A news broadcast aired on the wall-mounted TV screen.
The report stated that Yoo Jung-won, the CEO of Suhan Holdings, would begin preemptive restructuring of non-core businesses. It touted positive purposes such as seeking to improve the group's value and secure financial soundness, but in reality, it was a show of force signaling that he would shake up the company even more arbitrarily. It was proof that the core power of the corporation was being transferred from the father to the second son.
Seheon, who was sitting on the living room sofa watching this news, quietly stroked his chin. Then, as soon as the segment changed, he stood up and moved toward the desk. His gaze was sharp as he stared at the acrylic board where Yoonshin had briefly summarized his sister's situation.
‘Is the exact purpose because of the children? Or is it because of the money? If it's both, things will get complicated.’
While he was lost in thought for a while, Yoonshin, who had gone out, made an appearance. Perhaps because of the chilly weather, his cheeks and the tip of his nose were slightly flushed. Yoonshin approached Seheon and quietly observed where his gaze landed. Then, rubbing his soft cheek against him as if trying to apply the cold air to his own cheek, he tilted his head and kissed him.
"Where are you wandering around, leaving your guest here?"
"I told you I was going to drop off the laundry."
"There might be some semen on the sheets. Making a fuss."
"No, what nonsense. You said she comes every day except weekends. She might run into me again, how could I show that to the housekeeper?"
"Why couldn't you? If it's really that embarrassing, just tell her I masturbated."
"It's even weirder for the Chief to masturbate in my room. You make no sense. Whatever. Since I went down, I stopped by the cafe on the first floor and bought some coffee. Have some."
He jerked his chin as if telling Yoonshin to set down the offered coffee anywhere, and sat on the edge of the desk. Then, with his gaze still fixed on the acrylic board, he asked casually.
"How much do you know? Let's pool our information first."
"As I told you, I don't know much. What's here isn't what my sister told me, but what I investigated on my own."
"Is there any chance that Director Koh yields a whole lot and this ends with negotiation or mediation? That would make things much easier. Well, I'm not asking with high expectations, so you can answer comfortably."
"I know my sister fairly well, and once she makes a decision, she won't back down."
"That's what I think too. We need to start this assuming it goes to trial."
Smack. Seheon lightly patted the spot next to him. Yoonshin caught the hint, took off his coat, and took a seat beside him. A large hand abruptly invaded inside Yoonshin's sweatshirt.
He hugged him as if wrapping his slender waist and slowly rubbed the opposite side of his ribs. That wasn't all. The hand that stealthily crept up touched a nipple. The moment his fingers clamped and twisted the sharply erect bud, the lean body slightly hunched forward.
"Heut, ut."
Perhaps finding this reaction amusing, Seheon's gestures became increasingly blatant. He rubbed his thumb over the stiff nipple, then covered the flat chest as if grabbing it. Instinctively lifting his buttocks, Yoonshin barely managed to stretch his hand down and grabbed Seheon's firm forearm.
"Haa... What are you doing right now?"
He frowned slightly.
"I didn't know you were innocent enough to ask about such things one by one. Did the person who fucked me yesterday sleep in the bedroom? Then who are you?"
Yoonshin bristled.
"That's because you're groping me so suddenly. I like you, Chief, and of course I get turned on when you touch me."
"You know it well. You probably did it to get a hard-on. Why did you ask? Pure pretense."
"Wow... How can you make a person mad with just a few words? Can't you talk without mocking me, or do thorns just grow in your mouth? Let go of me."
Continually exasperated, Yoonshin pushed his hand away. Then he smacked the back of his hand with a slap. Letting out a snort of laughter, Seheon deliberately showed the reddened back of his hand and pointed at the acrylic board.
"There are a few things we need to touch on before planning. You know it well too, but in divorce lawsuits, precedents are very, very, very important."
"That's because the provisions related to divorce in the Civil Act are so abstract in interpretation. I am reading up on them diligently."
In divorce lawsuits, the results varied vastly depending on how the judges interpreted the law. Therefore, simply reading precedents diligently wasn't enough. Anything with potential for connection had to be seen if possible. And they had to strategize by considering the tendencies of the panel of judges.
I knew in my head that shutting them up with existing precedents was the best approach, but I wasn't sure if it would be possible to handle that massive volume.
"At this point, one thing you must keep in mind is that neither the judge nor the court will ever be on our side. We must assume they are rather on Suhan's side. The judge just has to pass a ruling, take off their robe, and join Suhan's legal team. It's a deal worth making."
It would be nice if the court only took the side of what was right, but sometimes that didn't happen. Guardians of justice existed, but there were also plenty of people who stepped up to defend something else. One shouldn't expect a uniform sense of justice. Especially in lawsuits where a conglomerate's influence reached, judges sometimes implicitly took that group's side, so they had to be on guard from the very beginning.
Seheon had probably only stood in courts where the court was his implicit ally until now. But Yoonshin was different. He knew what he was worried about, but he was confident he wouldn't be discouraged.
"I know that much. I'm scared because I know, but I still won't give up."
"Then that's enough. Even if we use irregular tactics, let's start with the general theory. Honestly, it seems like you don't really know the true circumstances of that household, but I'll ask anyway."
Removing a magnet from the bottom of the board, Seheon attached a photo of Yoonshin's two nephews below their brother-in-law's photo.
"What are you curious about? The kids?"
"Do the kids like their dad?"
Making a face as if thinking deeply, Yoonshin finally gave an answer after some deliberation.
"Of course they... like him. But from what I see, their attachment is much stronger with my sister. Since they're still young, they probably can't calculate which parent it's more advantageous to choose."
"If their parents divorce, will they take their mom's side? I'm asking if they'll throw a tantrum saying they want to live with their mom rather than their dad."
He wasn't confident about that. Originally, children couldn't even imagine living apart from their parents. Yoonshin also only didn't know because his mother passed away when he was very young, but if she had lived with him and then passed away, he felt he wouldn't have been able to handle it. There was a high probability that young children wouldn't take anyone's side.
Furthermore, even if they immediately took their mom's side, given the fickle nature of children, it was impossible to know when they might change their minds and take their dad's side.
"They probably don't even know what divorce is... The kids' testimonies won't mean much. But should I meet them once and subtly probe what they think of their dad? It's been a while since I've seen them anyway."
"Do that. I'm not saying to get an affidavit of facts; I'm telling you to win them over to your sister's side. Meet them periodically from now on and coax the kids a bit. If you're too overt about it, CEO Yoo's side will stop you from seeing the kids, so control the level well. Well, if they do stop you, that's good in its own way. Since they took away the uncle's right to see his nephews, it'll be a useful card."
Signaling his understanding with his eyes, Yoonshin sent a message to his sister. Last time, he was about to send a message to finally set up a meeting, but because he ran into Seheon in front of his house, he couldn't. Quite some time had passed since then, and the year had changed. Perhaps thinking he was very busy, his sister hadn't said anything either.
Meanwhile, Seheon picked up a pen rolling on the desk and pointed at the acrylic board again.
"Alright, Attorney Do Yoonshin. You organized it well. There are four issues in total. Grounds for divorce, consolation money, property division, and custody. Let's start sequentially. One. Grounds for divorce. This is about whether a reason exists to forcibly break this marriage in court. The six grounds stipulated by law. From Article 840, Paragraph 1 of the Civil Act. Within 10 seconds. Start."
[Noona, soon it's father's death anniversary, so with the kids toget]
Unable to even finish the sentence properly, Yoonshin accidentally pressed the send button and replied extremely fast.
"Failure to perform the duty of fidelity, abandonment, uncertainty of life or death, unjustifiable treatment by the spouse or lineal ascendant, unjustifiable treatment received from the spouse of one's own lineal ascendant. And other, grave reasons."
Answering in an instant, he typed out the rest and sent it.
[Let's go to the shrine. Let me know a good time this week and I'll adjust. Sorry for the late response.]
"Which of those apply?"
Things came to mind, but he felt reluctant to answer right away. It was because he didn't want to say it out loud. Puckering his lips, Yoonshin answered with difficulty.
"Assault. I saw the strangulation marks myself. Actually, I even experimented on my own neck to see how much force it takes to leave a mark like that. Normal force doesn't even leave a mark like that."
A look of horror subtly settled on Seheon's face. Then he soon let out a hollow laugh.
"Oh, how utterly devoted. Very impressive."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"At least you can hear."
Glancing at him, Yoonshin spat out a low vocal frequency as if talking to himself.
"I told you I definitely have a license."
"I hear everything."
"I said it so you'd hear it. Oh, and also..."
"Infidelity. It falls under illicit acts."
"How did you know that too? Just how much background checking do you do on people..."
Bewildered, Yoonshin reminded himself that the person next to him was none other than Kang Seheon, and soon clamped his mouth shut. The moment they turned their heads slightly toward each other, their two gazes clashed like sparks.
His face, which had been listening to real-time criticism, showed no expression. He stared fixedly at his lips and then kissed him very briefly. Because they were so close, Yoonshin felt embarrassed and placed the gradually cooling coffee in Seheon's pretty hand, then took his own and drank a sip. Only then did he let out a hollow laugh and turned his head forward again.
"Continue with what you were saying."
"Anyway, she said the party is gathering evidence. My sister is a much smarter person than me. The grounds will be resolved to some extent. The credibility of the supporting evidence is the problem."
"Your sister's movements are limited compared to ordinary people. There probably isn't evidence of her husband having sex with another woman up to that point. Just in case, I'll prepare this."
"Can you even obtain such private evidence?"
As Yoonshin raised his voice in disbelief, Seheon slightly furrowed his brow.
"Where is there something a lawyer can't obtain?"
"How do you find such things? Are you buying off people around? The housekeeper, or hotel staff..."
"Sometimes. And when the risk is high, we use other routes. The simplest and easiest is this."
"What is it?"
"Do you know that garbage bags prove people's lives? If you open ten bags of burnable garbage from a hotel room, at least nine will have condoms, and seven will have business cards with someone's fingerprints on them."
Should they really go that far? Pondering for a fleeting moment, Yoonshin tried hard to empty his mind. He had already guessed roughly what level of work Seheon carried out through investigators, so while it was surprising, it wasn't entirely new. If it was to win this lawsuit, he was willing to do that and even more vile things.
"It would be better to ask my sister too, right?"
"Do that."
Becoming puzzled, Yoonshin tilted his head.
"Me? Aren't you going to meet her yourself, Chief?"
"I haven't taken that case yet. I haven't received a request either. Since you're the intermediary, go first, sound out her opinion, and get the list of evidence. Make sure to also get a firm answer that she will definitely hold out since she's started this."
A divorce lawsuit of this scale took at least one or two years even at the shortest, and several years at the longest. During that time, the lawyer in charge only provided manpower when necessary, and couldn't be there every hour and every day. In the end, the endurance of the party involved was crucial.
Rolling his command over in his mind and biting his lip, Yoonshin slightly lowered his chin and licked Seheon's lips. Actually, seeing the scene of him being at home made him happy, so he had wanted to do this for a while.
Smack. The moment their skin lightly touched, they both calmly closed their eyes without caring who went first. Soon, when they pulled away as if taking away their body heat, they lifted their eyelids almost simultaneously.
The clear eyes looking at Seheon seemed to have definitely finished preparing their heart. However, the worrying emotion was separate from the resolution. Pressing his thumb firmly against the shadowed corners of his eyes, Seheon added.
"Verbal abuse lightly exchanged during a fight doesn't count. Precedents don't acknowledge it. It must be extremely severe. If it was repeated, it's more advantageous. Since you said there were strangulation marks, being confined, or CEO Yoo insulting your parents in front of your sister. Anything is fine."
To win the lawsuit, having to find evidence that the husband had been a bastard to his wife and proving it in court felt unfortunate. He wondered what marriage was.
"How much usable evidence will there be? The people at the main hospital won't be on my sister's side."
To the serious question, he answered nonchalantly.
"There are hospital consultation records. Fortunately, she consistently stated to two doctors that the injuries were caused by spousal assault. With this record, a criminal complaint is also possible. If it's aggravated under the Special Act, it'll be much more advantageous. It would be nice if there were police box report records, but I looked and there were none. Anyway, if we pull the medical records, they have no evidentiary value, so get them directly from your sister."
Listening carefully and memorizing his instructions, Yoonshin suddenly stopped all minor movements. It was quite familiar that Seheon already held information about secret matters, but even so, he knew his sister's circumstances in overly excessive detail. Even facts that he himself hadn't known at all. Something was weird.
"Since when did you know about this? It's not like you found out after meeting my sister, right?"
He immediately ignored this sharp question and added.
"And one more. Medical records can be overturned. If the doctor is bought off, that's it."
"Those are records that shouldn't be touched. How could you do such a thing..."
"They can do it all. Since Suhan also owns a hospital, it's much easier. If the chaebol's wife comes and gives a confession that she threatened them, everyone will start doubting, and its credibility will drop. Ask if there are any photos of the injuries or videos recording the assault. If there are none at all, inducing it is also a method."
Was he telling her to suffer something terrible just to gain an advantage?
His head knew better than anyone that all of this was an evidence battle, but because it was the matter of someone close to him, his heart didn't follow his mind. Recalling the wounds on that fragile neck he had seen once, Yoonshin's brow furrowed terribly.
"Ah, you were this kind of person, Chief."
"Don't you want to win? We're already at an overwhelming disadvantage, so how are you going to win without anything? If you're going to pretend to be good and innocent even after coming this far, get out of this game. Kids like you are a hindrance."
"Do you always have to talk so obnoxiously? It turns me off."
"You're the one who wanted a day like this. Make me like you again."
Looking at him unfairly, Yoonshin chewed on his lips. Then, reluctantly turning his head away, he signaled that his side had lost. It was because he knew that outside the realm of right and wrong, Seheon's words were the answer. Seheon also seemed to know well that he was just grumbling at the wrong person out of frustration and regret. The fact that he was accepting it without being displeased proved that.
"Perverted sexual desire, child abuse, loss of affection, personality mismatch, jealousy, alcoholism. I saw that all of them were recognized as precedents. Would it help if there were things like that too?"
"Of course. If precedents acknowledge it, even a small scratch helps. Scrape them all together. If they aren't there, make them up. Except for loss of affection where love simply cooled over time. They don't acknowledge that."
"It would be perfect if there were witnesses. The housekeeper, or the gardener. The gallery staff."
"Whoever it is, they won't take your sister's side. You should sound them out, so keep the list."
As expected, the two thought the same way. There might be people to testify about the couple's affairs, but they wouldn't be their allies either.
"Understood. I'll try contacting the Secretary General."
"Then now, issue two, consolation money. Issue three, property division."
"Both are about money."
"I've read through this side, and the information you wrote down is all wrong. I'm going to redesign it."
Taking another sip of coffee, Seheon put down the disposable cup. Then he stood up and walked steadily toward the acrylic board. He held a white marker and drew diagonal lines through all the numerical values Yoonshin had organized. When he turned around, he saw Yoonshin frozen.
"They lived a little less than 10 years, so property division won't be acknowledged, and if we win the lawsuit, they'll receive consolation money. I calculated it well. What's wrong?"
"That's why we have to make them live until the 10 years are fully filled. I'll calculate the dates well and postpone the mediation application to after that. From 10 years onward, it's 50 to 50, so why give that up. Isn't this why your brother-in-law wants a quick divorce? Your sister probably intends to hold out too. We're going to return the client's suffering in money."
Changing his perspective, he understood why his sister endured staying in that house despite suffering that humiliation. He thought she was enduring it solely to protect the children because she wanted to escape as soon as possible, but that didn't seem to be everything. Rather, she intended to repay the betrayal by taking as much as possible.
Her resolute words that she would shake them up seemed to mean this. Perhaps he knew her even less than Seheon did.
"You're the observer of this marriage. Look at it with as objective a gaze as possible. I'll fight subjectively based on that."
"You're doing everything yourself. Then what am I supposed to do from now on? Use me."
"You meet your sister first, and get what you need to receive. Then create a meeting with me, secretly. Fortunately, since you've joined our firm, even if they notice the meeting, they won't immediately think I took the case. We can buy some time."
"Yes. My brother-in-law probably can't even imagine that Lawyer Kang Seheon would make such an idiotic choice."
It was a self-deprecating voice. And he seemed to be bothered by that. Seheon came back in front of Yoonshin. He kissed him as if rubbing his lips over his troubled face, and put down the cup held in his lean hand for him. Then, he opened both arms wide as if telling him to come into his embrace.
Feeling sorry for adding to his headaches, Yoonshin hesitated before throwing himself into the broad embrace. Naturally, Seheon's large hand calmly went down from his round back of the head to the nape of his neck, the shoulder blades, and down his back.
The patting hand was affectionate. It was a softness that made him feel like sleep was pouring in. Yoonshin felt like a child and dug deeper into Seheon. He felt the touch of his kiss on top of his head.
"And there's something else you have to do. This is the real urgent one."
"Wh-what is it?"
"Dump your match. How long do I have to wait? Dare you make me say this with my own mouth?"
"Gasp, right. I only remembered that I had to meet and completely forgot why. Hold on a second."
Pushing Seheon's chest away, Yoonshin hurriedly grabbed his phone. Then he reopened the window where he had been sending her a message and added a few words.
[And I have something important to say. It's about my match. Anyway, contact me.]
Having sent the text, Yoonshin stared blankly at Seheon. It seemed like he wanted to be praised, and it also seemed like an apology for being late. Perhaps it was both.
As if responding to this, he, who had been throwing a silent gaze with narrowed eyes, held Yoonshin's soft cheeks with both hands.
Slowly, his lips came down. At first, the skin that brushed precariously adhered more densely as time passed. A moist tongue parted the narrow gap between Yoonshin's lips and abruptly invaded. The sensation of wet flesh squishing and tangling inside his mouth was thrilling.
Soon, Seheon leaned his body over Yoonshin's lean frame like a shadow. Rubbing his front against the groin, he explored the tender flesh inside his mouth. Naturally, they both grew erect.
"Heung..."
Groaning from the dizzying sensation, Yoonshin closed his eyes and hugged his neck.
* * *
The sky, resembling a deep indigo winter sea, was dark. Stars twinkling like mercury and a pale moon patched the empty space with light, layering every corner of the darkness. That light softly illuminated the quietly sleeping earth.
Sitting on a swing in an empty playground, Yoonshin, who had been looking up at the beautiful night scenery as if gazing at the distant horizon, felt a warm gaze reaching his chin and lowered his head. That gaze belonged to Seheon, who was sitting with his long legs stretched out on the low horizontal bar right across from him.
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Yoonshin lightly kicked the innocent sand with his foot. Not satisfied with just that, when he moved his body back and forth, the swing, which had been still for a moment, moved again.
Creak. Creak. The sound of old metal echoed in the quiet surroundings.
Seheon, who had been staring intently at his embarrassed appearance, soon opened his well-shaped lips.
"Are you having fun?"
"Are you bored, Chief?"
"Who swings at dawn? You really make me do all sorts of nonsense."
"Just think of it as a date. We're playing just the two of us."
Perhaps thinking of it that way didn't seem so bad, as he responded quite proactively.
"Couldn't that date be done indoors? Why wasn't the weather a consideration for you? If you like swings that much, I'll buy you an expensive one. Let's install it at home."
"I just wanted to test how far you'd indulge me. That's why I did it."
"What? Test?"
"You seemed like the kind of person who would hate useless things like just watching someone do something without doing anything yourself. But you're really doing this for me. You must really like me. Right?"
Yoonshin, who had honestly poured out his heart, glanced at Seheon's reaction. But he was just silently looking at him.
When he woke him up just before he fell asleep at dawn to ask him to go out, when he suddenly said he wanted to stop by the playground on the way back from a walk, and even when he told him to just sit here and watch him swing, he had followed everything he said.
It would be different if he at least swung with him. He willingly did all the things that seemed like he would find extremely annoying given his tendency to value time. So he kept wanting more.
Biting his moist lower lip, Yoonshin added in a suggestive voice as if teasing.
"Do you want to swing too, honey?"
However, his tolerance seemed to end here.
"You haven't even shed your junior label yet and you're already using informal speech?"
Feeling this wasn't right, Yoonshin immediately changed his stance.
"Come and try swinging too, Chief. It's more fun than you think."
"I don't want to. It's cold. If the test is over, let's go inside."
"I want to swing more. If you really hate it, leave me here alone and go in first."
Looking at Yoonshin with narrowly opened eyes, he let out a deep sigh and soon shook his head. Then he crossed his arms. It seemed like it meant he would watch over him more since he had already allowed it.
As expected, Seheon quietly watched Yoonshin swinging. He could have temporarily shown interest in the pitch-black sky, the stars embroidered across it, or the chilly yet refreshing air, but he only kept his eyes on his lover. And surprisingly, the act seemed quite enjoyable. As if to prove this, a faint smile bloomed on the lips of the man who had only been throwing quiet glances.
A streetlight was located in the direction where Seheon was. Thanks to that, his spot was best seen from Yoonshin's position. Detecting both his persistent gaze and fresh smile simultaneously, Yoonshin slowly reduced his speed. The swing, which had moved a few times, stopped its motion.
When the sharp noise created by the apparatus disappeared, only the sound of the wind flowed again. The quiet air playfully brushed past them. Yoonshin was the first to speak.
"It's a relief that you don't have much experience of liking someone passionately."
"Why. I have a first-class certificate for sarcasm, so shouldn't I be happy?"
"Because I think I would have been very jealous. Even knowing I'm the only special one, I get jealous. Do you know that you're actually incredibly affectionate?"
He seemed to find this remark very absurd. He made a bewildered expression that Yoonshin had seen for the first time since joining Doguk.
"Me?"
"You didn't know."
"...."
"You really didn't know. It seems you still can't objectify yourself well. There's something even Kang Seheon can't do."
Without even the slightest deviation, their gazes met straight on. In the middle of a serene night where the whole world was evenly covered by midwinter darkness and brilliant lights, two pairs of eyes looking warmly at each other crossed. It felt as if they were the only two left at a deserted neighborhood crossroad wrapped in silence after the snow had fallen white all night.
Yoonshin suddenly felt an impulse surging to touch him. So he was about to get up from the swing. As if having the same thought, Seheon beat him by a beat, got up from the horizontal bar, stepped on the sand, and approached him.
Standing in front of the swing soon after, he looked down fixedly at the seated Yoonshin.
Wherever this gaze touched, it stung as if an inflammation had formed. The illusion of a constant mild fever arose. Just as Yoonshin parted his lips, about to bring this feeling out into the open, Seheon's beautiful face drew closer. Then, a low voice lingered at his ear.
"Should I close my eyes now, or keep them open? You decide."
As soon as Seheon finished speaking, Yoonshin calmly closed his eyelids. Then he grabbed the hem of his clothes with his two cold hands. As if praising him, he bit his upper and lower lips together and blew a breath of wind, "Hoo," into his mouth. Yoonshin flinched, and the back of his hand trembled. At that, he bit the thin epidermis even more mischievously.
The skin that had been frozen from the cold air that seemed to cut flesh slowly melted from the heat generated by friction. Seheon, who was lewdly sucking Yoonshin's softened lips, soon sharpened his tongue and pushed it through the narrow gap.
"Eung..."
Feeling the moist volume relentlessly invading his mouth, Yoonshin twisted his body slightly and let out a moan. He intentionally explored the inside even more persistently. He violently violated it as if determined to make all the thin and sensitive mucous membranes rot, then quickly changed direction and kissed him softly, coaxing him.
Their wet tongues overlapped several times.
Over the shoulders of the two sharing a deep kiss, an ecstatic air settled and pushed away the biting wind.
Getting increasingly excited, Yoonshin shuffled his body as if about to stand up.
Right then.
As if he had been waiting, Seheon pulled away first. Very regretful, Yoonshin instantly stood up and moved along his path to keep touching him. He skillfully navigated his route, stepped backward, and leaned his back against the hard wall under the slide.
Grabbing the lapels of Seheon's coat, Yoonshin buried his forehead deep in his chest. Soon after, to increase the area of contact, he clung tightly to him. Reaching both arms behind Seheon's back, he locked his fingers and hugged his lean and firm body with his whole body. Their long legs tangled lewdly.
"I'm so glad you like me, Chief."
Instead of a reply, Seheon held his smooth jaw and gently pulled it up, kissing Yoonshin's temple. Then, he fiddled with his cold earlobe with his long fingers. Whether it was because of the cold or embarrassment, his flushed cheeks looked lovely.
"How can you have nothing to hide, reconsider, or calculate? It must be easy to live so simply."
Until now, Seheon's life had been swarming with people who took one thing for every one given. Yoonshin was someone who honestly poured out his true feelings before calculating such things, so he was drawn to him. Whether with words, expressions, actions, or sometimes with just a gaze.
As if knowing this feeling, Yoonshin, who was fidgeting in his arms, lifted his head to match eye levels. Then, with an eager face still carrying the aftershocks of the kiss, he lightly bit Seheon's lower lip.
"Can I really speak informally to you? I'll only do it privately."
"Do you know how distant of a senior I am?"
"The difference in experience is because you skipped grades and graduated early while I couldn't. Our actual ages aren't that far apart. Six years difference practically makes us friends."
"No. I can't stand seeing an associate speak informally to me. Someone else witnessing that? Even worse. Do it if you want to see me gouge out and burn the eyeballs of everyone who sees."
"I'm not just an associate. I can do it well without getting caught at the firm. Let me do it as my birthday present. Or our 100-day anniversary present? 1st-anniversary present?"
He retorted endlessly as if dumbfounded.
"The 1st anniversary is still far away."
"By the Chief's logic, it'll come someday, so isn't it fine?"
"Hah, a brat whose umbilical cord hasn't even dried yet, constantly eyeing the chance."
"At least a probationary period or something..."
Smack! Seheon, who flicked Yoonshin's smooth forehead with his finger, firmly shut his mouth. However, he didn't ultimately block it, saying no.
Again, he knew he would accept it. Understanding the implicit permission, Yoonshin frantically kissed Seheon's entire face with smacks. Eventually, Seheon burst into laughter as if admitting defeat.
* * *
The children were fast asleep in Yoonshin's bed.
The siblings, dressed in black suits, sat across from each other on the living room sofa, drinking tea in silence.
Because their father had stipulated in his will that all processes, including the funeral, be kept as concise as possible, the only space to remember him was the public shrine where his remains were enshrined alongside their mother's. They didn't make a big fuss over the anniversary of his death either. Going there as a family around this time every year was all they did. However, perhaps because he had accumulated a lot of virtue, chrysanthemums were always already placed there when they visited, and this year was no different.
Until last year, the sister's family had visited together. But this time, the brother-in-law was on a business trip, so the four of them went. It was lonely to say the timing was good, but it was definitely an opportunity to have an important conversation. Perhaps thinking the same, Lee Kyung carefully opened her mouth.
"Did your firm say anything?"
"That the Chief Kang met my sister? I heard roughly. You explained our situation, right."
Her complexion darkened significantly as she let out a long sigh.
"Your brother-in-law found out everything I was doing behind his back. So in a hurry, I asked to see Lawyer Kang. Lawyer Kang is really not easy to deal with. Still, Attorney Song answered that he'd keep you for the time being. He's a grateful person."
"Speaking of me. Noona. I... I'm not going to see the match I met again. Can you wrap it up? I'll apologize. I'm sorry for telling you so late."
Sensing that once he made up his mind, her younger brother's will couldn't be reversed, she fell briefly silent instead of answering. However, contrary to expectations, she didn't rebel or even implicitly blame him. Rather, she understood Yoonshin.
"I thought so. Are you dating someone these days?"
"Well, yes."
"You said no last time, so something must have happened in between. That's why you kept being reluctant. You worked hard. It weighed on my mind too. I felt it wasn't meant to be from the start. I'll resolve it well."
If she formally rejected it, this story would likely reach the brother-in-law too. Feeling heavy-hearted and sorry for his sister who had to bear that, Yoonshin hurriedly brought up the main point.
"The divorce lawsuit. You're preparing for it, right?"
Attacking the important parts first out of urgency, Lee Kyung immediately drew a clear line. She came out strongly, even showing a deliberately angry expression.
"I told you not to talk about that. I'll handle it myself. This is my fight. Just focus on establishing your position. How many times do I have to say it?"
"What if Lawyer Kang Seheon becomes the lawsuit representative? What do you think? You said all the large firms the Director contacted refused to take the case. I heard it reached my brother-in-law's ears during that process."
She remained silent for quite a while. Lost in thought for a long time, she asked back with a cracked voice.
"What does that mean? Lawyer Kang Seheon?"
"Exactly as it sounds."
As if reaching the conclusion that it was nonsense, Lee Kyung shook her head clearly.
"Do you know what kind of person Lawyer Kang is? Chief Kang is thoroughly on the side of the vested interests. So what if he's brilliant. He only uses it for people he can win for."
"Noona."
"It means there's no one less likely to become my representative than anyone at your firm. Rather, that's why he put you there in the first place. Because the point of his blade is unlikely to aim at Lawyer Kang under normal circumstances."
Biting his lip firmly, Yoonshin asked back as calmly as possible.
"What if a possibility arose? Noona, once the real lawsuit starts, it becomes important that people don't forget you. We need someone to somehow make this case noisy. There is absolutely no one better than Lawyer Kang Seheon."
"Yoonshin, other large firms all refused as you said. It's not simply because they think they'll win or lose this lawsuit. It's because they know it will outwardly make the firm look like an enemy of Suhan Group. Why would Lawyer Kang, who clearly knows the risk is huge, help me? Doguk has a good relationship with Suhan too."
She was analyzing the situation she was currently in very accurately and coldly. She didn't know that Seheon was the best choice, but it seemed she judged he wouldn't take the case. Yoonshin also agreed with almost everything his sister said. Until recently, her words would have all been correct. However, one variable arose. His heart that had reached him.
However, emotions didn't exist in a visible form, and even if they did, he couldn't show them to her. Yoonshin, simulating in his head how to persuade his sister for the best outcome, affectionately held Lee Kyung's dry hand.
"Noona, Kang Seheon will take it. He said he would."
Perhaps because it still sounded like nonsense, Lee Kyung asked back urgently.
"What are you saying right now? Why Kang Seheon?"
"I can't explain in detail. But I'm a witness. I know. He'll do it."
Yoonshin was his weakness.
Only he and himself knew this fact in the world, but it certainly existed.
"Yoonshin."
The vocal frequency of his sister quietly calling his name clearly wavered. Because of the unkind explanation, the situation was completely incomprehensible, yet on the other hand, she seemed faintly overwhelmed by hopeful thoughts.
"But he said if there's a thought of taking the case, you have to be prepared to hold out to the end. But Noona, you're ready for a long fight, aren't you? That's what I remember hearing. Or is it not?"
She, who had kept showing signs of disbelief, asked very carefully, perhaps having developed a bit of trust from Yoonshin's extremely resolute attitude.
"By any chance, is he... trying to persuade Lawyer Kang Seheon to destroy us?"
She would have looked into a lot about Seheon until now, and since she must have witnessed things directly, it was a perfectly possible assumption. Actually, even if he were in her shoes, he felt he would have doubted it. Besides, she was extremely sensitive right now, and it was natural for her to think no one was on her side. However, Yoonshin could clearly say no.
"That's not it. I trust that person. But I know it's hard for you to trust my words right away. You can cross the bridge after tapping the stone. As it happens, the Chief asked me to arrange a meeting secretly. Meet him and make the final judgment."
"Is that okay?"
"Of course. Ah, once you decide, prepare the evidence for the infidelity and assault. As long as it has probative value, even the smallest things don't matter. The lawyer will somehow make it look plausible. If there are things like your brother-in-law forcing sex... I'm sorry to bring this up. But it's an important issue."
"No. It's advice a lawyer can give."
"Whatever you suffered at his hands, don't think of it as a disgrace. They are not a disgrace. They're evidence to be used in court."
Lee Kyung, whose trembling hand was covered by his, nodded her head earnestly. Then she continued in a desperate voice. Until now, she had been sharpening her words, telling Yoonshin not to even open his mouth about her affairs as if it were an inaccessible file, but she seemed to quickly accept that the situation had changed. It was proof that she saw hope, and also a manifestation of her desire to grasp at straws.
"If it's evidence, I have plenty. Medical records, on-site videos, damage photos, I have them all. I intentionally didn't resist. I asked someone I know, and they said it's at a level where we absolutely can't lose the lawsuit. But famous lawyers wouldn't take the case. To fight Suhan, handling the media would be the most important thing. My chest felt like it would explode from frustration because I thought there was really no way."
"Such evidence has time limits. Sometimes it can't function properly once the date passes. Can you send the resolution document as soon as possible? By hand."
"I will. But can I bring the kids back with just that? Can I receive the property division and consolation money properly? Youngjin Construction's owner had all financial power stripped away before even suing. They'll drive me out in court saying I have no child-rearing ability. The first trial won't be the end. I can picture myself following that path."
Yoonshin held her hand again as she spoke, not even breathing properly, which was unlike her. Only then did his sister meet his gaze, then closed and opened her eyes carefully. It was a relief that she seemed to understand this action meant to reassure her.
"Noona, it's Kang Seheon. If the evidence is solid, he'll definitely win for you."
"Right. Hah... Is Dad helping us from heaven? What in the world is happening. Kang Seheon, of all people. Can I trust him? Oh, set up a meeting for negotiations quickly. I need to talk to him directly."
Looking at his sister with a pitying expression, he nodded. Then he moved to her side and hugged her fragile shoulders. As he patted her trembling back, all sorts of thoughts crossed his mind.
Seeing her attitude, which had been not only lukewarm but even stubborn toward him, change so drastically at the three letters of Seheon's name, Yoonshin realized. If there was something to protect, he had to become strong himself first.
It's a relief that Kang Seheon is by his side.
Thinking that, he missed him so much.