yeo-il’s expression wasn’t very bright even as he finished off the tosissal, anchang-sal, doenjang jjigae, and even scraped the nurungji clean.

Noticing the shadow on Son Yeo-il’s face, Won Hee-yeon brought two cups of mixed coffee and suggested they sit together on the bench swing in the restaurant’s garden.

The garden of the restaurant was crudely decorated with uneven shrubs and random dwarf and mushroom ornaments, but the view of the wide fields that the bench swing faced was quite beautiful.

Sitting side by side looking at the horizon, when Won Hee-yeon gently asked, “Is there something troubling you?”, Son Yeo-il reported everything from his client’s arrest last weekend to the twist in this morning’s hearing as if reciting a piece of memorized text.

Ninety percent of the reason he avoided Won Hee-yeon’s calls all weekend was due to needless defense mechanisms, but the remaining 10 percent was because he was truly busy, so he wanted to emphasize that point and also wanted to tattle on his client’s misdeeds.

“The police have his phone now, and I don’t even want to imagine what photos might be on it. I tried to trust him because he’s my client, but things got completely twisted…If I had known it was a lie right from the beginning, do you think I could’ve prevented it from getting to this point?”

“What did you do wrong, Attorney Son? I knew that guy was bad from the start. He looked suspicious from the moment I laid eyes on him.”

“Representative Bae told me not to worry about it too. But…this isn’t just because of how things turned out. I think it would have been better not to take this case from the beginning. Because I…”

Son Yeo-il, who had been chatting freely with Won Hee-yeon’s encouragement, inadvertently started to bring up the incident with Koo Dae-hyun but stopped mid-sentence. It seemed better not to tell that story.

He could if he wanted to, but if Won Hee-yeon heard that story, he might try to kill Koo Dae-hyun. Son Yeo-il glanced at Won Hee-yeon’s hand gripping the swing’s chain. It was a strong hand that looked like it could snap the metal chain if he wanted to.

“…I really hate illegal filming perpetrators. Personally.”

Son Yeo-il swallowed his past memories and glossed over it. Though Won Hee-yeon probably noticed that Son Yeo-il was about to say something else, he simply nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Who would like such scum?”

“Anyway, that client will probably be detained…is it un-attorney-like to think he deserves it?”

“No, there’s no such thing. It’s all human work. You shouldn’t let emotions get in the way of work, but you can’t help feeling emotions.”

Son Yeo-il felt much better after Won Hee-yeon’s clear answer. He finished his lukewarm mixed coffee with a slurp and straightened his back again.

“Still, my other cases are going well. For Mrs. Kang’s divorce case, I think we can get a decision to freeze her husband’s account as soon as we deposit the money with the court.”

“Oh my, that old man will be struggling with all his money tied up.”

“And you know that huge redevelopment district on the way to the highway from Yongju City? There’s a trial scheduled for next week related to that, and I wrote the additional brief. I put a lot of effort into it, identifying all the issues missing from the complaint, and Representative Bae even praised me.”

As Son Yeo-il stood before Won Hee-yeon, who praised everything he did, he went on to boast about his accomplishments without even being asked. By the time they returned to the office, the unpleasant feeling from the morning had completely vanished without a trace.

With newfound confidence, Son Yeo-il reviewed the tasks he needed to complete in the afternoon as if he were the world’s greatest attorney. Just as he was deciding to finish quickly and leave work early, Representative Bae suddenly returned to the office.

It was an ominous sign. Not once since Son Yeo-il had started working there had Representative Bae worked both morning and afternoon. Son Yeo-il cautiously asked, “Welcome back, sir. Um, was there a problem with the case where the arrest warrant was requested?”

“Ah, that client got his warrant issued.”

Representative Bae replied half-heartedly, as if it were obvious that someone who deserved to be detained was detained, and sat down to turn on his computer.

“But that’s not the issue right now, Attorney Sonn. You know that redevelopment district case? The opposing party has hired Koo & Chang!”

Like someone with turtle PTSD seeing a pot lid, Son Yeo-il’s heart raced at the mere mention of “Koo & Chang.” With a barely steady voice, he asked, “What? Koo & Chang?”

“That’s right. Huh huh. There must really be something about that land. Don’t you think?”

Representative Bae’s expression was serious, though not as much as Son Yeo-il’s. It was extremely rare for a major law firm to be appointed in a civil lawsuit in Yongju City, where real estate was limited to farmland parcels with similar publicly announced land prices and modest apartments, and no major corporations were present.

In this local legal market, where the same five or six lawyer teams faced off in different combinations from case to case, and all addressed each other as brothers outside the courtroom in a friendly atmosphere, the sudden appearance of Koo & Chang was unexpected.

Why Koo & Chang of all places…No. I shouldn’t be self-conscious. With so many lawyers at Koo & Chang, there’s no way Koo Dae-hyun would personally involve himself in a provincial case.

As if Son Yeo-il’s mind wasn’t complicated enough, Representative Bae checked the electronic records and exclaimed in shock, “They really did file an appearance. No, more than that, these guys submitted a 120-page preparatory brief. Attorney Son, please check this.”

When Son Yeo-il opened the records in surprise, it was exactly as Representative Bae had said. With only a week left until the trial date, a bomb had suddenly dropped on the case.

“Oh my, it will take a long time just to read this. Attorney Son, don’t push yourself too hard. Just check the content briefly for now. If there’s nothing urgent, we can prepare a rebuttal by the next hearing date.”

Following Representative Bae’s suggestion would be a reasonable response. However, as he skimmed through the records, Son Yeo-il felt increasingly defiant.

Judging by the volume of the brief and the attached materials, it was clear that Koo & Chang had been preparing for this case for some time. Yet they deliberately submitted their appearance and brief so close to the hearing date, seemingly as a tactic to prevent Son Yeo-il’s side from responding properly.

Who do they think they’re dealing with?

While others might laugh at a country lawyer harboring such thoughts, Son Yeo-il felt an inner competitiveness toward Koo & Chang. Perhaps it was because it was the place where he had narrowly secured employment only to let the opportunity slip away himself.

He didn’t think he was any less capable than Koo & Chang’s new associates. If this case was an opportunity to prove that, he was eager to do so.

“I’ll organize the opposing party’s arguments as much as possible before the hearing date, and try to prepare a rebuttal brief as well.”

Despite Representative Bae’s suggestion not to overexert himself, Son Yeo-il, now fired up, declared enthusiastically. Only after sitting at his desk and opening a Hangul file did he recall something with an “oops” moment.

Just earlier, sitting on the swing in the restaurant garden with Won Hee-yeon, after Son Yeo-il had finished venting his concerns and had refreshingly drained his paper cup of coffee with a light heart—at that moment…

<That’s right. Seeing your expression brighten makes me happy too.>

Won Hee-yeon, who had uncannily sensed that Son Yeo-il’s mood had completely improved, had slightly shifted to sit closer to him. So close that his thigh was completely pressed against Son Yeo-il’s leg.

Only then did Son Yeo-il fully realize that he was sitting side by side with the man he had half-rolled around with the night before. He could clearly feel Won Hee-yeon’s warm body temperature and firm thigh along the side of his body.

<But, you know. If the attachment case for Mrs. Kang’s divorce is wrapped up, doesn’t that mean you don’t need to work late for a while?>

His voice was low and moist. The implication behind Won Hee-yeon’s words was obvious. He wanted to continue what had been somewhat hastily concluded the night before due to sound insulation issues.

He could no longer chalk it up to his busy schedule. Won Hee-yeon diligently remembered everything Son Yeo-il said, and as a result, he had a grasp of Son Yeo-il’s case schedule that was as perfect as Son Yeo-il’s own.

<T-That’s true.>

<Right. So how about steak for dinner tonight?>

Son Yeo-il recalled Won Hee-yeon’s morning banter about his oven and aglio e olio. That statement meant “Come to my house.” When Son Yeo-il couldn’t readily answer, Won Hee-yeon added in a subtle voice:

<Think about it until dinner time. Okay?>

Smiling broadly, Won Hee-yeon, before standing up from the swing, briefly moved his hand to firmly squeeze Son Yeo-il’s thigh before letting go. Even from such a brief contact, Son Yeo-il’s nape turned bright red, forcing him to fan himself secretly.

Leaving work on time is completely out of the question. With this volume, won’t it take all week even if I dedicate all of my time to it?

He could clearly envision Won Hee-yeon’s disappointed face. While Son Yeo-il hadn’t completely made up his mind to go to Won Hee-yeon’s house, even he felt disappointed about being forced into a schedule without having the chance to consider it. Rolling up his shirt sleeves, Son Yeo-il’s eyes blazed with determination.

Fine. I’ll thoroughly crush this brief in just one day.

However, as was often the case, it was Son Yeo-il who was being crushed. The reputation of Koo & Chang as the industry leader seemed well-deserved. The brief that Son Yeo-il had to rebut was not only extensive but also extremely well-structured.

It endlessly listed complex facts that Son Yeo-il’s client had not disclosed, and various precedents and academic theories supported the opposing party’s arguments in just the right places.

As several top-notch lawyers would have collaborated to create the brief, it took Son Yeo-il a full three days and nights to analyze and counter it alone. Finally, around midnight between Thursday and Friday, Son Yeo-il completed the first draft of the brief and left the office in a ragged state.

“Oh my, husband, you’ve worked so hard.”

Won Hee-yeon’s car was parked in front of the building. Though he must have been bored waiting for Son Yeo-il to finish up with his workday, Won Hee-yeon greeted him with a broad smile as soon as Son Yeo-il got into his car. Exhausted, Son Yeo-il managed a faint smile.

“I’m sorry for being so late. You could have gone home by yourself…”

“No. It’s nice to see your face, even like this.”

“But I’ve finally finished the urgent part. I just completed the first draft of the brief. Now I just need to report to the representative and refine it.”

“Really? Oh my. You’ve worked hard, truly. My goodness, how much you’ve struggled these days, your cheeks have become so gaunt.”

Won Hee-yeon’s complexion wasn’t looking great either. The long period of patience had made him thin. Since their “legal fooling around” on Monday night in the studio apartment, nothing had happened between them.

Son Yeo-il had been too busy to engage in anything. For days, he had been squeezing time to work, even hastily eating lunch at a convenient place near the office before returning quickly.

If Son Yeo-il, who was preoccupied with work, felt regretful and affectionate, Won Hee-yeon must have been even more anxious. He wanted to touch Son Yeo-il in any way possible, even if just a little.

At restaurants or in the car, he kept making obvious moves, saying he would massage Son Yeo-il’s wrists or rub his shoulders. Rather than finding it creepy, Son Yeo-il felt sorry for him and would quietly submit his body to Won Hee-yeon’s hands.

“Right. Now that you’ve finished writing, will you have some time tomorrow?”

Even now, Won Hee-yeon’s touch as he caressed Son Yeo-il’s cheek was full of stickiness. While he probably wanted to take Son Yeo-il to his house right away, he seemed unwilling to make someone who had been suffering from overwork even more tired.

“Yes. Since tomorrow is Friday…Oh, that’s right!”

Just as he was about to nod quickly at those words, Son Yeo-il was startled by a sudden realization. There was a reason he had set Thursday as the deadline for the first draft when he started preparing this brief, but in the midst of being buried in work, he had forgotten about Friday’s schedule.

“What should I do? Tomorrow I have to go to court in another region with Representative Bae. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. I’ve been so scatter-minded lately that it completely slipped my mind…”

Won Hee-yeon’s eyes wavered momentarily at the sudden news. Though he must have felt like the sky was falling inside, Won Hee-yeon, who strongly supported anything related to Son Yeo-il’s work, quickly hid his expression and nodded his head.

“Oh my, work is important. You’re such a successful attorney, going on business trips and all. So where are you going, when are you leaving, and when are you coming back?”

“I’m going down near Jirisan Mountain. The court hearing is at 2 p.m., and we’re planning to leave in the morning by train from here. The office has also booked tickets for the return trip.”

Just before Son Yeo-il could say, “So I don’t think we can meet tomorrow. Let’s meet on the weekend,” Won Hee-yeon muttered with a deeply thoughtful face.

“Ah, I know that area very well too. There’s a place there that makes excellent sweetfish sashimi and grilled sweetfish. Absolutely amazing.”

Won Hee-yeon seemed to be using sweetfish as an excuse to follow Son Yeo-il to his business trip destination. Momentarily tempted, Son Yeo-il first tried to decline as a professional attorney.

“That’s really far, isn’t it? It takes a long time even by train.”

“Hmm. Yes. But what does distance matter when my husband is going on important business? So, is it to that court over there?”

While smoothly changing the subject, Won Hee-yeon turned on his phone’s map app to precisely check the location of the court Son Yeo-il would be attending. It seemed he intended to follow along even if Son Yeo-il tried to stop him.

This person is truly unstoppable.