Jeong Ho-san's words began like this.
"That child left the orphanage four months ago. Four months ago was his birthday. He said he hated his birthday more than anything. A birthday that should be celebrated was what he hated most. Because when that day came, he had to be kicked out."
At first, Kim Hyun-ki didn't open his mouth at all to Jeong Ho-san's words. But Jeong Ho-san was persistent. He kept visiting Kim Hyun-ki during breaks and succeeded in making him open up.
Come to think of it, it was natural. Sixteen, a kid who was hurt and shrunk from the world but desperately wanted someone's help, had no choice but to open up eventually.
And the story told through that mouth was cold and bitter.
The age of leaving the orphanage was usually 18, but in the case of awakeners, they had to leave the orphanage at the young age of just sixteen.
"At sixteen, that young age, he was kicked out of the only fence that protected him. Do you know how much the government support money for leaving is after being kicked out like that?"
"How much?"
"Ten million won."
Both Jeong Ho-san and Kang Yi-sin were from orphanages, but they didn't know because they entered Babel Academy right after awakening their talents. How bleak the lives of awakenera who left the orphanage with nothing were.
"Only that much..."
"He said he got monthly rent with that 10 million won. Five hundred thousand deposit, one million monthly. He tried to find work for four months but couldn't. Because no one would take him. So how do you think it was?"
Money running out, hungry, and it was still cold. If he had been a fire ability user, he could have at least stayed warm, but as an ice ability user it didn't help at all. The moment Jeong Ho-san saw Kim Hyun-ki crying about this, he decided.
That he wanted to help this child somehow.
"After leaving the orphanage, didn't he have anywhere to go? Ah, the academy! Right, why couldn't he go to the academy?"
If he had just attended Hunter Academy, this wouldn't have happened. At Do Chae-hee's words, Jeong Ho-san answered:
"The ice ability itself wasn't bad, but his potential rank was D. He took entrance exams for public academies, but failed all of them. The competition for public ones is intense. The only option left was to go to a private academy. Do you know how much private academy tuition is?"
Do Chae-hee was at a loss for words at Jeong Ho-san's words.
"Several million won for just one semester, and practical fees are separate. When you include practical fees, it easily breaks into the tens of millions per semester, and consumable artifacts are all at your own expense. How could a kid who just left the orphanage go to such a place?"
Do Chae-hee and Jeong Ho-san also lost their parents when young, but their circumstances were completely different from that child. Why? Because they were born with A-rank potential and good talents that could be easily used in battle.
It was a world unknown to those two who graduated from the best hunter academy that exempted tuition and even gave living expenses each time, then jumped into a job with guaranteed success.
"Then, couldn't he stay at a temporary shelter..."
"Even shelters wouldn't take him because he was an awakener."
"What about shelters for awakeners..."
"There's no such thing."
Jeong Ho-san clenched his fists and said looking at the floor:
"I only found out after looking into it. That there's no such thing as shelters for awakeners."
Jeong Ho-san said with a miserable expression:
"I didn't know before. What kind of life awakeners outside the line live..."
The bottom Jeong Ho-san knew was at most where Kang Yi-sin stood. A life of doing gate mining while unable to become a hunter despite graduating from Babel Academy. Kang Yi-sin said he was at the bottom, and Jeong Ho-san only knew it that way too.
But there was an even lower bottom.
And at that bottom were the weak with no power.
"When I looked into it, the incident at the jewelry store was also an accident..."
"You can't just call it an accident when someone died..."
"The jewelry store owner used an illegal artifact. It was an artifact that fired a liquid not allowed for distribution, no different from spraying hydrochloric acid on a person. In the moment of losing sight and feeling pain, his ability went off reflexively. He said he couldn't even properly manifest his ability until the day before."
In the first place, if he was an ability user who could use an ability strong enough to kill someone, he would have easily passed the entrance exam. Actually, when he looked into it, Kim Hyun-ki's usual ability was only making a couple of small ice pieces at most. Even that was only possible after concentrating for 30 minutes.
"Since it was considered a threat to his life, his ability exploded momentarily. It wasn't intentional."
In the end, it was all a very unfortunate accident.
Do Chae-hee's lips trembled at Jeong Ho-san's words.
"That child had nowhere to turn for help. He said he chose the jewelry store because it looked like the richest place around. He said he was only going to steal one thing, just one small thing..."
"Do you believe that child?"
"Yes."
Jeong Ho-san said:
"The evidence says the same thing."
In fact, all that came out of that guy's pocket was one bracelet. Even after all that commotion, that was all he stole.
"Of course he did wrong. But we can't blame all of that wrong on that child alone. With the situation like this, we can't say he's the same kind of criminal as others."
Jeong Ho-san's words pierced straight into Do Chae-hee's heart.
She couldn't say 'A murderer is still a murderer no matter what'.
"That's why we need a lawyer who will take on this case. A lawyer who will properly explain these circumstances and allow that child to receive a fair trial. Not a lawyer who will just say he committed murder so he must be punished."
Hong Nan-hee, who met Jeong Ho-san's eyes, shrugged. She tapped her watch and said:
"Time's up."
Unlike the two who couldn't even touch their drinks, the vanilla latte in front of her was already gone, even the foam disappeared.
"Then, what about this case..."
Hong Nan-hee's answer to Jeong Ho-san's desperate words was ice cold.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to take on this case too."
"What?"
The one most surprised by those words was Do Chae-hee.
"I enjoyed the coffee."
Jeong Ho-san couldn't even think of stopping Hong Nan-hee as she left those words and departed. It was Do Chae-hee who followed her out of the cafe with light steps and grabbed her wrist.
"Hmm?"
Hong Nan-hee tilted her head and looked back.
"Why? W-why can't you take it?"
At Do Chae-hee's words, Hong Nan-hee said:
"I told you. I'm busy and don't have time to take on such a case."
"But still..."
"But still, what?"
Hong Nan-hee snorted at Do Chae-hee's words.
"Until just a moment ago, someone who had no interest in this case has decided to become a passionate advocate after hearing just fifteen minutes of talk."
Do Chae-hee's face turned red at those words.
"Why, did you feel sorry after hearing the circumstances? Are you empathizing with that kid?"
Hong Nan-hee's tone became very sarcastic. Do Chae-hee said:
"But his circumstances are pitiful."
"Listen, Officer. Do you think there's just one or two people with pitiful circumstances? Should I list all the cases I'm handling? Just because of the safety tax increase this time, there are over thirty cases of people about to be evicted from the buildings they've been living in. Over a hundred people will be kicked out if I don't send a content-certified mail by next week. That case is important to me too."
Deep fatigue showed on Hong Nan-hee's face.
"I'm not someone with enough leeway to take on one more criminal case in this situation. You saw my office earlier too. Does it look like there's room to pile even one more document in there?"
Do Chae-hee couldn't say anything to Hong Nan-hee's words. Hong Nan-hee was already a person with a lot of baggage. Not just one, but she was handling over thirty cases simultaneously.
Hong Nan-hee was already embracing cases to her limit.
"Do you know how tiring it is to handle criminal cases? You have to go around collecting documents, listen to witness statements, transcribe recordings. It takes ages just to prepare the necessary documents."
"I-I'll do it."
"What?"
"I said I'll do it."
At Do Chae-hee's words, Hong Nan-hee frowned and muttered:
"What are you talking about?"
"I, I have a lot of time!"
Do Chae-hee pounded her chest.
"If it's because you don't have time, not because you don't want to do it, I can help you!"
"Do you think someone who knows nothing can help me just by offering?"
"I'm not someone who knows nothing. I'm good at that kind of thing. Meeting witnesses, transcribing recordings. That's what I used to do."
"A police officer saying she'll cooperate with a lawyer?"
Do Chae-hee nodded.
"I can help after I get off work. I won't take any money, and this isn't like a side job, it's just like my hobby so it doesn't matter, right?"
Hong Nan-hee gave a hollow laugh.
"What if you get fired for doing that?"
"They can't fire me. If they could have, they would have done it already."
Yes, Do Chae-hee decided to go all out. She had no team to be responsible for anymore anyway. She thought there was nothing to lose.
If she gets fired for this, well. She'll get fired.
At Do Chae-hee's words, Hong Nan-hee narrowed her eyes and said:
"Why are you going to such lengths?"
Listening to the conversation, Hong Nan-hee could tell. That Do Chae-hee knew just as little about this case as herself.
She might know the man named Jeong Ho-san who brought the case, but it was clear she was hearing about this case for the first time today. Moreover, at first, Do Chae-hee clearly showed resistance to Jeong Ho-san's attitude of coming to find a lawyer.
Her attitude was that she didn't understand why he came to find a lawyer for a murderer.
Hong Nan-hee couldn't understand why she suddenly changed that attitude completely and was trying to save that child even at her own expense.
"Just, I feel like I might be able to understand if I watch this case from the side."
"Understand what?"
"What's really bad, what justice I should follow."
Until now, Do Chae-hee had tried not to understand the heart of any criminal.
Why? Because it was easier on her mind to just leave bad guys as bad guys.
So even during the Kang Yi-sin case, and when those Weltschmerz guys appeared, she just thought they were bad.
She just thought that way simply, ignoring all the circumstances and interests that led to that incident.
It was the same when she found out Park Cheol-wan was their minion.
Bad people who committed wrongdoing.
If she just thought that way, she could blame them with peace of mind.
But as time passed, and as she faced various incidents, that thought cracked, and Do Chae-hee became confused.
What on earth is bad?
Is she really doing well?
What is the justice she should follow?
What should she do, how can she achieve the justice she truly desires?
Hearing those words, Hong Nan-hee said:
"Just so you know, I have a nasty temper."
"What?"
"Talk to that friend and bring the documents when you have time tomorrow."
"Huh?"
"Let's give it a try."
Do Chae-hee nodded at Hong Nan-hee's words.
"O-okay!"