My Line (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

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Ha In answered the phone as if he were calm.

“Yes, Prosecutor. Hello.”

Why do you keep bothering me?

Her unfriendly voice came through the phone. It was bristling with thorns right from the first word. Ha In was so flustered that his mind went completely blank, unable to think of what to say.

“Ah… Prosecutor, I’m sorry. The phone kept ringing so often—it must have been really inconvenient for you. I was just in a real hurry.”

That’s enough. Don’t contact me anymore.

Ha In calmly explained the whole situation, but it didn’t seem to sway Ra In at all.

He had thought her coldest demeanor was during the prosecutor’s summons investigation, yet even through the phone, her icy attitude was palpable.

“Prosecutor, the truth is… it’s not me who wants to meet you—it’s our Director.”

Ha In spoke in a genuinely earnest tone. The call, which he had expected to be abruptly cut off at any moment, was surprisingly held a little longer.

“Our Director really wants to meet you, just once. Even five minutes would be fine—could you possibly spare just a moment?”

He held his breath briefly, waiting for her reply. In that fleeting instant, he felt as though he’d been plunged alternately into icy cold and scalding hot water.

If it’s necessary, tell him to contact me himself. I’m hanging up.

“Wait, Prosecutor!”

If that coldness was ice, it was Siberian-cold ice; if that heat was boiling water, it was heat too scalding even for his toes to bear.

Through the phone, she decisively severed the call, clearly showing she wouldn’t entertain any further chance.

“Prosecutor! Prosecutor! Haa…”

Ha In sighed and stared at his phone screen, now showing the ended call.

He fretted over how to soften her message—“If necessary, contact me yourself”—when reporting back to his Director. He almost regretted that it might have been better if she’d just hung up without saying anything at all.

Ha In stood hesitantly outside the Director’s office, his mind so tangled that he even held back the secretary who was about to announce him.

“Um… Attorney? What should we do?”

Eventually, the secretary glanced at Ha In for guidance.

“Oh, I’ll go in.”

The secretary informed Song Kang that Ha In had returned. As the door opened, he stepped slowly and heavily into the office.

Seeing Ha In’s expression, Song Kang immediately guessed the call hadn’t gone through.

“Didn’t work out?”

“No… It’s just…”

Since Ha In started with a “no,” Song Kang knew he needed to hear the rest.

“I managed a very brief call with Prosecutor Jin Ra In.”

Song Kang nodded, listening attentively.

“But…”

Ha In couldn’t bring himself to say, “You’ll have to call her yourself.” He was already uneasy that Song Kang had taken the initiative to find out Jin Ra In’s contact information.

“It’s fine—just report everything as it is. Only then can we figure out a way forward.”

Ha In had no choice but to say what absolutely needed to be said, even if not every detail.

“He said… to contact you… directly…”

Song Kang immediately understood why Ha In had struggled to say it. He barely managed to steady his trembling gaze. Rejection was something he’d anticipated—but being told to call her himself? That stung.

“Did Prosecutor Jin Ra In really say that?”

Truthfully, her words had been even more hostile and firm. But since this wasn’t meant as a provocation, he tried his best to tone down her attitude and phrasing.

“I felt there was a limit to what I could convey.”

Song Kang, well aware of Ha In’s white lie, didn’t press further.

“Good work. You may go.”

“Yes, I’ll come back once I’ve prepared the report.”

Ha In bowed slightly and turned to leave, his shoulders slumped.

After he left, Song Kang sat down and tried hard to calm himself. He’d negotiated with countless corporations and even governments, yet no one had ever treated Taesung this way.

Usually, if Song Kang himself offered to get involved, meetings that previously didn’t exist would suddenly materialize. So being told, “If you want to meet, contact me yourself,” was a first for him. He couldn’t help but let out a hollow chuckle, utterly bewildered.

Song Kang left his office to attend to his schedule, but throughout the day, that infuriating reply—“contact me yourself”—kept pricking at his mind, making it impossible to focus on work.

Back in his office, Song Kang resolved to call Jin Ra In himself. Out of habit, he pressed the intercom to connect to the secretary’s office. Reflexively, the secretary knocked and entered.

“Director, you called?”

He realized his mistake immediately.

“Oh—sorry, it was just a reflex. Please get back to work.”

Trending

The secretary bowed politely and left.

It wasn’t just about pride; he was more worried that she might resent him.

And reaching out personally was so unfamiliar to him that the discomfort was significant. Lost in these troubling thoughts, he’d reflexively summoned his secretary again.

Song Kang pulled up Ra In’s number and pressed the call button. There was no guarantee she’d answer—but…

Hello?

She answered. He’d told her to take his call, yet why was he this nervous? Her voice came through the phone—dry and cold, almost pained.

Hello. If you’ve dialed the wrong number, I’ll hang up.

Knowing she wouldn’t wait long, Song Kang spoke quickly.

“This is Na Song Gang from Taesung.”

A brief silence followed his low, calm voice.

Yes, and?

Her flat reply left Song Kang feeling helpless. There was no hint of curiosity at the end of her sentence.

“I’m calling because I’d like to meet Prosecutor Jin Ra In.”

Another silence stretched between them through the phone. The suffocating quiet nearly drove Song Kang mad, but he knew pressing her wouldn’t help—so he waited for her response.

Fine, let’s meet.

It was completely unexpected. Song Kang doubted his own ears.

Text me when and where.

He couldn’t even utter a simple “Yes, understood.” He held himself tightly in check, afraid his voice might betray unintended intensity.

I’ll hang up now.

As the call abruptly ended, Song Kang’s eyebrow twitched. He couldn’t quite define these complex, tangled emotions—but they were intensely stimulating.

Just then, a knock came, and the secretary entered.

“Director, Attorney Cha Hae In is here.”

Ha In entered, holding the report. Song Kang, still gathering his composure, stood up from his seat.

“Have a seat.”

Ha In glanced at Song Kang’s dark expression, sensing something was off. He worried it might be because contact with Prosecutor Jin Ra In had failed—and instinctively tensed the corners of his eyes, afraid he might reflexively flash his usual smile.

“I just spoke with Prosecutor Jin Ra In.”

If he’d already made the call, yet Song Kang looked like this…

“Oh… She refused, I suppose.”

“No. I’ll soon send you the agreed time and place.”

Ha In couldn’t help but be stunned. He’d been certain she’d never agree…

“You mean… Prosecutor Jin Ra In said she’ll come?”

Song Kang nodded, his expression thoughtful.

“For now, yes.”

But since Song Kang didn’t look particularly pleased, Ha In was confused.

“Has the Legal Affairs team decided how to respond regarding the summons investigation? It seems the Head of Legal Affairs won’t be as open as before.”

“Yes, exactly. That’s actually why I came—to discuss this.”

“Leave it be. No matter how much they try to hide it, this case can’t move forward without me.”

Song Kang had no intention of replacing the Head of Legal Affairs. A dog blinded by greed was easy to control.

He knew that at any moment, offering a card bigger than Geum Mo Ran would make the man lick his boots—but Song Kang had no need for such a dog. So he intended to let Geum Mo Ran deal with it.

“Director, how should we prepare for your meeting with Prosecutor Jin Ra In?”

“There’s nothing to prepare. I’ll go alone.”

Ha In felt uneasy inwardly—not because he feared Song Kang might make a mistake, but because he knew that even though Prosecutor Jin Ra In had been cold at the prosecution office, she’d still maintained a certain professional decorum.

He wanted to accompany Song Kang for fear she might fully unleash her “law school psycho” side—but since Song Kang insisted on going alone, Ha In could only hope nothing disastrous occurred.

“I have to bring her over somehow.”

Hearing “bring her over,” Ha In looked at Song Kang with visible surprise.

“Bring… her over?”

“I’ll bring Prosecutor Jin Ra In into Taesung.”

Ha In’s pupils wavered. If Ra In joined Taesung, she’d likely work in Legal Affairs—and he could already picture the Head of Legal Affairs’ furious, flabbergasted face.

“Director…”

Song Kang simply looked at Ha In without answering.

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“Never mind.”

If that was his decision, it would happen. Nothing anyone said could stop him now.

Song Kang picked the time slot when he was most free and texted Ra In. He deliberately chose a relaxed moment so he could fully focus on their conversation. Of course, the location was a private one.

About three or four hours after he’d sent the message, a one-word reply came: “Yes.”

Communicating with her always left him with an oddly ambiguous feeling—not rude, yet irritating; far from kind, yet her messages were always precise and clear.

Why did that crisp, decisive tone linger so stubbornly in his mind…?

Pushing the thought aside, Song Kang reviewed the report sent from Legal Affairs. He knew there was a separate document prepared for submission to the prosecution, but he read it anyway—partly out of spite.

The Head of Legal Affairs had packed the report with obscure legal clauses that non-lawyers would struggle to comprehend, making its meaning nearly impossible to grasp even after reading.

Thus, he had to simultaneously refer to Ha In’s analytical summary, making his workload double or even triple.

A knock sounded, and the secretary entered.

“Director, it’s time to leave. You asked to be reminded ten minutes early due to traffic.”

Song Kang stood, still holding the Legal Affairs report he hadn’t finished reading, and headed to the meeting location.

The road to the meeting spot was indeed jammed. He was glad he’d left ten minutes early.

Even in the car, he kept reviewing materials from Legal Affairs alongside Attorney Cha Hae In’s explanatory notes, busy piecing together the details.

At one point, he glanced at his wristwatch. He wouldn’t arrive with ample time to spare, but it seemed he’d still make it before the scheduled time.

He didn’t actually expect Prosecutor Jin Ra In to be punctual, but he himself didn’t want to be late either. His long-held principle had always been: uphold what must be upheld, and then speak your mind.

Just one traffic light remained before reaching his destination.

Song Kang set down the documents he’d been reading and took a quiet moment to collect his thoughts. He steeled his resolve, centering himself for what he considered his first negotiation with her.

After replacing Taesung’s Head of Legal Affairs, he was determined—even if it meant installing Prosecutor Jin Ra In in that role—to make her his own.

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