You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 410

“You’ve Been Defended” – Episode 411

#411

“Lawyer, Lawyer!”

When I regained consciousness, Kang Min-jae’s face, covered in tears and snot, was the first thing I saw.

I slowly looked around.

The ceiling, the square window, the IV drip in my arm, the white blanket covering my body…

It’s a hospital.

“Haa…”

I lived.

I survived.

I don’t know what happened, but I’m alive, so that’s enough.

“Kang, help me sit up a bit… Ugh!”

As I tried to raise my upper body, I felt extreme pain in my abdomen.

“You can’t. The stab wound in your abdomen is deep. If you try to move, the wound will open up,” Kang Min-jae said with a worried expression.

“Are you okay? Are you in a lot of pain?”

“It hurts like hell.”

Everything hurt.

My face, beaten by those bastards, hurt, and my body, hit with crowbars and baseball bats, also hurt.

The most painful place was, of course, the stab wound in my abdomen…

“You’ve been unconscious for three days, Lawyer.”

“Three days?”

“Yes. I was so worried. Everyone else came by, but I told them to leave since I was here.”

“Good job. So, you’ve been here the whole time?”

“Yes. I couldn’t tell your parents.”

“That was good too.”

If my parents knew, their hearts would break.

They already strongly opposed me not living a normal life, so how upset would they be if I showed up beaten and stabbed like this?

“What happened? I was clearly sleeping at home, but when I opened my eyes, I was on the sea.”

“It seems like people broke into your house during the dawn when Tae-shik went to get the taser and walkie-talkie. The doctor said there were traces of drugs, so they probably injected you while you were sleeping and kidnapped you. Tae-shik has been blaming himself so much.”

“I sent him, so it’s my fault. I regretted it a lot too. I shouldn’t have sent Tae-shik.”

“Ha, those Wooshin bastards, really… I think I know why you assigned a bodyguard. I didn’t think they’d use this method. No, I thought about it, but I really didn’t think it would be now…”

Kang Min-jae held his forehead and rambled.

Kang Min-jae must have been very surprised.

I, who had parted ways well after the broadcast, was suddenly found on the sea.

If he had been a step late, I would have died from the stab wound or drowned in the sea, but the timing was good.

“First, call a doctor. I need to know what my condition is.”

“Ah, just a moment.”

While Kang Min-jae went out, I looked around again.

Partly to confirm that I had really survived, but also because I wondered if I had died again and regressed [returned to an earlier point in time].

[August 2011]

“It’s not.”

Seeing the calendar on the hospital wall, I feel relieved.

If I had returned to 2008 again, I would have had to start all over again, which would have been daunting.

Well, if I had returned to 2008, Kang Min-jae wouldn’t have been guarding my hospital room.

“Are you okay, patient?”

At that moment, the doctor entered the room with a nurse.

“I’m fine except that my whole body hurts.”

“You’ve been subjected to considerable violence, and you have a deep stab wound in your abdomen, so it’s inevitable. The sutures went well, so you don’t have to worry. Oh, and…”

Kang Min-jae stood next to me and asked the doctor about this and that more diligently than I did, and the doctor answered that most of the questions were okay.

“I contacted Hyung-nim Bong-joon and Hyung-nim Jong-hyun too. And Tae-shik too. Oh, and also Detective Heo Min-woo.”

“Why Heo Detective?”

“If it weren’t for Detective Heo Min-woo, you wouldn’t be here, Lawyer, really…”

“Did they catch the bastards who did this to me?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you about that when the others come.”

Kang Min-jae sighed and sat next to me.

Only then did I check the patient gown I was wearing.

Looking at the hospital logo printed on the gown, it seemed to be Seoul Myungwoon University Hospital.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you. This is Seoul Myungwoon University Hospital. You were originally transferred to a hospital near that sea, but your condition improved, so you came to the hospital where Dong-jin is.”

“Really? Dong-jin came too?”

“Yes. He came this morning too. I just contacted him to tell him you woke up.”

Dong-jin probably didn’t say anything because he knew I didn’t want to worry my parents.

“Why bother? Dong-jin must be busy with work.”

“Yeah, Dong-jin, who’s busy with work, came.”

At that moment, Dong-jin, wearing a doctor’s gown, appeared, opening the hospital room door.

He leaned against the door and stared at me for a long time, then came closer.

“What’s with your face? Who painted your handsome face?”

“It turned out that way.”

“Is the stab wound okay? It must hurt a lot.”

“It hurts like hell.”

“Tsk, why do you do dangerous things?”

“How did you come when you’re busy?”

“I came after receiving Min-jae’s call. My childhood friend, who’s been lying down for three days, finally opened his eyes, how could I not come and see him?”

“Did you tell my parents…?”

“I didn’t tell them. Don’t worry. If your parents knew, they would have come up already.”

That’s a relief.

By the way, it’s funny that Dong-jin and I, who kept contacting each other saying we should meet, finally met like this.

We always told each other to take care of our health when we contacted each other, but it’s also funny that I appeared in front of Dong-jin like this without keeping my promise.

“I’ve seen that you’re okay, so I should go now. I’ll come again tonight.”

“Don’t come.”

“It’s my heart. Min-jae, take care.”

“Yes, Hyung-nim [term used by younger males to address older males they are close to]. Goodbye!”

It’s still awkward to see Kang Min-jae and Dong-jin calling each other ‘hyung-nim’.

“Lawyer, I’m glad you seem to be okay. Of course, the wound is deep, and you have a lot of bruises, but…”

Kang Min-jae said, handing me a cup of water.

I took the water and drank it, replying.

“Give me a mirror. Dong-jin and Kang are talking a lot about bruises. Is it that bad?”

I was knocked down and beaten, my face was stepped on, and my mouth was torn, so it was obvious without looking, but I still wanted to check.

How badly I was messed up.

That way, it might help with revenge.

“Don’t be surprised.”

Kang Min-jae said, holding the mirror close to my face.

“It’s better than I thought.”

Of course, my face was mottled, but I was beaten so badly that I thought I was going to die, so I thought this wasn’t bad.

“What’s better? I’m so upset. What did those Wooshin bastards do to you…? Aish, I’m so angry!”

Kang Min-jae slammed the bed I was lying on and jumped up.

“Calm down. That’s why I assigned a bodyguard; it’s my fault for being careless for one day.”

“Why is this your fault? It’s Wooshin’s fault!”

Of course, it’s Wooshin’s fault, but…

He’s so upset that I have nothing to say.

“When are the others coming?”

“They said they were leaving right away, so they should be here soon.”

Kang Min-jae said, checking his watch.

I want to get up and walk around, but even if I lift my body a little, the wound hurts and feels stiff, so I can’t move.

Even if people come, I’ll have to keep lying down like this.

“Lawyer! Lawyer, our Lawyer!”

At that moment, a thunderous voice burst into the hospital room.

It was Tae-shik, dressed in a suit and wearing a walkie-talkie.

As soon as he came to my side, he hugged me and started crying.

“Lawyer, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left my post, sob!”

“…It hurts.”

“Huh?”

“It hurts. Don’t hug me.”

“Ah… sniff, yes.”

Tae-shik swallowed his snot and fell away from me.

How could it not hurt when that giant was crushing my body?

Still, seeing him wearing a walkie-talkie, it seems he did prepare that dawn.

“Seeing you being so prickly, it seems like you’re okay.”

Tae-shik said, wiping the tears hanging from his eyelashes.

A hollow laugh came out, wondering if he really cried.

“Hey, Cha.”

When Tae-shik stopped overreacting, Choi Jong-hyun, Jo Bong-joon, and Heo Min-woo appeared together outside the hospital room door.

“You came together?”

Kang Min-jae asked, and Jo Bong-joon answered.

“We met downstairs.”

“Anyway, Cha, your complexion seems to have improved a bit. When you were first brought to the hospital, it was a mess. I really thought you were a corpse.”

Choi Jong-hyun chuckled, and Kang Min-jae glared at him.

“A corpse! Why would our lawyer be a corpse!”

“I thought you were. Anyway, as expected of someone who’s a fan of Cha Ju-han…”

“Hyung-nim cried as soon as he saw the lawyer.”

“You cried more. You were wailing.”

Choi Jong-hyun said, sitting on the hospital room sofa, and Heo Min-woo, who was standing behind him, slipped between Jo Bong-joon and Choi Jong-hyun and approached me.

“Lawyer Cha, you’ve been through a lot.”

He was also holding a fruit basket in his hand.

Kang Min-jae took it instead of me and put it on the shelf, and they sat side by side on the sofa.

“Ha, Cha, you’re really dynamic, dynamic. Assigning a bodyguard was a stroke of genius, but Tae-shik happened to be away…”

“…I’m sorry.”

Tae-shik lowered his head, and Jo Bong-joon waved his hand.

“We’re not blaming Tae-shik. Don’t do that.”

“No. I could have had the kids downstairs bring the taser and walkie-talkie, but it’s my fault for getting excited and leaving my post. The lawyer might not have been hurt…”

Seeing Tae-shik looking dejected, unlike his usual self, I guess I really went through something big.

“It’s okay. I got a little hurt, but I’ll be fine soon. My arms and legs are fine.”

I was even sincerely grateful that my arms and legs were fine.

Didn’t Go Sang-joon’s chief of staff, whom I had previously sent to prison, try to cut off Kang-chi’s arm?

They might have tried to cut off my arms and legs before burying me in cement.

“Anyway, please explain what happened.”

At my words, they looked at each other.

Then, in the silence, Tae-shik opened his mouth.