Chapter 217
[Exactly 8:30 p.m. last night, right? A fire broke out at the Light and Salt Disabled Welfare Foundation, where Lee Se-hyung, son of Minwoo Party leader Lee Jeong-chan, was working as a caregiver. Fortunately, there were no casualties. But a shocking scene captured there became the talk of the town. Yes, it was Lee Se-hyung, who had been paralyzed from the waist down, walking out on his own two legs. ……]
I usually listened to the radio news on my way to work. There was a program that covered current events in a voice perfect for the morning commute, so the channel was typically tuned to that.
As expected, today's top story was about Lee Se-hyung. It was only natural. There wasn't a single place in Korea not talking about him. Morning papers, TV news, radio—it was all the same.
I hadn't expected Lee Jeong-chan to issue a quick explanation from the start. A hasty denial could backfire if more evidence surfaced to embarrass them.
Still, they couldn't stay silent forever. This was the biggest political scandal in 21st-century Korea—a grand deception on the entire nation.
"Lawyer Cha!"
"Hey, Kang. What brings you in so early?"
Arriving at the office, I found Kang Minjae chatting with Office Manager Oh at the consultation table.
"I woke up early, curious if anything happened overnight."
"Did you tell your grandfather?"
"Yeah. He saw the Free Justice Party's statement right away."
"That was his doing?"
"Haha, yep. He called them on the spot."
I'd thought the Free Justice Party's quick response was impressive, but I hadn't realized it was due to Kang Gwanung's pressure. I'd assumed he'd cut ties with politics after retirement, but he still wielded influence.
I'd been surprised when he placed Park Younggi as Central District Prosecutors' Office Third Division Chief under the current president, an enemy of the Minwoo Party. With only months left in his term and lame-duck status, it had been possible.
"By the way, I saw on the news that Reporter Choi was taken to the police station. Is everything okay?"
Office Manager Oh, who'd been listening, asked.
"I talked to him on the way. He keeps denying he acted on a tip and got released for now. But he says he can't avoid investigation, so we need to prepare. Kang, you handle Reporter Choi's case."
"Me? You think I can handle that?"
Kang Minjae looked genuinely touched.
"It's not hard. The charges will be dropped at the investigation stage anyway. Just help with evidence submission and procedures."
"Got it!"
Kang Minjae jumped up excitedly, phone in hand, and headed to the balcony to call Choi Jonghyeon. Office Manager Oh chuckled watching his retreating figure.
"Good call bringing Kang on board, right?"
Oh was pretending otherwise, but he'd wanted to recruit him too. As he lowered his voice, I shrugged.
"We'll see."
"Come on, Lawyer Cha. You're smiling too."
"Am I?"
"Yeah, your mouth's curling up."
Was it? Seeing him work hard did lift my spirits, but... I had no retort and just sat at my desk.
The morning passed uneventfully, no new issues. News trickled in of people gathering outside Minwoo Party headquarters in Yeouido demanding Lee Jeong-chan's explanation, but numbers were small. It wasn't time for the outrage to peak yet.
Unless Lee Jeong-chan pulled a desperate move like fleeing abroad, protests wouldn't swell. And he wouldn't—he was the top presidential contender. No politician would torch their career over one scandal.
Humans are driven by desire, politicians amplified versions. They bask in the glory of public votes yet mock the very people empowering them.
As long as Lee Jeong-chan had die-hard followers, he'd cling on like a hyena. The public would forget in time and vote for him again—that was his bet.
Around lunchtime, the investigation results confirmed no real fire at the foundation. Obviously—they wouldn't risk lives just to catch Lee Se-hyung walking.
The fire authority's announcement spread the incident even wider online. Lee Se-hyung walking was explosive enough, but now it was clear someone had staged it to expose his fraud. People love confrontation narratives—especially an anonymous justice-seeker vs. Lee Jeong-chan. Straight out of a comic.
"Blackout plus dry ice and burning smell? Genius idea."
Office Manager Oh laughed while checking reactions online.
I'd briefly considered a real fire—Koreans ignore alarms. But that crossed a line, so I scrapped it. Blocking light was the plan. Power outages happen in fires naturally.
People would use phone lights, so dry ice for smoke. But smoke alone might raise suspicions, hence the smell—burning paper nearby.
Junsang timed the blackout perfectly, triggered the alarm, yelled "Fire!" and ran corridors. Moments later, Jeong-hyuk slipped in, deployed dry ice, burned paper. As panic rose, he rushed to Lee Jeong-chan, who sent him to "rescue" Lee Se-hyung.
If they hadn't executed flawlessly, it'd have blown.
"What's your prediction for this?"
"Wait for Lee Jeong-chan's statement. No solid explanation means investigation soon. Then he's out as candidate, party leader replaced. Tie in Namhwa Pharma then. But if they convince on how he walks..."
"We hit back harder."
"Exactly."
Then a text: from Choi Jonghyeon.
Finally, the statement. Can't wait.
The area outside Minwoo Party HQ was unprecedentedly crowded. Protesters demanding explanation, quick-footed reporters, broadcast vans.
Lee Jeong-chan peered through parted blinds from his office window, coughed uncomfortably, and returned to the sofa.
"Leader, water?"
His secretary asked, noting the coughs. Lee nodded, drumming the armrest anxiously.
Alone, he dialed someone. After long rings:
"Chief An. It's me."
"Yes, Leader. Was about to call. How are you holding up?"
"How do you think? Reporters swarming HQ. Wish I could hose 'em down."
Lee clicked his tongue. Chief An chuckled softly.
"Why no contact yet? Can't even find who pulled that stunt?"
"Sorry. Pressuring the station, but CCTV review's slow..."
"You must find who did this."
The clock struck the hour. The secretary returned with water, whispering it was time.
"Gotta go."
"Yes. Take care, Leader."
Lee hung up, sipped water. The secretary turned on the TV linked to the press room.
Reporters packed the room, no spokesperson yet. Soon, Minwoo Party Spokesman Oh Jang-hyun entered. Flashes exploded.
"Those crazy bastards. Swarm just 'cause there's drama. Don't even know what's best for Korea."
Lee slammed the armrest irritably.
Oh Jang-hyun reached the mic, unfolded his script, and began.
……On the evening of the 25th, an incident at the Light and Salt Welfare Foundation captured footage of Lee Se-hyung, son of Minwoo Party leader and Assemblyman Lee Jeong-chan, walking. As a result, Leader Lee Jeong-chan and Lee Se-hyung face accusations of lying to the public. Rumors also spread that our party exploited Lee Se-hyung's image for support, and even that his disability was fabricated—malicious misinformation.
Our party seeks to set the record straight. Though not yet officially announced, Lee Se-hyung underwent spinal surgery last month, successfully completed. He is in rehab but still uses a wheelchair as walking remains unsteady. Full recovery potential requires more rehab, hence the delay.
Lee Se-hyung suggested withholding the news until rehab ends to avoid false hope for others with similar conditions. Our party agreed and kept it confidential. He can now stand straight and walk with assistance. Rumors of independent mobility are false. Yesterday's video shows him holding his aide's hand.
Our party has never sought support through lies. We express regret over smear campaigns framing this to divide our party and the public.