You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 261

You Have Been Defended – Episode 261

My parents live in a provincial city, the hometown where my mother and father were born and raised.

They grew up together in the neighborhood since childhood and naturally got married, so fortunately, they were from the same hometown.

As the rural village was developed into a city, some of the relatives who lived together at the time left, but many relatives still live close together.

A neighborhood with detached houses, located just a bit outside the city center.

My parents really liked this neighborhood, saying it was the perfect place to spend their retirement.

“Wow, this neighborhood is really nice.”

And Kang Min-jae seemed to like this place too.

Although, it didn’t seem like there was a better house than Kang Kwan-woong’s private residence where Kang Min-jae lives.

Well, it was also pleasing to my eyes as it was a residential complex surrounded by small mountains and streams.

Kang Min-jae slowly drove the car, looking at the houses with his head down.

“Which one is your parents’ house?”

“There.”

I pointed to the inside and said.

“Wow, the house is really pretty.”

“You can’t even see it well.”

“That little bit that’s visible is enough to predict that it’s pretty.”

The word ‘truth’ is always floating above Kang Min-jae’s head [referring to his ability to discern truth from lies], but sometimes I wonder if this ability malfunctions.

“Ju-han!”

As I parked the car in the garage, my parents came down towards the garage.

It was already around evening when we arrived.

A delicious food smell wafted through the slightly open door.

“Mother, Father, have you been well?”

Kang Min-jae took out a box of red ginseng from the back seat and bowed.

“Oh my, Lawyer Kang is here too?”

“It’s Min-jae, Mother. It’s about time you dropped the formalities.”

We’ve only met twice?

“Yes, yes, Min-jae. Haha. Come inside quickly. Ju-han, you too.”

……It feels like the roles have been reversed, but it must be my imagination.

Following Kang Min-jae, who was holding the red ginseng box in both hands and going up the stairs, I entered the house.

Then…….

“Wow, Ju-han! It’s been so long!”

……My aunts were all gathered.

“Who is this friend?”

“Ah, this is a junior lawyer who works in the same office as Ju-han. Lawyer Kang Min-jae.”

“Hello! Oh my, Mother. Did you know I was coming and arrange a blind date? All the beauties of Korea are gathered here.”

When Kang Min-jae spoke to the aunts sitting on the sofa, the aunts burst into laughter in an instant.

“Oh my, how old are we to be having blind dates? We’re almost seventy, seventy. People will criticize us if people like us meet a lawyer.”

“Excuse me? Seventy? I thought you were just about to turn forty. I thought it was perfect because I like older women…….”

“Oh my, that lawyer is really something. Hehehe. Ju-han, that lawyer is so funny. It must be fun every day.”

I’m always surprised by Kang Min-jae’s sociability, but he’s really something else.

“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s eat quickly. Ju-han’s father, help me carry the pot.”

As my mother and father went into the kitchen, Kang Min-jae and I, who were left alone with my aunts, prepared to wash up…….

“Lawyer Kang Min-jae, you said? How old are you this year?”

“How old do you think I am?”

“Oh my, that’s a difficult question!”

“Just tell me what you honestly think, Aunt.”

“Let’s see. You went to college, prepared for the bar exam, and went to the military, so……. Are you about thirty?”

“Wow, thirty! Lawyer! Did you hear that? She thinks I’m thirty years old!”

I was going to prepare to wash up.

Kang Min-jae was already surrounded by my aunts, engrossed in chatting.

I eventually sighed and went into the bathroom alone.

I did contact my mother to tell her I was coming home today, but I didn’t know all my aunts would be gathered.

Since they live in the same neighborhood, that’s why they came, but if I had known, I would have bought more red ginseng.

“So, so what happened?”

“What do you think happened?”

“Oh, we don’t know!”

I came out of the bathroom thinking about that, and Kang Min-jae had already become closer to my aunts.

He’s really amazing.

I went into the kitchen wondering if there was anything I could help with, but my mother and father had already finished preparing, and the table was full of colorful food.

I had been treated lavishly at Kang Min-jae’s house several times, so I thought I should treat him once, but I didn’t know it would be today.

“How is it, Min-jae? Is it delicious?”

My mother asked, staring intently at Kang Min-jae, who had put the meat in his mouth.

Kang Min-jae chewed without answering with a serious face, and my mother’s expression hardened slightly.

“Why, is it not good?”

When my mother asked, Kang Min-jae shook his head.

“What’s in it?”

When I asked this time, Kang Min-jae shook his head again.

“This is too…… too seriously delicious. Really. I feel it every time, but Mother, you should really open a restaurant. Then you’ll earn enough to feed three generations. And hire me as the manager. I think that would make more money than being a lawyer.”

“Ju-han. This friend is really something. He’s so funny, really.”

My aunts started to burst out laughing.

If I had come alone, the mealtime would have been quiet, but I was glad that it became amicable thanks to Kang Min-jae.

After that, Kang Min-jae pleased my parents and aunts with all sorts of antics and charms, and I was able to eat quietly without any pressure.

“Ah, right. Ju-han. I had something to ask you anyway.”

It was while we were eating fruit in the living room after dinner and talking about the current affairs program I had appeared on.

My aunt suddenly opened her mouth with a serious face.

“Jung-hee, you know. My eldest daughter.”

“Yes.”

“Jung-hee is making a fuss about divorcing her husband right now, and I don’t know if she can get alimony if she divorces.”

Jung-hee, whom my aunt is talking about, is my cousin.

When I was young, I remember her taking me to the neighborhood supermarket to buy snacks during holidays.

I haven’t been able to see her much since I grew up.

“You’ve come to the right person, Aunt. As you know, our office was in charge of Jung Young-joon’s side when Jung Young-joon and Go Jin-ah divorced. You know that time? Jung Young-joon was almost going to take all the blame and get divorced, but our lawyer actually got a lot of alimony instead.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Kang Min-jae, the salesman.

“Of course, I know. That was on the news too! Ju-han, do you know how much your mother bragged?”

“……Sister, when did I ever!”

My mother was embarrassed and pushed my aunt’s shoulder for no reason, blushing.

“Does your brother-in-law have a reason for the divorce?”

“A reason?”

“I mean, is your son-in-law causing the divorce?”

When Kang Min-jae added, my aunt shouted excitedly.

“That’s right! That bastard cheated on her! That damn bastard.”

“Then does Jung-hee have evidence of the affair?”

“I already told her to get the evidence!”

My aunt raised her voice and began to give a long speech about how bad my brother-in-law was.

From my perspective, having gone through all sorts of hardships, that level of bad guy wasn’t even a real bad guy.

He’s not that smart, so I don’t think you need to bring a lawyer to get alimony and end it cleanly.

If my memory is correct, Jung-hee has been married for over 7 years.

“Please tell her to contact me. I think it would be better for me to talk to her directly.”

I handed my business card to my aunt and said.

“Oh my, it’s so reassuring. You’re so lucky to have a son like this. How can you be so reliable and perfect? Well done, well done. Our Ju-han.”

……And my aunt was about to pat my butt.

It would have really happened if I hadn’t quickly avoided it.

After spending time until late at night, Kang Min-jae and I went out to the yard for a break to smoke.

“Lawyer.”

Enjoying the night breeze, Kang Min-jae lit a cigarette and suddenly spoke.

“What.”

“You must be happy.”

When I gave him a puzzled look at the sudden words, Kang Min-jae said with a smile.

“I’m jealous of you having such a close-knit family. Haha. My family never gathers like that. At best, political figures come to greet us on holidays, but they’re people you never know when they’ll turn their backs.”

Suddenly, I thought of his environment, living with his grandfather after losing his parents.

I didn’t even think my aunts would be here, and I wondered if I was lacking in consideration for Kang Min-jae.

Kang Min-jae really wanted to go, and my mother said she wanted to see Kang Min-jae, so I just brought him along, pretending I couldn’t win.

I should be more careful in the future.

“No, I’m not getting sad or anything. Rather, I’m happy. I don’t have such a family, but coming here with you, Lawyer, makes me feel like I have such a family. Haha.”

I actually don’t like this bustling atmosphere during holidays, so I try not to come often.

In my previous life, I didn’t have parents, so I naturally only went to my wife’s family during holidays.

But there is definitely a difference between someone who has experienced it and doesn’t go because they don’t like it, and someone who can’t go even if they want to.

“Kang, you should meet a good person and get married soon too. Then you’ll have a family.”

“There’s no such person. If there was, I would have met them a long time ago. If you really want to, Lawyer, you can introduce me to someone.”

Kang Min-jae shrugged his shoulders and said.

“How about Reporter Yoon Se-yeon?”

“Are you kidding me? And Reporter Yoon has a boyfriend.”

“How do you know?”

“I saw it on Facebook.”

Has the era of Facebook already arrived?

It feels like only yesterday that I was looking for data on Cyworld [a popular South Korean social networking site] when proceeding with a case, but the era of Facebook is already coming.

Well, smartphones have been quite widely distributed, so it’s time for the era of Facebook to come.

The flow of time is so fast that I feel anxious that if I move too slowly, I will soon reach 2018 where I was.

“Then shall I ask Dong-jin to introduce you? He told me to get introduced to him anyway. He’s Dong-jin’s junior. If he’s a junior, he might be the right age for Kang.”

“……Really?”

At his slightly interested voice, I took out my cell phone.

I was thinking of contacting Dong-jin while I was at it.

When I unlocked my phone, an unread text message popped up.

“Are you going to contact Dong-jin hyung [older brother or male friend]?”

“Kang.”

“Yes?”

“We have to go back to Seoul now.”

“Why? You said we were staying overnight.”

Instead of answering, I showed him my phone screen.

[I have information to report about Wooshin. I want to meet you before the trial as soon as possible. -Lee Jung-chan]