Chapter 105
"I'll do it."
The relentless barrage of calls that had been threatening to shatter his phone had finally started to taper off. Still, one rang every five minutes or so, though it seemed even the reporters were growing weary.
Seizing the momentary lull, Cha Juhan quickly dialed Jeong In-ah.
"Ah, Lawyer Cha!"
Jeong In-ah's voice sounded much improved from the day before.
"You said you'd contact us when Jeong Yeong-jun wakes up, but we haven't heard anything, so I was worried we might have missed it and called to check."
"Ah, my brother's up. But no need to worry. Everyone in the family except me has their phones off. We even unplugged the landline. We're just watching the news, but he can't see it."
"I see."
"The second he woke up, I locked him in the master bedroom with some food and snacks, unplugged the TV cord, and hid it. Gave him a laptop stuffed with movies, but no LAN cable. Haha. He's probably munching on snacks and watching films right now."
Jeong In-ah laughed as she spoke.
"Oh, and earlier today, Lawyer Ko Jin-ah from Taegwang Law Firm stopped by. But we pretended no one was home and stayed quiet. You said to only communicate through you, so that's what we did."
"You should have told me right away. No issues?"
"We just stayed silent pretending we weren't there, and she left. I tried calling you, but it didn't connect... Dad said you're probably busy, so we'd call later."
"Ah, sorry. My phone's been nonstop, so your call probably couldn't get through."
"It's fine. Oh, should I put my brother on?"
"Yes."
"Sure. One sec. Oppa! Phone!"
Jeong Yeong-jun picked up shortly after. For the man who'd been confined to the master bedroom the moment he stirred, Cha Juhan gave a concise rundown of the day's events. He also relayed that Ko Jin-ah's side, unaware of the previous day's and today's uproar, had contacted him saying they'd filed the divorce petition. And he mentioned the plan for tomorrow's News9 appearance, where he'd explain the village head's testimony and the investigation process.
If Jeong Yeong-jun refused, Cha Juhan was fully prepared to cancel the interview.
"Please go with whatever direction you think is best, Lawyer. I trust you completely."
"Still, if there's anything you don't want, you should say so."
"No. Just circulating a press release wouldn't spread my side of the story as effectively as you appearing on the news. Plus, it'll make your firm even more famous."
"I'd be lying if I said there was no promotional angle, but your opinion matters more."
"No, I want you to get even more famous. Someone this capable deserves it. Haha. Thank you so much, Lawyer."
Here it came again—the endless loop of 'Thank you,' 'No need, just doing my job,' 'No, really, thank you.'
"You're busy, so I'll let you go. Truth is, In-ah tossed a laptop in the bedroom and locked me up. No LAN cable, even."
"I heard. Must be frustrating."
"A bit, but my heart's at ease. Started with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone the second I woke up, got through to Prisoner of Azkaban. She didn't even consider my tastes—just loaded it with her favorites."
Cha Juhan wasn't a huge Harry Potter fan himself, but it reminded him of dragging himself to the theater for the final installment. His ex-wife had been obsessed, insisting they see it together on the big screen. He'd never touched the series before meeting her, but once they started dating, he'd binged from the first film up to whatever was out at the time.
Jeong Yeong-jun's situation felt oddly similar.
"Still two more to go after a full day. Haha. Gotta finish 'em quick."
"Got it. Oh, News9 and I exchanged question sheets—I'll send them over. Check them, and if anything bothers you—"
"No need. You included what's necessary. I trust you. It's late—head home."
Cha Juhan reiterated not to contact Ko Jin-ah's side directly and to notify him immediately if they reached out, then hung up.
As he set down his phone, Kang Minjae, who'd been gazing out the window, spoke up.
"Reporters seem gone. Let's head out too."
"I thought you were some actor when I saw you come in, Lawyer. So tall and handsome."
The broadcasting station makeup artist chattered nonstop as she applied makeup to his face.
"Your skin's amazing too. You'll look great on camera today."
"Is that so."
"Yeah. Man, what a loss for our entertainment industry that someone like you became a lawyer instead."
She patted a sponge laden with foundation across his face. He knew it was flattery, but with nothing to say, he reread the question sheet a few more times. Focusing might discourage chit-chat.
"You'll devour that anchor on screen."
It didn't stop her, of course.
He'd memorized the script well before arriving and wasn't one to tense up on camera, so he felt no anxiety.
"All done. Anything else you want touched up?"
She swiveled his chair toward the mirror. The lights flanking it were blindingly bright. His makeup already seemed thick enough; he couldn't imagine what more needed doing.
"One spritz of hairspray."
She grabbed a spray can from the vanity—like bug killer—and doused his hair liberally. With her announcement that it was finished, Cha Juhan picked up his phone.
A few outlets still unaware of his News9 slot were requesting interviews. As he checked messages and missed calls, the makeup artist—who he'd assumed was leaving—plopped down beside him.
"Waiting for something?"
Not exactly "waiting," but something nagged. No word yet from Ko Jin-ah's camp...
He could understand, somewhat. They'd hired a divorce specialist from Taegwang Law Firm, but after yesterday, she'd need a criminal defense attorney too—total chaos. Taegwang Law Firm itself had seemed clueless about the truth during their brief meeting, so they must be scrambling.
Yoon Won-hyung might have known, but lead divorce counsel Lee Yeong-jae clearly hadn't—hence the call about filing the petition.
"Ah, yeah. Pretty hectic."
Her chin propped on her hand, staring unabashedly—it was getting uncomfortable, so he brushed it off.
Then the waiting room door opened.
"Lawyer Cha Juhan."
In the mirror, News9 anchor Jin Hye-kyung appeared. She'd come to greet him early—perfect timing. The makeup artist slipped out the moment she entered.
"Hello."
He offered a handshake; she took it warmly.
"Hi. With all the interview requests you must be fielding, thank you for choosing News9. It's an honor."
She too was prepped for the live broadcast, minutes away.
Jin Hye-kyung was Korea's so-called "most trusted voice." She'd held the main anchor spot on the nation's top-rated News9 for five years. Technically, her partner Kim Woojin was the lead, but given the high turnover for female anchors, it was impressive longevity.
"Senior Kim Woojin is still in standby; he'll pop by to say hi later."
Kim Woojin, her decade-long partner, was News9's mainstay. In Cha Juhan's previous life, right up to the end, he'd been the veteran anchor famous for his pithy, incisive commentary.
Many adored Jin Hye-kyung and Kim Woojin's News9, but post-this-administration, she'd be summoned to the Blue House as spokesperson. They'd crossed paths personally a few times. Of course, in 2009, as a lowly prosecutor, he hadn't known her.
"Looking forward to working with you. Your slot... per the script, 9:28 p.m. Feel free to watch the broadcast beforehand—make yourself at home."
The 9:28 slot had mildly surprised him at first glance. With national attention peaked, he'd assumed Ko Jin-ah would lead. And she did—but slotted mid-broadcast, likely for ratings. Details weren't specified, but that was the guess.
He didn't venture to the newsroom but monitored the live News9 on the waiting room TV. Footage aired of Ko Jin-ah arriving at the prosecutors' office at 3 p.m. with her legal team. He'd seen it once already on all-news channels that afternoon, but he watched closely again.
Investigation ongoing—what had she said? And how would they react to his upcoming remarks on Jeong Yeong-jun's position?
"Lawyer, standby!"
The assistant director burst in, shouting. During a reporter linkup gap with no on-air feed, he followed to the long desk's end under guidance.
A quick chat with the two anchors he'd greeted, script review—then makeup rushed in, sponging his face anew. The rough touch made him wince; Jin Hye-kyung chuckled softly.
"We're going in."
She whispered, eyes on the teleprompter. The feed returned to the newsroom; Kim Woojin spoke.