I Became a Law School Genius

Chapter 23
『 Translator – Divinity 』

“…You’ve changed, little brother.”

“I can’t keep living as a disgrace to my talented hyung. I have to be a proper person.”

“It’s alright though. We’re family, we can embrace you as you are.”

“Haha, still, I have some shame.”

Although the conversation seemed warm and fuzzy on the surface, the atmosphere was as cold as walking on thin ice.

Chilly voices, devoid of any sincerity.

“Why, now of all times?”

“I have something I want to do.”

I grinned.

“I’m going to be a prosecutor. Studying law is fun.”

“…So what our uncle said was true. That you’re like a different person there, excelling?”

“What? You knew?”

“I heard it when I visited him last time. Father doesn’t seem to know yet, though.”

No, you knew all along, you punk.

It seems he was pretending not to know and treating me normally to test me.

Indeed, Park Tae-yang wasn’t someone to be underestimated.

Actually, I had expected things to go this way when I came to the main house.

I came back to film “Our Delinquent Has Changed,” and that would inevitably make Park Tae-yang wary of me.

Right now, Park Tae-yang was fully aware of me as a potential competitor.

For now, I decided to express my intentions.

“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in Yooseong Group at all. I have no intention of rebelling against you, hyung.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“In the first place, what does studying law have to do with our group?”

“Recently, there’s been an increase in appointing CEOs with legal backgrounds in our affiliates. And for the most part, their performance is good… It wouldn’t be strange for you to try to compete based on that expertise.”

‘This is crazy.’

It was like preaching to deaf ears.

For him, whose mind was solely focused on inheriting Yooseong Group, it seemed impossible to understand that his lifelong dream was a position that someone wouldn’t even take for free.

Even though I had my own dreams.

Just like how becoming the head of Yooseong Group was his dream.

“It would have been better if you had remained a delinquent.”

“I can’t do that. I have a goal now.”

“Then, you’ve become my enemy.”

‘I said I’m not.’

I had no intention of continuing to play into Park Tae-yang’s hands, but neither did I intend to participate in the succession competition and fight him head-on.

I had my own plans for Yooseong Group, but they were certainly not what Park Tae-yang had in mind.

Park Tae-yang growled,

“You’ll regret this.”

‘Huh, really now.’

As I clearly stated, I had no intention of confronting him at this point.

But if he continued to be hostile towards me like this, and if he caused any trouble… I wouldn’t just stand still either.

“I’ll return those words to you.”

That’s how I responded to Park Tae-yang’s warning.

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

Because I wasn’t the Park Yoo-seung he knew.

He didn’t know what I could and couldn’t do.

***

I parted ways with Park Tae-yang and entered the mansion alone.

Since there was still time before Park Geon returned in the evening, I decided to go to my room and rest for a while, following the housekeeper’s guidance.

“…This is my room?”

As soon as I entered the room, I was greeted by a thick layer of dust.

The bleak and dirty room, with barely any furniture, seemed to show that there was no place for Park Yoo-seung in this house.

I couldn’t stand it like this.

If I were the real Park Yoo-seung, I would have thrown a fit and called for a servant to clean it up immediately, but instead, I asked the housekeeper to bring me cleaning supplies.

“You’re going to clean it yourself?”

“Of course, it’s my room. Who else would do it?”

Back when I did any job that paid, I even worked as a cleaner as a side job after work.

There was no way I would feel any aversion to it.

Leaving the housekeeper, who was wide-eyed in surprise, I dedicated myself to cleaning the room for about 30 minutes, and it became somewhat presentable.

“Thank you. Here, please take these back.”

The housekeeper, with a dumbfounded look as if she had seen a ghost, took back the cleaning supplies and disappeared.

Hmm, what should I do now?

It was still a long time until dinner.

It would be fine to rest since I had moved around for a while, but it wasn’t in my nature to waste time.

Should I study?

Since it was just spare time, I didn’t feel like tackling any essay questions, so I decided to just skim through some Criminal Law multiple-choice questions.

I took out the question book from my bag and opened it to a random page.

[Question: Choose the correct statement regarding embezzlement.]

1. Even if you arbitrarily use money entrusted to you for the purpose of giving a bribe, embezzlement is not established.

2. In the case of consignment sales, even if the consignee consumes the proceeds, embezzlement is not established.

3. Since each partner in a partnership has the sole right of disposal over the partnership
property, embezzlement is not established even if one of the partners arbitrarily disposes of the partnership property.
(…)

“It’s number 1.”

I checked the answer immediately.

“Giving money for the purpose of bribery is an antisocial act and falls under illegal cause payment according to Article 746 of the Civil Act. As a reflexive effect, ownership is transferred to the recipient. Since it’s their own money they used, it’s not embezzlement.”

Excellent.

My repetitive review study method was definitely effective.

Even if I looked at a random page, the relevant legal principles and the framework where the content fit came to mind immediately.

‘This is what a second-round bar exam passer should be able to do.’

Considering the notoriety of the exam, it was a wonder it didn’t take longer for me to regain my form.

As I was immersed in studying, solving a few more problems, I heard a knock on the door.

“It’s dinner time, Young Master.”

“Is it that late already? Let’s go.”

I followed the servants to the dining room.

Park Tae-yang, whom I had seen earlier, and a woman wearing dark sunglasses were facing each other across the table.

“No, but why is oppa telling me what to do?”

“It’s not telling you what to do, it’s business advice. In times like these, how risky such an aggressive M&A is…”

“Ha. You’re all talk and no substance, you know nothing about investment.”

Apparently, the woman was Park Yoo-seung’s older sister, Park Min-ha.

I remembered her appearing as a rather feisty character in the original story.

“Good evening.”

“What, it’s you.”

When I greeted them at an opportune moment, I received a harsh response from Park Min-ha.

“How dare you show your face here?”

“How dare I? Father called for me.”

“Good. It seems he’s finally going to remove you from the family register this time.”

“The hoju system was abolished in 2008, and under the current family law, it’s impossible to remove a child’s name from the family relations register…”

“Oh, you know what I mean! You went to law school and learned some law, huh?”

Park Min-ha pounded her chest in frustration.

Although she still had a temper, Park Min-ha, who was straightforward and didn’t hide her true feelings, was easier to deal with than the sly Park Tae-yang.

“…”

Look at him.

Even now, Park Tae-yang was watching me with a cold gaze.

He was probably calculating various possibilities in his head.

‘This family is a mess.’

The eldest and second child were baring their fangs at each other over the right to inherit, and the youngest was a delinquent who only caused trouble.

It was a family devoid of harmony and peace.

‘Though I’m not in a position to say that, being the delinquent myself.’

It was while I was swallowing those thoughts that,

“The master has arrived.”

The head of this household, who had neglected, condoned, or rather practically abetted this situation.

The announcement of Park Geon’s arrival was heard.

“Ah, Dad!”

“Welcome, Father.”

At the same time, the two siblings competing for succession instinctively rushed out.

Their reaction speed was like that of dogs waiting for their owner.

Creak.

The door opened.

And a middle-aged man, dressed in neat business casual attire, walked in with a steady gait.

‘This man is Park Geon…’

Park Geon was, in a word, a man like a solid rock.

If Kang Chang-soo was like an old tree with a dignified presence, Park Geon was tall and broad-shouldered, boasting a physique that could be mistaken for a retired athlete.

Except for his hair, which was starting to turn gray, there was nothing about him that revealed his age.

It was clear that the three siblings, Park Tae-yang, Park Min-ha, and I, all inherited our tall stature from Park Geon.

Park Geon stopped silently in front of his son and daughter, who had come to greet him.

Unconsciously, Park Tae-yang and Park Min-ha gulped under his imposing presence.

And the first words Park Geon uttered were,

“…The smell.”

“Huh?”

“Uh, do you smell? Did you change my perfume?”

It was directed at none other than me.

“There’s no smell of alcohol.”

“!”

His heavy, rock-like voice reached me.

“It’s a rare sight to see you not reeking of alcohol. Have you finally decided to turn over a new leaf?”

“…To be honest, yes.”

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t read his intentions from his expression.

It seemed like he was being sarcastic, but also like he had softened a bit.

Whatever his true feelings, it seemed that Driver Choi had indeed relayed my message.

I was a bit taken aback, but Park Tae-yang and Park Min-ha seemed even more offended.

Their father was paying attention to someone else first, even though his children, who were competing for the successor position, were right there to greet him.

It was quite amusing to see Park Min-ha’s face contort.

“Sit down.”

Regardless, Park Geon instructed us to sit, and then ordered the servants to bring in the food.

During the meal, Park Geon spoke briefly.

“Report on your recent activities.”

Park Tae-yang was the first to react.

“Yooseong Trading’s performance this quarter is better than expected. Although the manufacturing cycle has entered a recession, both domestically and overseas, we’ve turned this into an opportunity and succeeded in taking market share from our struggling competitors.”

“You speak as if you’re all that.”

But Park Geon’s expression was cold.

“Don’t be arrogant. That’s by no means an achievement you accomplished alone. Starting with Yoo Byung-gyu, who sits as the CEO there, all the executives at Yooseong Trading are excellent. You mustn’t forget that it was thanks to their efforts.”

“…Of course. I always approach my work with the mindset of learning from the executives.”

Next was Park Min-ha.

“You remember that I was running an investment company in North America, right? Recently, I acquired a promising IT venture company related to platforms, and they hit the jackpot. I had the relevant report sent to your secretary, so please read it later. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting too, Dad.”

“Hmm. Platforms, it’s a noteworthy field.”

Still, there was no change in his expression.

“But that’s also not an achievement you made on your own. The data you read and reflected in your decisions were extracted by a professional research team and analysts who worked day and night. Without them, your insight would be useless.”

“Tsk, what’s wrong with just giving compliments when it’s time to give compliments?”

Park Geon shook his head.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Park Geon declared, poking his fork into his steak.

“The achievements you boast about may seem impressive at first glance, but in reality, they are things anyone can do.”

“…Yes?”

“Who are you? You are the son and daughter of the chairman of Yooseong Group. You start businesses with Yooseong Group’s capital and use the talents nurtured by Yooseong Group as your pawns. Can you really call the achievements you made with all that help ‘yours’?”

‘What an old-fashioned geezer.’

Even as a spectator, I felt my energy drain at his words.

But this was also the value that permeated Park Geon’s life.

He was a man who started with nothing and built Yooseong Group from scratch.

No matter how grand the achievements presented to him, if they were based on abundant support, it was just a natural outcome for Park Geon.

It couldn’t surprise him or earn his recognition.

On the other hand, even if it seemed relatively insignificant, if it was a flower that someone with nothing bloomed with their own strength, Park Geon highly valued it.

“Ugh…!”

“Tsk.”

The two siblings, struck by the rebuke of a living success story, closed their mouths, unable to refute him.

“But, well,”

The problem was what came next.

“It might be better than someone who has achieved nothing.”

Now it was my turn.

“You entered Hankuk University Law School, right?”

“Fortunately, yes.”

“Quit it.”

Park Geon spat out.

“Excuse me?”

“Even in college, you managed to enter ‘by luck’. What was the result? You spent four years drinking, paid for someone to ghostwrite your reports, and barely managed to graduate by finding competent group members for presentations.”

Indeed. It seemed that Park Yoo-seung had muddled through college that way.

I was wondering how that delinquent managed to get the grades to enter law school, but since he was from the business school, where presentations and reports were more important than exams, there were ways to get around it.

“Do you think those methods will work in law school? Not a chance. There might be ignorant people who underestimate it, but Hankuk University Law School is where the nation’s top elites gather.”

Park Geon’s criticism continued.

“In the past, they were people who risked their lives studying and passing the bar exam. Like your mother. Unless you have the talent and dedication of a bar exam passer, you’ll just be eliminated and swallowed up in that environment!”

Even so, I thought his insults towards his own son were a bit harsh.

Of course, I understood.

Park Yoo-seung’s past behavior hadn’t exactly been reassuring.

It was true that talented individuals flocked to Hankuk University Law School, and whether it was due to his values or respect for his wife, Park Geon was someone who acknowledged the excellence of those who studied law.

‘But you see,’

There was one thing I had to correct.

“…What’s that?”

Park Geon’s gaze briefly shifted to the envelope I held out.

I nonchalantly tore it open and revealed the contents.

[Hankuk University Law School Pre-Law Final Ranking]

It was a transcript.

[Park Yoo-seung (5/150)]

Proof that I was among the top five in the most elite group of Korean humanities students, as Park Geon had said.

‘I’m sorry, but I do have it. The talent and effort of a bar exam passer.’

“…!”

Park Geon’s eyes, which had been still, widened in disbelief.