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"Lawyer, hello! Americano, right?"
"Yes."
"All done sorting out the office?"
"Yes, now I can finally get to work."
The franchise cafe on the first floor of the office building. Over the past few days, I'd been rushing back and forth setting up the office and stopping by every morning for coffee, so the part-timer recognized me and greeted me warmly. His face seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Had he come in as a witness for the prosecution sometime?
"Your order's ready. I upgraded the size on the house."
"Thanks."
"Hey, Lawyer Cha! Heading in today?"
"Owner, you're out early."
"Yeah, new machine's coming in today."
The cafe owner was also the building landlord. He didn't work the counter himself but occasionally stopped by to check on things. When he heard I was opening a law office on the second floor, he'd been thrilled, saying to come to him if anything came up. He was a bit nosy—peeking in whenever furniture arrived to offer unsolicited advice—but he didn't seem like a bad guy overall. He treated his part-timers like his own kids.
"Hope the office takes off. Land some big-money cases, you know? Haha."
"Thank you."
It felt like the conversation could drag on if I kept indulging him, so I wrapped it up politely and headed upstairs.
I liked the office. It was a good deal for the price, just as the realtor had said.
"Hmm."
Sitting at the clean desk, I closed my eyes. I went over my plans for the future once more—how I would live from here on out.
For the time being, I'd focus on building a reputation as a lawyer. Once my income stabilized, I'd take on pro bono cases and even those everyone else avoided. Of course, I'd need a high-profile case or two to make a name for myself.
Right now, more than gathering intel on Wooshin, what mattered was earning trust from the bar association and projecting a clean image.
The people I need to meet will come along naturally as I work.
To be selected as the Wooshin special prosecutor on the bar association's recommendation someday, I had to lay the foundation now. Nothing could happen without taking on my first case.
I picked up the office phone and started calling the NGOs I'd listed the night before. Even pro bono cases would help with publicity if I took them one by one.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After experiencing the packed subway, I'd given up on public transit commutes. Today, like always, I was in the driver's seat early in the morning. Radio news droned on as I waited at a red light in gridlocked traffic.
[On April 1st, actor Kim Cheol-hwan and his wife, renowned doctor Ye Hee-sook, were found dead in their home, sending shockwaves through the nation...]
Was this case around now?
If it happened on April 1st, that was two weeks ago. I'd been so busy I hadn't even noticed the incident that rocked the country.
This country saw murders every day, but this one stuck out vividly in my memory. It fell under Criminal Division 3, where I'd worked, so I'd heard plenty about it. Plus, the victims were famous actor Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook, the doctor who often appeared as a medical expert on health shows.
The prosecutors in Division 3 had been run ragged under national scrutiny. It wasn't my case, so I didn't remember the details. But the perpetrator was crystal clear.
Before heading up to the office, I stopped by the first-floor cafe for coffee.
"What'll it be?"
There used to be a part-timer who always asked at this hour, "Lawyer, iced Americano, right?" But he hadn't been around for two weeks—must've quit. I'd been meaning to ask since his face rang a bell.
"Iced Americano, please."
"Right away."
While waiting, snippets of conversation from customers at a nearby table drifted over.
"That Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook case. Murder, not suicide? Crazy, right?"
"I still can't believe it. First time a celebrity's been killed like that."
The Kim Cheol-hwan couple murder case had been front-page news until the end. Kim had volunteered for years with underprivileged kids, even adopting one from an orphanage to promote adoption. His wife, Ye Hee-sook, was a famous doctor who'd provided free care to poor seniors for ages.
Every channel was wall-to-wall Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook coverage around this time.
The killer was the adopted son they'd raised. He'd openly been discriminated against compared to their biological son, leading to repeated fights with his parents, according to neighbors and his real brother. In the end, he admitted it and accepted a first-trial sentence of imprisonment.
"Here's your coffee."
"Thanks."
Grabbing my coffee, I headed up to the office and found a familiar face waiting at the door.
"Owner?"
"Oh, Lawyer Cha. You're in."
"Yes. What brings you here?"
"Well... I need a little help."
"You? Come on in."
I punched in the security code, let us in, and flipped on the lights. When I offered tea, he waved it off, insisting we get straight to the consultation. Seemed urgent.
"What's going on?"
"You know that actor Kim Cheol-hwan couple murder case?"
"Ah, yes. Heard it was two weeks ago."
"Yeonjun's the suspect who's been arrested. Thought maybe Lawyer Cha could help."
"Who's Yeonjun?"
"The part-timer from our cafe. The one you saw every morning."
I nearly dropped my coffee in shock. No wonder he hadn't been around—the part-timer was Kim Yeonjun, the adopted son in that case? Come to think of it, the defendant's name was Kim Yeonjun.
"Is he Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook's adopted son?"
"Yeah. But he's not the type. I swear."
If even the owner was pleading like this, he must've been a model employee. But knowing the future where Kim Yeonjun confessed, I wasn't keen, even for the landlord.
"How do you know that?"
"What?"
"He might've sucked up to you, but plenty of people hide their true colors. From a lawyer's perspective, 'not the type' isn't reliable."
"I've known Yeonjun since he was a kid. Met him volunteering at the orphanage—such a kind heart, all the younger kids adored him. The nuns called him an angel."
Sounds like a sob story. The world was full of people hiding knives behind a facade of trustworthiness.
"When Kim Cheol-hwan adopted him, I was thrilled—he'd live easy with a good family. Like my own kid."
The owner was tearing up now.
"Even with rich parents, he didn't want to be a burden—worked part-time here. I even gave him raises because he was so diligent... Lawyer Cha, just meet him once? Please? He can't even afford a decent lawyer with his savings. The public defender's just spouting nonsense..."
I sighed. They say the landlord trumps God. I knew the whole story, but as a tenant, it was awkward to flat-out refuse.
"If it's the fee, I'll guarantee it. He'll inherit anyway if he's cleared... Yeah, I'll cover half. Deal?"
Not the full amount, but half? Didn't expect him to step up like that for a stranger.
"It's not about the fee..."
"Just meet him. Please? You're a sharp lawyer—solved that Jo Jintae mess when it was in limbo."
Tissues piled up messily on the table as he blubbered. Couldn't just brush him off.
"Alright. I'll meet him. But don't get your hopes up."
"Thank you, thank you, Lawyer Cha!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kim Yeonjun's trial was set for a week from now. While waiting for the visit approval, the waiting room TV blared nonstop about the Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook couple.
Not my case, so details were fuzzy. But public outrage against the ungrateful killer of two beloved figures had greased the wheels for a swift process—that much I recalled clearly.
"Mr. Cha Juhan, this way."
According to the owner, the public defender was pushing Kim Yeonjun to admit guilt and beg for leniency. Public defenders juggled tons of cases, and with preconceptions about a parricide adoptee, it was predictable.
Well, I was here reluctantly too, prodded by the landlord.
"L-Lawyer..."
Kim Yeonjun emerged in prison garb, looking gaunt after just a few days.
"What brings you here?"
"The owner asked me to at least meet you."
"Ah..."
His eyes reddened at "owner."
"Is the owner doing well?"
"He's very worried about you, Kim Yeonjun."
"Haa. I'm ashamed."
"Just a few quick questions."
His bright morning smile handing over coffee overlapped with his face now. Facing him, it was startling anew that this young man had killed his adoptive parents.
"Did you really murder Kim Cheol-hwan and Ye Hee-sook?"
"..."
"Kim Yeonjun."
He glared resentfully, as if you too?
I got it. He'd fielded that question endlessly.
"I'm not police or prosecutor. I'm your lawyer. Whatever you say to me can't hurt you."
He let out a long sigh. Exhausted. I'd seen that look plenty—on people ready to give up everything.
"Yes, I killed them."
[ LIE DETECTION ]
[Truth]
FALSE