Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Neighborhood Debt Mediation
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Kang Hyun had made a recent resolution.
He couldn't become a chaebol overnight using his abilities, nor could he save the world right away.
But if he could lend a hand to bring even a little happiness to the events unfolding in his own neighborhood, he would muster the courage to help anytime.
So, he vowed not to pass by any troubling incidents in the neighborhood without acting.
He never imagined that the first opportunity to fulfill this pledge would come that very evening on the day of the entrance ceremony.
"Shiiibal! Who the hell are you to tell me to shut up?"
In the past, he would have immediately fired back with the provision on drunken disturbances and neighborhood nuisances under Article 3 of the Minor Offenses Act.
But now Kang Hyun had experience.
It was the experience he'd gained while working at the Central District Prosecutors' Office.
The people who came to the prosecutors' office with complaints were never there for good reasons. They were either under investigation, entangled in criminal cases, or at least there to pay fines.
It was best not to expect them to be pleasant or polite to the staff.
That was why the employees there were experts in handling such situations.
How to deal with drunks. How to placate those who wouldn't listen to reason. How to calm the furious and build rapport.
Through countless calls from external complainants and run-ins with malicious ones, Kang Hyun had picked up some of these skills himself, and they proved very useful.
"Shiiibal, who the fuck are you!"
"Hello, I'm a resident from over there in the neighborhood."
"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean! What do you want!"
"I don't know what the issue is, but..."
"Ah, no, shiiibal! Are you with this household? You little shit..."
"I'll help you out, sir."
The power of Kang Hyun's simple offer to "help" was remarkable. The man's eyes, clouded by intoxication and unable to think straight, suddenly sparked with a glimmer of life.
He had been fixated on picking fights with curses and aggression, but now he seemed willing to talk, adjusting his stance.
"You, what are you! A cop?"
"Not a cop, but I've worked at the prosecutors' office, and I'm a Korea University law student."
"Oh, oh, really? Is that so?"
Kang Hyun began the conversation with a smile in his voice as he noted the man's instantly softened tone.
"It looks like the owner of this house borrowed money from you and isn't paying it back, right?"
At the mention of money, the man grew excited again.
"Yeah, five million won! How could I not lose my mind over that?"
"Calm down. Five million is under fifty million, so it's a small claims case, and those have plenty of remedies and a high chance of resolution without issues."
"Y-yes? Resolution? Is that possible? But... to do it legally, don't you need a court case to get the money? I don't have cash for a lawyer, and I'm an idiot who doesn't know shit about complicated stuff."
As if he had the money to even consult a lawyer once.
The man looked anxious, his face showing he'd never heard anything like this before.
"It's not that hard, and I know enough to help you out."
"Yes?"
Beneath the bright full moon that night, a civil consultation began.
"Sir, as I mentioned earlier, there are many ways to resolve this without a lawsuit, and small claims trials don't require a full civil trial. The homeowner here is the debtor, right?"
"Yes, yes! That's right!"
The man, his face flushed red from drink, suddenly clasped his hands politely in front of Kang Hyun.
"I'll go in with you shortly to discuss whether they have the will to repay, what they do for work, and so on. But you'll need to sober up a bit first, and promise not to get excited and yell."
"Ah... yeah, sure..."
"And if talks with the debtor don't work out."
"If they don't...?"
"We can file for a small claims trial under the Supreme Court Small Claims Trial Rules, and I'll help you get the court to issue a payment recommendation to them."
"...Yes? I can't understand fancy talk like that, and what I'm worried about is the money for the trial..."
"Sir, for claims under ten million won, the fee is just 0.05% of the amount. That means only 25,000 won in court fees. Can you manage that?"
"Yes? Not hundreds of thousands?"
The man's eyes went wide as he nodded vigorously.
"Yes, and that's only if you file for small claims. If not, there's no fee at all. I'll go in and consult for you, so just sit tight and stay quiet."
"But seeing that lady makes my blood boil..."
"You absolutely can't get angry. Otherwise, I can't help."
"Ah, got it."
Only after confirming again that he would stay calm could Kang Hyun finally let out a sigh of relief.
Lee Young-ae was acting strange today.
As the night deepened, the man who usually showed up at her doorstep every day demanding repayment and harassing her all night had quietly vanished for once.
She half-wondered if he'd dropped dead, then dismissed the thought and peeked out the gate.
She was sure someone had been there, and she secretly hoped the police had come to admonish him, but it didn't seem so.
With all the lights off, she sat holding her breath, unable to sleep.
Ding-dong.
A polite bell rang. It didn't sound like the drunk who came every day.
After a moment's hesitation, she bit her lip and decided to see who it was.
Lee Young-ae rummaged with her wrinkled hands for some clothes, threw on an outer garment, trudged out to the yard, and opened the gate.
"Who... are you..."
She froze upon opening the door, unable to even scream.
It was that man.
"...A-again, why!"
As she backed away, thinking this was the day he'd wreck her home and belongings again, tears welling in her weary eyes.
"Ahem."
Something was off.
He reeked of alcohol as always, but he was eerily quiet, almost subdued, like he'd been tamed by someone.
And today, he wasn't alone.
Beside him stood a young man who looked to be in his twenties.
He bowed casually and greeted her in a calm, even tone.
"Hello, ma'am. I came to offer some legal advice, even though it's late. Sorry for intruding."
His face was familiar as a neighborhood resident, but they'd never spoken before.
This tall, handsome young man had shown up out of nowhere to bring her a message of hope.
The situation was just as Kang Hyun had anticipated.
A vicious cycle of civil disputes over small debt repayments.
Poor debtors often faced harassment despite their will to pay, leading to significant delays.
Poor creditors lacked the savvy or power to respond effectively and wait it out. So they resorted to primitive pressure tactics.
This bred resentment in the debtor, who would then delay repayment indefinitely or vanish. Such cycles were commonplace among society's underclass, who couldn't even access legal aid.
This case was no different.
Debtor Lee Young-ae scraped by doing cleaning and odd jobs at a small daycare, and while she had the means to repay, circumstances prevented her.
"Sir, is it true that Lee Young-ae says you demanded double repayment?"
"Th-that's... no matter how much I yelled, she wouldn't pay, so I meant with interest..."
"Mister! Don't lie!"
"What, this lady! Lying?"
"Hold on."
Kang Hyun stepped in to mediate.
"Mister, in contracts without an agreed interest rate, the legal rate is 5% per year. Even if you verbally agreed on a rate before writing the contract, under Article 2(1) of the Interest Limitation Act, the maximum for loan contracts is 20% annually. So demanding ten million on a five-million loan gives Lee Young-ae no reason to comply."
The man nodded slowly at Kang Hyun's words.
"And Ms. Lee."
"Yes..."
"This man still holds the rights under the loan contract. If you don't repay, under Article 3(1) of the Act on the Promotion of Litigation for Money Claims, he'll file for enforcement of the debt. Then, by presidential decree, the interest rate jumps to 12% per year."
"What does that mean..."
"From what I hear, it's already been a year without repayment."
"Yes, I'm sorry... But he makes me so mad too..."
"Put simply, will you repay 5.25 million at 5% interest now, or keep delaying and pay more at 12% later? That's 600,000 won a year."
"Huh... really?"
"From what I've heard, Ms. Lee, you have the ability to repay steadily if you try. And mister, you're not trying to run an illegal loan shark operation. It's just personal bad blood escalating things."
"So demanding ten million..."
"If you'd paid up earlier, who would complain!"
Lee Young-ae and the man exchanged bitter looks.
"I'll notarize it, so let's draw up a written contract for this verbal loan agreement. It'll prove you have no malice, mister, and let Ms. Lee clear it up soon."
Once Kang Hyun summed it up, the man bristled.
"Malice! I was just frustrated as hell! Sobers me right up. Fine, contract!"
"...I'll sign too."
With mutual agreement, the rest proceeded smoothly.
Verbal contracts were valid but lacked enforcement mechanisms. Without a written one, fights escalated and conflicts festered. Nailing it down in writing was best.
Now the man had no reason to show up drunk and cause a scene, and Lee Young-ae had no excuse not to pay.
Kang Hyun handed each a slip with his contact info, as if promising ongoing support.
"If anything's unclear or you have questions, call anytime. Most importantly, fulfill your obligations to each other."
"Thank you, lawyer sir."
The man suddenly bowed deeply and called him "lawyer," leaving Kang Hyun flustered.
"Mister, I'm not a lawyer."
"Anyone who helps like this is a lawyer. Thanks anyway. I'll call if I have questions."
The man strode out the gate with a refreshed expression. Kang Hyun bowed to Lee Young-ae with satisfaction and turned to leave, but she gently tugged his sleeve.
"Um, student—no, sir."
"Yes?"
"Have a meal before you go. I'm grateful, but all I can offer is food."
"Ah... well."
"I used to run a restaurant, so it won't be bad! Just a sec!"
Before he could refuse, Lee Young-ae dashed inside, pots clanging as she hurriedly set the table.
Normally he'd decline and head home, but tonight Kang Hyun smiled faintly and stepped back inside.
A home-cooked meal as his first lawyer's fee seemed just fine.