Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Bismuth Tournament Day
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Kang Hyun could feel the blood rushing to his head and quickly changed the subject.
"For now, give me your bag. It looks heavy."
"Mm."
The early dawn streets were quiet and nearly empty of people. Even so, walking home together felt familiar and enjoyable.
Kang Hyun slung her bag over one shoulder and walked naturally beside Yoon Haneul.
When they reached her house, she pointed awkwardly at the front door with her finger.
"We're here."
"Yeah. Go on in."
"Get home safe. I'll call you."
Watching her back as she went inside, Kang Hyun felt an inexplicable sense of reluctance.
They'd always done this—spending time together and parting ways—but lately, each goodbye felt more regrettable than the last.
Maybe it was time to rethink their relationship, beyond just being friends.
As she opened the door to go in, her eyes met his.
Yoon Haneul smiled softly and waved. Kang Hyun did the same.
Click.
Kang Hyun stood there blankly, staring at the door she'd disappeared through.
Then, after a long while, he muttered his true feelings to himself.
"...First things first, let's win."
To go out with her, eat delicious food, date...
He had to win, no matter what.
Kang Hyun clenched his fists tightly, shook them a few times, and headed home.
His steps were vigorous, uncharacteristic for such an early hour.
Kang Hyun slipped on his shoes and turned back with a smile.
"I'm off."
"Alright, take care. You coming home late today?"
"No, it'll end quickly today."
It wasn't common for his mother to be sitting in the living room when he left the house.
That made the atmosphere feel especially warm today, giving him a boost of energy.
"Alright, then how about we eat dinner together for once in a while?"
"Yeah, I'll be right back."
Kang Hyun paused as he was about to step out, hesitating before speaking.
"Mom, after the tournament ends, let's go out to eat at the end of the month. I know a good place."
"Out to eat? Sure, let's do it."
She was the kind of mother who tightened her belt even on utility bills and her own meals, but when it came to her son, she wanted to give him the best no matter the circumstances. She beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
"Then I'm off."
"Drive safe!"
"Yeah!"
Hearing his mother's bright voice matching her smiling face lifted his spirits.
Today was the day of the Bismuth tournament.
Thud, thud.
Kang Hyun hurried toward the subway station with quick steps.
The venue was a bit outside his usual routine—an unusual spot. The tournament was being held in the main building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It would span multiple floors in a tournament format, running simultaneously in various locations.
Kang Hyun's team had been assigned one preliminary match. He had his bag slung over one shoulder and a binder of materials in his other hand.
Rumble, hiss.
Boarding the train, Kang Hyun picked up his phone. The person who answered was none other than Yoon Chan-rim.
-Hyung, I've arrived.
"You got there fast."
-Si-hyung hyung says he's running a bit late. Should I pick up the badges in advance?
"If possible. Check the layout too."
-Got it. Get here safe.
After hanging up, Kang Hyun's thoughts drifted to a few people.
Nam Shin-hwa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official who'd been at the International Law Society's annual conference, where Kang Hyun had rocketed to senior level.
He had treated Kang Hyun kindly and respectfully back then, making him a likable figure.
Kang Hyun wasn't sure if he'd run into Nam Shin-hwa, but when it came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was the first person who came to mind amid all the recent events.
Given his image, the Bismuth tournament spearheaded by the ministry felt promising.
And Director Song Ha-dong.
As the former ICC president, he was a symbolic figure. Currently on a break after returning to Korea, he might show up at the Bismuth opening ceremony.
In mock trial competitions, the ICC's prestige ranked second only to the ICJ among international judicial bodies—which had helped Kang Hyun in domestic tournaments too.
Whether it'd help this time was anyone's guess.
Finally, Seok Ji-hoon came to mind.
A young non-law-school student who'd earned a ticket to an international mock trial by gaining recognition abroad.
No telling how far his skills went.
Kang Hyun hadn't truly clashed with him yet, but one thing was clear: Seok Ji-hoon wasn't someone even he could dismiss lightly.
"Whew."
His mind grew a bit tangled with all these thoughts, so Kang Hyun took a deep breath to steady himself.
He got off the subway, checked the directions quickly, and headed to the venue.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The towering rectangular building bustled with stiff-looking people coming and going. Glimpses of foreigners from various countries made it feel like another nation altogether.
A massive banner covering one side of the building proclaimed the "Bismuth International Mock Trial Tournament," conveying just how much national backing it had.
Compared to the Korea University mock court that rented an entire conference hall, it looked smaller on the surface.
A bit modest, perhaps.
But once inside, Kang Hyun's impression flipped entirely.
Bustling, chattering.
"Every floor's turned into a foreign event space."
That was the first thing he said upon meeting the waiting Yoon Chan-rim.
Unlike Kang Hyun, Yoon Chan-rim reacted calmly, as if the atmosphere was familiar or comforting.
"There are a lot of participating countries, and thirty teams alone."
In the crowd, Kang Hyun scanned the map intently to find the main hall.
"That way. Shall we head straight there?"
"Yeah, I'll text Si-hyung hyung."
They arrived at a large hall inside the ministry building.
Right on time, they registered and took their seats.
"We will now commence the Bismuth opening."
"We will now commence Bismuth."
With translation earpieces in for simultaneous interpretation in multiple languages, Kang Hyun and Yoon Chan-rim greeted the late-arriving Woo Si-hyung.
Bang! Bang!
Fireworks.
They'd expected a simple ceremony, but it defied expectations with a grand, fitting start.
"Now in its first year hosted by the Republic of Korea, Bismuth draws on the authority of over ten international judicial bodies, including the UN, ICJ (International Court of Justice), and ICC (International Criminal Court), and is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The Foreign Minister delivered a passionate speech, followed by the Justice Minister's address, then responses from delegations of various nations.
Unlike domestic tournaments, Bismuth was an international mock trial extravaganza—a festival for legal professionals.
The opening declaration buzzed with excitement, heralding the festivities rather than stiff formality.
In the vast hall, people chatted lively from outside, and Kang Hyun's group could freely explore the venue.
Naturally, his heart began to pound.
[I'd been waiting for this day.]
A stage to unleash his abilities fully. Bismuth, the international tournament to prove himself.
How long he'd anticipated arriving here.
Amid the scurrying crowds, Kang Hyun felt dormant passion stirring in his chest, vitality surging.
Returning to the courtroom. Just imagining it made his heart race with thrill.
The courtroom was where he belonged. He didn't know when that had become such a natural thought.
[It's starting again.]
Clenching his fist, he focused on checking the schedule.
Team Korea 3, led by Korea University Professor Park Min-ha—Kang Hyun's team. The lineup was slightly different from last time.
Their first match in an assigned second-floor conference room.
The voice echoing was Yoon Chan-rim's low, steady English argument.
"Therefore, under the principle of the supremacy of international law, State A's invocation of domestic law to justify noncompliance with international obligations constitutes a defect in legal interpretation."
One well-trained teammate was worth ten leaders.
Kang Hyun watched fondly as Yoon Chan-rim fluently shut down the opponents in English, making the interpreter redundant.
Even for an expected easy win in the first round, it was flawless enough that Kang Hyun's rebuttal wasn't needed.
Just like Seok Ji-hoon had said.
Kang Hyun no longer needed to lead from the front; his teammates wielded the blades on the battlefield.
-Team 8 forfeits. Korea Team 3 wins.
The LED screen at the back of the court displayed the result, shown in each nation's language.
The three shared a casual smile in contrast to the opponents' bowed heads, celebrating their light first victory.
"Good work."
"You nailed it. Perfect."
Clap.
A relaxed high-five.
The one truly surprised was Professor Park Min-ha, seated behind them.
"Perfect."
From the advisor's seat, arms crossed, her eyes gleamed.
Gone was her usual distracted air; the pen in her right hand, ready to note improvements, hadn't moved an inch.
That was right.
Dean Kim Jong-hwan wouldn't pair Kang Hyun with an amateur.
She was a top mock trial expert.
Unlike professors crisp only in theory, she had real-world experience recent enough to compete as a player right now.
Her calling it "perfect" boiled down to one thing.
Teamwork.
Perfect synergy required endless training and trial-and-error.
Their organic interplay of strengths and weaknesses was law school senior level—or what you'd see from pros.
Even law school teams needed years from school days to gel like that, so Professor Park Min-ha had initially chalked up their domestic win to individual talent.
But after this first match, her view flipped 180 degrees.
They'd leveraged something from their relatively short time together to forge unbreakable teamwork.
Plus Kang Hyun's leadership.
She'd heard he'd conceptualized and selected the team over a year ago.
Yet he'd known his strengths and weaknesses precisely, placing two vastly different wings: shield-like Woo Si-hyung and spear-like Yoon Chan-rim.
At the center, Kang Hyun tuned them, steered the whole—creating space to maximize his versatility with shrewd insight.
Hence the seasoned performance.
Park Min-ha clicked her tongue discreetly as she approached the trio.
"Good work. No feedback needed, but to avoid overconfidence, we'll review tomorrow morning, prep the next case, and draft written submissions right after. Email any issues. Shall we disband?"
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Yes!"
Sharp reply, and she was gone for the day.
Being day one, Woo Si-hyung had half-hoped to suggest dinner, but as expected, she vanished like the wind before he could speak.
"She's so straight-laced. So, what about us?"
"Grab something simple, debrief, then head home?"
"Sure."
Kang Hyun nodded, thinking of his promise to his mom, and was about to lead the way when—
"Kang Hyun."
A certain silhouette called out to him.