Chapter 45 : Should I Put Lawyer Seo il-Hwa on the Death Note?

“What is that…?”

“I was just expressing my feelings a little.”

“I’m asking just in case. That’s not it, right?”

“That?”

“H-Heart….”

“As expected of Seo. You recognized it right away.”

Lawyer, anyone can recognize that….

I turned my gaze to Lawyer Ahn, who was still stubbornly holding his hand in that shape.

Both hands were precisely joined in the same way, forming a heart.

‘Why is the embarrassment mine?’

No.

It seems everyone except Lawyer Ahn feels the same way.

Lawyer Ahn usually looks awkward no matter what he does, but this, surprisingly, is high-quality.

It’s really too… natural.

In the end, all three of us turned our heads away.

“Ugh. Of course you’d do that. I understand completely.”

“I knew you’d do that.”

Lawyer Seo Il-hwa’s declaration of surrender ended Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun’s ‘rebellion’.

I really don’t want to see that twice….

“You’ve been through a lot doing good deeds all this time, haven’t you?”

“That’s right. But you know there’s one more person we really need to thank, right?”

“Hmm, of course.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

At that moment, Lawyer Seo Il-hwa cleared his throat on everyone’s behalf.

And.

“The An-eum case was practically won thanks to Yoo Hee. But we can’t have nothing.”

“Your thoughtfulness is thanks enough. And it was the result of everyone’s hard work.”

“Oh, really? Just thoughtfulness won’t do?”

I meant it figuratively, you silly.

Lawyer Seo is more tactless than I thought.

I stared intensely at Lawyer Seo Il-hwa for a moment.

“Hehehe. Ah, as expected, you’re the funniest.”

Should I put him on the Death Note with Go Jong-tak, besides our team?

It was a moment of deep internal conflict.

“I’m thinking of proposing a salary increase for Yoo Hee. And additional bonuses for this year too.”

Yes.

Awesome.

My respect for Lawyer Seo Il-hwa began to soar.

But his words weren’t over yet.

“First, a salary increase is difficult right now, but I’ll try my best to raise it next year with a promotion.”

Lee & Yeon’s salary increases happen at the beginning of the new year.

So, even if they raise it, early next year would be correct.

I’m scheduled for a promotion to Deputy Manager next year, as I’ll be entering my fourth year.

“Instead, I’ll do my best for the bonus. At least ten million won.”

Lawyer Seo made a ‘1’ shape with one hand, clenched his other hand into a fist, and shook it three times.

He promised a four-digit bonus, meaning ten million won or more.

A salary increase is already great, and now a generous bonus too.

My voice trembled without me realizing it.

“Lawyer Seo……..”

Sir, you are the best lawyer.

My thumb shot up without me realizing it.

I expressed my feelings with all my might with both hands.

Then, Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun and Lawyer Yoon Yi-hoon averted their gaze.

“Yoon, just in case, I wasn’t like that earlier, was I?”

“No comment. However, I think both of you would be a little embarrassing to show anywhere.”

“Seriously. Lawyer Yoon said ‘Your Grace is boundless’ earlier. Now you’re saying I’m embarrassing?”

“Hmm hmm, I guess I’m the best.”

“No.”

“Not necessarily.”

Lawyer Seo Il-hwa, who was watching us, began to clap loudly.

“Ah, we don’t need Gag Concert. This is funnier.”

And so, we became the Gag Concert trio.

It was a bitter ending, somehow.

It’s already been well over five months since I returned to the past.

During that time, I worked on weekends 6 times.

Compared to my past life, that’s a revolutionary decrease.

Because I worked my absolute hardest with the determination not to go in on weekends, even if I worked overtime.

But did I get plenty of rest at home? Actually, no.

That’s because, besides the Cha Kang-hyuk and An-eum cases, I took on quite a few other cases based on information that appeared on my laptop.

That means I found a lot of material and drafted quite a few documents, and that led directly to working from home.

Above all, it hadn’t even been a week since I truly escaped Hyun Ah-jin.

‘Just this alone lightened my load quite a bit.’

And yet, a surprising miracle happened: the workload didn’t decrease significantly….

This means if I had continued with Hyun Ah-jin, I might have died from overwork.

Moreover, I have one more urgent case now.

That is, Lawyer Yoon Yi-hoon’s uncle’s case.

If I take it, it won’t be as sweet as the An-eum case, but it will still be quite profitable.

“Ugh, please!”

Lawyer Yoon Yi-hoon, instead of saying ‘Your Grace is boundless’ to Lawyer Seo, give this to us!

This is a tax case, so there’s a lot to prepare.

This case is purely a battle of legal principles.

There aren’t many precedents, so I literally have to create legal principles, but fortunately, I have a similar case on my laptop, so it’s not like I’m completely starting from scratch.

At least I’m wearing a helmet on my head.

Of course, having that means less injury, not no pain.

It means that even when I’m home on weekends, I can’t leave my desk.

But a ray of light shone upon me.

That is.

“Yoo Hee, Ari’s here. Why aren’t you coming out?”

“Hehehe.”

I chuckled, remembering what happened in the conference room last week.

A salary increase and a bonus! I felt renewed energy.

Moreover, Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun said he would leave half of his performance untouched at the company.

Once I become a lawyer, all of that will be mine!

Just thinking about it will be a great comfort when I go to law school and prepare for the bar exam.

According to my plan, there will be so much left over that I won’t even be able to use it all to acquire company shares.

“Ugh, overtime is the problem. Even if I work myself to the bone, ugh!”

Now, what I put in, I also get back, and above all, this is the fastest way to take over Lee & Yeon… I was thinking that when my back started to feel hot.

My mom’s hand had descended.

“Does your company only make you work? Don’t do that, come out quickly and eat samgyetang with Ari.”

“Oh, samgyetang?”

“Ugh, you wouldn’t come out even when I called. But samgyetang tempts you, doesn’t it?”

“It’s all about making a living. A gentleman’s revenge also starts with a full stomach…….”

Wait, Go Jong-tak.

I’m coming faster than you think.

I’ll make you taste humiliation far greater than the pain I endured.

As I firmed my resolve, I felt a sharp gaze.

It was Mom’s ultimatum.

“If you keep talking nonsense, Ari and I will eat alone.”

“No, I’ll come out.”

How delicious is my mom’s samgyetang?

More importantly, Ari is my cousin, whom I haven’t seen in 10 years.

Ever since my parents passed away in a car accident, I’ve completely cut off contact with relatives.

I pressed the save button, shut down my laptop, and quickly got up from my seat.

“Sis, how come it’s so hard to see your face even when you’re home?”

“You just saw it, now…….”

“Ugh, never mind. Let’s eat quickly and go get some fresh air.”

“Where do I have time for that? I have so much work to do right now.”

“Is today the only day? You’re off tomorrow too. So just do what Ari says!”

“I have to work tomorrow too, ugh.”

In the end, after complaining about work, I finally got a taste of my mom’s hand.

Judging by her expression, it was clear that Mom had called Ari and even prepared samgyetang to get me out.

“Ari, no matter what nonsense she spouts, don’t listen and make sure you take her out after she finishes this.”

“Yes, Auntie!”

“Ugh, I don’t have time.”

“Uh-huh.”

“No, Mother. If I don’t have it, I’ll make it.”

“Good. That’s the attitude.”

Seeing a spoonful of samgyetang broth coming towards me, I quickly changed my stance.

It wasn’t entirely impossible to make time.

“Then let’s eat quickly and go out.”

“Yay~!”

“But where are we going?”

“Just follow me. I’ll give you a demon makeover.”

“Demon makeover? Like a devilish transformation? I don’t need that. In that time, I could look at my laptop one more time… Ugh.”

Thwack.

In the end, only after my back met my mom’s spoon could I leave the house.

And then…….

“Why on earth, why are you doing this?”

“Uh-huh, just stay still!”

I really did get a demon makeover.

A warm, languid Saturday afternoon with bright sunshine.

I shook my head, backing away from Ari, who was slowly casting a shadow over me.

“S-Save me.”

“Anyone would think I’m eating you alive, unnie.”

“It’s the same thing. It’s the same to me.”

“But I can’t help it. I’m doing this because I was asked to.”

“Gyaaaah, still!”

Is this what they mean by “hands faster than eyes”?

Against me, with my back finally against the wall, Ari quickly moved her hands.

“Hehehe, I’m very satisfied. I think this suits you best, unnie, what do you think?”

“Honestly, isn’t it all the same?”

“All the same? There’s no such thing as the same shade of makeup under the sky.”

“….”

“No, don’t answer without any soul, just look closely!”

“How can I have any soul left when it’s already the umpteenth time for eye makeup?”

That’s right.

I thought she was joking about the ‘demon makeover,’ but Ari was truly transforming me.

And she kept changing only the same-looking shades of makeup.

I spoke with my soul hanging on by a thread.

“No, look closely. The one I just applied was peach pink, and this is apricot. They’re clearly different.”

“Aren’t they the same in that they’re both red?”

“Ugh. How can you say the exact same thing as my boyfriend? This, it’s more of an orange-based warm tone…”

Watching Ari kindly begin to explain, I made up my mind.

I decided to just go with whatever she put on now, no matter what.

I also hastily called back my wandering soul and added an exaggerated reaction.

“I like this! It looks bright and dewy, just perfect for me!”

“Oh, unnie, you thought so too. Then let’s use this for eyeshadow and now choose a lipstick.”

“……I’m against that idea.”

By this time, I would have already reviewed one legal precedent.

No, perhaps I would even be looking for case studies already.

“No, unnie. Are you doing this to make me pretty? Mom asked me to do this because you always wear the same clothes, the same shoes, and know nothing about makeup.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. My fault.”

“Then cooperate a little, won’t you? Otherwise, I won’t even earn my samgyetang.”

“……You didn’t just get that, did you?”

“Cough.”

As expected, there’s something more.

I narrowed my eyes sharply and shifted my weight to one leg.