The clock on one wall of the presentation room had just struck 8:00 PM.
Darkness had already fallen outside the window. Yoon-shin and Secretary Tak, who had volunteered to help him, sat side by side, watching the front screen. The evening news was broadcasting on it. The footage of Yoon-shin's sister and her husband smiling at each other at some past event briefly appeared as a reference image before disappearing.
Recently, the Suhan Group officially announced they would formally respond to the divorce mediation application, publicly revealing the news of their second son's marital breakdown. It was their first action after remaining silent against this side's offensive.
Most news outlets covered the news as a top story day after day. It seemed necessary to collect the internet articles together and check their tones so they could figure out the points of attack when dealing with the media. However, there was absolutely no spare time for such odd jobs during regular working hours, so they stayed behind to work like this.
"As expected, everyone is treating it as top news. Internet articles are pouring out like bamboo shoots after rain. People thought they were living well, so a sudden divorce mediation is understandable, but from now on, Director Do is really going to be a wreck."
Secretary Tak, shifting his gaze from the screen to his laptop monitor, spoke with a bitter smile. Yoon-shin nodded as if fully agreeing and replied.
"It was something I braced myself for. There are also some benefits for my sister in having them talk about it everywhere."
"The shock must be huge."
As you live, a peer's divorce isn't that rare of an occurrence. However, in this case, seeing his sister's face on the news at all hours of the day was frankly not very pleasant. Even summarizing the content while watching all of it was not easy. Perhaps knowing how he felt, the considerate Secretary Tak had offered to work overtime together.
Honestly, there were many media outlets and he was just one person, so he was severely short-handed. In such a situation, this consideration was deeply appreciated. The other lawyers in the firm who learned of his sister's news were very reluctant to get even slightly involved in this mediation, so he would have had to do it all alone, which made this a fortunate thing.
"Secretary Tak, thank you for helping me. I'll definitely repay you."
"What, for this simple thing? It's a bit of manual labor, but I do it often. Anyway, I'd be happy if they just maintained neutrality, but they're all subtly bashing Director Do. Might as well advertise that they received orders from Suhan."
"I also deeply regret that."
"Well, it's still going according to Senior Partner Kang's design. He'll handle it somehow."
Secretary Tak gave his shoulder a light pat and went back to focusing on his work. Yoon-shin fixed his gaze on the screen. When he changed the channel, another terrestrial news station was broadcasting similar news. A full view of the family court where the divorce mediation was filed and the Suhan Holdings headquarters appeared in succession, and soon, Se-hun's appearance being interviewed in front of the court was revealed.
Yoon-shin quickly picked up the remote and raised the volume.
Even under the concentrated spotlight, he did not lose his composure. That appearance was both amazing and splendid.
Whenever the reporters asked questions, Se-hun responded calmly in a low voice.
- Attorney, the news that Ms. Do I-gyeong submitted a mediation application was belatedly delivered. I heard that the first mediation date was notified today. Please say a few words.
- The mediation date is set for two months later. However, opinions are not narrowing at all yet regarding the issues of parental rights and child custody. I believe this is a matter that requires sufficient consultation and mutual understanding.
- The prevailing opinion is that it will eventually lead to a lawsuit, but how does the legal representative see it?
- There is nothing I can say yet. Won't the future naturally be revealed as time passes? That's all.
Se-hun, wearing a dark gray suit with a faint bluish tint, clomped down the stairs. After that, a scene of him leisurely getting into a car played in succession, the full view of the court appeared once more, and the segment ended. Yoon-shin, who lowered the volume again, turned his attention back to the laptop screen.
Glancing at him, Secretary Tak asked casually.
"Um, are we not claiming alimony for damages against the mistress? Why didn't you tell me to prepare for it?"
"Ah, I actually did ask the Senior Partner about that, but he seems skeptical. It's because Suhan Group wants us to do that."
"The existence of the affair partner is their own disgrace and the reason for divorce, is that really the case?"
"Yes. They leaked my sister's mediation application to the outside world through Suhan's legal team. That must have been an action calculated with the knowledge that the reason for divorce would be revealed to the whole world. In such a situation, if we needlessly highlight the affair, the board could be flipped. More severe wrongdoings like assault could be buried."
Since this was not a fight between ordinary people, they had to consider the media's intervention. Se-hun asserted that Suhan would try to frame this as an emotional dispute, creating a woman-versus-woman dynamic and erasing the husband's existence from people's minds. He said that he would use such a method himself.
Yoon-shin also agreed with that opinion. If provocative content was added, everyone would become a Supreme Court Justice, adding their two cents, and then the real wrongdoings would disappear from the headlines. It was a method often used by corporate legal teams.
As if understanding the whole series of circumstances despite the insufficient explanation, Secretary Tak met his eyes and smiled slightly.
"I guess. Oh, I just tossed you the list of journalists who wrote articles related to the mediation. It's quite a lot. I'll watch the trends a bit more and give you the internet articles that come out from this time until tomorrow afternoon. The ones uploaded after the news ends will mostly be transcriptions of media outlets' content, so there's no point in checking them in real-time."
"Please do. Thank you so much. You can head home now."
Yoon-shin politely expressed his gratitude for the help and gestured for him to leave first. Secretary Tak, who was about to close his laptop screen and pack up, stopped moving mid-action. He then lightly grabbed Yoon-shin's arm, whose shirt sleeve was rolled up. Yoon-shin, who had been sitting up straight and focusing on the screen, also slowly turned his head.
"Why?"
"Even if they are somewhat influenced by Suhan, not all of these pouring articles like a flood are engineered. I actually contacted a journalist I know, and they said it's a riot if you just put in the three characters of the couple's names, that the odds are set. It will only keep increasing for a while."
It was expected from the beginning.
"That's right. It's rather a good thing."
"Besides, Attorney Kang is also very... you know, right? Whenever he's in the media, it gets noisy every time."
As soon as the sentence ended, Secretary Tak supported his chin with both hands, making a flower shape. Yoon-shin also immediately understood what he was trying to say and laughed lightly.
"Yeah, well. I heard there was even a fan club for a death row inmate somewhere overseas just because he was handsome. It has nothing to do with a lawyer's qualifications, but honestly, looks help a lot."
"Should I book an aesthetic treatment for you?"
"Thanks, but next time. I'm busy."
As Yoon-shin countered the joke with a joke, Secretary Tak smiled back at him.
"Anyway, that's why in recent years, he only mediated from behind and hardly had any media exposure. There was a time when a case was messed up because the lawyer kept standing out when it was something that needed to be resolved quietly. This time, we are at such a disadvantage that he stepped up as a sniper himself, saying we needed to gather attention to make them listen when we open our mouths."
"That's something to be grateful for."
The gaze staring intently as if demanding further explanation even after hearing the reply was quite painful. Not because it was cold, but because it was sharp. Yoon-shin awkwardly stroked his nape and hurriedly continued.
"It seems like you have something you want to hear."
"I can't say I don't."
For some reason, he could already guess what he was going to ask, and he lacked the courage to hear it. However, he couldn't tell the person who had given up his own private time to help him not to do that, so he just kept his mouth shut. Perhaps taking the silence as consent, Secretary Tak continued.
"Why on earth is he taking this case?"
He knew it. Yoon-shin had expected the content of the question but hadn't yet decided how to answer, so he remained silent. This time, it seemed Secretary Tak interpreted the quiet silence in his own way.
"The atmosphere in the firm right now is really ominous. When Suhan will strike us... The messenger is on fire every day."
For now, Se-hun was acting as a shield against resentment and criticism, but in fact, Yoon-shin was the one who felt the stinging gazes and uncomfortable atmosphere better than anyone else.
Feeling that this time it was really the right time for him to quit, he went to Mi-hee with his resignation letter in hand. He hadn't consulted Se-hun because he knew he would oppose it. However, the resignation letter submitted to the associate manager, Lawyer Song, in the morning was in Se-hun's grasp by the afternoon.
Summoned by him, Yoon-shin heard his cold reprimand asking if he couldn't even endure this and expressing disappointment, which sparked a rebellious spirit, leading him to take it back exactly as it was just yesterday.
"I guess. I roughly know."
"The Senior Partner Kang I know is not someone who takes these kinds of cases. Even if he died and came back to life. Since it's just between us, I'll be honest—when I heard this news, I thought Attorney Kang had lost his mind from overwork."
That was because the Kang Se-hun he knew and the Kang Se-hun Secretary Tak knew were different. However, he couldn't accurately calculate how to convey those words with the least misunderstanding. He was also a bit worried about how much the perceptive opponent could figure out from a single word of his. Because of that, all he could do was brush it off as a joke.
"Then this time, did he die and... come back to life?"
"You don't want to tell me? Or, can't you?"
"I'm sorry."
"Both, I see. Okay. Received. There must be some reason. He's not someone who does useless things, after all."
Only then did Secretary Tak get up and approach the entrance.
It was exactly then.
Se-hun, who was the real protagonist of the conversation just a moment ago, flung the door open from the outside. He had a document envelope in one hand, as if he had just finished a meeting and came straight here. Secretary Tak politely bowed with quick wits and stepped aside past Se-hun. Se-hun responded with a slight nod of his head, closed the door, and came inside.
As soon as he entered, Se-hun tossed the envelope onto the oval table and frowned. Then he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. It seemed he felt stifled throughout the meeting. He took a seat next to Yoon-shin in a much more disheveled state than before he entered. Soon, he roughly looked around to grasp the situation, then slowly tilted his head and pressed his lips to Yoon-shin's forehead.
"Chores?"
"Yes. I'm trying to compile some media statistics. What about you, Senior Partner? Did the meeting go well? The preliminary bidding is over, right?"
He slightly tilted his head back, relaxed his neck muscles, and replied calmly.
"First of all, since the due diligence results are certain and the contingent liabilities are so large, it should be possible to individually contact the potential buyers and get the competitive companies to drop out before the main bidding. Winning against the small fry is a piece of cake. Taesan will slowly help with the media play."
"Aren't they saying anything about you taking my sister's divorce mediation case? You've been constantly visible lately."
"Taesan? Rather, they liked it. Anyway, I'll explain the rest of the meeting results at tomorrow's meeting. The project manager is a foreigner, so I had to explain the same thing twice, and I don't even have the energy to speak anymore."
"Then what are you doing now?"
As he often did, he didn't respond with words. Instead, he opened both arms. Yoon-shin glanced at the entrance door, quickly ran over to lock it from the inside, and returned. Buried in the arms of Se-hun, who smirked, he rubbed his face against the shirt that revealed the contours of his solid body. He thought he could feel his scent. The mood, which had been depressed from only watching the news about his sister's divorce all along, improved a little.
"Are you getting some sleep lately?"
"Whenever I can."
"I doubt that. Whenever you barely get a moment, with me..."
"We fuck."
Slap. Yoon-shin, who slapped the back of the man holding him, pulled away as if this wasn't going to work. Se-hun paid no mind and deeply bowed his head to kiss his lips. The warmth of the skin that softly pulled away was missed, but Yoon-shin just hesitated while holding onto his clothes. Intuiting that he must have something he wanted to say through this action, Se-hun stroked his cheek as if telling him to go ahead.
"What is it."
"Everyone thinks it's strange that you took my sister's case. Secretary Tak asked me about it earlier too."
"That's very belated. Anyone can see it's strange. Did you just realize that now?"
"Why do you repeat the same words ten times so unpleasantly?"
"Because it's cute when you boil over in anger when you get mad. The more I look at you, the cuter you are."
Yoon-shin was generally honest with his momentary feelings. There were often situations professionally where he shouldn't be, but with people he met in a private capacity, he preferred to show himself as much as possible rather than adding or subtracting something. Also, he wanted others to treat him the same way. It was more comfortable.
But strangely, when it came to Se-hun, coming out like this made him feel a bit flushed. He didn't dislike it, but it was embarrassingly troublesome. Yoon-shin cleared his throat and tried hard to change the subject.
"Do you know that the partner lawyers have been constantly requesting separate meetings lately?"
"I feel like I'm going to die of annoyance from those geezers."
"It's natural for them to be worried that my sister's marital issues might affect Doguk in the future. Is there anything I can do? I'm so uncomfortable."
"Eating in the firm's cafeteria?"
"Secretary Tak mostly eats with me. It's okay that everyone is looking and murmuring."
"Or making coffee in the pantry?"
When Yoon-shin subtly bit his lower lip as if asking why he was pretending not to understand, he immediately shrugged as if he got it.
"Even for a single law firm, becoming enemies with this entire company is a risk for Suhan too. Too many things are intertwined over the years. If you or I weren't here, Suhan wouldn't need to make an example of Doguk. They could just crush me as an individual, or your sister. So if they exert their power, I can take responsibility and leave here. It means you don't need to shrink back."
Se-hun added, stroking Yoon-shin's moderately thick eyebrows along their grain.
"Probably when that time comes, you won't be able to endure it here anymore either. Then we have to quit together."
One thing considered a great fortune in this desperate situation of being surrounded by enemies was that Se-hun, for whom lying was almost a minor, no longer hid anything from him.
Even everything he felt didn't need to be deliberately disclosed on his own judgment, he told him everything if he asked. The uncomfortable parts, the difficult tasks, and the tricky situations were all explained.
Knowing that, Yoon-shin suddenly grabbed both of his hands as if demanding a more detailed explanation.
"Together?"
"We have to take responsibility for our own choices. Wasn't that the resolution from the beginning?"
"No. Not that. You said together. You're planning to take me out with you."
"Is there a problem?"
At first, Se-hun considered leaving on his own while leaving him at Doguk. He seemed to think that was the best method if it became impossible for Mi-hee to cover for him to some extent. But that plan changed to taking him out. It looked like a subtle difference on the outside, but it implied quite a lot of facts. At least Yoon-shin had enough wits to notice that.
As he repeated his thoughts, all the contexts in his words were clearly read as if someone had struck a calculator and produced a result. Yoon-shin's voice, spitting out the interpreted answer like talking to himself in front of Se-hun, became very low.
"The other member lawyers are telling you to kick me out quickly. And asking you to stay. So, as a priority, you're holding yourself hostage to make me hold out here even one more day. Because you're afraid my brother-in-law will go after me first. Right."
He frowned slightly.
"I barely said a few words, how did you know that?"
"Because I can read between the lines."
"Your head works too well for no reason. It would have been nice if you were a bit stupid."
Yoon-shin let out a hollow laugh.
"Are you saying that right now...? Do you think I'm a child? This is overprotection. I'll take responsibility for myself. If you just accept my resignation, it'll be over simply."
"I told you that's not happening. This is my design. Don't mess it up arbitrarily. Also, the authority to accept your resignation lies with me. If you bypass your direct superior and do something useless one more time, I'll take it as ignoring me and discipline you."
"Senior Partner!"
"For your information, I take bribes."
Se-hun's long fingers lightly tapped his red lips as if ordering a kiss. Yoon-shin smacked his lips as he watched the peculiar sight of his moist flesh pressing slightly and puffing up again.
He knew it was ruined, but he had already come too far. He wanted to endure until he could, handle it all alone, and quit, but Se-hun seemed absolutely unable to just watch that, tying them together with a thin thread. At the same time, he repeatedly and firmly braced against it. With him opposing so strongly, he couldn't act recklessly either, leaving him in a dilemma.
Eventually, Yoon-shin jumped up, grabbed the armrests of Se-hun's chair with both hands, and kissed him roughly. Se-hun naturally moved his head to the opposite side of Yoon-shin's tilt. At the same time, he opened his mouth to make way for the wet tip of his tongue to enter easily. He willingly humored the kiss, which was not skilled but sincere. Their skin frantically intertwined, seeking each other's body heat and saliva.
"Heung, mm..."
He was the one who started it, but before he knew it, Se-hun took the lead. Naturally, it parted Yoon-shin's lips, and a slender moan burst out.
He slipped one hand inside the dress shirt to stroke his back, while fiddling with the front of his pants with the other. Startled by the touch, Yoon-shin grabbed his solid shoulder. At the same time, he slowly separated the overlapping flesh inside his mouth. When he finally pulled away even their lips, the skin around his moistened lower lip glistened.
He licked all of that epidermis with his tongue and sat Yoon-shin down on his lap.
"This is one of my surprising parts that I recently discovered about myself; I like this current state."
Yoon-shin immediately refuted it as if he couldn't believe it.
"A weakness? You said you were agonizing over whether this was right several times."
"No matter how much I agonize, break it down, and dissect it, the conclusion is always the same. It's clear. It's my first time solving a problem with only one answer like this. There's no need to write a scenario to posit a hypothesis, and no need to create a formula to reverse-calculate. It's easier than anything. Like a 1-point question that anyone with eyes can solve."
Even if the conclusion was like that, Yoon-shin, who was about to ask if he had never regretted it in the middle, kept his mouth shut. Asking such a thing at the beginning stage seemed too cowardly, and he was also afraid of hearing an unexpected answer from his mouth, which generally spoke honestly.
If he said yes, he would have to take some action, but he didn't have the courage to let him go in any way from the start. Now that it had come to this, he already coveted him too much to back down.
As he kept his mouth shut, trying hard to hide his anxious heart, fortunately, Se-hun continued his voice.
"Let's spend the weekend together."
"Do you have time? You've been incredibly busy all week. You must have a pile of things to do."
"Still. Busy by your side."
Yoon-shin tilted his head, not readily understanding his words. Many weekends had passed since they confirmed each other's feelings. During that time, he could only spend time together when Se-hun said it was okay or called him out of necessity. Since he was always a person buried in work, and he wasn't particularly different, that was much more familiar and comfortable.
But Se-hun was trying to change the pattern so far.
"You said if I hover around, you can't concentrate and I'm a distraction."
"I'd rather be unable to concentrate and be distracted."
"Then do you want to come to my place?"
"That's also good."
"Do you just hate being apart even for an hour? Am I that good?"
"Yeah."
He answered so obediently that Yoon-shin's mouth snapped shut.
"It's not just that I want to be by your side; now I want you to be by mine too."
Expecting to share not just a corner of his life but all of it was a luxury. Of course, he sometimes confessed with his eyes, gestures, his whole body, and his attitude toward life, but Se-hun's life itself had been so independent that changing it required quite a bit of effort. They were compromising and making gradual progress. However, recently, he had changed a little. He behaved overtly impatient.
It seemed he was now ready to smash the grammar of the life he had lived so far.
Feeling both awkward and so overjoyed that he didn't know what to do, he averted his gaze and shifted his body, but ultimately looked straight at Se-hun's face as if returning to him.
His burning gaze was fixed only on him. Perhaps, without knowing for sure, it had never strayed from him for a single moment from the beginning. Thinking that made him very embarrassed.
"Is my face red by any chance?"
Sure enough.
He nodded nonchalantly.
Yoon-shin, clenching and unclenching his innocent hand, needlessly stroked Se-hun's long, straight fingers.
The more he touched him, the pale parts of Yoon-shin's clean skin seemed to warm up, dyeing themselves red.
* * *
Yoon-shin's living room desk was overflowing with materials and devices. Three laptops, four tablet PCs, stacks of file folders here and there, and an acrylic board next to the desk. Even though he was using the space very efficiently, there was no place to step around its periphery.
Se-hun pulled up a mobile chair and sat in front of the board. Then he watched the back of Yoon-shin, who was writing something on the acrylic with a marker.
Although it was still the mediation period, they were practically preparing for his sister's trial. Since Yoon-shin strongly wanted to participate in every part, they carved out time simultaneously on weekends to review the materials whenever possible.
"If they come out as we expect... we have to prove that my sister and the General Manager have an innocent relationship. This part was said to be testified by the wife of Youngjin Construction's president..."
Stepping back a pace, Yoon-shin took in the words he had written at a glance.
At that moment, Se-hun wrapped one arm around his slender waist. While Yoon-shin was flustered, he slowly pulled him backward. Yoon-shin hurriedly closed the marker cap and leaned his body overlapping his lap. Se-hun languidly stroked his lean body, which was pressed closely against him, and then loudly kissed his shoulder blades and all over his back.
After letting out a low, deep sigh, he unbuckled Yoon-shin's pants. He then pulled down the zipper, making the front gape open, and slipped his hand into the empty space.
As he casually stroked up and down the shaft of his penis lying sideways over his drawers, Yoon-shin's body, sitting on his firm thighs, heaved greatly like a wave. Unlike usual, where he reacted immediately when Se-hun touched him, he seemed a bit troubled.
"Attorney."
"Not that."
"Senior."
"That's better."
"Don't do it. We agreed not to do this here. There's a picture of my sister and nephews right in front."
Barely reaching back, Yoon-shin grabbed his jaw as if lifting it. He then pushed it up so he could see the pictures attached to the board. Inevitably, Se-hun's gaze reached the photo of the I-gyeong couple and the children's photo below it. However, he soon paid no mind at all and shoved his hand even deeper into the gap of his pants, causing Yoon-shin's lean hand to drop downward abruptly.
"Heut, ah..."
As he calmly stroked up and down as if tracing the outline over the clothes, the penis, surrendering to the delicate touch, slowly stood erect.
The shaft, which had been drooping, soared upward, erecting as if it would pierce through the drawers. Se-hun, feeling this tactile sensation entirely with his hand, pulled the penis out as if he had been waiting for it.
He caressed Yoon-shin's prominent nipple with one hand and massaged his hardened penis with the other. He fiddled with the urethra with his fingers, then soon rubbed it with his palm as if masturbating.
The two people's breathing grew rougher.
"No, I don't like this. Eung, wait a moment."
"You're the one who lacks composure. Do you really dislike it?"
"So just for a moment. Ah!"
The acrylic board in front faintly reflected the two sitting overlapped. It kept entering Yoon-shin's field of vision. The family in the photos was like the audience of this program. Yoon-shin, who was making eye contact with his smiling sister, roughly pushed the board away with both arms as if he couldn't stand it anymore. Since it was mobile, with a sharp friction sound, the written part quickly tilted diagonally.
Only then did Yoon-shin grab Se-hun's thighs beneath him and rub his buttocks against his thing. As if responding to this action, Se-hun repeatedly pressed and released his penis over the clothes, making each other's bodies even more excited. The faster he stimulated his penis, the more force went into the two arms gripping his firm thighs.
"Ah, Senior... can't we just go to the bed?"
"Or there might be a way to insert it here."
The low voice whispering in his ear, with their bodies pressed close, fascinated his mind. Yoon-shin, his face flushed, shook his head but willingly permitted him with his mouth.
"Eut, heueu, it's good. Do it."
"Wait here. I'll go get a condom."
"No. Just do it. Come straight in. You can scoop out your semen by inserting your fingers yourself."
"Ha..."
Yoon-shin, straightening his upper body that kept tilting as if falling, frantically moved his hands. He reached both arms behind his back like he was at ease, quickly unbuckled Se-hun's pants, and pulled down the zipper.
Zzzt. A sound that was always thrilling to the point of giving goosebumps was heard, and soon his already erect thing was caught in his hand. It was finally the moment Yoon-shin was about to directly pull out the penis wrapped inside the underwear.
Vrrr. Vrrr.
Someone's cell phone placed on the desk vibrated loudly. Judging by the continuous sound, it seemed a call was coming in. Naturally, the two people's movements stopped simultaneously. Yoon-shin, who barely managed to remove his hand from his drawers, leaned his back against Se-hun's chest and let out a deep breath.
"Is it yours, Senior Partner?"
"It seems to be yours."
Yoon-shin glanced back, confirmed the name on the screen, and stirred his body once.
Asking for understanding with his eyes, he slowly stood up from Se-hun's embrace. But while he was leaning his upper body toward the desk to find the phone and answer it, Se-hun yanked down the pants that were awkwardly hanging on his thighs. Not satisfied with that, he buried his face between the crevice of his buttocks and licked around that area with his tongue.
The moment he opened his mouth wide in surprise, of all things, his sister's voice pierced his ears.
- Yoon-shin? Did you pick up?
"Yeah, noona, heok, hah..."
- Do Yoon-shin?
As if determined to enter the hole, he sharpened the tip of his tongue and attacked the entrance of the buttocks, making him unable to come to his senses. He struggled and tried to push him away, but Se-hun's brute strength was stronger, so it wasn't easy. Having no choice, Yoon-shin squeezed out every ounce of his strength, almost the strength he used to nurse, and escaped from him. Still sitting, he looked back at Se-hun, who was grinning, and hurled all sorts of swear words at him with his pupils.
Se-hun, resting his chin and narrowing his eyes, rose immediately with the momentum to chase after him, so Yoon-shin waved his hands as if asking for leniency. However, true to Kang Se-hun's nature, he didn't care at all and eventually approached. He grabbed his chin, kissed him, and then forcibly stripped off all the lower garments and underwear that were awkwardly dangling around his calves.
Swish, he threw the clothes toward the sofa, grabbed his penis, and licked around his buttocks again just like before. Startled, Yoon-shin twisted his body and, putting all his strength into his teeth, chomped down hard on his wrist.
"Eut..."
While Se-hun stopped, checking the teeth marks left on his skin, Yoon-shin quickly ran away and pulled on his pants. As he barely composed himself and put the phone to his ear, the man, who had stood tall on his slender legs at some point, smacked his lips and silently mouthed:
'Delicious.'
He just shrugged his shoulders at Yoon-shin, who was frowning, and sat back down in front of the desk.
- Yoon-shin. Yoon-shin! Are you hurt somewhere?
Yoon-shin, glaring at the shameless Se-hun and grinding his teeth, backed up a little and sat perched on the sofa. He then sat at an angle and turned his gaze to the wall.
"Noona. Sorry. I suddenly spilled something and was picking it up. I'm not sick. Talk."
- When you go to work tomorrow and see Attorney Kang, tell him I asked him to contact me. It's not urgent, but I have additional materials to give him. I know Senior Partner Kang usually doesn't take client calls on weekends, so I was hesitant to call. I called you just to hear your voice.
"Ah... Attorney Kang, you mean. Uh, I will."
With him right in front of his eyes, speaking as if he wasn't here made him feel a little guilty. Glancing back at Se-hun, he was already looking at the tablet PC, only changing the direction his eyes were facing from a moment ago. He must have known they were talking about him, but seeing as he wasn't looking his way, he seemed to roughly guess what the content was about.
Yoon-shin, tilting his head and admiring Se-hun's side profile, felt an unnecessary pang of affection and smacked his lips. But then his sister's voice continued, stealing his attention again.
- Are you making sure to eat well while working?
"Of course. Naturally."
- If you need anything, tell me anytime. I'll try to provide it as much as I can.
"I will. How are the kids?"
- I gave them snacks, and they're taking a nap.
He pondered for a long time whether to ask about his brother-in-law or not, but Yoon-shin ultimately chose not to. Recently, it had always been like this. Just having normal conversations as if nothing was wrong was all they did.
Of course, he knew that if they lived in a mansion as large and spacious as a palace, they could avoid each other as much as they wanted. But even so, living with someone they were about to separate from couldn't be comfortable for the heart either. Because he could guess all those difficult emotions, he rather withheld his words.
"Um, noona. Actually, I'm in the middle of working right now. Let's talk about important things when we meet."
- It's the weekend? Take a break.
"I'll try."
- Anyway, I understand. Can I see you around next week? Our Yoon-shin seems to get thinner every time I see him, so I should buy you something delicious.
"I'll let you know a good date for the General Manager. See you then."
- Keep up the good work. Take it easy. I'm hanging up first.
As he simply replied that he understood, she ended the call first. Yoon-shin, quietly looking down at the black screen, belatedly collected himself and approached Se-hun.
Only then did he look back at him, holding a document in one hand. The man who was so engrossed in him a moment ago had vanished, and his eyes were calm as if nothing had ever happened. Se-hun was always like that when he was engrossed in work. There were times he felt disappointed, but mostly he looked very cool. Embarrassed that he had thought such a thing, Yoon-shin quickly opened his mouth.
"Look at your wrist. Did it get hurt?"
He obediently held out his left hand. Yoon-shin carefully examined the solid wrist area and was relieved that the wound wasn't deep and likely wouldn't leave a scar.
"That's why I asked what you were doing while I was on the phone. You could have just hung up and finished."
"You ruined the mood. What did your sister say?"
"She asked you to contact her tomorrow. It seems she has additional materials to give. But, were you reading the response from Suhan? You've already seen all of this."
"Even looking at it again, there's no flaw. It's exactly the Suhan legal team's style. They put in what they need to and leave out what they don't."
"They say family court judges especially like neat things because the lawsuit contents are all similar."
"In divorce lawsuits, the written pleading is half. That means the writing is half. You'll have a hard time balancing the tone when you write your pleadings. Still, your legal sentences are simple, so they're easy on the eyes, so it should be fine. Ah, sit here for a second."
Clack. Se-hun, putting down the response, pointed to the stool for him to sit. As soon as Yoon-shin, who was standing awkwardly beside him, took a seat, he immediately continued.
"The mediation is nominal, and they're preparing for a lawsuit too. According to my calculations, we'll win the original trial. However, even if your brother-in-law loses, he will file all the counterclaims. Alimony claim suit, property division suit."
"Well, even a faulty spouse can claim property division."
"Because they know they'll lose anyway, what they want isn't to win. It's to give as little as possible. For that, Ms. Do I-gyeong has to be a very bad woman. Because of that, you know that smearing your sister has already started even before the lawsuit begins."
Instead of answering, Yoon-shin calmly nodded.
"Other than what we've organized, does anything else come to mind? Anything that could be a blemish."
At his question, Yoon-shin quickly raked through his mind and pulled out many of the things he had considered so far. To know where his brother-in-law would attack from, he had to be able to set a counterfire or not, so he had already organized things that could be blemishes on his sister through various routes. And actually, Suhan's side was leaking and attacking those things in a very subtle way through women's magazines or patchwork articles.
They were trivial things like her occasionally neglecting her husband's demands because of her own work, or her mother-in-law attending family events instead when she was absent, or her repeatedly refusing to listen when he verbally hinted several times that her chief of staff was bothersome, on the grounds that he was an acquaintance of her father's and she trusted him.
"Nothing in particular. The refusal of sexual relations I mentioned last time is on the stronger side. Since that was not long after she had the second child, and there's a record of her suffering from mild postpartum depression, it will be taken into consideration. As long as they don't fabricate something, there won't be any."
"No. They'll create something out of nothing. Corporate legal teams are mostly very creative groups."
"..."
"It seems like you'll be meeting soon, so make sure to check again to see if there's anything omitted. It'll be easier for you to answer than me. Even something very small is fine. We absolutely must know in advance what they're going to pick at. Let's eliminate as much risk as possible."
"I will."
"Alright, then. Before we go into the main game, would you like to write a statement keeping the first pleading date in mind?"
Yoon-shin, who instantly stood on the border of surprise and joy, pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Don't want to?"
"It's not that..."
"Write it with all your heart. I'll run a simulation with it."
When the mediation process ends and the couple fails to compromise, the lawsuit process will begin, and a pleading date will be set. From then on, each side had to state their claims and the evidence supporting them to induce a favorable ruling. Se-hun had entrusted him with such an important starting point.
It was good, but what on earth was this psychology of becoming afraid because it was too good?
"But it's the most important part."
As expected, the merciless man immediately took back his words as if it was a done deal.
"If you can't do it, forget it."
"Wait a minute. Can I really do it? I'm scared."
"If you're scared of this much, how did you plead all by yourself so far?"
"With you stepping in, it feels like real combat. Then, I'll try writing a hypothetical statement first..."
When he mumbled the end of his sentence, having something he wanted but unable to bring it out, Se-hun answered immediately as if he could see right through him.
"Just write it first. I'll correct it and tell you the problems, so you can do it comfortably."
"Is it okay if I don't write it well?"
"It can't be not written well. If you lose a game you can't afford to lose because you didn't do the job properly, you, me, your sister. Maybe even Doguk will all be fucked. Understand?"
"You told me to do it comfortably."
"You'll do well. You are doing well."
Since he was the type to be stingy with praise, it felt like he was flying. Perhaps, judging from Secretary Tak's words that 'so-so' was a compliment, this was close to high praise. It might be a kind of lip service to make him feel good, but Se-hun wouldn't say it if it were completely baseless.
Yoon-shin, smacking his lips, now reached out both arms as if asking to be hugged again. The man, who had been staring at that sight, pulled the stool Yoon-shin was sitting on a little closer to him. Then he plucked off the long eyelash resting on his cheek and hugged him so tightly it felt like he would crush him.
Eventually, they naturally bumped their lips together without anyone going first. They kissed passionately as if imprisoning each other's soft skin in their mouths, and intertwined their tongues. While doing so, as if finishing their remaining homework, they tried to strip each other's clothes, but this time his cell phone started vibrating.
Vrrr. Vrrr.
The two people, pulling away their wet lips, naturally turned their gazes to the desk. A moment ago, his sister had interrupted their physical contact, and this time it was Secretary Tak.
"It seems like today isn't the day. You should get it."
"This makes me want to do it more."
"Me too."
"I'll finish the call quickly, so strip down without a single thread and wait."
He replied as if joking and picked up the phone. Checking the screen, he answered the call immediately.
"Yeah, Secretary Tak."
- Attorney. Can I talk to you for a moment? I have something urgent to tell you. If you're out, it might be better to talk somewhere quiet. It's about the internal situation of the firm.
It was a bit different from his usual relaxed voice. It was a highly lowered, tense voice, like a spy reporting the results. A strange anxiety was also detected within it. Thanks to that, Se-hun, who intuitively sensed that a problem, whether big or small, had arisen, glanced at Yoon-shin and replied calmly.
"It's fine, so talk."
- Actually, I happened to see the broadcast message Attorney Song sent. Because of the divorce lawsuit you're currently handling, it seems Suhan has started to exert their power. They said they suddenly took away a pretty big case. So, they were furious and seem to have summoned all the partners. Except for you, Senior Partner.
Hearing up to that point, he stroked Yoon-shin's cheek with a nonchalant gesture and answered languidly.
"Ah, really? Don't hang up and wait a moment."
It certainly seemed that Suhan had started to exert pressure. Taking away the case meant that they had directly given a sign that they would snatch the bait if he didn't listen.
Se-hun made his own judgment that it wasn't a wise idea to continue this conversation in Yoon-shin's presence. He stroked Yoon-shin's forehead, who was listening to the call with wide eyes, with his fingertips. Then, covering the phone's speaker with his hand, he whispered in his ear.
"It's because of the merger issue. I need to check some data, so I'll have to drop by home for a bit."
Yoon-shin, who made clear eye contact as if to say he would go in his stead if he told him what he needed, saw Se-hun's firm expression and eventually nodded as if he understood. He grabbed the smooth chin of Yoon-shin, who obediently complied, kissed his lips with a 'smack' sound, and stood up.
Yoon-shin, moving quickly, brought his outer coat and draped it over Se-hun. Putting it on, he came outside and walked toward the hallway.
Coming out to the residents-only smoking area, he encountered the still-chilly outside air. He took out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket, lit it, put one in his mouth, and then opened his mouth.
"Which team's case did they take away? Seeing as I don't know, it doesn't seem to be corporate law."
- Finance. They said this will be the start.
He already knew Suhan's view of Doguk as a simple subcontracting agency that could be moved at their whim. So, a few days ago, he had handed Mi-hee a report of several pages. It was the day he made a written promise to step down himself if a problem arose with Doguk. He also presented a report predicting the order in which Suhan would exert their power. Just as written there, it started with finance.
Since this was Mi-hee's area of responsibility, she would be able to adjust it on her own, but this could be followed by tax and M&A advisory, which were handled by other partners. When that happened, it was obvious that the tax law firms and customs law firms within Doguk would rise up together with their affiliated lawyers. Before that happened, they absolutely had to quit the firm.
"What is Attorney Song plotting by summoning the partners? Kicking Do Yoon-shin out?"
- No. The target is you, Senior Partner. It seems they're trying to catch you for violating the Lawyers Act.
Huu, pushing his breath into the night air, he replied unconcernedly.
"Ah, really?"
Honestly, if they set their minds to catching him, there was more than one thing they could catch him for. But that also meant conversely, if he set his mind to it, it was a problem he could slip out of as much as he wanted.
Mi-hee's thought process was very simple and straightforward. She was willing to accept the firm's huge losses for the time being and use such a trivial matter to bind his feet and force him to his knees professionally. It was clear she was trying to make him so busy cleaning it up that he would naturally drop the divorce lawsuit.
- You're so carefree. Aren't you worried?
"I'm Doguk's biggest revenue source. That bravado won't last long."
- Senior Partner! That's not what's important. This is team-killing. It's unfair.
"When is the meeting?"
- Tonight. 10 o'clock. The Youngbinkwan where you often hold partner meetings outside. Are you going?
Depending on the action he would take, that gathering could either happen as scheduled or be canceled.
"Why would an uninvited guest go all the way there. I should meet Senior Partner Song, who laid out the board. Let's hang up."
- Yes. Please resolve it smoothly. I wish you good luck. See you tomorrow.
Ending the call while listening to Secretary Tak's worried voice, he checked if the car key was safely in his pocket. Fortunately, there was no need to waste unnecessary energy going home.
Se-hun, moving without hesitation, got on the elevator and sent a message to Yoon-shin saying he might be a bit late. Then he checked the current time. If the meeting was at 10 PM, Mi-hee would still be at home.
The Mi-hee he knew was not a person who made many mistakes. She couldn't have carelessly let Secretary Tak find out about the contents of such an important meeting. Knowing that he was friendly to her, she must have originally wanted this story to reach Se-hun's ears. If so, she would be waiting even more for him to come to her.
Se-hun, fiddling with the car key, finally got off the elevator as the machine arrived at the underground parking lot. He then boarded the sedan and grabbed the steering wheel. He had been holding out nonchalantly since the call with Secretary Tak, but his limit of patience seemed to be right here.
Crack! His forehead deeply furrowed as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Damn it. Is she trying to pick a fight with me right now?"
Biting his lower lip hard, he started driving somewhat recklessly.
It took about 15 minutes on foot from the official residence to Mi-hee's house. By car, it was much faster. Even moving that short distance, his driving was quite rough. He wasn't simply angry out of a crisis consciousness to protect his position. In the worst-case scenario, if he couldn't hold out as a lawyer anymore, he could just start something new. Se-hun worked very diligently every moment, but he had no lingering attachments anywhere.
However, Senior Partner Song's arrogant judgment in trying to control the situation by blocking his path like this greatly disappointed him. The only ones who could move him were himself and Do Yoon-shin. She shouldn't have overlooked that.
Screech. Nervously parking the car in Mi-hee's driveway, which he arrived at in no time, he headed for the front door without hesitation. When he irritably rang the doorbell and waited, she opened the door not long after, and a familiar face came out to greet him. She checked her wristwatch once and gestured for him to come in.
"You're here. Attorney Kang. That was faster than I expected."
Without answering, he strode past her and familiarly took a seat on the living room sofa. Mi-hee asked, addressing the back of Se-hun's head.
"Should I get you some tea?"
"My head is buzzing, so I don't have the leisure to drink anything. Just sit."
"Se-hun-ah."
"Sit."
The low, gloomy voice was quite unusual. She had no choice but to sit across from him. Se-hun, who leaned his back comfortably against the backrest, opened his mouth with a cold tone.
"I told you I'd quit if a problem arose. I expressed my intention clearly several times. I thought we finished talking, but is Attorney Song now trying to screw me over? I need to do that lawsuit. I decided I would. So if my existence is in the way, accept my resignation, don't hold me back so pathetically."
"I'm not giving up on you. Do you know how much you're worth? If you don't want it to get troublesome, drop that lawsuit."
He gritted his teeth as if chewing on them and pressed back, emphasizing each letter.
"Is this Song Mi-hee's idea? I'm asking, sensing it's not."
She, who seemed to consider for a moment whether it would be better to speak honestly or not, shook her head calmly. It was probably because she knew she couldn't deceive Se-hun.
"It's half and half. Suhan's legal team contacted me. They said they would tolerate keeping Attorney Do at Doguk and having you handle Ms. Do I-gyeong's lawsuit. They seem to know that several pieces of evidence have been secured anyway... I'll concede a hundred times and endure our firm taking it, but they don't like you doing it."
He smirked as if it was absurd.
"Everyone who fights me hates me. Even half of my clients hate me. Because I'm arrogant and expensive for someone who works for money. What part of that is new?"
"They really hate it. You stand out too much, and above all, they know your style over there too. Se-hun-ah. This isn't just a warning. Can't you somehow? I'll compromise too. Let's take the case, but just give it to another associate. Hmm? Our kids are all smart."
"Will those smart kids do the job properly? No, even if you gave them a partnership instead of an associate, wouldn't they handle this case halfheartedly?"
"Haa... You really shouldn't do this to me."
"The moment I accepted Do Yoon-shin as my associate, I repaid all my debts to you, Senior. From now on, go say that to someone else who has bestowed favor on you."
Her eyes flashing as if momentarily hurt by the cold rejection, she finally raised her voice.
"I'm losing my affection. Until when will I be a stranger to you? How can you know me for 20 years and not give me your side?"
"Even if we knew each other for 200 years, not 20, we are strangers."
"You insolent bastard might feel that way, but I'm not! If you absolutely can't give up, then at least beg me for help! Then I can resent you to death and let it go as swallowing bitter mustard. Why is your conclusion to just leave Doguk? Can't we scheme something together? I'm also very good at calculating, but for an old friend, I can sometimes pretend to be crazy and sacrifice something. Please look around you."
Even at her overt criticism feeling disappointed, Se-hun didn't rebut. Instead, he stayed silent for a long time. He seemed to fall into thought for a moment, as it was a focal point he hadn't considered. While he did that, she took a deep breath to control her emotions, having poured out words like a machine gun.
Even after Se-hun finished his deliberation, and after Mi-hee fully caught her breath, the silence continued for quite a while.
The first to break the heavy silence was Se-hun.
"What do you want? Me begging for help? You won't be satisfied with that."
Mi-hee, who had completely regained her composure, responded seriously.
"Of course, a plus alpha of other conditions will be necessary. But I'm saying that considering our friendship there, I could be a bit generous."
What Mi-hee, who considered Doguk her life, wanted to gain from Se-hun was obvious in nature. To make the firm's name more widely known through him and to elevate its value. Ultimately, she wanted to expand her power to the point where no one could touch her and reclaim the number one spot in the industry. She would desperately want Se-hun's help with that. For that to happen, it was obvious his existence would be needed at Doguk for quite a long time.
Sure enough.
"7 years."
He, who stopped all consumptive actions, stared at her intently. Mi-hee added.
"I want you to hold out until I properly establish myself as the representative. So 7 years. If you say you'll stake yourself at Doguk for exactly 7 years with Attorney Do... the firm will help with that lawsuit. Of course, you can take charge and handle it."
Dumbfounded, he suddenly cut off the conversation and let out a hollow laugh.
"Do you need a slave?"
"You know that's not what I mean."
"Just because I work like a dog doesn't mean I'm actually a dog. I hate being leashed. Earlier you asked if we were strangers even after knowing each other for 20 years, but do you know me so little?"
"That's right. Because I know you, I made the contract conditions so that you could leave at any time if only your mind changed. But after receiving your resignation this time, I was suddenly insanely anxious that you might go to another firm. If you compete with our firm, you'll turn Doguk upside down in every way every time, right? I can't bear to see that."
"So, you'll help with this lawsuit, but I have to unconditionally stay stuck at Doguk for 7 years without a word of complaint."
"Attorney Kang. Holding onto the next 10 years, the expected total contingency fee that could be cut off from all Suhan affiliates alone is in the trillions of won. I'm saying I'll exchange that for you right now. Because you're worth it. And Doguk is comfortable for you too."
Because he had worked there for a long time and was familiar with it, Doguk was indeed very comfortable for him, as she said. Since he had built up so much so far, it was also true that this firm was optimized for him. If he only looked at the conditions, it wasn't a bad offer for him. Rather, he should see it as Mi-hee accepting the loss and yielding a lot.
However, he didn't feel like putting something of his own up as collateral. Being tied down somewhere and having his radius controlled was one of the things Se-hun hated terribly. And he had no history of doing things he didn't want to do. Except for the fact that he fell in love with Do Yoon-shin like fate.
He fell into thought, wiping his mouth with his long fingers as if brushing it.
Then, suddenly, he jumped up.
"It doesn't seem like a matter to decide right now. Let's talk again tomorrow."
Seeing him turn around and notify her coldly, Mi-hee hastily stood up too. She followed Se-hun, who was trying to quickly escape the house, as closely as possible.
Seeing him off, she took the opportunity and casually offered a reply.
"I'm going to cancel the partner meeting today. You think about it and answer me. I'll be waiting for a positive answer."
Se-hun didn't respond. Without looking back once, he completely left Mi-hee's house coldly, and then got into his car with a much more complicated face than when he came here.
Clack. He closed the door coldly and zoomed out of the parking lot. While going through the alley and merging onto the nearby main road, various thoughts fell into his mind like pouring snowflakes.
Actually, Se-hun was already calculating the end with Doguk around the end of the year to take responsibility for this situation. True to his nature of considering all possibilities, he had a rough blueprint in his head not only for the lawsuit but also for his future life plans. Since he had made up his mind to insert Yoon-shin as another protagonist in his life, it was also a time when a redesign of his entire life was necessary.
But Suhan drew the bowstring faster than expected. So the firm's interior was turned upside down, and naturally, everything went wrong.
His complexion slowly hardened as he mulled over the words Mi-hee had said a moment ago.
'Seven years, huh.'
After all, is Song the only one to lean on?
If he were a traveler on his own, it might be different, but trying to weave Yoon-shin's existence like a spider web and design the board together made the path very steep.
"Because of this blockhead, I'm going through all sorts of agonies..."
Letting out a bitter smile, he calmly steadied his breathing as if trying hard to sweep away the unstable air.