Outside the window, darkness had settled. Having only just left work at the break of dawn, Yoon Shin didn't drag his weary body toward the comfort of his own home, but to the 24-hour café on the first floor of his apartment building.
He set before himself an Americano bitter enough to jolt him awake, along with a few donuts he'd ordered to round out the purchase, and studied the pro bono case that Seheon had personally handed him. For two days straight, he had devoted himself entirely to interpreting this case. Yet the more he read the documents, the deeper the shadows gathered at the corners of Yoon Shin's eyes.
The case had been triggered by a conflict between the CEO of a mid-sized company and a manager. A married female manager had pressed charges against the male CEO, claiming he had sexually harassed her, but the evidence was so insufficient that the case had ended in a non-indictment disposition. Every document submitted had been inadequate—except for the victim's testimony. With the situation wrapped up so sloppily, this time the CEO's side had counter-sued the manager on charges of false accusation.
*He must have had an ulterior motive. Why did he give this case to me?*
Kang Seheon had definitely told him to work in his own way, that he would only give him tasks he could handle. It hadn't been simply assigning homework; he had been advising him on the overall direction he should take from now on, so those words must have reflected his true feelings.
However, as he continued poring over the investigation records of this case, he felt that if he tried to solve the problem according to his own logic, he would never find the answer. He had reviewed all the documents, gone over them again and again, but it was the same. There was simply no crime for which the man accused by the woman deserved to be punished.
Moreover, false accusation was a charge quite difficult to prove, yet the CEO's side had deliberately filed a counter-suit. They must have solid evidence proving that the woman's accusation was 'intentional' and based on 'false facts.' If he made even the slightest misstep, his client could be driven into a corner and suffer even greater wounds.
"CCTV footage, text messages, colleague testimonies, messenger conversations... how did nothing stick?"
Of course, unlike other crimes, in sexual offense cases, there were instances where the perpetrator was punished even without physical evidence, provided the victim's statement was consistent and detailed. But this case was slightly different. The statements of everyone except the victim were also consistent. In particular, the testimonies of the person identified as the perpetrator and the witnesses matched.
At this point, even Yoon Shin began to suspect that the woman might have falsely accused an innocent CEO. However, as someone who had to believe his client's words, he tried hard to shake off such thoughts. But that was as far as it went. With insufficient evidence, how could he prove that his client's claim was true? A breakthrough was still nowhere in sight.
*What would Kang Seheon do at a time like this? What method would you use to save the client?*
As soon as his thoughts reached that point, a very compelling hypothesis rose in Yoon Shin's mind.
"Is this a second test?"
If the intention was to observe how he worked after entering the firm, then the puzzle pieces roughly fit. Yoon Shin, who had been leaning over the paper as if to press his face into it while underlining, clicked his pen down loudly. Then he surveyed his surroundings with a troubled expression.
The seat Yoon Shin occupied was the café's most secluded corner, a bar-type table with a large glass window facing outside. His hips lifted slightly from the stool for a moment as he looked out the window without much thought. It was because he saw someone with a familiar appearance passing right before his eyes.
"Uh... Attorney Kang?"
It was Seheon.
Outside the window, he was dressed casually. The black sweatshirt wrapping his solid upper body and the jeans revealing the straight lines of his long, stretched-out legs suited him surprisingly well. Paired with clean white sneakers on his feet. Everything was neat, as if revealing his tastes. It seemed the snake in a suit had temporarily shed its skin.
Until recently, they never ran into each other even by chance, no matter what; yet this time, the timing had somehow aligned, making his timely appearance quite astonishing. Yoon Shin sprang up from his seat and tapped on the window.
Perhaps sensing the presence, he stopped his plodding walk and glanced over. Since he was staring blankly, Yoon Shin expected him to signal him to come out, or to come in himself, or at least approach the window—his expectations had apparently been too high.
"A-Attorney?"
Seheon merely sent an indifferent gaze, then immediately began to walk on his way again as if he hadn't seen a single hair on Yoon Shin's head from the start. Yoon Shin tapped on the window again sharply, but this time there was no sign of him stopping and turning back.
"That ill-fated bastard. He really doesn't have a single cute side."
Quickly gathering his materials, Yoon Shin placed his cup and plates on the tray and left them at the pickup counter. Then he ran with all his might, determined not to lose Seheon. After running some distance in the direction he'd gone, he fortunately spotted his retreating figure walking alone down a dark path.
Panting for breath as he slowed his pace, Yoon Shin walked alongside Seheon.
"Huff, hah, Chief. Nice, nice weather. Ha...."
"Did you clean up properly? You came out faster than I thought."
"I moved as quickly as possible."
"Maintain your dignity well. If you damage the firm's image outside, I'll cut your salary."
As Yoon Shin smiled lightly as if to say there was no need to worry about that, Seheon, who had been looking only ahead until then, finally turned his head. He glanced at the face smiling innocently, then furrowed his brows as if something displeased him.
In the meantime, Yoon Shin, whose breathing had somewhat steadied, carefully asked a question as he examined Seheon's unusual attire.
"But where are you going on foot at this hour without a car?"
"A walk."
"I suppose you're the type who thinks while walking. I am too. But the park near my place is that way, not this way."
When Yoon Shin pointed to the perimeter road on the right, Seheon raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Wouldn't I know that better, having lived in this neighborhood much longer?"
As if to say, *I know what I'm doing,* he stepped further to the left after answering. There was a roadside running alongside an elementary school in that direction, and since there was no way children would be on the street at this late hour, and all the shops were closed, a strangely serene atmosphere prevailed. It seemed he preferred this road, which grew especially desolate at night and had relatively few people.
Perhaps because of the drowsy atmosphere, the two walking side by side were silent for a while. Just as the heavy silence grew uncomfortable and Yoon Shin was about to open his mouth again, unexpectedly, Seheon continued speaking.
"Why are you following me? Just say what you need and go. You're interfering with my thinking."
"I'll walk with you for just a bit. For now. I have something to confess."
"I'm an extremely skilled lawyer. Keep that in mind when you speak."
"Yesterday, I took out a novel from your bookshelf. Something's been bothering me."
"You've gone mad. Death penalty."
Startled by him handing down a verdict without hearing the circumstances, Yoon Shin reached for Seheon's sleeve. But he reflexively withdrew his hand before making contact and instead voiced his flustered feelings.
"Won't you even ask what it was?"
"Whatever you saw in my room is none of your business. Don't ever do that again."
"But that book—"
"I said it doesn't exist. Don't you understand what that means?"
"You're telling me to drop this subject?"
"At least you have a brain."
But Yoon Shin's conviction was already solidifying. At the very least, Seheon had newly opened *Great Expectations* because of him. By sheer coincidence, a bookmark had been placed in the very section Yoon Shin had quoted in the courtroom; whether he wanted it or not, it had been an inevitable result. Yoon Shin briefly debated whether to say as much or not. But since Seheon seemed to roughly grasp the context from Yoon Shin's mention of seeing a novel in that room alone, he held his tongue.
After hesitating, Yoon Shin found a suitable topic and changed the subject.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
He replied irritably, as if it were absurd.
"What does it have to do with you?"
"It doesn't. Still, we should at least share that much of our personal lives so we can be considerate of each other when working... Ah, I don't have one."
"Good for me. I hate seeing other people needlessly happy."
As if he'd expected as much, Yoon Shin smirked inwardly. It wasn't as if Seheon had read his inner thoughts, yet the words he added were deeply meaningful.
"Your happiness is the most unpleasant of all."
"Why? You don't even know me well."
"Exactly. I want to know the reason too. Why I react so sensitively only to you."
"Well, I'm glad there's a part where I can help you."
Suddenly, Seheon stopped walking and stared intently down at Yoon Shin's eyes at an angle. As had been the case with all their interactions thus far, he didn't look angry. There was no sign of reproach either. However, an inexplicable curiosity could be felt to some degree, which left Yoon Shin slightly flustered.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Is it because you're a young master with nothing to lose, or are you just naturally that bold? Aren't you afraid of me? Why do you keep pushing like this. I've never met a bastard like you before, so I'm genuinely curious."
"Neither seems quite right, but if I had to choose, probably the former. The influence of the former likely forged the latter."
From a young age, Yoon Shin had wanted for nothing. His mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to him, so he occasionally felt her absence, but it was only an extremely small part of his life. Rather, thanks to his sister raising him attentively, he had never experienced loneliness. He had also always been able to respect his prestigious father, and since his mother had left behind some inheritance, he had never known economic hardship. Moreover, because of his thoughtful personality and inferiority complex-free temperament, there were always many people around him. Whether because he had inherited decent genes, he was bright, and his appearance was above average. In a similar yet different sense from Seheon, he had rarely known the feeling of defeat. Thus, he had lived without watching others' moods. Yoon Shin's reason for looking after the weak and pursuing justice also lay along that same extension.
And he had instinctively felt that Seheon perceived such a self as a self-righteous projection and found it rather disagreeable.
"Every time I see you, you're strangely good at reading the room. Disgustingly so."
"Still, I do watch your cues. I'm curious about what kind of person you are. I want to get closer."
"Get closer? Is this what you do to get close to someone? Interrupting a walk? Forcing small talk?"
Since it was a question he hadn't anticipated, Yoon Shin deliberated even more carefully before answering.
"Rather than this, I'd probably start a conversation by asking which school you went to, where you live, what your parents do."
Yoon Shin closed his mouth and glanced at Seheon as he waited for an answer. But Seheon, who had been responding readily to his words, fell silent with his lips calmly closed. Wondering if he had made some mistake, Yoon Shin went over what he had just said one by one and gulped dryly. The fact that Seheon had not had parents since he was young belatedly dawned on him, leaving him at a loss.
"Ah... umm. What I meant was..."
Seeing his quite flustered appearance, Seheon seemed to have faithfully read between the lines. Even the indirect information that he roughly knew about Seheon's childhood.
"This is why we can't get close. Just do your work properly."
In fact, he had first attempted to start a personal conversation by asking about a girlfriend a moment ago and failed. So this had been his next best alternative. Because he knew that Seheon had gone to the same school, now lived in the same building, and had a connection with his father. He had expected that upon hearing his answer, Seheon would naturally bring up their professor's name, leading to a more in-depth conversation. But he realized it might have been a mistake from a certain perspective. Yoon Shin immediately acknowledged this.
"I was rude. It's just that my father is one of the few common topics between us. I wanted to talk more with you, Chief."
His steps, which had been widening nervously, halted abruptly. Naturally, Yoon Shin also stopped short.
The spot where the two stood was around a fairly dark alley corner. There was not a single streetlamp.
Seheon seemed to enjoy cornering his opponent both physically and psychologically. Without laying a single fingertip on him, he pushed Yoon Shin toward the hard wall merely by shifting his steps. Feeling impatient, Yoon Shin's slender body retreated on its own and collided with the wall with a thud. At that moment, Seheon stood stock-still before him like a shadow.
Soon, just as he had done once before, he firmly gripped Yoon Shin's chin and tilted his own head slightly. In the darkness, with a persistent gaze as if determined to observe his opponent by any means, he slowly scanned his smooth face. Yoon Shin's Adam's apple bobbed in distress.
Before long, the way Seheon's red lips slowly parted was quite... evocative.
"So, what you're saying is that you've found a common denominator between us and are pestering me with it?"
It wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't quite right either.
"Isn't there a more euphemistic expression? Others might take it strangely if they heard."
As he answered, Yoon Shin involuntarily recalled the doubt he had been turning over in his mind these days. Seheon hadn't given any particular sign, yet for some reason his thoughts had kept flowing in that direction, so he had wanted to address it at least once.
Yoon Shin, who until a few months ago would never have imagined asking such a question before him, opened his mouth while brushing his slightly flushed cheek with the back of his hand.
"Chief, could it be that you're interested in me?"
At that, the dumbfounded Seheon burst into a hollow laugh.
"You're the one who caught up to me and got clingy."
Yoon Shin tilted his head and humbly accepted that there was no flaw in his words. It was Yoon Shin himself who, not content with just catching Seheon who pretended not to know him and walked away, followed and interrupted his private time. He didn't particularly like him, yet strangely he kept chasing after him.
"But you're the one who created this angle. I've only seen this posture in movies."
"Does me standing at this angle look like the substantive review of a warrant claiming I'm interested in you? I hate owing debts. What massive invoice would I get from Suhan Group if I touched you? I'm not interested."
"Then why do you keep grabbing my face and examining my features?"
"It's just that when I see you, I feel like observing you here and there. That's all."
That was precisely what was strange. It was truly bizarre that an atmosphere of rather feverish temperature sometimes flowed between two people who weren't exactly amicable toward each other.
But since even Seheon himself didn't seem to have found the exact reason, Yoon Shin also gave up digging. The dawn air felt somewhat warming, so roughing it out was the best course.
"I understand, I won't misunderstand. I asked just in case."
With his face stiffened expressionlessly, he stared fixedly at Yoon Shin's pale face. As his seemingly about-to-touch gaze continued to rest upon him, Yoon Shin, who had been trying to calm his heart, grew tense again.
It was precisely because of moments like these. The confusion kept coming because he kept acting this way toward Yoon Shin despite appearing to have no interest in those around him. Though he had quietly observed Seheon for two months at the firm, Seheon didn't act this way toward anyone else. That was why he was more nervous, and more self-conscious. It was all his fault.
He admitted that reacting particularly sensitively to Yoon Shin was true, yet said he wasn't particularly interested, so Yoon Shin had no choice but to accept it. Honestly, it was better for him if that were the case.
"Um, Attorney Kang."
He didn't answer. Instead, he leisurely backed away as if sweeping aside a shadow before Yoon Shin, then moved his long, straight legs again. Yoon Shin, whose tension had finally eased, also chased after him again. They walked side by side down the dark alley, maintaining a distance ever so slightly wider than before.
"Um, about the case you gave me today. This is a second test, right?"
"Something like that. You've never handled a sexual offense case before."
"Yes, it's my first time."
"Taking you formally into my team is one thing, but before I put you to use, I need to see which areas I can optimize and utilize, and where I should station you. Solve it however you want to. What you take most meticulous care of, how you conduct client interviews, how you formulate strategies. I'm trying to see the basics."
"That's what I wanted to say. May I consult with you? More than anything, I want to know how you work, Chief."
He cast a displeased gaze at Yoon Shin as if he couldn't believe he was saying such things.
"Do you know how much I charge per ten minutes for consultation? Get approval first, then ask."
*His personality is foul and even petty.*
Yoon Shin, who had been quietly glaring at Seheon with narrowed eyes, lowered his gaze. As he quietly observed the sharply defined bridge of his nose and the lips beneath it, it occurred to him that if Seheon truly hated this conversation, he would have sent him away already. Because he was in a position to do so.
Emboldened, Yoon Shin asked insinuatingly.
"Looking at the case materials, the evidence is definitely insufficient. Moreover, the bystanders' testimonies all match perfectly. I learned that in sexual offense accusations, evidence and witnesses are more important than anything. The accused seems to have faithfully followed that rule in his defense."
"Exactly. The majority spoke consistently and accurately, saying the same things, while only your client said something different."
"Yes. Everything is thoroughly unfavorable to our client. To the point that the lawyer who wrote the complaint just to make money looks like a thug. Honestly, I wonder if this is even a viable case. I think it might be better to seek a settlement now, if only to minimize the risk."
A non-indictment disposition meant the prosecutor couldn't find grounds to press charges. The investigative agency had failed to prove at all that the harassment had occurred. But even with matters having come to this point, his client still repeatedly insisted that it was unjust.
"Is there even a single piece of credible evidence?"
"Well, the manager's side consistently claims that it was indeed sexual harassment. And there are records of her visiting a psychiatrist for counseling every time she returned from a business trip with him. She provided her medical records too. But since these are merely counseling sessions, they could conversely be used to prove malicious intent—that she deliberately sought false counseling to settle a grudge, big or small, against the CEO."
Seheon exhaled lowly as if in agreement.
"That's why not only the investigative agency, but also the lawyer who represented that woman, couldn't trust my client."
"The victim is the only one saying different things, and there's no clear evidence to prove it. Nothing at all."
"You believe all official documents? You trust the conclusions reached by administrative organizations more than your client's claims."
"But the investigation has already been conducted... If we think this is wrong, a lawyer can't do anything. You know that."
"No. Sometimes a lawyer can do more than the prosecution or police."
Yoon Shin stopped walking and stared blankly at Seheon. Surprisingly, he stopped with him. Leaning his body against a building wall, Seheon stood crookedly and waited for Yoon Shin's next words. Professional seriousness dwelt in both their eyes. Yoon Shin now roughly understood why this case had landed in his hands. It wasn't simply that they wanted him to defend against the false accusation charges.
"Do you perhaps want me to flip this case? It's disadvantageous no matter who looks at it."
"So if you show me a winning performance, your life at the firm will become about 0.1% smoother from now on."
"My heart burns with wanting to believe my client too, but what can we do when the courtroom only speaks with evidence? Anyone can see she's clinging to the wrong person. I'm the one who wants to find something, anything."
While society has implicit rules and moral exceptions, in law everything is evidence. She was merely making claims without clearly proving anything. On the other hand, the CEO's side, which had launched the counterattack of false accusation, must have secured at least some evidence showing that the manager harbored a grudge.
Yoon Shin pressed his lips together, lost in thought.
It was then. While Yoon Shin was lost in thought, he suddenly stepped forward. Then, as if he had stubbed his toe, he staggered slightly. As if trying to catch his balance, he