The courtroom was tense, the air thick with anticipation. Lawyers sat on either side, flipping through papers, preparing for the next move, while the judge watched with a composed but stern expression. The jury sat still, eyes focused, taking in every word. Everyone's attention was split between you and Namjoon, the two opposing forces in this case. The soft shuffle of papers and the occasional cough were the only sounds breaking the otherwise heavy silence.

Namjoon stood up with a confident smirk, addressing the court. "My lord, from my findings, a man named Byun Baekho doesn't even work in the Kim warehouse," he declared, as if he had delivered the final blow.

His eyes shot to you, full of certainty, as though daring you to counter. But instead of flinching, you responded with a slow, knowing smile. "Tsk tsk, Mr. Kim, still that overconfident?" you said smoothly, returning his smirk with one of your own.

Namjoon's face faltered slightly, his brows knitting together in confusion. H-how...? The thought raced through his mind as he struggled to comprehend how you seemed so unfazed by his statement.

The courtroom watched intently, sensing the brewing battle between two sharp minds.

● 8 hours earlier ●

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be jolted awake from a sweet dream by a sudden splash of cold water?

Jackson shot up in his bed, heart racing, his mind racing to catch up with reality. "What the fu—" he began, but the words were cut off as you quickly pressed a hand over his mouth.

"Shh..." you whispered urgently, finger to your lips to silence him.

He glanced over at his girlfriend, Ziona, who was blissfully unaware, still deep in her sleep.

"Y/N, what the hell?!" Jackson hissed, his eyes wide with confusion and irritation.

You couldn't help but stifle a laugh at his disheveled state, hair sticking up in every direction. "I needed you awake, and this was the quickest way!"

He shot you a look, half annoyed and half amused, but it was clear he was still processing what had just happened. 

You gave him a sweet smile, knowing full well he was on the verge of snapping.

Without warning, Jackson grabbed your wrist and dragged you into the lobby, away from Ziona's sleeping form.

"What?!" he practically shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.

"Yah, don't yell at me!" you replied with a pout, but quickly cringed at yourself for doing that.

"Y/N, what's this about, in the middle of the night?" He was serious now, his eyes narrowing.

"Byun Baekho's death case," you said, matching his serious tone.

"And what about it, Miss Min?" His voice had an edge. You could tell he was pissed—understandably so.

To be fair, you had really pushed him to the limit tonight. After sneaking in through his balcony, soaking him in the middle of the night, you'd pretty much earned it.

"I visited his brother's house today, and I found something on Baekho's PC," you finally explained, watching as his expression shifted from frustration to intrigue.

This was enough to reel him in.

"Are you drunk?" Jackson asked, looking at you like you'd lost your mind.

"Shut up, dumbass," you shot back, rolling your eyes. "I'm here so we can sneak into Baekhyun's house again and open that PC."

Jackson's jaw practically hit the floor. "It's freaking 3:00 a.m.!" he whisper-yelled, incredulous.

"I know, Jax, and this is the only time we can sneak in without getting caught."

"You've seriously lost it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

You smirked. "Then find me later."

Jackson sighed deeply, knowing that, somehow, he was already roped into this crazy plan.

"4 a.m. in the morning, and here we are, hanging on Baekhyun's pipeline," Jackson muttered under his breath, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Can you stop being sarcastic for one damn minute? I'm trying to find a way in," you whispered sharply, glaring at him. He was whining like an annoyed toddler, hanging onto the pipe like his life depended on it.

"What do you expect me to do, huh? I'm hanging by a plastic pipe in the middle of the night!" Jackson hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Shut up," you muttered back, gritting your teeth.

After what felt like an eternity, 15 minutes of clinging to the pipe later, the two of you finally made it through Baekho's window, tumbling into his room. A sudden went through your spine, it was because of the darkness in the room.

"Keep your eyes on the door, Jax," you said, hurrying to the PC.

He nodded, his frustration evident but keeping quiet, while you rushed to open the computer and see if you could crack the code in time.

After returning from Baekhyun's house earlier that afternoon, you had memorized the birthdates of all the football players whose posters hung in Baekho's room. You sat in your office, entering the dates one by one, hoping to crack the code.

"Son Heung-min's birthdate—access denied."

You groaned in frustration.

"Lionel Messi's birthdate—denied."

You bit your lip, feeling the pressure building.

"Neymar Santos—denied."

"Which one is it, damn it?" You muttered, frustration boiling over as you punched the bed next to you in anger.

Jackson, who was sitting nearby, glanced at you, catching on to your rising tension. He got up, observed the room with a keen eye, his gaze lingering on the posters, then gestured towards the gate. Without saying a word, he sat down on the chair again, giving you the signal to double-check something.

His silent gesture gave you a moment to pause. Maybe there was something you overlooked.

You stood beside Jackson, your eyes on the screen with tension.

"Have you tried Cristiano Ronaldo's?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

You blinked, shocked at how you had overlooked one of the most famous players. "How did I forget him?" You shook your head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Jackson scoffed, clearly amused. "Well, let's see."

He confidently entered 5285—Cristiano Ronaldo's birthdate—and you both held your breath.

Jackson wore a smug expression as the screen flickered, the hidden diary unlocking with Ronaldo's birthdate.

You jumped up, excitement coursing through you. Without thinking, you kissed his cheek in appreciation. "You're a genius!"

He grinned, wiping his cheek dramatically. "And yet, after all this, I'm still called a dumbass."

"Yeah, yeah, get up, dumbass," you teased, shaking your head playfully.

Jackson laughed, sitting back as you opened the diary. You could hardly believe it—luck was truly on your side tonight.

●back to present ●

You smiled confidently at your best friend, Jackson, giving him a small nod of gratitude. "Thanks, Jackson Wang," you whispered, as you turned your focus back to the courtroom.

With a smirk, you locked eyes with Namjoon. "Tsk tsk... still overconfident, Mr. Kim?"

Namjoon's expression shifted, his confidence fading as he watched you present the documents to the judge. "My lord, these are the scanned documents of Byun Baekho's joining letter and his employee ID from Kim Warehouse."

You turned the papers toward Namjoon, catching his wide-eyed disbelief. "As you can see, in big, bold letters: 'Mr. Byun Baekho, you are hereby informed that your job application for intern is accepted. Kindly report on the next working day.'"

You paused, letting the evidence sink in. "The second document is Baekho's employee ID card, which he wore while on duty."

Facing the judge, you finished with a calm but triumphant tone, "This evidence proves, without a doubt, that my client, Byun Baekho, was indeed employed at Kim Warehouse. That rests my case, my lord."

Namjoon sat there stunned, knowing you had just turned the tables.

"The documents provided by Advocate Min are genuine, and this dismisses the claim that Byun Baekho did not work at Kim Warehouse. Considering this evidence, the court is adjourned until the next hearing date," the magistrate announced.

As soon as the court recessed, Jackson hugged you in excitement.

You heard a soft cough behind you and turned to see Namjoon, his dimpled smile lighting up his face. "You did great, Y/N," he said, his tone warm and sincere.

Before you could respond, Namjoon gave you a quick, friendly hug. "I was impressed with how you handled the case," he added with a smile.

You blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his gesture, but smiled back. "Thanks, Mr. Kim but, mind your hands next time?"

His smile flattened a little but still nodded, you gave a small smile and walked away

Jackson stepped in front of you, nodding approvingly. "You were brilliant," he said with a grin, clearly still thrilled by the outcome.

Namjoon gave you a playful wink before heading out, shooting a quick glare at Jackson on his way.

"What was that?" you mumbled to yourself, still a bit thrown off.

"I will kill him," Jackson grumbled, clearly annoyed.

"Just ignore him, Jax," you reassured me with a soft chuckle.

Jackson shook his head, but then his expression softened. "The kid's diary really saved our case today."

"Yeah, it did," you agreed, and the two of you shared a relieved laugh, grateful for the breakthrough.

"I can go sleep now!!" he jumped with excitement but that was short-lived 

"No!" you firm voice echoed through the corridors of the courtroom 

"Nini!!!"  

____________________________________________________________________________

Side glimpse

The diary of baekho

Hey diary...!

It's been a long time...today I got a job. Yes really..!!!! I so damn excited
Finally, now I can be a support pillar of my father and my brother

I will be independent

I will buy gifts from the first salary

Mother hopes you're always with me.

< attached pdf of his identity card and joining letter >

The above is my dream company...I joined as an intern engineer

Thank you and see ya !!!!

____________________________________________________________________________

TBC

THANK YOU VERY MUCH cherry3227 for voting and adding my story in your reading list ♥️♥️♥️

Hell..... 373 reads...!!!
Vote please 🙂

[A/n: Jax is the nickname of Jackson pronounce it like axe]

[EDITED ✔]