At the indirect but cutting words, Yi-soo quietly set down her spoon and took a deep breath. The fragments of memories floated in her mind, and it felt like her thoughts were drifting away. Nevertheless, she no longer wanted to unilaterally avoid him or set arbitrary standards.
Yi-soo pursed her thin lips.
“I’ve deliberately kept my distance because of my sister all this time,” she began. “I was afraid it might be closely connected. Considering your father is the lead attorney at Yoon & Kang, I assumed he must know something.”
“I’ll be clear about one thing,” Hyun-seong interjected. His usual pomade-styled or half-down hair was different today, suggesting he had recently emerged from the shower, with his black bangs partially covering his forehead. Strangely, his infamous nickname seemed irrelevant in this moment, and his overall impression appeared even gentler.
With one arm supporting his chin, Hyun-seong fixed his gaze on Yi-soo, delivering his words with an unwavering voice. The tone was low, clear, and trustworthy, instilling confidence with every word.
“I can’t confirm the contents of that USB, but I haven’t been directly involved. As someone poised to take over Yoon & Kang, I believe it’s my responsibility to verify it myself. If there’s corruption within, we need to eradicate it at the roots,” Hyun-seong pledged.
“…I trust you.” Perhaps she had sensed it from the beginning. The USB might hold unknown truths, but Yoon Hyun-seong, in Seo Yi-soo’s eyes, seemed far removed from any immorality.
He didn’t strike her as someone seeking glory by harming others or undermining them merely for success and dominance. Yi-soo was confident that her judgment was sound. While lacking concrete evidence, it was trust that welled up from the depths of her heart.
“I’m sorry,” Yi-soo said. “I wanted to offer a formal apology.”
Hyun-seong shook his head. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
“Even so… I erected a barrier and distanced myself from you on my own terms. It made me uneasy. From now on, there won’t be such incidents.”
With those words, Yi-soo turned her head, glancing at the living room. Rising quietly, she reached into the inner pocket of her bag and retrieved the USB.
“This is the USB. I just discovered that it belonged to Shin Min-yeol, a former secretary at Yoon & Kang. I was planning to ask my journalist sister to report on it.”
“But what about Park Su-jeong…”
“That’s correct. It seems there were people chasing after this USB. She went abroad to avoid them and recently returned…”
The subsequent events need not be explicitly mentioned. It was a painful memory Yi-soo preferred not to revisit. Could those unknown individuals have been unaware that Su-jeong had handed the USB to her?
Yi-soo handed the USB to Hyun-seong. Y&K. The initials gleamed brightly in the light as he examined the surface with a solemn expression.
“It’s a secure USB, exclusive to partner-level lawyers and their secretaries. Shin Min-yeol… as Kang Jin-won’s secretary, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to use this.”
“But didn’t Lawyer Kang mention he’s a senior associate, not a partner?” inquired Yi-soo.
“Because my father is the head of the department, he’s implicitly recognized as partner-level,” Hyun-seong explained.
“Ah…”
“It will only open on a few PCs within the Yoon & Kang building. The issue is the double-layered password… Since Min-yeol is deceased, figuring it out won’t be easy.”
Yi-soo nodded, attempting to continue eating while listening to Hyun-seong’s explanation. Su-jeong probably sought the password. The neatly extended end of her eyebrows formed a diagonal line downward.
“Well… Is there no way to open it?” she asked.
“It’s not necessarily impossible. You can leave it to a hacker or an expert,” Hyun-seong replied.
“Oh, I tried it once, but it didn’t work well. There’s a high chance the files will be lost.”
“You should entrust it to top-notch experts. There are people who specialize in handling this kind of thing.” Hyun-seong placed the USB on the table, a contemplative look in his eyes. Eventually, he glanced at Yi-soo and emitted a faint, low laugh.
“Let’s eat first. I’ll contact Kang Secretary later.”
“Alright. Thank you.” Yi-soo, having just swallowed a spoonful of rice, blinked her eyes contemplatively. “You mentioned that I could rely on you, Attorney Yoon. Yesterday.”
“Yeah, I recall.”
“I won’t go as far as to ‘use’ you. But I need you, Yoon Hyun-seong.” To uncover the truth behind Su-jeong’s death and lead a meaningful life, Yoon Hyun-seong had become an indispensable presence for Seo Eui-soo.
Two pairs of eyes locked in the air and the corners of his mouth shaped into a curve.
“Willingly.”