Y/n POV
"Annyeong hashimnikka Abeonim. Long time no see." I bow at him.
"Y-Y/n? Y-You're alive? B-But-" Abeonim turns to Lawyer Park,who looks equally shocked, for an answer.
"Yes, I am alive Abeonim. Are you disappointed?"
People begin to notice my presence & stare at us in curiosity. Realizing this, Abeonim clears his throat & quickly regains his composure.
"Of course not! I'm beyond ecstatic to see you again. It's just that my daughter is suddenly back from the death, aren't I allowed to be surprised? Where have you been Y/n ah? Do you know how much your old man grieved for you?" He steps closer to me & attempts to touch my face, but I dodge his hand.
"I'm not here to watch to your pretentious act. We need to talk in private." I sternly say.
Irked by my commanding tone, a slight frown knits the space in between his brows. However, it disappears as swiftly as it appears.
"Sure. Lawyer Park, please prepare a room for us. I need to talk to my dear daughter." His face breaks into an open smile, even though the tension in his voice doesn't escape me.
"Y-Yes, Sajangnim. This way please." Lawyer Park signals us to follow him.
"You guys need to come too." I turn to Taehyung & Taehee, who are so stunned by my unexpected appearance that their mouths form a persistent O.
"O-Ok. Let's go Taehee ya." Taehyung finally snaps out of his daze.
We enter the attorney lounge & Lawyer Park immediately closes the door behind us.
"What the hell happened? I clearly saw your body got cremated. So it wasn't you? Did you fake your own death? Where have you been hiding all this time? Who helped you? Jimin?" Abeonim shoots the question rapidly. His surprise has turned into rage.
"I thought you said that you were happy to see me." I scoff sarcastically & cross my hands in front of my chest.
"Just answer the damn questions, Kang Y/n!" He raises his voice & bangs his fist on the table.
"I'm here today not to answer your questions, but to give you a second chance." I look straight into his eyes, acting brave, although my confidence is faltering. He still has that effect on me even when I'm not under his control anymore.
"What second chance?" He frowns.
"I want you to plead guilty on all charges they are pressing against you & repent for your sins. Only then, I'll forgive you & not expose what you did to me & my baby."
"Baby? What baby? Holy mother of- You got her pregnant?! You son of a bitch!" Abeonim widens his eyes as the realization dawns on him & lunges towards Taehyung.
"Sajangnim, please calm down. There are security cameras in this room & people outside might hear us." Lawyer Park hurriedly says to him.
"Yes, I was pregnant when you pushed me. I lost the baby, your grandchild, so please stop. Get down from your high horse & admit your mistakes. Do you even realize how much blood is on your hands? Mine, my baby's, Taehee's baby, eomma's-"
"E-Eomma's? What are you talking about? Your mother left us & ran away with another man!" He yells, but I can hear the underlying fear beneath his righteous tone.
"Stop lying! I know everything. I know all the atrocities you did." I scream back.
"Omg, they have brainwashed you. Did Jimin tell you that I'd hurt your mother? Y/n ah, can't you see? They're all trying to take advantage of your innocence by feeding you lies so that you'll turn against me. You've fallen right into their traps. Taehee here was just an employee of mine who fell in love with me one-sidedly. I didn't reciprocate her feelings so she fabricated all this story to slander me. She's crazy! Do you really think that I would fall for a girl who's the same age as you? Besides, there are so many other more eligible & beautiful ladies around me. Why would I pick her?" Abeonim throws a side glance at Taehee & scoffs.
Taehee lets out a sharp breath at his shameless remark, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Kang Jihwan, you-" Taehyung exclaims in fury & raises his fist, but I quickly grab his hand & stops him.
"And about your mother. I don't know what Jimin has told you, but I didn't harm your mother. She just took off one night without saying anything & never came back. Jimin, that bastard. To think that I trusted him.." Abeonim ignores Taehyung & keeps talking.
"So according to you, you've done nothing wrong?" I'm desperately hoping that he will recognize his mistakes, that there's some good left in him..
"Yes! You have to believe me, Y/n ah. If you come home now, I'll forget about all the troubles you've caused, although I absolutely will not back down from this trial. These frauds need to be taught a lesson."
But I'm disappointed again..
"No matter how evil you are, you're still my father. That's why I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Now that I know that you truly are unsalvageable, I have no other choice but to unveil your wicked side to the world." My heart sinks deeper to the bottom, all hope lost.
"Wicked? Everything I did was for your own good! Why can't you understand?!" He flails his hands in the air & shouts exasperatedly.
All of a sudden, the door clicks open & someone steps into the room.
"Don't you know how to knock-" Abeonim abruptly turns to the door to scold the person, but his words are cut short as his jaw drops to the floor.
"Y-You-" He staggers backwards, stuttering.
"What's with that expression? You look like you've seen a ghost." The newcomer says.
"Eomma? Why are you here?" I exclaim in surprise.
"To help you knock some sense into your father's thick skull. Jimin told me everything so I had to come." She steps closer to me & gently pats my cheek.
"But you're blowing your cover. What if-"
"Shh.. It's ok. I'm done hiding. I should've done this years ago before he hurt more people."
Abeonim says nothing, only standing there frozen in complete shock, which is understandable, since another dead woman in his life suddenly materializes in front of him again.
"Kang Jihwan, I thought you'd change after my supposed death, but you're still the same egocentric coward as years ago." Eomma turns to Abeonim & sneers.
"Hwang Jiyeon, you- How did you- Oh God. It was Dongil, wasn't it? He pretended to help me when actually he was deceiving me. And his son used the same trick with Y/n. How could I not see that?! Wait, is Jimin your & Dongil's son? So it was true that you'd cheated on me & it was with Dongil?" Abeonim gets over the shock & rambles.
"You saw your wife, who you'd supposedly killed years ago, came back to life & my fidelity is all you care about? To answer your question, Jimin is not my biological son. Also, no, I'd never cheated on you." Eomma scoffs in disgust.
"Then why did you fake your death?! Why didn't you come back?!"
"Because I didn't want to live with a monster who only cared about himself. Who tried to kill his own wife for voicing her opinion."
"I didn't hit you on purpose! Just like I didn't intentionally push Y/n. It was an accident, I swear! I loved you, both of you. I only wanted to protect & keep what's mine!" Abeonim shouts hysterically. And out of anyone's expectation, a drop of tear falls from his eyes. For the first time in twenty one years, I see him cry.
"No, you don't love us. You only love the idea of having us in your possesion. We're not your objects, Jihwan ah. We're humans with our own thoughts & feelings. You can't compel us to stay with brute force & threats. You may have our bodies, but not our soul. Haven't you learnt? Your method has only managed to drive us all away. For once in your life, stop being so selfish & do the right thing, Jihwan ah. That's all I can say as someone who once loved & cared for you." Eomma says calmly, despite the tears brimming in her eyes.
Abeonim heavily plops down on one of the chairs, eyes blank, mouth agape. It seems like Eomma's words have hit him hard.
"I hope you'll make the right decision so that I don't need to dig out our ugly past to fight you. Let's go kids." She speaks to Abeonim for one last time before walking out of the room. Abeonim doesn't even move an inch nor say a word.
"Eomma, you were so cool back there." I hug her arm & compliment her courage.
"Cool? My acting must be quite good then. I was so afraid that my knees almost gave out. I'm sorry kids. I couldn't be of more help." She turns to Taehee & Taehyung, & smiles apologetically.
"Please don't apologize ajumma. You've done more than enough for us." Taehee quickly shakes her head & says.
"Good luck. I'll be watching the trial later with Y/n. If he doesn't concede to his crime, I'll call the media right away & tell them about what he did to his own family. Jimin is preparing everything now, but I really hope that we don't need to go that far." Eomma takes Taehee's & Taehyung's hands & squeezes them encouragingly.
"Ajumma.." Taehyung bites his lower lip & hesitantly calls out.
"Yes?"
"I- I don't know if you're aware about what happened between me & Y/n. I just want to apologize-"
"I know. It was unfortunate but I understand your reason & I've forgiven you. Y/n has too, right? So let's move on from the past & look forward to a brighter future." She cuts him off & smiles genuinely at him.
He turns to me & I nod at him. We might have taken the wrong road & it got us to where we are today, but I believe that a bad chapter can also make a good story. Thus, I'm willing to forgive & forget.
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Taehyung bows at her.
"Come on. We still have a trial to attend, let's save our energy." She taps Taehyung's shoulder & says.
All of us enter the courtroom. Taehyung escorts Taehee to the front & comes back to sit with us.
"Phewww.." He lets out a long breath.
"Are you nervous?" I ask.
"Yes." He intertwines his fingers & clenches them tightly together.
"Everything will be ok." I wrap my fingers over his on impulse.
He freezes at my touch & stares at my hand with an unmoving gaze, which makes me feel embarrassed.
"The judge has entered the room." I quickly retract my hand & divert his attention.
The trial proceeds. It's time for Taehee to take the stand. She is about to rise from her seat when Lawyer Park abruptly stands up.

"Your Honor.." He says.
My heart beats faster as I exchange a look with Taehyung.
Is this it?
Lawyer Park glances at Abeonim, clears his throat & adjusts his glasses, before he finally says..
"We would like to change our plea to guilty."
My hands instantly cover my mouth, muffling my gasp. The loud murmurs of the jury & spectators echo through the room.
"Have you discussed this thoroughly with your client?" The judge raises his brows & asks.
"Yes, our decision is final." Lawyer Park nods.
"Well, in that case, defendant is remanded & court is adjourned." The judge taps the gavel & rises from his seat.
Taehyung turns to me, his eyes wide, fingers trembling. And then, without saying a word, he pulls me into a tight hug.
"Thank you. Thank you.." He croaks, voice hoarse with emotion.
A smile curves my lips. Finally, this complicated & harrowing chapter of our lives has ended.
"Let's go meet Taehee." I slowly push him away & say, although leaving his embrace makes me feel suddenly cold & empty.
The three of us rush to the front of the room to join Taehee. Taehyung immediately hugs her & they both cry tears of relief.
"Congratulations." I offer her my hand.
"Thank you. We wouldn't have done it without you & ajumma. Although him pleading guilty won't change anything, at least I can get some closure." She takes my hand & says.
"Eomma, why aren't you saying anything?" I ask her, noticing that she's been awfully quiet.
Her gaze is focused on the other side of the room, on Abeonim. He is standing tall with his back straight, jaw clenched, eyes stony, while waiting for Lawyer Park to finish tidying up.
Seemingly realizing that we're staring at him, he turns to us & meet our eyes. For a brief moment, I can see a glimpse of misery & regret in his dark eyes. But then, he quickly averts his gaze & walks away with Lawyer Park.
"Eomma, are you ok?" I tap her shoulder & ask in concern.
"I am. I'm just a bit sad that we end up like this. Maybe if I didn't run away back then, none of this would've happened." She sighs.
"What are you talking about? You did the right thing. Don't ever blame yourself for trying to save your own life."
"Huh.. I know. Anw, we should get out of here & celebrate Taehee's win. What do you think?" She smiles, back to her cheerful self.
"Sure. Let's go." Taehyung & Taehee nod enthusiastically.

Taehyung POV
We hail a cab & go to a nearby restaurant. Everyone is quiet, lost in our own thoughts, until we reach our destination.
"Cheers to a peaceful future." Ajumma raises her glass.
"Cheers!" We cling our glasses & down the content in one go.
"Ajumma, will this pain ever go away?" Taehee asks out of nowhere, looking like she's about to cry.
"Hmm.. Unfortunately, it will always be there, lying underneath the surface. It may suddenly hit you at the most unexpected moment & knock you over. But with time, the pain will become duller & duller until you don't tear up anymore when you think about the past. All we can do now is keep moving forward & focus on our future." Ajumma takes Taehee's hand & pats it gently. The irony that they've both been hurt by the same man baffles me at times like this.
Silence falls upon us again. Ajumma is right, the harm is done. Yes, we've taken down the villain, but our wounds are still gaping. They don't miraculously disappear when Kang sajang pleaded guilty. Only time is able to heal us &, in the mean time, we have to endure the suffocating ache.
I glance at Y/n who's sitting right across me. She's fondling with her fingers, eyes clouded with sorrow.
Does it hurt her to look at me?
Even though she said that she's forgiven me, I'm sure that there's still lingering resentment towards me in her heart.
"Sorry, I'm late." Jimin appears all of a sudden, snapping me out of my thought.
"That's ok. We just got here too. Sit down, Jimin ah." Ajumma says, relieved by his arrival which breaks the awkward silence.
"Oppa, you can sit beside me." Y/n pats the empty seat next to her. Her face lights up, the sadness in her eyes a moment ago is gone.
A pang of jealousy spreads through my chest as I see Jimin plopping down next to her. I quickly look away & drink another shot of soju.
He's done so much for her so it's only natural if she likes him now. How can I stupidly hope that she still wants me after I've turned her whole world upside down?
"Congratulations guys. I'm glad we don't have to fight him anymore." Jimin raises his glass & says.
"Thank you. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you." Taehee replies & clings her glass with his.
Everyone is looking at me now, waiting for me to raise my glass & say something.
Let go Taehyung ah. If he can make her happy, you should support them.
"Ehm.. Yeah, thanks for helping us." I hastily say & touch his glass with mine before gulping down the alcohol, letting the burning sensation in my throat numb the pain in my heart.
"Honestly, I knew that it would be difficult to press charges against Kang sajangnim, especially for you, Taehee ssi, but I was desperate to bring him down so I pushed you & Taehyung to do it. This thought has been bothering me for months & it got even worse when you thanked me last time. I felt horrible for making you suffer. So, I'm truly sorry." He nods deeply at Taehee.
"I admit it was a draining process. However, the outcome is satisfactory. Now we can live freely without having to worry about him anymore, so please don't feel sorry. We all did the right thing." She smiles at him.
"I'm really glad that you think that way. Huh.. finally, I can breathe easier now. Btw, has anyone checked the news? Your case is all over the media." Jimin taps on his phone & shows the screen to us.
Indeed, our case has become the headline of local news.
"Wow, they sure are fast." I check the news on my own phone & find so many articles about the case.
Him pleading guilty & admitting to his vicious crime has sent quite a shock to our local community. Not to mention, the sudden reappearance of his dead wife & daughter. Some reporters must have seen & heard us in the courthouse earlier.
"Well, he's a prominent figure & there's so much drama in this case so the public are definitely intrigued. I'm pretty sure that national news will soon report about this too. Eommoni & Y/n, I think you should leave town right away before the whole thing turns into a circus." Jimin suggests.
"Today?" Y/n & I ask in surprise.
"Yes. I know it's a bit rushed, but I don't want reporters harassing you when they find out who you are ."
"What about Taehee & Taehyung?" Ajumma frowns.
"They can come too, but I believe they still have things to settle with the court about the case. So I don't think they can leave just yet."
"That's true. It's ok ajumma, we can handle it. Right, Tae?" Taehee turns to me for support.
"Y-Yes. Don't worry, we've got this." I fake a smile on my lips despite my heavy reluctance for Y/n to leave.
We finish eating in a hurry & Jimin insists on paying the bill.
"Good luck kids. I'll always keep you in my prayers. Come visit us once everything is settled." Ajumma says as she hugs us one by one.
"Yes ajumma. We definitely will." Taehee nods.
I steal a glance at Y/n. She's biting her lower lip & seems to be deep in thoughts.
"Let's go Y/n ah." Jimin urges.
"O-Ok.." She lifts her gaze & meets mine. There's something in her eyes that makes me feel hopeful.
Please say that you want to stay. I selfishly think although I know that Jimin is right & it's best for them to leave right now.
However, as expected, she waves lightly at us & follows Jimin to the car. I watch her back until it disappear behind the car door.
"Are you ok?" Taehee asks.
"Huh?"
"You still love her, don't you?"
"It doesn't matter. We will never be together." I sigh, "Anw, I need to go the tattoo shop. Do you mind going home alone?"
"Of course not! Go ahead. I'll wait for you at home." Taehee smiles knowingly as she walks away.
I mindlessly stroll to the tattoo shop, taking all the time I need to clear my head.
Huh.. Let her go Taehyung ah. You need to move on.
"Ya, Kim Taehyung! I read on the news you guys won the trial, is that right? Omg, congratulations man!" Yongsan exclaims as soon as he sees me entering the shop.
"We didn't exactly win though.." I mutter lowly.
"What?"
"Nothing. I need to work on some new designs, please don't let anyone in." I say & walk to the back.
I try to block out all memories of her & focus on my drawings, but traces of her keep seeping through the crack.
"Dammit!" I throw my pen in frustration & push my hair back.
Suddenly, I hear footsteps coming from behind.
"Yongsan ah, I told you not to let anyone in-" I turn around in annoyance, expecting to see some random client, but I'm totally surprised.
It's Y/n.
"Hey, are you busy?" She puts a strand of hair behind her ear & asks.
"You- I thought you'd left." I stammer, heart instantly pounding in excitement.
"I have a favor to ask you so.." She fidgets.
"What is it?"
"Uhm.. I want to get a tattoo."
"A tattoo?" I repeat, thinking that I've heard her wrong.
"Yes. Here." She unbuttons her shirt & points at the empty space on her left chest.
I've seen all parts of her before, but my cheeks inadvertently redden at the sight.
"O-Ok. What kind of design would you like?" I avert my gaze & pretend to prepare the tools.
"영생 (yeongsaeng=eternal life)." She sits down on the stool & replies.
"영생? Just the words? Does it have a special meaning?" I ask in curiosity.
"It's an homage to our baby. I was going to name the baby 영생 if it was a boy. Unfortunately, I didn't get to do that, so I want to tattoo the name over my heart to denote that he'll live in my heart eternally." She explains with a sad smile on her lips.
I'm deemed speechless by her explanation. All the regrets & guilt come flushing at me in torrents.
"Can you do it?" Sensing my silence, she asks.
"Y-Yeah sure. Just sit still, this will sting slightly. Let me know if the pain is too much to handle." I snap out of my daze & starts working.
I meticulously paint each stroke on her smooth skin. Her face is only inches away, her fresh floral scent dances in my nostrils, her rhythmical breath fills my ears, but somehow, I'm not nervous at all. In fact, I'm calmer than I've ever been these past few months. It feels like there are no one else in this world but us & this room is our safe haven.
"I'm done." I turn off my pen & leans back to admire my work.
"Can I see?"
"Of course. Here." I hand her the handheld mirror.
"It's beautiful. Thank you." She gasps, tears swirling in her eyes.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." I smile at her.
"Uhm.. How much do I have to pay?" She awkwardly buttons up her shirt & takes out her wallet.
"No no no. You don't have to pay me." I immediately refuse.
"I can't do that. I have to pay for your work." She insists.
"How about this? You do me a favor so that we're even." An idea pops up in my head.
"What favor?" She asks skeptically, brows furrowing into a slight frown.
"Draw the same tattoo I did for you on here." I point to the space beside the half-butterfly tattoo on my chest.
"What? No! I can't draw. What if it turns out ugly? You can't erase it, can you?" She instantly panics.
"That's ok. I'll be satisfied with whatever you do. Come on." I put the tattoo pen on her hand & turn it on.
"Are you serious?" She widens her eye in disbelief.
"I am. Just do it." I take a deep breath & close my eyes.
"Ok. But don't blame me if you don't like how it turns out." She huffs & leans closer.
The first stroke is painful. She's pushed the tip too deep, but I act like I don't feel anything.
After countless "Oh no", "I'm sorry", "I told you I can't do this", & so many other cute exclamations that crack me up, she's done.
"There. Don't be mad." She hands me the mirror & nervously watches my face to see my reaction.
"It's alright actually. I love it & more importantly, I love the meaning behind it. Thank you."
"Y-You're welcome." She shyly looks away.
After such an intimate experience, I can't control myself anymore. I abruptly pull her into my embrace & kiss her square on the lips.
She freezes at first, but slowly her soft body melts into mine as she reciprocates my kiss. We're both gasping for breath when we finally let each other go.
She stares at me with an unreadable expression & I decipher it as her regretting her response towards my kiss.
"I'm sorry. That was very impulsive of me." I hastily apologize.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Uhm.. because I don't know if you want to be kissed. I don't know if you even still like me."
"Isn't my reaction earlier obvious enough?" She asks a hint of smile playing on her lips.
"You mean you wanted me to kiss you?"
"Yes, for the longest time. I was scared of my feelings for you, scared of the possibility of getting hurt when the bruise in my heart still hasn't fully recovered yet. But I can't deny them anymore, especially after we met again."
"B-But what about Jimin?"
"What about him?" She tilts her head in confusion.
"Well, aren't you & him.. together?" I hesitantly ask.
"What? Omg, no! He's like a brother to me. Nothing romantic is going on between us. I don't feel that way about him & I'm sure he doesn't too." She chuckles.
"But you guys seems so close, I thought that you are in love with him. On top of that, I'd caused you so much pain, I didn't think that you'd want me back in your life."
"I do want you, Tae. What I don't want is letting the past ruin my future, so I'm going to follow my heart & choose you." She steps closer & cups my cheek.
"I want you too Y/n ah, scars & all. I promise this time no more lies, no more secrets. I've had enough drama to last me three lifetimes." I caress her face.
"So are you going to kiss me again or not?" She raises her brow teasingly.
"As you wish, my princess."
Right that moment, my heart is full.
Bad chapters can still make a good story.
Wrong paths can still lead to a good place.
And I'm grateful that I'm given another chance to continue walking on this path with her.

-Fin-