DERH 12

Chapter 12

A Waste of Time

If she had to be honest, she was interested. From beginning to end. Even his many expressions, which made his thoughts easy to read. But she also knew very well that she was the only one who could read his expressions.

“It’s not like I’m grateful just because you’re saying that now.”

They had spent nearly ten minutes at the bar doing nothing but having pointless arguments. Sena did not want to waste any more time, so she got straight to the point.

“Ah, forget it. What’s so important about that anyway? What did you want to talk about?”

Kang-hyun took a file out of his briefcase and handed it to her.

“What is this?”

“Read it first.”

Sena narrowed her eyes. She always suspected whatever he handed her first. But soon, she took the file and opened it.

“An organization chart?”

She turned through the papers one by one until her hand stopped at one part.

Of all teams, why this one?

“Family Litigation Team?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you…”

“I’ve already finished talking with the Representative, so just say you’ll do it.”

“……Do you even know what conditions my father offered me for this team leader position?”

He calmly rolled the glass in his hand as he continued.

“He probably said he’d give you a partner lawyer position if you ran it properly within a year.”

Sena let out a deep sigh as the frustration rose all the way to her throat.

She had wanted it more than anyone. She had been greedy for the position.

But she had never expected the man who was part of that contract to come directly to her and tell her this.

Then she suddenly thought it was strange that they were creating a specialized center, and it was also strange that Ryu Kang-hyun had prepared such detailed documents.

“Don’t tell me…… You told my father to make me the team leader? Because you felt sorry for me for losing the partner lawyer position?”

At Sena’s sensitive reaction, Ryu Kang-hyun looked at her as if she had suddenly said something completely ridiculous.

The atmosphere, which had been filled with casual jokes just moments ago, suddenly became as dangerous as walking on thin ice.

“It’s true, isn’t it?! Otherwise, why would you care about my work? What do you gain by creating this center? Did you think I’d be happy because you took the partner lawyer position and gave me this one little position?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Even if you didn’t say anything, I could have earned my position and my place through my own effort.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. No, before that, I don’t understand why you’re getting this angry…”

“Do you always work like this, Senior?! You never think about how the other person feels, and you just force everything through!”

“Gi Sena. Think before you speak carelessly.”

“What is there to think about? Everything fits together perfectly. I don’t know what kind of deal you made with my father, but I never thought you’d scheme behind my back like this.”

He brushed back his fallen hair and slightly frowned.

Then he looked directly at Sena with eyes that did not waver even a little.

“The Representative asked for my opinion, and I made a suggestion. For K Law Firm.”

“And also to comfort me because I failed to get promoted!”

And her father had used this as an opportunity to add the condition that she should marry him.

Ha. Seriously.

The sense of betrayal was even greater than when she had been stabbed in the back over the partner position.

Sena did not avoid his gaze and spoke sarcastically.

She was that angry.

Her pride had already been trampled until it was in pieces, and knowing that his influence had played a part made her feel even worse.

Right now, she wanted to call Representative Gi Jang-su and shout that she would not do the contract, would not become team leader, and would not do any of it.

Ryu Kang-hyun stared at Sena silently for a while, as if he did not understand what the problem was.

He loosened the tie that had been tightening around his neck and sighed as if he were the one feeling frustrated.

Then he picked up a glass of water instead of alcohol and wet his throat.

In the tense atmosphere, Ryu Kang-hyun answered clearly, putting strength into every word.

“I recommended you because you’re the right person for that position.”

More precisely, he put all his emphasis on the words “the right person.”

Of course, Sena did not believe him.

“What do you know about me?”

“There isn’t anyone who is as passionate about this work as you are. Am I wrong?”

“What did you see in me to judge my passion? We weren’t even close enough to talk about something like passion, were we?”

Sena raised her voice, looking even less convinced.

While Sena became angry because she could not control her emotions, Kang-hyun clenched his lower jaw.

Little by little, cracks appeared in his expression too.

“How am I supposed to know if you’re trying to put me in the team leader position just so you can control me like a puppet?”

At her words, Kang-hyun’s face hardened in an instant.

With cold eyes, he took the file from Sena’s hands.

He roughly flipped through the papers as if he might tear them apart, then opened the organization chart and pushed it toward her.

“If you don’t trust me, then look carefully at these documents.”

He pointed to one place with his long index finger.

Under Team Leader Gi Sena, two name boxes were empty.

They were positions for senior lawyers.

The name boxes below them, which seemed to be positions for junior lawyers, were also blank.

“If I were making this team however I wanted, I would have already put someone’s name here. I’m only going to be part of this team as someone who gives legal advice on civil and criminal matters.”

His name was not on the organization chart that branched out like a tree.

His name was only written at the very bottom as an attachment.

“As you can see, you’re the team leader of this team. You decide who will work with you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“You’re telling me to create a family law team.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. We need to make one thing clear. I’m telling you to make a team of your own.”

Kang-hyun handed the papers back to Sena and continued.

His voice was heavy with fatigue, but there was also firmness in it.

“I roughly know what you usually think of me, but I only believe what I’ve seen myself, and I only speak about what I know.”

“……”

“The Gi Sena I know is someone who does her best at whatever she takes on and works harder than anyone else. But there are things in this world that effort alone can’t achieve. You need luck and opportunity too. This is the right time. A chance for you to go where you want to go.”

Was it his sense of responsibility as a partner at K Law Firm?

Or was it pity for her after she had failed to get promoted?

Pity from Ryu Kang-hyun was ridiculous.

Even so, she could not understand his friendly attitude.

What kind of relationship did he and she even have?

“I don’t understand why you want to help me.”

“……”

“According to my common sense, your intentions aren’t clear. That’s why I understand it even less.”

“Do you think I’m trying to help you?”

“Then, aren’t you? You’re busy enough even without this team. I have ears too. I heard that clients are already lining up to hire you.”

“Now that I’ve come to K Law Firm as a partner lawyer, that’s my job and something I will handle myself. Help? Fine, let’s say that’s what it is. But what’s the problem?”

His sharply curved eyebrows and accusing tone clearly showed how angry he was.

Sena had always thought of him as a man who got angry whenever he dealt with her.

But this was different.

Sena realized that this was the first time she had seen Ryu Kang-hyun genuinely angry.

Unlike the Kang-hyun she remembered, he was much colder and sharper.

“Listen carefully. As a partner who owns a share in K Law Firm, I want our firm to run better than other firms. I’m confident I can make it grow even more than it has now. That’s why I chose K Law Firm instead of somewhere else. Why are you so desperate to become a partner lawyer? Is it simply because you want a higher position than other people, or do you want your ability to be recognized?”

“……”

“Whatever it is, if an opportunity comes, take it. Don’t act stupid.”

His words struck Sena’s heart like a dagger.

But he continued without caring.

“Do you know what you look like right now? You’re so pathetic that you don’t even seem worth dealing with. Just like all those ordinary guys I saw countless times in college.”

Angry Ryu Kang-hyun.

Even when they had fought in mock trials over their different arguments as if they were going to tear each other apart, he had never felt this sharp.

“What have you learned all this time?”

While Ryu Kang-hyun harshly pushed her, Sena could not say a single word.

She only gripped the papers in her hands so tightly that the edges became wrinkled.

Where had things gone wrong?

“It seems the value I see in you is different from the value you see in yourself.”

“……”

“Still, if you don’t trust me, then I don’t need to waste any more time on you.”

His voice dropped low, as if he were disappointed in her.

Sena’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Kang-hyun stood up from his chair, leaving Sena unable to answer even a single word.

He picked up the bill on top of the bar and his briefcase with one hand and was about to leave when he suddenly turned around.

He lowered his head toward Sena’s ear.

“Gi Sena. What year is it now?”

Each quiet word sank into her ear.

He was not asking because he really did not know what year it was.

The moment she understood the meaning hidden behind his question, her face became hot.

He had hit the exact point.

Unless she had traveled through a time machine and gone back into the past, she was the only one acting emotionally over things that had happened more than ten years ago.

“The decision is yours. It’s the team you’ll be responsible for from now on.”

The emotions that had been pressing down on her head suddenly took shape and dropped heavily into her chest.

“If you decide you’re going to do it, put the team together and bring it to my office by Monday.”

After he left, the unfinished glass of alcohol remained alone on the bar.

Left alone, Sena could not think of anything.

She was as if she had frozen.

Her fingertips trembled.

Everything he had said was right.

And the reason she could not answer even one of his words was because she had realized something.

Why did she always get angry whenever she saw him?

It was jealousy, envy, and an inferiority complex toward Ryu Kang-hyun.

She was going to have an early lunch with her friend Jung-hee, who had come to visit her office after a long time.

They had been in the same department at university, and Jung-hee had become a public defender.

Just before the elevator doors closed, Sena saw Kang-hyun getting off the elevator next to hers and passing in front of her.

But Sena quickly turned her head away, pretending not to see him.

The argument from last night, when they had sharply criticized each other, was still sitting heavily in her heart.

But Jung-hee opened her eyes wide and made a huge fuss.

“Why is Ryu Kang-hyun at your law firm?!”

“He came as a partner lawyer a little while ago.”

“Crazy! Why didn’t you tell me such huge news?! Hey, I have to go back up and say hello! This is crazy. It’s amazing. Oh my God, oh my God!”

When Jung-hee tried to press the button for the fifteenth floor again, Sena quickly stopped her.

She did not want to see him for the time being, greeting or otherwise.

The heavy feeling pressing down on her heart was eating away at Sena, as if it might explode at any moment whenever she faced Ryu Kang-hyun.

“Why bother saying hello? Since when were you two close?”

“That’s true. Nothing between him and me. But you two were pretty close, weren’t you? Is that why he came to K Law Firm?”

“What? Who is close with whom?”

“What are you talking about? Don’t pretend you’re not.”

Jung-hee gave her a meaningful look and lightly nudged Sena’s side with her elbow.

Sena looked at her as if she could not believe what she was hearing, wondering how anyone could possibly see it that way.

“Look at you. Everyone knows you lived well in school thanks to Ryu Kang-hyun. Why are you suddenly saying something different now?”

Jung-hee looked even more incredulous.