Chapter 51: Lightspeed

(set concurrently to Chapter 50)

      Chanyeol’s first meeting with Kim Junmyeon had him on edge. Though Ga In had reassured him that the lawyer was kind—and the man was immaculately polite by email and phone—Chanyeol had his misgivings.   His last brush with the law was not a fond memory. When he’d been disposed of by Park Entertainment, it was lawyers who had bound his wrists with invisible clauses in contracts that he didn’t even remember having existed to sign. Was it any wonder he didn’t share his past with every new friend and acquaintance? He had been a Gangnam boy once—and worse, a failed one.   It didn’t help matters that Kim Junmyeon had a client list that included the biggest names in the Korean music industry—folks with high visibility and even higher net worth.   As if to drive that point home, Junmyeon had been on holiday in Paris when Ga In had called him about the case. The man had cut his holiday short to litigate Chanyeol’s court date himself, rather than passing him off to one his subordinates.   Chanyeol expected the man to show up, say his peace, collect his check, and head back to Paris on the next flight.   “You’re judging him rather harshly,” Ga In said as they waited outside the man’s discreet Hannam-dong office. “He’s never lost a case before.”    “He’s probably never represented someone as unimportant as me before,” Chanyeol shot back, arms crossed over his chest. “Maybe he has lost cases but they were all little people so no one thinks it counts.”   “You’re not little people. He’s still charging a ransom.” Ga In said acerbically, lifting a brow and mimicking his posture of crossed arms.   Chanyeol frowned deeply, dropping his eyes. His thick leather boots were scuffed through at the toe—they would only last til the end of the season. “Noona... I still don’t feel right about letting you pay.”   “Yeah? Do you think your bartending boss will give you a five year advance, tips included?” She didn’t bother to hide the smartass twang in her voice. He huffed and grumbled something unintelligible, digging his shoulderblade into the wall he leaned against. “Didn’t think so,” she said, satisfied. “Let people help you, Chanyeol.” She reached up and pressed a cool hand to his cheek. “I promised you I would stand by your side. Let me keep my word.”   Chanyeol’s arms dropped and he scratched the back of his neck. “You’ve given up so much already, noona—“   “Ah, good afternoon, Son Madame—and you must be Park Chanyeol-sshi? Sorry to keep you both waiting, it was incredibly remiss of me!”   If Chanyeol had expected a shark—someone with a razor sharp smile and shrewd eyes like that Kim Minseok in Legal, he had to own that Kim Junmyeon did not look the part. The lawyer had a firm roundness to his features that brought into question his age, or the recency and frequency of his visits to the spa. It reminded him of Ga In who seemed to never age, especially after she left the workforce.   In his argyle sweater vest and blazer, highwater pants and loafers, Junmyeon looked more like a preppy rich socialite than an indomitable lawyer. It did not set Chanyeol’s nerves at ease one bit.   The lawyer led them into a meeting room, plushly appointed with  comfortable chairs and teleconferencing gear. His associates drifted about the small office like an army of cleanly-coiffed models hired to look the part and pay them no mind.   The meeting itself was uncomplicated, if long. Junmyeon knew the truth about Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s relationship. It had been Chanyeol’s decision to reveal it to the lawyer, and he was reassured it would not sway Junmyeon’s case. Junmyeon’s core defense was that there was no evidence that Chanyeol had started or spread the rumor, no matter what claims Park Entertainment made about contracts or breaches therein — unless he was framed. Junmyeon had a private investigator on the case, looking for evidence either way. He believed Chanyeol was innocent, or at least that was what he said.   Chanyeol. It was Kai.   Baekhyun’s voice drifted into Chanyeol’s mind. He wouldn’t lie about something this big—or would he? He had lied about his engagement, cheated on his fiancee, and concealed the truth from Chanyeol. He was well on his way to repairing the hole Chanyeol had punched in his perfectly presse