Was there really an accomplice on this side? Many figures flowed through Jung-woo’s mind like water, but there was no valid reason for such an incident.

“What about the call records between Grandma Song Eun-seo and her?”

“For now, both of them have only one number under their names, and the few numbers they called are all from the village, government offices, or hospitals.”

“Are there any numbers that overlap with ours for cross-checking?”

“There are no overlaps.”

Feeling stuck like entering a dead-end alley, Tae-ha leaned on the backrest, narrowing his eyes.

“Who is Song Eun-seo?”

“Song Eun-seo came to Solnae Village when she was in the 9th grade. The reason is uncertain. She came with her grandmother. The crucial point is that her grandmother is listed as her mother on the documents. Her grandmother followed the Song family name, and they kept the grandmother’s surname.”

“Did both parents die before the birth registration?”

“According to Grandma Song, there is only one child on the documents, Song Eun-seo. So, there is currently no way to know the exact situation.”

“Look into that part more deeply. Next.”

“And she moved quite a lot. All the moves were to the countryside, and she changed her residence eight times in total. There were times when it changed twice in a year. So, she lived in the current village for the longest time.”

“Investigate that too.”

“Okay. When they settled in Solnae Village, the two who came from elsewhere suffered quite a bit. They didn’t have any special occupations or engage in farming.”

They probably had nothing and no support.

The arduous daily life of the two was depicted.
“Anyway, even among rural areas, it’s a countryside with frequent moves and Grandma’s nursing, so there wasn’t exactly a close friend. I couldn’t attend school properly on many days. Still, I was smart enough to get into K University.”

“Money?”

“I studied with student loans, scholarships, and a few private tutoring sessions, saving money by working part-time. I managed to gather enough money to move from monthly rent to a lump-sum deposit. I also repaid the loan.”

“But why are you doing this without a job?”

“Expulsion.”

Tae-ha’s finger, slowly scanning the tablet screen, stopped. It was an aspect he hadn’t thought of.

“After taking a leave of absence, time passed, and I was naturally expelled.”

This went beyond being pitiable; it was downright unfortunate.

“She was doing well in her studies, but when Grandma got sick and came down to the village, it became challenging for Song Eun-seo to continue studying from her perspective. Moreover, Grandma insisted on not going to Seoul.”

Nothing was easy or smooth.

“Of course, she probably didn’t have the money to get a house in Seoul. Even if the government supported her, it seems like she always lived a tight life. In the meantime, she even debuted in a newspaper. She seemed to do everything she could to live earnestly.”

Phew. A deep sigh escaped involuntarily.

“She’s quite smart, kind, and diligent, so Jo Sung-tae, that bastard, probably took an interest in her. Even if she got married, she didn’t have a reliable family, so I thought she might have been swayed as she pleased. So, that guy got involved.”

It wasn’t just one thing to apologize for misunderstanding.

“What are you going to do now? Currently, there is no evidence that Song Eun-seo did that, and people around her seem to have a great deal of trust in her.”

Tae-ha didn’t express his thoughts.

After Woo-young left the study, Tae-ha sat for a while, then looked for the contact information of a senior lawyer from college.

Tae-ha chose him because he didn’t want this news to reach his father.

He didn’t expect to look for a divorce specialist lawyer before getting married.

We need to handle both civil and criminal lawsuits to make it clean. I don’t know who it is, but thoroughly crush them so they can’t make a comeback.

After ending the call, Tae-ha put on the jacket he had hung up, then walked out to the garden. Wandering through the path between the middle and high school buildings, he wiped his face with both hands.

A criminal lawsuit.

The December winter night quickly penetrated his pupils, and the white snow that had started a while ago was gradually taking over Tae-ha’s shoulders.

Song Eun-seo.

A name that reminded him of the extinguished cigarette.

As Tae-ha passed a bench, an Adam’s apple silhouette was approaching from the end of the long road, shining towards the main building.

He stopped walking and silently waited for her to come closer. However, perhaps feeling a bit tired, the shadow cast by the light did not approach easily.

[Visited two law offices, stayed at one for about an hour. Visited four boarding houses, had instant noodles from a convenience store for lunch.] “Let’s have a proper meal or something.”

Tae-ha swallowed the words that sounded somehow bitter. It felt like he used them.

[Pity.]

Whether you say it looks pitiful.

It was unclear when he had unpacked his luggage, but his outerwear had changed from black to gray padding, and the muffler remained the same. And the shoes were the newest among what she had.

Traces of his sympathy.

At the end of his gaze, low-heeled black boots stopped one meter away.

Eun-seo, who had paused for a moment, pulled her hand out of her pocket and lowered the muffler that had covered her mouth.

“It’s noticeable. I tried to sneak in secretly.”

A faint smile, covered by a white breath, spread thickly with wet breath.

It felt like a joke and truth at the same time.

It didn’t feel like there was any resentment somewhere, so maybe it was a joke.

“It’s smaller than I thought, but your presence is quite noticeable.”

At his words, Eun-seo lowered her eyes and smiled lightly.

Was the dimple something you could only see when she smiled broadly? Tae-ha turned in her direction, thinking such.

The path was not narrow enough to walk side by side.

“Why did you come out?”

If he was troubled because of her, what expression would he make? He wondered if he should apologize for causing unnecessary worry.

That would be a bit much.

“To enjoy the snow.”

With the end of her words, Eun-seo tilted her head. Snowflakes, quite large, were scattered all around, piercing through the orange sky.

Naturally, a white breath spread into the chilly space as she opened her mouth.

“I don’t like snow. When it snows, I have to sweep the yard. Why is the small yard so big? Besides, why does the yard water freeze like that? Then it’s a reservation for dog trouble. It was like that when I was young too.”

Eun-seo shivered, shaking her shoulders while chattering her teeth. She lived with a damper on the white romance that others awaited. She only learned the meaning behind the phrase ‘White Christmas’ later on. She didn’t have any fond memories of it snowing.

“But now it feels unfamiliar. I wonder if the snow I used to see is the same. It’s pretty.”

As Eun-seo lightly laughed and lifted her foot, Tae-ha’s foot stopped. Because of that, Eun-seo also stopped her feet.

“The lawsuit will start soon.”

Even though she knew that, Eun-seo’s pupils trembled lifelessly.

“We won’t proceed with a criminal lawsuit.”

“……. ”

“Let’s go with a civil suit.”