CI 3.5

Though he had fallen on his own accord, Koo Dae-hyun looked up at Won Hee-yeon with a face pale as if he had been severely mistreated. Won Hee-yeon, standing firmly before Koo Dae-hyun with his hands in his pockets, silently raised one foot slightly.

Koo Dae-hyun curled up, tightly closed his eyes, and made a metallic sound like swallowing a scream. “Heeeeuk.” Even Son Yeo-il, in the midst of the confusion, approached to stop Won Hee-yeon, fearing he might, in fact, step on Koo Dae-hyun.

However, despite being on edge, Won Hee-yeon didn’t cross the line. He merely raised Koo Dae-hyun’s chin slightly with the top of his shoe, as if trying to provoke him.

“As much as I’d like to tear his mouth off, I don’t enjoy seeing blood these days.”

“Uh, uuuh…”

“Why don’t you leave quietly while I’m letting you go nicely. Hmm?”

Koo Dae-hyun, who had been wriggling backward on his bottom, barely gritted his teeth and got up, then fled the scene. His knees seemed weak as he staggered around and appeared to fall a couple of times, but apparently fearing Won Hee-yeon might chase after him, he hurriedly got up and ran away frantically.

After confirming he had gone far enough, Won Hee-yeon turned to Son Yeo-il. The piercing demeanor had vanished somewhere—when facing Son Yeo-il, his eyes were as gentle and affectionate as ever.

“Darling. Are you okay? Nothing happened, right?”

“I’m fine. Uh, I…I’m fine…”

“Oh my, your face is so pale. And your hands are ice-cold. Here, come sit down for a moment.”

Won Hee-yeon helped Son Yeo-il to a nearby bench, then hurriedly went to his car to bring a bottle of water. Though Son Yeo-il tried to quickly compose his emotions, not wanting to worry him, tears flowed down as if his frozen heart had melted at the warm touch on his back.

“That fucking bastard, I’ll really…!”

Seeing Son Yeo-il cry, Won Hee-yeon jumped up from his seat and tried to run toward where Koo Dae-hyun had disappeared off to. Startled, Son Yeo-il quickly grabbed his hand.

“Hee-yeon. Calm down. Please?”

“Just let me go for a moment. That bastard had a rotten face from the start. I should have smashed it completely.”

“I’m really fine. It’s just, I’d rather have you here beside me…”

Won Hee-yeon, who had been growling and acting up, promptly sat back down on the bench at Son Yeo-il’s words. As tears wouldn’t stop for a while, Won Hee-yeon tried to comfort Son Yeo-il with a distressed expression on his face, asking if he wanted to lie down, go home, or if he’d prefer some warm tea instead of water.

Yet he didn’t ask who the man they’d just encountered was, which was typical of the Won Hee-yeon that Son Yeo-il had come to know and love. But thinking it would be courteous to tell him even without being asked, Son Yeo-il finally managed to calm his tears and began his tale of woe.

“That person just now, well, he’s my law school classmate, a lawyer.”

“…”

“Someone I dated briefly…f that’s how I should even put it.”

The moment Son Yeo-il said that, a “whoosh” sound came from somewhere as if something had burst. Looking to the side, water was everywhere, and in Won Hee-yeon’s hand remained something that was once a water bottle, now in a very flat form. Son Yeo-il was alarmed.

Did he just crush an unopened water bottle with his bare hands?

When Son Yeo-il looked at Won Hee-yeon’s hand with wide eyes, Won Hee-yeon quickly put on an innocent expression and wiped his soaked hand by rubbing it against his suit pants.

“Ahem, ahem. This bottle must be defective. It burst on its own.”

“No, Hee-yeon, you squeezed it with your fist…”

“Oh my, is that important right now? That’s not the issue—what did that bastard say to make our darling’s face harden like this? Hmm? I’m so worried.”

At Won Hee-yeon’s question, Son Yeo-il thought about it for a moment. The painful memories he had experienced because of Koo Dae-hyun still hurt his heart. Adding today’s comments about getting him back into Koo & Chang, or saying he’d get married but still wanted to be with Son Yeo-il, all of this was too infuriating for words.

Of course, he felt like venting. Just sharing the truth with Won Hee-yeon, with whom he shared his whole heart, seemed like it would comfort him a great deal.

But he also felt he shouldn’t tell Won Hee-yeon of all people. Because Won Hee-yeon cared for Son Yeo-il so deeply. If he heard such stories, he would surely be more hurt and troubled than Son Yeo-il himself.

And, Hee-yeon might even try to kill Koo Dae-hyun. Not as a joke, but for real.

Recalling how Won Hee-yeon had just flattened a water bottle like a piece of paper, Son Yeo-il resolved to gloss over the matter. While he couldn’t care less if Koo Dae-hyun lived or died, he didn’t want his boyfriend, who had finally become a law-abiding citizen, to have blood on his hands again.

Having decided to downplay anything related to Koo Dae-hyun, Son Yeo-il deliberately composed his expression and answered with a feigned indifferent attitude.

“Well. The things an ex-boyfriend would say are predictable. I don’t even really understand what he was saying. Maybe he still has lingering feelings?”

Though this was considerably toned down compared to what he had actually experienced, just the words “ex-boyfriend” from Son Yeo-il’s mouth made a vein pop on Won Hee-yeon’s forehead. Following that, when the word “lingering” came out, that vein bulged even more fiercely.

“T-That’s right. Lingering. Hehe, hehehe.”

Won Hee-yeon seemed to have received quite a shock. Thinking he might go after Koo Dae-hyun to harm him just from these words, Son Yeo-il quickly added,”But ignoring him is enough. You know, pathetic guys like that act up more when given attention. You really don’t need to worry about anything. I absolutely…”

At that moment, something welled up in Son Yeo-il’s chest. Thinking it would look very suspicious if he cried now, Son Yeo-il continued, forcing down his sorrow.

“I absolutely…despise that bastard.”

After barely managing to say that, Son Yeo-il quickly sniffed and firmly locked the corners of his mouth. Worried that his wavering expression had been noticed, his heart raced anxiously, but Won Hee-yeon quietly responded, “That’s right,” then took Son Yeo-il’s hand and led him to his car.

As they got in, Won Hee-yeon in the driver’s seat and Son Yeo-il in the passenger seat, Won Hee-yeon reached toward Son Yeo-il’s seatbelt but suddenly changed the trajectory of his hand, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him. It was a soft, moist kiss that felt like an embrace.

Even from that brief kiss, Son Yeo-il could feel how precious he was to Won Hee-yeon, and his emotions were neatly sorted out. After being momentarily entranced, Son Yeo-il opened his eyes and grumbled awkwardly.

“D-Don’t you think someone might have seen us from outside the car just now?”

“Oh my, what does it matter? Let them see. Everybody who counts would enjoy the good view.”

Won Hee-yeon replied proudly, straightening his shoulders. Suddenly reminded of his rustic dialect, Son Yeo-il said, “Ah, right.”

“But Hee-yeon, you were speaking standard Korean so well earlier.”

“Well speaking standard Korean or not, people from Chungcheong Province don’t use dialect. We just…wait, did I use Seoul speech when I was dealing with that son of a bitch? Hmm. That’s my business mode. Habits are powerful, you know. I wasn’t supposed to use it after washing my hands of that sort of life. I’ve shown you something unpleasant.”

Though the shock of first hearing Won Hee-yeon’s dialect was still vivid in his mind, Won Hee-yeon seemed embarrassed about being caught speaking standard Korean. Sure enough, what he had used with Koo Dae-hyun was apparently an intimidation tone.

Not knowing whether to laugh or agree, Son Yeo-il just silently appreciated Won Hee-yeon’s appearance, dressed for once according to Son Yeo-il’s taste.

The clean white shirt suited him perfectly, hanging from his body like a second skin. Son Yeo-il thought about asking him to dress like this every day, but then felt it might seem un-Hee-yeon-like and make him sad. His speech pattern and the way he articulated words sharply like cutting with a blade was sexy, but it lacked that homey warmth.

I really am wrapped around his finger.

Realizing that he liked Won Hee-yeon just as he was, Son Yeo-il became shy on his own. Before his face turned red, Son Yeo-il quickly changed the subject.

“It’s already this late. I should go eat lunch.”

“Oh my, our darling must be hungry. How should I treat you today? This town is so tiny, and we’ve pretty much been through all the decent places in this area already.”

Son Yeo-il smiled broadly, recalling the countless restaurants Won Hee-yeon had taken him to.

“If we’ve been through them all, then there’s the perfect place. Let’s go eat cuttlefish stew.”

It was the restaurant they had first visited together. At Son Yeo-il’s suggestion, Won Hee-yeon nodded his head with a broad smile on his face.

“As expected, our darling is so wise. Right? Buckle up. I’ll drive you there very smoothly.”

Perhaps it was because the once-annoying and irritating Won Hee-yeon had become a lovable and dear person in the meantime. The cuttlefish stew they tried again after a long time tasted much better than before. The two finished their meal intimately, spooning stew for each other and playfully offering side dishes back and forth.

After finishing a hearty meal, Son Yeo-il naturally felt energized. On the way back to the office, his eyes sparkled again and his steps lightened. All the things that had troubled him now felt trivial.

Koo Dae-hyun would likely not dare come near this area for a while after the dressing-down he received today. At least until the next court date, Son Yeo-il thought he could live peacefully without worrying about waste matter like Koo Dae-hyun.

However, Son Yeo-il’s hope was merely a hasty misconception. When he returned to the office slightly past lunchtime, unlike usual, Manager Kim conveyed unexpected news.

“Attorney Son, did you have a good lunch? A guest has arrived. She’s a real beauty! I wonder how she knows you.”

It was strange that a young female visitor had come. Son Yeo-il didn’t have female acquaintances or friends who would come all the way here. Park Min-jung, a law school classmate he had bumped into at a downtown cafe recently, was about the only one.

But I contacted her just the other day. Who could it be?

Unlike Son Yeo-il, whose expression darkened with an ominous premonition, Manager Kim seemed excited, as if imagining some romantic air between Son Yeo-il and the mysterious female visitor.

Son Yeo-il’s “guest” was sitting on the sofa beyond the partition where consultations took place. She was indeed a bright beauty, as Manager Kim had described. As Son Yeo-il hesitated, thinking she looked familiar, she greeted him first.

“Hello, you’re Attorney Son Yeo-il, right? We’ve met briefly before. Don’t you remember me?”

“Um…I’m sorry. Exactly…”

“At the bookstore in the department store basement. I’m Oh Yu-na. Koo Dae-hyun’s fiancée.”

At those words, Son Yeo-il felt as if all the blood in his body had drained. She was indeed the person who had been by Koo Dae-hyun’s side that day at the bookstore. Come to think of it, that seemingly bright yet confident voice was also familiar.

Though working in a small rural office due to circumstances, Son Yeo-il was a diligent and capable lawyer in his own right. If Son Yeo-il’s life were a drama, it should have been a legal drama. Yet somehow, only makjang drama-like events kept happening to him over and over again.

Son Yeo-il’s day was already dramatically overwhelming just from the commotion with Koo Dae-hyun on the street earlier. And now, at this timing, even Koo Dae-hyun’s fiancée had appeared. While Son Yeo-il froze in bewilderment, Oh Yu-na smiled softly.

“I have something to tell you, but it’s a bit awkward here. Could we move somewhere else to talk?”

There was a rustling sound from beyond the partition, as if Manager Kim was eavesdropping on their conversation. Son Yeo-il became even more perplexed. Though he wanted to refuse, saying “I have nothing to discuss,” it wasn’t easy to do so outright.

Forcibly avoiding her might seem suspicious, and if they were to have a serious conversation, it would be better to have it somewhere away from the office staff’s ears.

She elegantly rose from her seat, as if assuming Son Yeo-il would eventually follow her. As she moved, Manager Kim behind the partition hurriedly returned to her desk.

“I’ll be consulting with this person outside for a moment.”

Son Yeo-il reported to Manager Kim, trying to maintain a businesslike attitude. Manager Kim couldn’t hide the sparkling curiosity and interest in her eyes, her expression saying, ‘You must tell me everything when you come back!’

Manager Kim, who had been curious about the relationship between Son Yeo-il and her, seemed to have caught the scent of a makjang drama just from hearing the words “fiancée” mentioned by the beautiful visitor.

With a gloomy heart, Son Yeo-il moved to a nearby cafe with Oh Yu-na. Not knowing what she wanted to talk about, he couldn’t find where to look even as they sat facing each other. After a brief awkward silence, once the coffee arrived and Son Yeo-il took just one sip, she began.

“You must be wondering why I came here.”

“…”

“I know Koo Dae-hyun is gay. And I also know what kind of relationship you had with Koo Dae-hyun before.”

Here it comes. Son Yeo-il’s heart sank. He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, though he hadn’t committed any crime. No, if she had come knowing what Koo Dae-hyun had said to Son Yeo-il earlier, she might see Son Yeo-il as the guilty party from her perspective.

His thoughts multiplied along with a sense of injustice. He wasn’t sure if he should actively explain that he had no intention of accepting whatever Koo Dae-hyun said, or if she would even believe him if he did.

Scenes from makjang dramas he had barely watched flashed through his mind. Worrying about having his hair pulled or being slapped, and even regretting not ordering iced coffee in case she might throw it in his face, Oh Yu-na calmly continued.

“I don’t have a talent for speaking indirectly. Let me get to the point. I’m planning to file a lawsuit to break off my engagement with Koo Dae-hyun.”

“…”

“And I’d like Attorney Son Yeo-il to take the case.”

Huh?

Feeling as if a huge question mark had struck the back of his head, Son Yeo-il was dumbfounded. With a blank expression never before seen while he was in the office, he stammered, “Um, a-an engagement termination lawsuit?”

“Yes. I’ve heard such lawsuits are possible. My family paid for the newlywed home, but the title is in both our names, so that needs to be sorted out. There are also other financial matters to settle. And honestly, beyond all that.”

From her clothes and bag to her smooth skin and hair, Oh Yu-na clearly came from a wealthy family, no less than Koo Dae-hyun. She smiled brightly while saying something that contrasted harshly, “I want to properly humiliate that bastard. Might as well make him eat shit while I’m at it.”

Seeing her serious gaze, Son Yeo-il realized that Oh Yu-na was not someone to be trifled with. And she wasn’t testing Son Yeo-il or putting on a brave face out of hurt feelings—she genuinely seemed to be plotting revenge against Koo Dae-hyun.

“I was stupid to get engaged to such a guy in the first place. I thought he was an adequate match. Even though his face wasn’t to my liking, he showered regularly, didn’t have a pot belly, and didn’t seem like he would be stingy about me spending my own money. Sadly, men who can’t even meet these basic standards are everywhere.”

“…”

“Well, Koo Dae-hyun is barely functional as a human being, apart from his family background. At his age, without a penny to his name, just using his parents’ credit cards. Every time he opens his mouth, he acts like he knows everything—I’ve wanted to sew that mouth shut more times than I can count.”

Son Yeo-il had to suppress a laugh at these thoroughly relatable words, feeling it would be inappropriate of him if he were to burst out laughing right then and there.