Yoon Shin, who had been standing before the secretariat reviewing documents, turned around at the sound of footsteps. It seemed Mihee had business with Secretary Tak, as she was approaching. She exchanged a light glance with Yoon Shin, the first to meet her eyes, then gestured over the partition.
“Tak, did you send the materials I forwarded to Taesan Construction? To the General Affairs Manager. I asked our office manager, and he said he gathered them and sent everything at once?”
“Yes. They were sent. I just received confirmation of receipt. I left a message, actually.”
“Oh, really? I’ll check it in my office. Thanks. Good work, Attorney Do.”
After waving to the staff, she tapped and patted Yoon Shin’s shoulder as if to commend him for his hard work. Then, as if physically conveying that he needn’t get up, she quickly walked toward the opposite hallway.
Watching her gradually receding figure, once Mihee had completely disappeared from sight, Yoon Shin leaned an arm on the desk and quietly asked Secretary Tak.
“Attorney Song—I mean, Representative Song—came to see me on purpose, didn’t she?”
As if he had hit the nail on the head, the man nodded.
“It must be nice being in the Representative’s good graces.”
“I’m really fine, though.”
“Gifts are best received when given. Store it up while she’s lending you strength. She’s doing that because she feels awkward.”
Mihee, who had recently become the new representative following her father, had been doing such things often lately. She seemed to still feel sorry about the non-conflict conflict she had once had with Seheon over Yoon Shin’s position. She was expressing that she knew about it. The secretariat was a place where words traveled fast, and she must have known better than anyone that the Representative’s attention would quickly become rumors among the associate attorneys. It seemed she would rather lend him strength than let him be ostracized.
It wasn’t just because Seheon and he had shouldered various burdens to remain here. These days, Doguk had been receiving love calls from everywhere. Other rival companies, well aware that relations with Suhan had soured, had begun cautiously testing the waters before entrusting cases one by one. Moreover, since Seheon had successfully contributed to making Taesan Construction the primary acquisition target for Youngjin Construction in an M&A, the justification was solid. It was both a mark of trust in Doguk’s competitiveness as a law firm itself and an attempt to show up Suhan Group. Either way, from the firm’s perspective, it was an unexpected benefit and something of a blessing in disguise.
“Seeing as Representative Song came down, I suppose the partner meeting is over. Chief Kang should be here soon too.”
At Secretary Tak’s added comment, Yoon Shin’s head immediately turned toward the hallway. But Seheon was still nowhere to be seen. He watched the elevator at the corner for no reason, then turned his disappointed gaze away. Just then, he locked eyes directly with Secretary Tak, who had been staring at him. Startled, Yoon Shin stumbled slightly over his words.
“W-why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re that eager to see him? You really are something.”
“Is it strange for an associate to wait to greet a partner?”
“Yes. Generally speaking, it is strange. And waiting for Chief Kang is even stranger. Aren’t you scared? Senior attorneys with more years than Attorney Do avoid running into Chief Kang.”
Seheon was still sharp as a knife in the field. Sometimes Yoon Shin was scolded so coldly for mistakes that it made his blood run cold. It was probably because the eyes of one who demanded perfection still saw much that was lacking in him. That he was particularly harsh on him would likely continue to be the case. He hated confusing public and private matters. At first, Yoon Shin had been privately hurt, but now he understood him. When you’re wrong, you reflect; when you’re wrong, you fix the result.
“Ah, Secretary Tak. I decided to take this pro bono case myself. I got the Chief’s permission.”
To change the subject, he pushed the folder he was holding forward, and Secretary Tak scanned it with a glance. Yoon Shin had devised a two-track strategy to survive at this law firm. While doing his best to help Seheon when he needed manpower, if there were results, he would take on side cases that he could handle and that tugged at his heart, one by one. Fortunately, Seheon seemed to judge it would help improve work efficiency and readily accepted.
“I heard. Go ahead. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks. First, could you set a client meeting date?”
“I will. And your sister’s divorce trial verdict date is this day. You know, right?”
Secretary Tak lifted the desk calendar to show the front, pointing at one date with a gesture.
“Of course. I know. I’m planning to go.”
“You’re going in person? The verdict will be delivered anyway.”
“Yes. She suffered for over a year, so I want to see it concluded with my own eyes.”
After running frantically for a while, his sister’s divorce lawsuit had reached a somewhat lull state. Because Suhan’s side kept cleverly packaging false facts to manipulate public opinion, Seheon had made a bold move by publicly releasing rebuttal evidence through his sister’s official position. Originally, to make the lawsuit more favorable, and considering the children who would grow up and his sister’s social life after divorce, he had been reluctant to expose her directly, but to prevent absurd claims from spreading as if they were true, he had played a subtle move from an extreme position.
During the tedious war of public opinion, there was one additional gain besides remaining memorable to the public. While many grew tired of the couple’s prolonged battle, enduring this torrent of criticism had caused sympathetic public opinion to rebound and gain strength. If at first the majority opinion had been swept away, now spontaneous public sentiment was forming.
“So it’s like the day of the final battle? From what the family law team attorneys say, unless the sky falls, it’s expected to be a win. The PR team is also preparing press releases.”
“Yes. Anyway, if we win the first trial, my sister will have the strength to endure.”
“Well, given the effort invested here. With our firm’s ace Chief Kang and Representative Song both on it, we can’t lose. What does the Director say?”
“She feels strange. Still, she lived with him for 10 years. Whatever the verdict, she’ll be leaving that house. She held out fiercely all this time.”
“You’ve had a hard time. Please tell her I congratulate her in advance.”
“I will.”
At Secretary Tak’s comforting, affectionate tone, Yoon Shin also smiled and replied. It was right then.
“Attorney Do Yoon Shin needs to relearn the basics.”
The smoothly continuing conversational rally was cut off by the sudden appearance of Seheon’s voice. While his attention had been elsewhere for a moment, the elevator seemed to have arrived at this floor. Before he knew it, Seheon was walking this way with heavy steps, giving instructions to senior attorneys. He gestured to his nervous subordinates following behind as if to say they could go back to their offices now, then soon approached Yoon Shin’s side. The staff, including Secretary Tak, stood up to greet him. Yoon Shin also turned toward him, clutching documents to his chest.
“Chief, you’re here. Did you finish the executive meeting well?”
“Yes, I’m here. Don’t change the subject.”
At the cold tone, Yoon Shin flinched, hesitated, and exposed his mistake himself.
“I know. I shouldn’t let my guard down until the end.”
“You brat who knows that.”
“I’ll correct it.”
“What do you keep saying you’ll correct. You’ll meet your maker at this rate. Never celebrate before a verdict. It’s bad luck. Don’t you know the industry rule?”
Seheon, looking displeased at Yoon Shin nodding vigorously, soon handed a business card to Secretary Tak. The man immediately took it, scanned the front and back, photographed it, and returned it. At that moment, Seheon’s mouth opened again.
“You, follow me in.”
Secretary Tak, who had quickly run to open his office door, stood in an awkward posture and pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“No, not Tak.”
As if saying it wasn’t him, Seheon answered flatly, then jerked his chin at Yoon Shin and added.
“Yoon Shin.”
The moment his words ended with a period, the interior became very quiet. Everyone’s bewildered gazes turned solely to Seheon, but at least it was clear that wasn’t his concern. Seheon moved his gaze, which had been fixed on Yoon Shin, to his own wristwatch, frowning slightly.
“Ah, I have a call, so come in 4 minutes. Margin of error is 10 seconds.”
This time, without even looking at Yoon Shin, he only flicked his finger arrogantly before disappearing into his office. Left in the secretariat, Yoon Shin stood rooted to the spot with a dumbfounded expression. Once Seheon’s low voice and calm footsteps disappeared, silence descended again from all directions. No one spoke. Only the continuous clacking of keyboards could be heard.
Secretary Tak, who had somehow returned to his seat and turned on a stopwatch on his phone, broke the silence while showing the time. As a bonus, he poked the flustered Yoon Shin in the side.
“Are you feeling unwell, Attorney?”
Coming to his senses belatedly, Yoon Shin asked back, just as Secretary Tak had earlier.
“Me?”
“No, Chief Kang. He called you by your name so affectionately. When did you two start doing that? I’ve never heard him call anyone like that in my life. Not even me…”
He thought carefully about how to answer, but Yoon Shin couldn’t find the right words either.
“Since when… I’m not sure. I can’t remember.”
“It’s been a while, I guess? Ah, you live in the company residence too, right? You two must have gotten really close.”
“No. Actually, this is the first time I’ve heard it too. I didn’t know he was someone who could drop the surname. I had no idea.”
As if someone had pressed the repeat button, a silence similar to when Seheon had been there settled over them. Yoon Shin, of all people, hadn’t dreamed that he would refer to him in such a way. If he had known he was someone capable of this, he would have asked for it long ago.
*Yoon Shin.*
Imagining his sweet, low voice affectionately calling his name felt like driving a car with no speed limit. He thought he understood why Seheon became weak when he called his name. Others might say it’s just a trivial form of address. But to Yoon Shin, it wasn’t. It was only speculation, but Seheon had probably never called someone like that since his sense of self had formed. Everything about him would be a first, and the fact that he was enjoying that was important. He felt like he was watching in real-time as Kang Seheon’s life, which had been incompletely burning, was reaching complete combustion. Every time he realized he was special, it was thrilling.
Yoon Shin barely suppressed the emotions surging up to his chin and swallowed them, wrapping his hand around his own nape.
At that moment, another voice shattered this sweet thought.
“Right? Amazing. What I couldn’t do in over 10 years, you did in 2. Now, 3 minutes 20 seconds.”
Along with the reply, Secretary Tak showed his phone screen and gestured toward Seheon’s room. Only then did Yoon Shin, who had been out of it, fully regain his senses. He nodded politely and walked in that direction.
After taking a deep breath, he counted to 10. Then, with a knock, he carefully turned the doorknob.
Perched on the desk while on a call, he seemed to have just finished the conversation, lowering the device. After checking his wristwatch, the gaze directed straight at him looked quite intrigued.
“You used a stopwatch? Precise. Come in.”
Once permission to enter was granted, Yoon Shin closed the door and approached him. Because of the small commotion earlier, he knew the secretariat was paying attention to this room, so he couldn’t bring himself to lock the door or lower the window blinds.
Whether Seheon knew it or not, he tilted his head slightly, scanning Yoon Shin from head to toe as if examining him. Then, perhaps finding his gait strange, he furrowed his brows minutely.
“Why are your arms and legs moving separately. Are you sick?”
“People are watching from outside.”
As if he couldn’t understand that at all, Seheon tilted his head.
“Is it your first day or something?”
“Can you… call my name?”
Despite the abrupt request, he surprisingly responded readily.
“Do Yoon Shin.”
“Not like that.”
“Do you have another name?”
“That’s not it… Never mind. I’ll bring this up again later. You had something to say, right?”
Perched on the desk, he stared at Yoon Shin for quite a while. Then he opened his mouth.
“Your name came up as an agenda item during the regular partner meeting. I put it on hold for now to ask your opinion.”
During countless meetings so far, his name must have appeared on the chopping block several times. Whenever his sister’s case wasn’t going well, it was all too easy to imagine other members pressing Seheon. He could guess that Seheon had acted as a shield for all of it. However, Seheon had never mentioned it once. For him to suddenly bring it up now was rather abrupt.
“Is it about my sister?”
“No. It’s about you. Aren’t you thinking of transferring teams soon?”
It was a topic in a category he had never imagined, so Yoon Shin was bewildered. And also deeply hurt. Saying he would send him to another team meant that his direct supervisor would no longer be Seheon. The fluctuation in his answering voice was bigger than usual.
“You’re sending me to another team?”
“The conditions are good, the timing is appropriate, and it will be a very good opportunity for your career. I think it’s a good idea.”
“Am I not doing my job well?”
“I’m saying let’s find a way for you to work more enjoyably.”
“Or do you still not like my work style? I’m trying to match you, Chief.”
“Do Yoon Shin, are you listening to me?”
“Can I actually decide on this matter? It’s not all decided yet?”
“Don’t get excited. I said I would ask your opinion. I said that just now and you seem to have forgotten.”
If this came up at the partner meeting table, it meant at least it was in a direction beneficial to the firm. So his head recognized that this wasn’t the time to be stubborn or make a fuss. But even though Seheon had said only a few words, the hurt kept growing. He hadn’t expected Seheon to insist on keeping him and protecting him. But he wished Seheon wouldn’t encourage him by calling it a good idea—yet that’s exactly what he was doing. Just moments ago, feeling like he was flying high in the sky, immersed in the idea that he was a special existence to Seheon, but now he felt like he was stuck in mud. His mood was swinging wildly.
“You know you don’t match well with the outreach team. Litigation would be much more your constitution. Our firm’s litigation attorneys are almost all former judges and prosecutors, so they’d match your temperament too. The more I think about it, the more I judge that being my associate isn’t exactly the right fit for you.”
“It sounds like an excuse.”
“Fine. I’ll be more honest. I don’t want you becoming like me, and I’m annoyed by that, and I hate having to tiptoe around because of it. We’re too different. Let’s acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged. Don’t copy me.”
“…….”
“Come here.”
Unable to readily continue speaking or approach as requested, Yoon Shin’s wrist was subtly grabbed by Seheon. Pulled as if to draw him near, Yoon Shin followed helplessly. Seen from up close, his gaze was quite desperate.
“Even if you transfer teams, it’s impossible to only do nice things for others. You have to constantly prove that you’re a useful attorney to Doguk. Still, I said it’s a good idea because it’s something you can do well and feel rewarded doing. Now is the perfect time, with other partners pushing your back saying you’ll make money.”
He seemed insistent on persuading him. His tone and voice were much gentler than usual, so Yoon Shin’s heart melted quickly. As if knowing that, Seheon pulled an envelope from atop the desk. He took out a photo from inside. It was a celebrity couple famous enough that almost anyone would recognize their faces. Blankly accepting it, Yoon Shin stared down at the two people looking intimate in the photo, then asked.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Watching from the side, you seemed to have developed an interest in this field. Was I wrong?”
Hearing that much, Yoon Shin roughly understood what Seheon was ultimately trying to say.
“Is this couple divorcing?”
“So they say. The client chose you from among Doguk’s many attorneys. Probably because you’ve gained some recognition thanks to your sister and wants to exploit that. I agree too. It’ll especially sell well to the media. If it leads to a win, your stock will rise too.”
If until now he had worked as a direct subordinate under partner Seheon, going forward he would be establishing his name as a specialized attorney within the firm. Ultimately, his proposal did mean separating from each other. While he knew Seheon hadn’t been entirely comfortable working with him either, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. The single consolation was that Seheon must have made this judgment because he wanted to maintain their relationship longer.
“But if I become part of another team…”
“I know what you’re worried about, but you can keep using that room. I prefer having you there too. When I look up, I can see well what you’re doing.”
Since this was the one thing he had desperately wanted to be greedy about, he felt relieved that Seheon said it was okay.
“Should I transfer to the family law team?”
“If you decide to do so.”
“Really, I can keep the room as is?”
“Use it until you become a partner.”
He seemed to have seen accurately. While handling his sister’s case, he had developed an interest in divorce litigation itself. Moreover, the cases Seheon took on were mainly high-stakes consultations where large sums of money moved, carrying high risk, and consequently many people got hurt. Since he usually won, Yoon Shin had always ended up as a co-perpetrator hurting others. Seheon seemed to have sensed that he was troubled by this.
Letting out a low sigh, Yoon Shin made a slightly tearful face and grabbed his sleeve. But afraid someone might be observing from outside the window, he couldn’t do more and quickly let go of the fabric. Since he was facing away, his back wasn’t visible, making him more anxious. Yoon Shin simply cast his eyes intently, then soon accepted his request.
“I will. It seems like a situation I can’t refuse anyway, so I should at least listen well.”
“Good decision.”
“But which side is my client? I like this actor too. Is it this person?”
Trying to lighten the mood, he pointed to the female actress’s face in the photo with his hand, and Seheon narrowed his eyes, giving him a look. The gentle face from moments ago flashed with a neurotic sign.
“What are you doing?”
Startled, Yoon Shin immediately protested.
“Celebrities are just celebrities. Pure fan feelings…”
“Really? If you say so.”
His meaningful tone, responding like a prompt, precisely struck his ears. He seemed upset somehow, so Yoon Shin naturally tried putting himself in his shoes. Somehow, if Seheon launched a similar attack, he felt he would be shaken much more. It wasn’t easy to imagine him liking an actor or singer. But if by chance he took a liking to someone, Seheon would somehow claim that target. The image of his own face upon hearing Seheon say he liked someone drew as clearly as a photograph.
In the end, Yoon Shin immediately declared surrender.
“Let’s pretend it never happened. Please forget it. It was just lip service or something.”
“Why, keep liking her. Our client is the woman. Good for you. The goalpost is empty.”
“I won’t. Really. So to Attorney, it should only be me.”
“…….”
“Answer quickly. Chief, you’re unnecessarily too handsome, so it’s unsettling.”
Seheon’s expression, casting a languid gaze, filled Yoon Shin’s field of vision. Then, perhaps half-joking, he soon burst into a laugh. His calm voice followed.
“What does it mean that they chose you directly from my side?”
His question wasn’t that difficult to answer.
“They probably want to exploit the fact that I’m the sister’s brother. The couple’s situation is similar, or they want to draw attention.”
As if indicating it was the correct answer, Seheon extended his hand and stroked Yoon Shin’s wrist. His long, straight fingers slowly descended, brushing precariously between the valleys. As Yoon Shin reflexively tried to look back, Seheon, facing the window straight-on, subtly signaled through their touching skin that this much was fine. Fortunately, no one seemed to be looking directly this way.
“Should I receive the materials through Secretary Tak?”
“Yes. If you’re going to keep using that room, you can continue sharing work with Tak from now on. He’s an all-rounder.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I know.”
“I haven’t even started yet, how do you know?”
“Because I’ve had you work. For your sister’s lawsuit too, I only lent my name while you prepared everything. You have a head for work, you’re diligent, and you have a sense of responsibility. I’m reluctant to send you away too. I mean it.”
Hearing Seheon’s sincerity in person always made his heart flutter. Yoon Shin, his lips moving, hesitated before finally responding with a flushed red blush on his cheeks.
“I love you too.”
At that, Seheon immediately released his hand and playfully scrunched up his face.
“You’re using an assistant in strange ways. I didn’t say it like that.”
“Wow, how do you dodge that here? Coward. Are you a man?”
“I think so. You should know well.”
He glanced at Yoon Shin’s chest with a nod, then met his gaze clearly. Flustered, Yoon Shin briefly didn’t know what to do, so Seheon added nonchalantly.
“Anything more to say? If not, get out. I’m done saying what I needed to say.”
“L-like this?”
“Should I do more?”
Despite having discussed the weighty matter of transferring teams, he was sending him away so easily that Yoon Shin felt hurt. Taking a large step backward in rebellious spirit, he walked out with his feelings unhidden, then suddenly turned around. Staring at him with a dumbfounded expression, Seheon only slightly raised an eyebrow before returning to his original position and preparing to start his own work. When Yoon Shin got choked up and tried to approach again, this time he glanced at him as if to say, “Aren’t you leaving?”
Yoon Shin bit his lower lip and grabbed the doorknob.
“Yes, work hard and get rich.”
“I’ll buy you lots of delicious food.”
“Forget it. I earn money too. Since you’re at it, why don’t you do work and sex too. Why do you do that with me?”
Yoon Shin flung the door open and quickly left the office.
Bang! As the door closed, an empty space was immediately created in the wide room.
Seheon, who had been pretending to focus on documents, turned his gaze from them and quietly stared at the spot where Yoon Shin had stood. He then spun the long pen barrel he had been holding between his fingers. The dancing barrel soon fixed horizontally across his straight fingers. With a flick, he set it down as if throwing it. Seheon’s elegant face softened and collapsed.
Soon, a lazy yet calm smile hung at the corners of his mouth as he burst into a laugh.
* * *
Just a few years ago, divorce had been nothing more than a legal procedure to Yoon Shin. But after experiencing various things, his thoughts had changed somewhat. Marital breakdown was an end, but on the other hand, it was also another beginning. He had developed an interest in helping with this process. Compared to other laws, it was a field where black and white weren’t clear, and since he had been strongly vaccinated by his sister’s case, he felt he could do better next time.
Perhaps Seheon had noticed that and created this opportunity.
After reviewing materials sent by the client late into the night, Yoon Shin stepped back from the office whiteboard and stood, taking in the overall picture of the summarized contents. Roughly organizing the situation, it seemed likely to go to trial rather than end in mediation like his sister’s case.
“A marriage breakdown has occurred, but the husband doesn’t want a divorce… The wife is willing to go to trial. The main reason is the husband’s delusional jealousy, I suppose. But there’s no diagnosis record for this.”
Staring blankly at the whiteboard, Yoon Shin reached out his hand. He steadily wrote down immediately necessary things in the empty spaces with a marker.
“The husband’s event attendance list for the past year… Witnesses who can testify about psychological abuse behavior. Card usage records for both, communication records…”
Picking up one of the stacked documents, Yoon Shin took in the letters. The couple’s communication records had been queried, but the manager’s—who had an extremely close relationship with the husband—were not. Since a well-known actor would find it difficult to move personally, it was most likely this route was utilized when investigating the wife. If they dusted off the agency side, something would probably come out.
“The agency’s expense processing records too. Okay. That should do it.”
Tap. Setting down the marker, Yoon Shin picked up the in