You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 481

You Have Been Defended – Episode 481

#481

With Heo Minwoo’s help, I managed to meet Jung Jimin.

When Kang Minjae asked what kind of introduction Heo Minwoo had given us, Heo Minwoo reassured him that he had made up something appropriate and that there was no need to worry. He said that Jung Jimin was a timid person, so if we coaxed him, he would spill everything.

Hearing that, I could roughly guess what kind of character he was.

I contacted Jung Jimin and told him to check in to the hotel where he used to meet Kim Chanyoung and wait for me.

The reason I chose this place as our meeting point was to show that I also frequented this hotel, even when Kim Chanyoung wasn’t visiting.

Kim Chanyoung had taken out a membership and periodically came to this hotel to relax as a smokescreen, but it would be problematic if Woo Shin found out that I only visited when Kim Chanyoung was here.

So, I was supposed to meet Kang Minjae in the lobby at this time.

No matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see Kang Minjae.

I checked my wristwatch and stood silently in front of the sculpture when my phone rang.

It was Kang Minjae.

“Where are you?”

─Ah, Attorney. I had a minor accident, so I’ll be a bit late.

“What kind of accident?”

─It’s nothing serious. The car in front of me braked suddenly, and I rear-ended them. I think I’ll be done soon, but even if I leave now, it’ll take about 30 minutes. Maybe longer. Are you okay?

“What’s not okay? Come slowly. If I think I’ll be done before then, I’ll let you know. Then just go straight home.”

─Still, I should be there with you. He’s an important witness. I’ll get there as soon as possible.

I had already heard the answers to the questions Heo Minwoo had asked Jung Jimin, and I only made the appointment to confirm things that Heo Minwoo couldn’t easily ask as a police officer.

We discussed what questions to ask with everyone.

It wouldn’t be a problem even if Kang Minjae wasn’t there.

“Well, Kang Attorney, do as you see fit. I’ll go up alone then.”

─Okay.

“Oh, right.”

─I’m about to hang up, uh, what is it?

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

─Wow. I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you, Attorney. I’m so touched. Wow, a true story of inspiration. America wept.

“What are you talking about?”

─You were worried about me and asked if I was hurt, even though I said it was nothing.

“So what? Anyway, I’m hanging up.”

I wasn’t worried; I was just checking.

If he was hurt, it might be difficult to check the blog, so I was going to reassign the work.

From the start, Kang Minjae said it was nothing serious, so I didn’t think it was something I needed to worry about.

Still, Kang Minjae tends to see me as a heartless person, so I thought it would be better to let him misunderstand and hung up the phone without correcting him.

I stood in front of the door of the room where Jung Jimin had checked in and lightly pressed the doorbell.

Soon after, the door opened.

“Hello. Are you Attorney Cha Joohan?”

The person in the ID photo Heo Minwoo had shown me stared intently at me and asked.

What I couldn’t understand was the fact that he was wearing a bathrobe.

As if noticing that I was looking at his attire with suspicion, Jung Jimin smiled awkwardly.

“Ah. Since I came to a fancy hotel, I checked in early and took a half-bath. I haven’t been able to take a half-bath in a while because I’m staying at a friend’s place these days. I’m looking for a place, but I haven’t found one I like yet. The appointment was at 7 PM, and check-in was from 3 PM, so it felt like a waste to just talk and leave… So, can I stay the night later?”

“I don’t mind, but may I come in?”

I still hadn’t set foot inside the room.

At my words, Jung Jimin quickly moved aside, and I sat on the couch inside the room.

Coming inside, I could see that he really had come prepared, as there was a small carrier on the opposite couch.

The clothes scattered haphazardly on the bed also showed how excited he was.

“You’ll pay when you leave later, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I’m sorry, but there’s a package deal for staying one night. It’s only 10,000 won [approximately $8 USD] more than just the room rate, and with that package, you get a breakfast buffet and a welcome champagne, so I booked that package. If it’s not okay, I’ll give you 10,000 won.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re so cool. Thank you. Ah, the breakfast buffet is free for two people, so would you like to come and eat tomorrow morning if you’re free?”

“No.”

“Ah, are you uncomfortable because I’m a gay host? I’m not hitting on you right now. I just really feel like one person’s portion is a waste.”

“Then you can call a friend to eat with you.”

“Ah, I guess I should.”

“Why don’t you change your clothes first? We can’t talk like that, can we?”

I said, looking at him still wearing the bathrobe.

Jung Jimin skillfully opened the closet inside the room, took out clothes that seemed to have been hung up in advance, and went into the bathroom.

I sighed.

I wondered if I could even start the conversation before Kang Minjae arrived.

Of course, Kang Minjae would like that.

“Attorney, but…”

“Yes.”

“Do you get any treatments? If you have a place you go to, could you let me know? Like a dermatologist. If you have any skincare products you use, could you share them with me? When I searched online, it said you’re at least a dozen years older than me, but I’d believe it if you said you were my older brother.”

“…I just use whatever.”

“Ah, don’t say that. Please share. My job is all about looks. I’m going crazy because I keep getting breakouts these days.”

“We didn’t meet to talk about skin. I don’t want to waste time with this small talk.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. I was just so curious… No, really, when I first saw you, Attorney, your face was just glowing. I’ve seen a lot of handsome people, and some celebrities come as customers, so I’ve seen a lot of them in person, but you’re really something else. If you ever worked in this industry, people would line up from Jeju Island [a popular tourist destination in South Korea] just to talk to you.”

Why would I work in that industry?

I was speechless and just stared at him, and Jung Jimin, thinking he had made a slip of the tongue, bowed his head.

“Ah, I didn’t mean you should work in this industry… I meant that’s how it would be if you did. And you don’t seem to be into that kind of thing, so if you did, it wouldn’t be a gay host bar, it would just be a regular host bar. Haha.”

“I’m not interested in gay or regular host bars, when can we start talking?”

“Gasp. I’m not trying to beat around the bush, I’m just… I make a living by talking, so I can’t help but let things slip out. Just so you don’t misunderstand, I’m not doing this because I’m interested in you, Attorney. I just can’t help but be talkative. For the record, you’re not really my type. It’s not that you’re ugly, it’s just that you’re too sculpted, you don’t have any human charm… Ah. I let it slip again. I’m sorry.”

If he served customers like this, they probably wouldn’t like it very much.

I regretted my past self for judging what kind of character he was based on a few words from Heo Minwoo.

Heo Minwoo didn’t tell me he was this type; was he being careful because he was a police officer?

“I’m going to ask you a few questions. Please tell me the truth. I’ve come after doing my research, so if you lie, I’ll know. So, it’s better not to.”

“Yes…”

“How close were you to Choi Jaehoon?”

“Huh? No, you said you came after doing your research. How close? Of course, we’ve seen everything. I even know where all his moles are.”

“…Not that, I’m talking about the psychological aspect. Was Choi Jaehoon the type to confide everything in you, did he ever talk about his serious concerns?”

“Ah. Haha, I misunderstood. I don’t know if he confided everything, but he talked a lot about his family. How he grew up, what his relationship with his parents was like, things like that.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing much. He just whined, but honestly, I thought he was complaining about nothing.”

Jung Jimin said with a sneer as if it were ridiculous.

“For example?”

“Well, he said he was beaten a lot by his father when he was young. But aren’t all kids beaten by their fathers? When my dad found out I was gay, he really tried to smash my head with a chair. He shaved my head bald too. And you know what else? I was caught talking to my boyfriend late at night, and he dragged me around by my hair and beat me to a pulp.”

“I didn’t ask about your story. Only talk about Choi Jaehoon, and only answer the questions I ask.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. So, he was a typical patriarchal father. He wouldn’t let him play, and he was afraid he would do something else while studying, so he would sit behind his desk with a stick until he went to bed at night. He didn’t really want to go to medical school, but his father made him go even after three attempts. He said he was too afraid of his father to say anything.”

If he grew up under such a father, he would have been trained to hide his emotions and wear a mask from a young age.

It seems that the personality he has shown to others so far was formed for that reason.

“Anyway, he seems to have been forced to succeed no matter what. His father seems to have an education complex. He said his father was a high school graduate, so he was often looked down upon in society. But he seems to make good money. He lived a life of luxury since he was young. I lived in a shack with coal briquettes when I was young, so he’s just complaining about nothing.”

“What about his other family members?”

“His mother seemed normal. Just a housewife. But since his father was so scary, she didn’t really stop him. So, Choi Jaehoon said his mother was the same as them for neglecting him. And he has an older sister, but she seems to have cut off contact with her parents as soon as she got a job because she was fed up with them. She still contacts Choi Jaehoon sometimes, but it’s almost always to ask for money.”

“So, Choi Jaehoon wouldn’t have relied on his family.”

“That’s right. Far from relying on them, he hates his family. Come to think of it, he always got mad at me and made a fuss on the days his sister called to ask for money. He called me a leech sucking on him. I mean, how can a guy who can’t live without me act like that?”

“Did Choi Jaehoon have any friends or mentors that he had a bond with?”

“His personality is a bit, no, very twisted. He sees the world in a negative light, so he can’t respect anyone. And friends… Of course, he has people he contacts and meets regularly. School seniors and juniors, and work colleagues? But it feels like he’s just maintaining those relationships out of obligation, not because he really likes them. It’s just social life. He pretends to be nice to people there and comes home and takes it out on me.”

Whether it was because I warned him at the beginning, or because he was able to pour out the words he had been keeping inside, everything Jung Jimin said was true.

From what I’ve heard, it seems that Jung Jimin is the only person who can confirm Choi Jaehoon’s true nature.

“Do you think Jung Jimin is the only person Choi Jaehoon showed his true self to?”

“Yes. That bastard is also secretly a coward, so he was always anxious that I knew everything about him. Once, he went crazy and strangled me, saying that if I died, no one would know his secrets. I really thought I was going to die then, and I even greeted my dead grandmother. So, I thought I was going to die if I kept doing this, so I packed my bags and tried to leave.”

“But why didn’t you leave?”

“Then he knelt down and cried and begged, saying he would never do it again, and that he couldn’t live without me… I really went into hiding for a few days, and he came to the bar, contacted people around me, and even went to the department store I always go to and asked the manager of my favorite luxury brand if I had been there. I was so embarrassed that I eventually went back. Then he even put on a show, saying he would die without me. He brought a knife from the kitchen and tried to slit his throat; it really made me sweat. He’s a crazy bastard. I think he was a bit erratic.”

The word ‘erratic’ sounded quite interesting.

Also, the fact that he was secretly a coward was also a point that could not be overlooked.

In particular, the fact that he thought no one would know his secrets if only Jung Jimin was gone suggests that he may have been quite obsessed with his own perfection as seen by others.

Perhaps it was these two attributes that made him unable to accept Im Hyunil’s offer.

“Once, we were doing that thing, you know? Loving each other. And suddenly he asked if I could be by his side even if he was trash. Ah, I remember that day so vividly, and he died a few days later, so it’s still lingering in my mind.”

“Trash?”

“Yes. But honestly, I thought he was trash even then, so I said what’s the difference between trash? So, I said it didn’t matter. Then he asked if he could be even more trash than I thought.”

Was this when he received the offer from Im Hyunil?

He said he died a few days after saying that, so the timing is perfect.

“I asked how much more trash, if he was non-burnable trash. Then he said he was trash beyond my imagination. Wow, but I was already living every day feeling how trashy humans could be, so I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he was trash beyond my imagination. Of course, I was already preparing to run away even before hearing that.”

“So, what did you say?”

“I couldn’t let him know that I was preparing to run away, so I pretended to be able to understand everything and said it would be okay as long as he didn’t kill people.”

Killing people.

That’s the organ trafficking business.

To Choi Jaehoon, Jung Jimin was the only person he could show his true self to, and whether it could be called love or not, he was an indispensable existence to him.

So, Jung Jimin, although she didn’t mean to, said that she couldn’t be by his side if he killed people.

Perhaps she was the reason Choi Jaehoon rejected Im Hyunil’s offer.