Chapter 06
Knock, knock.
Attorney Byun entered Woo-kyung’s office. Dark shadows were pooled under Attorney Byun’s eyes, as if showcasing the traces of several sleepless nights.
“Here, the documents you asked for, Attorney Cha.”
They had both pulled all-nighters, but Byun’s appearance was a stark contrast to Woo-kyung’s. Woo-kyung’s broad shoulders and solid chest were visible through his unbuttoned shirt with the tie loosened, and his distinct arm muscles were naturally revealed every time he moved with his sleeves rolled up.
Attorney Byun, who had been staring blankly at Woo-kyung’s formidable figure—which looked so solid it seemed like his powerful轮廓 would burst through even without flexing—clicked his tongue.
*Aren’t they discriminating, being so different even though they’re the same species of human?* Feeling exasperated, Attorney Byun shook his head side to side and let out a long, drawn-out yawn.
“Luckily, we found it quickly.”
“I had to turn the entire records room upside down to finally find it.”
Attorney Byun groaned, making a fuss as if asking for recognition of his hard work.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Woo-kyung had been pulling all-nighters for several days himself. With a stern face, he calmly turned over the documents received from Attorney Byun, one page at a time. The whistleblower’s statement was clear, but it was a corporate embezzlement case where the key evidence to prove the case was already damaged.
All the pieces seemed to fit together somewhere, but in the end, without definitive evidence to prove it, the case had dissipated into thin air.
“When is the next court date?”
“In about a month?”
A few weeks ago, the whistleblower, pleading injustice, had sought out Jeongyul Law Firm. At first, wary of his identity being exposed, he had quietly only handed over USB files, but soon he began to lament, saying there was no company as vicious as that one.
However, most of the supplementary evidence had already been destroyed by internal figures, and the inner circle kept their mouths tightly shut, maintaining their silence.
“By the way, aren’t you forgetting your connection to Attorney Cha’s grandfather too?”
The company Woo-kyung was investigating had maintained a friendly relationship with Chairman Cha, meeting at charity events or private gatherings. Therefore, the company’s representative undoubtedly believed the law firm would be favorable to them. But then, a mere junior-level attorney was stirring up the entire company, so how could they not be anxious?
But was Cha Woo-kyung called Cha Woo-kyung for nothing?
“In the eyes of the law, even family doesn’t exist. Didn’t you know that’s my creed?”
*As expected of the child born to a human rights lawyer.* Attorney Byun let out a stifled laugh.
“Anyway, how long has it been since you got married? Don’t you ever go home?”
“Did you forget who it is that’s preventing me from going home?”
“Oh? Are you blaming me for this now?”
“I’m joking. Let’s just finish this case first.”
“You’ll get dumped at this rate.”
After the meeting with the families that day, Woo-kyung had changed his thinking.
*’When will you grant me the divorce?’*
Hearing those words, Woo-kyung was instantly irritated. But since he couldn’t go against his grandfather’s wishes anyway, he decided to treat it as a marriage he had to do, and they had only done a simple marriage registration and were living together.
Woo-kyung had suggested that, considering Lee Yeon was still a student, they should not announce the fact of their marriage and postpone the ceremony until later.
Thus, except for a very few close associates, their marriage was buried in complete secrecy.
He thought, forget divorce for now, let’s just try living together first.
But Woo-kyung hadn’t shown his face at home even once in the past month.
Then, a few days ago, at dawn, he stopped by the house just to change his clothes. As he came out after changing his shirt, Woo-kyung’s footsteps halted.
Woo-kyung quietly opened the door to Lee Yeon’s study. Applying pressure with his fingertips to prevent the door from creaking, he slowly pushed it open. Lee Yeon’s slender shoulders, hunched over the desk, were revealed in the darkness.
A book was left open, and under the fluorescent light, a few strands of Lee Yeon’s hair had strayed onto his forehead.
*’Is he even sleeping properly?’*
Woo-kyung quietly stepped towards the desk. Between his even breaths, Lee Yeon’s fingertips held a pen loosely, not moving a muscle. The nape of his neck and his hunched shoulders, visible over the back of Lee Yeon’s head, looked exceptionally small and distant.
Without realizing it, he raised his hand.
Just once.
He just intended to stroke his hair and then leave.
*’Mr. Cha Woo-kyung?’*
Lee Yeon had opened his eyes and was looking up at him. Woo-kyung’s flustered hand stopped awkwardly in the air.
*’Sorry. Did I wake you?’*
Woo-kyung, frozen, started to lower his hand but stopped. Unable to avoid his gaze, he just stood there.
Lee Yeon blinked, looking at Woo-kyung. His face showed less surprise than Woo-kyung had expected.
A sigh spilled from Woo-kyung’s lips as he remembered that day.
Why did he do that?
The sigh that escaped his lips felt unfamiliar even to himself.
“Right, there’s something I wanted to say.”
“What is it?”
“By any chance, are you thinking of giving a lecture?”
A lecture, all of a sudden? Was he saying that even after seeing the piles of documents stacked high on one side of the desk? Woo-kyung scoffed.
“Where would I find the time for that?”
“Your alma mater contacted us. They said it was a request from your former professor.”
His alma mater was also the school Lee Yeon attended.
He himself was stuck in the office looking over case files, and Lee Yeon, who was apparently entering exam season soon, was spending more and more time at school.
“I’ll think about it. Attorney Byun, please contact the secretarial office again and try to persuade them to cooperate with the testimony. I’m going to the court this afternoon.”
“Okay. Good luck then.”
After Attorney Byun left Woo-kyung’s room, Woo-kyung sank deep into his chair, lifted his head, and looked at the ceiling.
His head felt heavy, as if echoing dully. Woo-kyung slowly raised one hand and brought it to the nape of his neck. He pressed firmly with his fingers on the stiff, rigid muscles.
*Shall I give it a try?*
He felt that, compared to Lee Yeon’s earnestness, he himself possessed so much, almost frivolously.
***
The late spring sunlight gently enveloped the campus.
The warm early summer breeze seeped through the corridors leading to the Law Building.
*’Woo-kyung, if you do it, I’d be grateful, of course.’*
A self-deprecating smile drifted across Woo-kyung’s lips as he pondered the request he’d received from his former professor. The fact that Lee Yeon accounted for more than half the reason he’d readily agreed to carve out time for a lecture from his busy schedule was enough to amaze even himself.
Woo-kyung stood in front of the professor’s office and opened the door. Inside was a scruffy-looking man who appeared to be a teaching assistant. He politely greeted Woo-kyung.
“Attorney Cha Woo-kyung? That’s you, right? It’s such an honor to meet you like this.”
“Yes, I’m Cha Woo-kyung.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the professor. They said you were a legendary mad dog.”
The affable assistant, who had been greeting him warmly, handed over a file he was carrying under his arm.
“Was I that famous?”
Hearing his undergraduate nickname after so long, a faint smile escaped Woo-kyung’s lips. It was a nickname he got because of his personality of seeing things through to the end once he started anything.
Actually, that was a much softened version of his nickname. Throughout his undergraduate years, he was often called a total mess.
“Of course you’re famous. Thanks to you, senior, the lecture hall is lively for once.”
“I can conduct the lecture in my own style, right?”
“Of course. The substitute lecture for this semester is a basic seminar on Introduction to Law. After a brief orientation, I think you can proceed with the lecture focusing on case analysis.”
Woo-kyung nodded and opened the file. Ten minutes later, after quickly scanning the materials given by the assistant, Woo-kyung asked,
“Can I use the remaining time as I see fit?”
“Of course. I’ve been strongly advised not to be late for the lecture, so you can stay here or do as you please, Attorney Cha.”
The assistant, who had been smoothly buttering Woo-kyung up, laughed cheerfully. Lost in thought, Woo-kyung planned to use the remaining time to contact Lee Yeon.
He hadn’t informed him he was coming, so he was also curious what kind of face Lee Yeon would make when he saw him.
Just as a leisurely smiling Woo-kyung was about to leave the professor’s office, the assistant’s phone rang. The assistant, not minding Woo-kyung’s presence, continued the call.
“Yeah, he’ll be here soon.”
He didn’t know what the conversation was about, but the assistant’s voice was filled with excitement.
But a moment later, a familiar name from his conversation grazed Woo-kyung’s ears.
“Yoo Lee Yeon, he really doesn’t listen. I told him to meet me on the weekend, but he absolutely refuses to come out. But I told him to come using the assignment he submitted recently as an excuse, so he should be here soon.”
*That bastard.*
Unconsciously, Woo-kyung’s clenched fist tightened with force. He felt displeased, his mood soured by the assistant’s disrespectful attitude towards Lee Yeon. He set his jaw firmly.
“Yeah, just you wait. I’ll break that pride of Yoo Lee Yeon’s properly.”
The assistant’s voice, boastfully making bold declarations, filled the professor’s office. In tandem, Woo-kyung’s patience was reaching its limit.
It was right at that moment. The door opened, and a clear voice was heard.
“You said you were looking for me, Teaching Assistant?”
The gazes of Woo-kyung and Lee Yeon, who was standing at the door holding a textbook, met.
