The Uneasy Truce

“Son, how’s school? Are the classes good?”

When was the turning point?
I don’t remember clearly, but my father no longer had meals at this house.
Jeong Donghyeok swallowed a mouthful of rice and nodded at his mother’s question.

“Yes, it’s fun. It’s new every time I learn something. So now I’m really curious.”

It seemed like something would change when he received his acceptance letter, following in his father’s footsteps who had graduated from Seoul National University’s law school.
But that was just the beginning.
A single, thread-like beginning that he had found after wandering and wandering.
Jeong Myeonggyu hadn’t come to visit since he had gone to Korea University’s law school instead of Seoul National University.
He used to come intentionally and scratch at Jeong Donghyeok’s pride several times.
It was still spring, shortly after the entrance ceremony.

“The weather is so nice today, Mother.”

Through the blue sky outside the window and the swaying leaves, you could tell the speed of the gentle breeze.

“It is. It’s peaceful, Donghyeok.”

The weather was like this when that woman and Jeong Myeonggyu had come.
That was already ten years ago.
In the meantime, his father had become a presiding judge at the high court, then took off his robes and turned to a large law firm with the privilege of a former judge.
After finishing their meal, Jin Haerim spoke while drinking tea, as was her habit.

“Mom is getting a divorce.”

A faint scar was visible on the fingertip of the hand holding the cup’s handle.
Jeong Donghyeok looked down as if he hadn’t seen anything and hadn’t heard anything, and then likewise reached out his hand.

“That person will never come to this house again.”

While Jeong Donghyeok’s father was going where he wanted to go, Jin Haerim also steadily moved forward in her own place.
She had never stopped once.
Ten years ago, ten years before that, and even now.

“Yes.”

He already knew that he would never come here again.
But Jeong Donghyeok answered as if he had just learned it.
Because he had to.
He wasn’t disappointed.
Because the price of this divorce was a fortune that Jeong Donghyeok and Jin Haerim could live on until they died, and his mother’s shadowless smiling face was more precious than that.
Only after cutting everything off did his mind finally become peaceful.
And so, Jeong Donghyeok graduated from law school at the top of his class.
But the news he didn’t want to hear always came rushing to his ears first.
Jeong Myeonggyu had already passed all the bar exams and was now at the training institute.

“…I’m sorry, Mother.”
“What do you have to apologize for? I’m the one who’s sorry. Actually, I wanted to stop you when you said you were going to law school.”
“……”
“It had been so long since I heard you say you wanted to do something, so I couldn’t stop you.”
“…Still, I’m sorry.”
“Donghyeok, you do what you want to do. I’ll do everything for you, whatever it is. I can do that now.”
“Mother…”
“Even though I look like this, I’m a pretty great person outside, your mom is.”

Jin Haerim smiled and comforted her son, who couldn’t lift his head for a long time every time he failed the bar exam.
Because she knew the source of that guilt.
Jin Haerim was confident in her words.
Even without alimony or a settlement, she would not have lacked in her life. Because she had succeeded.

“Ah, I finally feel a little at ease. So think about it, Donghyeok. Think about what you really want to do now. Mom will always be cheering for you.”

After a very long time, she finally looked at Jeong Donghyeok with a relieved expression.

“…And so, instead of following in the footsteps of my father, Judge Jeong Jaeho, I started as an office manager at a public defender’s office. Not in a corporate legal team or a law firm.”

I nodded at Jeong Donghyeok’s story.
Sometimes when I saw Jeong Donghyeok handling work at Dike, I would have a question.

‘Why is a person who is so good at his job?’

If he wanted to, he could have gotten a position in the litigation team of a large law firm or the legal team of a large corporation.
I was curious about the reason, but I didn’t ask.
Because it would be a rude question in many ways.
To Jeong Donghyeok, and to people in the same profession as him.
But I just thought he must have some story.

‘I didn’t know he was that kind of person.’

I guess you really don’t know a person just by looking at one side of them.
The legal world is a small pond.
And judges are even more so.
But he was a judge who was quite respected by his juniors.
Only now did I realize that Judge Jeong Jaeho and Jeong Donghyeok’s eyes were similar.

“It’s a pretty cliché story, isn’t it? Haha.”

Jeong Donghyeok smiled and downed the cold coffee in one go.
I also downed the rest of my coffee.
Because sometimes, just seeing someone do the same thing can be a comfort.

[So that’s why he took care of him like that…]

The moment I put down the cup, I heard a murmur in my ear.
I nodded once out of habit and brought up a different answer.
My gaze was fixed on Jeong Donghyeok.

“What do you think about this broadcast appearance?”

Jeong Donghyeok immediately understood what I meant.

“You don’t have to refuse because of me. I don’t want to cause trouble with my personal matters. This broadcast will definitely be beneficial to the office.”

Jeong Donghyeok briefly looked at the inside of the now-empty mug and then turned his gaze to me.

“I just wanted to get ahead of the game, in case you heard it from Jeong Myeonggyu first.”

I shook my head at Jeong Donghyeok, who was smiling awkwardly.

“Even if I don’t object, Lawyer Won will object.”

Won Youngoh was that kind of person.
A person who observes the small sacrifices for the greater good.
But a person whose own boundaries are also firm.

“But I understand how you feel, office manager. If it were my case, I would have told you to appear on the broadcast too. And so would Lawyer Won Youngoh.”

Jeong Donghyeok also nodded.
Because he had already grasped both my personality and Won Youngoh’s.
I waited quietly until Jeong Donghyeok spoke again.

“Please appear on the broadcast, lawyer.”

Jeong Donghyeok lightly shook his head and added.

“I’m not trying to criticize him for the simple reason that he’s my half-brother. Jeong Myeonggyu has always been excessive in his desire for success and wealth.”

I recalled the man I had briefly encountered a moment ago.
His attitude of not knowing how to be careful even in front of people he had just met, his arrogant and conceited appearance…

“And there have been a few times when he has won by pulling off a despicable scheme that other people couldn’t even think of.”

After listening to Jeong Donghyeok’s explanation, I could guess how much ‘Justice’ was crumbling.
I frowned without realizing it, and Jeong Donghyeok laughed awkwardly and then let out a deep sigh.

“This broadcast is already a hot topic as PD Yoo Jihyeong and writer Lee Euno’s comeback work. So he’ll be even more desperate. To benefit from the broadcast.”
“He seems to dream of being a celebrity more than a lawyer.”

At my joke, Jeong Donghyeok finally laughed comfortably.

“I’d rather you appear on the broadcast and completely crush Jeong Myeonggyu’s arrogance.”
“That won’t be difficult. I’ll work even harder if it’s your request, office manager.”

I nodded and then got up from my seat.

“Shall we go now? Everyone must be waiting.”
“Yes.”

We slowly walked back to the car parked nearby.

“By the way, office manager. There’s something I couldn’t tell you just now because of the place.”

I looked around cautiously and spoke quietly. We were far enough away from the cafe we had just been in.
Jeong Donghyeok, who was about to open the car door, looked at me with a tense expression.
I smiled and whispered.

“The coffee is really the best from Ms. Seonghui’s place.”

Jeong Donghyeok’s face, who understood my intention of turning the heavy conversation of just now into a joke, completely relaxed.
Jeong Donghyeok nodded and showed an expression of deep understanding.

“I think so too.”

Laughter and steam broke together from our lips.

Swish.

The sun was setting outside the window, and a silence flowed in the office, except for the sound of turning pages.
Ah, I’m starting to dislike silence now.
I can’t even put on my earphones because we’re all together.
What I need most right now is the Buddhist scriptures.

[Shall I chant them in your head for you?]

‘Go in.’

[Yes.]

We were sitting at the central table of the office, each checking our files.
It was the synopsis file for the first episode that writer Lee Euno had sent us as soon as we had left.

“……”

There was a reason for this silence.
I was now checking the third file over and over again.

‘Of all the cases, PD Yoo Jihyeong chose this one? Why on earth?’

Lee Ilwoo, who was the only one who should have been guessing the reason for this silence, spoke with a suffocated expression.

“Is there… a problem with the broadcast appearance?”

Starting with Lee Ilwoo’s question, Won Youngoh waved a stack of documents and answered.
Regardless of whether the paper was crumpled or not.

“Lawyer Cha, isn’t something wrong with this? Unless there’s a problem with my eyes, something seems wrong.”

At Won Youngoh’s disapproving reaction, Jeong Donghyeok silently nodded.

[At this rate, it seems like the PD or the writer dislikes you, lawyer. You said you were on good terms before.]

‘Gram, don’t forget. Cha Yohan has always been Cha Yohan, but I was Yoon Eunho until a few months ago. I got along well with PD Yoo.’

Lee Ilwoo looked at us once and then spoke again.

“Did something really happen? I don’t really understand what I’m looking at.”

I quietly put down the file, which had my handprints on it from holding it so tightly, on the table.

Thump.

Won Youngoh likewise put the documents down on the table. His face was uncharacteristically full of annoyance.
After rubbing his throbbing forehead, I met Lee Ilwoo’s eyes and spoke.

“Police officers often stand with one leg out because the weight of the handcuffs and pistol on their belts is distributed unevenly. Accordingly, their body’s balance also crumbles.”

I tapped the documents with my fingertips and added again.

“Office workers get a turtle neck from looking at a monitor all day due to work, or suffer from chronic wrist pain due to carpal tunnel syndrome.”

Lee Ilwoo seemed to be thinking about the reason why I was suddenly bringing this up.

“And singers, for example, can experience a career crisis due to vocal cord nodules.”

Nevertheless, he continued to listen to me.

“Mr. Lee Ilwoo, do you know what these things are usually called?”
“…Uh, aren’t they occupational diseases?”

I nodded and let out a deep sigh.

“Hoo, that’s right. Visible pain and diseases that can be attributed to a profession like this can be identified as a direct cause of that profession. That is to say…”
“…It’s impossible in cases where it’s not visible.”
“Yes. If it’s not visible, it’s still difficult to get workers’ compensation. That’s the main issue of ‘this case’.”

That is, to prove the invisible.

“The case in the broadcast is subtly different in some parts, but it’s still based on a true story, and the winner is the defendant.”

And I was the plaintiff’s lawyer.