Chapter 147
Damn. It hurt like hell.
"……."
A wooden plank tumbled across the asphalt. The thug seemed pretty shocked himself. The moment our eyes met, he dropped the plank and bolted without a backward glance.
It all happened in a flash.
"Lawyer Cha!"
Kang Minjae's scream-like cry echoed through the alley. I wanted to yell at him not to come to me, to chase the guy instead—but the words wouldn't come. It really hurt like hell.
I tried to ask the site manager if he was okay, but all that came out was,
"Ugh."
A groan.
"……."
The site manager, who had slumped to the ground trembling, finally seemed to grasp the situation only after hearing my groan. "……Lawyer Cha Juhan?" He slowly got to his feet with a quivering voice, staring at me.
"Lawyer Cha, are you okay?"
Under the flickering streetlamp, Kang Minjae's pale face came into view.
As if I could be.
A full-grown man swinging a plank with all his might had smashed right into my arm.
"No……."
"Lawyer Cha, what the hell happened?"
The site manager stared at me, utterly baffled.
The situation was simple enough.
After hanging up with the site manager earlier, I'd replayed our conversation and felt a chill of unease. It suddenly hit me—he'd mentioned the meeting place and time himself during the call. If Wooshin had planted ears nearby, they'd know exactly where and when we'd connect.
And the fact that he'd taken the call not at home, but at the construction site? That nagged at me too.
So I'd gotten up right then and prepped to head out. Better to wait for him in front of the site instead of the agreed spot. Picking him up there and rolling out would at least dodge any eavesdropping.
We'd just parked in the alley next to the site, timed to his quitting hour, and stepped out when I spotted him up ahead—with some shady bastard tailing him, plank tucked behind his armpit like it was nothing.
I bolted straight for the site manager. Timing worked out, thankfully. The thug's plank, aimed to cave in the back of his skull with full force, caught my arm instead as I threw it up to block.
"Sh-shouldn't we get you to a hospital first? And call the cops!"
The site manager yelled, pacing frantically.
Kang Minjae pulled out a handkerchief, picked up the fallen plank without smudging prints.
"Lawyer Cha, Go Yunseong's doing, right?"
Kang Minjae said, face hardening.
I nodded once.
The site manager's jaw dropped.
"Go Yunseong? ……Go Yunseong after you, Lawyer Cha?"
"No."
"……Pardon?"
"They were after you, site manager. I just got in the way."
I replied, clutching my throbbing arm.
"Lawyer Cha, what now? Call the police?"
Kang Minjae asked, turning to me.
I nodded again.
They'd known he was meeting me and sent that guy. If we hadn't shown, God knows what would've happened to him. I didn't even want to think about it.
"Even if they brush it off as no-victim-no-crime, we gotta report it. The record'll be gold in court."
I said curtly.
A police report carries way more weight than just claiming "this happened" in trial. Best to leave unforgeable traces everywhere possible.
"We'll report, then hospital."
"Might just be temporary swelling. Talk to the site manager first, hit the doc tomorrow if it's still bad."
I said, heading for Kang Minjae's car.
"Site manager, I know you're shaken, but rescheduling feels off. Let's talk now."
I said, opening the back door.
He stared at me blankly. Not refusing, not agreeing—just frozen, nailed to the spot.
Kang Minjae, opening the driver's door, glanced back at him too.
Then the site manager spoke.
"Ha…… Lawyer Cha."
"Yes?"
"……Let's go to the hospital. I won't run. I'll go with you—hospital first. It'll eat at me if you don't get checked today."
He bowed his head and climbed in.
The nearest ER was where Oh Sanghyeon was admitted. When Kang Minjae said that's where we'd go, the site manager—clearly knowing—dropped his gaze. Guilt etched his face.
But he turned to the window, lips sealed tight.
After a long wait at the ER, I finally got scans and checks.
I told Kang Minjae to keep an eye on the site manager—he might bolt now that he'd seen the attack—then headed in.
In just an hour or two, bruising and swelling ballooned where the plank hit.
Results didn't take long: hairline fracture in the arm bone. Gyp for at least a month.
"We'll do a half-cast today, schedule outpatient for the full one. When works for clinic?"
"Somewhere near work."
"Got it. Checkout over there."
"Doctor!"
The doc nodded lightly and turned to leave when Kang Minjae suddenly shouted.
"Yes?"
"Is half-cast okay like this? No surgery? Can't you do the full cast now? Why wait for outpatient? What if it hurts in the meantime?"
Kang Minjae rapid-fired.
Not accusatory, so the doc didn't seem offended—just a bit bemused.
"Not that severe, no surgery needed. Swelling now—cast after it goes down. Might hurt tonight, but here's painkillers. Okay with you, patient?"
The doc looked at me.
"Yes."
He shot Kang Minjae a "we done?" look, then turned away.
"Doctor! Make it strong painkillers if you can. Lawyer Cha barely sleeps as is—can't have pain keeping him up!"
"Cut the drama."
I plunked Kang Minjae into a chair with my good left arm, hoping he'd notice the kid and mom beside us smiling at the scene.
"Waaah, Lawyer Cha. Does it hurt bad?"
"Told you, doesn't hurt, so quit overreacting……."
"You said it hurt earlier! When I asked if you were okay, you said no!"
"That was right after. It's bearable now—please, enough."
This was strike three overkill.
But Kang Minjae wouldn't quit. Why the important right arm, he whined again, tearing up.
Right arm's inconvenient, sure, but left handles most. Rest, I can boss him around for. What's the issue?
My arm cracks saving the site manager? Clear win.
"Kang Minjae."
"Yes?"
"Coffee run."
I finally shooed him off to shut down the fuss.
"Coffee? You want some?"
"Yeah. Not vending machine crap—cafe outside. I'll be at checkout."
"Got it. Be right back."
Kang Minjae zipped out of the ER.
I turned to the site manager, still standing silent.
"Site manager."
"……Yes."
"Given it any thought?"
I said, eyeing his guilt-stricken face.
"Lawyer Cha, mind-reading now?"
His stone face finally cracked with a chuckle.
I shrugged.
Obvious, right?
He'd agreed to meet not to spill truth to me, but to see the evidence I claimed to have.
But from the alley to here, not a peep—like someone wrestling heavy thoughts.
Had to be debating whether to come clean.
Not many could ignore a near-stranger cracking his arm saving them. Not that I'd planned it that way.
But results are results.
"Plain as day."
"Is it."
He chuckled again.
"You seemed terrified, site manager."
"……Terrified?"
"You saw Go Yunseong's group beat Oh Sanghyeon on site CCTV yourself. But Wooshin's pressure kept you silent. They probably threatened you'd pay if you talked, threw in hush money too."
"……."
"No need to confirm if it's touchy."
He stayed mum. Pity—no truth tag to lock in my guess.
"And Kim Uicheol, the incident spark? Wooshin bought his silence too. So standing alone scared you. But conscience gnawed—why else tell Kim the truth?"
I pressed on to his silence, like a soliloquy.
"Then I mention CCTV evidence—you figure you gotta see it, whatever it is. Didn't want to, but with the payoff, you're in bed with Go Yunseong now. So you meet…… and unintentionally, I take the hit for you."
I nodded at my bandaged right arm.
"Normally, thanks come first. You skipped that."
"……Ah, Lawyer Cha. Not ungrateful—just caught off-guard, hadn't said it yet."
He panicked, fumbling excuses.
"Not blaming. Just saying fear crushed you so bad even thanks stuck. Go Yunseong's crew targeted you knowing the truth—nearly got you. Now you choose: come clean to your savior, or shut up before worse hits."
"……."
"But you're not the type to brush off someone hurt in your place. That's why you said hospital first, no running."
He listened quietly, then nodded.
"……You're right, Lawyer Cha. Seeing you hurt for me, I couldn't spit out the truth first. Too…… too scared."
He cradled his head in both hands.
"I even know Oh Sanghyeon well, and you met him first through this case…… Seeing you take a hit defending him? Made me ashamed of myself."
His voice shook. Holding back tears, he hacked fake coughs.
Hands over face, he went quiet a long while, steadying.
I waited.
Finally, he wiped his flushed face, exhaled relief.
"Yes. CCTV caught it. I saw. Go Yunseong beat Oh Sanghyeon."
The truth burst out.
But the story didn't end there.
"And…… I have a copy of that CCTV footage."