You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 486

You’ve Been Defended – Episode 486

#486

“How is it, Attorney? Much cleaner now, right?”

A strange smell, a mix of cleaning chemicals and hastily sprayed air freshener, tickled my nose.

I frowned slightly, looking around the hostess bar.

Perhaps sensing my discomfort whenever I visited, they’d clearly made an effort to clean up, but it was still far from satisfactory.

Several large garbage bags, the kind used by businesses and probably exceeding 100 liters, were haphazardly shoved behind the counter.

It seemed they’d tried to hide the trash before my arrival, but my inconvenient height allowed me to see the mess.

As if noticing my gaze, the NIS [National Intelligence Service] agent nudged me forward and led me into a room labeled ‘Youth Room.’

The smell of old dust hit me as soon as I entered.

A dirty rag lay crumpled in one corner, likely used for wiping tables.

The table itself was glossy.

But the rag looked far too dirty to effectively clean a table of this size.

It must have been coated in a thick layer of dust.

How long had this room been neglected?

The thought made me reluctant to even sit on the sofa.

“Oh, come on. It’s clean enough. Are you really that much of a germaphobe?”

The NIS agent grumbled, sounding dissatisfied as I hesitated at the entrance.

While I certainly wasn’t fond of dirt, I was confident I was more composed than Kang Min-jae, who had nearly gagged at the sight of moldy instant noodles during his previous visit.

“Hey, got any newspaper? Tell him to spread it out before he sits. The cushions are probably filthy anyway.”

Tae-shik chimed in. The NIS agent pouted, went outside, and returned with a newspaper.

It was the *JoongIl Daily*.

Even if it was just to sit on, it wasn’t a newspaper I particularly wanted to touch, but I didn’t have much choice. Then the publication date caught my eye.

January 28, 2011?

…It was over a year old.

That might actually be dirtier.

“Oh, what’s wrong now?”

“Never mind. I’ll just sit.”

“You sat just fine in dirtier places when you first came here.”

Back then, I was so focused on the overall filth that I hadn’t considered the sofa’s contamination.

And it had been a leather sofa, which was relatively easy to clean. This room, however, had a fabric sofa, which would be much harder to disinfect.

Saying all that would make me sound fussy, so I shook the newspaper in the air and sat on it.

“Why don’t you schedule a professional cleaning or something? I’ll cover the costs.”

“I got a quote a few years ago, and they said it would cost four hundred because there was too much trash and it was too old. Four hundred is how many graphics cards? You know I need a lot of graphics cards because of you, Attorney.”

“Then how about moving to a different location?”

“I don’t want to. I like it here.”

“You might catch the Black Death if you stay here.”

“Do you think this is the Middle Ages? And there aren’t any rats here, okay?”

I suspected there might be.

“Anyway, please get a professional cleaning done. It’s hard on me.”

“I put you in the cleanest room. How can you complain? You’re not living here, just visiting.”

“I just don’t like places like this.”

“…You really do live up to your looks.”

The NIS agent clicked his tongue and upended the shopping bag he’d been holding since he greeted me, spilling its contents onto the table.

Tiny machines, about the size of a pinky nail, scattered across the surface.

“This is the smallest size I could get.”

“The size is fine, but won’t they be detected by a metal detector or something?”

“They’re covered in aluminum, so they won’t react to metal detectors. The placement is important; if the walls are thickly lined with aluminum, they might absorb all the radio waves and not work. Some places that are very careful about soundproofing do that. Test them out before you use them.”

“Then will they be detected by a radio wave detector?”

“Well, there’s a new detector that came out two years ago. It’s pretty high-performance, so you might get caught if they have that. If it’s an older version, you should be fine.”

Then, the NIS agent placed a box that had been on the floor onto the table and pushed it toward me.

“This is the camera you asked for. It’s the real deal, what the NIS uses. My former workplace, not me.”

“Really?”

“I prepared it in an accessory form because I heard a woman would be using it.”

When I opened the box, I found three pairs of earrings and two necklaces, all adorned with fancy jewels.

Though there were small black cubic zirconia embedded here and there, the focus was on the large green jewel surrounded by white cubic zirconia, making the black stones seem to fade into the background.

“Is this the camera?”

I pointed to one of the small black cubic zirconia.

Looking closely, I could see something like a camera lens.

“Yes. But you really have to look closely to see it; you wouldn’t know just by glancing. Unless you have the eyesight of a Mongolian.”

“I see. What’s the picture quality like?”

“Don’t expect amazing picture quality. But it’s enough to identify people’s faces. And the receiver is here. You can control it with this remote, and the instructions are in the manual, so please refer to that. The storage is an SD card, and the oldest file will be deleted when the capacity is exceeded, so be careful not to fill it up.”

I nodded and closed the box, putting it in a paper bag.

“But what are you going to use this for?”

“Eavesdropping and hidden cameras.”

“Ugh, I know that much. Who are you going to eavesdrop on, and who are you going to secretly film?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Are you using it on Go Sang-jun?”

“Not really, but it would be nice if Go Sang-jun got caught on it. Anyway, I won’t let any trouble come your way. The cost will be included in the settlement at the end of this month.”

As I stood up, the NIS agent quickly ran to the door and opened it for me.

“You don’t have to do this much for me.”

“I thought you’d complain about touching the doorknob because it’s dirty.”

“Oh, right. Get a cleaning quote within this week and send it to me. If it’s not cleaned by the next time I come, I’m cutting off the deal.”

“Even if you cut off the deal, you’ll come back because there’s no one better than me.”

That was true, but I didn’t want to die of the Black Death in the 21st century because I frequented this place.

The NIS agent, who had followed Tae-shik and me to the entrance, unlocked the iron door and nudged Tae-shik’s back, saying,

“Hey, it’s been too long since we had a drink, hasn’t it? Give me a call.”

“I don’t have time. I’m busy following the Attorney around.”

“You can have a drink or two during the time Sang-gil covers.”

“You can’t stop at the right time when you drink with me. What if I get sick?”

“This is new… Have you forgotten that we decided to drink until our livers turned to rags?”

“I’ll start running the factory again from when Wooshin goes bankrupt. Anyway, go inside.”

Listening to the NIS agent, I realized that Tae-shik had never mentioned drinking at all.

Feeling a surge of pride, I glanced at him, but Tae-shik, looking embarrassed, snatched the paper bag from my hand and jumped into the driver’s seat.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go to the office.”

As Tae-shik started driving towards the office, I checked the time and called Kim Mi-ja.

It was the time I had promised her a few days ago.

─Yes, Attorney.

“Is it a good time to talk?”

─Of course. What about the bug and camera?

“They’re ready. But are you really sure about this?”

─I wouldn’t have offered to help if I couldn’t handle something like this.

Kim Mi-ja answered coolly.

It was important to quickly check if there were any children sent to Japan from the House of Angels for organ harvesting, but the truth was, I thought it was necessary to prevent it from the planning stage.

And to do this, installing bugs and cameras in the hostess bar run by Kim Mi-ja was the most effective way.

Nevertheless, I hadn’t wanted to suggest that method to Kim Mi-ja directly.

If the devices were discovered, Kim Mi-ja could also be harmed.

However, Kim Mi-ja had been the first to suggest installing bugs and cameras in the hostess bar.

Despite my repeatedly warning her that she could be in danger, she had asked me to get the devices and send them to her.

I worried that I might have inadvertently influenced her decision, but Kim Mi-ja spoke firmly before my worries could escalate.

If I didn’t get them for her, she would acquire the bugs herself and proceed anyway.

“We can still consider other methods, even now.”

─If you think about it, I could stay by the customers’ side every time they come. But if they ask me to leave, I have no justification to refuse. More than anything, even if I hear something, there’s no evidence left. It would just be my word against theirs. Then we can’t secure definite evidence that those people were plotting such a crime.

Kim Mi-ja had no idea that they were running an organ trafficking business until I told her.

It seemed that even though they trusted Kim Mi-ja enough to entrust her with the hostess bar, they didn’t want to expose their most damning secrets.

Therefore, the only way to eavesdrop on their conversations was through bugging.

However, until now, the risk of such plots being discovered had been borne by myself, not by others.

How could I not be concerned?

It felt like I was passing on a responsibility that I should be carrying alone.

“I’m worried that Kim Mi-ja might be in danger because of our greed.”

─Attorney, what do you mean ‘our’? Wasn’t I part of the team? I should be included in the ‘our’ you’re talking about.

“……”

─If it weren’t for you, I would have either been covered in shit and gone to jail, or committed suicide, one of the two. But after decades, I met my family and had a reason to live. I used to be afraid of time passing, afraid that the glory I was enjoying now would suddenly disappear. But now I want time to pass quickly. I hope the day will come soon when everything is revealed and I can return to my family. To do that, I have to help you, right?

“I appreciate you thinking that way. But,”

─Appreciate? Attorney, you’re saying strange things. Ah, wait. No, I was the one who was strange first. I’m not helping you. I’m doing it *together*. It’s my job. So you don’t have to thank me. I’m doing what I can do here, and you’re doing what you can do as a lawyer in Korea. Attorney Kang Min-jae and the other colleagues you mentioned are doing the same thing. Isn’t that right?

“…That’s right.”

─Right? Then I’ll send you the address by text, so please send the bug and camera there. Ah, I think I have to hang up now because I have somewhere to go. I’ll hang up now.

Kim Mi-ja hung up before I could answer.

I sighed and put my cell phone in my jacket pocket.

“Attorney.”

Tae-shik, who had been driving quietly, spoke up.

“What.”

“Thinking about it, I think you’re a bit self-centered.”

At the sudden criticism, I looked at him. Tae-shik shrugged and continued.

“No, I mean, that’s just how it is. I accidentally overheard Kim Mi-ja’s voice coming out of the phone, so I heard the whole conversation. Why do you think taking down Wooshin is something you have to do *alone*?”

“What do you mean? It’s my job.”

“Ah, I mean, why do you think of other people as grateful people who are helping you at your request?”

“…Because that’s the truth?”

“No. Me and the others, we all *want* to take down Wooshin. So we’re not helping you; we’re taking them down *together*. You’re just… what do you call it? *Oya*, you know, *Oya*. The boss?”

“Are you seriously calling me the leader?”

“Ah, that’s it. For the record, it’s not that I didn’t know the word, I just couldn’t think of it. Anyway, yes. You’re just the leader, but taking down Wooshin isn’t something you’re doing alone, that’s what I mean. I heard from Attorney Kang that you didn’t want to include Attorney Kang in the past, and you didn’t want to include Detective Heo, either.”

When did he rat that out?

“Honestly, who doesn’t know that taking down Wooshin is dangerous? Everyone knows, but they came to do it anyway.”

“It’s because they could die.”

“Are other people idiots? Don’t they know that? I’m saying they *know* and they’re still doing it. But why do you keep apologizing? No, I really don’t understand. If you’re pretending to be nice, stop it. It’s really annoying. If you’re treating me like an idiot, that’s true, but I’m not stupid enough not to know that I could die, okay? And other people aren’t stupid. No, and…”

After that, Tae-shik kept nagging endlessly.

It seemed like he had been building up complaints, and he wasn’t about to stop talking.

Was I like this in my previous life too?

Thinking about it, I don’t think I was.

In fact, there wasn’t even a community that could be called a team like this back then.

Of course, there were Choi Jong-hyun, Tae-shik, and Office Manager Oh, but the others either didn’t appear in my previous life or were people who just passed by.

There were people who helped.

For example, Kim Chan-young did.

But rather than actively helping me, he just waited for the right timing to release the data and strike a blow to see Wooshin fall.

So, there were some colleagues, but it wasn’t a ‘team’ where they all moved together and shared information.

Moreover, unlike my previous life, everything started for my personal revenge in this life, so I couldn’t help but feel like I was dragging others into my personal goals.

“Anyway, the way you think about it is kind of… what should I say, our… determination? Effort? It feels like you’re ignoring that, so don’t think like that. Got it?”

Is that so?

I hadn’t realized that my attitude could be perceived that way.

“It’s each person’s choice. We’re all adults, right? Deciding to take down Wooshin with you is their choice, and if they die doing it, that’s the result of their choice. Of course, they won’t die. Do you understand what I’m saying? If you don’t understand, I’ll start over from the beginning…”

“Okay. I understand.”

I understood, but I wasn’t sure if I could truly think that way.

But I shouldn’t show it in the future.

They were fighting for what they believed was right, and my attitude felt like arrogance, as if they were doing it for me.