TAEHYUNG

I had been assigned to assist Y/n in the investigation of Jongsuk's case, and it felt like the worst kind of twist of fate. The case had been weighing on me heavily ever since I was called to the crime scene. Jongsuk was a man who'd been accused of something monstrous—murdering Sunjae in cold blood. And now, I was supposed to help a lawyer who, against all reason, was hell-bent on defending him.

I couldn't make sense of it. How could anyone, especially someone like Y/N, take on such a case? It was a career-ender for most. Even worse, if the case went south—if the prosecution got the conviction, they were so sure of—it would mean a death sentence for Jongsuk. I couldn't understand why Y/n would throw herself into this fire, knowing the risks, knowing how slim her chances were of getting anything that could help him.

I knocked gently on the doorframe as I entered. The small office smelled faintly of coffee and paper, and the walls were lined with bookshelves stacked with legal tomes. Y/N was sitting at her desk, bent over a pile of documents, scanning through them with an intensity that suggested she hadn't even heard me approach. Her office was neat—perhaps too neat for someone embroiled in such a high-stakes case.

When she looked up and saw me standing there, her expression shifted, a small, surprised flicker in her eyes.

"Officer Kim," she said, her voice steady but with a slight edge of tension, as if she'd been expecting someone but not quite ready for this. "I heard you're assigned to help me with collecting evidence for Jongsuk's case, but it'll be completely understandable if you don't want to."

I paused in the doorway, surprised by her bluntness. "Don't want to?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think you're giving me much of a choice, are you?"

She chuckled lightly, but there was no real humor in it. "Not really," she admitted. "But I understand if this isn't what you expected. You know the case, you've seen the evidence. It's not exactly the kind of thing most people would want to get involved in."

Her words hit me in a strange way. She was right. On paper, this wasn't just any case. It was the kind of case that would ruin reputations. A man accused of murder, with all the circumstantial evidence pointing to him, and yet here she was, standing in defense of him. She wasn't just a lawyer; she was fighting for him—like she truly believed in his innocence. But I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"You're still defending him?" I asked, a hint of disbelief in my voice.

She looked up at me, exhausted but determined. "Yes, I am. I know it seems hopeless, but there's something about this case that doesn't sit right with me."

I sat down across from her, studying her face for a moment before speaking again. "Look, I get it. You're a lawyer, and you're supposed to defend the accused. But this guy—he's guilty, Y/n. Everyone knows it. He murdered Sunjae in cold blood. What's your angle here?"

She had no answer for me, not yet. "I don't have an angle. I just—I believe there's more to this than what we're being told."

I sighed, my eyes hardening. "You're playing with fire. The evidence is there, plain as day. And you're risking your career for someone like him?"

Y/n swallowed, her hands trembling. "Maybe I'm risking my career, but it's my job to find the truth, Kim. Not just what's easy to see."

I leaned back in my chair, shaking my head. "You're either incredibly naive or incredibly stubborn. Either way, you're gonna regret this."

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Y/N

The weight of the day pressed heavily on my shoulders as I stepped out of the firm. Taehyung was by my side as we made our way to the parking lot. The tension of the case still loomed over me, I couldn't shake the nagging sense of dread. Jongsuk's fate was hanging by a thread, and no matter how much I tried to focus on the task at hand, distractions kept creeping in.

I watched him drive off in his sleek black sedan, leaving me with my thoughts. There was a slight chill in the air, a reminder that it was late, and I was still far from finished for the day. My car was parked a few spaces away, and as I walked toward it, my mind wandered back to the mountain of work I still had to do for Jongsuk's case. I was already mentally drafting a to-do list of research, people I needed to contact, and evidence I had yet to go through.

But before I could get close to my car, I was pulled backward with such force that I stumbled. My heart skipped a beat as I spun around, my body immediately going into defensive mode.

Standing there, his face flushed with irritation, was Joshua. My chest tightened. I'd rejected him a hundred times already—had he not taken the hint? But there he was, as persistent as ever, his eyes locked onto me with a mixture of anger and something darker, something possessive.

I gritted my teeth, my patience running thin. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, pushing against his chest to break free from his hold.

His grip didn't loosen. Instead, his eyes moved from my face to the parking lot, following my gaze as I looked toward the empty space where Taehyung's car had been just moments ago. His gaze hardened when he turned back to me. "Who was that?" he asked, his voice low, sharp. "What were you doing with him?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in my bones. This was getting old—his obsession, his constant surveillance of my every move. "None of your business," I shot back, taking a step back and planting my feet firmly on the ground. "Get lost, Joshua."

Joshua's face contorted with visible frustration, his jaw clenching as if he was struggling to hold himself back. "None of my business?" he repeated, his voice growing cold. "You can't just go around with anyone, Y/n. You have to be careful. Do you know who he is? What if he's—"

"Stop," I snapped, cutting him off. My patience had long worn thin. I had made it clear so many times, but it was like he couldn't hear me. "I told you already, Joshua. I'm not yours to control. I can talk to whoever I want. I don't owe you any explanations." I took another step back, wanting to put more distance between us, to make my intentions clear.

He took a step forward, his anger mounting. "You think I'm just going to stand by and watch you throw yourself into the arms of another man?" His voice rose, now unmistakably laced with bitterness. "You're making a mistake, Y/n. Don't you realize what you're doing? This guy—what if he's using you? What if you're just another toy?"

I stood tall, meeting his furious gaze with an icy calmness. "I don't need you to protect me, Joshua. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions." My hand clenched into a fist at my side, but I kept it controlled, my voice unwavering. "And I'm certainly not going to explain myself to you. Not anymore. So, if you don't mind, get out of my way."

I climbed into my car, slamming the door shut behind me, and started the engine. As I pulled out of the parking lot, the adrenaline still buzzed in my veins.

As I unlocked the door to my apartment, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the day still pressing down on me. The trial hadn't gone as well as I'd hoped. My mind was still replaying every misstep, every argument I could've made but didn't. I knew I had to shake it off, but the sting of failure still lingered in the air. The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I was greeted by the warm, familiar scent of lavender and vanilla—Sana's signature fragrance. She was sitting on the couch, her laptop balanced on her knee, but when she saw me, she immediately put it down and stood up

"Y/n!" Her voice was soft, but there was something in it that immediately softened the sharp edges of my anxiety. Her eyes searched my face for a moment, and without saying another word, she opened her arms. I didn't hesitate. I walked straight into her embrace.

The hug was a lifeline. It grounded me, like I could finally let go of the tension I had been carrying all day. Sana's arms wrapped around me tightly, and I felt her gentle hand rubbing my back in slow, soothing circles. She knew me too well—she could always tell when I was on the verge of breaking, even when I tried to hide it.

"I know you're sad, Y/n," she murmured, her voice reassuring against my ear. "But don't lose hope. This was just the first trial, and I'm sure by the time the second one rolls around, you'll definitely win the case."

Her words were like a balm to the gaping wound in my chest. I pulled back slightly, wiping my eyes, not even realizing I'd started tearing up. She gave me a small, sympathetic smile and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"I'm just so tired, Sana," I admitted in a shaky breath, stepping back to sit on the couch. "I've worked so hard for this case. I really thought I had it in the bag, but everything went wrong. I felt like I was stumbling through every argument. And when the judge didn't even look at my evidence... It felt like everything I worked for was dismissed in an instant."

Sana sat down beside me, her posture relaxed but attentive. She knew when to give space and when to push, and right now, she simply sat with me, letting the silence stretch for a moment before responding.

"You gave it your all," she said softly, eyes glistening with quiet understanding. "You put in everything you had, and that's all anyone can do. It's frustrating, I know, but this isn't the end. It's just the beginning. You're learning with every step."

"I guess," I muttered, my fingers tugging at the hem of my sleeve nervously. "But what if I'm not good enough? What if the second trial goes the same way?"

"Y/n," Sana interrupted gently, taking my hands in hers. "You are more than enough. You're one of the smartest, most dedicated people I know. Not to mention, you're so passionate about this work. That's what counts. And the second trial will be different. You'll be better prepared, you'll know what to expect, and most importantly, you won't be facing it alone."

Her words, her warmth, her unshakable belief in me—it all began to settle in. My mind still felt clouded with doubt, but beneath the surface, I could feel a flicker of hope reigniting.

"You're right," I said quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips. "The second trial will be different. And I won't be alone. I've got you."

Sana grinned back, the sparkle in her eyes lighting up her entire face. "You've always got me, Y/n. You always will. And don't forget, I've got a whole army of coffee, chocolate, and ice cream ready to help you get through this."

I couldn't help but laugh, the tension in my chest lifting just a little more. Sana always knew how to make me feel better. She had a way of turning my doubts into opportunities, my fears into fuel.

"I'm serious though," she added, leaning in with a playful glint in her eye. "You're going to take a breather tonight, okay? No work, no thinking about the trial. Let's just relax. You've earned it. Tomorrow we can start plotting for the second round, but tonight..." She paused dramatically. "Tonight we drown in chocolate, ice cream, and whatever sappy rom-com you want to watch."

I chuckled, the suggestion already starting to sound like the perfect antidote to the stress that had plagued me for weeks. "You really do know how to take my mind off things, huh?"

"That's what best friends are for." Sana said, her tone full of conviction. "Now, no more brooding. Let's get this movie night started. You need to recharge your batteries so you can come back stronger next time."

As she got up to rummage through the kitchen for our snacks, I felt a small weight lift off my shoulders. I still had a long way to go with this case, but with Sana by my side, maybe I wouldn't be carrying it alone after all. I had hope again. Even if it was just a flicker, it was enough.

Sana returned with an absurd amount of chocolate bars, bags of popcorn, and a pint of vanilla ice cream. I raised an eyebrow at the mountain of sweets she had gathered, and she just shrugged.

"We need all the fuel we can get," she said with a wink.

As we settled in, the soft glow of the TV screen illuminating the room, I realized something important. The outcome of the first trial wasn't everything. It wasn't the end of the world. With every setback came a lesson, and with every lesson, I was one step closer to being the person I wanted to be—the person I knew I could be.

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