Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator : M.N 1391
Chapter: 7
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“Do you think you can say something like that without evidence?”
“You showed the judge your blatantly insincere attitude while defending me, so he’ll understand. Evidence or not, if the defendant says his trust in his attorney has been damaged due to the attorney’s insincerity, he can request a replacement.”
“You think that’s possible in the middle of a trial?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? Looks like there are reporters in the gallery too. It’d be a fun story for them, right? And if the media starts spreading it, the judge will accept the request just to avoid the noise.”
Kim Seok-yong swallowed dryly, and Kyung-wan continued speaking.
“You were given a favor, but if your appointment as defense attorney is revoked, that’ll be quite the spectacle, won’t it?”
“… I never did anything like that.”
He denied it to the end, but the hand Kyung-wan placed on his shoulder told him exactly how troubled he was.
“But there is a way to stop me from bringing it up.”
“…”
Kim Seok-yong closed his mouth. As a lawyer, he couldn’t admit he had been asked to sabotage his own client. But somehow, Kyung-wan was treating it as undeniable fact.
It was enough to make him lose his mind.
His silence was the reaction of someone under immense pressure and unable to admit his own misconduct.
“Close your eyes and lift your chin.”
“Why? I told you, I never received any favors.”
“Ah, whether you did or didn’t isn’t important anymore. What matters is whether I ask the judge to replace you or not. Do you still want to stay as my attorney?”
“….”
When their eyes met, Kim Seok-yong nodded. He had no move left.
“Then close your eyes and lift your chin. Too high. … Good. Right there.”
Nervous, Kim Seok-yong obediently closed his eyes. But something felt strange. His eyes were shut, yet there was a sudden flash of light, why?
Slaaap!
“Ghk!”
A violent sting exploded across his cheek. Kim Seok-yong realized instantly that Kyung-wan had slapped him, and he shot to his feet in anger.
“You little shit!”
“If the rumor spreads that you took a bribe and sold out your own client, your law career is over. Even if the one who bought you keeps his promise and gets you into the law firm you want, do you think you’ll survive there?”
“I told you I never did that!”
“You’re confident because there’s no evidence, huh? But you know, and I know. And based on how you reacted when I asked whether you had connections, you don’t seem to have any powerful backers. How will you stop the reporters from spreading suspicions? Even if everything works out, your future workplace won’t exactly welcome you.”
“….”
He wanted to lose his mind and start kicking the walls. This brat, this brat who until just now bowed his head and obeyed like a timid child, was the same person?
Was he possessed by a demon? Should he ask the pastor at his church to exorcise him? Though it already felt far too late.
“I’ll promise you this. I’ll never tell the judge that you took a bribe from the victim’s family.”
The proposal felt like a whisper from the devil.
“….”
“Sit.”
At that command, Kim Seok-yong grimaced but sat back down. He was so shaken after having his shame exposed and getting slapped that he didn’t even realize he was effectively admitting the bribery.
If he truly hadn’t taken a bribe, he would have immediately withdrawn from the case the moment he was slapped.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
The blows rained down. His vision flashed each time, and one side of his face burned. As the pain grew unbearable, he yelled:
“S-Stop! People will see!”
“That’s not my problem. If you care, cover it with a bandage or something.”
Slap! Slap! Slap!
“Hands down. Hands down. You call yourself a man and you can’t even take this?”
“You fucking bastard!”
Unable to endure anymore, Kim swatted away Kyung-wan’s hand. So Kyung-wan offered his own cheek.
“Unfair? Then let’s make it mutual. But you know you’ll lose your attorney badge, right?”
“….”
Tears welled up in Kim’s eyes, anger and humiliation boiling inside him. If only he’d known this kid was a lunatic, he never would have accepted that person’s offer. Or at least he should’ve pretended to defend him a little better.
“Let’s do twenty more right here.”
“What the hell do you even gain from this? Even if I do my best to defend you, you’ll get jail time! You’re already under suspended sentence for assault!”
That was partly why he took the bribe. Even if the boy had acted to protect a girl from gang rape, the victim was now permanently disabled. The judge would never accept self-defense. And the boy already had a record.
No matter how well Kim defended him, the chance of avoiding prison was practically zero.
“It’s unpleasant, sure. But accept reality. If things go well for me, I’ll put plenty of money into your prison account…”
But that was later. Right now, his cheek hurt too much. So he attempted negotiation. When the boy got out, he would need money, Kim was willing to provide it in a way that minimized the risk of being double-crossed. After all, once the bribe got him into a major firm, he was confident he’d succeed.
At this, Kyung-wan smiled a sinister smile.
“Hehehe… Cutting some time off my sentence can’t compare to how rewarding it feels to slap someone like you.”
“…”
Insane. Absolutely insane.
For some reason the word “rewarding” sounded exactly like “fun” to Kim’s ears.
“Give me your guard down. Good. Let’s continue.”
With that, he raised his hand again. Kim shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! … Slap! Slaaap!
“Guh!”
The last hit was the hardest. By the end of twenty, Kim’s cheek was swollen so badly it was unmistakably the result of slaps.
Meanwhile, Kyung-wan shook his hand dramatically.
“Ow, my hand. Your skin is really thick.”
Kim glared at him, grinding his teeth.
“If you break your promise, I’ll kill you.”
Kyung-wan smiled brightly.
“Nothing’s more thrilling than betting your life. Want to see who kills who first?”
“… I… misspoke.”
The mad glint in the boy’s smile chilled him to the bone. He wasn’t intimidated, of course. No, not at all. It was simply the logical decision: fighting a lunatic would only end badly.
Smacking his lips regretfully, the boy seemed disappointed, while Kim only prayed to get this kid thrown into juvenile detention and never see him again.
When the trial resumed, naturally, the judge asked about Kim’s face.
“What happened to your face?”
“… I tripped and fell.”
It was clearly not that. But the judge didn’t pry and rushed the proceedings, delayed already by the earlier commotion.
Relieved, Kim glanced at Kyung-wan, only to look away quickly when their eyes met.
If he could just get past this hurdle, he’d join a top law firm and finally shine.
Please, let that lunatic keep his promise,
…Wait.
Why did he assume that lunatic would keep a promise?
A kid who slapped a grown lawyer without hesitation?
He pretended to stay calm, but inside he was praying desperately. Praying the boy wouldn’t say anything stupid.
Interrogation resumed. The prosecutor targeted the parts that clearly did not qualify as self-defense.
“Was it really necessary to rupture their genitals? You could have immobilized them by breaking their legs, which you already did.”
At that, Kyung-wan glanced at his attorney before answering.
“Um… I didn’t intend to make them impotent. I just thought that was the best way to take down multiple attackers.”
“You tore their cruciate ligaments. And even then, attacking their genitals was ‘the best’?”
The prosecutor’s eyes sharpened, but Kyung-wan simply shrugged.
“That’s probably because I’m untrained.”
“Untrained?”
“I don’t know how much force to use or how far to twist a joint. If someone trained had done it, they’d dislocate cleanly without tearing ligaments or whatever.”
“Six of them suffered leg damage so severe they’re considered disabled. Do you really think you’re untrained?”
“I guess I’m stronger than I thought.”
“You also attacked their genitals after they were already neutralized.”
“I can’t agree they were neutralized. What if one of them had a hidden knife?”
The prosecutor continued highlighting harmful details, while the boy slipped past every one like an eel.
But in the end, jail time was unavoidable.
“The intention to prevent a crime is acknowledged, but the force used was excessively severe, making self-defense untenable. Therefore, I sentence you to Protective Disposition Type 10 for a period of two years.”
Hearing the verdict, the boy whistled.
“Wow~. Guess the judge is also doing someone a favor like that attorney.”
Assault typically meant juvenile facility. Juvenile prison was reserved for murderers, rapists, and serious offenders.
Even Type 10, the harshest juvenile protective measure, meant at most two years in juvenile detention. Such was the law protecting minors.
And yet he received the full two years.
Meaning the judge either ignored completely that he saved a rape victim and fought multiple armed aggressors, or empathized too much with the rapists whose genitals were destroyed.
Or perhaps…
The boy had insulted a member of the legal profession, and the judge felt personal offense.
As he muttered his suspicions aloud, the judge frowned but ignored him and struck the gavel.
Then chaos erupted from the gallery.
“Two years?! Only two years?! My kid is crippled and he gets two years?!”
“Is this a real country?! Huh?!”
Apparently no one was satisfied with the juvenile law, not even the families of rapists.
So the boy gave them a parting jab.
“If your kids were unharmed, they’d be getting a slap on the wrist thanks to the juvenile law. Shouldn’t you be grateful instead of upset?”
The hypocrisy was breathtaking.
Their reaction was explosive.
“Shut up, you bastard! I’ll kill you!”
“Yeah, next time say that to your rapist son’s parents!”
“You little, !!”
“Please restrain yourselves!”
Blinded by fury, the families lunged, but the courthouse security stopped them.
One guard, panting, glared at the boy.
“Just shut your mouth.”
“Yes.”
The boy nodded politely, and raised both middle fingers at the enraged families.
His mouth was shut.