After the weekend, the first thing Seheon did when he arrived at work was power on his laptop. Right after requesting a cup of coffee from Secretary Tak and pulling documents from his bag, he was confronted with a screen different from usual.
A sensor for entry and exit was installed in his room. If someone entered while he was away from the company, the camera immediately turned to film the interior. It was an environment where any employee could break into the office if they set their mind to it, so the law firm had instituted this internal policy to reduce the risk of information leakage held by the partners.
He wasn't careless enough to leave truly important information in the office, but still, there was always the one-in-a-million chance. Since basic cleaning and organizing had to be done, it was impossible to control everyone, so it had been installed as a matter of routine under the pretext of guarding against intrusion by strangers. And most people in the firm knew this fact. It was because the other partners had all done the same with their consent.
'Three in the morning?'
There were two notifications at the bottom right of the screen. Usually, since the cleaners cleaned the place around 6 a.m., it was normal for exactly one notification to appear around that time daily. But today was different. While his card key was not inserted, someone else—another person—had come and gone.
This was the first time since last year, when an employee who had left cleaning tools inside came back in and left again. Seheon quickly accessed the internal program and played the footage from around 3 a.m.
Even in the darkness, a form was visible, albeit faintly.
It was Yunshin.
He let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
"Look at this punk."
Yunshin entered the room with a determined air and turned on a flashlight. Then he began looking around everywhere in the room earnestly. As if searching for something. Wondering, Seheon turned up the volume, and sounds of footsteps and muttering reached him as well.
- This place is strangely lonely. Does the room resemble its owner?
While he furrowed his brow at the absurdity, Yunshin, cradling a thread of light in the darkness, approached the desk and looked over the desk calendar. And that wasn't all. He shone the light toward his own room, reached his hand over it, and made shadows on the wall, appearing to spend a very pleasant time.
"Is this a playground? I let it slide, and he doesn't know when to stop."
Grit. Just as Seheon, grinding his teeth, pressed the intercom button to summon Secretary Tak immediately—
Yunshin's troubled voice followed, making him hesitate.
- I mean, I have to find some kind of weakness so I can at least grab onto that and beg him to please help me.
As he stared at the screen, the intruder who had barged into his office without warning pulled out some documents from the desk, but within a few minutes, tidied the surroundings and went outside. Seheon, his brow deeply furrowed, stared intently at the short footage that had already ended. A complex glint flashed across his coldly chilled eyes.
Do Yunshin wasn't a fool; he ought to know well that Seheon wouldn't leave anything important enough to be worth the risk of breaking in to steal. Nevertheless, the fact that he had come in and looked around meant that either he had a reason to do so despite knowing it didn't make logical sense, or he had some desperate need based on that.
'Help me... with what.'
Tap, tap. While drumming on the desk and chewing over the words recorded in the video, the scene of Yunshin crying that he had seen near his home a few days ago replayed in his mind like a panorama.
Seheon raised the blinds of the hallway-side window, which had been drawn all the way down. Then Yunshin's figure appeared right across the large window. With a receiver in one ear and a cellphone in the other, he looked extremely busy, moving his hands wildly as he talked.
Then he soon put down one receiver and poured his energy into the phone call. Perhaps the conversation wasn't going well, as he half-rose from his seat and continued speaking, then, seeming to discover Seheon watching from across, politely bowed his head. Seheon did not respond but merely watched Yunshin.
Yunshin smiled awkwardly, looking a bit flustered. He clearly had something on his conscience. It was a natural reaction, as he wasn't someone who lied much. Seheon, well aware of that, continued to do nothing but stare intently at him.
"You must feel guilty. Because you've committed a sin."
The voice leaked through his slowly parted lips but could not reach Yunshin. Seeing him tilt his head as if asking 'What?' after reading his lip movements, Seheon soon shook his head. Then, as if telling Yunshin—who seemed confused about whether to focus on this side or concentrate on his call—to get back to work, he gestured and slammed the blinds shut again.
As his view was cut off, Seheon's gaze flowed down like a stream toward the statue of the goddess Dike on his desk.
"What am I going to do with this."
There were two things he could do right now.
"Left: pretend not to know and let it slide for now. Right: expose it to the world and crush him."
He chewed on his lip, placing his fingertip on the moving scale held in one hand of the Dike statue. Then, as if leaving the choice to the goddess, he pushed the round object with a light shove.
Creak, creak. Like a spinning top whipped by a lash, the model swayed vigorously left and right. As if gauging which side weighed more, it went back and forth several times. Then, just when it seemed to settle, it soon ran out of stamina and stopped after moving a few more times. Moreover, it happened to tilt further to the right side of the goddess. Seeing its position, he furrowed his brows slightly.
"Crush him."
With an inscrutable expression, he gave it one more chance, nudging it a little harder this time.
Creak, creak. The scale moved again, emitting sharp sounds, and slowly stopped its motion. Yet once more, the model stopped a little to the right of the more tilted goddess statue. Seheon watched the scale with a complicated expression, then extended a long finger and tapped it again.
"The gods aren't on your side, Do Yunshin."
He instinctively felt that continually discovering the sides of Yunshin that Yunshin wished to hide was not something he could simply overlook. He also sensed signs that his own affairs would get tangled if he meddled carelessly. This was not a mere feeling, but a cold judgment based on a sense of reality.
So the problem wasn't Yunshin, but on his own side, where he held the choice. He could just ignore everything as he had always done to others, but it wasn't easy.
What was the reason his eyes kept drifting to him?
What was so special?
While Seheon was furrowing his brow, a knock sounded from outside.
"It's open."
Creak. The door opened carefully simultaneously with his response. Without even looking toward the door, Seheon continued speaking.
"Go down to the infirmary and get me some headache medicine. My head's been throbbing a lot lately."
"Does your head hurt?"
He had assumed the visitor was Secretary Tak, but it wasn't. Yunshin, having apparently finished his call at some point, stood holding the coffee that had been requested of Secretary Tak. Leaning back comfortably against his chair, Seheon quietly looked at Yunshin standing in the doorway. At that, the other man shrugged.
"Um, may I come in for a moment?"
"Since when do you enter my room with permission?"
At the loaded tone, Yunshin seemed flustered and his cheeks flushed slightly. He looked ashamed, and also somewhat apologetic.
Presumably, the honest-natured Yunshin seemed to want to apologize for what had happened at 3 a.m. last Saturday in his room. However, with Seheon sending a cold gaze, he hesitated to bring it up readily, his lips moving slightly. It was understandable. Entering an empty room without permission and spending some time there was a very rude act. And Seheon was not so merciful.
His voice, cold as ice, pierced Yunshin.
"Is it about work?"
"Ah, no, it's not."
"Then put that down and leave."
Despite the command, Yunshin showed no sign of moving. Instead, he faltered over his words.
"Um, Chief."
Seheon cut him off immediately. The end of his voice cracked slightly.
"I said put it down and leave. I'm not in a state to listen right now. I'm tired, and seeing you annoys me."
Upon hearing those words, the pallor of his face subtly changed to worry. When it reached Seheon, it converted into a tactile sensation, making his skin tingle.
Those honest eyes would one day return as shackles binding his own ankles.
Such an instinctive sense surged within him.
"Does your head hurt a lot? Shall I go down to the infirmary and get you medicine? Or perhaps you should get an IV drip."
The cause of his headache was Yunshin. It's just that there was no prescription for it.
"Are you going to make me say the same thing three times? Every man for himself. Don't be a bother."
Reacting sensitively, Yunshin finally approached the desk quickly and set the coffee down in front of him. Soon after, he left the office, his demeanor polite. Before closing the door, he glanced back once, seemingly worried, but Seheon's attitude was so unyielding that it ended there.
Click. After the door closed and he was alone again, Seheon stared blankly at the disposable cup Yunshin had left behind, lost in thought. His severe eyes, which looked almost somewhat dogmatic, fixed precisely on it. His expression was not good.
There had always been a logical structure in his life. Nothing ever deviated from it. Having had nothing since childhood, he had to figure out on his own how to survive in the jungle. After tasting a proper victory once, the thrill of it made him research ways to win and rise here desperately. Everything had a beginning, an end, a cause, and a result.
But whenever he got entangled with Yunshin, he felt those structures blur.
It had been that way from the start. For no special reason, Yunshin had grated on Seheon's nerves. In that whirl, he occasionally found himself doing things he'd never done before. He had accepted the other person into his domain as if glossing it over, and now he was even worrying about someone else, something he'd never done even once.
Staring intently at the Dike statue's scale, Seheon raised his index finger. Then he touched the scale.
Creak, creak.
The unpleasant metallic sound rang out several times. And this time, the scale model finally stopped dissipating its kinetic energy slightly to the left of the goddess statue.
"Pretend not to know and let it slide for now...."
Soon, he flicked the blade tip on the opposite side of the goddess statue with a tap, and only then, as if satisfied, spread his documents wide open.
* * *
Through the window of Law Firm Conference Room A, Yunshin could be seen talking with a guest. The guest seemed to be a lawyer belonging to a corporate legal team. Perhaps because of that lawyer's mysteriously flushed and blue complexion, even without being able to hear the inside from outside, the rather ominous atmosphere inside was vividly felt even externally.
Yunshin, only the back of his head visible, was the exact opposite of the other party's attitude. Sitting in a composed manner, he presented various materials and continued to persuade tenaciously.
Seheon, sitting astride an outer table, was meticulously observing all of this.
Judging by how he threw himself into everything with full effort, his stamina was certainly there, and having watched him, he wasn't stupid either. There were frustrating parts, but that was merely a difference in style, and he was quick on the uptake, so it seemed he would do well if taught properly.
'Shall I start using him?'
It was then, while he continued watching Yunshin with his arms crossed in a contemplative attitude.
Swish. He sensed a presence at his elbow. Glancing back, Secretary Tak was holding out a mug of warm coffee. Seheon took it and savored the aroma and taste calmly.
"I wondered what you were suddenly out here looking at. Is it Attorney Do?"
"Not the fourth-year. I'm watching a fourth-year's negotiation."
"How much is that information you gave Attorney Do worth, exactly?"
"You'll get hurt if you know."
"It must be incredibly expensive."
"Well, drop it. How much did that lawyer bring?"
Secretary Tak, having taken a seat right beside him, replied diligently.
"I don't know the exact amount yet. But from what I heard when I briefly went in to serve tea earlier, it seems to be in the tens of millions of won. Consolation money, the victim's living expenses for the past few months, employment preparation expenses for the next half-year, and what you might call a bit of hush money. A public apology and withdrawing the lawsuit are separate."
He listened to Secretary Tak in silence, drinking his tea, then soon narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Yunshin's pale cheek, visible in a glimpse.
"Tens of millions... It looked like quite a strong case with jabs everywhere; if he brought that amount knowing that, it means he looked down on a fourth-year very much."
"Rumors that we've recruited an in-law of the Suhan Group have spread throughout the industry. They seem to have judged that he's a parachute hire, so he must be incompetent."
Having been treated that way, his pride must have been badly bruised, but unexpectedly, Yunshin was dealing with the opponent very calmly. Seheon's gaze subtly changed to one of interest, as if watching an exciting sports match.
"Let's see how far he can jump."
"How far are you thinking, Chief?"
"Well. Since there's no set standard for settlement money, it depends on the attorney's acceptance. If the fourth-year reverses the client's life but settles modestly within the tens of millions that lawyer brought, don't report separately to me and send him to the litigation team. And slap a failing grade tag on him too."
"What's the passing threshold?"
"Ten times."
Secretary Tak twisted his body slightly sideways and smiled lightly.
"So this was the final test. How much would you have gotten, if you were the attorney?"
"I haven't calculated it either, so I don't know. If I'd gone into that room, I would've bullied them into a few billion won?"
Feeling Secretary Tak stirring beside him in great surprise at this answer, Seheon sensed his movement.
"What are you doing, acting frivolously."
"What on earth did you give him? Even their initial offer is an unusually huge amount compared to the average settlement for similar crimes."
He shrugged instead of answering.
"Wow... I thought it was simple pro bono, but it was quite a big case. No wonder Attorney Gang said out of nowhere that you'd take all the pro bono. You'd been holding onto that information since long ago, right? The suspect was someone you knew. Right."
"I picked it up by chance a few years ago while helping Chief Song prepare for litigation. I thought it was a completely disposable card back then, but I didn't know I'd use it like this. It's late, but it'll be worth the money."
Secretary Tak nodded as if to say 'I thought so,' then blurted something out of nowhere.
"Still, isn't Attorney Do exceeding expectations?"
"I don't know what you mean. I have no memory of meeting anyone who exceeded my expectations in my life."
"He took what you gave him and digested it well. Honestly, I thought he'd be a very stubborn type at first, but I was surprised he was so flexible. He's really using it. The secretariat even made bets. That he'd never be able to do it, setting up the lofty pride of a human rights lawyer, or that he could."
"Did you bet?"
"It looks like I'm going to win it all."
His gaze, which had seemed directed at Secretary Tak for a moment, soon fixed on Yunshin beyond the conference room again. Secretary Tak, carefully observing Seheon's cautious profile, observed inside with him, as if curious what he was looking at in Yunshin.
"Do you trust him, or not? Seeing that you even gave him materials through your own investigators, it seems like you trust him, but seeing that you went so far as to test whether he'd set foot on the easy path or not, it also seems like the opposite."
"I neither trust nor distrust him. I'm simply checking whether the fourth-year has a proper head on his shoulders. Whether his IQ meets the global average or not."
"You're harsh. Since he passed the second test smoothly, please praise him a little."
Secretary Tak was mostly right. He made all sorts of excuses, but what Seheon had really wanted to see was whether Yunshin would actually make use of the suspicious-looking, unidentified-source materials he had sent. In his eyes, Yunshin still couldn't let go of himself outside these walls. Unlike the other associates who were desperate to somehow land profitable cases, Yunshin alone continued to be content with pro bono work.
So he had wanted to see whether Yunshin was ready to spray paint onto the white paper, and whether it was truly sincere when he said yes with words. And this was, for Seheon, quite a soft method that took the other person's disposition and temperament into consideration.
"I spoon-fed him right to his lips. He just opened his mouth. And I have to praise him for chewing well?"
"Because it's Attorney Do, not just anyone. He found the courage to assimilate into our firm. But if you don't offer a single word of praise, Chief, won't his morale fail to rise?"
"If child-rearing is your hobby, you take him and raise him."
Secretary Tak smiled softly as if to say that would be fine too. Then, glancing at the employees behind them, he lowered his voice compared to before and asked quietly.
"I wanted to keep asking this. Is your interest in Attorney Do, or in his sister?"
Seheon, taking a sip of warm coffee, let out a hollow laugh.
"What kind of nonsense is this now. The former is a man, and the latter is a married woman, no?"
"You know you've been a bit strange lately? Asking me to look into things out of personal curiosity, or coming out in the middle of working nonstop to watch a far junior associate negotiate. I've never seen you curious about someone and taking care of them one by one. Really, what's going on?"
It certainly was strange. Seheon was someone who divided his time by the minute. Stopping what he was doing and coming out in the middle to do this was nonsensical even to him. Perhaps that was why he kept feeling the eyes of the employees behind him glancing at the back of his head.
Still, Yunshin several meters ahead was earnestly continuing discussions with the other party. Then, perhaps because compromise was not going well at all, he turned his head and let out a deep sigh.
But that slight expression of displeasure by Yunshin, who had been courteous throughout, seemed to press the opposing representative's button. The middle-aged man gestured angrily at Yunshin and huffed.
Seeing this, Secretary Tak asked Seheon anxiously.
"Shouldn't we stop this? Shall I go in?"
"Stay put. That table belongs to Do Yunshin."
The pupils of Seheon, calmly drinking his coffee, fixed clearly beyond the conference room. His lips were set stubbornly, as if he wouldn't miss a single second of the moment inside. Secretary Tak quietly studied his profile. Soon, realizing that an unusual air clung to his beautiful face with its smooth, clean lines, he tilted his head.
"You're really, reeeally taking care of him?"
"He gives me a headache."
An abrupt answer that defied context crossed Secretary Tak's face with an expression of great surprise, but he soon hid it and asked back.
"Why? Because he parachuted in pointing straight at Attorney Gang so arrogantly?"
"More than that, my attacks don't work on him. I've never met his type before, so it's unfamiliar."
Perhaps because it was a statement that couldn't be readily interpreted, silence followed. But Seheon did not kindly explain each thing. He had never done so for anyone. Strangely, he disliked the situations where he occasionally ended up doing so for Yunshin.
He had dealt with hundreds, thousands of all manner of people. People of Do Yunshin's level were easy to read.
Truly, Yunshin was strange. It was all genuine. His contempt, his reliance, his worry, his concern, his curiosity, his discomfort—everything was real. Yunshin was always faithful to his momentary emotions. He didn't resort to useless flattery, nor did he crawl in more than necessary. If he had something to say, he said it all, and yet he maintained the minimum of courtesy.
Everything was so transparent that it rather made one lose the will to attack.
Most people he met in society either picked a territorial fight with Seheon from the first meeting, or unconditionally lowered themselves and crawled in endlessly. But Yunshin was both, and neither. It was his first time encountering someone who treated him exactly as he was, which made it all the more strange.
As Seheon too fell silent, Secretary Tak, who seemed to be thinking things over, quietly continued.
"Is it uncomfortable because he's a type you've never handled before?"
That expression was probably the most apt for describing his mood at this very moment.
"It seems so."
"To be honest, Chief, right now you have exactly that expression of displeasure you get when clean people get dirtied."
Hearing that, Seheon turned back to Secretary Tak. Suddenly, a neurotic hue buried itself in his eyes, which had been languidly responding like an observer throughout.
"Everyone has bad parts. Is he some saint? Saint Do? Look, he's the same."
"Like this."
"What now."
"When it comes to Attorney Do, you react so defensively out of nowhere. So it was the man side, not the married woman side. I don't know how to take this. Well, I'm rooting for you either way. It won't be an easy path."
"Did you come from a nursery rhyme contest? Quit fooling aro—"
Seheon retorted prickishly and half-turned his body to return to his office. At the same time, the opposing lawyer in the conference room, who had seemed to be continuously angry, sprang up from his seat. Yunshin, who had been explaining as calmly as possible, looked up at him quietly. Judging by his gesture toward the opposite seat, he seemed to be suggesting that the man sit back down.
That was when.
The middle-aged man's thick hand moved ruthlessly toward Yunshin's neck. The scene of him reaching out with both hands as if to grab Yunshin by the collar was caught by the eyes of the two people outside as well.
"Huh? Chief. What do we do about tha—"
Before Secretary Tak's words could even finish, Seheon, slamming down his mug and springing up from the table, headed straight for the conference room in front of him. Without knocking, he burst open the door, went in, and grabbed the wrist of the man who was shaking Yunshin by the collar.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Attorney?"
"C-Chief Gang Seheon?"
Yunshin and the opposing lawyer recognized Seheon at the same time. The middle-aged man flinched down to his shoulders. When Seheon roughly threw away the wrist he was holding, the man rubbed his tingling wrist with his palm and made excuses in an embarrassed tone.
"No, this young friend was too arrogant. He provokes softly with a polite expression. We have rules in this industry too; where does a junior get off—"
"So you commit such an unprincipled act? Do Yunshin is my associate, whom I taught. If his attitude makes negotiation impossible, then you can face me, who has far more seniority than Attorney Do. However, your client will now lose everything they have. He has compassion; I don't."
"That's... Chief Gang. Calm down first."
The middle-aged man, extremely distressed as things seemed to be going terribly awry, sent a pleading look toward Yunshin, whom he had been pressing until now. Watching this scene and faithfully assessing the situation, Yunshin slowly stood up. Then he stood between the two confronting men and faced Seheon.
"Chief."
"Can't you see we're in the middle of a conversation? Where do you get off interrupting? Move."
"I understand, but... this is my case. Please let me resolve it."
Hearing those words, Seheon's eyes narrowed as if suddenly realizing something, and then he reflexively surveyed the window. Beyond the glass, Secretary Tak subtly held up the mug Seheon had left behind a moment ago. The person outside didn't say a word, but to his ears, it seemed he heard a teasing retort: 'Didn't you say this was Attorney Do's table, so stay put?'
Belatedly realizing he had unconsciously jumped in here upon seeing Do Yunshin grabbed by the collar, Seheon let out a hollow laugh. It was something that had almost never happened to him in his entire life.
He then cynically questioned Yunshin, who was waiting for his answer.
"While getting beaten up?"
"I haven't been hit yet. And now that Attorney Gang has warned him like this, he won't do it again. Please help me just this far. I can do well."
An indescribably strange expression on his face, Seheon brought his hand down heavily on Yunshin's shoulder. It seemed he was trying to calm himself through this rough contact. Soon, he stared intently at the opposing lawyer, who was standing there at a loss, as if warning him, then finally turned away. While the middle-aged man politely bowed his head toward him, Seheon left the conference room without looking back.
Click. After closing the door and coming out, he took irritable steps toward his office. Secretary Tak tried to follow him but stopped upon recognizing that his complexion was unusual. It was then that he quietly looked down at the abandoned mug.
Yunshin, who had followed Seheon out from inside, raised his voice, watching his tall, retreating back.
"Thank you! I'll wrap this up well. Please take care of your condition while working. Don't get sick agai—Chief Gang!"
Even though it was a distance where the sound waves could sufficiently reach, Seheon did not answer. He just trudged to his room, closed the door, and disappeared. The gazes of Secretary Tak and Yunshin, left alone in the secretarial area, crossed. Secretary Tak was the first to speak.
"Did you say Attorney Gang is hurting somewhere?"
"He seemed to be in poor condition since a few days ago. He said his head hurt too. I wonder if he took his medicine."
"Does he by chance say his head hurts?"
"Yes. He asked for headache medicine. Seeing that you didn't know, Secretary Tak, it seems he didn't take any. Then is he okay?"
Eyes with a kind yet serious light precisely observed Yunshin as if penetrating through him. Then Secretary Tak, soon smiling gently, shook his head to indicate there was no need to worry. Yunshin, somewhat relieved, continued asking.
"Um, anyway, what did he say? It seemed like you were watching together how I was doing."
"For now, he seems to make the cut by his standards. Excluding the unpleasant situation from earlier, that is."
"That's a relief. Actually, that lawyer looked down on me because I haven't been practicing long, so the conversation wasn't progressing well. So I provoked him softly, and that happened. Anyway, thanks to Chief Gang's help, the rest seems like it'll go smoothly. I'll do my best until the end."
"Attorney, you've drawn out more from Chief Gang in a few months than I've seen in all the time I've known him."
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
"Exactly as it sounds. It seems Attorney Do is a type that Chief has never seen before, so handling you isn't easy. It's interesting, really. Please work at our firm for a long time. Understood."
Secretary Tak matched his eyes refreshingly and then turned back calmly without any further explanation. While Yunshin tilted his head trying to interpret this answer, Tak completely returned to his seat and began his work. Having been left standing alone in a corner of the hallway, Yunshin's gaze inevitably reached toward Seheon's room.
Chewing over the words he had left behind with his mouth firmly shut, his pale cheeks faintly flushed and twitched.
'My associate, whom I taught?'
Then, like air deflating, he calmly settled down.
'A type he's never seen before....'
Should I call it fortunate? That even we, who seem like opposites, have at least one thing in common.
To Yunshin too, Seheon was always new. So on one hand, his eyes went to him, but on the other, he couldn't figure out how to treat him. And what this constantly nagging feeling even was.
Perhaps he felt the same way.
Glancing at Seheon's tightly closed office door, Yunshin soon took a deep breath and re-entered the conference room.
* * *
Sitting in the foundation's reception room in the annex, Yunshin skimmed through the documents related to free legal consultation and fell into worry.
That the law regulates the bare minimum of morality.
That was an important rule of constitutional law that Yunshin had learned. In other words, it meant that except for the smallest unit of morality, the law did not provide relief. At times, the world gifted humans with quite a lot of irrationalities, but there was no way in the Constitution to help them. Every time that happened, Yunshin's heart ached. The current consultation materials were in a similar situation.
"This probably needs to go to trial. I wonder what the family thinks."
Tapping the paper with the tip of his pen, Yunshin pressed the intercom button after some thought.
"Send in the next client."
Before long, the door opened from outside with a knock. Half-rising, Yunshin gestured for the person who had come in for consultation to sit across from him. The person seated in front was a middle-aged man in his late forties, or perhaps early to mid-fifties. He had a very kind face. However, there were quite a few traces of emotional hardship on his face.
"You've come because of inheritance, right? I took a look at the opinion letter you submitted. It says you supported and cared for your aunt, the decedent, until she passed away."
"Yes. It was me, the nephew, not the children. But because she didn't leave a will in the end, the property all went to the children she had been estranged from. However, I was the one who cared for her for several years in her later years. I was wondering if I could claim a contribution share in a lawsuit for restitution of the statutory reserve based on that."
Where should he start explaining?
The man seemed to possess inaccurate information gleaned from here and there, or from his own searches. Yunshin calmly turned things over in his head and began to explain slowly.
"Hmm. Actually, in the case of a contribution share, it has nothing at all to do with the statutory reserve. The statutory reserve is a portion of the estate that the heir who received the inheritance must leave for the other heirs. This exists from the start to guarantee the inheritance of heirs who have the qualification."
The man immediately refuted.
"Are you saying I don't have the qualification? My aunt lived with me, not her children. My cousins were so busy with their own families that they came home maybe once a year. Don't I have more right to receive more because of my contribution? She also told me while alive that she would leave all her property to me."
"Do you by any chance have voice recordings or handwritten evidence?"
"How could I ask a sick person to write such things? Just verbally...."
Yunshin, deeply pained, let his voice dissipate into the air.
"Then the children come unconditionally first. That's how our country's inheritance law works."
"Then what should I do? I accrued a lot of debt for hospital bills; I was going to pay them back if I received the inheritance."
"In this case, you must negotiate with the co-heirs and ask for a contribution share, or if not, contend with your cousins in family court. And even if the contribution share is decided through court contention, it is not deducted from the statutory reserve. A certain amount is inherited by the children regardless. Please read this first. I looked it up, and there's a similar case."
Yunshin displayed a Supreme Court precedent on the screen that he had found in advance and turned the monitor toward the man. Perhaps because he had organized and written it in the simplest and easiest terms possible, the man read quite attentively.
While doing so, he checked the time on his phone and saw a message from Secretary Tak. It seemed to relay that the opposing lawyer in the pro bono case he was handling was willing to match the settlement amount along with a public apology within the company.
Here and there, it was full of cases that the law could not completely resolve.
He swallowed a bitter breath.
* * *
Having returned from the annex, Yunshin headed to the library on the second floor of the main building. There wasn't anyone in the building with enough leisure to waste time reading books in here. Thanks to that, he was alone inside.
He had originally come for a moment to take photos of some materials needed for work, but before he knew it, his steps led in a different direction. Having sat roughly between the bookshelves and skimmed through divorce lawsuit precedent collections, an hour had already passed.
'Huk, is it already this late?'
Checking his wristwatch, Yunshin gathered his books and hurriedly rose. At that moment, he heard the sound of the door opening outside. Not knowing who it was but intending to greet them, he first moved toward the hallway side. But the moment he saw who had entered, his mouth wouldn't open.
It was Seheon, in a neat suit.
Having apparently discovered Yunshin as well, he stopped walking, two books in hand.
"You seem to have a lot of free time."
Yunshin, dazed by this coincidence, slightly furrowed his brow.
"You always greet like that, Chief. Yes, I'm glad to see you too."
"As I thought, it's better if we don't run into each other as much as possible."
As he moved as if to go right back outside, Yunshin ran quickly. Then he grabbed Seheon's shoulder with a smack. He had acted instinctively to stop him, but the belated warning that Seheon had once told him not to touch his body carelessly came to mind, leaving him at a loss.
Swallowing dryly, Yunshin was about to withdraw his hand and apologize immediately. But Seheon grabbed his protruding wrist as if counterattacking, and pushed Yunshin's slender body between the facing bookshelves.
Having his back against the bookshelf in an instant, Yunshin looked up at him quietly.
He thought of pushing him away, but the hand that was grabbed couldn't move because Seheon's grip on his wrist was quite strong, and his other hand was holding the divorce precedent collection, making it difficult to move. More than anything, since he was the one who had committed an offense first, he couldn't bring himself to react more than necessary.
"Shoving people around seems to be a habit of yours. Do you do this to everyone? They'll all misunderstand."
"It's fine. I only do this to you."
"Then I'll misunderstand. I get unnecessarily curious. I keep thinking about you, Chief."
"For instance, thinking that I stare too much?"
"That's...!"
There were scattered refutations rising in his head, but he was reluctant to lay them before Seheon readily. Yunshin couldn't bring himself to answer to the end and merely moved his lips.
While the silence continued, Seheon kept hold of one of Yunshin's arms and even wedged his knee between Yunshin's legs, controlling his entire range of movement. Their breaths collided at such a close distance. Yunshin awkwardly averted his eyes, which had nowhere to go, and cautiously asked as if to change the subject.
"Wh-why did you come here? You usually have the secretaries get you whatever you need."
"Book donation."
He showed two books in front of him and then threw them down onto a cart. Glancing at the cover, the title *Great Expectations* was written on the front. Seeing that, a flood of emotions crossed his mind. Summoning his courage, Yunshin looked front again. As expected, Seheon was staring at him clearly.
Those deeply sunken pupils frightened Yunshin a little for the first time. Unable to say anything and just keeping his lips pressed together, Seheon raised his free hand. Then he lightly touched Yunshin's eyelid as if tracing over it with his fingertip.
"Your eye is much better when it's not swollen. You look less gloomy."
"Uh...."
The flinched Yunshin let out a low moan. Having never in his life imagined that the area above his eyelid could be sensitive, he found his own figure—letting out a cry the moment his hand touched it—both amusing and absurd. With an embarrassed face, he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, whereupon Seheon uttered words that threw his heart into disarray.
"Why are you so agitated? If you act like this, I'm the one who'll misunderstand."
"What on earth is the reason you're doing this? I want to know so I can take it."
"I suppose it's because I want to."
"I mean, something more fundamental...."
He cut Yunshin's words off abruptly.
"I keep ending up prodding you. I could just pass by, but when I see you, I can't do that. I hate this uncomfortable, contextless feeling."
Cause and effect.
He liked it when that inevitably accompanied a situation. Because it served as grounds to impose legal responsibility on the actor. But between the two of them, actions seemed to continue without it, which appeared to make him uncomfortable. It seemed his appearance was functioning as an exception in Seheon's life of predetermined schedules.
"I'm sorry to hear that. But if you hate it that much, can't you just not prod me?"
"If I could, I already would have."
Yunshin too felt that when Seheon said 'I can't do that,' it wasn't on the level of physical contact. He was using some of his emotions on him. In fact, as he kept bumping into him, Yunshin felt that secret domains they didn't speak of were becoming entangled. Since this was instinctive even though they didn't share inner stories, there was no real way to deal with it.
Staring at Yunshin's pale face, Seheon let his pupils drop smoothly like water droplets rolling off. The end of his gaze reached the divorce lawsuit precedent collection that one slender hand was clutching tightly.
"Enough, let's stop this talk. Did you come to borrow that?"
Sensing Seheon's gaze, Yunshin glanced at the book and nodded.
"Ah, yes, sort of. I thought I'd read it. Reading precedents helps when my head is complicated."
"Getting a divorce?"
"I'm still single. Are you not that interested in me?"
"And could you even handle it if I took an interest? I'm quite tenacious. Your life will be stripped bare."
"I don't know yet because I've never experienced it. But um... could you let me go now? It hurts."
Since he pleaded quite earnestly, Seheon finally seemed to notice and quietly stared at where he was holding him. Then, as if wondering something, he leaned his body even closer.
Was it because the distance was too narrow? Or because an intoxicating scent wafted from him? Yunshin felt his chest begin to beat faster than usual for no reason. His shoulders tensed up too. Because this feeling was unfamiliar, this time he truly tried to twist his arm free, but Seheon unexpectedly released his restraints meekly.
The pressure on his hand vanished so easily that it felt empty. He quietly looked down at his wrist, where red marks from his hand remained, then looked at Seheon again. At some point, Seheon had moved two steps back and stood facing him, leaning his back obliquely against the bookshelf as Yunshin had.
"How much settlement money did you get? Why didn't you report it."
"I was going to report it once the documents were organized. Ten times the opposing side's initial offer. They also withdrew the lawsuit. The situation isn't concluded yet, but the biggest hurdle has been crossed. Thank you for your help. Honestly, when an industry senior with more years than I can count on both hands grabbed me by the collar, my vision went white for a moment."
More than anything, if it weren't for him, he would have continued clinging to a lawsuit with a high likelihood of a suspended sentence. He might have somehow won, but it was obvious he would have consoled himself with having done his best while failing to properly compensate the victim for the suffering endured during that time.
With a single command, Seheon had taught him many things. He himself might have truly been intoxicated. The one on the other side of the bridge had instead seen accurately. The law was outstanding and great, but it was not the truth. Occasionally, it was a flawed system that failed to properly relieve victims due to insufficient evidence or gaps in the statutes.
To truly win, a different power was needed. At times, it was the power of the establishment; at other times, like now, it was unidentified information itself. Or there would be many more things he had yet to experience. At times, sincerity alone could do nothing.
Seheon's low voice broke the heavy thoughts of Yunshin, who was swallowing a deep breath.
"Fourth-year."
"Yes, Chief."
"Good work."
The wind carried by his impassive voice was enough to startle Yunshin. It wasn't that he had done anything particularly great, but it seemed to be a positive evaluation for having abandoned all the equations he had used until now and following only this law firm's rules.
While Yunshin was flustered and flustered by the unexpected praise, Seheon, who had been throwing a sharp gaze, soon left that spot. Perhaps because he wanted to see a book while he was here, he moved toward the commercial law precedent collections. Beyond the empty space of the bookshelf, his elegant walking figure, his lightly fluttering necktie, and his beautiful face carefully selecting a book were all caught in Yunshin's vision like a painting.
For some reason, the urge to hold him back pounded in his chest. But unable to bring himself to do so, he watched Seheon with several bookshelves between them.
How much time had passed? Thinking Seheon had found his book and was leaving again, Yunshin reflexively called out to him.
"Chief Gang."
Please stay by my side a little.
Like that time. No, a little longer this time.
Unable to say the rest, Yunshin hesitated for a while, whereupon Seheon, who had been about to leave the library, turned back. He asked in a low, elastic voice, as if tying the stretching time back together tightly.
"Are you exercising your right to remain silent? If you have something to say, say it."
"Um...."
"What."
"It's nothing. Please go up first."
At this empty answer, he wrinkled his brow in annoyance. It felt as if he could hear Yunshin's voice without receiving an answer, so Yunshin, feeling aggrieved, immediately retorted.
"Is even a few seconds of waste too precious for you?"
"Yeah, it's a waste. Spending anything on you is more of a waste than anything else."
"Yes, I'm truly sorry."
"Just you wait, acting so cheeky until when."
Seheon, shaking his head and about to exit the doorway, turned back of his own accord this time, even though Yunshin hadn't called him. He seemed to calculate something in his head for a moment, then made quite a radical proposal.
"From now on, you'll be working on my cases together. Report case-by-case progress to Tak and attend the case meetings I assign from now on. Before that, there's a trial for a case I'm currently handling, so observe that first. Of course, this is an order given on the premise that you have the will."
Yunshin, color rising in his face, nodded earnestly while clutching the precedent collection to his chest. Then he suddenly recalled Mihui's words and cautiously asked.
"Is it an appeal? I heard you like those."
He furrowed his forehead as if asking what nonsense that was, then soon answered lowly.
"No. It's a first-instance trial."
"How many cases do you take on at once? Your body won't survive."
"I only work to the extent that I survive. It's a simple corporate lawsuit I took on as a service for a long-time client."
"Whether it's simple or complex, I'll definitely go even if a natural disaster strikes."
"How resolute. If a natural disaster strikes, the judge can't come to court either, so stay home instead."
Tsk, clicking his tongue, he finally turned around completely. The entrance door opened and closed once, and Seheon, who at some point had exuded the aura of an overwhelming conqueror, vanished like foam. Only after being alone did Yunshin stagger and sit astride somewhere, leaning his body as if against anything.
He was cold but kind. No one would probably understand these polar opposite evaluations, but that was the truth. Yunshin chewed over the words Seheon had said here one by one, then slowly raised his left hand. He quietly caressed the area above his eyelid where that soft skin had touched him. Feeling somehow as if that smooth sensation was still there, he unconsciously slowly dragged his hand down and rubbed his lips with his fingertip.
Because he touched the skin as if kissing, his heart beat so violently that his mind snapped awake.
Ahem. Extremely flustered, he coughed loudly. His whole face flushed bright red. As if to prove it, the underside of his skin burned like crazy.
'Why did I do that.'
Even if he tried to deny it with all his might, it seemed to be sexual attraction. Without that, it couldn't be explained. And if Seheon found out about this fact, he felt he wouldn't get out unscathed. Because Seheon was someone who could do many things himself, but didn't allow others to do them.
Like a retreating soldier, Yunshin sprang up hurriedly and, unable to compose his face wrecked by shame, fled the library as if running away.
Slam! The door closed firmly with a sharp sound.