An Unwelcome Summons

There are people who don’t even think that the other party will refuse their proposals and requests.
People who are so used to crushing the other party with the power they have that they just commit atrocities.
Seok Juho, who had called me, was also that type.

[Let’s meet in front of the association at 6 p.m. today.]

While I didn’t answer, he arbitrarily set the time and place and hung up.

“Lawyer? What’s wrong?”

My expression must have been very bad.
Jeong Donghyeok, who had been watching my expression all along while I was on the phone, asked with a serious face.
It seemed he was thinking that it was related to K.
I smiled and waved my hand.

“Ah, it’s not that, um… I have a sudden appointment this evening.”
“What? Who is it?”
“The director of the Bar Association. He just told me to meet him at six and hung up.”
“Six o’clock… that means there are about two hours left.”

That’s right.
The reason why Seok Juho was rude was because it was four o’clock right now.
The act of throwing a notification, not an appointment, just a few hours before.
This was an intentional act to treat me as an inferior and crush me, no matter how you looked at it.

‘Well, if you think about it, it’s true.’

[But that’s too rude. Are you going to go?]

‘Hmm… I wouldn’t go, usually.’

[Yes… It’s unavoidable that it’s unpleasant, but you have to go. Still, the Bar Association is the Bar Association.]

Gram is right.
Still, the Bar Association was the Bar Association.
It was also a powerful group that could make a notification like this.
I had already refused all of the numerous interviews except for Baek Soeun’s.

‘Well… even if I refused all the terrestrial broadcasting stations, as a lawyer in the Republic of Korea, I can’t refuse the call of the Bar Association.’

The Bar Association.
That is, the Korean Bar Association.

‘It was a strange place back then, and it’s a strange place now.’

Even including public defenders, lawyers are, to put it simply, no different from office workers.
Because they work at a company called a law firm.
Therefore, when you look at it precisely, the Bar Association was also not a government agency.

‘But it’s still amazing that it appears in the Lawyer Act.’

That’s why it was a mandatory process to go through in order to work as a lawyer in the Republic of Korea.
Even if you passed the bar exam, you couldn’t work without going through the Bar Association.
Because it was a group that could punish and discipline a lawyer if they damaged their ‘dignity’.
If a lawyer on trial caused such a problem, the Bar Association could review the level of discipline and submit it to the prosecutor.

‘I also had to go through the Bar Association when I moved from public defense to Dike.’

That didn’t mean that I was going to bow my head and go in.
However, it was difficult to guess Seok Juho’s intention in contacting me.
And there wasn’t much I could find out from the call.
In times like these, a direct approach is the answer, but… I had a strangely uneasy feeling.

“When did Lawyer Won’s trial start?”
“It was at three, so he should be here soon.”
“Thank you, office manager. I’ll just go and check something in my room.”
“Yes, lawyer.”

I bowed my head once to Jeong Donghyeok and headed for my room.

‘Why does the director suddenly want to see me?’

There were largely two possible directions.

‘Encouragement, or a warning.’

Or both.
Just looking at the timing, it was highly likely to be encouragement.
As the fact that my profession is a lawyer became known, the image that came with it also automatically rose.
It was a very good opportunity for the group.

‘I’ve already experienced it when I was Yoon Eunho.’

There was even a time when a photographer who only photographed government officials was called on the same day.
He was a person who had to schedule according to the national schedule for a single shoot.
There were many ways to show the power of the group one belonged to, and among them, the Bar Association was excellent in that ability.
But from the call just now, it didn’t seem like the meeting Seok Juho was calling me to was to praise me.

‘If that were the case, he wouldn’t have been so rude.’

I sat still in my seat, resting my chin on my hand, and was lost in thought.

‘What have I been doing so far?’

Just in case, he could be nitpicking about something that had happened a few months ago.
Along with the ridicule of ‘Zero-Wins’, I met Lee Ilwoo, and in the PC bang murder case, I caught the real culprit, and also…
Ah, the reason I got seriously involved with Lee Ilwoo was thanks to Mr. Han Junyoung.
After that, it was Seonghui’s case. Thanks to that, I was able to drink fragrant coffee again today.
And the experience of appearing on a broadcast was ultimately thanks to Kwon Saeha.

[You’ve made a lot of new connections.]

‘That’s right, really.’

Every time I recalled a case, the people I had gained through that case came to mind.
And the fact that those people were now living by my side.
The corners of my mouth went up without me realizing it.
Even as I carefully reviewed the cases, it was difficult to draw a line.

‘I don’t think I’ve done anything that would be a disgrace to my reputation.’

A lawyer was, in a way, a sales job.
And image was just as important.
Image was either given or taken away, depending on how much it was exposed.

‘That’s also one of the reasons why I’m saying I won’t do any more broadcasts… but there’s something more important.’

For now, it was impossible to know if it was just Seok Juho’s simple contact, or if his superiors had ordered him.

‘But just in case, I should look into it more.’

And so, I began to investigate Seok Juho and the Bar Association.

Chime.

And so, about thirty minutes passed, and Won Youngoh returned from his trial.

“You’re back?”
“Ah, Lawyer Cha. You haven’t left yet.”
“Yes. I have about thirty minutes to spare, and I have something I want to ask you, Lawyer Won.”
“You’re talking about Director Seok Juho, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been thinking about it since I got the call earlier. We’re short on time, so let’s just sit down. You too, office manager.”
“Yes.”

Following Won Youngoh’s polite gesture, Jeong Donghyeok came and sat next to me.
Won Youngoh sat down in the chair at the table without even taking off his coat and immediately started talking.

“As is usually the case with the lines at the Bar Association, Seok Juho is, of course, a graduate of Seoul National University’s law school.”

Won Youngoh continued to speak and took off his coat and placed it on the seat next to him.

“I know his training institute grades were also excellent. He was a chief prosecutor at the Central District Prosecutors’ Office and then moved to the Bar Association. To put it simply, a typical elite course.”

It was a route befitting the director of the Bar Association.
I nodded once as if in agreement.

“I’m sure you’ve already looked up this much, Lawyer Cha. So I’m not sure if my story will be of much help.”
“Any story is fine. I looked it up, and it seems you were at the District Prosecutors’ Office with him for a few months.”
“Yes, that’s right. It wasn’t that long. But if you’re asking if Seok Juho’s character was excellent at that time, well, I wonder.”

Won Youngoh was not the type to say what he was thinking.
He only spoke when he was representing someone in a trial.
For such a Won Youngoh to talk about a person like this.
Won Youngoh narrowed his eyes and continued.

“Bragging about his connections, bragging about his achievements… he was so blatant about it, as if he would die if he stopped for a single moment.”

Won Youngoh’s objective and scathing evaluation continued.

“Not only the spokespersons of each political party, but also the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and even the aides, he always boasted of his connections. And he probably benefited a lot from them.”
“Hmm…”

A type like that is usually…
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Won Youngoh added first.

“Yes. You can think of him as a typical ‘strong to the weak, weak to the strong’ type.”

For some reason, I feel refreshed.

“There must be a reason why he called you, Lawyer Cha. Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s for something beautiful like praise or encouragement. At least, based on my experience.”
“Yes, I expected that too. And the way he called me so suddenly.”

Won Youngoh rested his head on his clasped hands.

“But since the other party is who he is, and the situation is what it is… we have to go. If we just ignore it, he’ll be more than capable of finding fault with us for something trivial.”

Jeong Donghyeok, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, asked me.

“Lawyer Cha, do you have a direction in mind?”
“I think a direct confrontation is the answer, right? I’ll show my gratitude for the encouragement, and pretend to bow to the warning. I’ll decide on anything more than that in the moment.”
“I think so too. I can’t guess his intentions right now. And there’s no guarantee that Seok Juho will be the only one there.”
“But if it’s an unjust matter, I’ll try to come to some kind of agreement.”

Won Youngoh quietly nodded.
His neat hair moved along with his movement.

“…If, by any chance, Lawyer Cha.”
“Yes.”
“If they say something ridiculous, just let it slide. I mean, if it’s an absurd threat or a trick. And if that doesn’t work…”

Won Youngoh, who had been speaking without a hitch until just now, paused for a moment and hesitated.
After moving his lips a few times, he added as if he had made up his mind.

“Use me.”

Won Youngoh put both his hands on the table and smiled.
It was a smile that looked bright, but also looked like he was forcing it.

“Lawyer Won, what do you mean by that…”
“I don’t have much… but my background will be enough of a warning to them. Because those people care about that kind of thing the most.”

Ah.
As soon as I understood Won Youngoh’s words, the tip of my nose became a little hot.
For Won Youngoh to mention his family first.
Knowing how much of a grudge he had against his own family, I couldn’t help but be moved.
And, probably, Won Youngoh wouldn’t have done that if it had been his own situation.

“…Thank you.”

I couldn’t give any other answer.
Won Youngoh smiled once more.

“Not at all. I’m glad if I can help even in that way. Won’t you be more relaxed if you leave now?”
“Ah, that’s right.”

It was just as I was getting up and Won Youngoh was grabbing his coat.

Chime.

“Hello!”
“Oh, Mr. Han Junyoung. Nice to see you again.”
“Ah, yes! Lawyer Won, you must have just come back from your trial.”
“Yes, I just came in a moment ago. …But what is all that? Did you bring all that up here?”
“Yes.”

Han Junyoung, with sweat on his forehead in this middle of winter, smiled brightly.

“You should have just called from downstairs. Are you okay?”

The three of us hurriedly approached Han Junyoung.

“No. I’m fine. It wasn’t heavy at all.”
“First, wipe off your sweat.”

Won Youngoh and Jeong Donghyeok took the food from Han Junyoung, and I took out a tissue and handed it to him.
Han Junyoung, who was finally free of his hands, wiped his sweat.

“No, what is all this again…”

And next to him, Won Youngoh was flustered by the endless stream of dishes.

“Mr. Junyoung, are you really okay? It seems like there are more dishes than for lunch. Didn’t you and the owner work too hard?”
“Thank you for the tissue. What? No. My mom and I are just repaying our debt to you lawyers.”
“What debt is that?”
“Hmm, then should I say we’re repaying a favor? My mom often says that.”

Han Junyoung smiled at me, who was at a loss for words, and approached Won Youngoh and Jeong Donghyeok.

“This is a side dish, and I’ve packed it separately for the four of you. Please take it home and eat it.”
“Oh? This is soy sauce-braised eggs. Thank you.”
“Yes, my mom remembered that you said it was delicious last time, Lawyer Won.”
“Please be sure to thank the owner for me.”
“Yes, and dinner is seafood stew. Please eat it before it gets cold. You too, Lawyer Cha, hurry up and come!”
“Ah…”

Won Youngoh and Jeong Donghyeok, with troubled expressions that contrasted with the bright-faced Han Junyoung, looked at me.
I was the same.
I didn’t feel good about saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t eat it,” to the proud-faced Han Junyoung.
Even though it was a short distance, it must have been hard in this season.
I also felt sorry for the owner, who must have prepared it with great care.

“Uh, Mr. Junyoung.”
“Yes?”

Vibrate.

“Ah, just a moment.”

After checking the message, I changed my expression and approached the table again.

“Let’s eat, everyone.”

As if he were surprised, or as if he had expected it, Won Youngoh raised his eyebrows and asked.

“Will you be okay with the time?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”

And so, we started our meal.
The warm temperature of the food and the delicious smell instantly filled the office.
Then, one person came to mind.
As if our telepathy had worked, Han Junyoung asked.

“By the way, has Mr. Lee Ilwoo gone home?”