You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 56

You’ve Been Defended – Episode 56

Kang Min-jae and I didn’t exchange a single word until we arrived at the hospital.

He was lost in thought throughout the drive, and I, too, was preoccupied with my own concerns.

My ability is undeniably convenient.

The power to see through the inner psychology of the speaker—something any legal professional would covet.

However, if the other person doesn’t want to speak, I can’t find out anything.

Forcing Jin-cheol to reveal something would clearly be a form of coercion.

I’m not sure if the term ‘right to remain silent’ applies to a victim, but it’s a right anyone can exercise in South Korea.

So, all the more reason to make Jin-cheol speak on his own.

“Lawyer, I think it’s this way.”

Kang Min-jae, who was checking the room number sent by text, pointed to one side of the hallway.

I followed him.

The room Jin-cheol had been moved to was a private room.

Inside, Jin-cheol and his mother were still staring out the window.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

“Hello.”

Jin-cheol barely acknowledged our presence.

His mother glanced at us for a moment, then gestured for us to go outside.

Closing the door, we settled in a small lounge at the end of the hallway.

“Has Jin-cheol said anything yet?”

“No. He’s just angry… Even when I ask if what the homeroom teacher said is true, he doesn’t say anything. When I ask him while crying, it backfires. He asks what his mom can do for him. I’m really worried something big might happen.”

I, too, didn’t think his silence was a good sign.

No matter how much someone tries to hold on with pride, when cornered, they tend to confide in someone who can support them.

Especially Jin-cheol, who had fallen in front of his friends against his will.

The fact that he’s not saying anything means he doesn’t think even his parents can be a support for him.

“Madam.”

“Yes.”

“Did Jin-cheol ever say he was having a hard time, and if so, how did you react?”

“Usually? Well, about this incident, Jin-cheol hasn’t said anything…”

“No, before that, at any time. Has Jin-cheol never said he was having a hard time?”

At my question, Jin-cheol’s mother seemed to ponder for a while.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Well, Jin-cheol once said he had a fight with a friend before transferring schools. Back then… I just said that’s how friends are; don’t worry about trivial things…”

“Study.”

Kang Min-jae interrupted the mother’s words.

She seemed surprised by Kang Min-jae’s words but soon lowered her head.

And nodded slightly.

“…Yes.”

“Also, he once talked about the academy [private tutoring school]… He said he didn’t want to go because the teacher kept hitting him. Back then, I said it’s because you keep getting the problems wrong, isn’t it…? I think I said that…”

The mother’s voice began to tremble.

I nodded slowly.

It’s hard to say that the mother’s actions were particularly bad.

Because most parents react that way. But to Jin-cheol, it would have seemed like his only support was ignoring his troubles.

Besides the two incidents she recalled, there were likely more incidents that remained in Jin-cheol’s mind.

Those piled up, and eventually, with this incident, Jin-cheol became convinced that nothing would change even if he told his parents.

“Lawyer, did I do something wrong? Did I… did I do something to Jin-cheol…?”

The mother asked, tearful.

Kang Min-jae handed her a handkerchief and sighed deeply.

The best thing would be to restore the relationship between parents and child and get Jin-cheol to open his mouth, but that was beyond our capabilities.

To start acting quickly in this situation, we need Jin-cheol’s statement.

To do that, it might be better to create a new support system for Jin-cheol.

I completely abandoned the idea of forcibly obtaining a statement from him.

It seemed better to create a kind of bond between Jin-cheol and us first.

In the process, we might be able to gain something with my ability.

“Madam, we’ll talk to Jin-cheol first.”

“…Even if Jin-cheol says mean things, please don’t think too badly of him. He’s not usually like that. He’s a really good kid…”

“I know. I understand that Jin-cheol is very upset because of the current situation. Please rest here for now.”

Kang Min-jae and I moved towards the hospital room where Jin-cheol was alone.

I felt that Kang Min-jae’s pace was unusually slow, so I suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.

“Kang.”

“Yes.”

“You seem to be deep in thought.”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Kang Min-jae shook his head and quickly approached me.

And said with a rather determined face.

“I’ll talk to him.”

“You will?”

“Yes. You’re not good at speaking nicely anyway, Lawyer. What if you hurt the kid’s pride? Hehe.”

Kang Min-jae smiled, but it didn’t feel the same as usual.

“Speaking nicely is my specialty. You admitted it too, Lawyer.”

That wasn’t wrong.

I’ve mainly dealt with adults and don’t have much talent for speaking pleasantly.

I nodded, and Kang Min-jae opened the hospital room door.

“…”

Inside the humidified room, Jin-cheol was still sitting alone on the bed.

His arms and legs were in casts, and bandages and gauze covered the areas with abrasions and bruises.

Clear droplets fell from the IV drip in his arm.

In this silent hospital room, Jin-cheol was completely ignoring us.

“Jin-cheol.”

Kang slowly approached the bed.

“You’ve been seeing us passing by since yesterday; haven’t you been curious about who we are?”

“…”

“Jin-cheol, we are…”

Jin-cheol said coldly without even looking at us.

“You’re the people sent by my uncle. I have nothing to say. Go away.”

By ‘uncle,’ he must mean that ‘tattooed uncle.’

Even that tattooed uncle hadn’t achieved any results, so if he thought we were from that side, it was understandable that he wouldn’t trust us.

“It’s similar, but we’re lawyers. We’d like to talk for a bit. Would that be okay?”

Kang Min-jae asked cautiously.

Normally, he would have a bright smile, but his expression was more serious than ever.

“I said I have nothing to say.”

“Jin-cheol, I know you don’t think we’re trustworthy. Your uncle has been with you on the way to and from school, but there have still been problems… I’m really sorry about that.”

“If you’re sorry, don’t hang around in front of me and just leave.”

Jin-cheol completely turned his back on Kang Min-jae and lay down.

“Jin-cheol.”

“Ah, just go away, damn it! I don’t need you. Why do you keep bothering me and making me feel like shit when you can’t do anything for me?”

Jin-cheol shouted.

But Kang Min-jae sat down on the caregiver’s chair as if nothing had happened and looked at his back.

“Then. Aren’t you going to resolve this situation?”

“What do you mean resolve? It’s only gotten worse so far.”

“If you’re hospitalized for two months and then discharged, you have to go back to school. If the same thing happens again then… wouldn’t it be hard for you?”

“I’m not going to school, damn it. I can just quit. I don’t want to go to that damn school either.”

[False]

I stood at a distance, silently watching the conversation and occasionally using my ability.

It’s not that Jin-cheol doesn’t want to go to school.

It’s not that he’s negative about the space of school itself, but that school where Hyuk-min is.

He hates that school.

“It’s okay not to go to that shitty school. I won’t go even if I get discharged. So, resolution or whatever…”

“It’s not that you don’t want to go to school. It’s that you don’t want to go to a school where there are students who are bullying you.”

“…”

At my words, Jin-cheol seemed to lose his words and shut his mouth tightly.

And glared at me with all his might.

It was the usual behavior of a stubborn child when caught off guard.

Kang Min-jae sighed deeply.

“Jin-cheol, if you tell us what happened to you, who did it… when you’re discharged and go back to school, everything will be better. I promise.”

He said, pulling the caregiver’s chair closer to the bed.

But Jin-cheol didn’t answer.

“Running away isn’t bad. You can ask your mother to transfer you to another school. But if you hear that the guys who bullied you are doing well without receiving any punishment, you’ll be upset for the rest of your life. Yes, if you start a new life in a place without those guys, time will heal the wounds someday. But even if it’s forgotten, your trauma won’t disappear. It will follow you for the rest of your life.”

Kang Min-jae said as if he was in pain.

I narrowed my eyes.

It was the first time I had seen Kang Min-jae make such an expression.

“What do you know, pretending to know everything? Please, just leave me alone. Stop pretending to know everything, damn it. What do you know! Damn it, what do you know! Do you think adults know everything? Are adults gods? You all say it’ll be resolved if I just talk. Mom, Dad, you guys, why do you all say it’ll be resolved if I just talk! Then resolve it already!”

Jin-cheol started shouting at the top of his lungs.

He started twisting his body and looking for the IV line, as if trying to pull out the needle in his arm.

But Kang Min-jae firmly covered the area where his IV needle was inserted with his palm and met Jin-cheol’s eyes.

Kang Min-jae slowly opened his mouth.

“I used to run away like you. Like you, I was beaten, ostracized, and ridiculed for no reason, but I couldn’t say a word to those bastards and just ran away. But that was over 10 years ago, and it still remains in my heart. I’m still suffering from it… So, I don’t want you to do that. That’s why I want to help you.”