You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 13

“I requested it. They helped a few times, but it wasn’t a large amount. My husband left me some assets.”

“May I ask when that was, and what problems Kim Hyung-joon’s medical business was facing?”

“I’m sorry. I won’t answer that.”

She wore a very troubled expression.

A heavy silence hung in the living room for a while, and soon she spoke again.

“It seems like you suspect our Hyung-joon, is that right?”

“……”

“I honestly don’t know why you’re so sure that Hyung-joon is the culprit. But what’s certain is that both Hyung-joon and Yeon-joon are my precious children. Whether Hyung-joon is the culprit or Yeon-joon is, it pains me equally. I wish neither of them were.”

Tears began to well up in her wrinkled eyes.

“So, shouldn’t we prevent the innocent Kim Yeon-joon from taking the blame for Kim Hyung-joon?”

“If what you say is true, we should. But I don’t know. I don’t know whether to believe Hyung-joon or Yeon-joon. I really don’t know. So, I don’t want to take sides.”

[Truth]

The word floated above her head.

In this situation where the relatives are all quick to condemn Kim Yeon-joon, she is probably the only one who is at least outwardly maintaining neutrality.

She judged that giving me detailed information about Kim Hyung-joon’s business problems would ultimately support the claim that ‘Kim Hyung-joon killed his parents to get money for his business.’

The fact that she thought that far means that she unconsciously suspected Kim Hyung-joon.

While speculating on Kim Hyung-joon’s motive.

So, I have this question.

‘Is that really loving both grandsons equally without favoring one?’

The word [Truth] floating above her head may be proof against the illusion that she loves both grandsons equally.

Because my ability doesn’t distinguish between absolute truth and falsehood, but rather distinguishes between truth and falsehood based on the speaker’s standards.

The maternal grandmother is trying to cover up Kim Hyung-joon’s faults.

But she also knows that the moment Kim Hyung-joon’s faults are covered up, Kim Yeon-joon becomes a murderer.

In the end, she has already sided with Kim Hyung-joon.

“I understand. I understand your intentions well. You love both grandsons equally without favoring one.”

“Huhu…”

She finally burst into tears.

Kang Min-jae handed her a handkerchief and comforted her.

“If you’ve calmed down, may we return to the main topic?”

“Yes.”

“The autopsy report of your deceased daughter. Did you receive it?”

“No. I know Hyung-joon and my eldest received it.”

“Mr. Kim Yeon-joon has not received the autopsy report because he is currently a suspect.”

“……Yes.”

“We need the autopsy report to prove Mr. Kim Yeon-joon’s innocence. You are the mother of the deceased, Yeo Hee-sook. You have the right to view the autopsy results. Please help us see the autopsy results. Like Kim Hyung-joon, Kim Yeon-joon is also Yeo Hee-sook’s son. I think he has the right to see the autopsy results.”

At my words, Kang Min-jae opened his mouth slightly in surprise, and I ignored him and drank my juice.

Kim Yeon-joon’s maternal grandmother sighed.

She seemed to be thinking for a very long time.

About whether she was taking sides with one of her two grandsons.

“How do I do it?”

She asked after finishing her thoughts, and I took out a power of attorney from my briefcase.

She wrote her name and signed the power of attorney herself.

The autopsy results. Finally, they are in my hands.

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

“I have one last question before we leave.”

“What is it?”

“Could you testify in court that Kim Hyung-joon borrowed money from you?”

“Lawyer!”

Kang Min-jae shouted.

I know that the maternal grandmother has consistently claimed that she wants to remain neutral.

But she misunderstands the definition of taking sides.

She is subtly siding with Kim Hyung-joon.

There is no way she would testify for Kim Yeon-joon.

She will definitely refuse.

“I’m sorry. As I said before, that would be difficult.”

“I understand. Thank you for your time today.”

While passing through the well-manicured garden again, Kang Min-jae glanced back at the front door.

After confirming that no one was there, he said.

“You’re amazing, lawyer.”

“What is?”

“From the beginning, you came here just for the autopsy results. We can find out about Kim Hyung-joon’s business situation by going directly to the factory, so there was no need to ask the grandmother who is in pain.”

I didn’t answer. But Kang Min-jae didn’t close the zipper he had opened once.

“The grandmother initially didn’t seem to want to show us the autopsy results. Because the grandmother didn’t want to talk about it, you brought up the story, making the grandmother talk about fairness and neutrality herself. Then you said that the brothers should see the autopsy results fairly, and the game was set. You trapped her in a self-contradiction.”

“You drive on the way back, Kang.”

As I handed him the car keys, Kang Min-jae smiled and accepted them.

“Yes. And I understand that you’re including me in this case.”

“No joint defense.”

“What? I told you I don’t need a fee.”

“Kang has an affiliation. More than anything, the client will find it strange.”

“I’ll persuade Mr. Kim Yeon-joon,”

“Don’t go to Mr. Kim Yeon-joon.”

“……Ha.”

“I’ll include you in the investigation. But it’s only for this case, on the condition that you follow my instructions. I’ll pay you by the hour if Tae-kwang doesn’t have a non-compete clause.”

I thought I needed a clerk anyway.

I can’t keep using him in the future, but even this once, where else would I find someone?

It’s actually beneficial for me if I can use a prosecutor-turned-lawyer like a clerk.

“I really don’t care about the fee. There will be a non-compete clause. Anyway, what’s the schedule for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, I’d like Kang to visit the Lairin Fashion factory.”

“By myself?”

“I have to deal with the autopsy results. We have two people, so we have to divide the work. We don’t have much time as it is.”

“Yes. Lairin Fashion factory… Is Lairin Fashion Kim Hyung-joon’s business?”

“Yeah.”

“Please organize the things I need to ask and email them to me. I’ll also narrow down the things I need to ask. And now, please share the information with me.”

“Let’s go to the office and talk first.”

“Yes. Then I’ll leave.”

The car started moving. The sun had already set, and the bright moon was hanging in the sky.

It feels like time is passing incredibly quickly.

Today is coming to an end.

Now, the trial is practically two days away.

Within two days, I have to secure material evidence.

“Lawyer.”

“Speak.”

“Shall we have dinner on the way up? There’s a place near here that makes amazing gamjatang [spicy pork bone stew].”

“You’re so relaxed. I said there’s not much time left.”

“Consider it instead of the fee and treat me. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

* * *

“You don’t have to go to work at Tae-kwang?”

I looked at Kang Min-jae, who had even brought his laptop to the consultation table and was scrolling the mouse wheel.

We talked about the case yesterday and even had gamjatang with soju [Korean distilled rice liquor], but he didn’t seem to care.

Kang Min-jae seemed to have drunk one and a half bottles by himself, so he must be a heavy drinker.

“What are they going to do? They’ll cut me if they don’t like it.”

“You don’t care if you get cut [fired]?”

“Well, then you’ll accept me, lawyer. Small cases aside, it’ll be hard for you to handle big cases alone without a clerk.”

“I can’t match the salary you were getting at Tae-kwang.”

Tae-kwang pays a new associate lawyer an annual salary of 150 million won after taxes.

Of course, there may be differences depending on the individual, but Kang Min-jae would have been recognized for his one year of experience as a prosecutor and received the salary of a second-year lawyer from the time he was a rookie.

I don’t have the financial resources to bring in a lawyer when I don’t even know what the office income will be right away.

Wasn’t I even unable to tell Manager Oh to resign from the prosecution and come here?

“I don’t need money. I have to do what I want to do to be satisfied. But you’re not saying you won’t accept me. I have a feeling you’ll accept me if we adjust the salary well?”

“Don’t you think it’s a roundabout refusal?”

Kang Min-jae looked at me with his mouth open.

It was as if he was saying, how can you not give in even a word?

“I’ll leave for Lairin Fashion around 10:30. I was just going to resolve it over the phone, but it’s damn hard to get in touch with the factory manager. I think I’ll have to go directly and check the situation of the factory.”

“Okay.”

“You’ll want to accept me after this trial is over.”

“You’re so confident. You’ll be able to get through it well at Tae-kwang in the future. You’ll become a partner lawyer, and you’ll be recognized by CEO Yoon Won-hyung.”

“I want to be recognized by you more than CEO Yoon Won-hyung.”

The word [Truth] that has been floating above Kang Min-jae’s head since earlier is bothering me.

The story that he doesn’t need money, and the story that he wants to be recognized by me more than CEO Yoon.

“Excuse me, is Kang a gold spoon [born into wealth]?”

“A gold spoon? Ah, are you asking if I was born with a gold spoon in my mouth?”

Ah, was it before buzzwords like gold spoon and dirt spoon were popular in 2008?

It was a buzzword that I, who was in my late 40s in 2018, used often.

“Well, should I see it that way? I can eat and live until I die even if I don’t work. Why, do you need investment in the law firm? Then shall we go in the form of a co-representative instead of an employment form? Let’s change the name of the office from Attorney Cha Joo-han’s office to Cha & Kang or something like that. Of course, only if you’re okay with it.”

Kang Min-jae quickly rattled off while keeping his eyes fixed on the monitor.

I have a feeling he was interested in this from the beginning rather than employment.

“I don’t think I’ve formed a great relationship with Kang. I don’t remember the trainee days well, and we’ve only moved together for a day now.”

“Ah, is that a refusal?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I guess it’s better to appeal in the form of employment. Hehe.”

He was a stubborn person.

“Then I’ll go to Lairin Fashion and come back.”

“Take my car.”

“I brought my car too. And aren’t you going to Seocho-dong? How are you going to move around?”

“I don’t mind taking a taxi because it’s close, but Lairin Fashion is far.”

“Hmm, I should buy a lottery ticket today.”

“Why?”

“It’s amazing that the day has come when you’re considerate of me. It doesn’t seem like an ordinary day.”

“It’s not really that considerate.”

“What if my vision gets blurry because I’m shedding tears of emotion on the way to the Lairin factory and I make a mistake while driving?”

Kang Min-jae playfully retorted.

Was I that cold to Kang Min-jae?

I don’t know well.

“By the way.”

Kang Min-jae stopped while taking the documents that had just come out of the printer.

“There was a small article about you on the internet news. If you have time, take a look. Hahaha.”

He spun the car key with the emblem of a luxury foreign car and left the office.

Kang Min-jae will return to Seoul around the afternoon.

To save time, I need to go to the prosecutor’s office before he returns and find meaningful information in the autopsy results.

‘Before that, let’s find that article or whatever.’