You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 49

You’ve Been Defended – Episode 49

[Will Jung Hye-jin of ‘Dangnageo’ Accept Na Eun-sung’s Side’s Opinion?]

[Who is ‘Na,’ Listed as a Co-Author in ?]

It took about a month for Blue Island Media to fulfill the promised conditions.

Na Eun-sung’s name was added to all portal sites and broadcasting station’s work pages.

Since they couldn’t remain silent about the sudden change, Jung Hye-jin’s side released a short article stating that was a joint work with Na Eun-sung.

The explanation of the circumstances was brief.

It simply stated that there were differences in understanding the degree of contribution to the work, and that it had been resolved amicably.

But…….

[Hye-jin seems to have plagiarized the aspiring writer’s manuscript, lol.

ㄴThe ‘difference in understanding’ part makes me laugh, lol. It seems like she strongly denied it, reached a good agreement, and added her as a co-author. No matter how I look at it, lol.

ㄴDo you think netizens are stupid, lol?

ㄴI knew that broadcasting companies and large corporations were in a ‘gap’ [superior] position in the contract, but I didn’t know it would be to this extent. ㄱ-

ㄴIn short, they abused their power ㅋ_ㅋ

ㄴNa Eun-sung didn’t sign a contract, so she’s neither ‘gap’ nor ‘eul’ [inferior]. Know something before you speak.

ㄴHye-jin, is that you?ㅋㅋㅋ]

And surprisingly, I witnessed the situation where the word ‘gapjil’ [abuse of power by someone in a superior position] appeared three years earlier than it originally did.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it was buried.

You might think it’s just a single word, but the ripple effect of social terms is not limited to that.

The power of words is strong, and the act of giving a name to something is meaningful in itself.

The moment the tyranny of the powerful is defined as ‘gapjil,’ everything that had been subtle and overlooked becomes a ‘problem to be solved.’

A social movement condemning ‘gapjil’ may arise, and many things may change as a result.

Of course, it is a necessary flow when looking at the overall history.

That is social justice, and it was my ultimate goal.

But even if it wasn’t this incident, that word would have been born a few years later anyway.

Wouldn’t it be arrogant for me to artificially bring it forward?

I was trying to bring down Wooshin Group, not to achieve the grand goal of changing history.

‘Anyway, the atmosphere is good.’

I closed the portal site and went out to the veranda for a cigarette.

Leaning against the railing, I was lost in thought for a moment.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

Perhaps my small actions are spreading like a butterfly effect and changing history.

‘Well, I’ve already saved Kim Yeon-joon, who was almost a murderer… and helped Na Eun-sung, who might have lived being plagiarized, so I’ve already changed it.’

I was caught in a contradiction.

I know that the moment I decided to take revenge on Wooshin Group, it was as good as deciding to change the history of South Korea, at least.

Trying to take on big cases to gain fame and leaving a good image with the public were the same.

It is changing my past, where I lived as a mere prosecutor and died unfairly.

If I don’t live the same way as my previous life, I will somehow forcibly change the flow.

“Haa….”

It was a funny thing.

I’m already living differently from my previous life to realize justice, but now I feel burdened about changing the flow.

I am a person who cannot just stand by and watch injustice in front of me.

Foolishly, it was because I still believed in the speck of justice left in this damn society.

“Lawyer, what are you thinking about?”

I was shaken from my thoughts by Kang Min-jae’s voice.

He lit a cigarette next to me and looked at me with a serious face.

“Just, this and that.”

“The case is over, so why are you doing that? Ah, is this also a happy expression?”

“Yes. It’s a happy expression.”

“Ah, you’re really a strange person.”

Kang Min-jae laughed.

“Kang.”

“Yes?”

“If Kim Yeon-joon hadn’t met us, would he have continued to be in prison?”

“Well, he might have, or he might not have.”

“Then what about Na Eun-sung? Would Na Eun-sung have lived with the unfair plagiarism without revealing it?”

“She might have gone to another office besides us and won there. Well, judging from what Na Eun-sung said about being rejected repeatedly, I don’t know.”

Kang Min-jae is right.

It could have been, or it could not have been.

What I know is the future up to 2018.

I don’t know what comes next.

Kim Yeon-joon may apply for a retrial and be released, and Na Eun-sung may file a claim for damages later and reveal Jung Hye-jin’s misdeeds.

I don’t know anything right now.

I was self-deprecating.

“Actually, that’s none of our business.”

Kang Min-jae looked at me, a little surprised at my words.

“We are people who solve the injustice right in front of us. It would be stranger to ignore it.”

Come to think of it, I think I had similar thoughts when I was a prosecutor.

I pondered and lamented why injustice does not disappear in this society, and why justice has no sustainability.

I kept catching criminals, but injustice did not disappear.

A greater evil was waiting for me.

So I thought that all of this might be meaningless.

But I had already come to a conclusion about it.

“If there is injustice in front of you, it is wrong to ignore it, thinking of it as the law of nature. We may not be able to completely eradicate injustice, but if we live for justice, there will come a day when the sum of justice in this society will increase. Mathematically speaking.”

“…….”

“Anyway, history is the sum of choices… and there’s no need to be crushed while making the same wrong choices as wrong history. We’ve already decided to change it anyway.”

Wooshin will continue to be a leading conglomerate in 2019, 2020, and 2021, due to my death in my previous life.

If it’s a world full of injustice where such a rotten company is thriving, it doesn’t matter if it changes a little.

“Don’t you think?”

“……Wrong history? What is that?”

If I had only thought about catching Wooshin Group without touching anything else, I shouldn’t have left the prosecutor’s office.

I shouldn’t have let my father retire before he got arthritis, and I shouldn’t have opened a law firm.

I’ve been thinking that I’m just changing my past.

But the history of society is also the sum of individual histories.

In the end, I have been gradually changing the history of society.

“It’s okay if I’m confident. I just have to not do the wrong thing, and act according to my conscience.”

“Yes? Ah, right.”

I will not change my mind about bringing down Wooshin Group, and I have already changed many things to do so.

Even if my eyes were on the prize, I didn’t do anything that went against justice in the process.

“Kang.”

“Yes?”

“Go to the portal and look at the Jung Hye-jin article that’s at the top. There’s a comment about ‘gapjil’ on it, right?”

“Gapjil? Did you write it, Lawyer? That’s a word you made up.”

“I didn’t make it up, but anyway. Add some comments in agreement.”

“Yes? Why suddenly?”

“You’re good at that kind of thing, Kang.”

“Ha, really. I am a bit good at that kind of thing.”

Kang Min-jae smiled slyly, put out his cigarette, and went into the office.

He sat at his desk and started typing diligently.

“It might be too grandiose of a thought.”

I muttered, watching him enthusiastically writing comments from a distance.

The worries I have now may also be arrogant thoughts.

So now was the time to make good use of the opportunity that was given to me again like a gift.

It wasn’t the time to make weak noises about not wanting to change history.

* * *

[Where Does the Evil Practice of ‘Gapjil’ in the Broadcasting Industry End?]

[The History of ‘Gapjil’]

[Is the Pus Now Flowing from the Sore Spot of ‘Gapjil’ in Korea?]

I read the morning newspaper that arrived this morning.

In a society defined by ‘gap’ and ‘eul,’ those who had been swayed by the tyranny of the powerful were beginning to vent their grievances little by little.

They complained about the ‘gapjil’ they had suffered, and that action stimulated a sense of solidarity, causing people to condemn the ‘gap.’

I closed the newspaper.

“Gapjil must disappear.”

Today was the day Na Eun-sung was scheduled to visit the law firm.

I looked at the tidy office and opened the refrigerator.

There was half a bottle of aloe juice left.

“Good morning.”

Kang Min-jae came into the office with a convenience store plastic bag in one hand.

He went straight to the refrigerator and started filling it with juices of various kinds.

“It’s time to take on new clients, so we need to fill the refrigerator again.”

He might be more suited to sales than being a lawyer.

That afternoon, Na Eun-sung knocked on the office door.

Her face, which always seemed somewhat insecure, was full of life.

It might be because she was wearing clothes with a brighter color, but she looked very good.

“Lawyer!”

“Welcome, Na Eun-sung.”

Kang Min-jae guided her to the sofa.

Na Eun-sung shook her head at him, who was about to prepare juice, and put down the coffee she had bought.

“I’m so happy to be able to give you the success fee.”

“We are also happy that there was a good result.”

Na Eun-sung blushed at my words.

“Um, as you know, Blue Island Media said they would pay the damages in installments.”

“It’s okay. It’s such a large amount that Blue Island Media can’t pay it all at once. Blue Island Media said they would pay 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] for 5 months. If it is delayed, you can take compulsory execution procedures, so please tell us.”

“Yes. Ah, the full amount came in from Jung Hye-jin’s side right away.”

And she put a white envelope in front of me.

“Blue Island Media made the first payment, and the money came in from Jung Hye-jin’s side, so fortunately, the success fee to give to the lawyer has all come in.”

“You must have a lot of places to use the money, Na Eun-sung. You can give it to us in installments.”

“No. You’ve worked so hard for me, and I’ll be receiving the second payment in a few days anyway.”

I accepted the envelope Na Eun-sung handed me.

A check for about 1.7 billion won [approximately $1,275,000 USD].

She’s got a lot of guts to carry such a large sum of money in a check.

Anyway, a lawsuit with a success fee of 1.7 billion won in such a small office.

It’s a very interesting thing.

“Thank you.”

“As you said, the profit share is excluded from the success fee. But if you change your mind, please tell me.”

“No. That’s entirely Na Eun-sung’s share.”

After that, we reminisced about the events that had taken place during the past litigation period and had a conversation.

Before long, time passed, and Na Eun-sung looked at her watch and said.

“Ah, I’ve been here for too long without realizing it, haven’t I?”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll be going now. Ah, and…….”

Na Eun-sung said as she was packing her bag.

“By any chance, are you free for lunch this Saturday? I was wondering if we could have lunch together…….”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller.

When I looked at Kang Min-jae, he answered.

“Of course. I’m free.”

“Not that……. Um, I’m sorry, but only Lawyer Cha Joo-han…….”

This time, I was also embarrassed.

When I looked at her without answering, Na Eun-sung blushed bright red and jumped up.

“See you at twelve o’clock this Saturday at the Verdin restaurant in front of the office. I’ll be waiting!”

And she ran out of the office as if fleeing.

Kang Min-jae looked at me as if asking what was going on, and I couldn’t understand this situation.