Present Day
22-Years-Old

Yoongi and Aera sat nervously in the courtroom, waiting for the proceedings to start. Aera couldn't bear to do it, but Yoongi looked around the courtroom and saw three other couples. These people, he assumed, were the others hoping to adopt Jungkook.

Suddenly, the door to the courtroom opened and another person entered. Yoongi wondered if it might be Mrs. Kang with Jungkook, so he turned around to see.

But instead he was met with the sight of Sunhee walking down the aisle. Yoongi nudged Aera, who turned a bit in her seat to see what Yoongi was trying to bring to her attention.

It took a moment for Sunhee to notice them, but when she did, she threw a glance at Yoongi's arm around Aera's shoulders, and then Aera's hand on Yoongi's thigh. When she saw the latter, it was then that her eyes fell on the engagement ring on Aera's finger. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment, Aera worried that Sunhee might lash out and hit her.

Sunhee's eyes then met Yoongi's and she seemed to be channeling every ounce of anger and disgust she could manage through hers. Yoongi didn't look away; his mind was racing too fast to recognize that he probably should have. A few more moments passed between them before the judge entered the courtroom, and Sunhee quickly took a seat.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the judge said. "Let's get on with this case. In the matter of the adoption of Park Jungkook, the court has decided to award custody to Kim Cheol and his wife, Kim Yeri.

"No!" Aera gasped quietly. Yoongi squeezed her shoulder as his eyes filled with tears.

"I want to say thank you to the other couples here who took an interest in little Jungkook. Rest assured, nothing wrong was found about any of you, but the court's adoption committee has decided the Kims are the best placement for this child."

"No!" Aera said a bit louder, though no one else but Yoongi heard her.

Sunhee had whipped her head around to stare at both of them. Yoongi looked up and saw her, and narrowed his eyes at her self-satisfied smile. He stared her down, until he felt Aera's form begin shaking and he realized she was on the verge of a breakdown.

He turned back to her and quickly wrapped both of his arms around her as he said, "It'll be okay, A. It – "

"How?!" she suddenly cried out loud, causing everyone in the courtroom to look over at her and Yoongi. "How will it be okay?!"

She began sobbing so violently, that her whole body was trembling. She fell out of her seat and to her knees. And then, she let out a wail so loud, it pierced through the doors of the courtroom and out into the rest of the courthouse. It was a deep, aching, soul-shattering scream.

"Aera, listen to me," Yoongi said as he tried to lift her up off of the floor. When he couldn't, he got down on the ground next to her. "The most important thing is that Jungkook is taken care of. And if the court believes these people will do that, then – "

"You're on their side?!" Aera asked as she pushed Yoongi away from her.

"No," Yoongi insisted as he tried to pull her to him again. "I'm just – "

"How could this have happened?!" Aera wailed. "I did everything right! I – "

"Ms. Seong," the judge's voice called out through all the crying and murmuring going on in the room. "Ms. Seong, please look at me."

Aera shakily stood after a moment, and her red, teary eyes looked up at the judge.

"The court had to take into account the fact that there had been accusations against you, and – "

"What?!" Yoongi cried as he stood up as well. "The accusations that were proven untrue?!"

The judge sighed. "Mr. Min, I understand you're trying to protect your fiancee, but I need to speak with her to – "

"What if I told you the one who called in those false accusations was here right now?!"

The judge paused. "I beg your pardon."

"She's right here, your honor," Yoongi said as he pointed at Sunhee.

The judge looked at her and recognized her right away. "Is this true, Ms. Park?"

"I don't know what any of you are talking about," Sunhee said smugly.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," Yoongi continued. "She was jealous of my friendship with Aera. She convinced Aera to stop talking to me by telling her she'd give up her parental rights so Aera could foster Jungkook. But Aera and I became friends again. Sunhee called in that tip because Aera broke her end of the 'deal'. And she did it to punish me, too, because I broke up with her."

"You're not making any sense!" Sunhee exclaimed. "I did no such thing!"

"Yes, you did!" Yoongi shouted back at her. "I know you, Sunhee. You are manipulative and malicious. The whole ordeal reeks of you!"

Suddenly, the sound of the judge banging his gavel rang through the courtroom, silencing everyone.

"Mr. Min, please escort Ms. Seong to the restroom so she can calm down and freshen up. Afterward, come back here. Until then, I'm going to have some words with Ms. Park."

Suddenly, the man named Mr. Kim – the one who was chosen to adopt Jungkook – stepped forward. "Your honor, may my wife and I please be escorted to see Jungkook?"

The judge looked around at his circus of a courtroom. "Not yet," he said. "We need to try to calm everyone down and get to the bottom of some things before we bring the boy into this mess."

He did, however, allow the other two couples who were not chosen to leave. But he made everyone else, including Sunhee, stay.

Yoongi helped Aera to the bathroom, and had her stand in front of the sinks. "Splash some cold water on your face," he told her. "It'll help."

"Y-You can't be in here, Yoongs," Aera replied. "This is the women's restroom."

"I don't care. I'm staying by your side. Let me help you, A. We'll get everything calmed down and then go back in there together. Okay?"

"Did you mean what you said in there?" Aera asked with teary eyes. "About those people being chosen to take care of Jungkook?"

"No, of course not," Yoongi answered immediately. "I was trying to reassure you so this wouldn't happen." He reached out a hand and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I was just... I don't know. I did everything wrong."

"It's okay," Aera said shakily. "I think I get what you're trying to say."

Aera turned back to the sink and turned on the water. She tried to take some water into her hands to splash on her face, but she was shaking so badly, she couldn't keep it in her hands. Finally she gripped the counter and cried out in frustration.

"Here," Yoongi said, fetching some paper towels and soaking them in the cool water. "Just hold this on your face for a few moments. "Especially your eyes. And take some deep breaths."

Aera did as she was told. She gradually began to calm down a bit, but knew this would never stop her tears.

Meanwhile, in the courtroom, the judge had taken Sunhee aside.

"Is what Mr. Min said true?"

"Of course not," Sunhee said with mock surprise. "I don't know why he'd ever think I'd do such a thing."

"But was everything else true? Your deal with Ms. Seong and your breakup with him?"

Sunhee couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yes. They both became a bane of my existence. But that doesn't mean I – "

"Why did you come here today, Ms. Park?"

Sunhee blinked. "What?"

"Why are you here?"

"I guess I just wanted to see who would end up taking my child."

"But he's not yours," the judge said. "You gave up that right. And it's pretty inappropriate for you to be here."

"But I – "

"Did you know that Ms. Seong was accused of some pretty heinous crimes against the boy?"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I accused her of hitting him or touching him or starving him."

The judge quirked an eyebrow. "And how would you have known what she was accused of? No one ever mentioned specifics today."

Sunhee's eyes widened. "Uh, I just, you know...assumed."

"That's a pretty accurate and detailed assumption. Ms. Park, I think we need to hear some more of your assumptions. Bailiff!"

The bailiff hurried over to the judge and Sunhee. "Ms. Park here needs to be detained. She and I have a lot more to talk about, and I think the adoption committee needs to hear it, too."