OK TAK : This is fake.

Namjoon, on the contrast, wasn't surprised about Seong PD's forgery, as if it was more or less expected.

AT. WANG: (-to Ok Tak-) What? Why do you say that?

OK TAK : The original ones have a very faint polygonal pattern around the edge. Company watermarks are too obvious, so we have this shape instead, to tell apart from imitations.

AT. WANG : Ay, how good of a player is he! It was only a bait then. It wouldn't be recognized as an evidence in the court now.

Everyone present there could tell the drop of expressions in Seol Ah's face. Namjoon, however, felt pricked to watch her reaction.

He was in ire under his breath as to what made her buy Seong Pd's lies over his clear warnings. He was upset with Seol Ah's judgment.

Julia, couldn't hold it further and tried to console Seol Ah, more as a woman than as an officer then.

While the males were all quiet, Attorney Wang was interrupted by a phone call from his Uncle.

AT. WANG : Uh, excuse me. I will take this.

The other men nodded as he received the call, walking a little away from the gathering.

*Over the call*

AT. WANG : Yes, Uncle Jun Ho?

LY. JUN HO : Oh, Deog gu-ya. I looked into it from the information you had sent me. Turns out, Chae Ri-ssi is not in Korea.

AT. WANG : What? Then, where is she?

LY. JUN HO : Europe. Although, that too is a probability.

AT. WANG : How did you know she might be there, if you are not sure?

LY. WANG : Well, a few days back a student posted a few photographs with his friends online. And the location shows somewhere in Netherlands. I am sending it to you now. There's a mirror reflection, where her face is fairly visible.

Attorney, while being on the call, opened his chats to look at the picture. He walked back to Namjoon and stretched his phone out to him.

AT. WANG : Namjoon-ssi, can you identify this person as Chae Ri-ssi?

NJ : (-looking carefully-) Yes... (-pauses for a moment-)... it's her. Wher-where is she?

AT. WANG : Netherlands. (-on the call-) Yes, Uncle, it is her. How long will it take to locate her exact coordinates?

LY. JUN HO : I don't know that, too. Even that picture doesn't, for sure, say she is in Netherlands right now. It could be that she was there for a vacation or some other purpose.

Her locus circle spreading out of Korea wasn't the most positive news. It evidently weighed heavier in the negatives of reaching her before time.

LY. JUN HO : Anyway, I'll look some more and inform you.

AT. WANG : Yeah, thank you. You are the best.

LY. JUN HO : (-gets flattered but sounds bold-) Dinner's tomorrow night. You have that in mind, right?

AT. WANG : Yes, I do. I will be there.

Soon after the call, the attorney joined others back as Namjoon uttered first.

NJ : Is Chae Ri, really in Netherlands?

AT. WANG : It's not for certain yet. But, she was seen in Netherlands. They are trying to find out more. We will soon get some leads about that. Don't worry.

Gradually, Attorney Wang stirred up to end the long meeting.

AT. WANG : Julia-ssi, good luck for tomorrow. If anything goes wrong, you know what to do, don't you?

JULIA : Very well, Attorney Wang. I have each of your instructions by-heart. And, my seniors will be around the agency in hiding anyway. We are playing safe.

AT. WANG : All right. Let's retire for the day.

.

.

At night~

.

.

Seol Ah, while shutting her window curtains, noticed Namjoon outside. He was resting by the railing, in the artificial garden.

Although her first thought was not to bother him, she was cross reminded of the last time she wanted to leave him alone. Just in a blink, she re-lived the moment of his hurting orbs, looking at her in a quiet plead to give him company.

Unable to leave him by himself, Seol Ah, walked out of her room. She gently slid the glass doors in the hall and marched forward to him.

From the sky, his gaze dropped at the far end water-body that was miles away. Despite its great distance, it sure gave a pleasant and beautiful view from their stand.

SEOL AH : (-casually-) Aren't you going to sleep? It's quite late.

NJ : (-sees her-) Ah, is that so?

Both their sights were stretched out to the flowage, as they cuddled the quiet and breezy night.

SEOL AH : (-curiously-) Is finding Chae Ri-ssi so crucial? I mean, what if by chance, we are unable to reach her on time? What happens, then?

NJ : I am also curious. How bad can it get, if she doesn't testify for us?

She could see he was holding more than what he was sounding to her. She also felt incapable of aiding his worries.

SEOL AH : Are you.. alright?

NJ : Oh?

He smiled slightly, before uttering his response in a hushed voice. Almost in a hoarsed whisper.

NJ: Yeah, I am fine.

She immediately went to self-analysis, thinking maybe it was too straightforward. Maybe it was too uptight that he couldn't find a space to fill his true feelings—she calculated. Hence, her next attempt was to get his attention. In a way that actually catches him off-guard.

SEOL AH : (-sighs audibly-) Such a hypocrite.

NJ : What? A hy-hypocrite?

And it worked. He was finally looking at her undividedly.

NJ : Aren't you supposed to "not" say that at your Boss's face?

SEOL AH : Well, yeah. What would you do then? Fire me?

She looked at him, with mischief lining her bold gaze. It spread a pleasant emotion through Namjoon, as a smile line creased his under-eye.

NJ : That contract... (-looks ahead-) It sure gave you a lot of guts, didn't it?

SEOL AH : I just know how to use things to my privilege even when they're not quite in my favor. Besides, you are one! A hypocrite.

NJ : (-dry chuckle-) Am I?

His tone resonated close to a silent acceptance rather. Seol Ah, nonetheless, tried to confront him to the hint of doubt.

SEOL AH : Considering the things happening around you right now. No one can actually be, okay. Who are you faking it to?

He played the same answer to the members and his family, who would often call to check on him. However, this was the only time, he was prompted to the epiphany, that he was indeed faking it.

Faking it to himself.

His pretence was merely a part of the lie.

SEOL AH : There's a saying, "Silence is better, if you don't have good words to speak." Do people not know about it? Or are they just playing innocent?

He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell people how radically wrong they are accusing him.

He wanted them to listen to him. He wanted them to hear his explanation. But, the uncertainty of their trust in his words tied him down. It made him sustain his silence.

SEOL AH : I wouldn't say I understand how you're feeling right now. When I was younger, I faced the hatred of all my classmates. All the names they called me. Is this.. ten times multiplied that? Or should I say completely different?

He listened to her without breaking his sight at the scenery. The dark hues mirroring the labyrinths of his inner turmoil; it weirdly comforted him.

NJ : In this existence, no two can be justifiably identical. Back in some roots or stems, the story is different and unique for everyone.

Even before he resorted to the mask of Black, things were quite similar. He was left alone against the world. No one listened to him. No one believed in him.

NJ : Pain, ecstasy, suffering, hatred. With our personalised behavior, we all react differently to the same emotions. However, among the chore of life, it is hard for us all to tackle its underlying challenges.

SEOL AH : "No one can actually run over his/her situations for them. One has to find solutions to one's own problems." Is that what you are meaning to say?

NJ : (-nods-) That's what it is all about. People can seek for help; overcoming is upto them.

The words he spoke to her, felt rather directed towards himself. Attorney, Seol Ah and everyone else— who were actually on his side this time, could only help a little. The marathon away from Seong PD; away from the darkness residing in him. The run was to be made by himself.

SEOL AH : Don't be scared. You are not walking alone.

They shared a moment of sheer eye-contact with each other. Namjoon wondered in fascination if the woman standing in his behalf could read hearts. Or it was his heart, lacking efficiency in shrouding his feelings from surfacing.

Namjoon effortfully turned his head back. He was trying to deal with the realization of how scared he actually was.

It was no less horrifying to imagine himself being in the position where everyone threw curses at him. All his fans left disappointed and broken for supporting a plagiarist.

He was dreading about all the hate from the mass, he was about to face.

It was just a transient thought, he wanted to disappear before any of it came true.
However, the questions — would that make things any better? would that bring the peace he was looking for? — kept him hanging there.

But, how long could he be patient? — he feared his own boundaries. He was apprehensive of his own limits.

SEOL AH : (-continues looking ahead-) Even though quite a mass is against you, many are still rooting for you. I often read positive tweets and comments like that.

The optimism he failed to distinguish among the million detrimental mouths, was drawn attention to.

Namjoon chose to stay silent, however. Her words reflected to the present. The moments one must cherish the most and live every bits of it; the most beautiful moment of one's life : the present.

SEOL AH : What do you call them? True fans?

No matter the virtualism of it, even if a little, he felt relieved and confident to know that, at least a section of the mass were still in his support.
And the present had always mattered more to him.

SEOL AH : It's also upto you. Whether let them be called delusional, or give them a reason they could hold their heads up high.

NJ : Am I.. (-low voice-).. Am I good enough to do that?

SEOL AH : I trust that you are. Don't you?

Namjoon didn't dare to answer that question, and attempted to change the topic.

NJ : By the way, are you trying to console me because I seem pathetic?

SEOL AH : Oh? Did it reach you that way? I am just saying what I wanted to say though. "Sometimes, words need to be conveyed." I am just doing that.

Maybe, somewhere where sincerity was still valued, people might have believed him if he narrated his side of the story. Since, sometimes, words need to be conveyed, as quoted by Seol Ah.

NJ : (-chuckles-) Interesting. Who said that, I wonder?

SEOL AH : Some great singer I know. His lyrics say that.

NJ : I see. He must be good.

SEOL AH : He is! But, you know, he once said although he helps others with his amazing insights, sadly he can't help himself.

Namjoon now had a serious face, looking at her blankly. Totally unaware what could her mouth speech out next.

SEOL AH : I had no choice, than to be the screen to reflect his words back to him. (-looking at Namjoon-) So he could help himself, even if it is through me.

There was a strange tingling bitterness in their hearts as they matched eyes. Typically as it appears time to have freezed at such times, it wasn't so for them.
They could feel those moments slipping by, but the mortal‐too impotent, to stop any.
Rather than facing it, Namjoon felt ignorance was the easier road and the right choice, then.

NJ : It's late; let's go inside. (-leaves first-)

He didn't give her a chance to speak, and left the glass door open as he vamoosed inside.

Seol Ah, quietly, watched him leave until her vision was cut-off. It seemed as if Namjoon walked back to his palace of darkness. But this time, left the gate open since now Seol Ah was also a guest-resident there.

.

.

.

NJ : (-over the call-) I see. So, could she get through the auditions?

AT. WANG : Ah, about that . . .

_______

Will the dawn bring a morning set with new hopes?

Stay Tuned!