Chapter 88 – Every Crime Has a Loophole

At the unexpected answer, Bang Ki-yong began to contemplate how he should treat this new attorney.

The beginning of the case.

When the police barged in to arrest Bang Ki-yong, his mother appointed an attorney faster than anyone else.

But the problem was what came next.

The attorney from the famous law firm appointed early on, and the veteran attorney whom they separately sought advice from, all said the exact same thing.

‘To get a suspended sentence, it is better to admit to the assault at least.’

But he could not admit it. Since he could not say he beat him when he did not beat him.

Another attorney said to state an alibi in that case, but he could not do that either.

That was something his pride really did not allow.

It was the reputation as a hockey player that he had achieved through hard work in the meantime. Of all times, this incident was about to make everything, his life, collapse.

Bang Ki-yong’s mind and heart were both complicated. He shook his head with a gloomy expression, then soon bowed his head.

“Mr. Bang Ki-yong. I am going to ask you about ten questions.”

Bang Ki-yong raised his face.

“Questions? I have already answered them all to the other attorneys, though?”

His voice sounded like that of a grumbling child.

As if Bang Ki-yong’s answer did not matter much, Geum Nae-yeong familiarly spread the materials he had brought onto the table in his own pattern.

“They are them, and I am me. And I will not ask the questions that the previous attorneys asked. Because I have already figured out all the statements you made before.”

Bang Ki-yong was uncomfortable with Geum Nae-yeong’s self-confident attitude. So, he spat out words as if sarcastic.

“No, there are so many contents you took in the meantime, how do you memorize all that? And can you guarantee what questions were asked and that they don’t overlap? What, are you a genius or something?”

“Yes. I am close to a genius. Both in intelligence tests and in my own self-awareness, it is so.”

At the firm answer that was like a cut of a knife, Bang Ki-yong’s words were instantly blocked, and he only blinked his eyes.

‘…Who on earth did Mom recruit? The feeling is completely different from the attorneys who came before…’

Geum Nae-yeong immediately continued his questions.

“The victim, that is, your classmate, Mr. Jeong Seok-min… have you ever beaten him?”

“Yes?? …Why do you ask that as soon as you see me? Anyway, I really didn’t beat him. Not even a single blow.

Because… at that time, I wasn’t even in the dormitory.”

“Then, if not the dormitory, where exactly were you, Mr. Bang Ki-yong?”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, Bang Ki-yong’s face stiffened.

“…I can never tell you that.”

“The most important thing in this case is where you were, Mr. Bang Ki-yong, at the very day and time when the assault is presumed to have occurred. If you do not say that, no matter how hard you try, a verdict of not guilty will never come out.”

Geum Nae-yeong said in a cold tone.

“And if there is no admission or confession regarding the crime at all, a bail application is practically difficult. You must admit at least a part of the public prosecution facts to discuss bail or leniency.

In the current situation, the right to remain silent is not a factor that acts advantageously.”

Bang Ki-yong contemplated for a moment and then asked carefully.

“But do attorneys… that duty of confidentiality… do they really keep it? You could just talk about what I said to your parents, or… girlfriend, or… friends, right?”

Geum Nae-yeong immediately nodded.

“Both of my parents are alive, but they have absolutely no interest in my work.

Currently, they are running a pork bulgogi restaurant and preparing for the certified real estate exam together under my supervision. They are probably spending the most rewarding, yet difficult and busy time of their lives. Therefore, they will not have the slightest interest in your alibi, Mr. Bang Ki-yong.

And I currently do not have a girlfriend. Friends… I haven’t had a single one from 15 years ago until now.”

Bang Ki-yong’s expression distorted strangely.

“…You don’t have friends? An attorney?”

Geum Nae-yeong did not even blink.

“Does an attorney need to have many friends?”

Bang Ki-yong thought for a moment, then nodded and muttered in a small voice.

“…That is true.”

“The most important thing right now is that if the alibi is not proven, all circumstances will have no choice but to flow very disadvantageously for you, Mr. Bang Ki-yong.

No matter how famous a former high-ranking official attorney you appoint, a verdict of not guilty will not come out.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s firm words, Bang Ki-yong tightly closed his mouth. The confrontation between the two people across the meeting room table continued for a while.

A few minutes later. Bang Ki-yong let out a deep sigh and then opened his mouth.

“Well… I don’t know if you heard… but my father… is the chairman of a construction company…”

“Yes. I heard. That you are an out-of-wedlock child.”

“…Yes? …Ah… well, that’s true. Out-of-wedlock… I think it was like that since I was young, from when I could remember. On that side, the wife’s side, ignored us immensely.

That’s why Mom probably wanted to be acknowledged. At some point, she caught the first-place sickness. As I understood Mom, at some point, I also wanted to get first place.

Well… since you must have studied well, Attorney, you know the feeling of wanting to get first place, right?”

At Bang Ki-yong’s confession, Geum Nae-yeong stared blankly at him.

“Unfortunately, I do not know what the feeling of wanting to get first place is. Because I have always only gotten first place.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s short answer, the man stared back at him and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Pfft… What is this? Is that your original concept, Attorney? Or do you earn money by being unlikable or something?”

“I do not know what concept this is, but I earn money by conducting meetings and resolving cases like I am doing now.”

Bang Ki-yong stared blankly at Geum Nae-yeong for a long time, then nodded like someone who had made a decision.

‘What is it… with this attorney? His tone is so full of himself… but strangely, something is a bit different.

There is no feeling of smiling on the outside while chewing on me on the inside like other people.

He doesn’t decorate his words for no reason either… How should I put it… Something is different from other people…’

Bang Ki-yong slid his hand and picked up a pen.

And on a corner of the documents Geum Nae-yeong had brought, he wrote a word with the pen.

Nebido

Seeing those characters, Geum Nae-yeong nodded as if he understood the meaning at once.

“You mean you went to get a male hormone injection out of a desire to get first place?”

Bang Ki-yong hurriedly blocked Geum Nae-yeong’s mouth.

“Aish… Speak quietly… It’s a secret…”

“Is it because of this reason that you cannot talk about the alibi?”

“That’s right. But this will sound like an excuse, but it was really the first time. The match wasn’t far off… I really wanted to do well.

To meet the person I got to know through the internet that day… So… the other attorneys said that in this state, at least a suspended sentence would come out.

But they said that if I get about a fine… I can get suspended from matches for a few months and continue doing sports… Is a fine possible?”

Hearing Bang Ki-yong’s words, Geum Nae-yeong quickly simulates the possible cases in his head, as if previewing the trial in advance.

Geum Nae-yeong’s gaze shook slightly for a moment.

And as if something caught his attention, he immediately turned to a document.

“Looking at the documents, there is one coach… What is his tendency?”

“Coach Park?”

Bang Ki-yong thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Well… he loves results immensely. If we don’t get first place, he gives us physical punishment, he likes alcohol… although it’s a small amount of money, he also subtly pockets the training expenses. But since other directors all do about that much…”

Geum Nae-yeong scribbled a checkmark on a piece of paper.

“Is he a person who tends to lie well?”

It was a straightforward question.

Bang Ki-yong blanked out for a moment and then answered lightly.

“There is no… reason for him to lie to us. We are just students. The coach and director are our leaders.

Coach Park is a person for whom his own success is very important.

He enjoys gaining fame through good results, and his training method is completely military-style FM.”

“It seemed so. Looking at the materials, he looked quite meticulous. The training log is also written cleanly and accurately.

The statement at the police station also fits together perfectly before and after… According to my analysis, it felt like his education method would also be quite strict.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, Bang Ki-yong smiled subtly.

‘Oh… he really checked everything before coming? Knowing even Coach Park’s style… what is he? This guy.’

Geum Nae-yeong closed the documents and continued speaking calmly.

“I have asked all the questions. The core parts are confirmed… In the end, what you want, Mr. Bang Ki-yong, is to get a good result without revealing your actions of that day in detail, right?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

The man nodded as if filled with expectation.

“You know that is naturally nonsense, right?

A contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. In other words, it means it is paradoxical, like a smart fool or hot iced Americano.”

“Yes?”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, Bang Ki-yong once again showed an absurd expression.

“Anyway, if I have more questions, I will come to visit you again.”

After finishing the visit like that, Geum Nae-yeong left the meeting room.

And as soon as he returned to the office, he opened his laptop and began writing the defense counsel’s opinion statement.

***

A few days later.

The first public trial date of the Bang Ki-yong assault and injury case.

“The place where the assault occurred was the bed inside the dormitory of the defendant, Bang Ki-yong.

The victim, Jeong Seok-min, after being assaulted there several times, was left in an unconscious state until another sports department classmate found him.

Therefore, he is currently hospitalized in the intensive care unit and has not regained consciousness.

Since the defendant, Bang Ki-yong, did not take any rescue measures even after committing the assault, it is judged that there was significant intent.”

The prosecutor glances toward the defendant’s seat. Each time, the facial muscles of Bang Ki-yong stiffened hard.

As if enjoying that reaction, the prosecutor raised his head several times to test his expression. Even in the midst of that, Geum Nae-yeong slowly scanned the spectator seats with a completely unconcerned face.

It was a gaze that seemed to have more interest in something else than the trial itself.

After the prosecutor’s statement of the public prosecution facts ended, it became Geum Nae-yeong’s turn.

‘A way to get a verdict of not guilty… without revealing the day’s actions…’

After checking the documents again, Geum Nae-yeong stood up from his seat for the defense.

On the first public trial date, mostly, the prosecutor asks if the defendant admits to the charges regarding the public prosecution facts, and states all the facts described in the indictment.

And after that, the examination of evidence takes place.

The examination of evidence, simply put, is a procedure of stating opinions on whether to ‘agree or disagree’ with the evidence submitted by the prosecutor, and deciding whether that evidence can actually be read in court.

In a criminal trial, this stage is virtually the first button.

From here, the scope of the trial is organized, and who the real culprit is and which statement is believable begin to show their outlines little by little.

Let’s reduce the category from here.

Who the real culprit is…

“The defendant’s defense counsel states the opinion regarding the admissibility of the evidentiary documents submitted by the prosecutor as follows.

Disagreement with the interrogation protocol (Park Il-nam), disagreement with the written statement (Jeong Chan-woo), and also disagreement with the interrogation protocol (Park Il-nam, 2nd round).”

Watching Geum Nae-yeong continue his defense while disagreeing with the admissibility of Coach Park and witness Jeong Chan-woo’s statements among the evidence submitted by the prosecutor, the presiding judge tilted his head.

‘No, if he is defending, he should look at my side or the prosecutor’s side, why is he looking at the spectator seats… Attorneys these days, really, what are they learning before coming. Tsk tsk.’

Geum Nae-yeong soon turned his body, looked at the judge’s bench, and continued.

“In addition, to prove the reason for disagreement, we apply for a witness interrogation of Coach Park Il-nam, who is a witness in this case.”

The presiding judge contemplated for a moment, then soon nodded, pulled the microphone, and spoke.

“Then… we will stop the first public trial here, and proceed with the witness interrogation on the next date.”

As the presiding judge accepted the application for a witness, the trial concluded. Geum Nae-yeong nodded as if he had some plan.

‘Every crime has a loophole. A perfect crime… such a thing does not exist.’