Translation for Spanish words
used in this chapter —

Justicia — justice
Niño — boy
por Dios — by God
Guardias — guards

-

Jeon Jungkook had not uttered a single word since the confrontation.

One more second inside the dining room and he ran.

Ran until he whirled past the nurse and nearly set her falling, ran until his feet stepped before his bedroom door. Ran inside, slammed it shut and sagged upon the old wood.

A haggard breath shuddered out of him, eyes closing.

Bastardo, bastardo, bastardo—

He slid down upon his carpet, till his knees touched his chest and felt limp. Standing seemed far too big a challenge.

The words kept ringing in his head. Like a sick ritual, Jimin's words circled in his mind, and he could not let them go.

Bastardo, bastardo,

Bastardo.

This is what he was. What he was for so long, but was too egoistic, too self absorbed, too selfish to understand.

And look what had happened. His tree of conceit had come crashing down, with Park Jimin holding the axe.

And that axe is hell bent on cutting him into little pieces.

The worst part was, that in all this chaos, Jungkook wished Jimin had fulfilled the job, and finished him.

He wouldn't be feeling so horrific now.

-

Sleep is never rewarded to the guilty.

That is why Jungkook stayed still in the exact same position he was the moment he entered the room for the whole night. And the whole morning and afternoon.

Numb. His senses were lost, his feelings seemed non-existent, and his will to live was crushed under the hands of his ex best friend.

"Chico, come down!"

Even his Mamá couldn't lighten his weighted spirits. A woman so prone to his moods was unable to cheer him up.

"Jungkook, mi niño, please come down, I'm worried!"

He did not listen. Not because he did not want to, but because his mouth parted only to have no sound come out.

Light thudding on the stairs triggered his ears into listening in. Footsteps approached his door, and a soft knock on the door caused him to jerk upright.

He turned around, but did not stand. Did not say a word.

"Jungkook?"

Dios Mio. That's not Mamá.

No, the voice, usually harder than the nurse, was much softer. Like a sweet lullaby to his ears.

"Aeri?"

Jungkook nearly gasped. His voice did not betray him.

It seemed the legs became encouraged, as they assisted their master up in an instant.

Hurried hands turned the door knob and pulled, and desperate eyes drank in the vision that was Aeri Alvarez, black dressed, her son in her arms and a frown on her face.

Seeing her there started the chanting once more.

Bastardo, bastardo, bastardo—

"Jungkook," Aeri started, scanning his death-stained face. "The nurse told me you would be here. Locked inside."

"I...I wished to be alone."

The girl looked at him for a minute longer before rocking the two year old gently. "It's Taehyung's trial in an hour." A pause. "I thought we'd go together, you know, give him support."

Oh Christo. If his life wasn't already plunging downhill, it decided to speed up even further.

And to go together with his amor.

Bastardo, bastardo, bastardo—

"His trial?" The boy repeated instead, leaning against the doorframe, feeling his strength leave him once more. "I thought it wasn't until a week's time."

"Well, the judges pulled it back," Aeri replies bitterly. Jihoo, looking at his mother's expression, started copying her frown. "It seems that they're hell bent on sending Tae to his death."

Taehyung. In danger. Trial.

Simple words slowly brought him back to a semi-reality. That indeed there were other problems than his own.

Selfishness strikes again.

Jungkook took a deep breath before speaking once more.

"When...when are we to go?"

Aeri studied him, wrapping her other arm around her child. "Jungkook, what's wrong?"

BASTARDO, BASTARDO, BASTARDO—

"Nothing," he muttered, rubbing his forehead to dampen the chanting. "Let's go."

He side-stepped his supposed obsession, walking away from her.

Puzzlement harboured the girl's features, but Jihoo's incoherent chatter distracted her from thinking further on the boy.

Jungkook, on the other hand, prayed for a distraction to take his mind off the girl.

Whenever he looked into her eyes, Jimin's words would encircle his mind, and all his self-restraint was used to not scream and run away from her.

Concentrate, hombre. There are more pressing matters at hand.

Matters such as Taehyung's fate. An element of the future Jungkook was determined to salvage.

As the boy stepped onto the courtyard, the nurse approached him worryingly, behind following Jin.

"Mi poco chico!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his arms. "You look unwell."

"I am fine," he lied, instead shifting his gaze to Jin. "You're here for the trial?"

"But of course," the elder replied with a suspicious amount of gusto. "Let's go, or we'll be late."

Jungkook knifed him with a look. "A man's death is not funny."

"You don't see me laughing, do you?" Jin only asked, opening the black gates.

Sharp footsteps caught up with the boys, and Jungkook turned around, seeing Aeri right next to him.

She mistook the boy's reason for misery to be Taehyung's uncertain sentence. "He'll be okay, Jungkook. Or I will make the judges pay."

He would have said a word then, if his tongue had let him. It seemed they work on Jimin's orders.

So he said nothing, the three leaving the estate in grim silence.

-

The courthouse was a small room, darkly lit with hardly any seating for the audience. At the front sat a grey wooden table, resting upon it three judges' arms, and on the sides stood a small pedestal for the witness's stand.

Surprisingly, it was packed, peasants all familiar to Jungkook creating a havoc, shouting at the white wigged judges over their worker's injustice. The men did not look like they cared for their injustice.

Jin sighed through his nose as he made his way through the front aisle. "Papá's at the trial. Taehyung must be important then."

Jungkook's eyes darted to the middle, and sure enough, his friend's father sat in the main judge's seat, wrinkled hands locked and gaze cold and heavy.

"Oh mierda, Jungkook, this will not end well," Jin murmured, sparing a look at Aeri, who clutched her child with an iron grip to keep away from the chaos.

"Just sit," was his reply, settling himself down on wooden chairs, Jin at his left and the flamenco dancer at his right.

"Where is he?" Aeri wondered out loud, a ruby lip caught between her teeth.

Again, Jungkook said not a word.

The chanting would have arrived again were it not for the man which entered the courtroom. Rather dragged inside.

The crowd went furious as two guards savagely led Taehyung upon the stand, not caring for the blood crusted in the boy's hair and face, the chains connecting his feet and hands. Two weeks in prison had not done him a favour at all, and with no small horror Jungkook saw him nearly on the verge of death.

"Silence!" Judge Kim ordered with his mallet. "Silence in the courtroom!"

No one listened to him.

But silence did follow, soon enough.

When another man stepped into the courtroom.

Jungkook's eyes widened when he saw the rock face of Sir Jeon, intricate black attire contrasting with the filth of the poor as he entered the room.

Jihoo let out a little gurgle in confusion.

"Bastard," his mother swore quietly. Jungkook could not disagree.

"Sir Jeon, buenos días," Judge Kim greeted, getting up and shaking his hand. "Please have a seat."

Obliging, Sir Jeon sat on the opposite bench of where the three sat, wrinkling his nose in distaste over his workers around him.

Alarm bells commenced in his head. What is he doing here?

"The court is now in session!"

Judge Kim cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the crowd. "We are gathered here today to decide on the sentence of a Mr Kim Taehyung, worker of Sir Jeon and accused of theft of up to 320,000 pesetas [approx. €2000]."

The elderly man turned towards the accused, a hard scowl upon his face. "And what does the defendant find himself?"

Taehyung, even with all his mental and physical injuries, stared down the judge with hazy intensity. "Not guilty," he rasped.

Frowning further, Judge Kim, studied his papers, gesturing towards the door. "Bring in the first witness."

Murmuring sprung up as Park Jimin stepped forward, standing upon the opposite stand.

A surge of volcanic fury shot up inside of Jungkook, and he stood up instantly from his seat, only to have him pulled back down by a feminine hand.

"Calm down, hombre," Aeri seethed to the hot-tempered, keeping a hold of him still. "Do you want to get thrown out?"

Jungkook opened his mouth, but shut it right up. Her hand was like a hot brand of a poker, and all he could do was keep still and hope he didn't combust on the spot.

Bastardo, bastardo—

He closed his eyes.

Patience, Jungkook. You don't need to respond to her.

Don't encourage her.

A thin line spread over his lips, and Aeri, with small surprise, let go of his arm and wrapped it around her child. She then shook her head, focusing on her friend once more.

Park Jimin couldn't take his eyes off Jungkook. A grin curved over his plush mouth, as he nodded to the judge.

"So, Mr Park, where were you at the time of the robbery?"

The boy, in his pseudo-angelic presence, stared Jungkook down. "I was inside the Jeon estate, happily tending to my own matters when I heard shuffling in Sir Jeon's chambers. I first thought to be the man himself, or possibly his son—" a sly grin at that, "—but I entered to investigate and found this worker ripping out blank cheques from the book."

LIES! Jungkook wanted to scream, but he possessed no voice. Just pure rage bubbling beneath his skin.

Taehyung looked similar, a simmering body of anger and disbelief. "Objection, your honour—!"

"Overruled," Judge Kim hissed in reply, nodding at Sir Jeon before facing Jimin. "And do you know Kim Taehyung personally?"

Park Jimin finally wrenched his gaze from Jungkook and settled it upon the peasant. He merely shrugged. "Once or twice I saw him at Sir Jeon's vineyards. I did, however, heard his name being thrown around by many people.

"I heard he was being called a trouble maker. Always causing riots and rebellions." Jimin made a tutting sound. "Such men should never be let to run around freely."

The crowd screamed in anger, and the judge's thrice beating of the mallet caused them to quieten.

"Thank you, Mr Park, that'll be all."

Elegantly, Jimin stepped down the stand, settling himself next to Jungkook's father.

He looked far sideways, at his best friend. Once best friend.

Smiled as if they had not vowed internally to hate each other.

Jungkook nearly spat upon the scene before him.

"Sir Jeon? Please step onto the stand."

Obliging, the business man stood up from his seat, dusting himself before approaching the pedestal.

"Sir Jeon, you are Mr. Kim's employer, no?"

Simple, obvious questions. So small, so insignificant, but enough to aggravate Jungkook more so than already.

His father replied, "For all his life." The man glared coldly at Taehyung. "And his father too, before he was hung."

Jaw clenched, the peasant fisted his hands, knuckles blushing pink from the strain. Aeri cursed low, bobbing Jihoo as she tried to put him to sleep.

"And what was Mr. Kim like as an employee?"

"A nuisance. He never obeyed the rules, and would always challenge my authority." Sir Jeon crossed his arms. "Like father, like son."

Jungkook knew then that if his father did not keep his mouth shut about comments like those then Taehyung would rightly follow his father and attempt murder.

"You treat us like the shit stuck under your shoe!" The worker exclaimed, banging his fist upon the table. "If I see injustice, then it is my duty to reverse it for the people who suffer with me!"

"Then I wonder why you're the one accused and I'm stood here, accusing you of the injustice," Sir Jeon crowed. "Keep your filthy mouth shut, Taehyung, or you'll end up the same as your—"

"One more word about Papá, old man and I'll—"

"Silence!" Judge Kim roared, hammering his mallet with the ferocity of it snapping in half. "Mr. Kim, refrain from making death threats on the accuser. It does not look good in your case."

Taehyung parted his mouth in shock. "But he—"

"Quiet, Mr. Kim, or you'll be put to prison once more for obstruction of rules and regulation!"

Jungkook could not believe the scene he observed. Even a fool could realise the bias nature of the judge.

"I hate my dad," he heard Jin mutter, locking his hands.

You're not the only one.

This was it.

He could already see what will happen next. Judge Kim, no doubt decision already made, would find Taehyung guilty, and he would have to endure the unspeakable horror of watching his friend, his now close and adored friend, hang.

Jungkook closed his eyes to escape the vision, but it was all he could see.

He heard Aeri's voice of disbelief. A soft crack of hope.

It's over.

Sharp footsteps interrupted his spiral.

With a surprise he saw Kim Namjoon arrive, suited and face determined as he stepped inside the courtroom, a leather satchel in hand.

Jungkook caught his eye, making a face which resembled what are you, of all people, doing here?

Sir Jeon shared his son's reaction. "Namjoon?"

The bar owner did not acknowledge his presence, to his slight amusement and horror. After smiling in response to Jungkook's unvoiced question, strolled up to the judge, bowing his head slightly. "Your honour."

Judge Kim inclined his head in return. "Mr. Kim, what is the reason for this interruption?"

Namjoon placed the satchel upon the table. "I hope it is not too late to show you some... new evidence on the case."

The judge raised a brow. "Evidence?" He grabbed the satchel, lifting the cover up and searching it for the supposed evidence.

A second brow was raised. "What on earth is this?"

Namjoon's smile was deadly. "Evidence."

Judge Kim looked through once more, pulling out a file while searching the rest of the contents. He took one look at the file and paled.

"O-oh. I see." Hesitantly, the old man placed the file back in the satchel, setting it to his side. "Please do sit, Mr. Kim. You've certainly changed my mind with this...information."

"Exactly what I intended." With a nod he snagged a seat beside Jin, giving him a warm smile before facing the front.

Jungkook made to question him. "Namjoon, what the fuck—"

"I'll explain everything later," he replied, shushing the intrigued boy. "You're going to miss out on the fun."

Furrowing his brows, Jungkook looked at Taehyung, who too locked eyes with uncertainty, chains clinking.

Judge Kim cleared his throat, silent for a very long time. When he spoke again he gave the whole courtroom a little shock.

"My apologies for the inconvenience," he croaked, glancing sideways at Taehyung. "It seems I was misinformed."

Sir Jeon's irritancy seemed clear in his demand. "About what?"

The gravel hardness which the Jin's father beheld Jungkook's was astonishing. "Your statements. And Mr. Park's. It seems you both have lied to me."

The whole crowd let out a gasp, Jungkook and Jin included. Aeri was too shocked to say a word.

"Lies? Your honour, whatever Namjoon gave you—"

"—is all I need to know who the one accused should be," Judge Kim finished. He pointed his mallet towards him. "You, por Dios!"

This time Aeri did truly exhale sharper.

Sir Jeon made to open his mouth, but was quieted by Judge Kim.

"The evidence handed to me states clearly that Taehyung has not stolen anything. That the money which was withdrawn from your accounts, was taken out by your son, who was only paying the wages of your workers."

That was a fact that the businessman did not know. With a start he turned back to Jungkook, eyes widened.

"Injustice did you say Taehyung committed?" The judge jeered. "I'm afraid you need to check your words, señor. You are the only one who has committed a crime for not paying your workers who slave for you."

Sir Jeon could hardly believe the words that bounced off the courtroom walls and into his ears. "But—"

"Silence, señor!" The judge roared. "Guardias, take this wretched man out of my sight and throw him in our darkest cell!"

Two huge men thundered into the courtroom, taking Sir Jeon by each arm and dragging him away, the screams of anger and incredulity fading away from the crowd.

Jungkook couldn't help himself. "Your honour, what about Taehyung?"

All eyes turned towards the accused. Judge Kim's face softened.

The sound of a mallet resonated the room. "He is dismissed." 

Jungkook didn't even open his mouth before cheers erupted from everyone, all the peasants hugging or crying tears of joy for their miracle of a victory.

Chains clattered to the ground, and Taehyung let out a low groan, massaging his wrists.

Aeri shot up from her seat. The boy's locked with hers. Jungkook, watching the scene, gently took Jihoo from her arms, already guessing what was to happen next.

With a cry Aeri bolted towards the free boy, barely dodging the seats, nearly tripping before she stepped up onto the stand and pounced upon Taehyung, wrapping her shaking arms around him.

The boy let out a hiss of pain, hugging his friend back instantly. "Christo, Aeri, you could have killed me." He let out a scoff. "Would have done Sir Jeon's original job for him."

The girl smacked his back hard, burying her face in his neck. "Shut the fuck up, Tae."

Jungkook smiled slightly, bobbing the child slightly to keep him entertained.

Taehyung looked up to see the boy watching their reunion, and exposed a smirk. "Jealous, my favourite brat?"

Yesterday's confrontation flashed in his mind, stopping him from replying over Aeri. So he only smiled softer. "Welcome back, asshole."

Both friends stepped down, and soon the group left the courtroom, followed by the hundreds delighted by the judge's decision.

Jungkook, still holding Jihoo, saw Namjoon walk away from them. "Namjoon!" He called, earning his attention.

He caught up with him. "I can't thank you enough for what you did back there. I mean, how did you even gather up the evidence?"

The elegant man played with his bow-tie, chuckling. "Jungkook, do you know what I gave Judge Kim?"

The boy asked, beyond curious. Namjoon only laughed some more.

"Money. A shit ton of money. I heard he was involved in corruption before, so I knew he would never turn down the money."

Jungkook scoffed. "And the file? What was in that?"

The bar owner possessed playful malice in his grin. "A threat. A warning that if he didn't accept my money I would file a case against him for being involved in corruption. He couldn't possibly refuse."

The boy's mouth dropped open. "Namjoon! I never knew you had it in you. But where did you learn about Taehyung's case? I doubt you even know him."

Namjoon looked beyond him, where Jin was laughing like a madman. "Jin told me. He informed me of the surface events of you, Jimin and Taehyung being accused by him."

He lost his smile. "I've had my share of injustice, Jungkook, and I now realise I wouldn't want anyone to be done such unfair treatment. I know well enough that it has dire consequences."

His eyes landed upon the little boy, playing with Jungkook's growing curls. "I know too well, yes."

Jungkook kept silent, remembering his wrongdoings against Aeri. His own, if he doesn't stop obsessing over her.

"Ah, do you still have Jihoo?"

Here comes the she-devil.

Aeri planted herself next to Jungkook, smiling up at her son. She kept a part of that smile as she faced Namjoon.

"Thank you...for helping my friend."

"It was the least I could do, Aeri," he only replied, nodding his head. "It was nice doing the right thing for you after so wronging you for so long."

The dancer said nothing, eyes settling over her child, who had familiarised himself so much with the man she stood next to. Playing with those heavenly locks almost for his mother, as she would not dare commit such an action.

Not with everyone here, anyway.

"I should get going," Namjoon said after a while, stepping back. "You know, bar and all."

He gestured for Jin to accompany him, and the latter obliged, running up to join him.

Jin started to walk away, but Namjoon stood rooted, assessing the three in front of him. The three, who were so much more than a boy, his employee and her son.

Out of the blue, he snorted. "Isn't it funny, Jungkook?"

The said-person raised a brow.

Namjoon only smiled, a little sadly. "How you look more like a family even with my child in your arms." He took a step back. "How you seem a better father than I could ever have been, despite that boy being my son."

With that, the bar owner turned around, catching up with Jin. The latter glanced back at Jungkook, and gave him a knowing wink.

Shaking his head, he felt the eyes of temptation and found himself succumbing to the gaze of Aeri Alvarez. Such pure hope lingered in those chocolate irises.

"We did it, Jungkook," she murmured. "We did it."

Heart cracking, the boy smiled.

Bastardo, BASTARDO, B A S T A R D O —

And with this brutal chanting, Jungkook could not take it anymore.

He dumped Jihoo in Aeri's arms, and instantly marched on, leaving the girl stranded on the streets, surprised and slightly embarrassed.

But there was nothing Jungkook could do.

Nothing, he kept telling himself, because even though the girl's gaze broke his heart, the one word repeated broke his entire soul.

-

[ U N E D I T E D ]

gUYSSSS GUESS WHO'S OFFICIALLY BACK !!!!

Omfg I missed a l l of you so much !! I am so terribly sorry for such a long update time but this time I have doubled the word count in apology. Don't worry now, though, for Rafs is back and ready to finish this son of a bitch !

Anyways, please do give your girl a vote on this chapter and tell me what you thought about this chapter. I think it's all a bit too much, but do let me hear your opinions. And most of all, I love you all 🖤🖤