Chapter 58
- There's No Other Explanation
2023.06.27.
Hee-wook was flipping through business documents irritably. He was frustrated because of his mother, infuriated by Choi Hyun-ji, and felt like his insides were bursting because of Han So-eun, and to top it off, why were only such trivial cases coming in? Work that didn't make money but wasted time only made Hee-wook more annoyed.
While flipping through the documents, Hee-wook picked out the case that seemed most profitable.
A defamation lawsuit by an influencer. If I change the statement to say she was a victim of sexual harassment, I can raise the price a bit more.
Just as he was rolling up his sleeves, thinking he should fabricate evidence as usual, he heard the voices of lawyers through the crack in the door.
"Oh, I overheard earlier, but there's talk of our firm merging with another law firm."
"Oh, which law firm?"
"I don't know, they said it's a global law firm? So, it's a loss if we refuse."
"Oh, so we're going global too?"
Hearing the conversation, Hee-wook rushed outside.
"Is that story true?"
One of the lawyers who had been talking repeated what he had heard.
"I guess so? They said there might be more work related to overseas corporations of large companies. Both our company and theirs need to increase in size, so the talks are progressing quickly. If all goes well, they'll be circulating the merger agreement this week?"
Hee-wook licked his lips. A global law firm merger. It was the perfect news for making connections with large corporations. Moreover, if he acted sensitively while signing the merger agreement, he might be able to raise his salary during the negotiation process. It was like welcome rain in his poor circumstances.
Another layer of excitement settled on Hee-wook's smile. No sooner had the conversation ended than his phone rang. The caller was none other than Kim Tae-joon.
He heard about it from Han So-eun.
Imagining Han So-eun and Kim Tae-joon side by side made him grind his teeth again, but this kind of call wasn't bad. There was no way K Group's Kim Tae-joon would seriously consider Han So-eun. So, he would beg him to turn a blind eye to this matter, offering him money. Then he would reluctantly accept. And he would have to tell Han So-eun that he was silenced with money. To make her realize reality and know her place.
Returning to his office, Hee-wook received the call, mentally calculating how much to ask Tae-joon for. He didn't forget to press the record button before starting the call.
"Hello."
[Lawyer.]
The more polite-than-ever voice brought him joy. This was the pleasure of reigning as the superior.
[It's been a while. This is Kim Tae-joon.]
"Yes, I know."
Hee-wook replied arrogantly.
[Have you had dinner?]
"Dinner, my foot."
[.......]
"Why. What urgent matter made you personally call me?"
Hee-wook scoffed at Tae-joon, who was pretending to be polite, and asked sarcastically.
"I suppose you have some urgent request?"
[I don't have any. I was greatly disappointed when I entrusted you with the last matter. I didn't know you were so incompetent, so I don't have any particular requests right now.]
Look at this guy?
One side of Hee-wook's lip curled upward. He felt uneasy for some reason because of the dark energy in his voice, but Hee-wook pretended to be relaxed and laughed loudly, "Hahaha."
"You're funny. You can't even beg me to pretend I don't know."
"......"
"You'd better be nice to me? If I say one word about Han So-eun and the director, the director will fall straight to hell, won't he?"
[I'm not so low that I'll fall to hell with just one word from you.]
Oh-ho. This bastard is calling to threaten me, not to appease me? Go ahead. Do more. This call is being recorded.
Go ahead and brag that you're a chaebol. Say that with one word from you, I'll disappear without a trace. I'll make sure your article decorates the news tomorrow.
[Anyway, I'm sorry about this matter.]
However, Tae-joon didn't act as Hee-wook expected. Hee-wook's eyes widened.
[Lawyer, Han So-eun is the donor for your mother's liver transplant, right? I'm looking closely at the documents now, and there are some strange signatures. Some don't seem to be in Han So-eun's handwriting. What happens to a lawyer's license if they forge documents?]
With Tae-joon's long words, the color drained from Hee-wook's once rosy face.
[And, I heard that Lawyer Yang's father has been playing a lot of golf lately. Coincidentally, I invested in the golf course, so I occasionally hear news from there. I hear your father likes the caddies a lot? Unilaterally.]
"......"
[It seems he's like Lawyer Yang, chasing after women who say they don't want him.]
His hands trembled. This bastard had even investigated his father. To ensnare him. His pale face flushed like vermilion.
[Anyway, congratulations again on your marriage. I hope your home is peaceful.]
"......"
[I'm busy, so I'll hang up now.]
The call, which had been polite from beginning to end, ended like that.
*
So-eun received Tae-joon's call again after lunch, when she had returned to her seat after brushing her teeth. It was approaching midnight in New York.
So-eun, who had briefly stepped outside the company, sat on a bench in front of the building and answered the phone. The sky, cleared after a brief shower, was clear.
"Hello."
[Did you eat?]
"Yes. I sat down at my desk and came outside for a bit."
Hearing the answer, Tae-joon got straight to the point.
[That bastard won't be coming around again.]
"What did you do?"
So-eun was frightened by his too-confident voice.
"You didn't do anything scary, did you?"
[I didn't do much, but that kind of bastard deserves to be scared.]
"......"
[Hoo. Han So-eun, you're so bold. What if that bastard had something and you opened the door without checking?]
Since she didn't reply much because she was worried, he continued to grumble. Listening to his mumbling, So-eun's expression quickly relaxed. When So-eun made a small cough, Tae-joon's voice turned sulky.
[Why are you laughing?]
"No, it's nothing."
[.......]
"I guess so. I must have gotten bold."
I'm not a bold person. I want to show you my liver that has shrunk to the size of Beans.
So-eun laughed happily, but Tae-joon didn't offer a single smile and sternly urged her.
[Tell me right away next time. Got it?]
"Yes."
[Why did you even meet a guy like that?]
"Back then, it was..."
[I know. You don't have to say it.]
Back then, I thought it was all real. I was deceived too. She was about to say that, but Tae-joon cut her off. So-eun belatedly pressed her lips tightly together. Honestly, she was glad she didn't reveal everything.
[I was just complaining because I hate that bastard too much. I know it's not So-eun's fault.]
His voice continued.
[The heart can be hungry too.]
"......"
[When you're hungry, everything tastes good. The heart can be hungry too, so you eat anything, and you might vaguely think that the first thing you ate was incredibly delicious.]
His gentle and calm voice didn't seem to penetrate her ears but rather seemed like a story conveyed from her heart. It was amazing that someone existed who seemed to look into her heart and say the words she had wanted to say to herself someday.
For some reason, she felt like sitting down and crying on the spot, but he quickly changed the mood of the conversation.
[But the fact that you told me late, thinking about my business trip schedule, means you like me that much, right?]
"......"
[You can't live without me. Right?]
With that playfulness, So-eun was able to block the deepening emotions with fragments of laughter.
"Yes."
[What do you like so much about me?]
But soon, even the laughter was blocked. A subjective question suddenly popped up. It was a question that couldn't have just one answer.
[Handsome, rich, good body, smart, good personality, don't give me those trivial things.]
"......Those aren't trivial things. And your personality isn't that great..."
[Anyway, my charm is so great that those things feel trivial. Han So-eun can't live without me.]
"......"
[Aren't you going to tell me? I won't hang up until you tell me. It's almost work time now.]
This guy is even demanding freshness from an engineer.
Still, the diligent So-eun seriously pondered. Handsome, rich, good body, smart, strong too...
[I'll wait, so think carefully.]
"......"
[I have patience.]
"I don't think you have much."
She blurted out the reply while immersed in thought.
[Really? Aren't you looking down on me too much?]
"That's not patience, that's endurance."
It was a soulless answer, and the other side of the receiver went silent. So-eun belatedly realized her mistake.
[Endurance?]
"......"
[......Ah, that ability to do something for a long time?]
It was a conversation between two people with different points. So-eun's face flushed. Tae-joon, who had found another thing to tease her about, was excited and teased her.
[How do you know my endurance is good? Do you have a comparison?]
"No, no, it's not like that, you just know even without that!"
[Ah, you just know well.]
As So-eun fidgeted, Tae-joon seemed to become even more joyful. It took him a while to clear his laughter.
[I'm going back today. I'll arrive in Korea tomorrow, though.]
"Does the work end that quickly?"
[Someone said they can't live without me, so I have to go quickly.]
"......"
[I'm so scared because of Han So-eun, how can I even get on a plane.]
'I have to take her with me,' he muttered, his subdued voice sounding like he was struggling because of Han So-eun, making her imagine him loosening his tie.
After hanging up, it was 1:10 PM. There were still 10 minutes left until work started.
Feeling like it would be a waste to go straight back to her seat, So-eun decided to sit for a bit longer. The shade covering the bench swayed, indicating the direction of the wind. It felt like the shade was stroking her hair. Like Tae-joon's big hand.
Suddenly, she became curious. It might have been the question she should have had in the first place.
I like this person because he's an attractive person, but why does this person like me? Why would someone like this like me?
I know that I'm a good person, but only I know that.
So-eun, who was rolling her eyes while thinking about this and that, turned her gaze to the sky. It had rained briefly in the morning, but the sky was clear as if nothing had happened.
Unable to find a specific reason, So-eun spread her imagination towards the highly shining sky.
Could it be something like this?
In my past life, I was born as a thoughtless aristocrat and lived a life of playing and eating alone, not knowing the hardships of people outside the house who were suffering from forced labor. The person I caught like a rat was my servant Dol-soe, who is now Kim Tae-joon. Time passed, and both Dol-soe and I died, and I was reborn to make up for my ignorance in my past life, suffering and doing some foolish things while reflecting, and then I meet Dol-soe again. Dol-soe suffered so much in his past life that God gave him everything to live a little more comfortably in this life, but he's a natural Dol-soe and can't break his habit, so he comes to me and tries to do everything for me again.
Yeah. There's no other explanation.
So-eun, whose romantic thinking skills had blossomed as she fell in love, made a self-satisfying story and smiled. She wanted to mark this precious day.
