The Lawyer Who Never Loses

CHAPTER 6: The Steel Pipe

I gritted my teeth. The system was tracking his shifting bias in real-time. Han was erasing my progress with every word.

"Furthermore," Han continued, pacing slowly toward the center of the room. "The defense claims she acted purely out of survival. But true desperation leaves a trail of regret. The defendant showed no remorse when apprehended. She lied to the arresting officers. She attempted to construct a false alibi involving a local PC cafe. She only confessed when backed into a corner by her own counsel."

Han stopped pacing. She turned her head slightly, locking eyes with me. Her gaze was cold, sharp, and utterly merciless. 

"A suspended sentence does not rehabilitate this kind of behavior, Your Honor. It validates it. The prosecution stands by its recommendation of two years in a federal facility."

Judge Yoo leaned back in his chair, tapping a gold pen against his desk. The dull sound echoed in the quiet room. He looked at Ji-Won, his expression entirely devoid of pity. 

"Attorney Jin," Judge Yoo said, his voice grating. "The prosecution makes a compelling point regarding her juvenile record. Financial hardship is not a blank check to break the law. What do you have to say?"

My mind raced. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead. I had to pivot. I had to hit back on the emotional angle. 

[Critical Rebuttal Window Open: 00:15]

"Your Honor," I said, my voice rising. "Juvenile records are sealed for a reason. They represent mistakes made before the brain is fully developed. To use them as an anchor to sink a nineteen-year-old girl is a failure of the justice system's duty to protect its youth. Prosecutor Han calls it a premeditated strike. I call it a teenager terrified of sleeping on the freezing concrete of Sillim-dong!"

[Chain Argument Combo x1]

[Opponent Hesitation Detected]

Han Seo-Young paused. A tiny, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. 

My stomach dropped. That wasn't hesitation. That was a trap springing shut. 

"A compelling rebuttal, Attorney Jin," Han said smoothly. She walked back to her desk and picked up a slim manila folder. "It is true, the prospect of sleeping on concrete is terrifying. But you know what else is terrifying?"

She handed the folder to the court clerk, who brought it up to the judge. 

"Being beaten with a steel pipe for minimum wage."

The temperature in the room felt like it plunged ten degrees. My breath caught in my throat. I looked down at Ji-Won. She had stopped shaking. She was completely rigid, her face drained of all color, staring straight ahead with dead, horrified eyes. 

"What is this, Prosecutor Han?" Judge Yoo asked, pulling a sleek black flash drive from the folder. 

"The prosecution would like to submit Exhibit C into evidence," Han announced, her voice ringing out loud and clear. "This is supplemental CCTV footage, retrieved by my office at 6:00 AM this morning from a private security camera in the alleyway directly behind the convenience store."

"Objection!" I shouted, slamming my hands on the table. The pain shot up my wrists, but I ignored it. "Your Honor, this is a clear violation of discovery rules! The defense was not provided this evidence!"

"The evidence was acquired mere hours ago, Your Honor," Han countered effortlessly, not even looking at me. "Under Article 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code, newly discovered evidence of a critical nature may be admitted if it directly alters the fundamental facts of the charge. And I assure you, this alters everything."

Judge Yoo frowned, looking at the flash drive, then down at me. "I will allow it. Clerk, play the video."

"Your Honor—" I started, panic rising in my chest. 

"Sit down, Attorney Jin," Judge Yoo barked, striking his gavel once. The sharp crack made me flinch. "Let's see what you are defending."

I slowly sank back into my chair. The large monitor mounted on the wall opposite the jury box flickered to life. 

The system panel in my eye exploded with red warnings.

[New Evidence Priority: HIGH]

[Contradiction Found]

[Warning: Fatal Flaw in Defense Narrative Detected]

The screen showed grainy, black-and-white night vision footage. It was an alleyway filled with trash cans. 

A figure in a black hoodie sprinted into the frame from the right. It was Ji-Won. She was clutching a wad of cash to her chest, looking back over her shoulder. 

A second later, a man ran into the frame chasing her. The convenience store clerk. He was wearing an apron, pointing and shouting, though the video had no audio. He caught up to her, grabbing the hood of her sweatshirt. 

Ji-Won stumbled backward. The clerk reached for the money. 

Then, it happened. 

Ji-Won didn't just pull away. She reached into the deep front pocket of her hoodie. She pulled out a heavy, rusted steel pipe—a piece of discarded plumbing fixture. 

Without a moment of hesitation, she swung it wildly. 

The heavy steel connected directly with the side of the clerk's head. The impact was violent enough to make his head snap back at a grotesque angle. His legs gave out instantly. He crumpled to the dirty pavement, lying completely motionless. 

In the video, Ji-Won stood over him for a second. Then, she turned and sprinted away into the darkness. 

The monitor faded to black. 

The courtroom was dead silent. I could hear my own pulse thundering in my ears. I couldn't breathe. The air felt thick, heavy, choking me. 

I looked at Ji-Won. She had lied to me. She hadn't just taken the money. She had nearly killed a man for it. And I had just stood in front of a judge and begged for mercy on her behalf.

Han Seo-Young stood perfectly still, her hands resting lightly on her hips. She looked at me with an expression of cold, clinical disgust. 

"Based on this new evidence, Your Honor," Han said, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "The prosecution is officially amending the charge against Lee Ji-Won."

She paused, letting the silence stretch, letting the weight of the moment crush me. 

"We are upgrading the charge from Petty Theft to Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, and Attempted Manslaughter. The prosecution will be seeking a sentence of fifteen years."

A loud Ding echoed inside my skull. The high-pitched mechanical sound felt like a needle driving into my brain. 

The glowing blue text in the corner of my eye flashed rapidly, the numbers scrambling, before locking into place with a sickening finality. 

[Case Difficulty: SSS]

[Victory Probability: 0%]