Chapter 73
Kang Minjae climbed the stone steps into the garden and spotted his grandfather on the terrace, sipping tea. With winter upon them, the terrace was enclosed by transparent curtains and warmed by a heater, filling the space with cozy heat. His grandfather, a blanket draped over his knees, was savoring the leisure after dinner when he spotted his grandson unzipping the entrance to the terrace. He couldn't resist a mild scolding.
"Come in through the house. Why open the zipper like that? You're letting the cold air in."
"It's just for a second. But seriously, Grandpa, it's freezing out here—even with the heater, isn't this a bit much at your age? Don't confuse it with your younger days. You're an old man now, old.
His grandfather broke into a hearty laugh at the grinning retort.
"I sit out here every evening after dinner, reading and all that. You've been away from home so much, and now you come complaining? You seem busier than when you were at Taegwang."
"Well, yeah. At Taegwang, there were paralegals and such to handle things, so it wasn't this intense. But right now, it's just me and Senior Cha at the office."
Kang Minjae asked the housekeeper who'd followed him out for some coffee, then slowly shrugged off his overcoat. He hung it on the back of his chair with deliberate slowness, as if he knew what expression his grandfather might wear and was desperately trying to avoid it. Only after brushing off some imaginary dust from the coat did he finally turn to face him.
"Having fun?"
"Pardon?"
He'd expected a grumpy reply, but the unexpected question made him roll his eyes.
"I asked if it's fun. Working so hard with Cha Juhan."
"It's not hard. Hardship? Come on!"
He waved his arms dismissively, but for some reason, he recalled how he'd grumbled to Cha Juhan just today about how this life was anything but easy—headaches and sleepless nights. Kang Minjae let out a deep sigh and dropped his arms.
"Ah, okay, it's a bit tough, sure. But it's way better than at Taegwang."
"What's so good about it?"
"Does the Taegwang rep keep calling? Telling you to come back? It's been ages since you left, and they're still on about Taegwang."
"Hmm, sounds like you've actually gotten messages like that?"
His grandfather turned the question back on him, and Kang Minjae shrugged.
During the plagiarism case, Taegwang's lawyer had subtly passed along such a message. It was a top firm everyone clamored to join, so full of pride they rarely begged ex-employees to return. He had reason to be proud.
But from Kang Minjae's perspective, it felt different.
"Even if they did, it's not because of my skills that they're asking me back."
"Why do you think that?"
"Obvious, isn't it? It's because of you, Grandpa. You invested a ton in Taegwang."
"That's separate from you."
"That's your view. Taegwang doesn't see it that way. Anyway, good for us. Grandpa, why not pull your funds out while you're at it?"
Kang Minjae scooted his chair closer as he spoke.
"Remember that drama plagiarism case? We went up against Taegwang. Our office handles stuff that stirs up a storm, and with cases like that, we'll keep clashing with them."
His grandfather chuckled at the phrase "stirs up a storm."
"That's a bit dramatic."
"Not dramatic—it's the truth, Grandpa. Senior Cha doesn't know you're my grandfather yet, but we can't hide it forever. How do you think he'll feel when he finds out and realizes you're heavily invested in Taegwang, the firm we keep facing off against?"
There was logic to his grandson's words. Of course, from Taegwang's side, Cha Juhan's little office was probably beneath notice. Yoon Wonyeong had sent Cha a few love calls, but the man had talent overflowing anyway. Still, it was awkward having his grandson—who was closely tied to Taegwang—constantly show up as their adversary.
But that wasn't the point right now. His grandson was more worried about Cha Juhan feeling betrayed than any inconvenience to his grandfather.
"You have zero intention of going back to Taegwang, do you? You really like working with Cha Juhan."
"Yeah. I like it here."
"And that won't change going forward?"
"Nope. Unless Senior Cha kicks me out."
His grandfather leaned back with a grunt. From what he'd looked into, Cha Juhan had followed the classic elite path in the legal world. His prosecutor days were near flawless. If he'd played his cards right, high office was within reach. Even his professors at Seoul Law and Judicial Training Institute remembered his name and sang his praises. He wasn't some early-career hack chasing drinks and connections. He could've run for politics on a clean image.
He was a respected figure—in a good way. Until he abruptly resigned at year five to become a lawyer.
"You know there are a lot of lawyers criticizing him since he bashed the prosecution in court. His trajectory after that."
Kang Minjae narrowed his eyes and gave a faint smile at his grandfather's words.
"Grandpa, you've been digging into Senior Cha? Well, it'd be weirder if you hadn't."
Kang Minjae sipped his coffee, meeting his grandfather's gaze. After a brief silence, he spoke again.
"So, do you know why Senior Cha quit the prosecution?"
His grandfather crossed his arms, intrigued by the question.
"Looks like you don't."
"...No. He won't talk about it. But he knows I'm hiding something too and doesn't pry, so I can't either."
"They say Cha Juhan hated the spotlight when he was a prosecutor. Even with the Jo Jintae case right before he left—reporters swarmed him, but he barely took a single call."
Kang Minjae nodded slowly. In the short time he'd shadowed him, he'd seen enough to know Cha Juhan shunned attention. He was noticeable, sure, but showed no ambition for it. And Yun Se-yeon proved it—she'd griped about never getting through to him back then.
"But now, every case he takes blows up the country. Probably no one in the legal world hasn't heard of Cha Juhan."
The dramatic overturn in the Kim Yeonjun case, the second plagiarism affair. He didn't seem keen on claiming credit for the exam leak case, but once Park Jincheol's trial started, some might connect the dots. It sparked on a portal site, but Yun Se-yeon at Iljungilbo had amplified it into national news. She'd been exclusively covering Cha Juhan-related stories. From Cha's view, she was convenient, but others wouldn't see it that way. Seeing her break the exam leak story, those watching Cha might realize he'd cracked it.
"What do you think made him change so suddenly?"
His grandfather asked again. Kang Minjae hesitated, worried about poisoning his grandfather against Cha.
"Senior Cha doesn't like the spotlight—I do. He wants to do more pro bono, but I pushed to grow the office, so we keep taking high-profile cases."
His grandfather eyed his passionate defense of Cha Juhan.
"But people say he changed overnight before quitting. Oh, right—rumor has it he suddenly fell out with his favored section chief."
"...I don't know about that. But people have conflicts sometimes..."
Kang Minjae's voice trailed off, and his grandfather just chuckled.
"According to you, this perfect Cha Juhan suddenly blows up with his boss? Doesn't add up. Adults endure filth for their careers. They don't live doing whatever they want like you."
The sharp jab made Kang Minjae's chest tighten unexpectedly.
"Maybe he wanted out long before. Or got fed up with the prosecution overnight. I quit after a year 'cause it didn't suit me."
"You had a fallback. Cha Juhan? Seems like a rags-to-riches type from a working-class family."
The longer the talk dragged, the more it felt like he was being cornered. Deciding nothing good would come of it, Kang Minjae shook his head.
"Everyone has their reasons. I do, Senior Cha does. Whether he needed quick cash or hated the prosecution, I don't care. Working with him makes me glad I chose this path. I learn so much. Just this case alone..."
He trailed off mid-rush, and his grandfather smiled warmly.
"The school bullying case with your classmate's tormentor?"
"...Yeah."
It irked him that his grandfather knew every topic he broached, but Kang Minjae sighed and answered.
"When I first started shadowing him, he took on a school violence case soon after. Technically, it was secondary—the main thing was high schoolers busted as mob underlings."
Kang Minjae slowly recalled the past. During the investigation, their school bullying came to light. But the prosecution wanted to gloss over it—too messy, and they were already charged with other crimes.
Cha Juhan was the only one insisting they prosecute every sin fully.
"Senior Cha and the team leader cut sleep to investigate the bullying too. Victim statements, full police records. When other departments griped about them overstepping, he offered to let them take credit if they'd just hold a juvenile trial."
Kang Minjae rubbed his forehead. That must've been the start. Maybe he'd admired Cha before truly knowing him, projecting his own bullying trauma.
"He said burying it would leave victims scarred forever. Trauma doesn't fade easy—the law has to judge the perps. Only then would they know the country protects them, not just words on paper."
Cha Juhan's voice from that moment still rang clear in his ears. He'd faced down a screaming rival section chief in his office, unyielding.
Was it wrong to find solace there?
"..."
His grandfather—who knew Kang Minjae's old wounds best—chose silence over rebuke. Amid the awkward air, Kang Minjae grabbed his wrinkled hand with a forced chuckle.
"So trust your grandson's judgment on people. I'm beat—gonna shower and crash. You head in too, Grandpa. Ah, early night for once~"
Kang Minjae left the terrace for the house. His grandfather closed his eyes, lost in thought. Whether this Cha Juhan who'd enchanted his grandson was genuine or a sly snake with hidden depths—that remained to be seen.