Screech.
The car carrying Yoon Shin came to a halt in the public underground parking lot of a mixed-use apartment complex near Seocho-dong, the legal district. Luxury sedans and supercars were packed in wall-to-wall.
The entrance leading to the parking lot's dedicated corridor was decorated with grand patterns, reminiscent of a gallery entrance. Passing through it, one emerged into a splendid hall like a Christmas lobby decorated by a famous hotel. If one exaggerated slightly, from the apartment's entrance through the main building to the neighborhood park in the rear, the entire complex felt like one small kingdom.
This visibly extravagant apartment was a company residence owned by the law firm Doguk.
Doguk employed roughly four hundred attorneys and one hundred patent attorneys, and when including other necessary professionals for intellectual property rights and such, its formal professional staff alone approached one thousand.
Among them, those who wished were assigned floors according to rank and lived here. It was said that the welfare system even accommodated employee families, so the three complexes totaling over a thousand units were nearly full. It seemed Attorney Kang Se-heon also lived on the royal floor of Building A, which boasted the largest units. Yoon Shin had also recently moved here.
Gathering documents left on the passenger seat, he stopped mid-exit and took out a copy of his resume.
*Can I really do this? I've never once parachuted in like this in my life…….*
A few weeks ago, Yoon Shin had received a call from his sister.
The siblings had always been close. Their father had raised two children alone, and his older sister I-kyung, with a considerable age gap, had cared for Yoon Shin almost like a son. Naturally, after their father passed, they had relied on each other with the thought that they were all each other had left in the world. After she married, they couldn't meet as often, but his sister's words remained one of the things Yoon Shin absolutely had to heed.
When such a sister asked him to submit his resume to Doguk, he was truly shocked. When she added that a position was already prepared and he only need show up, he was all the more so. It was highly unprecedented, as she'd never dictated the course of his life before.
*So that's why Attorney Kang Se-heon came with Chief Song to watch my trial that day.*
His sister wished for him to find economic stability instead of working day and night for paltry fees. She advised that experience at Doguk would give him leverage even in the courtroom. He could feel her tender concern for her younger brother living alone.
Yoon Shin knew well what kind of law firm Doguk was. It only handled profitable domestic and foreign corporations, and wouldn't even provide legal consultations to ordinary people. It was obvious that if he joined, he wouldn't be able to take on the public interest cases he'd been handling. Nevertheless, after much deliberation, he accepted.
Because the one who made this request was none other than his sister.
He had never once told her *no.* It wasn't because he was simply an obedient younger brother, nor merely because their bond was deep.
His sister was a wise and thoughtful person. She never dismissed Yoon Shin for being young, and generally respected his free will. Even when something was difficult for her to accept, she would carefully consider Yoon Shin's position before cautiously advising if there might not be another way. When such a sister first recommended something he was reluctant to do, there must have been sufficient reason.
He intended to endure for a while until she could rest easy, then leave at an appropriate time. He didn't think he could last long in that jungle-like firm. If he resigned after doing what he could, she would understand.
"Haah, I don't know."
Yoon Shin put the documents back in the envelope and got out of the car. He approached the grand parking lobby he still couldn't get used to despite seeing it for days, when a man getting out of a car caught his eye.
The back view, slim yet noticeably solid, felt strangely familiar.
*Where have I seen him before?*
Yoon Shin carefully followed the man, observing him tap a card key at the entrance. The neatly manicured, well-shaped nails on his long fingertips were impressive. He looked very clean, yet at the same time, extremely fastidious. And the sharp yet clean-cut profile was quite beautiful. And subtly familiar.
The moment he realized this, he forcibly swallowed a gasp.
It was Kang Se-heon.
He hadn't expected to run into him this quickly.
Fortunately, unfortunately, Se-heon didn't look back. He simply walked on with heavy steps.
Proceeding to the center of the parking lobby, the path split three ways. It was the intersection leading to each apartment building. The man walked silently to that point, then suddenly turned around. Not only that, he blocked Yoon Shin's path with a slender arm, controlling his movement.
He had no idea since when Se-heon had known he was behind him.
Startled by the sudden obstruction, Yoon Shin looked up at him blankly. Sharp eyes that seemed to pierce one's inner self and pale skin entered his vision first. The moment their eyes met, as Yoon Shin tried to avert his gaze in embarrassment, Se-heon spoke.
"We meet again."
For a moment, he wondered if by *again* he meant their brief encounter long ago. But Yoon Shin quickly realized that wasn't it, thanks to recalling another incident that had occurred in the meantime.
"So it is. After seeing each other at court…… we meet again."
"Do you have a moment?"
His low, calm voice suggesting conversation sounded immensely charming. But Yoon Shin roughly knew that Se-heon's inner self was not as beautiful as his splendid outward appearance.
Whether true or not, the Kang Se-heon he'd heard rumors about was an opportunist. Arrogant, greedy, and ruthless. There were vicious rumors that he would accept any backroom deal with anyone if in legal form, and sometimes violated attorney ethics, not even shunning expedient methods. Perhaps because of this, he almost never lost a game.
"Yes. Please speak."
As Yoon Shin answered, residents were coming down to the lobby through the middle door. They glanced at the two standing in an awkward atmosphere before moving toward the parking area. Since they were residents of this apartment, they were inevitably related to Doguk in some way, and it seemed they naturally knew who Se-heon was. Yoon Shin was quite embarrassed and let out a hollow cough. But Se-heon's expression didn't change. He seemed indifferent to others' gazes.
"You know me."
There was probably no one who'd been in this field for a few years who didn't know Kang Se-heon. Unable to grasp the intent behind the abrupt question, Yoon Shin simply nodded.
"Yes. I know. Attorney Kang Se-heon of Doguk."
"Good that you know. I have some questions."
"I'll answer if I can."
"Why I'm seeing you here again. This is Doguk's company residence."
He couldn't understand why Se-heon was asking this now, after coming to watch his trial in court personally. Wondering if Se-heon was displeased about his entry through his sister's influence, or testing him for some other unfathomable reason, Yoon Shin replied as evasively as possible.
"Perhaps it was fate that we'd meet again."
Responding in a deliberately affectionate tone as if buttering him up, Se-heon's languid gaze fixed sharply on Yoon Shin. His pale face was filled with apparent interest.
"Fate. I don't believe in that. The cause is too vague, isn't it?"
"But I understand there is a clear cause…… for us meeting here."
"There may be one with Doguk, but there shouldn't be one with me. I opposed it."
He'd thought everything was settled, but apparently not?
He'd heard that Attorney Song Mi-hee and his sister had sorted out everything regarding his employment. He remembered that a few weeks ago, both she and Kang Se-heon had come to watch his criminal trial, so he'd believed it without doubt. But hearing that Doguk's star attorney had opposed it, when he'd already moved into the company residence, was deeply bewildering.
As Yoon Shin couldn't bring himself to continue, only moving his lips, Se-heon added quietly. His voice was flat, but his expression and tone were subtly cynical.
"You did well at trial. I like Charles Dickens too. The way you used that passage from *Great Expectations* was very apt. Your argument had no excess either."
"Thank—"
As Yoon Shin, knowing his manners, reflexively answered the praise, Se-heon cut him off sharply.
"Save your thanks until I'm finished. You might not want to say them."
"……"
"I bear you no ill will, but in my opinion, Attorney Do is not big law firm material. There are still many people driven to the brink of freezing death outside. Saving them suits your values better. Does it not?"
The somewhat mocking nuance was unpleasant, but there were no holes in his logic, so Yoon Shin couldn't refute him. Joining Doguk was certainly contrary to his own will and values.
But the world didn't revolve around personal desires alone. At the very least, it meant he hadn't entered that firm because he desperately wanted to. A veteran attorney like Kang Se-heon undoubtedly inferred this. Yet the reason he stopped and spoke to him was only one.
This was a kind of warning.
"Why bother saying this to me when my employment is already decided?"
"I hate it when things happen to me without causal relation. I wanted to convey that I wish we'd have no professional contact. Let's see each other only occasionally like this, near home. By chance."
As if he'd said all he needed, he lightly nodded and unilaterally turned his body. It happened before Yoon Shin could organize his thoughts. Naturally, he missed the timing to respond.
Having been hit by an unexpected frost, Yoon Shin tried to argue but clamped his mouth shut at the receding figure.
Se-heon took a few more steps and entered toward Building A. His figure heading to take the elevator through the transparent middle doors was visible in the distance. Soon the double doors gaped open and carried him away on a short journey.
Once Se-heon disappeared from view, Yoon Shin's expression, which had been calm, subtly shifted to one of sheer absurdity.
*His expression, tone, attitude……. Ugh.*
Shuddering as if a chill ran through him, Yoon Shin cast his gaze in the exact opposite direction from where Se-heon had vanished. Building C. That was where he needed to go.
Waiting patiently, he caught an elevator and finally returned home.
Yoon Shin loosened his tie and called his sister's chief secretary. The other party answered quickly.
— Yes, Attorney. What is it?
"Chief, it's Yoon Shin. I'd like to ask something. I ran into Attorney Kang Se-heon of Doguk in the apartment parking lobby. But he said he opposed me."
— There seems to have been some conflict of opinion between Attorney Kang and Attorney Song……. But things will proceed without a hitch. You needn't worry.
Hearing that, Yoon Shin's brow furrowed slightly.
In the lobby earlier, Se-heon had conveyed a great deal of meaning with few words. This was Doguk's domain. The suggestion to see each other near home by chance seemed to mean he'd ignore Yoon Shin's entry since it was already done. And the message to not clash professionally meant he'd endure that far, but Yoon Shin absolutely shouldn't hover around him.
Yoon Shin had already been thinking he wouldn't mesh well with someone of Se-heon's temperament. Moreover, strictly speaking, he was a parachute hire, so to a meritocrat like Se-heon, he probably didn't look good. But even if they mutually regretted it, the fact that a sky-high partner had deliberately stopped a mere attorney like himself to warn him was meaningful.
He clearly wasn't welcoming him. And quite acutely so.
He'd planned to endure like the dead for a few years as his sister wished, but something felt ominous.
"He seemed to dislike me. I heard big law firms have very strict hierarchies. Won't he disadvantage my personnel matters? I heard Attorney Kang Se-heon's word is law at Doguk."
— Shall I relay this to the madam if you're concerned? She'll take measures.
"No. If word gets distorted, my position might only get more awkward…… I'll think about it for now. By the way, what about my sister? She hasn't been in touch since we last met. Is she well?"
The one who'd been answering readily suddenly hesitated. It was a sign of reluctance to answer. Then soon he answered flatly.
— Of course. Attorney, excuse me, but if your important business is concluded, may I end the call? I have urgent work. Please call again anytime if you need anything.
"Ah, I must have disturbed your work. I will. Take care, Chief."
Yoon Shin chewed over the chief secretary's answer, politely said goodbye, and ended the call. He'd clearly hesitated when asked about his sister's well-being earlier. Moreover, he seemed to have tried to end the call quickly, fearing the topic would continue. He couldn't know the exact reason.
Suppressing his unease, Yoon Shin entered not the bedroom but the study first. He sat on the long horizontal desk and stared at the acrylic board set beside it. On it, some lists of Doguk attorneys, foreign attorneys, accountants, and patent attorneys were written in tiny print along with photos. He'd organized it because he thought he should memorize the faces and positions of key figures who controlled the firm to avoid trouble.
"Attorney Kang Se-heon…… quite a brilliant resume."
As Yoon Shin dragged his gaze upward from the bottom according to rank, partner attorneys right below the representative entered his eyes. Among the elderly attorneys, the young Se-heon alone was among them. He might not be in a small office, but for a big law firm partner, he was conspicuously young. How meteorically Kang Se-heon had risen as an attorney was proven by this fact alone.
The youngest ever admitted to Korea University, he entered Doguk after graduating from its law school. After distinguishing himself for several years and going through the junior associate process, he left to study in America. When he returned having acquired that state's bar license, his value had soared. Most top firms had tried to contract him, but unexpectedly Se-heon returned to Doguk, where his senior Mi-hee was. It seemed he even invested capital to become a partner at the firm with great speed.
In a law firm, a single word from a capable partner is absolute. Especially to an associate.
Naturally, the words Se-heon had directed at him came to mind.
*"I hate it when things happen to me without causal relation."*
He looked exactly like someone who would say that. He gave a very cold impression, as if he loathed anything that couldn't be explained by logic. He'd heard countless things but wondered if it could really be so, yet after facing him and talking, the thought sprouted that he might be even colder than the rumors.
Even if he'd entered to everyone's welcome, the work there would be headache-inducing, but having made a particularly bad first impression on none other than Kang Se-heon was distressing. But since he was the firm's most expensive partner, there likely wouldn't be many occasions to encounter him. Moreover, since they lived in different buildings, if their commute times didn't overlap, there would be few situations to clash.
Still, he had a strangely bad feeling.
"This is troublesome."
Tap. Yoon Shin touched his photo with a finger and quietly let out a sigh.
* * *
In Mi-hee's office reception area, the room's owner and Se-heon sat facing each other. Se-heon sat with legs crossed, looking at the other, his eyes containing bewilderment.
Behind his head, a TV monitor broadcast news. On the large screen was the fierce, savage impression of the second son of Suhan Group, Yoon Shin's brother-in-law.
A reporter's voice continued.
— Suhan Holdings' representative Yoo Jung-won held a press conference this afternoon at the Suhan Group headquarters conference room in Gangnam-gu to state his position regarding the recently erupted controversy over employee assault.
Beep. Se-heon turned off the screen behind him with a remote and opened his mouth in the sudden silence.
"I simply cannot understand why my associate was hired without any consultation with me."
At his low-frequency words, Mi-hee showed an awkward smile.
"Se-heon, I heard Do's reputation is very solid. He sees things through, careful personality, good at finding precedents, reads investigation records quickly. And he speaks his mind to seniors without being intimidated. You like that type. Ones who work well and have guts."
"Of course I like them. Provided they understand what I mean."
"Kang Se-heon, with a more open mind……"
"If you wanted an open mind, you should have asked my opinion first. You already gave him the residence?"
With no room to retort, she closed her mouth, and Se-heon added.
"I clearly said no. If you were going to ignore my opinion and hire him, you shouldn't send him to me at minimum. He won't fit? He can't work under me. 'This violates the law,' 'This goes against ethics,' 'Don't you pity the employees of the target company being devoured in this M&A?' He'll obstruct everything. I can't stand an associate getting wide-eyed and jumping at me, wasting my time. Send him away."
"It can't be helped."
"Then send him to litigation. He'd fit better there. I can't have him. Is this a joke?"
Mi-hee, who had been staring at the quite stubborn Se-heon, answered as if persuading.
"Chief Kang, no, Team Leader Kang Se-heon. Every team has things juniors need to do. But your team has no juniors. The corporate law team, the firm's most important, has no junior associate. Why?"
"Because none of the brats meet my eyes."
"Exactly! The kids sent to you directly all surrendered! Your personality is fucking insane, so they get intimidated, cry, quit. How many times has that happened? Your team has no young ones, only durable seniors. Attorney Do was accepted because he fits, as you said. No, a team needs one or two juniors for grunt work!"
As if he couldn't accept even this and was about to reply, Mi-hee thrust out her hand to stop his retort and picked up the intercom. She contacted the secretarial office.
"Is Attorney Do waiting? Tell him to go into Attorney Kang's office. I'll send him within ten minutes."
She finished the brief call, put down the receiver, and jerked her chin at Se-heon.
Watching this exactly, he let out a hollow laugh.
"So that's how it is."
"Se-heon, try him first. It's not too late to talk after trying. He's very bright."
"That's what I mean. Since I joined Doguk, this is the first parachute Chief Song brought in. Even if not as much as me, there must have been value in bringing him. But our firm doesn't have just one or two partners, and over twenty departments. There's no need to push him in front of me when I said no. There's another reason he needs to be beside me, beyond his ability."
He'd hit the nail on the head. Mi-hee, who hadn't thought she could fool the quick-witted Se-heon from the start, smiled awkwardly again. Thanks to this, he seemed even more confident in his judgment.
"You can't even manage your expression."
"Don't be so fussy. You caught on that he was our professor's son the moment I started sounding him out in court. Professor Do, who taught civil procedure at Korea University Law School. He resembles him a lot."
"I don't work with such personal feelings. Do you think I don't know my own value?"
"It's not personal feelings. The stakes are very high. Being Professor Do's son also means he's the only younger brother of Do I-kyung, the second daughter-in-law of Suhan Group. You saw Ms. I-kyung at the professor's funeral before. Remember?"
Se-heon, recalling that day, suddenly clamped his lips tight and ground them. A slight displeasure rose on his face. Noticing his reaction differed from before, she asked nonchalantly.
"Kang Se-heon, what's wrong?"
"Mind your own business."
"Anyway. Se-heon, you need to concede on this. For the firm. You know I don't ask you for such favors easily. That's how important this is."
By a law firm's profit structure, corporations were absolutely inseparable and the most important clients that must not be lost. It wasn't petty lawsuits from individuals that brought money to a law firm. Most revenue came from resolving corporate disputes, providing legal counsel for investments or sales, and such processes. Especially, the chairman of Suhan Group had a connection with Mi-hee's father, Doguk's representative. Thanks to this, since the firm's opening, many areas of the headquarters' legal work were entrusted here. They also recommended entrusting some legal counsel for affiliates' projects. Considering these, from the firm's standpoint, this was a demand that could not be overlooked.
Staring at her, he leaned back against the sofa backrest with a thud. Perhaps his furrowed brow couldn't fully express his mood at this moment; irritation was also in his gestures.
"Suhan? Or Director Do I-kyung personally?"
"Isn't Suhan essentially Do I-kyung? I'm their special counsel, and our firm works with Suhan affiliates dozens of times a year. Can't ignore it."
"Did they say they'd cut our retainers if I don't take the brother?"
"They didn't say that, but if you refuse, you should be prepared for such consequences. They want you to take her brother and teach him how to survive in hell."
Finally, a hollow laugh burst from his mouth.
"Is this a school? I suppose I now realize I obtained a teaching certificate rather than a law license."
"The surface reason is that, but since you work without regard for yourself, she seems to want to build a fence to protect you. In that regard, Kang Se-heon is quite a decent shield, isn't he?"
"So she wanted a babysitter, not a teacher. I have no hobby for childcare."
"Stop that and run the numbers."
Haah. Se-heon's eyes, after exhaling a hollow breath, grew moist with complicated signs. Mi-hee, keenly reading how his mind was working, added.
"From the standpoint of a corporate hunter like you, having the Suhan madam's younger brother? It's not a losing deal. This field is an information war. Depending on perspective, a golden-egg-laying goose has rolled in. She'll entrust us with major cases since her brother is here. She won't treat us badly. Right?"
Hearing that, Se-heon narrowed his eyes.
"So this is ultimately Suhan's request. A coercive one at that."
"Let's call it remunerative. We gain a lot in exchange for a little salary."
Setting aside judgment of Yoon Shin, if one only looked at positive aspects, it wasn't a very bad deal from his position either. Almost without exception for all humanity, family is a weakness. Thus, he would be grasping Suhan's weakness. There might be no fruit to harvest immediately, but it would serve as an opportunity to plant seeds for the long term. Since Se-heon was also Professor Do's student, the mutual justification was solid.
But he still wasn't satisfied. Rather, he felt uneasy.
Why him of all people?
As his sister, she couldn't possibly be unaware of her brother's upright nature. In that sense, he was neither a suitable teacher nor babysitter.
"The method to survive…… was that all they requested?"
"One more. Keep him under you but assign only pro bono[4]-level cases for a few months until he adjusts to the big law firm system. He's still inexperienced in soliciting cases."
"As expected, she knows her brother well. Then sending him to me is even more suspicious."
"She knows your ability. Partners have to fill a certain amount of pro bono hours every year, and you've never filled them once, so this works out. Why not allocate your hours to him for now. Free legal consultations, pro bono cases. Do's batting average should be fine too—record it under your name, and let Do handle the litigation or actual consultations?"
"I donate every year, do I have to do charity I don't even want to?"
Mi-hee shrugged.
"Too bad, it's firm policy. The upper stream must be clear for the lower to be clear. Don't you know?"
"Change the regulation."
"Even if by chance it changes, you have to do it. You can't let others do all the good deeds. Your last restructuring case created more unemployment than expected, and public opinion was terrible. Doguk needs to show it's reflecting externally."
Se-heon, who wondered if they had to go this far to hire Do Yoon-shin, closed his mouth. Of course, from Mi-hee's position, it was certainly possible. But in truth, he had no great attachment to Doguk. He would have achieved this much wherever he went. If something he didn't want to do arose, he could just quit.
But one thing. He still owed a debt to his distant senior Mi-hee, who had financially supported him throughout his schooling. He loathed being bound to others through loyalty, friendship, or debt. Because emotion was a kind of weakness. If he accepted this request, he might be able to clear all his debts and reset the relationship to zero.
"Playing caretaker to a young master isn't in my job description. Senior, propose a compromise. I'll listen."
"Let's increase your profit share. You won't be disappointed."
"Trying to solve this with money. You have no idea how hard childcare is."
Mi-hee flared up.
"You're the highest earning attorney at our firm. It's already calculated absolutely in your favor. I worked hard to convince Father to increase your share rate. A partner title isn't free? It's an expensive title given to make you invest in the firm."
"I'm not trying to steal others' money. Aren't you ashamed to show off with my own money? Forget the share. A law firm needs to operate. We need to pay associates' salaries."
"Then what do you want?"
"Don't interfere with everything I do at the firm from now on."
She flinched, fidgeting with dry hands. Sweat quickly formed. She could guess better than anyone how effectively Se-heon would use this abstract condition, regardless of how.
"If I say okay now, you'll have me wrapped around your finger?"
"Negotiation is for people with regrets. Testing the waters won't help much with me."
"Thief."
He responded as if he'd been waiting for exactly that.
"Then quit."
As he half rose from his seat, she urgently waved her hand.
"Fine. I understand. But the word 'everything' leaves room for interpretation……"
"I'll send specifics in writing."
Mi-hee looked at him displeased, then soon snapped her fingers as if she had no choice. She'd expected from the start that he wouldn't accept unless the conditions were quite radical, so the shock was relatively small. Having lost the negotiation, she tried hard to find composure and caught her breath. Se-heon, quietly watching her, continued in a calm tone.
"I'll run a few tests first. If he's usable, I'll teach him one thing at a time. We always need excellent personnel."
"Don't just shove him into pro bono, mix in some team work. I'll send the documents soon."
He immediately stopped her as if he had no such intention.
"No, don't send them yet. Since the Suhan madam designated me, if I refuse, there's no reason for Do Yoon-shin to work here. Watch for a month or two first, and if he seems fine, we'll talk again. Let's write the contract then. Just pay his salary in the meantime."
"How can you do that if you're going to make him work?"
"I choose my clients. But this situation where Director Do suddenly appeared and designated me is very suspicious. I'm enduring because I owe Chief Song a debt. I can't compromise further."
"Se-heon."
"You want me to quit? Then let's talk right here. Vacate my office, recover my invested capital, collect my retained cases. All of this can be sorted in a day."
Se-heon was not one to back down easily; if he said he'd do something, he followed through. If he took such a hard line, Mi-hee had no choice but to retreat.
"Take good care of him. He's our direct law school junior, Professor Do's son whom we respect."
"I don't waste respect on anyone. Unless it's me being respected, perhaps."
"He was the only admirable adult we'd seen. Dying while advocating for victims at poor labor sites—how perfect a life story. We may be much richer, but at least you and I could never do what he did. Let's repay this debt of the heart even a little."
"I've cleared the only debt I had just now, so I owe no one anymore. You repay Chief Song plenty."
He answered coldly, then got up and walked out as if there was nothing more to discuss.
Left behind, Mi-hee shook her head as if she'd lost.
* * *
Yoon Shin, entering Se-heon's office guided by the secretary, carefully sat on the reception sofa. He exchanged glances with the secretary, who reciprocated and quietly slipped out.
Alone at last, he had the leisure to look around.
This place looked much more spacious and pleasant than other partners' offices he'd glimpsed. But strangely, his humble old office felt far more comfortable.
What is his sister thinking.
"Why did it have to be Kang Se-heon?"
There was a Jewish proverb he liked.
Be the master of your will. And be the slave of your conscience.
Se-heon was the type who kept the former of this adage but thoroughly ignored the latter. Though this was the first time they'd met and formed a connection directly, rumors about senior Kang Se-heon had been ringing in his ears since law school. Stories about him were almost urban legends.
A snake in a suit.
Trash who'd do anything to win.
And what was truly important was that he always seized victory.
His methods were sometimes rational, sometimes despicable. In short, he didn't discriminate in his means. Corruption intel was his hobby, and utilizing it was his specialty. He'd especially heard countless rumors about digging up weaknesses of witnesses, attorneys, prosecutors, and corporate officials alike, then pressuring them with feigned innocence. Surprisingly, most juniors criticized him yet wanted to be like him. And Yoon Shin was one of the remaining few who withheld judgment.
But he never imagined that he, that minority, would be waiting for him in this room.
He'd heard from Attorney Song that his sister had strongly recommended Se-heon. Of course, there would be things to learn from him. Because winning means being strong. But he kept doubting whether polar opposites like them could handle each other. Because Se-heon had personally warned him not to get in his sight not long ago, he was greatly anxious about how this ill-fated meeting would progress.
While looking around anxiously with such thoughts, a book on the desk suddenly caught his eye.
It was Charles Dickens's *Great Expectations*.
*Could it be because of me?*
Just as Yoon Shin quietly rose to approach the desk.
The door burst open, and the beast he'd been waiting for entered the cage. His gaze was cold as ever today. Yoon Shin sprang up and bowed politely.
"Hello. Junior Associate Do Yoon-shin."
He looked at Yoon Shin from atop his desk chair, not the opposite sofa. He gestured to sit with a tilt of his head, and as Yoon Shin took his seat, he looked down at him steadily. Yoon Shin forced himself to meet his eyes, hiding his embarrassment. Then his red lips slowly, languidly parted.
"We see each other often."
His words had shortened. Feeling the hierarchy instinctively, Yoon Shin lowered himself further.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep your wish that we not see each other professionally."
"You're not following a single word from the start. Stifling."
"Sorry—"
"Enough. Let me ask a few things. This situation, is there a cause I can accept?"
The picture of him entering his team among Doguk's many departments was quite suspicious, dubious, and unsettling—this showed in Se-heon's handsome brows. Yoon Shin chose his words calmly.
"I don't think you'll be able to accept it."
"You don't think so. Why?"
"It's not between you and me, but due to a third party, my sister's will. My sister desperately wants me to work here. Unfortunately for you, I'm an obedient younger brother. What I know is only that, and that's all."
Thanks to Yoon Shin's unhesitating answer, Se-heon's expression turned strange.
"You reveal all your cards even with your sister in the middle. No defense in conversation. I thought you might be a somewhat useful attorney even if you don't fit Doguk, but I need to reconsider. You're disqualified."
"I can adjust my pace when necessary."
"Are you sure there's no hidden joker?"
"If I find one, I'll let you know that too."
Warm-colored pupils that made one's impression seem kind and gentle aimed straight at Se-heon. As if reflecting his upright attitude, Yoon Shin's eyes were clear. Instead of saying his words could be trusted, he sent Se-heon a resolute gaze containing his most honest heart.
As their sharp gazes met and touched on the path, their mouths closed as if by prior arrangement.
Silence descended.
At that very moment, Yoon Shin felt the cold current surrounding Se-heon waver slightly. As if proving it, he who had been sitting on the desk without a flicker suddenly slowly corrected his posture. He crossed his arms and leaned crookedly, then stared fixedly with the intensity of driving his pupils into the eyelids densely packed with lush eyelashes.
He thought about three minutes of silence passed.
Or perhaps it was much shorter, but it felt that way to him.
While worrying what to do, fortunately Se-heon opened his mouth first.
"I wonder why Director Do I-kyung sent you to me."
Relieved that an unexpected strange silence was broken, Yoon Shin quickly answered.
"She gave me the excuse that she wants me to be economically independent."
He'd always kept his free legal consultation open, and adjusted fees to the lowest according to clients' circumstances, so his income was meager. But he had some inheritance from his mother who died right after his birth, so he didn't need to be greedy for money. His sister also provided houses or cars when needed. Se-heon seemed to roughly grasp this situation.
"Understandable."
"But in reality, it's probably because of my father. My father was an attorney like me, but in his later years he went to the countryside and lived helping difficult people. He died from overwork a few years ago."
Their only medium was his father. Long ago, they had met at the funeral on the last day of his father's life. Yoon Shin sometimes vaguely recalled that day when he saw Se-heon on the news. But that was all. That moment was too brief to revisit often.
However, in speaking, he ended up testing whether Se-heon remembered that encounter.
Embarrassed, Yoon Shin closed his mouth and looked at him steadily. Soon his mouth opened.
"I know that too. My condolences."
He'd been inwardly nervous about what answer would come from those sleek lips, but Yoon Shin felt somewhat deflated. During the short time waiting for Se-heon's response, he'd thought it would be better if Se-heon forgot the shameful figure he'd presented then. But when it actually happened, he didn't know why he felt disappointed.
Well, it was already a distant past. Se-heon met countless clients every year and had many things and people to remember, so it was rather natural to let such an event flow by.
Hiding his disappointment, Yoon Shin answered calmly, his lips red.
"She's probably afraid I'll become like my father. So she wants me to learn how to face reality more. In my sister's eyes, I must have seemed precarious, chasing ideals. Perhaps Attorney Kang was the most realistic person she knew."
"Do you think you're an idealist?"
"In some sense. Not at the level of zero sense of reality."
Unexpectedly, Yoon Shin was much more calmly aware of the subject and his counterpart than Se-heon had expected. His eyes colored with displeasure yet simultaneously with quite an amused interest. For a moment, then quickly erasing such signs, he answered flatly.
"There are three things I haven't done at all for the past few years. Pro bono cases, criminal cases for ordinary clients, all volunteer work our firm's corporation does. You'll be doing these for the time being."
Perhaps because it was a proposal he'd never imagined, Yoon Shin's eyes sparkled. Se-heon didn't miss it. His expression brightened while saying he'd do what Se-heon despised. As expected, their work compatibility seemed poor.
"I can do it well. I also have a talent for understanding victims."
"I don't need that kind of non-profitable talented associate. I also have no hobby of serving a chaebol in-law young master. No more plausible