The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 11

 

 

The office I was dragged into against my will looked more and more dazzling the more I looked at it.

 

Don’t we commonly use the phrase “different on the outside and inside” for people?

But there seemed to be no better way to describe Law Firm Ilchul than this.

 

A needlessly flashy office inside an old building that looked ready to collapse at any moment.

 

‘Suspicious.’

 

It wouldn’t be surprising if dirty money came rolling in from anywhere at any time.

Besides, Ho-shin Senior had said it had been quite a while since he took on any proper work.

He said he spent the whole week just following Park Ji-hwan around, so where did he get this kind of money?

 

However, my thoughts couldn’t continue for long.

Because lawyer Noh Hae-min, who had completely ignored personal space upon first meeting and grabbed my wrist, spoke excitedly.

 

“Now, here’s the seat our team ace! Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun will use.”

 

He said he’d drop formalities, and informal speech immediately came out.

Swallowing the words that started with “Kids these days are all like this…” I silently put my bag down at the seat.

 

As expected, Ho-shin Senior’s taste is very suspicious.

 

“The Representative is away from his seat as usual.”

“Is that so?”

 

Noh Hae-min, who had followed me the short distance, continued speaking.

His behavior was extremely accommodating, unlike his cold appearance that would make most people unable to even approach him.

 

“Yeah, oh and he said something else…”

 

Noh Hae-min rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small notebook that appeared to be for memos.

 

“Ah, here it is.”

“…”

“Spare no effort in providing maximum support to lawyer Sung Tae-hyun who starts work today.”

 

Ho-shin Senior left such words?

I thought he was suspicious of me.

 

“All incoming legal opinions and contract reviews will be entirely entrusted to lawyer Sung Tae-hyun.”

“…What did you say?”

“Associate Yoon Ha-young and I will support, lawyer Sung Tae-hyun will be the main.”

 

This was different from what I had heard.

Ho-shin Senior had clearly said to handle three cases to prove my ability.

Not to take on and handle all the work.

 

“The period is three months.”

“…Three months?”

 

Three months would be enough time to handle dozens of cases and more.

 

I thought so.

This guy probably never intended to let me return according to my conditions from the start.

 

Seeing how he doesn’t seem to have any special affection for Ilchul, he might have wanted to lock up one troublesome youngster who was growling about devouring Cheondong to keep him from acting up.

 

“What kind of scheme is this.”

“Scheme? No way, our Representative wouldn’t have anything like that.”

 

Only lawyer Noh Hae-min, who knew nothing, was answering brightly.

 

He said he was in his first year.

In the end, he was exactly the same kind of associate as the previous Sung Tae-hyun.

Since he was at Ilchul, he obviously wouldn’t have any proper experience.

 

Still, doesn’t he have any questions about the Representative’s strange decision?

 

I asked Noh Hae-min, who was sitting on the desk looking at me with interest.

 

“Are you really okay with this?”

“With what?”

“With me, who suddenly rolled in here, taking on work as the main person. I’m not even a partner or representative.”

“Hmm…”

 

How many seconds passed? As if he had never hesitated, Noh Hae-min answered lightly.

 

“Because it’s the Representative’s decision.”

 

He follows because it’s the Representative’s decision?

It was an unexpected answer, but I had no intention of digging deeper, so I kept quiet for a moment.

 

“I understand.”

“What, no more questions? About me or Associate Yoon Ha-young? Or about our office?”

 

Does he like questions?

Well, there were plenty of questions I’d have to ask eventually anyway.

I began asking several questions as Noh Hae-min wanted.

 

“How many existing deals are tied to Ilchul?”

“Existing… deals?”

“Yes. Whether corporate or individual, review cases that proceed with proper contracts. I’m asking if there are any current cases you’re handling, including all litigation.”

 

Noh Hae-min’s mouth, which had been chattering well while looking at his notebook, suddenly shut tight.

 

Don’t tell me.

Even though I hadn’t expected much, there was no way the number of cases could be absolutely zero.

 

The Representative is a lawyer who used to be a judge.

Are you telling me he really did nothing but dig into Park Ji-hwan’s background?

 

“…Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun.”

“Yes.”

“…I’m asking about current cases you have, not ones you’ve already handled, right?”

 

What should have been a short answer was getting longer and longer.

Having already lost all trust, I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

Surely, truly, it couldn’t be that he has zero cases on hand.

 

“…Two months ago, a student from that Studio Apartment Building over there briefly sought consultation about rental fraud…”

 

Two months ago?

Not last month, but two months ago?

 

“Three months ago… I’m not certain of my memory, but probably some online defamation… that was also just brief advice…?”

“…What about litigation?”

“None.”

“Long-term contracts?”

“…Probably, none?”

“Requests that came in this month?”

 

At the continued questioning, Noh Hae-min smiled awkwardly.

I could tell without him saying it.

 

None.

There are no requests.

 

“Hah…”

 

There’s a saying about something that looks good but is worthless.

It seems to describe Law Firm Ilchul perfectly.

 

The gleaming marble floors, fancy Chandelier, expensive furniture that looked like it belonged in a chaebol’s house, and chairs with Lumbar Cushions that looked like they cost at least a million won each.

 

Ilchul, which looks like a law firm on par with Haeil based on its interior alone, doesn’t have a single case.

 

This doesn’t make sense.

How are they maintaining the Office?

At this level, no one would doubt it if you called it a startup Law Firm.

 

“No… I mean, not having work isn’t always a bad thing.”

 

Perhaps wanting to defend the Office he worked for somehow, Noh Hae-min continued sheepishly.

 

“The Representative pays our salaries without fail.”

 

…Now he’ll probably say he’s grateful just to breathe.

When I looked at him without saying anything, Noh Hae-min hastily added a few more words.

 

“The Break Room is stocked with good coffee beans-“

“…Is Lawyer Noh Hae-min the only employee?”

 

To that, he answered cheerfully again.

 

“Oh, there’s also Manager Yoon Ha-young.”

 

Manager Yoon. Probably the only staff member there is.

 

“She’s not here today.”

 

It was already well past normal Company working hours.

To my question, Noh Hae-min answered nonchalantly.

 

“She had a case at Court.”

“…Didn’t you just say the Office has no cases?”

“It’s not our Office’s case, it’s Manager Yoon’s personal business.”

 

An Office with not a single case.

One first-year lawyer who clearly knows nothing.

A manager of unknown experience who went to Court on personal business, and an absent Representative.

 

It was a complete mess.

 

* * *

 

Despite saying there was no work, Noh Hae-min had been lying in the same position for hours playing Mobile Phone games.

Manager Yoon Ha-young, who had supposedly gone to Court for personal litigation, also hadn’t returned.

 

No wait, Noh Hae-min had mentioned that Manager Yoon Ha-young’s return would be tomorrow.

 

If you return tomorrow, isn’t that just leaving work, not returning?

He said it so casually that I just kept my mouth shut.

 

And after that, advice about freedom quite different from typical Company rules continued to flow.

 

‘…Kim Ho-shin…’

 

This is nothing short of employment fraud.

 

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that lawyer Noh Hae-min, who made the worst first impression of my life, is at least quite cooperative.

 

“Give me all the records related to cases you’ve handled so far.”

“Sure!”

 

They didn’t even have a common internal system set up, so I received all the Files by email.

Even those were so few that it took less than two hours to go through them all.

The existing cases weren’t widely known to the public or profitable either.

 

“It’s amazing that they can maintain an office of this size.”

“Right? Assistant Manager Yoon suspected that the Representative might actually be a hidden son of a chaebol family.”

 

As far as I know, that’s not true.

At this level, I could grow this office without the senior and swallow it up without anyone knowing.

 

Who would have thought that the proof of ability the senior mentioned would be growing a failed office from scratch.

 

Well, if there are so few cases like this, it might be difficult to handle three cases even with three months given.

 

Actually, this worked out well.

Since I received a promise of maximum support from an office without a representative, it ultimately depends on what I do.

 

I took out Sung Tae-hyun’s diary with the Haeil Law Firm logo drawn on it.

It was time to check if there were any changes in the diary from this morning’s events.

 

[I witnessed an accident.]

 

This was the same.

 

[I’m glad the victim didn’t die.]

 

This sentence was also the same.

 

However, at the next sentence, I had to stop breathing for a moment and stare intently at the diary.

 

[The office people were a bit strange, but]

[I think I’ll be able to adapt well somehow.]

 

‘It changed.’

 

The writing in Sung Tae-hyun’s diary had changed.

This was the first time since I obtained this diary.

 

That’s right, since no blood got on the pants, there was no need to wash them.

Therefore, the previous sentence [Blood splattered on my clothes and I had to wash my only pair of new pants.] had disappeared.

 

‘Sung Tae-hyun…’

 

Although it was just him unnecessarily expressing his feelings, Sung Tae-hyun’s impression of the office people was the same as mine.

Still, learning that the ‘future’ could change was a great achievement for me.

 

“Give me some more useful information.”

 

I spoke toward Sung Tae-hyun, who might be listening somewhere in this body.

 

These few lines of simple writing could become an important point for making ‘Sung Tae-hyun’ at Ilchul grow faster.

 

“Information? What information?”

 

However, instead of Sung Tae-hyun who might be listening somewhere, Noh Hae-min answered with a puzzled voice.

 

“…It’s nothing.”

 

I gave Noh Hae-min a casual answer and tapped the diary a few times as if urging it.

As if it now understood, a new ‘tomorrow’s’ diary entry slowly began to be carved.

 

[I’m trying not to take on that case.]

 

“Still terrible handwriting. Try changing that handwriting somehow too.”

“Huh? Handwriting?”

“…It’s nothing.”

 

I should add one more line about my impression of the ‘strange office people.’

Noh Hae-min had unnecessarily good hearing.

 

The diary’s writing that had stopped with me briefly began to be slowly carved again.

 

[It’s too threatening for me who just started working at Ilchul.]

[I contacted them to find another lawyer.]

 

‘…What is this supposed to mean.’

 

I said I needed to find work, but now it’s telling me not to take on work?

The letters being carved in the diary stopped.

 

‘You should speak properly for me to understand. Are you saying to run away because the risk is too great?’

 

I glanced at the page where the writing was carved, but there were no further changes.

 

Is a client coming tomorrow?

And that work has quite a bit of risk?

The diary was urging me not to take on the case.

 

“Don’t you know that big risks come with big profits.”

“Uh… suddenly? What risk?”

 

The responses that followed every time I muttered toward Sung Tae-hyun were awkward.

I’ll have to be more careful from now on.

Being used to an office I used alone, I wasn’t accustomed to such responses.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Noh Hae-min, who had jumped up from his seat and was looking at me, sat back down awkwardly.

The way he perked up his ears and focused whenever I said anything was just like a puppy.

 

I sighed and turned my gaze to the diary.

I need to shake down Sung Tae-hyun more to get useful information.

 

However, the words that Sung Tae-hyun’s Diary spat out after that weren’t the information I wanted.

 

[…If I end up taking this case.]

[I will lose.]

[For certain.]

 

‘Ha, look at this.’

 

Scribble-like writing had been added.

This hadn’t happened before.

 

I glared at the diary.

 

Lose? Me?

 

“That would be a losing case for you, you first-year rookie.”

“…Are you talking to me?”

“No.”

 

The additional writing, as if retorting, actually sparked my interest.

 

‘But I don’t lose, Sung Tae-hyun.’

 

[…]

 

‘I’ve never lost before.’

 

My mind was already made up.

Whatever case comes to me, I’ll take it.

 

‘That would be good for you too.’

 

High risk also means it’s good for making the name of the lawyer handling the case and their firm known.

It means it’s very suitable for raising one’s value.

 

I slowly put the diary into my bag and stood up from my seat.

Noh Hae-min’s gaze, which had been on his mobile phone, immediately followed me.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Whatever kind of case it was, if I was going to take on such a big case tomorrow, getting proper rest was important.

I silently nodded to him.

Time had passed and it had become quite dark outside the window.

 

“Let’s call it a day.”

 

Noh Hae-min also got up following me.

 

All he had done the entire day was send me a few files and play mobile phone games, and he was stretching and twisting his body when—

 

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang-.

 

Someone began roughly pounding on the office door.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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