Chapter 87 – The Character for ‘Patience’ Five Times

“Oh Hye-rin, reservation for 4:30 PM.”

The woman who entered the office spoke her name bluntly to the information staff, standing crookedly without even taking off her sunglasses.

“…Oh Hye-rin… Yes, it has been confirmed. You may go up by elevator.”

Following the staff’s guidance, she headed to the elevator together with a man who appeared to be a chauffeur.

Click.

As soon as the door closed, the woman muttered in a low voice.

“It’s not as large-scale or nice as I thought… Well, a solid place is better than a famous law firm that is easily exposed…”

Before she could even finish talking to herself, the elevator stopped. She walked out of the elevator with a haughty stride. In front of the door, a tall, well-dressed young female employee was waiting for her.

“You are Ms. Oh Hye-rin, right? Please come this way. Since the preceding consultation hasn’t finished yet, we will guide you immediately if you wait for about 15 minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes?”

At those words, Oh Hye-rin’s brow furrowed slightly.

“I arrived in time for the appointment, why do I have to wait?”

“Yes. I am sorry, customer. But legal consultations do not end exactly at a precise time. That is why we informed you in advance that there might be some waiting.”

The woman twitched her lips as if to argue right away, but suddenly, the words of a member of the Gangnam Lions Club Yeorok Society, who introduced this place to her, occurred to her.

“I don’t know what it is, but the staff and the lawyer are a bit… eccentric. They are quite strange, but they are also quite capable.

I paid a total of 10.1 million won for the litigation cost. That amount of money is practically free.”

“Oh? But what is the 100,000 won?”

“That’s why they are eccentric. Other places asked for more than 10 million won for the retainer fee alone, you know?

But here, they asked for a 100,000 won retainer, and a 10 million won contingency fee if we win.

But the reason is even stranger. They said the reason they charge cheap is because it’s an too easy lawsuit to win… Absurd, right?

I left it half in doubt… but my goodness, they actually won it?

So I didn’t give a single penny to that fox-like former daughter-in-law.”

The acquaintance said that in the process of divorcing her son, she settled the opponent who had filed a tens of billions of won lawsuit here for 10.1 million won.

Oh Hye-rin had already finished consulting at a famous law firm known for doing well. The consultation result was bleak.

‘Other places said imprisonment or probation cannot be avoided… maybe they will say something different here…

Right… if there is another possibility, I can tolerate the unpleasantness a bit. It is a matter concerning my son’s life… Drawing ‘patience’ once.’

The woman suppressed the anger that was about to rise and sat quietly in a corner of the consultation room.

A moment later.

“Ms. Oh Hye-rin, please go in.”

“Ah, alright. Driver Kim, stay here for a moment.”

Click, clack.

Following the guidance, Oh Hye-rin, who entered the office, sat on the consultation chair. The man who was turning the documents in front of the working desk walked to the table.

“Hello. I am Geum Nae-yeong.”

The moment she looked up at him.

Oh Hye-rin’s eyes shook greatly.

‘What… he is way too young compared to what I thought? His face is handsome and he looks normal… why on earth did they say he is strange? Rather, since he lacks experience, it doesn’t seem like he’d be good at trials…’

Oh Hye-rin looked at Geum Nae-yeong with suspicious eyes, but it did not take long for her short-lived doubt to shatter.

And she also soon realized why she had to whisper ‘patience’ five times in her mind.

Oh Hye-rin handed the documents she brought to Geum Nae-yeong.

Flip, flip.

Geum Nae-yeong quickly turned the case materials. And while scanning them familiarly with his eyes, he simultaneously began his analysis.

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Indictment

Case Number: 20**Hyeong-je No. 15820

Addressee: Seoul Central District Court

Subject: Indictment

The prosecution is instituted as follows.

Defendant: Bang Ki-yong (03123-3201245)

Occupation: University Student (Hockey team athlete)

Charge: Assault Causing Injury

Applicable Law: Criminal Act Article 262, Article 260 Paragraph 1…

────────────────

“So your son is an athlete… and is on trial on charges of assaulting a junior? But since the beginning of the investigation… he has been refusing any statement regarding his movements on that day.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, the woman nodded silently. Geum Nae-yeong stared intently at Oh Hye-rin, then threw a single question.

“By the way, first. Are you also in a situation where you need a consultation due to being a victim of violence?”

At the sudden question, Oh Hye-rin creased her brow and tilted her head.

“Pardon??? What… what do you mean by that?”

“Yes. If there are no particular issues with social interactions, there is no reason to wear sunglasses in a consultation room where only two people are present. That’s why I asked if you were trying to hide signs of being assaulted.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, Oh Hye-rin slowly took off her sunglasses and proudly raised her chin.

“…I am Kim Hye-rin.”

She brought up her real name.

“Yes. What do you mean?”

“I am the actress Kim Hye-rin.”

Geum Nae-yeong blinked his eyes once and then spoke calmly.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Were we acquainted?”

The moment she heard that.

Oh Hye-rin, no, Kim Hye-rin’s mouth opened slightly.

‘What? He doesn’t know me? He dares not know me? No, even granting that such a thing could happen in one-in-a-million chances, he says it openly like this???’

At that moment, the acquaintance’s warning echoed in her ears.

“To that lawyer, whether you curse or get angry, it will absolutely not work. So no matter what that person says, just engrave ‘patience’ five times in your mind and endure it.”

‘Right… let’s endure just five times… ‘Patience’… now twice.’

“No… I’m the Kim Hye-rin of the movie ‘Drama and Life.’ Because I was concerned about other people’s attention, I wrote a different last name for the reservation.”

At those words, Geum Nae-yeong tilted his head slightly.

“Hmm… anyway, what kind of job you have has no connection with this consultation. And looking at it earlier, our staff member also failed to recognize who you were at all.

So you may rest assured. Since the client’s occupation is not information immediately required for this consultation, you do not need to speak of it.

And there is also a possibility that you, Ms. Kim Hye-rin, are not as famous as you think you are.”

Geum Nae-yeong finished speaking and wore his unique expressionless smile of the corners of his mouth, and hearing those words, she muttered softly inside.

‘Patience’… three times.’

Geum Nae-yeong continued speaking while turning the materials.

“I must review the case materials more. Since it is a criminal case, it is difficult to conclude and tell you the outcome right now… Hmm…”

Geum Nae-yeong, who was turning the documents again, stopped his finger in front of one sentence.

“By any chance… is there no father? I am asking to see if there is any part to use as grounds for favorable circumstances. For example, having a career that makes a social contribution, or the bond with the son, etc.”

At the unexpected question, Kim Hye-rin’s expression shook again.

The fact that she was the mistress of a certain conglomerate chairman was a fact known to all of South Korea.

Because Kim Hye-rin had to retire at the peak of her career as an actress due to the scandal with the chairman, and if this lawyer didn’t know that fact… she had to explain everything again.

Kim Hye-rin spoke after a silence.

“…Ah… yes. That… it’s Bang Jung-su, Chairman of Tojae Construction. This child’s father.”

“Ah, I see.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded with an indifferent tone.

“Then it would be good to receive a consultation together later. There are also details to put in the petition.”

At those words, Kim Hye-rin hesitated for a moment, and then carefully spoke.

“The father’s side doesn’t know about this case yet. I want it to pass quietly. Because if that side’s family finds out… they will try to find fault again.”

“That side’s family?”

“…..”

“Yes… well… that’s how life turned out. I can’t think of the word. I don’t know how to explain… somehow I and that person, who is in a married state… became tied by fate and came to live like this.”

As Kim Hye-rin slurred her words, Geum Nae-yeong asked again.

“Hmm… if I understood correctly, a bigamous de facto marriage relationship? Or a mistress? Or an adulterous partner who keeps having an affair while the wife has not yet perceived it… are you speaking of such a relationship?”

A question that pointed it out so precisely. Geum Nae-yeong’s words stabbed her chest.

Kim Hye-rin glared at Geum Nae-yeong in an instant.

‘…….Patience’… four times.’

“Excuse me, just let it pass roughly. Seriously… I don’t know what relationship I should say I have in legal terms. Do I have to say all of that one by one? I came for a consultation because I don’t know the law well.”

At that irritated response, Geum Nae-yeong nodded.

“Ah, I see. In that case, I will tell you how you should speak. When explaining family relations, if you say ‘bigamous de facto marriage relationship,’ ‘adulterous partner,’ or ‘child born out of wedlock,’ legal professionals will understand immediately.”

After finishing speaking, he quietly wrote down the information in the consultation sheet.

* Overlapping de facto marriage relationship (mother’s side) special notes: Lacks knowledge and fails to explain her own marital status clearly.

Kim Hye-rin’s irritated voice popped out unintentionally.

“Ah, seriously!!! Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t know that? Are you kidding me right now…?”

But at the same time, the words of the woman who had given the advice flashed in her mind.

“Don’t ever speak informally just because you’re angry!”

“Why?”

“It only makes your mood worse. So anyway, whatever sound he makes, just press down and endure five times!”

Kim Hye-rin clenched her teeth inside.

‘Patience’… five times. Right… rather than getting faulted by that side’s family, let’s try to end it well quietly somehow. Just think of my son…’

While Kim Hye-rin was suppressing her anger, Geum Nae-yeong spoke calmly, leaving a record in the consultation sheet.

“Since your son is currently in detention… I will visit him first and set the direction.

Currently, it looks disadvantageous because a witness exists. I will meet your son, analyze the materials further, and speak to you again.”

When Geum Nae-yeong said he would take the case, a short sigh burst from the woman’s mouth.

‘It was at the limit now… but once I drew ‘patience’ exactly five times, it ended. …Yes, I endured well.’

After Kim Hye-rin finished the consultation and went back.

Geum Nae-yeong said, handing the organized materials to Ju Yong-hae.

“Office Manager Ju, please apply for a visitation for this person. It would be good to go around tomorrow afternoon.”

Ju Yong-hae, looking into the documents, muttered softly while drafting the visitation application.

‘Assault causing injury… the case is a bit large…’

***

The next afternoon.

The defense visitation room of the Seoul Detention Center.

Geum Nae-yeong was sitting at one side of a shabby table, turning the case documents, and organizing the questions to ask in his head again.

Soon, click.

Along with the sound of the door opening, someone walked inside.

Cropped hair, sun-tanned face.

Although his body was sturdy like a young athlete, his gait and expression were somewhat unrefined.

A gaze hiding and pretending in order to force himself to look strong.

Even so, he did not make eye contact with Geum Nae-yeong.

Geum Nae-yeong bowed his head slightly first.

“Hello. I am Attorney Geum Nae-yeong.”

The man heard the greeting but paused for a moment, and then sat roughly on the chair, throwing words bluntly to Geum Nae-yeong who looked young.

“…How old are you?”

Geum Nae-yeong looked at him and said impassively.

“I was retained as your counsel, I didn’t come to have a blind date. My personal information is something the client has no need to know.”

“…Pardon?”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s firm answer, the man’s eyes went round.