You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 25

Kang Min-jae gestured, urging me to check the contents quickly.

“Please check, and let me know if I put in too little. I did some research on the fees for lawyers who used to be prosecutors… And I heard you’re a very reputable lawyer. So, I took that into account too…”

Kim Yeon-jun and Lee Young-ho also looked at me, as if urging me to check quickly.

Reluctantly, I opened the envelope.

“Kim Yeon-jun, this is…”

Three checks.

300 million won [approximately $250,000 USD, a significant sum].

Kang Min-jae seemed surprised as well, as if it was unexpected.

“Kim Yeon-jun, I think you’re overdoing it. I didn’t take on your case expecting this much.”

“No, I heard my case itself is very famous and difficult. A heinous crime… I heard the more difficult it is, the more expensive the fee. If it weren’t for you, I would have definitely been found guilty and become a murderer.”

“Even so,”

“I have a substantial inheritance from my parents. So, I’m not overdoing it. And you are truly my savior. Honestly, I’m so grateful to you that it wouldn’t matter even if you said it was not enough.”

Kang Min-jae, who had been listening to Kim Yeon-jun’s words, nodded.

“I used to work at Taekwang [a large law firm, likely one of the top firms in Korea], and I think the fee is reasonable. One of the cases our senior lawyer recently took on, a white-collar crime case indicted for trademark infringement, received 400 million won [approximately $330,000 USD] for a suspended sentence in the first trial.”

“Oh, then should I give you more? Trademark infringement is a minor thing, but I was facing murder…”

“No. No, Kim Yeon-jun. Kang, shut your mouth.”

“…Yes.”

Kang Min-jae pretended to zip his lips.

The case he was talking about probably benefited from the reputation of Taekwang, and if he was a senior lawyer at Taekwang, he must have been a former chief prosecutor at least.

If not, he must have been a lawyer with a very long career.

I don’t fall into either category.

“Lawyer, am I giving you too little? Should I give you a little more…”

“No. Kim Yeon-jun. It’s enough.”

“Then you’ll accept it, right? It’s my way of showing my appreciation, so I hope you won’t refuse too much.”

Kim Yeon-jun said with a smile.

I sighed and nodded.

“Okay.”

“Thank you.”

“This guy, even though he became a millionaire overnight, he says he’s going to keep working part-time. What kind of guy is this?”

“Hehe.”

Kim Yeon-jun scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed at Lee Young-ho’s words.

“Kim Yeon-jun, what are your plans for the future?”

“…Well, I’m going to finish school. I’m going to live a normal life. And I’m going to continue to donate to the organizations my parents used to support. Since I have money that shouldn’t have been mine… I think it’s right to give back to society.”

Kim Yeon-jun seemed to be reminded of his parents and choked back tears.

Being acquitted of murder was a joyous occasion for him, but as a result, he lost his parents, so it might not be something to be entirely happy about.

“Take care of yourself. You’ll do well in the future, Kim Yeon-jun.”

“…Thank you.”

“I also hope everything you do goes well, Kim Yeon-jun.”

Kang Min-jae, who had been silent, slipped in.

Kim Yeon-jun rubbed his teary eyes and nodded.

“Yes. Thank you. …Thank you so much.”

“Stop crying, Yeon-jun.”

Kang Min-jae pulled out a few tissues and handed them to him.

Kim Yeon-jun nodded vigorously.

“But, Lawyer.”

“Yes.”

“Back then, when you first came to see me at the detention center.”

Kim Yeon-jun, who had calmed down to some extent, opened his mouth.

“Why did you believe me?”

I quietly recalled that day.

Lee Young-ho pushed me to meet Kim Yeon-jun, who was already a suspect, and I heard Kim Yeon-jun’s confession there.

But I used my ability there and realized it was a lie.

What if I didn’t have the ability?

I would have thought, ‘That’s right,’ and turned away from him.

But I can’t say that I knew the truth of the case because I had the ability, can I?

“I knew Cha wouldn’t take on the case otherwise,” Lee Young-ho chimed in.

This time, Kang Min-jae also looked at me as if he was curious.

“I thought Kim Yeon-jun was innocent.”

“You thought so?”

“Yes.”

It’s not a complete lie.

“…You thought so.”

“Wow, Cha has great insight! Huh? Insight to see through the truth. Hahaha.”

Lee Young-ho burst into laughter and applauded.

I need to blend in with this atmosphere.

“Thank you.”

“Speaking of insight, it’s our lawyer Cha Joo-han. How amazing he was even since his prosecutor days. Gee, that’s why I quit Taekwang and came here.”

“Oh, really? Wow, you’re still Cha Joo-han. You’re going to be a great success!”

“That’s right. If a lawyer like you doesn’t succeed, who will?”

Success.

* * *

“Lawyer, here’s water.”

As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, Kang Min-jae arranged the spoons and water.

Suddenly, I see my own 모습 [Korean word for “appearance” or “figure,” used here to mean “reflection”] from my first year as a prosecutor, setting the spoons for the chief, deputy chief, and seniors.

I worked like a servant to barely climb up to the position of senior prosecutor, but I ended up dying in a drum [likely a reference to overwork or a thankless job]. What a fate.

“Kang, did you write your account number on the contract?”

“Yes. I did.”

“I’ll transfer 30 million won [approximately $25,000 USD] minus 3.3% later.”

“Why?”

“Why do you ask?”

Surely he knows that 3.3% is withholding tax.

“The contract was signed today, and Kim Yeon-jun’s case ended yesterday. And I was affiliated with Taekwang until yesterday, and I was prohibited from having a second job. You’re only giving me a retainer fee from the next case.”

“Still,”

“Wow, this kimchi stew looks delicious. I’ll serve it to you. Please give me the ladle over there.”

Kang Min-jae turned the topic, reacting exaggeratedly to the kimchi stew that came out just in time.

I sighed.

“Let’s eat quickly. It has a lot of meat and it’s good.”

At this rate, he’s going to return the 10% he was insisting on even if I deposit it.

“I heard that drama is a big hit these days?”

I was just about to put down my spoon.

Kang Min-jae gestured to the television, where the eyes of all the customers sitting in the store were directed.

“What is that?”

“It’s a drama called [Drama Title]. It airs at 10 PM, and even the housekeeper at my house stops everything and runs to the television when it’s time for that.”

The fact that there is a housekeeper at home until 10 PM means that it is a live-in housekeeper.

He must be from a wealthy family.

“Is it that interesting?”

“I’ve never seen it, but the internet is going crazy. There are memes circulating, and the viewership ratings are high.”

“Really?”

The scene of the female lead standing blankly in a high shantytown, looking down at the glamorous city, was shown.

Come to think of it, I remember that around this time, a drama became a huge hit, and every time I turned on the television, it was about that drama.

Was it a melodramatic drama about a poor female lead and a rich male lead?

I haven’t seen it myself, but I can roughly guess by looking at the actors.

After that, it was considered a masterpiece and was mentioned until 2018, when I lived.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

All the way back to the office after paying, Kang Min-jae talked about how great that drama was.

He hasn’t even seen it properly himself, but he knows the contents by heart.

“Huh?”

As we entered the second-floor hallway where the office was located, I saw someone standing in front of our office.

As soon as Kang Min-jae discovered the 모습 [Korean word for “appearance” or “figure”], he ran towards it sharply.

“Hello. Did you come to our office?”

It was a young woman wearing a coat and covering her mouth with a muffler.

Was she in her mid-20s?

As I approached them, she seemed to recognize me, cleared her 목도리 [Korean word for “muffler” or “scarf”], and revealed her face.

I thought for a moment that she was a celebrity and was covering her face, but that wasn’t it.

She had a very timid and insecure expression.

“Are you lawyer Cha Joo-han?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I want to get a consultation.”

“Let’s go inside first!”

Kang Min-jae hurriedly opened the office door and turned the ‘Out of Office’ sign.

He skillfully guided her to the consultation table.

“Would you like some coffee? Or, we have tea or juice too.”

Did we have tea or juice in our office?

“Juice, please.”

“What kind of juice?”

“Well, what do you have?”

“We have most of them. Just tell me.”

“Oh, then aloe…?”

“Yes, we’ll have aloe juice.”

Kang Min-jae opened the refrigerator door as if he was excited.

Then, various juices and drinks that were packed inside were revealed.

No, when did he prepare all that?

“Lawyer, would you like coffee?”

“Yeah.”

She looked at me, who was sitting across from her, holding a bulky muffler and bag in her arms.

After drinking the aloe juice that Kang Min-jae handed her, her face seemed a little less tense.

“May I ask what brings you here?”

I asked, raising my notebook and pen, as if I was somewhat prepared.

She took a deep breath.

“Please speak comfortably.”

“…Copyright. I want to file a copyright lawsuit.”

“Copyright, as in, what…?”

Kang Min-jae asked, and she closed her eyes tightly and answered.

“The drama [Drama Title] plagiarized my scenario.”