Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: The Unrelated Witness
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Song Ha-dong slightly relaxed his furrowed brows.
'I can't tell.'
Kang Hyun sat down without a word.
Dog fur allergy, of all things.
What on earth was he thinking?
Song Ha-dong slowly closed his eyes, clearly bothered by that final question of his.
Was it a brilliant strategy where Kang Hyun had spun his mind at breakneck speed, foreseeing moves several steps ahead? Or just a simple blunder to buy time?
To ordinary eyes, it was nothing more than an absurd, passing question.
That was why the court hadn't paid it much mind, nor had the opposing counsel.
Even to the eyes of seasoned experts who prided themselves on their insight, it seemed less like a deliberate ploy and more like a cocky young lawyer trying to look clever—nothing more, nothing less.
Song Ha-dong, too, could only guess that there might have been some meaning to it.
"Very well, let's continue with the arguments from both sides. Does the defense have anything further to add?"
The trial flowed on smoothly like water. There were no intense clashes between the two sides afterward, no raised voices.
Song Ha-dong felt a twinge of frustration building up. Should he have offered Kang Hyun some help from the sidelines? Or given him a hint?
Truth be told, even if Song Ha-dong had tried to assist, this matchup was hopelessly unfavorable.
The standard strategy for securing a judgment in this case was simply to pin as much blame as possible on the other party to maximize compensation—in other words, to appeal to the court's sympathy for the plaintiff's plight.
With no other options available, no expert's input would have changed much.
"Very well, we'll take a short recess and then continue."
The first round ended on a hollow note.
Once the recess and evidence review were complete, there would be no room for a reversal. Song Ha-dong carefully rose from his chair and stepped outside.
Behind the courthouse, in the rest area.
"That impact back then..."
Song Ha-dong muttered to himself as he reached for a cigarette, suddenly recalling his first meeting with Kang Hyun.
Kang Hyun as he'd appeared in Incheon.
Though their discussion had been limited to international law, Kang Hyun's brilliance in that conversation had shone like a beacon.
Song Ha-dong had thought then, watching him:
A genius.
'A genius beyond imagination. There must have been something else on his mind.'
What was Kang Hyun thinking? What was he aiming for?
He lit his cigarette and glanced around.
People passing by, bustling about in haste.
Most were likely court staff, petitioners, or witnesses.
Occasionally, he spotted people walking companion dogs with glossy coats outside the courthouse grounds. Even in their hurried steps, they never took their eyes off their pets for long.
'Can he really overturn the precedent?'
He needed a groundbreaking, ingenious idea.
Or something shocking enough to tug at the heartstrings and stir emotions.
But Kang Hyun had only deployed standard arguments so far.
"Woof! Woof! Woof woof!"
"Yes, yes. Just hold on a little longer."
From afar came the sharp, aggressive barking of a dog and a woman's voice soothing it.
The piercing barks grated on Song Ha-dong's already preoccupied nerves.
'What's the big deal about a dog anyway? Geez.'
He stubbed out his cigarette and looked toward the sound.
A woman was arguing with the staff at the main entrance, her dog in a stroller.
She was probably trying to enter the courthouse.
"No companion animals allowed."
"They told me to come here today. I'm late. Sorry, but I need to get inside. Just check and you'll see."
"No, ma'am, that's not possible."
As he watched their exchange, Song Ha-dong blinked.
It wasn't the woman. He didn't know her; she'd just caught his eye for the first time.
But.
"Woof! Woof!"
The dog kept drawing his attention.
A mixed breed with white and brown fur blended just right. The one in the stroller had bandages wrapped around both front legs.
Song Ha-dong's eyes narrowed.
'Could it be...?'
A dog entering the courthouse would certainly change the situation.
"We'll revise."
Kang Hyun returned to his seat with confident poise. Kwon Yong-sik sat beside him as well, though his face had grown even darker.
After the first recess, the reopened trial saw Kang Hyun and the opposing counsel trading blows on even footing.
'Hoo.'
Kwon Yong-sik let out an uneasy sigh.
The Daesan lawyers' assault.
"The court must factor the plaintiff's negligence into the damage assessment. The plaintiff bears responsibility for their carelessness."
Kang Hyun's counterattack followed.
"Your Honor! Please review the 'external CCTV footage from the dog park' submitted with the trial records. The vehicle's speed as it crossed the road was too fast for any ordinary person to react in time."
They would then parry Kang Hyun's sharp strikes once more.
"According to expert opinion, it's ambiguous at best. Please see the expert report."
The deadlock dragged on.
Watching it unfold, Kwon Yong-sik felt frustration mingled with his heart pounding like it might burst.
Whenever the opposition presented evidence to tilt things their way, Kang Hyun countered with other materials to block them.
Conversely, when Kang Hyun pressed on compensation amounts, they dragged it down with precedents and expert opinions.
So far, it was a perfect stalemate.
Daesan's top two lawyers versus Kang Hyun. Neither side yielded an inch.
"That's enough for now. Another recess."
Kwon Yong-sik squeezed his eyes shut.
This was the trial he'd so desperately wanted to clear his name, but now his legs felt like jelly, too weak even to head to the rest area.
For Kwon Yong-sik, who'd filed this civil suit to seek justice, this was a bone-deep realization of how far from simple the reality was.
Kang Hyun would slip away somewhere during each recess, seemingly making calls.
Kwon Yong-sik felt pangs of guilt watching him hustle even in breaks.
A moment later.
"Case number Ga-so 67890 resuming."
The court officer's announcement.
Kwon Yong-sik sighed deeply, then murmured softly to Kang Hyun, who returned casually to his seat.
"I'm sorry, but... are we doing okay...?"
"Yes. You're doing well."
"...Thank you."
Kang Hyun flashed a gentle smile.
Kwon Yong-sik suspected it might just be to reassure him.
But that confident smile alone eased his worries and even filled him with a sense of security.
'Yeah. I'm overthinking it.'
Kwon Yong-sik shook his head, regaining his composure.
Kang Hyun had something beyond skill—something that naturally inspired trust. In that moment, Kwon Yong-sik felt the weight of Kang Hyun's presence was truly extraordinary, matching his reputation.
Finally, the last recess.
Fifty-fifty.
The battle stretched taut like a rubber band on the verge of snapping.
Unbelievable that a rookie college student had achieved even this much, but victory still demanded more.
The decisive moment was fast approaching for Kang Hyun.
The plan he'd devised for this trial.
It would begin right in this window of time.
Finally, Kang Hyun looked to Kwon Yong-sik and offered advice.
"Mr. Kwon Yong-sik. Something's about to happen now."
"Yes? What...?"
"I'll explain later. Anyway, if emotions run high in any situation, feel free to express them fully."
"Ah, got it."
Kwon Yong-sik nodded without pressing further at Kang Hyun's loaded words.
"But if I give the signal, you must stop. It means it's too much."
"Yes. Understood."
Only then did Kang Hyun smile.
He'd given his instructions. All his preparations were complete.
The judge returned to his seat and spoke.
"We'll now proceed to evidence examination. Both sides, submit any evidence requests."
A brief silence.
The evidence examination phase.
In civil cases, witnesses appear, and the judge questions them.
For minor civil matters like this, trials wrap up quickly.
Especially in small, straightforward cases, both plaintiff and defendant tend to go quiet at this stage.
Evidence materials would have been submitted beforehand; big cases might have swarms of witnesses, but this wasn't that kind of case, so no need.
Naturally, the Daesan lawyers shook their heads without a word.
"None."
The endgame.
Calm in their response, they wore expressions savoring a victory already in the bag, awaiting final arguments.
Kang Hyun's emergence had spooked them a bit, but the pros were pros.
As countless precedents proved, this case favored the defense. Nothing special, so victory was predictable.
"Seeing no special requests, we'll conclude the evidence examination."
The judge, looking mildly disappointed, moved to wrap up the phase.
The consensus was that the game was all but over.
At that moment.
"Your Honor."
Kang Hyun's voice rang out in the courtroom.
"...?"
"What?"
His hand shot up as if on perfect cue.
Naturally, all eyes turned to him, and Kang Hyun continued in a bright, familiar tone.
"I request a witness. Im Hye-ran, wife of Kwon Yong-sik."
Murmurs rippled through the room.
And for good reason. Why on earth would Kwon Yong-sik's wife suddenly appear as a witness?
She was family, sure, but Im Hye-ran had never been mentioned—not her whereabouts or actions at the time of the accident.
Because she had zero connection to the case. Not just at the scene, but throughout the aftermath, processing, and compensation suit—her name hadn't surfaced once.
"Objection! The plaintiff is requesting an utterly unrelated party as a witness to drag out the trial. We ask for wise judgment."
"Yes. The defense has grounds for objection here."
As expected, the Daesan lawyers objected, and the judge nodded, turning his gaze.
"This seems out of step with the trial's flow. Plaintiff?"
A ploy to evoke misplaced sympathy through family pleas?
A misread of the case?
As the Daesan lawyers smirked faintly, Kang Hyun replied calmly.
"Your Honor. To resolve this case smoothly, Im Hye-ran is essential."
"Isn't she an outsider to the case?"
"Yes. Correct. She's unrelated to the incident."
"What?"
Judge Kim Kwang-taek raised an eyebrow at Kang Hyun's swift admission.
"Kang Hyun, what are you saying right now?"
"I've said she's unrelated to the case."
The judge was dumbfounded.
No matter how you parsed it, Kang Hyun had clearly stated she had no connection.
On the verge of anger, then scolding, Judge Kim Kwang-taek recognized Kang Hyun and asked once more.
"You're requesting someone unrelated to the case as a witness?"
"Yes. But she's absolutely necessary."
"Then explain why, quickly. What's the reason?"
Kang Hyun gazed leisurely at the judge.
His expression brimming with confidence that anyone hearing his argument would have no choice but to accept it.