Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Latte's Accident
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Knock knock.
"Hyun-ah."
"Huh? Myeong-hwan."
"A guest came. They said they contacted here first."
"Yeah, right! Tell them to come in."
The man standing behind Yi Myeong-hwan glanced around the president's office cautiously as he stepped inside.
Half suspicious, half curious expression.
"Is this really the Legal Clinic?"
"Yes?"
While Yi Myeong-hwan stammered in confusion, Kang Hyun flashed a very professional smile and guided the man to a chair.
"Yes. This is the Legal Clinic. Would you like some coffee?"
"No, thanks. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical."
Kang Hyun then stood up smoothly and extended his hand.
"I'm Kang Hyun. I'm the president of the Korea University Student Council, and since the Legal Clinic hasn't been officially launched yet, I'm handling it for now."
"Gasp, Kang Hyun? That guy from the news...?"
The man's eyes widened in an instant. It seemed the name alone made the rest obvious.
"You're really that Kang Hyun?"
"Yes."
"Wow, what are the odds. You're handling this personally, Mr. Kang Hyun?"
"Yes. It hasn't been formally established yet. Still, we have to help where we can."
"Thank you. Thank you so much!"
"So, coffee?"
"Yes!"
The man's voice brimmed with gratitude. Meanwhile, Yi Myeong-hwan wore a strange expression, shrugged, and stepped back.
Just like Kim Jong-hwan did for Kang Hyun, Kang Hyun handed him a warm cup of coffee and gave him a moment to relax.
Once he had calmed down, Kang Hyun resumed his smooth demeanor.
"So, shall we hear your story?"
"Yes. Thank you so much. Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Kwon Yong-sik."
The man's repeated thanks faded into a somber tone as Kwon Yong-sik began his tale.
"I'm not sure where to start... Recently, my dog got hurt."
"Ah."
Kang Hyun wasn't close to pets, but he could tell from the man's saddened face that a word of comfort was in order.
"Ah... I'm sorry to hear that. Must have been in a lot of pain."
"Yes, he's family. A friend. Always there for the happy times and the sad ones. Our Latte..."
"So his name is Latte."
"Yes."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"The weather was great that day. It was exactly April 1st in the evening. I took Latte for our usual walk to the empty lot in front of the park we always go to."
"That's where the accident happened?"
"...Yes. He got caught under the wheel of a passenger car..."
"That must have been a shock."
"He injured his leg badly. We've done several surgeries, but he still has trouble walking..."
The burly, bearded man was on the verge of tears, making him look all the more pitiful, so Kang Hyun patted his shoulder.
"Did you go to the police station?"
"Yes. But I didn't want to hear what they had to say. I was already mentally drained, and it shocked me how they treated my precious family like an object."
"Like an object?"
"...The center said dogs are legally considered property."
Kang Hyun nodded while sorting through his jumbled thoughts.
The gist was a claim for damages over an injured dog. A clear civil case, blatantly unfavorable to Kwon Yong-sik.
Because under current law, pets were merely "property." Numerous precedents confirmed it.
The mindset was that property could be repaired, and if broken, you just paid the cost. Mental anguish from property damage rarely factored heavily into compensation.
So everywhere he went, it would be the same story. Even Korea University Law Center would have said the obvious.
Kang Hyun himself might have given the same mechanical response without thinking.
'It's unfortunate, but the law's protection has its limits.'
Yet this seemingly obvious case might just cap off his grand university life.
What if he overturned it?
"...Alright. I'll find a way."
"Yes? Really? For real?"
"Yes. It won't be easy, but I'll help you go through the damages lawsuit process."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Kwon Yong-sik jumped up, shaking hands repeatedly.
Kang Hyun arranged to discuss details via contact later and saw him off.
"I'll be in touch, Mr. Kang Hyun!"
"Yes. Don't worry, and get some good rest today."
Clunk.
Yi Myeong-hwan, who had been watching from behind, cautiously approached Kang Hyun's side.
"Has our Legal Center grand opened?"
Kang Hyun gave an awkward smile at the teasing remark.
"Sorry... I decided on my own."
"Nah. Thinking about it, it could be an opportunity. If we overturn the Law Center's case, they won't have much to say."
Fortunately, Yi Myeong-hwan seemed to read Kang Hyun's intentions perfectly, voicing his exact thoughts.
"By the way, can we win this case? It seems already decided."
"Right?"
"Yeah. Usually for pet-related cases, they just compensate based on market value, right? Even if the pet dies."
Kang Hyun pressed his forehead at the words "market value," looking frustrated.
A surgeon can't operate treating the patient as a living being with dignity; they must treat them like a machine or practice dummy.
Similarly, those in the legal field develop a tendency to exclude sympathy, pity, or sentiment when reviewing laws.
Even with the elderly, children, or the weak—let alone pets.
"You're right. Legally, there doesn't seem to be a way. I'll have to look into it."
Kang Hyun already had plenty on his plate. Taking this case would tighten his schedule even more.
Noticing this, Yi Myeong-hwan casually offered to ease his worries.
"Then don't worry about adjusting this week's briefing schedule—I'll handle it. You know a lot of cops and prosecutors around, so ask them too."
"Thanks."
Yi Myeong-hwan patted Kang Hyun's shoulder and left. It was thoughtful, giving him focus time amid the busyness.
He needed to find something to overturn the case quickly. But Kang Hyun had a big problem.
'A dog...'
He'd never owned a pet or shown affection to animals.
Life's pressures might explain it, but either way, he just couldn't empathize with this case.
Honestly, the Law Center's advice seemed spot on.
"I can't relate. Why a dog?"
With a frustrated expression, Kang Hyun stared out the window for a while.
Then he picked up his phone and started messaging someone.
He had plans for dinner tonight.
Near Daehak-ro, a new restaurant.
"Hmm."
-Probably wrapping up after 2?
-Yeah. Let me know when you're done.
It was now five o'clock.
Yoon Haneul's message thread looked empty despite the time since he sent his.
She was swamped attending school while doing pictorial shoots for 'Magazine J.'
Unlike the one-off short shoot with Kang Hyun, hearing professional jargon fly back and forth made it feel like she was really starting a career.
Anyway, in the fashion world where face and figure mattered, Yoon Haneul was captivating enough, and public interest in her was growing daily.
They were even aggressively marketing her on the magazine's official SNS with lookbooks and behind-the-scenes previews tied to this shoot.
It felt like influencer-level treatment.
People searching her SNS were increasing, and her sparse account was gaining followers by the day. It was fascinating.
"Born with different talents, I guess."
Kang Hyun trembled in embarrassment at things he couldn't do, while she tackled them enjoyingly one by one.
Life had taught him that. Just as she marveled at his talents, he found her path equally amazing.
Still, she herself hadn't changed much.
Ding.
-Tired...
Kang Hyun startled at her message, his fingers flying over his phone.
-Can you make it?
-Hungry...
-Big trouble.
-I don't think I can. Not done yet...
And Yoon Haneul vanished again.
As Kang Hyun bowed his head in shock—
Tap!
"What are you looking at so intently?"
"Ah, you scared me."
Kang Hyun jumped, glaring at Yoo Chae-eun in her casual gray tracksuit.
"Why? Who're you texting?"
"Haneul can't make it."
"Really? That busy?"
Ignoring the glimpse of her abs peeking through her clothes, Kang Hyun pulled out case materials and set them on her spot.
"Look at this."
"What is it?"
"The case materials I mentioned earlier."
"Come on, oppa. Can't we eat first? It's my rare day off."
"You used to love it when I asked about cases. You had passion back then."
"Passion? What's that? Oh, look at this sister's Instagram..."
"Sigh."
To get the attention of the cop glued to her phone, he shoved the menu in her face. Only then did she turn and start reading.
"Hmm... Long time since I had nyoki?"
Rustle.
He slid the case summary over.
"Fine, fine!"
She snatched the materials in defeat and began reading, while Kang Hyun placed their order.
"Dogs are what? Why's this a problem? They handled it with car insurance."
Seeing "dogs are what?" right away showed Yoo Chae-eun shared Kang Hyun's mindset.
She tilted her head, unable to empathize with the pet owner's sorrow, and looked up at him.
"He wants compensation for his pet dog's injury. Around ten million won."
"He'll get about a million. Unfortunate, but this isn't the place for it. Why bother?"
"Because it's family, like a little sibling he loved..."
"Hmm."
She grimaced. Kang Hyun asked cautiously.
"Don't like dogs?"
"Allergic to pet hair, and... just don't."
"Ah... Let's eat first."
They brainstormed how to tackle the case all through the meal, but the conclusion was this.
"It's some weird ploy from dog lovers, right?"
"...You think?"
"That's how it is. Police stations consult the same way—legally unavoidable. Personal consolation money is one thing, but demanding full restoration costs beyond the item's max value is just unreasonable."
"Yeah, it seems to violate the principle against expansive interpretation..."
"Exactly. See? The dog's worth a million, so even if you spend three million treating it, its value doesn't become three million plus. It's still a million."
"Right."
"Imagine the headache if every such case came to the station."
Yoo Chae-eun sighed like she'd seen it many times.
"Sent a lot away without action?"
"Not come to my department, but if it had, I'd have tried hard to resolve it."
"But courts side with defendants?"
"Usually. Even plaintiff-friendly, max a million. Done."
"Hmm."
"...You know it too, oppa."
"Yeah."
"We kinda sound like cynics. Sociopaths? Admit it?"
"...We weren't like this before."
Kang Hyun laughed hollowly while Yoo Chae-eun ate heartily without a care. This case seemed tougher than a multi-billion embezzlement.
"Feels like a lack of empathy. Gotta join a pet dog club or something to figure it out?"
"Come on, that far?"
At those words, Yoo Chae-eun suddenly clinked her fork and knife down on the plate.
"Why not? We know one."
"Huh?"
"Yoon Haneul unnie. Totally loves dogs."
Flash.
Kang Hyun froze, shocked he'd completely blanked on that fact.
Right. Yoon Haneul even had a dog at her family home.
He hadn't remembered it at all.