You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 114

You Have Been Defended

You Have Been Defended – Episode 114

A brief silence fell.

-Hey, Attorney Cha.

And he, as I expected, showed considerable displeasure.

-I don’t know why you’re suddenly saying that. Aren’t you going too far?

“Reporter Choi.”

-Jungwoo is going to die? Why is he dying? Did he have an accident or something? If that’s the case, how does Attorney Cha know that?

He fired off questions without pause.

-And I’m going to take the blame? Who on earth would design such a situation for a rookie reporter who just joined the company? This guy, you need to make sense.

There was no room for me to interject.

Choi Jong-hyun occasionally mixed in curses, laughing as if he was dumbfounded.

-The more I think about it, the more absurd it is. Are you a shaman [a person believed to have access to the spirit world]? How do you know that? Are you kidding me right now?

“Do I have any reason to joke with you, Reporter Choi?”

-No, you don’t. That’s why I’m so dumbfounded right now. I’m here on assignment in the provinces, and you suddenly curse me, saying I’m going to fail.

He wasn’t on speakerphone, but Choi Jong-hyun’s voice was so loud that Kang Min-jae and Manager Oh in the office could hear everything.

They stopped what they were doing and looked at me in surprise.

I sighed, picked up my phone, and went out to the veranda.

“Reporter Kim Jung-woo is currently under pressure from above.”

-Pressure? What pressure? If there’s pressure from above, I’d know, not you. What are you talking about?

“You know that best, Reporter Choi. Because it’s pressure you’re causing.”

-…….

Choi Jong-hyun was silent for a while after hearing my words.

Knowing that only angry words would come back if I waited for him, I continued speaking without pause.

“Even though they keep cutting you off from above, you’re still digging into Wooshin, aren’t you? Besides, you’re persistently digging into Minwoo Party Representative Lee Jung-chan as well.”

-……How does Attorney Cha know that?

“You asked why Kim Jung-woo is under pressure. I told you directly, but it didn’t work. Rather, you said that if they kept blocking you, you’d write a book and blow it all up, right?”

I hoped that he would be persuaded within the bounds of what I knew.

I rubbed my forehead.

The incident occurred while he was away on assignment in Mokpo.

I couldn’t predict whether Kim Jung-woo would die today or tomorrow.

If Choi Jong-hyun doesn’t help, I want to go and stop it myself, but I don’t even know where he died.

-They pressured Jungwoo, and since that didn’t work, the company is going to, what, run him over with a car? Not me, but Jungwoo?

“Kim Jung-woo will commit suicide.”

-……What?

“And it will be known that it’s because of workplace bullying by Reporter Choi, so Iljung Daily will hold Reporter Choi responsible and fire him.”

-Ha, geez…….

Compared to when he openly cursed when I first brought it up, his reaction had softened to some extent.

“Kim Jung-woo knows that Reporter Choi has bet his life on digging into Wooshin and Representative Lee Jung-chan. So, no matter how much pressure they put on him from above, he couldn’t say anything and was suffering alone.”

-…….

“And Kim Jung-woo is also a patient with depression. You probably didn’t know, though.”

-……Jungwoo has depression? Such a bright kid,

“Just because someone looks bright on the outside doesn’t mean they’re bright on the inside. Let’s talk about the details when we meet. I don’t have time.”

I checked my wristwatch.

11:30 AM.

Assuming Choi Jong-hyun arrives in Seoul in about 4 hours, I can see him by 4 PM at the latest.

“I don’t know when, where, or how Kim Jung-woo will take his own life. So, while you’re coming up, have someone you trust check on Kim Jung-woo’s condition.”

-How can I believe this absurd story based on your word alone,

“Didn’t you say he was a cherished junior colleague? Even if what I’m saying is a lie, isn’t it human nature to at least try to prevent it as long as there’s a chance?”

-…….

“The Reporter Choi Jong-hyun I know is like that. You’ll regret it if you miss it.”

He sighed deeply.

He seemed to be conflicted.

Even I, who am speaking so urgently, am thinking that this might not happen in this life.

Just as a butterfly’s small flapping can cause a typhoon, the many things that have changed in this life may prevent Kim Jung-woo from dying.

But unless it’s a 100% certainty, I have to prepare.

-Where should I go? To be honest, I’m going to take a chance and believe you, but I still can’t trust you.

“Don’t you trust my words, or don’t you trust me?”

-Both.

He said warily.

I chuckled.

I’m not the only one who has dedicated my life to digging into Wooshin.

Perhaps Reporter Choi Jong-hyun chose a dangerous life even before I did.

And people who live such lives are fundamentally suspicious.

“Then, let’s meet at the House of Angels.”

-……What did you just say?

“The House of Angels. I mean the orphanage. Let’s meet at 4:30 PM. Even if you take your time, you should be able to arrive before then.”

-Hey, Attorney Cha. What are you, anyway?

“Find out when we meet. Then, I’ll be waiting.”

I hung up the phone and went back into the office.

Manager Oh and Kang Min-jae seemed to be making their own guesses based on my phone conversation.

They whispered together, then quickly separated when I came out.

I transferred Choi Jong-hyun’s phone number and returned the phone to Manager Oh.

“Attorney, what’s going on with Reporter Choi?”

Manager Oh looked worried.

Kang Min-jae felt the same way.

“It’s not that something’s going on with Reporter Choi, but it seems like something’s going to happen to Reporter Choi. So, I let you know.”

“……Are you talking about that reporter named Kim Jung-woo dying?”

“Yes.”

“How did you know that and let us know?”

This time, Kang Min-jae asked.

I hesitated to answer.

But both of them seemed to have the same question for me, staring intently at my lips, waiting for an answer.

“I had some information.”

“I see.”

“You don’t like getting deeply involved in other people’s affairs, do you?”

Unlike Manager Oh, who easily accepted it, Kang Min-jae dug in once more.

In fact, at this point, it might be difficult to see me as someone who dislikes getting deeply involved in other people’s affairs.

To be precise, I should say that I’m nosy about people with whom I have some kind of bond.

From the perspective of someone who knows the misfortune that’s about to happen, I think it’s only natural.

“He’s a reporter I personally like, and I’m worried he might quit being a reporter because of this incident.”

I decided to gloss over it to this extent.

Since this isn’t a case I’ve been hired for anyway, there’s no need to share it deeply with Attorney Kang.

* * *

I left the office to the two of them and headed to the House of Angels.

It was an orphanage located in Incheon, and it was also the place that appeared in the news when I first fell in 2008.

I had visited it often in my previous life, so I knew the way by heart.

After parking the car in the outdoor parking lot and climbing the stone steps, I could hear the sound of children playing in the distance.

The reason I chose the House of Angels as the meeting place wasn’t strictly for visiting the orphanage.

But it was awkward to just come empty-handed, so I brought a few boxes of school supplies.

The children playing in the playground noticed me, a stranger, and glanced at me.

Seeing that I was carrying boxes in both hands, they seemed to think that I had come to make a donation.

“Hey kids, where’s Ms. Song Hye-ryung?”

“Over there!”

The children pointed to the wisteria bench at the same time.

Underneath it, Song Hye-ryung, who was watching the children play, stood up from the bench as if she had noticed me.

“Hello. How can I help you?”

I had arrived about 40 minutes earlier than the time I had promised Choi Jong-hyun, so I still had some time.

I put the boxes of school supplies next to her.

“Hello. It’s nothing much, but I happened to have a lot of new school supplies. I thought it would be nice for the children to use them, so I brought them.”

“Oh, I see. I’m so grateful. But, you seem like someone I’m meeting for the first time… Are you someone who volunteers at the House of Angels?”

“No. I just happened to see this place a few times while passing by, and it suddenly came to mind.”

“Thank you for your concern. Oh, please come inside and have a cup of tea. The director isn’t here right now, but if you give me your business card, I’ll tell the director about it.”

“It’s okay. Just tell the director that a neighbor donated it.”

As Song Hye-ryung lifted the boxes of school supplies, I picked up the remaining one and followed her.

She led me to an empty office.

She told me to unpack the boxes there, so I opened my mouth while cutting the twine with the scissors on the desk.

“Ms. Song.”

“Yes, please speak.”

She was busy taking out notebooks and pencils on the desk.

“Do you happen to know Reporter Choi Jong-hyun of Iljung Daily?”

As soon as she heard his name, Song Hye-ryung stopped for a moment.

And she looked at me.

“…Excuse me, where did you say you were from?”

“I didn’t say where I was from.”

“Ah, yes… Um, he comes to the orphanage sometimes. He brings things like ramen and snacks.”

She seemed a little flustered, dropping the bundle of notes she was holding on the floor.

I picked up the notes for her instead.

“May I ask when Reporter Choi started coming?”

“Um, he’s been coming since the end of last year.”

Choi Jong-hyun knew that the House of Angels was related to the Wooshin Group longer than I thought.

I nodded and folded the empty box, placing it against one wall.

“Thank you for your words.”

“Oh, won’t you have a cup of tea?”

She asked.

I shook my head.

“By any chance, when will the director come out today?”

“The director is off today.”

I knew that the director’s days off were every Friday and Saturday, but I had to check one more time.

In this orphanage, there are hardly any people I can trust.

In particular, the director was the least trustworthy person.

“I’m going to meet Reporter Choi Jong-hyun in front of here for a while. I’m just going to watch the children play and chat for a while before leaving. Is that okay?”

“Oh, of course. The director isn’t here either… The kids like the reporter too.”

She let slip the words ‘the director isn’t here’ in passing, then quickly shut her mouth as if she was surprised herself.

Song Hye-ryung. Graduated from Pyungkook Women’s University, Department of Social Welfare, class of ’02.

After working at a global NGO after graduation, she has been working at the House of Angels since two years ago.

She was also the only insider who helped me when I was investigating the House of Angels.

“Thank you so much for the school supplies. The kids will love them. We were running out, too.”

As I left the building and headed towards the playground, Song Hye-ryung shouted from behind.

I nodded slightly.

And at the same time, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

Sitting on the bench under the wisteria in the playground, Choi Jong-hyun was calling me.

You Have Been Defended [EN]

You Have Been Defended [EN]

너희들은 변호됐다
Status: Completed Author: , Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Prosecutor Cha Juhan's relentless pursuit of the corrupt Wooshin Group ended in betrayal and death at the hands of those he trusted most. But fate, it seems, has other plans. Granted a second chance, reborn as a Wooshin sniper, Cha Juhan vows to bring the entire Wooshin family to justice, no matter how many lifetimes it takes. Trading his prosecutor's badge for a lawyer's gavel, he embarks on a path of vengeance, armed with extraordinary abilities beyond human comprehension. They told him to know his place in the next life? He'll show them exactly where they belong – behind bars. Prepare for a thrilling saga of revenge, justice, and supernatural power as Cha Juhan targets Wooshin once more, turning the courtroom into his battleground.

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