I Became a Law School Genius

Chapter 10

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Lee Ha-ru, who appears in the original story, was… so to speak, a ‘broken genius.’

Most Hankuk University Law School students were from humanities backgrounds, graduating from departments like economics, social sciences, or humanities, but Lee Ha-ru’s background was different.

She was a 100% pure science elite who graduated early from Hanyang Science High School and then graduated from the Department of Computer Science at KAIST in just three years, at the top of her class.

It seemed like she was destined for success, but after experiencing some kind of ‘failure’ and losing all motivation, Lee Ha-ru chose the law school entrance exam as an escape.

The problem was that she was so smart that she scored within the national top ranks on the entrance exam.

This was possible because the exam wasn’t about legal knowledge, but rather operated like a kind of intelligence or aptitude test.

Since it was a shame to waste such a good score, she applied to Hankuk University Law School and was accepted, but Lee Ha-ru didn’t even touch her law books.

Around this time, she would have been living a reclusive life, day and night reversed, going back and forth between PC rooms and arcades…

“…Arcades, huh.”

Come to think of it, I used to go to arcades quite often in my past life.

I couldn’t go after my sibling collapsed because of work, but mainly during my exam preparation days.

When you’re fighting a battle against yourself in a five-pyeong Gosiwon, you need a way to relieve stress periodically.

Arcades were a hobby where you could find vitality cheaply in a short amount of time.

“I miss it. Should I show off my skills after a long time?”

Normally, I wouldn’t even consider it, but the alcohol and the taste of meat I had after a long time must have fueled my excitement.

Even if I went home right away, there was no clear solution anyway.

I wandered around the bustling streets looking for an arcade.

It didn’t take long.

“Huh, they have this in this world too.”

Surprisingly, the arcade I used to frequent in Sillim-dong in reality was still in the same location.

Half in nostalgia, half in curiosity, I walked down the stairs and was about to step inside when,

“Ah, seriously, no sense. If you’ve been trashed, just stop clinging and go.”

“This bitch? Hey, let’s just play one more round! I won’t fall for that cheap trick twice!”

“You’re trash at this game.”

“Aaaargh!”

A short girl with her training jacket hood pulled over her head and a bulky man were arguing in front of a fighting game machine.

Wait, this cynical tone that seems to be steeped in internet culture…

It’s somewhat familiar…

At that moment, the girl turned her head towards me.

A pale face with dark circles under her eyes was slightly revealed under the hood.

“What are you looking at? Here to watch?”

It was a familiar face.

“…Lee Ha-ru?”

“Huh. How do you know my name? Are you a stalker?”

It was indeed Lee Ha-ru.

I didn’t expect to run into her like this, but since it happened, I decided to try persuading her now.

If I missed this chance, there was no telling where I would meet this eccentric girl again, who was like a legendary Pokémon.

“Stalker, my foot. I’m a student at Hankuk University Law School, just like you. And I’m your group member.”

At the words ‘Hankuk University Law School’, the man who was fighting with Lee Ha-ru widened his eyes and stealthily backed away, escaping from the arcade.

There was an old saying to avoid getting involved with those who study law.

Well, since Lee Ha-ru hadn’t even opened “Minmae” once, it would be a stretch to say she was studying law.

“Group member?”

“Yeah. Our group’s score is about to get drastically cut because you’re not showing up. They said they’re going to reflect attendance in the group score.”

“Ah, that’s why.”

“Please. Could you come for the remaining period?”

Lee Ha-ru stood still, seemingly pondering, then declared confidently,

“I refuse!”

“No, hey.”

“I don’t listen to those weaker than me.”

Then Lee Ha-ru pointed at the fighting game machine.

“If you want to persuade me, let’s settle it with this.”

As I stared blankly, she actually inserted a coin and started the machine.

With blaring sound effects, the screen lit up, showing Lee Ha-ru’s character and a sparkling blue game rank.

“…You want to fight with a game?”

“Suit yourself. Are you bad at this because you’re a nerd who only studies?”

Huh, this is…

“Well, I might look like this, but I’m a master. There’s no way I’ll lose to a newbie I’ve never even seen before…”

“Alright. Let’s have a match.”

“Oh.”

I sat across from Lee Ha-ru and turned on the machine.

“But if I win, you have to come to class every day until the end of the pre-law program. Promise.”

“What if you lose?”

“Then I won’t bother you anymore.”

“Isn’t that a loss only for me… Well, whatever, I’ll win anyway.”

‘Enjoy that confidence while it lasts, kid.’

Actually, I’m not the beginner Lee Ha-ru thinks I am.

During my days of relieving the stress of studying for the bar exam at the arcade, my rank in this game was what they call the ‘gold rank’.

It meant that if I put my mind to it, I could even compete professionally.

I simply left it as a hobby because I liked law much more.

Lee Ha-ru’s rank was also that of a considerably skilled player, but the difference between us was like that of a national soccer player and the ace of a middle school soccer team.

Especially with games, unlike studying, it was similar to physical training or skills that become ingrained in your body.

It means that even if you take a break for a few years, you can quickly regain it.

I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t confident that I would lose.

[Here comes a new challenger!]

The phrase announcing the start of the game appeared.

And, as expected,

[K.O.]

It didn’t take long for the match to be decided.

It was Lee Ha-ru’s character that fell, and mine that remained, striking a victory pose.

Lee Ha-ru was staring at the screen with a dumbfounded look.

“No way…”

“You promised, right? You’ll come starting Monday?”

“H-how…”

Although Lee Ha-ru hated studying law more than death, she also had a side that hated breaking promises even more.

She wasn’t the type to go back on her word.

So this was enough.

I was about to get up, relieved that I had put out the fire, when

“How did you do that? Just now?”

“…?”

“Teach me! If you teach me, I’ll serve you as my master for life! Please, I’m begging you!”

Lee Ha-ru suddenly approached me and asked with sparkling eyes.

Judging from the situation, she seemed to be talking about the technique I used to defeat her character at the end.

I thought this was just an escape for her, but to think she was this serious about the game.

‘If she’s this much of a game addict, even if I drag her by force…’

I would earn attendance points if I could just make her attend, but every time Lee Ha-ru was called on for a presentation, our group wouldn’t get any points. We might even lose points.

“I-I’ll do anything!”

‘No, is this an opportunity?’

Originally, I was going to be satisfied with just her attendance, but if she was this serious, I might be able to use her in a different way.

I decided to be a little greedier.

“…You just said you’d do anything, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then, let’s study law together.”

“…?”

She might be a pitiful sight now, but Lee Ha-ru was still one of the top characters in the story in terms of brainpower.

In other words, she was a ‘child who can do it if she sets her mind to it’.

Even in the original story, once she came to her senses later, she caught up with the other students at a considerable pace.

‘Especially in areas like intellectual property law, which requires a base in science, she was unrivaled, even sweeping competitions.’

I was planning to help Lee Ha-ru grow faster than in the original story and reap some benefits from it.

“…Ugh, fine. I’ll do it.”

“Really? No take-backs?”

“I swear. Really.”

This was an unexpected big win.

“But what’s your name?”

“You’re asking that now? It’s Park Yoo-seung, Park Yoo-seung.”

“Park… I’ll just call you Master.”

“Then why did you even ask…”

It was already late at night when we left the arcade.

I made sure to get a firm promise from Lee Ha-ru that she would definitely come to class, and just in case, I even got her contact information before we parted ways.

When I got home and reviewed what I had learned this week, it was long past my bedtime.

And on Monday morning,

“Park Yoo-seung, we’re in big trouble! I was so excited that I forgot, but starting today, attendance counts.”

“Hi there.”

“…Huh?”

“I look forward to working with you from today onwards.”

“…Huuuuh?”

***

At Hankuk University Law School, regular faculty meetings were held every Monday morning.

If there was no particular agenda, they would sometimes end early or even be skipped altogether, but at this time, with the start of the new semester just around the corner, there were many things to check.

Therefore, Jang Yong-hwan headed to the conference room with a reluctant expression.

“Oh, Professor Jang! You’re early!”

Professor Park Soo-geun, who had arrived first, waved his hand in greeting.

“Did you have another fight with your wife?”

“Well, things got a bit… Wait, how did you know that?”

“The bandage on your left hand. Considering the location, it must be a wound from clumsily handling a knife. And your tie, which was always neatly tied as if someone had fixed it for you, is loosely done today. There’s also no smell of stew that usually lingers after you arrive at work. You must have made breakfast yourself.”

It was obvious that he had fought with his wife and couldn’t even get a proper meal.

Jang Yong-hwan nodded, saying it wasn’t even the first time this had happened.

“Wow, a former prosecutor is indeed different.”

Park Soo-geun chuckled and clicked his tongue in admiration, and at the same time, Professor Choi Sung-chul, the vice dean, who entered the meeting room, cleared his throat.

“Now, now. Let’s start the meeting.”

Choi Sung-chul said, picking up a stack of documents.

“Let’s see… have we collected the estimated scores for the bar exam for the third-year students?”

“Ah, I put it next to you.”

Reading the designated document, Choi Sung-chul said,

“It’s similar to previous years this year as well. Based on the calculations, it seems like the passing rate will be around 94% based on the number of examinees?”

“Our students are always excellent.”

“Professors in charge, please take good care of the students’ graduation requirements, and send me a list of students who failed to graduate and those expected to fail. We need to check the demand for the dormitory study room in advance.”

The current third-year students had taken the bar exam in the second week of January.

Although the results for the essay and practical exams, which require long written answers, are released late, the multiple-choice section can be scored, and this is used as an indicator to predict whether a student will pass.

It was no exaggeration to say that 94% was one of the highest rates in the country.

Originally, unlike the bar exam in the past, the bar exam was designed as a qualification exam to filter out only those who truly lacked the skills, under the motto of ‘let anyone become a lawyer as long as they graduate from law school’.

However, due to the accumulated quota issues, about 3,500 people take the exam each time, and only around 1,700 pass.

A whopping half are eliminated.

Considering that most of the examinees are graduates of good universities who have completed years of professional legal education and studied day and night, being in the top half was by no means an easy task.

“The performance of the second-year students is… good. Especially, there are many students with good grades in the prosecution practicum. Thanks to Professor Jang Yong-hwan, we’ll have some prosecutors this year as well.”

“It’s the students who did well, what did I do?”

Jang Yong-hwan waved his hand dismissively at the compliment.

It wasn’t modesty; he truly thought so.

Even if he could provide materials and teach study methods, studying was ultimately something you had to do yourself.

“Overall, there are many positive developments. Regarding donations, Congressman Jeong, who graduated from the law department, has made a large donation. Let’s continue to enhance the status of Hankuk University Law School and build good relationships with many people.”

‘…How transparent.’

Jang Yong-hwan clicked his tongue inwardly.

Vice Dean Choi Sung-chul was competent, but perhaps because he came from the financial world, he had a tendency to be cunning when it came to money.

Congressman Jeong, who was mentioned, was famous for his recent drop in approval ratings.

It was no secret that he was trying to turn his image around through donations.

It even crossed my mind that Choi Sung-chul might have approached him first and secured the donation.

“In that sense, how are the prospective first-year students? I heard that Professor Park Soo-geun and Professor Jang Yong-hwan are teaching them.”

“This year’s group seems to be quite outstanding. I personally have high expectations for them.”

Park Soo-geun replied with a grin.

“First of all, the top ranks are solid. That student who ranked first and the one who ranked second, if you just look at their civil law skills, they’re at a level where they could pass the bar exam right now. There’s also another student I’m keeping an eye on.”

“How interesting. I have one too.”

Jang Yong-hwan also joined the conversation.

‘Was his name Park Yoo-seung?’

He was an audacious fellow.

When I first asked the question, he just sat there quietly as if he didn’t know anything, but as soon as the top student missed a hidden issue, he jumped up like a ghost and nailed the answer.

His ability to pick out the most delicious parts was extraordinary.

“That’s good news. Is the second exam for the prospective students coming up soon? I would appreciate it if you two could prepare as usual.”

I especially liked how he started with the authenticity of the evidence and developed his logic from there.

That was the thought process of an investigator.

In other words, the same kind as Jang Yong-hwan himself.

There are many students who are simply good at studying.

In the first place, if they weren’t at that level, they wouldn’t even be able to enter Hankuk University Law School.

But it’s rare to see a rough gem with the mind of an investigator, who can uncover hidden truths and find the link between logic and facts.

‘If he wants to pursue a completely different path, I won’t interfere…’

Jang Yong-hwan wanted to test this promising student he had met after a long time a little further.

“Vice Dean.”

“Yes, Professor Jang.”

“The format of the second exam. Can we change it a bit?”

“…Excuse me?”