Chapter 38 – Surely You Didn’t Forget Me

Hanyong High School teachers’ office.

“Teacher, here are the collected assignments.”

“Right. Well done. Leave it there. Oh, and distribute these supplementary textbooks to the kids.”

Shim Tae-yun, who was tasked with the errand, set down the homework collected from the class on the homeroom teacher’s desk and picked up the supplementary textbooks.

At that time, the conversation of teachers heard from the next seat.

“Wow, why is this guy Geum Nae-yeong in the humanities department? With this score, he should have gone to the science department.”

“It seems he made up his mind firmly after getting hurt badly last time. Why, there isn’t a single wrong answer this time either.”

When those words caught his ears, Shim Tae-yun’s heart sank.

Since before, his father had only one wish.

“Tae-yun. Seeing you get first place in the whole school. That is my wish.”

He put blood-sweating efforts into that wish. But the reality was cruel.

Although he did tutoring for all subjects and made efforts sleeping only two or three hours a day, he could not defeat Geum Nae-yeong at all.

‘Geum Nae-yeong, if only you weren’t here… I would be first place.’

Walking down the hallway with slumped shoulders while clutching the supplementary textbooks to his chest, he saw Geum Nae-yeong walking from the opposite side.

The guy who couldn’t even make it to the top ten in the school until the beginning of his freshman year suddenly appeared one day with a bandage wrapped around his head and began to monopolize the first place in the school.

Instantly, strength went into the hand holding the textbooks.

A detestable guy.

The fellow who made the label ‘eternal second place’ stick in front of Shim Tae-yun’s name.

“Hey, Brain Surgery!”

Without him knowing, his voice blurted out. Geum Nae-yeong turned his head.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah. You. Brain Surgery.”

“…It’s been a long time since I had surgery and recovered.”

A calm face. That indifferent expression rather stimulated anger.

“Hey, you look down on me, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Forget it, you idiot! Do you think you would know how I feel!”

An anger like a single-word confession. However, Geum Nae-yeong did not say anything and stared blankly at Shim Tae-yun.

“…Never mind… just go on your way. Don’t glare at me. Who would even remember someone like the eternal second place…”

Shim Tae-yun walked away while muttering to himself.

“…Me.”

A short word.

Shim Tae-yun stopped his steps and looked back.

“Brain Surgery, what did you say?”

“I remember. Shim Tae-yun, second place in the school.”

‘What does that mean?’

Shim Tae-yun tilted his head and asked again.

“What do you remember about me?”

Geum Nae-yeong calmly continued speaking.

“Who is following, how much they are catching up to me… The first place always remembers. The second place.

But who is the third place in the school?”

At the sudden question, Shim Tae-yun replied unconsciously.

“…Probably… Kim Jin-ho?”

“See. You remember too. The guy chasing you closest. I am the same. I don’t know who the third place is, but I know well who is behind me. The guy who makes me study. That’s why I remember you.”

Shim Tae-yun was speechless and remained silent.

Geum Nae-yeong added.

“Though… in the end, I will still be first place.”

“…Annoying bastard. Show-off until the end.”

Geum Nae-yeong walked away showing his back without even responding.

However, that one word changed Shim Tae-yun’s life.

The position of ‘eternal second place’ that felt only miserable.

That was the seat of the one and only competitor acknowledged by the first place in the school, who had felt only overwhelming.

***

Knock, knock,

“Lawyer, a person claiming to be a friend has come to see you.”

Geum Nae-yeong said flatly.

“A friend? …I have no friends.”

Cha Ra-ri nodded as if to say, ‘As expected.’ She went out and conveyed it exactly to the waiting man.

“Our attorney says… he has no friends.”

Hearing those words, the man burst into a big laugh.

“Hahaha! If you say Shim Tae-yun from Hanyong High School, he will know.”

The staff walked again and entered Geum Nae-yeong’s room.

“Lawyer, he says he is Shim Tae-yun from Hanyong High School.”

Geum Nae-yeong narrowed his eyes, then nodded.

“Hanyong High… Shim Tae-yun? Ah, I remembered who it is. Although not a friend. Tell him to come in.”

Click—

Step, step.

Shim Tae-yun opened the office door and came in.

“Long time no see, Geum Nae-yeong. Surely you didn’t forget me?”

“No, I didn’t. Shim Tae-yun, second place in the school.”

“Ahahahaha! As expected, you remember. This is touching.”

“Why is that touching?”

Shim Tae-yun burst into laughter again without a word at Geum Nae-yeong’s words.

Thus, the two sat facing each other and began their conversation.

Tap.

Shim Tae-yun took out his business card and offered it.

Tay-Shim

President of InterKontinental Hotel APEC

Geum Nae-yeong, who received the business card, questioned Shim Tae-yun.

“Is this… a high position?”

“Haha! Dude, it means I manage the entire InterKontinental Hotel Asia.”

“Oh… that’s really amazing.”

“By the way, I was surprised. I was working in the US and got transferred to Korea, and when I turned on the TV at home during the holiday, your face came out.”

“Ah… yeah.”

“Anyway, Nae-yeong, you grew quite tall, and your face became handsome.”

“Yeah. You became just… an ordinary male human.”

“What’s that? Hahaha. You’re still the same. That incomprehensible way of speaking…”

“Anyway, since I also concurrently serve as the GM of the Gangnam-side hotel, come to our hotel buffet once for lunch with your staff.

I will tell the F&B department. Since it’s a five-star hotel buffet, your staff will also like it.”

“Thanks, but our staff would probably prefer sharing side dishes together in the office for lunch.”

“…Huh? …Really? Well, if you say so. Later then.”

Shim Tae-yun laughed again.

“I dropped by because I thought of you while passing in front of this place. Thank you for remembering my name.”

Geum Nae-yeong replied calmly.

“Yeah. Because I don’t forget a name once I hear it.”

“Ahahaha, that’s not what I meant… I guess it needs some explanation.”

“?”

“You always got first place in the school. Honestly, I wanted to throw away all studying at that time. The eternal second place in the school.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t catch up to you, and seeing you get perfect scores every time. Later on, I grew sick of studying.

But when I found out you thought of me as a ‘competitor’… I felt good.

So instead of giving up studying, I chose to study in the US. You wouldn’t have known because our classes were different, though.”

“No, I knew. From a certain day, the name of the second place in the school changed.”

“Hmm… As expected. Anyway, I graduated from college there, entered the hotel industry, and returned to our country like this after more than ten years. Let’s see each other often in the future.”

“Yeah, sure. Well… you can just make an appointment with the office staff and come.”

“Hahaha! You’re still the same. And by the way, we want to seek legal counsel from our hotel, would that be possible?”

At the word counsel, Geum Nae-yeong showed interest and answered immediately.

“Counsel? If it’s legal counsel, it is possible anytime. Without an appointment, contact me directly.”

“Hey! You change your attitude immediately when money talk comes up? Unbelievable. Okay. I will tell my secretary to contact you right away.”

“Yeah, sure. Understood.”

Shim Tae-yun hesitated for a moment and spoke.

“By the way… You… Park Ki-on… Ah, never mind.”

He changed the subject halfway.

“Anyway, are you going to keep appearing on TV in the future?”

“Yeah, if casting calls come in, I’ll appear.”

“Good. Then let’s see each other often. I should go now.”

Shim Tae-yun left the place with a smile.

Geum Nae-yeong put the card he handed over neatly at the very front of his card case. And he wrote ‘Counsel Case’ on a post-it and stuck it on.

***

Law Firm Gankyeok.

“Good morning, guys.”

Noh Si-an entered the office wearing the mask he always wore.

The employees greeted him awkwardly, failing to manage their expressions.

“Attorney, you had a lot of trouble doing the broadcast, didn’t you?”

“Nope, not at all. An acquaintance asked me to appear, so I just went for the experience. It was a fun experience. Haha.”

He continued speaking with a nonchalant smile.

A clueless employee asked Noh Si-an a question with a face that looked truly curious.

“But you know, that Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong of Teum. His popularity is no joke. It’s not like he’s Iron Man, and it’s not like human eyes have a zoom function… how on earth did he find that…?”

“No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t tell. How on earth did he find that out? It was truly fascinating.”

“…Oh, Deputy Jeong, that’s all a script. The writer writes it in advance.”

Noh Si-an immediately started lying.

“Oh, really? Since it was a live broadcast, I thought it was real.”

“Even if it’s a live broadcast, there is a pre-made script. Besides, having met him in person… personally, Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong’s personality is a bit…”

“Is that so? He just looked handsome on screen, but is his personality bad?”

As Noh Si-an laid out the story of his TV appearance like a heroic tale, employees gathered around one by one.

“He lacked manners. The guy had no common sense either. The associate lawyers who went with me must have seen it all. Since they said there was no catering in the waiting room, I brought some snacks and coffee, but he ignored it. He was… what should I say? Smug? What do you say in Korean?”

“Ah… perhaps celebrity disease?”

“Ah, right. Is that how you express it in Korean? He was just sitting still.”

“Oh my goodness, in reality he was bad…”

“Yes. That two-car trick was also originally in my lines… but Lawyer Geum suddenly snatched it. Really…”

“Really? That’s ridiculous. Then that was originally yours, right?”

“Oh dear. That person is really no good.”

“Sigh… because of that guy, Lawyer Noh only gets sworn at for nothing… Right now the consultation team is in a frenzy.”

“Why?”

“Prank calls are raining down. They ask to switch to ‘Juice-si-an Lawyer,’ ask ‘Where is the lawyer who said he would do pro bono defense,’ or say ‘Juice-si-an needs to be given a piece of mind,’ and then hang up.

They call you Juice-si-an, mocking you for crying while sympathizing with the victim. That’s why, why did you hold up Lawyer Noh’s card…”

“Right, I heard it too. The prank calls to the consultation team are really massive.”

“Yes, well… elementary school students must be doing it, but they’ll stop eventually…”

An employee asked Noh Si-an while watching his expression as he answered coolly.

“Lawyer Noh. Aren’t you upset?”

“Not at all. It’s just a kids’ joke. Hahaha.”

“They said the firm is entering a countermeasure meeting? There was no benefit in appearing on TV and having your card exposed…”

“Ah, is that so? I can just go in myself and state the situation at the time as it was. Thank you for worrying. Anyway, everyone, shall we go eat a steak course for lunch this week?”

Having barely settled the atmosphere with quick wit, Noh Si-an entered his office.

Click—

As the door closed, his suppressed anger exploded. Noh Si-an threw the object caught in his hand toward the sofa.

Crash!!

“Fuck… That piece of shit… How dare he call me Juice-si-an? Where does that guy get off babbling without filtering what should and shouldn’t be said.”

Noh Si-an also knew.

That endless calls were pouring into the firm and requests for pro bono defense were flooding. And that his name had become a laughing stock on the internet.

The cell phone power had been turned off for a long time. After Geum Nae-yeong exposed his business card, the world was playing with Noh Si-an like a toy.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of fun.

“Ha… how should I crush him… Wait. There was the appeal trial.”

Noh Si-an reopened the case materials where Geum Nae-yeong had won in the first instance.

“There must be a weakness somewhere.”