Chapter 3 – Joint Law Office Teum

Click.

Geum Nae-yeong logged into the Bar Association website to check the lawyer job postings.

Large law firms or the firm he was currently attending were good. There was no need to worry about taking on cases, the salary was high, and the benefits were good.

But the problem was that a lawyer could not choose cases as they pleased.

A rookie lawyer could not take on an infinite number of cases either. Going with high volume and low margin as I pleased was impossible.

Besides, when I expressed my intention to resign, Law Firm Nine had a subtly welcoming atmosphere for some reason.

Well, it was because I had never made an effort to look good to people. Maybe everyone did not like me that much deep down.

According to what they said, I was always excessively calm and cold.

Anyway, a place where I could choose my own cases like a freelancer. A place where I could take almost all of the earnings for myself after deducting a small office fee, so I searched through joint law offices.

While scrolling down with the mouse wheel to look in detail, my eyes stopped at one place, and I nodded.

“This place is decent.”

[Teum Joint Law Office seeking member attorney – Separate Account System]

Without hesitation, I submitted my resume right there.

And a phone call came soon after.

“I am the representative attorney of Teum Joint Law Office. Let’s have an interview.”

***

“Is it here?”

An old building in Seocho-dong.

It was not marble, nor a glass facade, but just a place with a vertical wooden signboard attached to an old metal sign.

In the run-down building, it was an office where the traces of time were felt.

[Joint Law Office Teum]

Geum Nae-yeong adjusted his tie in front of it. Then, he pulled out a worn notebook from his inner pocket.

On the cover, text written in ballpoint pen.

[Response Manual]

Opening the notebook, he looked inside.

“Good, today is Type A response.”

Interview Response Manual A

☑ If the opponent smiles, I smile too.

☑ For questions, only the prepared answers. Ask no counter-questions.

☑ No talking a lot for no reason.

☑ For smiles, only the corners of the mouth, eyes still.

High school days. After the psychiatrist’s ‘offshoot’ remark.

Mother began to busy herself going around the neighborhood library and bookstore to find out about my symptoms.

That was how Mother and I created this notebook together.

In other words, it was my survival secret note.

Interviews, blind dates, senior’s birthday parties, and so on.

Every time a moment requiring social skills among people arose, this notebook appeared without fail.

Because it was hard for me to distinguish between answers people liked and answers they disliked.

If I said everything I wanted to say, most people would watch their step or subtly avoid me.

When I entered law school, there were times when the civil procedure professor looked at me as if to say ‘this guy seems a bit strange,’ but since my grades were always at the top, he just ignored it and moved on.

My peers sometimes laughed, saying I had superpowers or that my way of speaking was weird.

Well, it was a common thing.

Nevertheless, my character and personality were normal. It was just that something about me seemed a bit uncomfortable to others.

Anyway, thanks to this notebook, I could now mimic emotions I did not have quite naturally.

Step. Step.

Geum Nae-yeong walked inside the building.

“I am Geum Nae-yeong, scheduled for the 2 o’clock interview today.”

The reception desk of Teum Joint Law Office.

The employee, Im Seon-hui, raised her head at the sound of the door opening.

And at that moment, her eyes went wide.

Joint Law Office Teum.

Although it was called ‘Joint’, in reality, it was a small office where attorneys with a lot of experience and even more age worked on small, minor cases.

It was not a place where flashy and media-focused cases like in large law firms came in, nor was it a place crowded with energetic young interns.

Just a place where elderly attorneys sat quietly, exchanging nagging and coffee, aging as they approached retirement.

But,

‘He is so, so handsome···.’

The man who opened the door and entered was tall with a model-like body, and had a handsome face that looked slightly cold. He was an extraordinary beauty.

Such a handsome man is a lawyer? Moreover, an applicant?!

The employee momentarily recalled the words she heard yesterday.

‘I heard a new lawyer is coming for an interview tomorrow.’

Looking only at the name, she had thought he would be someone over fifty···

···What is this, a celebrity? Or a model who came to shoot a corporate promotional video?

External appearance aside, he also looked very young.

As Im Seon-hui stared at the man, lost in thought, the man knit his brows slightly.

She came to her senses only then.

“…..You are Attorney Geum Nae-yeong, right? You may go to the conference room.”

“Yes.”

Behind the employee’s awkward smile, Geum Nae-yeong nodded expressionlessly and entered the conference room.

The attorneys sitting around the central table in the conference room all looked to be at least in their 60s.

‘Hmm··· just by looking, they’re all quite advanced in age. For the interview, Manual A, and smile well.’

The interview was not long. Geum Nae-yeong smiled hard, and the attorneys did not seem to want to interview him hard.

The short interview ended after asking a few personal questions.

Geum Nae-yeong when he went out, the attorneys who conducted the interview together began to talk in low voices.

“He smiles well, and there’s nothing particularly strange.”

“He said he wants to mainly handle family cases, and we aren’t sharing cases with this young man anyway.”

“It’s good to fill the vacant seat in the office. But···”

One lawyer trailed off.

“But isn’t it slightly··· strange?”

“What is?”

“Well. I can’t point it out exactly, but should I say it’s somewhat chilling? He’s smiling, but somehow···”

Attorney Seo In-ja, who had been quiet, opened her mouth. She was a female attorney whose age was clearly visible on her face, with her graying hair neatly tied into one.

“I got a call today from a junior at Nine. You know, Yun Ho-jae. You all know him, right?”

“Wait, isn’t he the representative attorney of Nine?”

“That’s right. He is good at his job, but his greed is quite….

Ah, hoho. I wasn’t trying to talk about that. He called me directly to ask to take good care of Attorney Geum Nae-yeong.”

“Hmm? The representative attorney did?”

“He said he guarantees Attorney Geum Nae-yeong’s ability himself. Though he doesn’t talk much, he smiles well.”

“Ah….Is that so? Then that’s fine, let’s accept him first. It’s good for us to have a young lawyer too.”

“His face was handsome as well. He is tall.”

“What, yes.”

The meeting ended in such a vague manner, and a few days later, Geum Nae-yeong received a call.

“Attorney Geum Nae-yeong, hello. This is Teum Joint Law Office. You can start coming to work on Monday.”

In that way, Geum Nae-yeong passed the interview and formally came to work at the office.

****

Next Monday morning.

Geum Nae-yeong headed to the office, holding coffee in his left hand and a briefcase in his right hand.

Teum Joint Law Office had not been well-lit since long ago. Because it was a building sandwiched between tall buildings, and facing north, the sun did not enter well, so the rent was cheap.

However, the employees felt that the office seemed uniquely bright today.

‘The light has settled only over there···’

‘He really is handsome···’

‘Is he really a lawyer? I thought a model came···’

Geum Nae-yeong’s first day at work.

The gazes of all the employees were focused on Geum Nae-yeong.

“Assistant Manager Kim! You go and guide him.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The person called Assistant Manager Kim approached first and greeted him.

“Attorney Geum Nae-yeong. Have you arrived at work?”

“Yes.”

“…….Haha. By the way, are your staff or office manager not coming?”

“Pardon?”

“I didn’t see an office manager. I was wondering if you weren’t hiring an office manager separately. Besides, to work, you also need to register your opening with the Bar Association.”

“Ah··· right.”

At his words, Geum Nae-yeong paused slightly.

Since the large law firm had automatically assigned staff to him, he did not even think about having to do this himself.

‘Indeed··· then I should hire an office manager.’

While standing blankly in front of him for a moment, lost in thought, he heard the sound of the office door opening nearby.

“So··· what are you going to do now?”

“I’m thinking of going down to my hometown and doing some farming.”

“Farming is good.”

Coming out of the door were Attorney Kim Chang-ung and a middle-aged man.

Attorney Kim Chang-ung spoke to the middle-aged man with a regretful look.

“Office Manager Ju. You’ve worked hard all this time. I wanted to do it for a few more years, but now that I’ve gotten old, it’s just···

I feel sorry. Manager Kim Mi-yeong will put the severance pay into your salary account around tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes···”

The man’s name was Ju Yong-hae.

He was the office manager who had shared joys and sorrows with Attorney Kim Chang-ung for 20 years.

He quietly walked to his desk and picked up a box containing his years. A few employees approached the man’s side.

“Office Manager, you’ve suffered a lot all this time. So are you really going back to the countryside to farm?”

“Yes. Thank you for everything.

Since the attorney quit and I have some age too··· well, I should prepare slowly. It’s not like I can submit my resume anywhere. Haha.”

“Indeed. You have skills, Office Manager··· Or since you have good intuition and good hand skills, how about learning something that uses your hands, like tarot or barista courses, which are popular these days?”

“Tarot, what nonsense.. Going to the countryside and farming isn’t bad. I guess my mind will be at peace.”

At his bitter expression, the employees all offered their farewells with regret.

“Then, I shall be on my way. I wish you success.”

The office manager bowed, held the box in his arms, and slowly left the office.

It was then.

Attorney Geum Nae-yeong, who had been quietly watching the scene, approached.

He lightly tapped the corner of the box Ju was holding with his index finger.

And.

“By any chance, is your title··· Office Manager?”

At the unexpected question, Office Manager Ju was taken aback.

“Ah··· yes. That’s right.”

“But, you are resigning today?”

“···Yes. Since Attorney Kim retired··· Hahaha···”

“Then, are you currently unemployed?”

“···Pardon? Well··· yes. Un, unemployed, I guess.”

The employees saw Office Manager Ju’s face distort miserably.

‘What is he saying now···’

‘To ask someone who is forced to quit if they are unemployed···’

When the air in the office froze chillingly, Geum Nae-yeong pulled out the notebook from his suit inner pocket with an expressionless face.

Geum Nae-yeong saw it.

He even saw the condition of the items in the box the office manager held, the way the files were organized, and their classification. He enlarged that scene in his mind like a photograph.

‘Old mug and office supplies. An experienced worker with inner strength. Simple but well-organized files. The chronological order and classifications are accurate. A person who has grown old in the legal field.

Moreover, the fact that he accompanied one attorney until retirement proves he is a person who has endured both the trust and distrust of his boss for a long time. Even patience. A person very suitable for me. Good.’

“Then, work with me.”

Geum Nae-yeong smiled broadly.

‘When asking a stranger, smile.’

“···Pardon??”

“You are unemployed, you have experience, and your title is office manager. Those are the conditions I am looking for. In terms of overall score… 80 points. How about coming to work at my office starting tomorrow?”

“Eigh··· eighty points? Coming to work···?”

“Yes. Put your things down here for a moment, and after you settle down, let’s talk again.”

“Uh··· uh-uh···??”

Geum Nae-yeong scribbled something in his notebook and entered his office with a satisfied smile.

Office Manager Ju Yong-hae put down the box containing his items in the empty seat in front of Geum Nae-yeong’s office and gently knocked on the door.

“Yes. Come in.”

The office manager entered and spoke.

“Excuse me··· Attorney, did you just··· hire me···”

“Yes. That’s right. You took a seat, right? I’m looking for an employment contract right now, but since there might be a corporate standard, I should ask Assistant Manager Kim.”

“Are you really··· going to hire me? Because I have quite a bit of experience··· my salary is also on the higher side.”

“Ah, the salary? Just a moment.”

Geum Nae-yeong immediately began searching.

“How much experience do you have?”

“A little over 20 years.”

“Ah. 20 years.”

“What was your original annual salary?”

“Fifty million won··· or so?”

“Ah, then I can give you about this much.”

“What???!!”

Hearing the annual salary amount Geum Nae-yeong offered, Office Manager Ju almost fell over on the spot.