Chapter 82
82. Did You Do That on Purpose?
2023.07.21.
Hee-wook was holed up in his office late into the night, sorting through documents. Now that he had confirmed that Kim Tae-joon's Devil's Hand was about to strike, he couldn't just sit still. He had to erase all traces of document manipulation from the cases he had handled so far. He also had to hide the extra money he had received from clients.
He was in the midst of concealing evidence when he heard a knock.
"Yang Hee-wook, may I come in?"
The voice belonged to none other than the head lawyer of Yulkyu Law Firm.
Startled, Hee-wook knocked the books off the bookshelf and onto the piles of documents.
"Yes!"
Hee-wook answered hastily, and the door opened. The head lawyer's eyes widened as he took in the messy floor.
"Did a thief break into your office?"
Hee-wook feigned ignorance and stood up.
"No, not at all. I was just tidying up, and it got a little out of hand. But what brings you here, sir?"
The head lawyer placed a case request form on Hee-wook's desk. It was the biggest lawsuit Hee-wook had ever taken on.
"I'm afraid you'll have to step down from this case, Yang."
"…Why? I'm the one who took on the case."
"It's not just this case."
"……."
"The U.S. has raised some issues."
Hee-wook's eyes darted back and forth at the news the head lawyer delivered.
It was happening much faster than he had anticipated. This couldn't be happening.
"There are suspicions of document manipulation in the cases you've handled."
"Do they have any evidence?"
"The U.S. is closely reviewing our firm's cases. But perhaps… was this something you intended, Yang?"
"No! Of course not. I just found out about it myself. The clients must have fabricated the documents and handed them over!"
Hee-wook shouted.
"But since there are so many cases with suspected document manipulation specifically in your cases, they seem to be suspicious."
"…Can I just quit? Can I transfer to another law firm?"
Hee-wook clenched his fists and protested with a sense of injustice. Nevertheless, it didn't work on the head lawyer at all.
"It's not a matter of transferring. There are really a lot of suspected cases of document manipulation that have been discovered."
"……."
"Did you perhaps touch the Professor Sung Wook-jong case?"
The Professor Sung Wook-jong case. It was a case where one of the graduate students working in the professor's office sued the professor for abuse. In the end, the professor was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, but the graduate student was repeatedly appealing, claiming injustice.
Hee-wook was flustered and couldn't open his mouth. The fact that he had colluded with the professor to collect false testimonies from the graduate students and destroy real evidence was something only Hee-wook knew. There was no way this could have spread.
"They might question your qualifications as a lawyer. Anyway, just be aware of that, Yang. I'll let you know as soon as I hear any new news."
Having said what he had to say, the head lawyer patted Hee-wook on the shoulder and turned away.
"Ha, shit……."
After the head lawyer left, Hee-wook became even more frantic and busily cleaned up the ruined books.
Kim Tae-joon. How do you know all this?
He had only received a little more money from people who were simply uncomfortable and tweaked the documents a little. He had only persuaded people with his excellent eloquence to give wonderful testimonies.
As he hurriedly sorted through the documents, his finger brushed against the edge of a piece of paper. Blood flowed from the neatly cut area when his cell phone rang. It was Madam Kim Mal-hee.
"Mom, I'm going to be late today. I'm busy, so stop calling me……."
[Hee-wook! Something terrible has happened to your father!]
He was about to hang up after telling her firmly not to bother him, but Mal-hee's voice sounded flustered.
[There's been an accident. Come to the hospital right away!]
Following the accident of his mother and sister, now his father too. It felt as if all the arrows of misfortune in the world were flying towards him.
\
Saturday.
Chairman Kim Jae-pil called Tae-joon once a day. Since the things Jae-pil called him for were almost always tedious meetings, Tae-joon spent a lot of time bored.
But today, that wasn't the case. Seok-hwa was accompanying him at the event. He had begged to do anything if he would turn a blind eye to Han So-eun, so he had to show a professional attitude, doing the job like a job.
It was tiring work, but Tae-joon managed it without difficulty. He was relieved when Seok-hwa gave him a reasonably trustworthy look, and after leaving the venue, Tae-joon headed straight to So-eun's house and called her.
The ringing tone lasted longer than usual.
[Hello.]
So-eun's voice sounded low.
"Where are you?"
[At work.]
"Why at work?"
[The director said it would be good to finish the project quickly. We're all fired up and working hard.]
At So-eun's answer, Tae-joon immediately turned the steering wheel.
"So everyone's at work?"
[Yes. It's just Chief Jang and me right now, though.]
"Just the two of you?"
[Yes. Bobae had something to do and left earlier.]
He shouldn't have asked them to finish the project in a hurry after all.
"Okay. I'll see you later."
Tae-joon's heart grew impatient.
\
K Electronics Service Central Headquarters.
The company on a Saturday afternoon was eerily quiet. So, even in his haste, Tae-joon muffled his footsteps as he reached the 7th floor. He wasn't like a husband trying to catch his wife in an affair, so he didn't know why he was becoming so cautious like a stray cat.
As he got closer to the TF Team, he could faintly hear sounds. Jang Eun-pyo and Han So-eun's voices were drifting leisurely into the silent hallway, over the threshold. Of course, it was because the TF Team office door was half open, but Tae-joon still didn't like it.
Whisper, whisper. Jang Eun-pyo and Han So-eun were talking about something serious. But their tone sounded quite friendly to each other. It wasn't a voice that echoed loudly in the hallway, but a small sound like a pen sliding softly on paper, which was even more irritating.
Taking another step while holding his breath, Tae-joon checked the state of the office through the crack in the door. All that caught Tae-joon's eye was Chief Jang Eun-pyo. So-eun seemed to be sitting on the opposite side. Every time So-eun said something, Jang Eun-pyo's eyes crinkled amusingly. At that expression and gaze, his forehead throbbed. The blood vessels in his forehead stood on end.
Those were still the eyes of someone in love.
Jang Eun-pyo. He was told to give up his feelings, so he folded them into a heart shape?
Tae-joon burst open the door and entered the office.
"Director."
Eun-pyo, who had spotted Tae-joon first, stood up from his seat. So-eun followed suit.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Tae-joon answered with a perfunctory greeting and sat down next to So-eun. Eun-pyo, who was facing him, had a flustered expression at Tae-joon's sudden visit, but he still couldn't get rid of the smile around his eyes. Tae-joon narrowed his eyes at Eun-pyo and asked.
"Working hard even on a Saturday?"
"Yes. I was just about to get up."
Tae-joon, who wanted to fight, rolled up his sleeves, but Eun-pyo stood up expressionlessly, without any intention of fighting. Sly bastard. Tae-joon cursed inwardly, but he mimicked the expression the guy had made towards So-eun and smiled.
"What about Chief Han?"
"I still have something to do."
"How much do you have to do……."
"Then I'll head out first."
Eun-pyo, who had finished packing his things while Tae-joon was speaking to So-eun in a businesslike manner, greeted him slyly.
"Have a good weekend, Director."
"Yes. Go ahead."
Tae-joon nodded casually.
After Eun-pyo left and his footsteps faded away, Tae-joon closed the office door.
So-eun was only focused on her work, as if trying to avoid Tae-joon's gaze.
"Let's go too."
"Yes."
"Let's go."
"Just let me finish this."
So-eun answered while soldering the Mainboard.
She was so engrossed in the careful work that he couldn't disturb her any further.
There were times when he resented that innocent expression, that unintended push and pull. But his gaze didn't have the power to distort a beautiful person into an ugly one, depending on the situation. That innocent expression was still just beautiful, and her lips, pursed in concentration on the meticulous work, were adorable.
I'm going crazy.
His desires kept popping up all the time.
Was there something wrong with his head?
As soon as she finished soldering, Tae-joon immediately nagged So-eun.
"It's the weekend. The weekend."
"You were the one who said you had work on the weekend first, Director."
"…Are you sulking because I didn't meet you?"
"No. I think if there's time, we see each other, and if you're busy, there's nothing I can do."
"What are you talking about? We have to see each other even if we have work."
Pretending not to hear those words, she didn't answer. But as if some emotional stirring had occurred, her lips, which had been briefly hidden, lengthened slightly.
"Is it important? When will it be done?"
"Just a moment. I'm almost done. Done……."
No sooner had she announced the end than Tae-joon pulled So-eun's chair. The chair with wheels slid quickly towards him.
Easily lifting her waist, Tae-joon sat her on his lap. Before the flustered So-eun could stop him, he bit her lips. So-eun's hair flowed down over his face, tickling him. His hand, trying to grab her hair, was a little rough.
You keep driving me crazy.
"You carry around a button or something and press it, don't you?"
"What button?"
The expression on her face, pretending not to know while tightly gripping the button to manipulate his emotions, was truly mischievous and lovely.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
"Do what?"
"You know what I'm asking."
"I really don't know."
"Should I show you? Here?"
Not even knowing how he would show her, she must have imagined something, because her face turned bright red. She knew that he was burning with desire. That adorable attitude was infuriating, but Tae-joon was a little relieved at the innocent expression that acknowledged how naughty he had been.
"Why did you do that?"
"……It was fun to see you fidgeting."
"So it's fun to see me go crazy, is it."
Because I'm so crazy about you, I can do anything.
Tae-joon muttered with eyes as red as her face.
Not being able to meet you is also for the sake of our future. Because you have become my weakness.
He had endured today's uncomfortable event, which his aunt had been watching all along, thinking only of Han So-eun. He would never be able to talk about it for the rest of his life, but he wanted to be praised for that feeling.
"I'm sorry. I was being vulgar."
"It's okay. My head is vulgar too."
Tae-joon stole her lips again, as if receiving the award she wouldn't give him.
