Bad X Bad: My Dear Hana - Chapter 4

“Someone gave me shelter for the night.” Do Sejin smokes the cigarette. “Do we have lectures today?”

“Why? Do you need to attend?” Kim Dong-Woo rolls his eyes. “Whether you go or not, you are always the topper. I think that all the students are jealous of you. How do you manage to have this lifestyle and still top the exams?”

“I am not dumb.” Do Sejin answers him with a straight face. “When I have fun, I am having fun. When I study, I study hard. I don’t mix studies with fun or fun with studies. That’s the only secret.”

“Basically, you are telling me that you are a genius.” Kim Dong-Woo would never accept that simple explanation. “It’s Professor’ Man lecture today. Do you want to go?”

“Yes, I like seeing how he doesn’t like seeing me.” Do Sejin throws the cigarette on the ground. He and Kim Dong-Woo bȧrėly make it to the lecture in time. They take the seats at the back. Do Sejin leans back when he sees the professor enter the classroom. His eyes pop out when he sees the woman following the professor.

“Who is that?” Kim Dong-Woo stares at an elegant woman. “She has a sėxy body. I wonder what it’s like to fondle those brėȧsts.”

Do Sejin slaps the back of Kim Dong-Woo’s head. Kim Dong-Woo nearly screams, but his mouth is covered by Do Sejin. Ahn Hana hasn’t noticed him yet.

“Everyone, she is my best student so far.” Professor Man looks at the young students proudly. “The best criminal lawyer in her field. She works at the Theseus Firm. She hasn’t lost a single battle in the courtroom. Ahn Hana, Thank you for coming here today.”

“Professor Man, you flatter me too much.” When she smiles, a few gasps and sighs are heard from the students. Whether it’s man or woman, they are dazzled by that smile.

Do Sejin takes this opportunity and slides down under the desk to hide. Kim Dong-Woo looks at him with a puzzled expression. He asks Do Sejin in a low voice, “Why are you hiding there?”

Do Sejin puts his finger on his lips, signals him to become quiet and not attract attention. He doesn’t want to be caught by this lawyer.

“Don’t tell me…” Kim Dong-Woo knows that expression. “You know her?”

Do Sejin glares at him. “Be quiet.”

“You are one lucky man. I am so jealous of you.” Dong-Woo whispers before he turns his attention back to Ahn Hana. He doesn’t even bother paying attention to her words. She is dressed in a tight black skirt and a loose white top. Her clothes are modest, but they are also showing off her curves at the right places. Kim Dong-Woo is jealous of his friend’s luck.

“Getting a field experience is better for your future. You will get to observe the competitive lawyers and learn from them. We can only offer three internship positions during the summer season. If anyone is interested in doing an internship at our firm, contact professor Man to refer you.”

Ahn Hana looks at the future lawyers. That evil Jung Kwang-Soo has wanted her to attract some students from the top university. It’s his way to attract the best minds to his firm after they graduate. She knows that Professor Man will only send the best students to the firm.

“How is Jung Kwang-Soo?” Professor Man asks her after they reach his office. “Your friendship was famous in the entire university.”

“He is doing well.” Jung Kwang-Soo and she have been friends since they met in the first year. It was like both of them were the highly competitive spirit with screwed morals. She is sure that he is the only one who understands the most. She is also aware of each of his vein. After graduation, they were separated for a time because they were hired at different places. When he started his law firm, he contacted her first for the job. Just like that, she became his first employee.

Do Sejin, who has been listening from his hiding spot, wonders who this Jung Kwang-Soo is. It seems like they are really close. Her ex name was Ong Han Bin. Then, who is Jung Kwang-Soo in her life?

Professor Man looks at her with concern. “I thought that you would become someone who fights for justice after what happened to your parents.”

Everyone in the field knows what kind of lawyer she is. Nobody can dare point finger on her.

“My parents didn’t fight for justice. They fought for the thrill of rebelling against powerful people. They lived a long time, considering they were playing with fire.” There is not a tinge of pain in her eyes. “I am not like them. I don’t fight for the thrill. I am a lawyer. I fight for money.”

“Did you feel nothing when you sent the people who killed your parents to the prison?” Professor Man asks her with a grave tone.

“I didn’t feel happy after taking revenge. It didn’t bring them back.” She takes a sip of tea. “Evidence is only a fact. They can’t lie or speak the truth. Only a lawyer can show what they are. I am just following your words.”

“I didn’t think that you would use my words like this.” Professor Man sighs. “You and Jung Kwang-Soo were always different. I never underestimated you. I never dared to. I guess that you want me to send the students who can digest working under you and Jung Kwang-Soo?”

“I don’t care whether they can top the exams or not. It’s better if they have a strong mind. Jung Kwang-Soo doesn’t need the one who wants to be the heroes.” Her voice is calm. “It’s only for a few months. If they do well, they will get job offers.”

“I have some people in mind who will suit that place.” Professor Man sighs when he recalls a certain boy. “Some of them are hard to handle.”

“We were all like that at some point.”

Ahn Hana chats with him for another five minutes. Then, she goes to the journalism department of the university. The university has bȧrėly changed. Nobody recognizes her. Her pace is neither fast or slow. She is walking confidently like she owns the place. All the eyes are gravitating toward her. Some are even treating her with respect and gives her a bow as she passes by them.

Can anyone really believe that this woman was abandoned two hours before the wedding yesterday?

Do Sejin is stealthily moving behind her. He doesn’t know why he is doing this. Usually, he isn’t interested in people. But, he didn’t expect her to turn up at the university like this. At first, he thought that she came to beat him. Things have turn out differently. This woman is still clueless about his identity. For someone who is the best in the field, she is dumb to believe his words this morning.

Everyone has a moment when their brains don’t work properly. Do Sejin is sure that she will doubt his identity. He needs to come up with some things.

Ahn Hana stops in front of an empty lecture room. She dials a number and waits. After five long rings, the other person picks up the phone.

“I am Lee Jang Sik’s lawyer. Meet me in front of the lecture room 101.”

She enters the room and sits in the front row. She starts typing something on her phone. Do Sejin quietly enters the room from the back door and hides behind a desk. After two minutes, a girl enters through the front door. She is gasping for breath. She must have run all the way.

“Take a seat.” Ahn Hana points at the empty chair in front of her. The girl nervously takes the seat. He watches them quietly, wondering what’s going on.

Ahn Hana breaks the tension in the air by asking, “Miss Song, how have you been?”

“You didn’t come to ask me that.” Though the girl is nervous, she can’t hide the hate and disgust in her tone. “I won’t give in.”

“If you won’t give in, why are you here?” Ahn Hana chuckles. “You could have said that you didn’t want to meet. You could have ghosted me. You didn’t have to run here. Tell me, Miss Song, why are you talking to me now?”

“I wanted to see who the new lawyer is.” The girl crosses her arms. “His friends boasted that you are the best in the field.”

“They aren’t wrong. I don’t care what you do to the others. I am here for the Lee family.” Ahn Hana looks down at her phone and reads the text. It’s done. The video has been wiped out completely. There are no traces left. “Let’s talk about your options first.”

Miss Song looks at her hatefully. “Lee Jang Sik has to go to prison for doing what he did to me.”

“After he goes to prison, what will happen to you?” Ahn Hana turns off her phone. “The Lee family won’t let you go or your family if their youngest son goes to prison. To be honest, they couldn’t care less about their youngest son. But, they can’t let their youngest son’s mistake harm the family reputation. Even if it means wiping your existence, the Lee family will do anything to keep their pristine reputation.”

The girl clenches her fists. “Are you threatening me?”

“No, I am just warning you of the wrong consequences.” Ahn Hana glances at her skirt’s pocket. “Lee family can hold grudges. Even if you send every member of the Lee family to the prison, are you sure that your wrong decision won’t come back to bite you later?”

The girl becomes quiet. It’s been two months since Lee Jang Sik wronged her at his house for days. He invited her in the pretext that he needed help with his studies. She had been a fool to go to his house. She has nightmares at night. Her body still has wounds. Her family isn’t supporting her because they are afraid of the Lee family. They want her to settle, but she can’t forget those days.

“You are also a woman.” She whispers as she looks down at her feet. “Are you unable to feel my pain?”

“I can’t undo what happened to you.” Ahn Hana looks at her without any emotion. “You went to his house. A lot of people have seen you hanging out with him at the university. You have talked on the phone frequently.”

“I didn’t say anything like that.” Her eyes are filled with tears. “I never liked him. My professor is the one who wanted me to help him with his studies.”

“That’s not what your professor is saying now.” Ahn Hana lets out a small sigh. “Miss Song, you can fight until you die. But, is it worth it? The Lee family is ready to pay for your grievances. They will pay for your entire university fees and living expenses until you graduate. You don’t have to do tuitions ever again. Take the money. Study hard and become a powerful person. You are studying journalism, right? You will get many chances to get back at Lee Jang Sik in the future. Right now, don’t be a fool. Take what you are getting. It’s not the money to make you quiet. Think of this as a small installment of the payment that they are paying for wronging you. Work hard. Make contacts. Become someone that can even scare the devil back to hell.”

The girl blinks twice when she hears her words. She stares at Ahn Hana for a long time. They don’t exchange any other word. She signs the papers and leaves the lecture hall.

Ahn Hana turns on her phone and calls Jung Kwang Soo. “Ask the Lee family to send their son somewhere away. It is better if he doesn’t attend this university anymore.”

[Was it hard to convince her? The Lee family would have lost even if they have won in the court. Their eldest son is preparing to join politics. It would have bitten them back in the future.]

“It took a long time to convince her. She is determined to get back at him. The Lee family will have a powerful enemy in the future.”

[You like creating heroes. She must have potential if you are complimenting her.]

“Only the future can tell whether I am right or not.” She chuckles. “Power is an illusion. It comes and goes like seasons.”

[Come back soon. I am starving.]

“I am not eating lunch with you.” She stands up. “There is another case that I have to patch up. I am going home straight after that.”

[It’s a pity. See you tomorrow.]

She hangs up the call and leaves the lecture room. Do Sejin brings out his phone. He finds out that the video has been deleted from his phone. “You are interesting, Ahn Hana.”