Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Ramen Reunion and the Debate
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Boil, boil.
Kang Hyun and Woo Si-hyung sat down, eyeing the perfectly cooked ramen.
"Come on, dig in!"
"Thanks. I'll eat well."
Slurp.
The chewy, well-cooked noodles wrapped around his mouth with a perfect texture, paired brilliantly with the crunchy, tangy young radish kimchi.
"Delicious!"
"Right? Told you I make great ramen!"
Kang Hyun and Woo Si-hyung focused silently on their bowls for a while.
Then Woo Si-hyung broke the silence.
"You... where'd you get that cloth wrapper? No, wait... where'd the kimchi come from?"
"...Cough, cough. You knew..."
Kang Hyun made a sheepish face, pierced right to the heart before he could even speak, but Woo Si-hyung just smiled and nodded.
"It's been ages since I've seen it, but I remember. It's exactly like my mom's kimchi... You knew about my family's situation, huh?"
"Yeah... sorry, I should've said something sooner."
It seemed you couldn't erase the shared past just because you'd been out of touch for so long.
Whatever the story or sadness behind it, memories were memories.
"It's been forever since I had it, but the taste is the same. How could I forget..."
Woo Si-hyung's expression was like he'd taken a brief trip back to those happy times, reminiscing.
"How'd you meet my mom? I know our houses are close, but..."
He wiped his mouth with a tissue and spoke slowly.
"It was nothing much. Just helped her out with something on the way by."
"What...?"
"She seemed like a kind-hearted person. She gave me the kimchi as thanks. When I mentioned going to Korea University, she brought you up, so I put two and two together. And turns out you're in the same lecture as me."
"I see..."
Kang Hyun looked at Woo Si-hyung's wistful face and spoke carefully.
"But... she seems to miss you a lot."
Woo Si-hyung gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"She's remarried now. I doubt I'm even on her mind..."
Hearing that, Kang Hyun could roughly guess the tangled mess between mother and son.
It wasn't just poverty—there were misunderstandings and conflicts too.
"It's not my place to meddle, but still, go say hi to her sometime later. It might not be what you think."
"...Not what I think?"
"Yeah. She still loves you. No matter what you believe."
Woo Si-hyung fell deep into thought at Kang Hyun's words, his face pensive without a reply.
Their conversation was a bit dry, but from Woo Si-hyung's expression, Kang Hyun could tell.
How much of a ripple his small gesture of care had caused in Woo Si-hyung's parched heart.
His eyes were slightly bloodshot now, filled with fresh emotion.
"It's throwing me off. No one's ever told me stuff like this. People aren't usually that interested in others' business..."
"I just want you to patch things up with your mom. I'm gonna be living with just my mom too..."
Kang Hyun spoke from the heart.
"I've been on the verge of the same situation plenty of times, fought with her a lot too. That's why I can say it—family is precious."
Kang Hyun and Woo Si-hyung met each other's eyes. No more explanation was needed.
Then, suddenly, Woo Si-hyung nodded as if he'd made up his mind.
"I'll think about it. If I can muster the courage, I will. Thanks."
Kang Hyun knew how much courage it took for Woo Si-hyung to say that.
He smiled gently.
"Yeah. You'll figure it out."
The awaited debate day arrived.
"Criminal Law Practice Course, Debate Practice Room. Here.'
The practice room was bigger than expected, with a seating area for the audience at the back and a transparent partition between the debate stage.
Teaching assistants and staff bustled about, while the center of the room displayed only the case number: Supreme Court 2016Da23794.
Fate or destiny, Kang Hyun's team—up first—faced none other than Park Hyun-woo.
His teammates weren't as strong as Woo Si-hyung but were reportedly solid in this field. Still, Kang Hyun felt no tension. Just excitement and a racing heart for this new experience.
"23794 is the mistaken remittance case."
Maybe not everyone could tell the issues from a case number like Kang Hyun, but this was a hugely famous ruling.
Back when he was at the prosecutor's office, Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min always referenced this case in similar files.
But for these first-year law students just a month in, unlike Kang Hyun with real-world experience, assigning a topic on unjust enrichment return for mistaken remittances was shocking.
Rumors swirled that Professor Cheon Woong-jae picked such an obscure topic to crush the students' spirits or wake them up.
This style of class was unimaginable for freshmen.
But there was a deeper reason.
The fierce rivalry between law departments and law schools. In this messy era of law school grads and bar exam passers coexisting. Amid the chaos, scattered experts had one option.
'We raise the ones we can to the top.'
Professor Cheon Woong-jae, white hair swept back, sat in the back, eyes gleaming as he alternated between students and materials for grading.
As students took their seats, Kang Hyun and Woo Si-hyung sat in their assigned spots. Park Hyun-woo and his team did the same.
Soon, Professor Cheon Woong-jae stood and announced the start.
"Supreme Court 2016Da23794. The plaintiff claims a mistaken remittance to another's bank account and sues the receiving bank for unjust enrichment return. Does the plaintiff acquire a claim against the receiving bank?"
He spread his arms wide to grab attention, then spoke firmly to the debaters.
"Begin review."
Kang Hyun reviewed the materials, mind racing.
The facts were simple.
Someone mistakenly wired money to another, who happened to have a so-called 'overdraft account.'
The recipient used the incoming funds to pay off their loan, but refused to return the mistaken amount for various reasons.
'So, the bank ends up with the money. Since it came mistakenly from a third party, is it unjust enrichment? Must the bank return it?'
Kang Hyun finished first and looked up.
"Review complete."
Honestly, it was all in his head—no need for more materials. Plus, finishing quick to push start seemed smart.
"What, already?"
"Seriously?"
The opponents, barely flipping pages, panicked.
Woo Si-hyung felt it too—the review time was way too short.
Professor Cheon Woong-jae, watching sharply, raised one eyebrow. He met Kang Hyun's eyes.
"Then, Kang Hyun, present your opening argument first."
Debate was the foundation of mock trials.
Mock trials were the gateway to practice.
The classroom held its breath—not just students, but professors and staff there to observe—as the war among fierce law students began.
"We'll proceed."
The professor didn't respond. He'd already sunk into the audience, watching with bated blade.
Kang Hyun replied in a sharper tone.
"The plaintiff mistaken remitter cannot recover the money from the bank."
Straight to the conclusion, drawing all eyes as students buzzed.
"Money sent by mistake, and they can't get it back?"
"He's so arrogant. Did the team agree on this?"
Audience students reacted with shock and some jeers.
In this hybrid debate, the first to finish review chose sides.
Case law could shift, but picking with the ruling gave high ground since it was settled.
The opposing side bore the burden, countering with statutes and precedents to argue for reversal and remand.
Kang Hyun did the same.
Finishing review first, he could've taken the court's side for advantage.
But he chose the opposite.
That's why everyone was stunned, eyes on Kang Hyun.
"The issue is whether the bank gained unjust enrichment when funds were transferred to an account with outstanding loan debt."
Kang Hyun began calmly, with practiced ease.
"Generally, under the 'Standard Deposit Transaction Terms,' when the remitter requests transfer to the recipient's account, a deposit contract forms between recipient and bank for that amount, regardless of other legal relations. The recipient acquires a deposit claim against the bank."
"No way!"
But then, someone shot up, glaring at Kang Hyun with hostility.
"Of course it's unjust enrichment! A third party—not the account holder—deposited into the receiving bank!"
Park Hyun-woo interrupted Kang Hyun's opening, jumping up.
They hadn't planned some strategy; they just panicked as things veered from their materials.
"Professor, Kang Hyun's premise is wrong from the start. The opposition assumes the case is unjust enrichment return with plaintiff victory—which is our logic!"
Meaning, Kang Hyun was stealing their lines.
Park Hyun-woo jumped up excited because Kang Hyun's intro was the premise for the pro-plaintiff side—the winning side per the ruling.
It was their argument, snatched away.
"Continue."
Professor Cheon Woong-jae ignored Park Hyun-woo and pressed on.
Kang Hyun turned to the audience and continued.
"...Given this issue, one might think the plaintiff's mistaken remittance means the bank has unjust enrichment. Generally, the recipient acquires a return claim against the bank. But there's an exception."
"Exception?"
Park Hyun-woo's team rummaged through materials for 'exception,' but no precedents mentioned it.
"The key here is the account was in overdraft—loan debt outstanding. Even in mistaken remittance, the 'loan agreement' allows the bank to offset against its loan claim."
"What's that got to do! Money unrelated to the deposit contract entered—it's unjust!"
"I said 'loan agreement.' Legally binding under 'Loan Transaction Terms,' the bank got satisfaction. Not unjust—legitimate gain."
"...Gasp."
Park Hyun-woo's shaking pupils betrayed him as he stood frozen.
"Anything to say?"
"...That's."
"If not, sit down. My opening isn't over."
At Kang Hyun's words, Park Hyun-woo sat, face screaming regret, huffing uncontrollably.
His neatly pomaded hair was already sweat-soaked and ruined.