TLWSL 03

Chapter 03….

The Lawyer Who Sees Light – Episode 003

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“So much damn stuff.”

Heave.

I was finally back home.

The scenery was different from when I had left at dawn, but nothing really caught my eye.

The boxes I’d have to carry to the law office I planned to open, so I stacked them by the entrance.

I sat down in a chair to catch my breath.

“Phew… it said earlier that the mission was completed.”

I still had some time left before dinner with my friends, so I opened the window that had popped up earlier about the mission’s completion.

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<Mission> Completed.
Would you like to claim your reward? [Y/N]

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“Of course I should.”

When I pressed Y, a photograph fluttered down through the air.

It was a black-and-white panoramic view of Seoul, estimated to be from the 1960s.

It wasn’t clear yet whether the photo represented an event, a moment in time, or just the place itself.

“I guess I’ll figure it out as I gather more evidence.”

I carefully held the piece of evidence I’d received after quitting my firm.

Evidence for a retrial tends to stack up, and sooner or later, some of it overlaps. The only thing to do is wait until then.

Still, I wanted to get an early start, so I powered up my laptop.

“I should record things one by one in advance, and cross them off later.”

Just as I resolved to treat this like any other case I’d taken on, a new notification popped up on the screen.

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[Status Window Unlocked.]

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“Hm?”

What was this now?

Before I could even think, the window unfolded in front of me.

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Cha Do-hyuk (Lawyer)

• Stamina: C

• Intelligence: A-

• Tenacity: S

• Morality: A

• ???: –

Potential Ability

• Psychometry: F

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“Stamina is only a C?”

Even when work was at its busiest, I swam at dawn every day, so I thought my stamina was solid. Apparently, I was wrong.

“Well, I was grinding over 230 hours a month—no wonder my body’s worn out.”

I nodded, relieved I’d left Continente when I did. Then my eyes fell on the potential ability.

Psychometry.

In movies, psychometry is a mysterious power where, when the ability user touches an object, they see information (the past) about its owner.

If this really worked that way, it would be an absurdly overpowered ability for solving my mother’s case.

“But… if I had this ability, why didn’t I know until now?”

Maybe because my rank was F—basically trash-tier.

Still, once I knew about it, all I had to do was level it up.

“So… how do I level up?”

Like in the movies, maybe I just needed to place the evidence photo the system had given me onto my palm and focus.

With a crackling sound, a blurry image of a young man flickered in my mind.

—Then a young woman.

Snap.

The vision cut off.

“What the… just now?”

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[Psychometry’s experience has increased.]

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That meant the ability had actually worked.

“So it really can be used, huh.”

Then, new text appeared in the air.

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[A mission has been assigned.]

<Mission>
Before September 1, 2023, find the person who visits Seoul Express Bus Terminal and take on their case.

• Success: Evidence.

• Failure: System termination.

※ You will recognize the person immediately.

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“What?”

I was dumbfounded.

“The Express Bus Terminal gets how many visitors a day? And I’m supposed to find just one person out of all of them?”

My head started spinning.

“Am I supposed to go around every day asking people if they want a free consultation with a lawyer?”

That wasn’t missionary work.

No way.

“At this rate, I might as well just open an office nearby.”

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* * *

Normally, every weekday at 9 a.m., I visited the underground shopping arcade at the Express Bus Terminal.

Toward Banpo Station—one of the less crowded areas.

Where, exactly?

That’s where my law office was.

There wasn’t even a proper signboard—just a lawyer’s badge sketched with a black marker on the frosted glass door.

To outsiders, it would make no sense why a lawyer’s office was in a basement shopping arcade.

But it was close to Seoul Central District Court and the Supreme Court.

And considering Gangnam real estate and rent prices, this place was the last line of defense.

And the perfect place to carry out the mission.

“Another wasted day? Feels like I’ve lived in this mall for two weeks, but there’s still no lead.”

I had endured until the mall’s first lights came on in the morning and the last ones went out at night, sleeping on a portable cot in the office. It had already been two weeks.

The mission said I would immediately recognize the person, but after roaming the terminal all day, every day, I’d found nothing.

“No other methods are coming to mind either.”

As I ate a quick cup of instant ramen, I clicked open the blog I had created a few weeks earlier.

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Cha Do-hyuk Law Office

<Introduction> – Korea University, Class of ’08, Law. – Passed the 54th Bar Exam. – Completed Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 46. – Former Public Interest Judicial Officer. – Former senior attorney in the High Criminal & Corporate Legal Team at *Continente*, Korea’s top law firm.

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I had written, “Even difficult cases are welcome.”

But the only “neighbors” who added me were spam bloggers, and not a single person clicked the heart.

“No comments either. And only one day left until the mission deadline. This is bad.”

I had hoped that as long as a client came to the terminal, the mission would be cleared. But it was a total bust.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’d tried every method possible over the past month.

I reached out to old clients from Continente to meet at the terminal.

I even did awkward Instagram Live legal consultations.

I patrolled the area around the terminal station daily, but the person the mission wanted simply never appeared.

“There’s just no hint. Why only the location? They could’ve at least given me gender or age.”

Click.

The clock on the desk read 2 p.m.

Was it that late already?

“Maybe I should circle the mall again.”

I stood up and put on my Zegna jacket.

It didn’t match the shabby office at all, but it was the perfect reminder of my mother.

Over ten years ago, before my third-stage bar exam interview, she had splurged to buy me this suit.

In a way, it was the last legacy she had left me.

“Hmm… maybe I’ll try Line 3 this time.”

As I opened the glass door, a wave of floral fragrance hit my nose.

The underground mall at the terminal was divided into sections by type of store, and my office was surrounded by flower shops.

Flowers lined the stands, and each store had plants lovingly cared for, so the place didn’t feel too desolate despite being underground.

“Lawyer!”

The call came almost the moment I stepped across the corridor.

It was the owner of Yeji’s Flower Shop across the way.

A middle-aged woman with permed hair neatly tied back.

I walked over to her, sitting on a plastic chair beside her stand.

“Heading somewhere?”

“Just thought I’d take a walk around the mall.”

“Oh yeah? Want me to call if someone comes by?”

“Oh, I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”

I handed her one of my newly printed business cards and continued walking.

She really is a warm-hearted person.

When I first handed out rice cakes for my office opening, she’d been wary, asking why a lawyer would set up shop here. But after I helped her out once, she opened up right away.

Compared to the other shop owners who didn’t even acknowledge me, this was incredible goodwill.

“Well, people live here too, after all.”

As I walked, I quickly scanned the people passing by.

Nothing here either. And tomorrow’s the mission deadline. This is bad.

Today was August 31.

Even though it was a weekday afternoon, the corridor toward Line 3 was swarming with people like ants chasing a fallen candy.

Why is it so packed?

I peeked around, wondering if maybe the person I was looking for might be here.

“Whoa! I think God-Gi came to take a proof shot!”

“Wow, she’s even prettier in real life. I hope she debuts!”

From what I overheard, fans of a trainee from an idol survival show had put up a subway ad. The trainee herself had come to take a photo with it, and the entire area was gridlocked.

It didn’t look like the person I was after was here, so I thought about leaving. But the crowd only grew.

This might get hard to move through.

Luckily, a staff member-looking person was guiding people along, so I shuffled slowly forward. But inside, my impatience grew.

Then suddenly, commotion erupted from one side.

“I said it’s urgent! Move already!”

“Hey!”

“Sir, you just bumped into someone. You need to apologize!”

“Yeah, you can’t just shove through people like that!”

“Sorry, kids, but I’m really busy right now!”

“And you think no one else here is busy?!”

Everyone—including the idol trainee and the fans taking photos—turned their heads toward the ruckus.

“……!”

Above the man arguing with the fans, an exclamation mark floated—just like an NPC in a game.

That’s the one the mission pointed out.

I quickly pushed my way toward the commotion.

“You’d better apologize before we call 112!”

“…What?!”

By the time I arrived, repeating “Excuse me, let me through,” the shabby-looking man in his early 30s had a flushed red face.

“Damn it… why do I have to put up with this crap, all the way out here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re the one who came to the terminal.”

“Sir, apologize already!”

“Fine, fine! I apologize!”

But as he suddenly spun on his heel, I had a bad feeling.

He’s trying to leave like this. That won’t do.

Just as he was about to shove past the fans to escape without a proper apology, one sentence was all it took.

“I’m this man’s lawyer. What seems to be the problem here?”