The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 31

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

Episode 31

 

 

As the Old Man had said, the door to the Semi-basement Room was open.

The room, which received no light even during the day, was even darker than a typical semi-basement.

 

“Ugh, the smell…”

 

Noh Hae-min couldn’t hold back and exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

 

“Is this really a house where people live?”

“Don’t grumble, senior.”

“No, I’m not grumbling… I’m even starting to wonder if we came to the right place-“

“Shh.”

 

There was a sound of movement from inside.

Could it be Da-ye’s Father who had been collapsed earlier?

When I reached out and covered Noh Hae-min’s mouth, he seemed to understand and nodded.

 

That’s right.

We especially had to be careful with our words here.

I still didn’t know what kind of person he was exactly, but he didn’t seem like a very good human being.

 

‘I heard such stories online.’

 

Before coming to find Da-ye’s House, Assistant Manager Yoon Ha-young’s earnest warnings were vivid in my ears.

 

‘His business failed several times, right? It’s obvious what that means.’

‘Alcoholism, his Wife died and he’s been raising Shin Da-ye alone since she was five…’

 

Well, it’s a story as common as it is pitiful.

Of course, that’s only from Da-ye’s perspective.

 

‘There seems to have been abuse quite often. So maybe… yes, Sage, no, the bruises that Mr. Sage mentioned might be due to her father’s violent behavior.’

 

In the end, it wasn’t clear.

 

‘We’ll have to look into it.’

‘Yes, since it’s not clear which side is the cause.’

 

Not everyone who is poor abuses their children.

In many cases, they actually take more care in raising them.

I slowly raised my head and carefully examined the interior of the house again.

 

Mold had spread at a consistent height along the lower parts of the wallpaper, seemingly traces of having been flooded several times.

From what I could roughly see, the house had two rooms, and the other door must be the Bathroom.

 

However, this house.

 

It was covered in mold everywhere, Empty Liquor Bottles were scattered all around, and even unidentifiable Cigarette Butts were carelessly thrown about.

 

In a house like this, no one could feel any proper sense of security.

 

“…Huh.”

 

Did I develop arrhythmia or something?

Due to my suddenly pounding heart, I had to stop for a moment.

 

“Why?”

 

Noh Hae-min muttered as if puzzled.

 

Come to think of it, was I still covering Noh Hae-min’s mouth?

Dozens of seconds must have passed, but I removed my hand from Noh Hae-min, who had been waiting obediently.

My heart was beating strangely roughly.

 

“Are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

 

And then.

 

“…Are you there?”

 

I cautiously spoke toward the still quiet interior of the house.

It was around the time when the somehow sticky-feeling floor felt even more unfamiliar.

 

“…Shit… damn… what are you guys?”

 

From behind, breath mixed with the smell of alcohol rushed at us like an attack.

 

* * *

 

At this rate, I won’t die a natural death.

 

“Urgh…”

 

It was instantaneous.

Despite his large build, the Man was fast.

Even though he was clearly heavily drunk, his movements were so clean it was like a master fighter had appeared.

 

…Master fighter, that’s not the right thing to say in this situation.

 

As soon as I felt his bloodshot eyes swaying in front of me, his fists came flying in succession.

 

“Sung Tae-hyun!”

 

Not the face, but the stomach, and then the chest.

I barely managed to roll my body and escape from the Man’s next punch, but pain rushed to my stomach making it difficult to breathe.

 

“These rat… bastards… like… you guys… damage?”

“Ugh….”

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s frail body was easily knocked down by the man’s rough fist.

 

“Huff, huff.”

 

I rolled on the ground and spat out the blood that surged up.

It seems that incident was the problem after all.

 

That day.

I thought the day I died would be the last time I’d get beaten up by someone like this.

 

“Should’ve done an exorcism or something….”

 

As my lamenting words slipped out, the man’s gaze turned toward me again.

It was a stare that seemed like it would bore through the side of my face.

Even without looking at him, I could feel his eyes filled with murderous intent.

 

However, what caught my eye wasn’t the man, but something inside the room.

A large leather bag left abandoned without any thought of hiding it.

 

“Shit….”

 

The man, who still didn’t know who we were, seemed to immediately realize what had caught my attention.

 

As he reached toward me again, Noh Hae-min didn’t hesitate to rush at him and cling to his large shoulders.

 

“Excuse me, sir. Please calm down first-“

“Sir? Teacher? Damn it, you fucking bastards…! Did I teach your ass? Why am I your teacher! I don’t know where you little shits crawled out from….”

 

Unfortunately, the physical powerhouse of our office was Yoon Ha-young, not Noh Hae-min.

Noh Hae-min was also thrown off within a few seconds.

Laughter burst out of me involuntarily at the ironic situation.

 

“…That fucking bastard… what’s so funny that you’re laughing? Huh? You piece of shit, do you think I’m funny too?”

 

The man’s glaring eyes turned toward me.

I wiped away any blood that might have been on my lips and slowly got back on my feet.

My chest area was throbbing, and it seemed like I should file for workers’ compensation with Ho-shin Senior.

 

“I’m Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

I extended one hand toward him first, offering a handshake.

The man glared at me as if dumbfounded and ground his teeth.

 

“Don’t you know what kind of situation this is right now? You son of a-“

“I know. That’s quite a lot of money.”

 

His mouth closed again.

 

Right, it’s not even funny.

A leather bag placed so out of place in the corner of this neglected house.

 

50,000 won bills that seemed to have packed the bag tight were showing off their presence through the half-closed zipper.

 

“…You, where… where did you come from.”

 

I folded the hand I had extended to the man and offered it to Noh Hae-min who was sprawled on the ground.

After helping Noh Hae-min up as well, this man presumed to be Da-ye’s father ground his teeth again.

Seeing that there was no particular movement, it seemed he wasn’t planning to beat us down right away.

 

“We came from Seoul.”

 

The man’s face twisted severely, as if that wasn’t the answer he wanted.

 

“…What? Is this bastard joking around right now-“

“It’s not a joke.”

 

The room I confirmed while falling seemed to be the only place in this ruin that looked livable.

Though old and moldy, it had the touch of someone who had somehow managed to keep it well-organized.

 

A bed with neatly arranged bedding, a floor that seemed almost dust-free.

As if representing the character of the room’s owner, only that one room in this house seemed like a space where one could breathe.

 

“Tell me. Who sent you? Where did you come from.”

 

Now the man was chewing his lips anxiously.

He easily pushed aside Noh Hae-min who was trying to block my way and grabbed my collar roughly.

 

Of course, I had no intention of stopping him.

It was when the man, gripping my neck area more roughly as if to choke me, opened his mouth as if to threaten.

 

“Did you sell her?”

 

I had no intention of listening to his words any longer.

 

“What, what?”

 

He clearly understood even without a subject.

Having come this far, it became certain.

Shin Da-ye was in danger.

 

Sage from BelVix, who was my client, probably wasn’t in a life-threatening situation.

But Shin Da-ye was different.

Perhaps right now, Shin Da-ye might already be gone from this world.

 

“I’m talking about Miss Shin Da-ye. Did you sell her?”

 

When I asked once more for confirmation, his face twisted severely.

Was he feeling guilt now, after all this time?

The hand that had firmly gripped my collar was visibly trembling.

I didn’t miss that opportunity and shook off his fist.

 

“You fucking bastard, where do you think you’re-“

“Let’s talk this out. We don’t have much time though.”

 

Surprisingly, his fist loosened easily.

The man exhaled heavily, his breath reeking of alcohol as if lost in thought.

Even the sticky texture of the room’s floor – nothing about this space was pleasant.

 

Noh Hae-min quickly stepped between the man and me, creating distance.

 

Does he also have something bothering him?

He gave off an atmosphere that seemed a bit more subdued than usual.

 

“…Sung, Tae-hyun… was it? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere.”

“That’s not important.”

“Why did you come? Damn it, Ellus? No… you’re too weak compared to those bastards. Then…”

 

I waited for his muttering for a moment.

Ellus, huh. That matched what the old man outside had said.

But rather than employees or subcontractors, he kept mentioning celebrities.

 

Sage’s face briefly crossed my mind, but what the man was talking about didn’t seem to be that type.

After all, Sage also belonged to the weak category.

 

“…Hwan, no way. Fuck… they said they’d spare me. No way… that fucking bastard…”

 

As if reaching some conclusion, the man’s entire body began trembling.

Anger and hatred, or perhaps fear.

I could almost feel the mixed emotions tangibly.

 

“Hwan?”

“Yeah, you fucking bastard. No, wait? Weren’t you sent by Hwan?”

 

Now things are starting to make some sense.

 

Hwan. It was a name I’d never heard before.

A group? An individual? I don’t know.

But it’s a name I’d never heard even in my previous life.

 

However, judging from the information the man let slip, it seems that bag of money belongs to Hwan.

 

“Shin Da-ye, where is she now.”

 

The man’s gaze, now seeming to lose focus, wavered back and forth.

 

“Ugh. Uugh… ugh…”

 

Soon he collapsed, groaning as if in pain.

 

“Tell me, Shin Da-ye. Where is she? Did that person called Hwan take her?”

“Ugh… uugh. Fuck… ing… bas… tards…”

 

Is he breaking?

No, not yet.

 

He sat down on the ground, clutching his head roughly.

The man’s face, which had been growling like a howling beast, was instantly soaked.

 

“Hwan… Hwan, fuck… that fucking bastard… I knew it. Fuck!”

 

Finally, the man who had been wailing as if to devour the room picked up a bottle that had been standing against the moldy wall.

The man grabbed several half-empty green bottles and poured the remaining liquid down his throat, then had that cloudy look in his eyes again.

 

“Hwan!”

“Who is he.”

 

I went to his side, took the liquor bottle and set it aside.

The man, who had been swaying back and forth, perhaps drunk again, fell to the ground with a thud.

 

“Shin Da-ye is dead.”

“Hw, Hwan… Hwan…”

“She’s dead, killed by that ‘Hwan’ bastard.”

 

Tears poured from the man’s eyes, too pitiful to watch.

I had no intention of wiping them away.

This bastard is the same kind of trash.

 

“That money, you received it for that reason, didn’t you? Answer me.”

 

Even as I poured out words while grabbing and shaking his collar, he didn’t push me away.

He just rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and cried.

My heart, which had been pounding loudly since entering this house, grew cold.

 

“Shin Won-sik.”

“…”

“If you received money in exchange for your daughter’s death, stop crying and speak.”

 

His wet eyes rolled toward me.

 

“Who is Hwan.”

 

I continued to question him.

 

“Is it a group or an individual.”

 

The man’s lips, with alcohol dripping down, twitched.

 

“…Hwan…”

“Aren’t you on probation right now? You shouldn’t be causing trouble, should you?”

 

I deliberately provoked him by showing the red marks he had made on my neck.

 

“…You… that… how did you…?”

 

Of course I took a shot in the dark.

I hit the mark.

Even if I had been wrong, deceiving someone this drunk would be easier than eating cold porridge.

 

“Where is Shin Da-ye?”

 

When I kept pressing him to the end, the man finally opened his mouth, panting with alcohol-soaked breath.

 

“…Hwan.”

“Who is that?”

“…010… ■■■■… ■■■■…”

 

It was a number.

Someone’s mobile phone number.

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