The Court of Public Opinion

I couldn’t take my eyes off my phone.
Along with numerous articles, posts about Kim Jeonghyeon were flooding in simultaneously.

‘It’s a timing that seems to have been waiting for the verdict.’

Many people say that the law is not perfect.
The majority’s story is not always the correct answer.
However, if the reason they all say the same thing is the past, then it is not simply the correct answer, but a ‘statement’.

‘And now, the court’s verdict is not the only verdict.’

For Kim Jeonghyeon, today’s trial was just the beginning of a punishment that would follow him for the rest of his life.

‘Even if the judge decides the crime, it’s the public who judges the sinner.’

Within five minutes of the verdict, the posts that Kim Jeonghyeon had written were all over the internet.
I had seen them once already, but they were still so low that they made me nauseous to see them again.
Kim Jeonghyeon’s age, hometown, address, workplace, and even his face were all over the internet.
Everywhere, so that he could never be forgotten.

[This is the reality of South Korea. They don’t even give the death penalty to a guy like this.]
[Wow, that’s really scary. Wasn’t it planned from the marriage registration?]
[He said you should never tell your family, and that the wedding should be after graduation? Does he really want to do that to a student who’s ten years younger than him, while his own job is a teacher?]
[I’m a high school classmate of the perpetrator…]

This was all Im Suho’s work.
My request had been to find out about Kim Jeonghyeon.

‘Well, it’s not like I didn’t have this situation in mind.’

This was clearly a private sanction.
Even if I had to stop Im Suho according to the ethics of a lawyer, I didn’t want to.
Although I knew that it was not a righteous method.
But…
The victim’s life cannot be saved by the perpetrator’s punishment.
No matter what punishment is given, it is all after the incident has occurred.
Because any victim who survived a terrible crime would suffer day and night from the light punishment that does not match the weight of the crime.

‘Still, he excluded those posts. Anyway, he’s quick-witted.’

Im Suho had intentionally excluded Kim Jeonghyeon’s criminal request and review.
The repercussions of that would have been unmanageable, and it was too early for the existence of that ‘K’ to be revealed now.

“Lawyer…”

A short while later, Lee Juyeong and her parents, who had come out of the courtroom, approached me, calling my name.

“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, Jimin’s injustice could be cleared. I really didn’t know you would go all the way to Japan and do that. Thank you.”

Lee Juyeong bowed her head to me.
I hurriedly stopped her.

“Ah, you don’t have to bow like this. I just did what I had to do.”
“But thank you so much.”
“We’re so grateful too, lawyer. Thanks to you, I think our Jimin can close her eyes in peace. Thank you.”

I likewise bowed my head several times to the two who were greeting me in turn.

“Mom, Dad. Please go to the car first. I’ll just say a little more goodbye to the lawyer.”
“He’s a busy person, so come quickly, Juyeong.”
“Yes, I’ll be right there. Dad, please help Mom.”

Lee Juyeong, who had sent her parents to the car first, finally tore her gaze away and cautiously lowered her voice.

“Lawyer, a large sum of money suddenly came in as an investment in my business. But no matter how much I think about it, there’s nowhere for that kind of money to come from,”
“Ah, the sky is so clear today, isn’t it?”

As soon as Lee Juyeong brought up the money, I immediately changed the subject and winked.
We, that is, Choi Suhyeok and I, had processed it as if we had found nothing at the scene that day.

‘There’s a possibility that the insurance money won’t be paid because Lee Jimin’s cause of death was murder. First of all, the beneficiary is all under the perpetrator’s name. I think that part will have to go to a civil suit.’
‘Then what should I do?’
‘There’s a way to return what would be confiscated by the state directly to the victim.’
‘Lawyer Cha, you really…’

I had secretly handed that paper bag to Lee Juyeong. Through a legal method.
But now, Lee Juyeong’s expression was not bright.
After a long thought, I slowly opened my mouth.
Choosing the words that I would want to hear if I were the current Lee Juyeong, and that Lee Jimin would want to say.

“Please don’t feel guilty. And don’t think of it as money your sister gave you. Jimin would want her older sister and family to be happy.”
“Lawyer…”
“There’s one more thing I learned firsthand while investigating this case.”

I opened my mouth, my gaze fixed on the winter sky where a strong wind was quickly driving away the clouds.

“It’s the fact that thanks to people like you, Juyeong, and people like you, the crimes that the perpetrators have hidden with all sorts of tricks are finally revealed.”

Lee Juyeong raised her head, following my gaze.

“You didn’t give up. Even while going through all that for several months. And you’ve worked tirelessly to get to today.”

I found Lee Ilwoo waiting at the bottom of the court’s stairs and nodded.

“Think of it as getting those few months back, Juyeong. I’ll be going now.”

Even as I was going down the stairs, Lee Juyeong continued to look at the sky.
After I had come down all the stairs, I raised my head again.

“It’s cold, but it’s clear today.”

Time passed again.
We were gathered in front of the central table of the office, all with troubled expressions.
I scratched the corner of my eye and stood up from my seat.

“…Where are you going, Lawyer Cha?”
“Lawyer, where are you going?”
“Uh… to my room…”
“Ah, it seems the star lawyer is uncomfortable sitting with us?”

Won Youngoh threw a playful line with a mischievous face.
I was completely defeated by that line.

“Haa. How did you all manage to hold back your desire to joke around?”

I plopped back down in my chair with resignation.

‘Why is this happening again…’

Until the Kim Jeonghyeon case was sensationalized as a crime of the century, I thought it was a relief that I could clear Lee Jimin’s name.
Since I wasn’t the suspect’s lawyer, there was no way it would be revealed that I had given advice or that I had gone to Japan, the scene of the incident, and found the evidence myself.
However, the reporters found out that Lee Juyeong was in business and camped out every day.
Lee Juyeong sent all of those numerous reporters back and responded to only one reporter.

<“The lawyer found the decisive evidence for us, in Japan where my sister was murdered.”>

The one who had made Lee Juyeong’s words into a headline was, of course, Baek Soeun.
Baek Soeun had even put my channel at the end of the article.
That alone had caused a considerable stir, but Kwon Saeha had added fuel to the fire by leaving a ‘like’ on that article through his SNS.

“At this rate, it won’t be difficult to reach 200,000 this week. It’s increased more than yesterday, Lawyer Cha.”

Jeong Donghyeok, who had looked at the laptop screen once, added with a shrug.
The number of subscribers, which had stopped at 70,000, had doubled in an instant.
Won Youngoh nodded and answered.

“The reaction to the Kim Jeonghyeon case is still so hot on the internet, and since it’s been revealed that it was Lawyer Cha who found the evidence, it will probably be like this for a while.”
“Lawyer, you’ll have to shoot a few more videos. I’ll shoot them well for you this time too.”
“…Do you know that you look more excited than Lawyer Won right now, office manager?”
“Did I?”
“Yes. And too much.”

There was still only one greeting video on the channel.
But the requests for defense, advice, and support that were now coming in via email were pouring in so much that neither I nor Jeong Donghyeok could check them in time.

‘It’s a relief if it’s just email…’

Since the office address is just a search away, all sorts of people started to come.

“This is that lawyer’s office, right? Can’t you help me? I don’t have a penny to my name. Please help me.”
“I’ve come to deliver a good word.”
“Make the world a better place with your donations. Even at this moment, those who are suffering… Why are you kicking me out? I’m going to report you to the media!”

Begging was a given, and we were meeting all sorts of human aspects instead of clients every day.

“I’m sorry that I seem to be bothering you with strange people because of me.”

Just this morning, I had refused that good word twice.

“If you kick us out, you’ll go to hell!”
“Yes, amen.”

How much Won Youngoh had scoffed at that sharp story.

“What are you talking about, Lawyer Cha. After a few days, the people who have been coming will stop coming.”
“That’s right, lawyer. This is not an easy job, is it? Anyone can see you’ve done a good job. That’s why the reaction is so good.”

But because of that, I couldn’t do my work properly.
Just then, a knock that was now scary was heard.

Knock, knock.

“I’ll go get it.”

I stood up with a sigh.
We had decided to keep the door locked unless it was a client who had contacted us in advance and was visiting.
Just as I was standing in front of the closed door like a gatekeeper, a knock was heard again.

Knock, knock.

‘The location of the sound seems a little strange. Is it just me?’

Whatever it was, I just hoped it was really a client this time.

Creak.

I opened the door with that thought, but there was no one in front of me.

‘Now they’re even doing the doorbell ditch…?’

It was just as I was drowning in such despair.

“Hello?”

A cheerful voice came from around my thigh.

“Huh?”

When I reflexively looked down, a child was standing there, looking at me.
And a child who looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school.

‘He looks like someone.’

[I know, right. Who is he…]

As I didn’t show any particular reaction after opening the door, Won Youngoh poked his head out.

“Lawyer Cha, what’s going on?”
“!”

At that moment, an exclamation mark appeared on the little boy’s face.

Thump, thump, thump!

The child ran into the office.

“Oh, oh? Little boy!”

Leaving my weak protest behind, the child who had gone straight for his target was in Won Youngoh’s arms amidst everyone’s surprise.

“Uncle!”

Uncle?
Won Youngoh held the child in his arms and familiarly sat him on his lap. While taking off his coat with a natural touch.

“Oh, Doyeong. Did you come alone? What about your dad and mom?”
“Yeah. I came alone!”

The child, who was in Won Youngoh’s arms, nodded at Won Youngoh and then his eyes widened as if he had forgotten something.

“Ah! Uncle, put me down.”

As soon as Won Youngoh put him down, the little boy named Doyeong placed both his hands on his stomach and bowed his waist.

“Hello! I’m Won Doyeong. I came to find my uncle.”

At the end of his neat greeting, Won Doyeong reached out his hands to Won Youngoh again.
Won Youngoh sat his nephew on his lap again.
Jeong Donghyeok smiled with delight and introduced himself to Won Doyeong.

“I’m Jeong Donghyeok, who works with your uncle. you can call me Office Manager.”
“Hello, Office Manager Jeong Donghyeok!”
“He’s so bright, he looks just like you, Lawyer Won.”
“I know, right.”

Just like the reactions of Jeong Donghyeok and Lee Ilwoo, I felt like I was looking at a young Won Youngoh.
Won Youngoh stroked his nephew’s disheveled hair and spoke with a pleased expression.

“Did you come by subway alone?”
“Yeah! I’ve been here before. I came because I have a favor to ask you, uncle.”
“What favor?”
“Can you come to my school next week? The teacher said it’s okay if my uncle comes if my dad can’t.”
“Your dad can’t make it?”
“Yeah… Dad has a trial that day. Mom too.”

At the word ‘trial’, everyone looked at Won Youngoh.
Won Youngoh looked at us and smiled awkwardly.
At that moment, I fell into a question.

‘Wait, the surname Won is not common…’

Don’t tell me that little boy’s ‘dad’ is a prosecutor.

‘No, that can’t be…’

As if he had read my thoughts, Won Youngoh, who had met my eyes for a moment, let out a deep sigh.
With that one sigh, I realized that my thoughts were correct.

‘It must be that person.’

[Who?]

‘You’ve probably heard of him too.’

The very famous bribery prosecutor in this field, Won Ojun.