You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 459

You Have Been Defended – Episode 460

#460

I received a call from someone I never expected, at a time I never anticipated.

Of course, it would be premature to think that Kim Mi-ja sent us a signal that she would join us with just that message, but I can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Whatever it is, the fact that she’s contacting me means it’s more likely to be positive than negative.

[Hello. Please call me at 11.]

As soon as I sent the reply, it was immediately marked as read.

Seeing how quickly she confirmed, even though I replied after two hours, maybe she was feeling anxious that I wouldn’t answer her call.

I captured the short conversation I had with Kim Mi-ja and posted it in the group chat room.

[Jo Bong-joon: Jackpot

Oh Yang-hoon: I know, I’m glad. I’m curious what she’s going to say.

Choi Jong-hyun: I hope she says she’s on our side. I’m praying from now on. Which religion has the best prayer power?]

The reaction was explosive.

The problem was that Kang Min-jae hadn’t read the message yet.

I left the room and went downstairs to the first floor.

“Oh, really? Hmm, that issue can be interpreted in many ways legally. Simply transferring company funds for personal use isn’t enough to be recognized as embezzlement in breach of duty. I need to know the specific situation of your daughter to know whether she is subject to punishment or not.”

Kang Min-jae, who had already changed into ‘comfortable clothes to wear to a drinking party,’ was sitting at the table, drinking coffee, and talking to a middle-aged man I had never seen before.

Seeing my mother and father nodding diligently next to him, it seemed that they knew the middle-aged man well.

“Oh, Joo-han.”

While I was wondering what to do, my father noticed me and gestured.

I nodded slightly and sat next to Kang Min-jae.

“This is Soo-yeon’s father who lives in the house in front of us, do you remember? I talked to him a few times on the phone before.”

My mother sometimes talked about the neighbors when she was on the phone, so I vaguely remembered.

“Yes.”

“But Soo-yeon was sued for embezzlement at the company. I was asked if I could get some help from you a while ago, and then he contacted me a while ago, so I told him to come to the house.”

“Oh, nice to meet you. I’ve only seen you on TV, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in person. My brother boasted so much about his son. I was really curious, but seeing you like this, I can see why he’s so proud.”

The man, Soo-yeon’s father, asked me for a handshake.

I shook hands lightly, poured water from the table, and drank it.

I was going to tell Kang Min-jae about Kim Mi-ja, but it seemed that he was caught by this man and was giving him legal advice.

I thought he was just chatting with my parents, but I never knew it would turn into free legal advice.

“Anyway, tell me more.”

“Ah, yes. So, I need to know the details of your daughter’s situation to give you advice, but listening to your words, Father, it seems that there are internal circumstances beyond what you said. So, I’m saying that I need to talk to your daughter directly to give you an answer.”

“Oh, I was going to come with my daughter now, but she said she was going somewhere from the morning. Ha, even if I tell her to come back now, it will take more than an hour. No, I’m worried that the lawyer will be tired.”

“Ah, I’m okay… I’m going to sleep here tonight.”

Kang Min-jae glanced at me.

I don’t care if Kang Min-jae gives legal advice.

However, we are not in a situation to take on the case right now, and especially since the daughter lives here, the company must be around here, but we can’t go on a business trip.

“Min-jae, aren’t you tired?”

At my father’s question, Kang Min-jae waved his hand.

“Oh, no, I’m not tired.”

“I’ve been helped a lot by Soo-yeon’s family, so I want to repay them at times like this… Maybe you’re worried that Min-jae will be tired. Ah, when Soo-yeon comes later, Joo-han, listen to her story together. That would be even better.”

“I don’t mind just giving advice, but we are a law firm in Seoul, so it’s difficult to take on the case. But if it’s okay, we can give you our opinion.”

Everyone’s face brightened at my answer.

“Then, then. Our lawyers Cha and Kang are expensive lawyers, so where else can we get even this kind of consultation.”

“Do Min-jae and Joo-han know any lawyers in this area? If you have someone you can trust, I think it would be good to talk to them.”

There’s no way they would know any lawyers in this neighborhood.

But Kang Min-jae seemed to have a different story.

“I’ll make a call!”

“I can’t be more reassured, really. Thank you.”

“No. Ah, then shall we talk again when your daughter comes later?”

“Yes, yes. We have to eat, too. Then I’ll contact you after dinner, Brother.”

“Just tell Soo-yeon and Soo-yeon’s mother to come and eat together. We’re going to grill meat.”

“Wow! Is it meat for dinner today?”

“Won’t it be enough? If three more servings are suddenly added. Ah, shall we buy some meat?”

“It’s okay. There’s one guy here who eats a lot, so I don’t know how many pounds I bought. It won’t be enough.”

I don’t remember when, but when I came to my parents’ house last time, I was caught by my aunt and gave divorce counseling to my cousin.

In fact, this is the destiny of a lawyer.

Of course, if you get a case like this, it will be a kind of business, but the problem is that our company is a law firm in name only, but it actually functions as an investigation organization.

“Then I have to tell Soo-yeon’s mother and Soo-yeon to come this way. Ah! Shall I pick some lettuce?”

“That’s good. Do you have chicory?”

“I think I’ve eaten it all, but I’ll bring it if I have it.”

Soo-yeon’s father left the house, and my parents kept thanking Kang Min-jae for giving legal advice instead of me.

Kang Min-jae scratched his cheek, saying, ‘Oh, it’s nothing,’ but he seemed happy to be loved by my parents.

“But Lawyer Kang. Where did Tae-shik go? I can’t see him.”

“Tae-shik went out to talk on the phone, but I can’t see him.”

I went out to the garden and looked around, but I couldn’t see Tae-shik.

As I was about to open the cigarette case to smoke a cigarette, Tae-shik came out of the garage, as if he had gone outside.

“Where did you go?”

“I heard from Sang-gil that you have bodyguards stationed here.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“I went to see if they were guarding well. I didn’t talk to them, I just watched how they were doing. If they do it like dog shit, I’m going to tell the lawyer to change the company.”

“So, did you like it?”

“Yes. It was okay. They weren’t doing anything else.”

“But why did you take the car out?”

“Ah, I was trying to figure out the neighborhood. That kind of thing should never happen, but I can’t be stupid if something shitty happens.”

I was surprised by Tae-shik’s growth.

Was he the kind of guy who could think of such a commendable thing?

I wanted to give him a raise, but I’m already giving him enough, and I thought he might get lazy if I gave him too often, so I held back.

“Wow, Lawyer!”

At that time, Kang Min-jae ran towards us.

“What is it? Did you hear from Kim Mi-ja?”

“Ah, you just saw the message.”

“No, I couldn’t look at my cell phone because I was listening to Soo-yeon’s father… You were supposed to call at 11, right?”

“Yeah. But I wonder if the consultation with that neighbor will be over before then. Even if I start preparing now, it seems like it will be 11 soon after dinner, cleaning up, and consulting.”

“I know. When it’s time, you should say that you received an urgent call and make a call. Ah, but what will Kim Mi-ja say? I’m nervous.”

“Well. I don’t know either.”

Even if I don’t know, I don’t think Kim Mi-ja would have made the choice to be at odds with us.

If she did, she would have stabbed us in the back right away, but she wouldn’t have contacted us.

“Tae-shik!”

At that time, the balcony door opened and my mother approached us.

Before I went to bed, she clearly called him Tae-shik, but I don’t know when the title changed.

At my mother’s sudden appearance, Kang Min-jae and Tae-shik quickly put out their cigarettes in the ashtray.

“Ah, yes!”

“Can you help Mom?”

And when did our mother become Tae-shik’s mother?

“Of course. What shall I do?”

“Please help me move the electric grill outside.”

Tae-shik responded to my mother’s call exactly twice as fast as when I called him.

* * *

To sum up the barbecue party in the evening in one word, it would be ‘tired’.

Soo-yeon’s family, who arrived an hour later, were really interested in me and Kang Min-jae.

In particular, my father kept praising me, so I had to answer the questions and enter the newly received questions at the same time.

I felt similar fatigue to when I received countless questions from reporters after the trial.

Besides, I couldn’t stop checking my cell phone to avoid missing 11 o’clock, so I had to listen to the apologetic question, ‘Did we make you too tired?’

When we started cleaning up after dinner, Kang Min-jae confessed that he quickly cut off the words because he thought I would say ‘Yes, it’s a bit like that’ right away.

I’ve heard that I’m a bit lacking in sociability.

But I thought I had improved a lot compared to before, but it seems not yet.

“So, Soo-yeon thought it was okay because she put the money back into the account?”

“Yes. I made the transfer by mistake at that time, and it was also the day I got the money back from my friend, so I thought the money had come in…”

“First of all, the most important thing in that situation is whether or not there was an intention to illegally acquire it. So, it’s important whether Soo-yeon intended to use the company’s funds as her own money. Is this the first time this has happened?”

“Yes. It’s really the first time. But I don’t get along with my team leader, so he keeps bringing up small mistakes I made in the past.”

“First of all, it would be good to collect evidence that can prove that there was no intention of illegal acquisition. And is there any evidence to prove that it was the day you were supposed to receive money from your friend? Messages you exchanged, phone recordings, etc….”

The conversation was getting longer than I thought.

Kang Min-jae mainly conducted the consultation, and I only intervened when I judged that the necessary content was not explained, so it was not a situation where I had to be here.

I looked at my watch and it was already 10:55.

As I kept checking the time, Kang Min-jae also glanced at his cell phone and said.

“I’m really sorry, but our lawyer has an important call to receive, so he has to leave, is that okay? I’ll be here.”

“Oh, then. I’m sorry, I’m bothering you because of me…”

“No. Lawyer Kang, please give her good advice.”

I went up to the second floor.

I went into the group chat room and Jo Bong-joon, Choi Jong-hyun, and Secretary Oh were already having a heated conversation from around 10:40.

It was about guessing what Kim Mi-ja would say, even though I knew it was meaningless.

[Choi Jong-hyun: Is that Cha Lawyer who just read it or Min-jae?

Jo Bong-joon: It’s probably Min-jae

Choi Jong-hyun: Min-jae, what is Cha Lawyer doing? Why doesn’t he appear?]

I really looked like I was in a hurry, so I was going to write even a one-line reply, but my cell phone started ringing.

It was Kim Mi-ja.

“Yes, this is Cha Joo-han.”

─Ah, yes. Lawyer.

Kim Mi-ja said in a very small voice.

It seemed like it was late, so I turned up the call volume.

─I’m sorry for the late hour.

“No. I’m the one who told you to contact me anytime.”

─I had to wait until my husband was asleep, so it was a bit late.

“It’s okay. Are you in a place where Oda Satoshi can’t hear you?”

─Yes. My husband is on the second floor, and I’m in the garden now. The kids are all asleep, too.”

“Is there anything wrong? You contacted me suddenly.”

─…I think there’s something else you want to hear from me, but I don’t think it’s that. I’m sorry.

I guess she’s not saying she’s going to join us.

It hasn’t been that long since I met Kim Mi-ja, and she’s in a situation where she has to make a decision of a lifetime, so I fully understand that her worries are getting longer.

“It’s okay.”

─Ah, but maybe it will help you.

“What do you mean?”

─I wrote a letter of resignation to submit to the school. I haven’t submitted it yet, but I’m going to go to work on Monday and submit it.”

“Is it because of the academic record forgery?”

─Well, there are things like that… I’m just cleaning up my affairs.”

“What do you mean by cleaning up your affairs?”

─I thought I should tell you, so I called you. I’ll send you as much information as I can. It’s what you want. I searched the internet and found your address. Can I send it there?

“Kim Mi-ja, wait a minute.”

─Yes, please speak.

“I have an idea that just came to my mind. I’m going to ask you, hoping it’s not that. Now,”

─Yes. I think it’s probably right.

“…….”

─I’m going to die.