Episode 10
Ji-won was puzzled.
Why would Attorney Seo Jae-guk recommend her to this elderly man?
Then it dawned on her. The address of her office was printed at the bottom of Seo Jae-guk’s business card. He had once asked for her address to send her some books and jotted it down on the card.
It must have fallen out of her pocket, and the grandfather had picked it up by chance and come looking for her.
Too embarrassed to admit he’d just shown up uninvited, he probably claimed he was referred.
Regardless of the reason, the old man had come to her in need of legal help.
“Just a moment, please.”
Ji-won placed the items she’d brought from her bag onto the desk. When she sat a worn teddy bear on a chair, the elderly man asked,
“Miss Lawyer, are you married?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because you’ve got a kid’s toy with you.”
“Oh, this? This is my treasure.”
“Treasure?”
“Kind of like a good luck charm? It was a gift from the person I love most in the world.”
Ji-won gently stroked the bear’s head and sat down across from the old man.
“So, what brings you here today, sir?”
“Haa…”
With a deep sigh, the man’s face twisted in pain.
Was he scammed into buying some health supplements? Sometimes, people who had fallen victim to malicious multi-level marketing schemes came to Ji-won’s office. If not that, maybe he had signed up for a ridiculous mobile plan by mistake.
Often, older people felt ashamed when others found out they’d been duped, so they tended to keep it to themselves. Ji-won figured he was the same and decided to wait until he was ready to talk.
“My name’s Min Hak-gi.”
“Oh, I see. That’s a wonderful name.”
Smiling, Ji-won jotted down his name on a blank sheet of paper.
Min Hak-gi.
The name rang a bell.
Ah, now she remembered. The chairman of the Hakseong Group—a major client of Daeseoyang Law Firm—was also named Min Hak-gi.
Same name, but clearly not the same person. The man before her looked far too shabby.
“They say the heart changes from when you go into the restroom to when you come out, but my kids stripped me of all my wealth and now act like I don’t even exist.”
He pounded his chest with a clenched fist, overcome with frustration.
“They promised me—once I passed my assets on—they’d rotate me between the homes of my eldest, my second son, and my daughter, each for three months. Then they’d even send me abroad for the remaining months. But now, they’ve completely cut ties and even moved without telling me.”
“Oh my goodness.”
Ji-won shook her head, full of pity. So they had accepted his wealth and then abandoned their duty to care for him.
People often wonder how children can do that to their parents, but sadly, many elderly clients came to her with similar stories.
“They don’t even pick up my calls anymore.”
“That must be so painful. Have you eaten?”
“Not a bite. Since last night, I’ve only had a bottle of yogurt.”
No wonder he had seemed so feeble, crouched on the stairs. That image had stuck with her. He hadn’t even had a proper meal. Ji-won clucked her tongue and stood up.
She picked up her phone and immediately called a local soup restaurant.
“Hello, could you deliver a bowl of gukbap (rice soup)?”
It was past mealtime, so the restaurant owner gladly agreed to deliver one.
“Sir, let’s continue the consultation after your food arrives.”
“I don’t have any money. Why are you ordering me soup without asking?”
“I’m buying it for you.”
“Why?”
“Well, just because…”
She didn’t want to hurt his pride by saying it was out of pity, so Ji-won quickly made something up.
“There’s a gukbap place inside the market nearby that’s really delicious. I go there all the time, and I wanted others to try it too. Consider it a promotional sample—just enjoy it and spread the word for me.”
“You mean it’s free?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a kind young lady.”
“I hear that a lot, actually. Shall we continue our talk while we wait for the soup?”
“Sure.”
“You said you have two sons and one daughter, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“You mentioned you gave them your assets. Was it property?”
“Here, take a look.”
The grandfather gestured for the pen in Ji-won’s hand. Once she passed it to him, he began writing out a list of the assets he had handed over.
<Mokdong building, Cheongdam building, 50-pyeong apartment in Apgujeong, villa… stocks, savings.>
As she read through the list of assets, Ji-won tilted her head.
Is this for real?
Is he pulling my leg?
But he was a potential client, so she couldn’t afford to be suspicious. Ji-won decided to treat everything the man said from now on as the absolute truth.
“The worthless brats bled me dry—not just my fortune, but all the money I gave them to cover their failed businesses, and even the funds they begged for after being conned. With that amount, they could’ve built at least ten 63 Buildings!”
“You gave away all this real estate and cash, and they just turned their backs on you?”
“That’s right!”
“Wow, that’s beyond shameless.”
“That’s why I’m here, talking to you!”
“If they weren’t your kids, I’d curse them out right now. I’m barely holding it in.”
“Calling them my kids is an insult to the word. I’d have been better off picking up a rock from the street and raising it.”
“Exactly. They’re worse than rocks.”
Ji-won clicked her tongue at the children’s betrayal.
If someone gave her even one building in Mokdong, she’d devote her life to them. This was exactly why some people just shouldn’t be too rich.
The thought of those spoiled kids abandoning their father after receiving so much made her blood boil.
“Ji-won, you have no legal mind. If you want to be a lawyer, you need legal reasoning—not gangster reasoning. You can’t just solve everything with your fists and call yourself a lawyer. That makes you a thug.”
One of her law school professors had once said that.
Ji-won was more emotional than rational. Rather than staying calm and composed while listening to her clients, she would often get riled up with them—or even more enraged. Like now.
“Sir, if you want to go up against your kids, you’ll need to steel yourself.”
“I’m ready.”
“Ungrateful children like this need a harsh lesson. Back in the day, people like that would’ve been flogged after being tied to a mat. The world’s gotten too soft.”
As Ji-won’s voice rose in anger, the old man furrowed his brow.
“In the Joseon Dynasty, children who neglected their parents were even executed!”
“Miss Lawyer.”
“…Yes?”
“Why are you badmouthing my children? I came for a consultation, not to have you insult my kids.”
“…”
Ji-won was momentarily speechless. But she was quick on her feet. Rather than seasoned, she was someone who had learned to survive on sheer instinct—especially in awkward or disadvantageous situations.
To put it bluntly, she was great at slipping away like a mudfish when things got rough.
“I got too immersed in your story and overstepped. Thinking about it, your children might have their own side of the story. If it’s okay with you, would you let me talk to them first?”
“You want to meet my kids?”
“It’d benefit me if you sued them, sure. I’d get a retainer and a victory bonus. But in life, it’s always best to talk things out rather than go straight to legal action, don’t you think?”
“You’re not wrong. But then what will you live on?”
“I’ll just dig up some dirt and live on that, haha.”
Ji-won laughed awkwardly.
Rrrrrrr…
At that moment, her phone on the desk vibrated. Ji-won got up to answer it.
It was Tae-jung.
She hesitated. Should she pick it up or not? Knowing him, if she didn’t, he’d just keep calling until she did. So she finally answered.
“Yes, Tae-jung?”
Hearing Ji-won’s soft voice as she answered the call, the old man stretched his neck and craned his head, trying to listen in.
