Chapter 68 – Now It’s Lawyer Geum’s Turn

The next morning.

Clerk Ju Yong-hae’s face, who was taking a call while entering the office, was heavily frowning.

“Yes, yes, this child… I will scold her very severely. I am sorry, Teacher.”

Clack.

The sound of the receiver landing on the desk echoed briefly in the office.

“Ju Ha-yul, this punk…”

Since it was very rare for Ju Yong-hae to get visibly angry, Cha Ra-ri asked in a worried voice.

“Clerk, did something happen?”

“It seems Ha-yul didn’t go to class. The homeroom teacher called her mom, and since they couldn’t reach her, they called me too. Her mother said she saw her leave in the morning with her own eyes.”

“Oh my, then shouldn’t we go look for her?”

“No. While I was on the phone with the homeroom teacher, a text reply came in.”

“Where did she go instead of school?”

“She went to school in the morning, but she was so sleepy that she slept on the school bench for a bit. She says she just woke up.

Seeing that she had tons of missed calls from her mother, she was too scared to answer them, so she only texted me.”

The tactless Clerk Yeom chimed in.

“Wow, isn’t it 11 o’clock now? That’s just like Ju Ha-yul… ‘If I’m sleepy, I sleep.’ Just like this stream of consciousness, whether it’s class or whatever…

as expected, her spirit is totally general material! Hahahaha!”

Just then, the door burst open and Manager Kim Mi-yeong walked in.

Her face was bright red, showing she was extremely angry.

“I don’t know what that child is thinking of doing. She takes after her father, slacking off and really not listening.

I coddled her when she was young, and now she does whatever she wants… Will she even go to college at this rate?

She’s already a high school sophomore… and she can’t go to class because she’s sleepy? Her state of mind is really… sigh…”

Cha Ra-ri calmed Kim Mi-yeong down.

“Still, Ha-yul’s personality is bright and upright. She’ll find her own path soon. These days, it’s not like you succeed just by doing well in school, either.”

“Even so, she still has to go to college. She said she wanted to be an idol, but lately she seems to have lost interest in that too…

and she says she doesn’t have a single thing she wants to do. Sigh… I don’t know what to do with her.”

Kim Mi-yeong let out a deep sigh, looking worried.

Then, she suddenly looked at Cha Ra-ri and felt curious.

“Our Ha-yul follows you well. What were you like in high school?”

“Me… Me? Hahaha. Well, I wasn’t an exemplary student who studied hard. But my interpersonal relationships were really good.

The whole school were my friends. So, wanting to live meeting lots of people, I impulsively went to the department of tourism translation too.”

“Department of Tourism Translation? What do you learn there?”

“Me. Japanese major.”

Clerk Yeom leaned forward in curiosity.

“Then what do you learn? Japanese? Or tourism guidance?”

Cha Ra-ri smiled and spun her coffee cup around with her hand.

“Hmm… Half foreign language, half service? But when you actually graduate, there are more cafe part-time jobs than translation.”

“Then you must be good at Japanese, Ra-ri? Say just one word.”

Clerk Yeom egged Cha Ra-ri on. Cha Ra-ri laughed and said a word.

“Irasshaimase!”

“Eh? The pronunciation sounds somewhat native? Like you learned it at a udon place…”

“As a Korean! Being bad at Japanese is not even slightly, not at all embarrassing!”

Clerk Yeom said one more word.

“Hey… it just sounds like a lie because you didn’t study at all…?”

Cha Ra-ri put on a serious face.

“Nope. It’s not.”

“It’s somewhat strange, but that’s just like you, Ra-ri… Hahahaha.”

“When Ha-yul comes, I should ask you for some consultation, Ra-ri. She has to go to college no matter what.

If she has a bright social nature, she’s already halfway there in company life.”

At that moment, Deputy Kim poked his head in slightly and lowered his voice.

“By the way, did you hear?”

“What?”

“They say all the lawyers are gathering for a meeting this afternoon. I heard they are meeting about converting our office into a corporation?”

“A corporation? A law firm?”

Clerk Ju Yong-hae asked back, setting down his coffee cup.

“Why?”

“Attorney Seong wants to grow the company a bit bigger.”

“Wow… Attorney Seong also has quite the ambition.”

Clerk Yeom smirked.

“Gangyeok is holding its ground right in front, is he saying let’s have a proper showdown?

So… ‘Law Firm Gangyeok’ and ‘Law Firm Teum’ will stand side-by-side, right?”

Deputy Kim shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I don’t know the details… but apparently he wants to do it big as long as he’s doing it.”

“Then are we also becoming a completely conglomerate-level company?”

Clerk Yeom’s eyes sparkled.

However, having heard the story, Ju Yong-hae let out a sigh.

“Hey, it still feels like a dream to me. It seems like only yesterday when we detested even mentioning it, saying it was bad luck to get caught in a Gangyeok case… but we seized 1.0 billion won from them, and even set up an office proudly right across from that firm…

and now we are growing the company further? Gangyeok must be sharpening their knives… it’s too scary?”

To that, Manager Kim Mi-yeong crossed her arms and immediately retorted.

“The scariest thing is not that, but it’s scarier that your daughter is playing around like that and won’t even be able to go to college!!”

At Manager Kim Mi-yeong’s words, Ju Yong-hae pretended not to hear and turned a blind eye.

***

That afternoon.

The conference room of Law Firm Teum.

For the first time in a while, the lawyers gathered in one place.

Attorney Shin Chang-ryul asked as he flipped through the documents handed over by Attorney Seong Seok-ju.

“So, you’re saying we should convert into a law firm?”

Rustle, rustle.

“Mmh… growing the scale isn’t bad… but isn’t it true that we don’t have that much inconvenience even now?”

At Shin Chang-ryul’s words, Attorney Gil Man-uk also nodded.

“Even if young Lawyer Geum and Lawyer Seong take charge, what would change that much?

Let’s discuss it a bit more together first.”

Attorney Seo In-ja chimed in, crossing her arms.

“It’s good that the young friends have drive. However, converting to a law firm has cumbersome procedures, and we have to decide on a representative… even if you tell us to just put our names on it, that really… is not an easy task for us who are close to retirement.”

At that moment, Seong Seok-ju wore a confident smile.

“Attorneys. You do not need to worry too much.

I will take the representative position and proceed in a way that relieves your burden as much as possible.”

Thud.

“I oppose.”

Geum Nae-yeong raised his hand high.

Geum Nae-yeong stared straight at Seong Seok-ju, recalling yesterday’s ‘calculated pork belly incident.’

“The representative position is a seat decided based on skill, leadership, and career. It is not a seat that can be simply handed over under the pretext of concession.”

Instantly, the atmosphere grew tense.

Seong Seok-ju forced a laugh as he shot back at Geum Nae-yeong’s words.

“As the attorneys also know, I merely made the proposal for the convenience of the attorneys.

However, seeing you step up immediately like that… by any chance, do you covet the representative seat, Lawyer Geum?”

Geum Nae-yeong answered without any change in expression.

“Covet? I do not have such a thing as greed.

Even without that, I am naturally the best through skill.”

At those words, Gil Man-uk shrugged his shoulders and intervened.

“Ohho~ Then you’re saying the two of you are clashing over the representative position right now?”

He drew a playful smile on his lips.

“Good, if so, I have something good. Just a moment.”

Attorney Gil opened the door and called Clerk Chu Wang-cheol.

“Clerk Chu, bring that thing over. Yesterday’s property division case.”

After a moment, a thick file folder was placed on the conference table.

“This is my friend’s case, you see. It’s an inheritance property division, and it’s very troublesome. Since real estate, stocks, and businesses are all entangled, calculating the ratio is quite tricky.

But among these, the real estate part would be just perfect.

It will be a good test to see who is the appropriate person to be representative.”

At Attorney Gil’s words, the lawyers looked at the materials with interest.

Geum Nae-yeong picked up the document and spoke coldly.

“Very well. Then, let’s verify who has the qualification to be representative through skill.”

Slide.

What Attorney Gil Man-uk handed over was a sheet of land register map.

“Here, here, here, here.”

He circled on the cadastral map with a pen.

“Four brothers are going to divide this land, and the land sizes are all about the same. So they say they want to choose one each to choose to keep.

Well, it’s not a spot where a railroad or a building will come in, so financially it doesn’t have much meaning, and they say they wonder if it might become an orchard spot later.”

Geum Nae-yeong and Seong Seok-ju bowed their heads side-by-side and scanned the cadastral map.

Gil Man-uk added words, crossing his arms.

“Now, choose one each from here. The person who chooses the best land on this spot and gives a convincing reason will be the representative candidate. How about it?”

Smiles spread across the faces of the lawyers attending in the conference room. It was exciting to see who would win.

Shin Chang-ryul pointed on the map with his finger and spoke.

“This is worth looking into for fun? Ah… but they are all about the same?

Even so, we still have to give a plausible reason when recommending to a friend, right?”

Attorney Seo In-ja said with a smile.

“Interesting. Then, please choose one by one.”

At that moment, Seong Seok-ju slid the cadastral map to Geum Nae-yeong.

“I have seen it all. It is already completely in my head.”

Geum Nae-yeong accepted the cadastral map without a word, scanned it, and handed it back to him.

Seong Seok-ju smiled and opened the file folder.

He raised the corners of his mouth while scanning the land register, surrounding development plans, and even the satellite map screen.

“Choose first, Lawyer Geum.”

“I have already decided.”

Having heard Geum Nae-yeong’s reply, Seong Seok-ju laughed leisurely, crossing his arms.

“Ah, really? You’re fast. It won’t be fun if we overlap?”

Geum Nae-yeong tilted his head left and right.

“They won’t overlap. Then, please choose first.”

Seong Seok-ju spoke.

“I choose the very front.”

Geum Nae-yeong answered immediately.

“I choose the very back.”

Seo In-ja slightly tilted her head in doubt.

‘It’s not the second or third spot… Looking at it like this, it seems there’s absolutely no use for it?… Why did Lawyer Geum choose the innermost spot?’

Seong Seok-ju was certain.

‘The most valuable spot is the very front.

And next to that is the right spot attached to the field.’

Yet Geum Nae-yeong chose the very back. Land that was clearly the lowest in value.

‘Fufufu. I definitely won. The very back spot is blocked by a mountain and has a steep slope. There is no development potential, and blocked by the front land, it has no monetary value either.

…But with this… I’m dealing a blow to Lawyer Geum twice following yesterday, what if he pouts completely? Hahaha.’

At that moment, Geum Nae-yeong raised his hand.

“Wait a moment. May I apply one more condition here?”

Gil Man-uk tilted his head in doubt.

“A condition?”

“Yes. Let’s make it so the loser becomes the winner’s associate under a non-fixed term contract.”

Attorney Shin Chang-ryul waved his hand.

“Ah, why does that associate come up again. Let’s just do this for fun.”

Attorney Seo In-ja laughed and shook her head.

“Lawyer Geum, it won’t do to keep doing that kind of thing. Attorney Seong helped you for a long time.”

However, contrary to the thoughts of the other lawyers, Seong Seok-ju was already cheering inwardly.

‘Non-fixed term contract??? But it’s too certain.

Not only is there absolutely no legal problem… but even the place Lawyer Geum chose is land that cannot help but be appraised at the lowest price.

I just have to win with logic anyway if he makes unreasonable demands later.

Fine… now it is your turn to come under me, Geum Nae-yeong.’

He answered right away.

“I will do it.”

“Aigo, what do you mean do it again…”

As Seo In-ja let out a sigh, Gil Man-uk smirked and continued.

“By associate, you mean the assistant lawyer of a large firm, that’s what you’re talking about, right? Do both of you agree?”

Geum Nae-yeong and Seong Seok-ju, the two answered almost at the same time.

“Fine.”

Gil Man-uk said with satisfaction.

“Now, starting with Attorney Seong. Explain why you chose that spot.”

“Yes.”

Seong Seok-ju calmly spread out the documents and spoke.

“I would choose the very front, lot ‘San 81.’

As you can see, several lands and houses are located at the back, and there is a road on the side.

Although it looks narrow in width, humans can pass through, while agricultural machinery finds it difficult. In the countryside, in cases like this, they often use adjacent lands as passage paths free of charge.

If we secure this land, we can claim easements later. There is room to dispute legally.

As time passes, based on the fact that residents used it as a road, we can propose a purchase to the county.

At an amount much higher than the current appraised value.”

At those words, Gil Man-uk clapped his hands.

“As expected of Attorney Seong, you have good eyes. I also saw it that way.

Since the front is a spot attached to a road, there is potential.

The back could easily become landlocked.”

At his words, Seo In-ja also nodded.

Gil Man-uk looked down at the cadastral map and spoke.

“Now, it’s Lawyer Geum’s turn.”