Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Mock Trial Preliminaries
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"Can you come tomorrow?"
It was a message from Yoon Haneul.
Even in the midst of this hectic schedule, once a week without fail. He never skipped workouts with her. Both of them were so busy they could easily let it slide, but since she was the diligent type, they had consistently kept their promise.
Usually tennis, occasionally a walk.
The only change was from afternoon to morning, but his schedule with her remained steady as ever.
He lit the gas stove, placed a pot on it, and tapped out a reply on his phone.
"Of course. Sleep well, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
It was a curt response, but seeing it made Kang Hyun hum a little tune.
Time with her brought stability and peace. These were the moments that gave him breathing room in his packed schedule.
Thanks to moments like these, time was now flying toward the school mock court competition preliminaries.
"Prosecutor, doesn't it suit your taste?"
"No, how is it that you're still into spicy tteokbokki even as an adult?"
"I'm only twenty. Adult, but not really. And show some respect. You said you'd buy whatever I wanted."
Evening.
A tteokbokki place in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office after a long while. Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min was sitting across from Kang Hyun in casual clothes, apparently in the middle of overtime work, while Kang Hyun was devouring his tteokbokki.
Han Hyun-ho, Yoon Chan-rim, Yoon Haneul, Woo Si-hyung.
There wasn't a single picky eater in his circle, all of them going crazy at the sight of food or making sure to eat no matter what. Naturally, he had become one of the good eaters too.
Watching him eat, Prosecutor Kim Jeong-min smacked his lips and spoke.
"...You sure eat well."
"There's no good spicy tteokbokki place near school."
"No way!"
"Really! You have to go all the way past the intersection. And nowhere tastes as good as here. This is my absolute favorite spot, one I can only come to when meeting you, Prosecutor."
"Huh, is that so."
Kim Jeong-min shook his head in disbelief.
After a moment.
Kim Jeong-min fell silent, then spoke in a meaningful tone.
"But now what'll you do? You'll miss it."
"Huh? Why?"
"I'm leaving."
"Where to?"
"Incheon."
"Huh? What do you..."
"It's almost July, isn't it?"
"Oh."
Only then did Kang Hyun nod nonchalantly and dive back into his tteokbokki.
January and July were personnel reshuffle seasons for the prosecutors.
After staying at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for a while, it was time for him to move to another branch.
"This guy doesn't even feel bad about it."
"You'll be back in six months anyway."
As Kang Hyun casually remarked while chewing vigorously, Kim Jeong-min let out a hollow laugh.
"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, still, drop by sometimes and cheer up the first-floor folks, Prosecutor Jeong, Prosecutor Han. Without me, you're the pillar of our division, right?"
"What are you saying? It runs fine without me, and without you too—that's the prosecutors' office. Besides, Prosecutor Jeong and Prosecutor Han won't care much if you're gone, so don't worry and have a good time in Incheon."
Kang Hyun grinned, and Kim Jeong-min stirred his tteokbokki with a playful smile in return.
"Got it. So, how's school?"
"Dean Kim Jong-hwan's been incredibly good to me."
"Huh, playing favorites! Back when I was a rookie, Kim Jong-hwan was throwing stuff and hitting people."
"You met him at the office, huh."
"Yeah."
He grinned.
Then, quickly wiping the smile away, he continued.
"Still, he's a good guy, so do as he says and graduate safely. You're entering the competition, right?"
"Yes."
"What about the mock court club?"
"Didn't join."
"Must be tough?"
"I'm managing somehow!"
"Confident you'll win?"
"I'll think of it as gaining experience."
"So humble..."
He clicked his tongue.
"Oh yeah, you're still doing part-time work? With grades to manage?"
"I think I did well up to this exam. He even gave me an A+."
"Whoa... You're really something else. Boss, one more triangle kimbap and one steamed egg, please!"
Kim Jeong-min showed a satisfied expression and raised his hand toward the counter.
"Anyway, you know our cohort is looking out for you a ton, right? Don't betray us—just keep growing straight ahead."
"I'm not a baby. I can handle myself."
A bit embarrassed, Kang Hyun rubbed his nose with his index finger and pulled something from his bag to hand to Kim Jeong-min.
"What's this?"
"A send-off gift. Not flying off to some remote province, but staying in the Gyeonggi area. Congratulations on the promotion."
"Ha, really."
It was a small tie pin.
Chosen with Kim Jeong-min in mind, who wore a white shirt and tie even in the midsummer heat.
Kang Hyun had known for a while that he was heading out and had prepared the gift in advance.
"Didn't know the exact date, so I brought it early just in case, but since you're really going now, I am a bit bummed."
Kim Jeong-min briefly wore an expression like he was looking at a fond little brother or son, then relaxed.
"Huh, come on now. No need for that... I'll be back soon, so don't worry and keep at it."
"Don't worry about me either."
"Yeah. Man... Who's the adult here?"
Then, suddenly, Kim Jeong-min paused his chopsticks and stared at Kang Hyun.
"Why? Something on my face?"
"Just... Sometimes I think back to that time."
"When I was in high school?"
"Yeah, back when you were a punk!"
Their first meeting when Kang Hyun was a high school sophomore.
Time had flown, and Kang Hyun was now twenty, but those intense memories from back then seemed to bind them even closer, making them trust each other unwaveringly.
"What about you? Do you feel like you've changed much?"
"No. Same as ever. Thoughts... resolve too."
"Not grown further?"
"That was already the peak. Now I'm just walking the path."
"Good words."
"Yeah. Someday, until the day I can call you 'senior,' I won't look back."
"Haha. Hey! By then, call me deputy chief or chief prosecutor."
"That... might be aiming too high? Can you even make section chief?"
Chatting amiably like this as time passed.
Soon, the additional steamed eggs and such arrived, and the two picked up their chopsticks again with pleasure.
Preliminaries day.
The venue: Korea University Creative Education Convention Center.
In front of the 'Korea University Mock Trial Competition Hall.'
Male and female students in black suits lined up as registration numbers were called out in front of the large building, with some chatting with cheering family and friends.
"Right on time."
Kang Hyun had borrowed a free suit. A bit big, but wearable enough.
He brushed his slightly uncomfortable sleeves and shoulders as he approached Woo Si-hyung.
"Seok Ji-hoon, Dan Cho-rok, Hwang Jae-eun... Scary lineup."
Woo Si-hyung clicked his tongue while looking at the big roster posted on the main building bulletin board for this Korea University Mock Trial Competition.
Kang Hyun's team was in the third tournament bracket.
They had been relieved up to the semifinals with no big names, but their eyes stuck on the last team in the final bracket, the 16th team.
The school mock trial competition that Kang Hyun and Woo Si-hyung had to enter was a mountain they had to climb to reach the Bismuth finals.
Other teams—even solo, Kang Hyun could handle. But Professor Cheon Ung-jae's team was different.
They had never once failed to win at school.
Their reputation was beyond words, and each member was renowned for individual skill.
Especially the third-year Seok Ji-hoon stood out.
Not just personal advocacy skills, but strategic deployment of team members based on the flow.
He had already taken the leader role last year in Bismuth as a second-year undergrad.
"Two seniors from the team that reached Bismuth quarterfinals as undergrads. One of them won the individual advocacy award (Neil Kaplan Award for Best Oralists, Honorable Mention)."
"Seok Ji-hoon senior, right? Bismuth finals quarterfinals, and individual advocacy award."
Not even Bismuth champion or runner-up, but quarterfinals team—and an individual advocacy winner from it spoke volumes.
The ability to flawlessly deliver prepared arguments no matter the topic or issues.
And crisis management to flexibly counter the opponent's sharpened attacks.
These two skills essential for trials had to be exceptionally strong, with no weaknesses, to qualify for an international competition individual award.
Plus standout performance to claim the title.
He'd have to look up the details, but it was certain Seok Ji-hoon had breakthroughs via personal prowess.
'Not gonna be easy.'
That formidable opponent awaited Kang Hyun from on high, along with Professor Cheon Ung-jae's crew.
Yoon Chan-rim, adjusting his attire, suddenly said to Woo Si-hyung.
"Hyung, not nervous?"
"Nervous."
Woo Si-hyung and Yoon Chan-rim seemed to be trying to shake off tension in their own ways.
"Pfft, liar. You do well, hyung."
"It's not about doing well or not. These stages always make me nervous. The silver lining is that moderate tension helps? Plus, the big pressure's not on me. It's the 'rebuttal arguer.'"
Saying this, Woo Si-hyung glanced at Kang Hyun with a hint of pity.
This prelim was an 'impromptu advocacy' round with 100% oral argument scoring, no written briefs.
Shorter and simpler than the main event, where cases were pre-reviewed for prepared principal and closing arguments, but it demanded pure individual skill even more.
In mock trial competitions generally, team roles were officially equal but practically divided.
In research-allowed formats: real-time legal research/scripter.
In record-based: issue organizer.
Principal arguer leading claims on key issues from prepared briefs.
Rebuttal arguer handling all offense/defense after.
Closing arguer wrapping up and concluding, drawing the most spotlight.
Notably, rebuttal was technically the hardest.
Principal and closing allowed prepped gestures, tone, rapport, pacing, charm.
But rebuttal faced countless scenarios, requiring snap judgment to logically steer the trial.
Plus answering most judge questions, so usually handled by those strong in knowledge and trial skill.
Thus, legal experts as rebuttal arguers, charismatics for closing to sway the audience, heavyweights for principal to anchor the trial.