Unspoken Definites

21 Intoxicated

"The law does not equate getting divorce for the other party to get the right to foster the child." The young legal assistant transferred her gaze from the folder she was holding to her client sitting across the table.

The client, a woman in her late 20s, bit her chapped lower lip. Anxiety shrouded her pale face. The legal assistant smiled encouragingly.

"Your ex-husband may request the Korean Family Court to make him the child's sole fosterer. On the process, the court will consider certain factors like the child's age, the past and current lifestyles, occupation and the standard of living of both parties before they decide who will be the proper fosterer of the child's welfare. With the information you have given about the father, you got better chances of having Hwari's full custody, Yeri-ssi."

The woman finally smiled in return. "Thank you so much. That was insightful, Yuna-ssi."

Kim Yuna smiled politely as her client bowed down. She checked the last name off her long list of today's client. She stood up and stretched her arms, her joints popped slightly.

"Ughhh! That was so tiring." Na Euncha, her fellow legal assistant, complained right after the last of her client left the table.

"I'm just glad that it's over!" Yuna sighed as she tapped the aching portion of her shoulder blades.

Soon after, the local gymnasium started to clear from all the people seeking legal advices. The staff including Kim Yuna, started to clean up as well. Once the clearing was over and they had packed all their things, the small group of lawyers and legal assistants from Yoon & Kim Law Firm gathered in front of their team leader in today's undertaking.

"This truly has been a weekend not gone into waste. Thank you for all your hard work today!" Atty. Choi, a middle-aged woman, announced as the workers acknowledged her warm greetings. "In recognition of your hardwork, I have called the main office and they have agreed for the team to have dinner tonight once we reach back to Seoul."

"Yaaaay!" The group cheered in reply.

"Will we have meat?"

Atty. Choi nodded and the little crowd went wild.

"How about drinks?"

"Of course!" She laughed. "But before you get more excited, please load our things to the coaster so we can reach Seoul just in time for dinner."

"Yes, Atty. Choi!!" They cried in unison.

Soon after, they began loading their cargos in the coaster. The team left Gyeongsang just before sundown.

At only 22, Yuna finished her undergrad degree at Seoul National University. After graduation, she contemplated on pursuing law school right away. But the day after her 23rd birthday, Yuna realized that she had spent more than half of her life in school and to spend the next four years would be already too much.

When she got up from her bed that morning, the girl made a decision to postpone her enrolment at the law school first. Her parents had become supportive of her decision, surprisingly, letting her be.

With nothing left to do for the next few months, she opted to find a job while preparing herself emotionally for the whole law school thing. Luckily, despite her young age, she was hired by Yoon & Kim Law Firm with her good credentials. A letter of recommendation from one of her college professors also helped her to land the job as a legal assistant. Since she had no license yet, she served legal assistant in the firm in which she gave legal counselling to clients who sought for it.

She had been on post for almost four months now but inasmuch as she wanted and enjoyed the job, she knew she couldn't stay for so long. The law school applications for SNU would be in the third term of the academic year. She would soon be busy with the letters and interviews and she had not done other things yet such as travelling. She had been thinking of submitting her resignation letter too, with hope that her bosses would understand.