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alexiafeyblogpost · 2 months

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RISE FROM THE ASHES 7/? (Alexia AU)

(Sorry, there won't be any drawing in this one)

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February 22, 09h34 – District Court, Defendants' lobby No. 2

Lana stands in the center of the lobby when Alexia and Ema arrived. Her face is expectant.

"How was the investigation yesterday, Ms. Fey?" Lana asks.

The young girl shakes her head slowly. "Frankly, there are still many... gray areas.

"Or rather, this is all a big gray area..." Ema snaps.

The Chief Prosecutor shrugs, not the slightest trace of concern on her face. "Don't worry about me, no matter the outcome. I am ready to accept my fate."

"I believe in you, sister!" Ema says, determined.

"Let me offer you some advice, Ms. Fey." Lana says crossing her arms. "A defense attorney should never ‘believe’ his client.”

Ema recoils as if she had been burned.

"The defendant is called to trial because they are suspected of having committed a crime! Never forget that." Lana says serious.

Alexia stares at her, unfazed by the prosecutor's words. "Miss Skye, you... you remind me a lot of Mia. But there is a decisive difference between you and her."

"Which is?" Lana asks intrigued.

"You're not a defense attorney." Alexia says hardening her gaze. "So, I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t underestimate Mia's vision without ever having been in her shoes. And especially if you're the one saying it..."

Lana looks away, with an expression on her face that Alexia couldn't place. "I think it's almost time for trial. Good luck, Ms. Fey."

With that said, she enters the courtroom to go to the defendant's place.

"(My first trial as head of the defense... without Lady Maya helping me with Lady Mia, and without Phoenix to take the lead when I get knocked down... No one is going to rescue me this time... I'll be alone there... So, I have to find out the truth on my own!)" Alexia thinks with some nerves.

"Let's do this, Miss Fey! I'll be with you all the way!" Ema says excitedly.

Alexia looks at her out of the corner of her eye and shows her a half-smile. "Thank you, Kitten. Since it is very likely that he needs a lot of moral support..."

Ema looks at her with curiosity and confusion.

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February 23, 10:00 a.m. – District Court, Courtroom No. 2

They are all in the courtroom. Ema is next to Alexia on the defense side. The audience that will watch the trial is in the gallery. Lana is seated primly in the defendant's chair, almost statuesque. In front of the two girls, Miles is crossed with his arms crossed, tapping his finger on his arm. The judge sits high above all of them and hits his gravel.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Lana Skye." The Judge announces.

Alexia nods her head. "The defense is ready, your honor."

Edgeworth looks up. "The prosecution has been ready for a while, your honor."

"(Miles Edgeworth... It's been two months, but I haven't been in a courtroom since his trial...)” Alexia thinks nervously.

Edgeworth turns to look at her. "I hope personal feelings are not part of today's process, Ms. Fey."

"What do you mean by that?" Alexia asks, with a snort.

In response, he taps the side of his head with his finger. "I will choose the path that I believe is right, regardless of what those around me say. The judgment to be taken here is in our hands, not anyone else's."

Alexia sighs, to calm down. "Yes, I hope it is like that too..."

"Very good, if both parties are ready. Mr. Edgeworth, your opening argument, please." Says the Judge.

Edgeworth stares at Lana. "Chief prosecutor Lana Skye has committed an unforgivable crime. Not only this, but she was reckless enough to commit it in the parking lot of the Prosecutor's Office!"

Ema adjusts her coat. "Wow... It's much more forceful in person. I suddenly feel like confessing everything!"

Alexia rolls her eyes at that.

"However." Everyone is looking at Edgeworth. "Now she will pay with his life for her recklessness. There was a witness to her crime... A "professional" witness!"

The Judge applauds. "Well then, call your first witness, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"The prosecution calls its first witness, Ms. Angel Starr, to the stand." Edgeworth reports.

"The Deep Throat Queen..." Alexia mutters to herself. Ema looks at her confused, so the lawyer only makes a gesture to ignore her comment.

Moments later, on the witness stand, Angel appears as alert as ever, leaning over her lunch bag.

The Judge raises an eyebrow at her. "Hmm? Haven't I seen you somewhere...?"

Angel brings out a lunch. "You ordered the Caviar Lunch, right?"

"Ho ho!" He practically jumped when she handed it to him. "Caviar! I've never eaten caviar before!"

Alexia only limits herself to looking at the one who is supposed to be the moderator of that trial. "(The judge is really devouring it...)"

Then Angel turns to the defense. "Oh, and for you... I have a Fiesta Bowl."

"Eh... Thank you, I guess..." Alexia says, while the witness left the bento on her table. Actually, it doesn’t look bad. And yesterday's lunches weren’t bad at all. "Do you want some too, Kitten?"

"Oh, okay." Ema says smiling.

Edgeworth now decides to speak. "Will the witness give her name and profession?"

Alexia is absolutely sure that she heard him, but instead she continues with her lunchbox act. "Ah, and you sir... Did you ask for the ‘Fingerprint” lunch box?"

"Woah! ' ow di' she arang' de content of de bosh li'e dat?!" Ema asks, still with her mouth full.

"Kitten, don't talk with your mouth full." Alexia scolds.

Of course, a certain prosecutor was not impressed. And we are not talking about Lana, who has rolled her eyes at least twice during this event.

"It's too early for lunch." Edgeworth says impatiently. "Your name and profession, please."

Once again, Angel ignores him. Instead, she addresses the judge. "Well, your honor, what does it taste like?"

"That's why everyone praises caviar! It's so tasty it hurts! I always thought caviar would taste like pickled tapioca." The Judge responds.

Angel laughs. "I think it's safe to say you’re enjoying it."

"(How disgusting!! What the hell does pickled tapioca taste like!?)” Alexia thought horrified.

A bang echoed through the room. The eyes pointed to where it came. Edgeworth's eyes were narrowed. Between his teeth, he says: "Name. Profession. Now!"

Angel blinks innocently. "Me? My name is Angel Starr. Don't forget. I'm currently running Lunchland." She grabs her lunch bag. "Is it... Is that what you wanted me to say, Mr. Edgeworth?

The prosecutor rolls his eyes before continuing. "Very well, witness. Please describe the incident to us.”

"The prosecution will wait!" The Judge exclaims, redirecting attention to him. "I haven't finished eating..."

"(Hurry up! Even we didn't finish my lunch, which was much bigger than his.)" Alexia thinks desperately.

"Mmmm..." The judge buzzes, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his robe.

"Kitten, write down; "Note to self: To become an authority of the law, table manners are not an obligation to have"." Alexia murmurs. Ema, obediently, writes in her notebook.

"Very well, Mr. Edgeworth. As you know, we usually call the police to provide a description of the crime..." The Judge says intrigued. "What is the reason for this change?"

"Your Honor, may I?" Angel tilts her head toward Miles. "As Mr. Edgeworth has said in court ... I'm a... "professional"."

"Eh... Huh? What does that mean exactly?" the judge asks, curious.

"It means that until two years ago, Ms. Angel Starr was a special investigator for the police," Edgeworth explains. "She was a top-notch homicide detective."

"W-whaaaaaat!? Ms. Starr was a detective!?" Ema says surprised.

Alexia nods, unsure. "That seems to be."

"Aaaaah! That's why I recognized you!!" The Judge is shouting a lot today "Cough-up...!?"

Angel smiles. "Cough-up Queen Angel Starr, your honor. Long time no see."

"V-v-very good! You can continue with the description, Miss Starr!" Says the Judge.

"Who is this woman?" Alexia murmurs angrily.

Angel snaps his fingers to get attention. "If you’ll allow me to bring the court's attention over here... The parking lot of the Prosecutor's Office is divided into two blocks. Block A is for the staff of the Prosecutor's Office. Block B is for visitors and clients... A barbed wire wall separates the two blocks.

She pulls out some blueprints of the lot for all to see.

The Judge reflects on this. "I guess that's to prevent visitors from occupying the prosecutors' spaces."

"The crime was committed near a car in the back of Block A, in the trunk of the car." Angel points to the only car in the plans that is defined. "The murderer stabbed the victim with a knife and went to remove the body. Unfortunately for her, there was a witness and an arrest occurred on the spot."

"And who was this brave 'witness'...?" The Judge asks.

"Well, it was me, Your Honor." Angel replies proudly.

Parking floor plans added to the Court Record.

"Witness, did you see the very moment of the crime?" The Judge asks.

"Of course, your honor," Angel replies as he walks back to the podium. "Immediately afterwards I arrested the chief prosecutor."

"Hmm..." The Judge buzzes as he glances sideways at the girls. "Sounds like a pretty simple case, doesn't it? Well, Ms. Fey."

Alexia shakes her head. "I cannot agree on principle, your honor."

Angel snorts. "It seems that some poor souls are unwilling to accept the truth, your honor. Should I proceed to crush what few hopes they have left?"

The Judge slams his fist against his open hand. "If you can, then give them your worst, Miss Starr!"

"Tsk, what a way to be impartial, your honor." Alexia growls, annoyed.

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Beginning of Witness testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Witness's Account

"I always knew that this moment would come. I was on my way to deliver lunch to my boyfriend... When I felt something... Perhaps it was my fine police instinct, which got to work. Then, through the fence, I saw the chief prosecutor next to a very garish car. The chief prosecutor had a knife in her right hand... Then she stick the sharp point of the knife into Detective Goodman's chest!"

End of Witness testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Witness's Account

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"Hmm... Bring your boyfriend a lunchbox? How touching!" The judge is almost enthusiastic.

Alexia is so eager to slam her palm against her forehead right now.

Miles, as always, is unfazed. "As you can see, there is no room for doubt."

Angel smiles at the defense now. "So... how does it feel to be so completely crushed?"

“… I reserve my comments..." Alexia murmurs frowning.

"It's just a fresh wound, Miss Fey!" says Ema.

"I know that. Anything else?" Alexia murmurs volleying her to see.

"Well, scientifically speaking... Ms. Starr's testimony..." Ema says thoughtfully before sighing depressively. “… it's perfect."

"Well, that's great to hear..." Alexia growls angrily.

"W-what do we do!? Is this all? Is my sister guilty!?" Ema says desperately.

"Let's keep a cool head and put some pressure on the witness, shall we?" Alexia says, with seriousness in her voice. "(For some reason, having her panicking next to me puts me at ease a bit...)"

"D-don't smile like that!" Ema says blushing.

"All right, you can cross-examine the witness, Ms. Fey," the judge says.

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Beginning of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Witness's Account

"How were you so sure that a day like this would come?" Alexia asks.

Angel snorts. "I respect prosecutors' basic abhorrence of crime. However, their methods are ugly and twisted. Twisted methods will always lead to tragedy."

Miles rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "The uninformed opinion of the lunch lady is noted."

She looks at him. "Since they're used to erasing inconvenient evidence at will, killing a detective who knew too much is simply an extension of that."

This time, Edgeworth says nothing. So, Ema is the one who speaks.

"Miss Starr... do you have anything personal against the prosecutors?" She asks.

"Ah, I think I already answered that for you, did I? No matter, I can answer again." Angel says as she fiddles with the strap of her purse, her hair on the other side of her head. "I felt like I had found my dream job when I became a detective. And if those prosecutors over there hadn't fired me, I would still be."

"So, it's true. She was fired. But why?" Alexia mutters to herself.

"To me, prosecutors are nothing more than worms." Angel shrugs. "That said, I'm a professional, as you know. My testimony is unbiased... and impeccable."

Alexia clicks her tongue. "(Impartial? Definitely not. Impeccable? We'll see.)" she leans against the table. "Which boyfriend was he? The detective?"

"Ms. Fey!" Ema says scandalized.

"What? A person who has multiple partners does not deserve to have their privacy respected." Alexia murmurs with a frown. "What's more, write down what I said in your notebook."

Angel seems unperturbed by this. "It wasn’t that boyfriend. It was the security guard."

"Do you have more than one?" The judge, on the other hand, is surprised.

"Yes." She taps her fingers. "'This' boyfriend, 'that' boyfriend and 'the other' boyfriend. Want to join? The position of 'another' boyfriend is still open for applicants."

It takes him a little while to say something. "I'll keep lunch, thank you."

"Note to self: The judge thought about it before answering," says Ema, as she writes in her notebook.

"The security guard's room is on the lot, in Block A." Angel touches the area marked "Security Room". "It's on the second level, so you can see everything from there."

"Did you bring your lunch boxes in a car?" Alexia asks.

She nods. "However, I had to walk the rest of the way. I'm technically a visitor now, so I parked in Block B."

"Good. We remember her car through the fence. So, she was in Block B when she witnessed the crime." Alexia murmurs, before asking. "So, did you have a premonition? You mentioned that you felt something."

"It felt like... how would you say... Oh yes... it was like the feeling you get when you see a pumpkin full of seeds!" Angel replies with a nice smile.

The judge looks at Angel, confused. "I have no idea what that means."

"(Anyone does??)" Alexia thought angrily, "Speaking of 'detective instincts'... Wasn't the victim, Mr. Bruce Goodman, also a detective?"

"Yes. But it was a young cheese." Angel answers.

"What does that mean...?" asks His Honor.

"(Angel, you're confusing him!)" Alexia exclaims in her mind, frustrated.

"A pale white cheese, not yet spicy from the experience on the streets. A rookie." Angel explains.

"Hmm... I, of course, am hard, yellowish, sharp as a tack." The Judge says, proudly.

Alexia shakes her head. "Sharp?"

"I bet he stinks, too," Ema says mockingly.

Even if Edgeworth didn't say it out loud. He would like to be as young as our protagonists to be able to say that kind of things more often.

"Anyway, by 'very garish car' you mean Mr. Edgeworth's, right?" Alexia asks.

Angel nods. "Yes."

"Wait, was it in Mr. Edgeworth's car?!" the judge exclaims.

"That's right. By the way, the knife with which the victim was stabbed was also Mr. Edgeworth's." Angel adds as his gaze rests on Miles. "Wasn't it?"

"Indeed, it was." Miles seems a little awkward, something you'd miss if you weren't staring at him.

"Hmm!" says the judge. "What a strange case this is. And the person who saw... are you sure it was the accused?"

Angel raises his right hand. "I saw her from no more than ten meters away. I'm sure it was her."

"(If she's right, we're doomed!)" Alexia thinks nervously.

"Do what you can!" says Ema. "Even if we don't have any proof, we can always complain!"

"It's called being picky!" Alexia corrects her. "(Although it's not like I have any other options to get out of this...)" Are you not a biased witness? In your testimony, you clearly stated that prosecutors are nothing more than worms..."

Angel stares at her. "Maybe you want to keep those silly opinions to yourself in the future, rookie."

"They are not mere opinions, when I can back up my words." Alexia responds by crossing her arms.

"Are you willing to risk the consequences of doubting me? I'll fry you like a fritter! Crispy on the outside..." She hits the bracket. "Chewy inside!!"

"Inspiring!" The judge might well have stars in his eyes.

Ema taps her pencil on the side of her head. "I think I've heard that slogan in other places... could you say plagiarism?"

"What would be the point of doing that, Kitten?" Alexia asked, rolling her eyes.

"I may be relegated to the humble position of luncheon... but my instincts are fine-tuned!" Angel exclaims as he holds something over his head. "Feast your eyes on this!"

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"A photograph! You took this!?" the judge asks.

The defense can't help but look at it. "(How did she get this?)" Alexia thinks starting to sweat.

"The moment I witnessed the crime, my reflexes took over and shot up! I took a photograph. In fact…" She holds out another box. "One of my lunch boxes has a camera."

"(How do you know which lunch boxes to have at any given moment? Then again, I guess that's more exciting than just hanging a camera around your neck.)" Alexia reasons.

Miles stares at him. "Why am I seeing this now?"

"Ha!" Angel says. "As if I was going to show it to a prosecutor! Think again."

Of course, that answer takes Edgeworth by surprise.

"I have a boyfriend in the photography division of Criminal Affairs." Angel reveals, as if nothing had happened.

"This lady has a boyfriend everywhere!" Ema says shocked.

"Do you see why I call her 'Deep Throat'?" Alexia murmurs annoyed.

The judge nods. "Well... this is surely the accused!"

Photo of the crime added to the court record.

Angel places it on the left side of the shots.

"Okay, tell us about the knife," Alexia asks massaging her temple.

"I would say the blade was about 10 centimeters long." The Choking Queen turns to Miles. "Is that so, Mr. Edgeworth? After all, it's his knife."

He sighs. "Yes, that's right."

"Prosecutors, by nature, know well the location of a man's vital organs." He takes a lunch box and spins it on his fingernail. "I'm sure it was easier than boiling an egg for my surprise egg salad set."

Alexia grimaces. "How can you testify to her ability to kill an egg... *Cough* I mean, a person!"

"Maybe a set of chicken salad would have been a better metaphor?" Ema comments before exclaiming, "Is there any chance we can get one?"

Alexia looks at her, with a drop of sweat. Angel throws them a specific lunch box anyway.

Alexia catches it and passes on to the scientist. "Why didn’t you try to stop her?" She asks. "You saw her raise the knife, right?"

"I tried..." His face becomes somber. "But it was too late to do anything. She had already put down the murder weapon!"

"And did you witness that? Did you see Miss Skye stab the victim with the knife?" Alexia questions.

The lunch lady is getting frustrated. "Yes! I swear by my best lunch ever 'Salmon Swirl'!" She quickly brings it up. "How many times do I have to say it?!"

"Hmm!! I'm sure it's a good lunch!" says the judge. She throws it at him.

Before Alexia can speak, Ema beats her to it: "This is weird." The girl says, as she walks to the evidence desk and takes the photo. "If you took this at the very moment of the crime, why is my sister here without a knife?"

Angel and Miles stare at her. Just like Alexia, who turned pale, when she knew where Ema was going to get into.

The Judge is the one who must break the silence. He clears his throat. "Mr. Edgeworth, Miss Fey, what do you think of what little Skye just talked about?"

He says one thing. "Objection.", in the most normal tone in the world.

"OBJECTION!!" Alexia exclaims at the top of her lungs, pushing Edgeworth back for catching him by surprise. "The witness's statement contradicts in its entirety the photo that Ema is currently showing! Because she said she took the photo 'at the moment' when she witnessed the crime!"

Angel shrugs. "Well, it seems that it was not so clear. My apologies."

In the silence that was created by what the witness said, Alexia rushes out to take Ema's hand and immediately returns her to her side. "For God's sake, don't do that again! I don't think I've bluffed that much in my life!"

Ema lowers her gaze, "I'm sorry..."

"Before speaking, please. Tell me what's on your mind first, and then I'll see if I'll let you continue with your idea." Alexia murmurs exhaling.

"Is that all...?" Edgeworth asks the witness, "Is that all you have to say?"

She snorts. "If you run out of lunch, you ask for a few seconds. Problem solved! If you don't like it, try ordering the jumbo lunch from the start."

"I'm not sure I understand it, but it's good advice," says Ema, wanting to do comedy. Alexia just snorts.

Angel continues, stomping his heels. "I didn't have time to stop her. Prosecutor Skye was cold, calculating, like a robot. He killed without pain or remorse! It was a premeditated murder!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Alexia put her hands in the air. "Where did you get that?!"

"Look at Ms. Skye's hands in the photo," Miles says.

"Let me see the picture, Mr. Edgeworth." The prosecutor proceeds to show the photo to the judge. "Wait! Are those gloves?"

"Whaaaaaat?!" Alexia exclaims, snatching the photo from them to see. "(. . . Yes, there are dark gloves on Lana's hands . . .)"

Miles walks away. "Most likely, they are surgical gloves made of thin rubber. Why would she wear them?" Before Fey could speak, he continues. "If it hadn't been premeditated, she wouldn't be wearing those gloves!"

"Ah!" Ema shudders. Alexia looked at the prosecutor, nervously reflected in her eyes.

"These gloves seem to tell a story of premeditation!" declares the judge.

Angel nods. "A felony."

"Update your testimonial by adding this!" The Judge demands.

"With pleasure." Angel says with a beautiful smile.

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The statement "was a premeditated crime! Rubber gloves prove it!" was added between the statements "The Chief prosecutor had a knife in her right hand..." and "Stuck the sharp point of the knife into Detective Goodman's chest!"

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"This is bad... She has made them think that this was all premeditated... If she manages to prove this claim, the trial is already over! We have to think of a way to prove that this was not premeditated!" Ema says desperately.

"I know, I know... I think I know how I can prove that it wasn't premeditated." Alexia murmurs

"Really?!" Ema says surprised.

"Well, it won't work to cease suspicions about Lana, but it will work to get a few more minutes of trial..." Alexia murmurs.

"Of course, go ahead!" Ema exclaims excitedly.

End of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Witness's Account

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"Miss Starr?" Alexia says as she pulls out a certain red knife. "Do you know what this is?"

Angel, annoyed, gestures outwards. "Are you trying to test me? I make a living selling box lunch, you know? That's a knife. THE knife. The knife that was in Mr. Edgeworth's trunk!"

"That's right, that's my knife." Miles replies looking up. "But I still don't understand what your point is, Miss Fey"

In the audience, people are talking again.

"What's up with this case?!"

"The murder weapon with blood, a red car... all belonging to the prosecutor over there?!"

"The defendant is the chief prosecutor, right?"

"Mommy, are prosecutors bad people?"

"This is my point." Alexia looks at them. "you say the gloves mean the crime was premeditated. Okay, then, let me ask you a question." Then she points to Lana's photo. "If wearing gloves is a sign that she planned to commit the crime beforehand, why didn't she also plan the weapon to commit it?!"

The lady at lunch is quiet. "Oh..."

"What do you think Lana would have done if the knife wasn't in the car?" asks Alexia. "You don't forget the murder weapon when you plan an assassination!"

"Yuck!" Angel throws some of his lunches into the air.

As the judge tries to calm the gallery, Ema begins to celebrate a little.

"Good show, Miss Fey!" says Ema. "My sister is practically free!"

"HOLD IT!" snorts Miles. "I think the next lunch Miss Skye will eat is a humbling cake!"

Ema does her best to calm herself down, and then asks, "Why?"

"You’re deluding yourself into thinking that 'the tide has turned'. And for such an insignificant detail, no less!" Edgeworth exclaims.

"Doesn't this blow a hole in all that premeditated theory?" asks Ema.

"Yes, it does. But that's why I said my argument would only work to buy time. For what Lana is being charged with is not "Planning and Perpetrating the Murder of Goodman," but only "Perpetrating the Murder of Goodman." Alexia explains in a cold sweat. "So Lana is still in the same place..."

"I don't think I could have explained better. As Miss Fey said, the prosecution wouldn't care less about that." Miles says before gesturing. "The only one who seems to care is the lunch lady over there."

Angel is currently sweating. His face is twisted with anger.

Miles continues. "The defendant, Lana Skye, murdered a detective with a knife. That's all the prosecution needs to prove. Nothing more."

A slow applause sounds in the room. And it comes from our resident Cough-up Queen. "Very well, Mr. Prosecutor," he says, "I suppose you think you're clever now. But you know as well as I do that she planned to kill him! It was planned! If it wasn't, why should it do so while wearing..."

The judge interrupts her. "I think I'd like to hear your testimony again."

"Witness." Miles moves a finger. "Tell us what you saw, not what you thought."

"How dare you!" she snaps. "My powers of deduction should not be underestimated!"

Alexia shakes her head slowly. "Are you sure not?"

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Beginning of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Angel's Deduction

"Lana Skye intended to murder Inspector Goodman! That is why he made the victim go to the prosecutor's office. I am sure that the chief prosecutor had some debt to settle with the victim. Nothing else could have prompted her to stick the knife again and again..."

End of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Angel's Deduction

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"Was the victim summoned from the Police Department to the District Prosecutor's Office?" the judge asks. "Sounds a lot like premeditation, doesn't it?"

Ema grimaces. "If I order pizza, does that mean I plan to kill the delivery man?"

He doesn't respond to that. "In any case, the defense can now cross-examine the witness."

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Beginning Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Angel's Deduction

"Okay, I think it's better to make this clear right now. And that's you have no evidence that Ms. Skye called Goodman to the prosecutor's parking lot." Alexia says without mincing words.

"You have no proof that she didn't!" Angel answers. "Prove that it is not like that!"

Alexia shakes her head. "You are the one who is proposing this possibility. So it is you who must back up your argument with evidence, not me."

The lunch lady just grunts in annoyance.

"What do you think, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge asks.

Miles shakes his head. "There is no record of a call made on the defendant's phone. So the argument of the defense is sustained."

"She could have written a letter!" Angel suggests.

Alexia rolls her eyes. "How do you come to propose a letter without even proposing a public phone first?"

"In any case, the detective ended there. That's undeniable," says Miles. "Go ahead with cross-examination."

Alexia sighs before asking, "A debt to settle? What kind?"

Angel shrugs. "I don't know."

"Of course not," Ema snaps. "There's not even one here."

She pulls out a lunch box. "What's in here?"

"How would we know? It's closed." Ema murmurs annoyed.

"Exactly. We agree that there is a lunch box here, but we don't know what's inside! A person's life is like a lunch box with pretzels. Don't you agree?" Angel explains.

Alexia grimaces. "Why pretzels?"

"I get it!" says the judge. "That's why my lunch was so salty!"

"It's clear that he doesn't get it," says Alexia. "Anyway. How many times did she stab him? You say 'over and over again'..."

Angel snorts. "What difference does it make if the act is done!?"

"Calm, calm. There's no need to get so defensive." Alexia says with a small smile. "I'm just asking because I find that pretty weird."

"And why is that?" The Judge questions intrigued.

"Can you give me the autopsy report, Kitten?" Ask for Alexia. The little scientist passes it on. "Miss Starr, there's no way you witnessed this repeated stabbing you claim!"

The next lunch box that Angel opens is completely green inside. "Don't test me! Surprise moss on the way, rookie!!"

It looked like Miles was going to say something, but he was interrupted by a knock that the lawyer was giving to her desk. "Unfortunately, that moss grows under our feet while we wait."

"Why?!" asks Angel, lowering the box.

"What do you figure?" says the judge.

She walks to the stand as she speaks. "The autopsy report indicates that the death was due to blood loss... for ONE stab wound."

Angel jumps shocked.

"Ah, ha! You’re right! Nice show, Miss Fey!" The Judge alleges.

"Great, Miss Fey!" Ema faints. "I'll become your fan, really!"

Alexia blushes slightly. "Oh, uh, thank you..."

"Well, witness?" The judge looks at Angel.

She shows another lunch box, this one with a fork pointing upwards and something red forming a puddle around it. "You have the crime scene set, right?"

"What's that?" Ema looks at the box. "Kepchup?"

"I always believed that no one could mistake ketchup for blood." Angel puts lunch on the table. "But now I realize that those mistakes are possible."

Miles grimaces. "Did you mistake something for blood?"

"Yes." Angel takes the hat off his head and scratches it. "When she raised his knife, I thought I saw blood on her chest... blood splattered from her victim! That's why I thought she must have stabbed him at least twice."

"Then tell us what you saw, and thought was blood! Testify!" the judge demands.

She sighs before speaking. "Okay, Your Honor."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The statement "Her red scarf of the brand "Scapa" looked like blood to me... That's how dreadful the whole scene was!" was added at the end of the testimony."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You mean her scarf, right?" Alexia asks.

Angel nods in confirmation. "Yes. The Chief prosecutor always wears one around her neck. So I guess you can easily hang it up at any time..."

"How did you mistake that for splattered blood?" asks Miles in disbelief.

Angel doesn't say anything, so the judge does. "Well, people often mistake my beard for a bib."

"I was already wondering why this place sometimes looks so much like a kindergarten." Alexia murmurs with a drop of sweat.

The lady at lunch looks to the side. "Actually... I do think I saw some traces of blood on her chest..."

"However, the autopsy report is clear about this." Alexia remembers, with the report in her hand. "There was only one knife wound. How would the blood have gotten there?"

Angel is silent again. She is not even entirely sure of her own testimony.

"This is our chance!!" says Ema.

"Yes, I think I can do something with this..." Alexia murmurs, taking the photo of the crime.

End of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Angel's Reasoning

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"Ms. Starr. Without the intention of offending, I don't think you’re fit for detective work anymore." Alexia says seriously.

Before Angel could say anything, Fey continued talking. "Look at this. The suspect was not wearing a scarf when she allegedly stabbed the victim. You proved it yourself with this."

"Huh?! That can't be!" Angel screams.

Miles shakes his head. "Hmph. Only a 'true professional' could be so clueless. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be a good lunch lady. ".

The lady at lunch, of course, is agitated.

"Harsh words! But good!" says the judge.

Ema raises a fist in the air. "Look at that! Mr. Edgeworth prevails!"

Alexia folds her arms. "That comment was savage; I have to give it to him."

"I swear!" Angel begs. "There was something red there! Really!"

Miles taps his hand. "You have given us an entertaining interlude; Now let's get back to the matter."

"Hey!" Angel exclaims annoyed.

"In any case," the judge says, "you saw the crime and arrested the suspect ... tell us."

She wrings her hands. "Very good. At least I remember some things accurately."

"We haven't gotten rid of the important part yet." Alexia says, somewhat tired.

Ema asks, "What would that be?"

"The part where your sister apparently stabbed the victim!" Alexia says, frustrated. "And for a change, I'm learning as I go!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Beginning of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Apprehending the Suspect

"After the crime, the suspect tried to flee behind the division of her area. I caught her quickly, read her rights, and arrested her instantly. Ah, yes... When I arrested her, she mentioned the muffer! That's why I got confused in my previous testimony! Chief prosecutor tried to run away, but it's useless to resist Angel Starr!"

End of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Apprehending the Suspect

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"You're very determined about this scarf, aren't you?" the judge asks.

She shrugs. "I trike like a snake and bit like a cobra! That's me, Angel Starr."

Alexia rolls her eyes. "Cobras are snakes, Ms. Starr. Please try again."

Her hand taps her hat, which she left on the stand. "Don't bother me with details, unless you want to be bitten!"

"Go ahead, I invited you to try..." Alexia growls, squinting.

"Note to self: Attorney Fey looks scared when she’s bother..." Ema says as she writes, annoying Alexia a little.

"Keep it up and I'll force you to give your notebook to Maya." Alexia threatens, confusing Ema.

Ema tilts her head, confused. "Who is Maya?"

"Someone you wouldn't want to leave your notebook with. So don't tempt me." Alexia murmurs angrily.

"The chief prosecutor tried to resist, but her efforts were in vain. He hit my hands, kicked a drum of oil..." In this last part, Angel takes a step back and kicks high to prove his point.

"How does she kick so high, and in that dress?" Alexia murmurs. "(I remember one of the two oil drum we saw was lying on the ground. But I can't believe Lana kicked it.)"

"Oh, it's beautiful, but deadly! This is a predator! A leopard woman!" Angel returns to the stand and makes a scratching gesture. "Rawr!"

The judge says, "Miss Fey, your cross-examination, please."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Beginning of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Apprehending the Suspect

"Where's the partition?" Ema asks.

"Miss Fey, please." Alexia walks over and gives Miles the plans. "Thank you." He lifts them up so she can see them, pointing somewhere at the top. "This is it. It's this wall right next to where my car had been."

"It was about 3 meters tall, wasn't it?" Says Alexia, leaning against the prosecution's bench.

"That's right." Miles replies.

Angel crosses his arms. "Obviously she was trying to hide. It's quite natural for a criminal!"

"What did she say about the muffler?" Alexia asks, next to the prosecutor's bench.

"If I knew exactly, I would have said it!" Angel snaps.

"Don't be shameless..." Alexia murmured and Miles in unison, but they were not heard by the others.

"That's all I heard her say. She wasn't talking to me; she was on the phone!" Angel exclaims.

"So you never saw it." Alexia says with a raised eyebrow. Angel is still.

"She couldn't have done it," Miles says of agreement. "The image is proof of that."

Angel nods. "I admit it."

"This is strange!" Ema says, confused. "First she mistakes a scarf for splattered blood, now she says she didn't see any scarves!"

Alexia takes note of what Ema said. But first, she clarifies some doubts. "How did she manage to 'escape'?"

Angel gestures outward. "She pushed my hand away and started running! It was a terrible sight to watch, like a spoonful of lard in a foie gras pate! He even kicked me into an oil canister!"

(Leaving aside the strange metaphor of food, he mentioned the oil drum again.)" Alexia thinks.

"What I want to know is this." Miles looks at the test table. "If she wanted to escape... why didn't she run to the other side?"

"Ah, you mean the entry of the cars!" says the judge.

Ema nods. "Exactly! Was she trying to get caught?"

Angel can't answer that. She doesn't know how to do it.

"It seems that we have more mysteries," Alexia murmurs, returning to the defense bench. "Better to try to solve them from the beginning."

Fey connects her gaze with that of the witness. "Miss Starr, how close were you to the suspect so you could catch her 'quick'?"

"I think I said this 9 meters." Angel says.

"So the place where you parked is 9 meters away from where you found Miss Skye?" She says

"Yes, that's right." Angel answers.

"Wait, there's a fence between all that, right?" Says the Judge.

Angel shakes his head. "Obviously I scaled it."

"In that short time?" Alexia grimaces.

"Amazing!" says the judge. "The Cough-up Queen, the Luncheon athlete lady."

Ema folds her arms. "There's no way she could get to my sister so quickly. It would take her a while to climb that fence in flat shoes or sneakers, let alone heels!"

"And the fence was 3 meters high," says Alexia. "I find it strange that your sister didn't run away."

Alexia, holding Lana's phone, turns to Angel. "You said she was on the phone when you mentioned the muffler, right?"

Angel shrugs. "Yes, ultimately."

"Ultimately?" asks Miles.

"At first she tried to use the phone hanging on the wall. But apparently it was broken." Alexia answers.

"Hmmm..." says the judge. "Good witnessing, witness!"

"(What happened to good testifying?)" Alexia thinks with a drop of sweat.

"You should, of course, add this to your testimony."

Angel rolls her eyes. "The things I do to please newbies." She grabs her hat and tries to straighten it. "I saw it all: how she tried to use the phone on the wall. she stopped trying and just used her cell phone!"

"Can you rephrase everything? For the court?" Ask for Alexia..

The judge nods. "I was going to ask for the same thing!"

"Very well." She comes out from behind the witness bench and walks to the center of the room. "I'll only say this once, so listen carefully, all of you. The chief prosecutor stabbed the victim and ran behind the partition. She then picked up the emergency phone that was on the wall, but as it was out of order. She took her own cell phone out of her pocket."

"And while she was doing that, you climbed the fence..." Says the Judge.

"Yes, your honor. I bravely grabbed her arm, and she hung up the phone!" Angel exclaims proudly.

Alexia taps her arm with her finger, as Miles does sometimes. "Uh huh. And did you see this?"

Everyone is looking at him. "What?"

End of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Apprehending the Suspect

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"This contradiction leads me to conclude that he has a personal grudge against Ms. Lana Skye!" Alexia points directly to Angel.

"OBJECTION!!" Miles exclaims. "The witness is a former detective. Her testimony is not clouded by personal prejudices."

Angel clasps her hands together. "Good, good! Who would have thought that you would be my knight in shining armor, prosecutor? You, who kicked me out two years ago... with the Chief Prosecutor!"

Of course, she has no response from the prosecutor for this.

"Nice try, Ms. Starr." Alexia says as she walks to the prosecutor's desk. "Mr. Edgeworth, the blueprints, please."

Miles, confused, pushes them over.

Fey walks over to Angel, "Explain this," she says, as she shows her the blueprints.

"Explain what?!" Angel blurts out.

"It's pretty straightforward. Could you explain how you could have seen Ms. Skye make the phone call from where she was?" Alexia points to the area where Angel says he was.

Yes. She has already seen the problem, so she backs away in shock.

"I think you understand what I mean. That emergency phone was in the back of this partition," Alexia says, pointing to it. "If you were really in Block B, you couldn't have seen it!"

"No!" Angel exclaims, dropping her bag.

There goes the gallery. Alexia and Ema cover their ears while the Judge silences them.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Judge demands to know.

"Easy!" says Alexia. "She's not coughing up lunch; she's coughing up lies!"

Angel growls, picks up her purse, and returns to the witness stand. Miles points to Alexia.

"Okay, Miss Fey. Can you tell us what she lied about?"

"Well, lying about the phone doesn't make sense." Alexia shrugs. "And if she saw Miss Skye use it, that means she saw all this from somewhere else!"

"Ha!" Miles shakes his head. "That's a useless lie if I've ever heard one!"

"OBJECTION!!" Fey moves one of her bangs, a small smile on her face. "Don't write it off so quickly, Mr. Edgeworth. Don't you think you should at least listen before you judge?"

"Objection admitted," says the judge. "Please show us where the witness should have been."

Alexia directs the shots towards the judge. "She was here!" She points to the security booth.

"But why?" asks the judge. "She could have seen it from anywhere else."

"Your Honor, she can't park in Block A!" Alexia reminds him. "There aren't many other places where she's been in that case. Plus the fact that she said she brought lunch to her boyfriend at security!"

Angel stomps her feet. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"Order, order!" the judge shouts. Finally, the gallery is silent. "Witness! What have you done!? You used to be a detective! I should know better!"

"I don't care!" Angel yells in response. "I'm not going to back down! The guilty will be punished, and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that justice prevails."

"(I'm sure she's talking about Lana, but why the hell is for...?)" Alexia thinks intrigued.

"Hey, Miss Fey?" Ema says, catching the lawyer's attention.

"Yes, Kitten?" Alexia asks curiously.

"I don't understand this. Why did Mrs. Starr lie?" The little scientist says confused.

"Well... probably because the fact that she saw the crime from another place would cause there to be a big hole in his testimony." Alexia suggests thoughtfully. "It is not the first time that a testimony has been modified for convenience, nor will it be the last."

"You sure?" asks Ema unsurely. "I don't see how that changes anything..."

"Exactly!" Miles exclaims from across the room. "This photograph says it all! It was the defendant who stabbed the victim! That truth still stands!"

Alexia shakes her head in negative. "No, it doesn't."

Edgeworth shudders. "What?! How so?"

"Angel knows full well that she would be guilty of perjury if she was caught." Alexia says, turning to look at the lunch lady. "She wouldn't take a chance without a good reason!"

The Judge is intrigued, "Why don't you tell us what it is, Miss Fey?"

"It changes the distance between her and the crime scene!" Alexia exclaims.

"Miss Fey, may I?" Miles puts his hands behind his back. "My deepest condolences, but with a look at the plans it is quite clear. The distance between the crime scene and the guard station is 9 meters. I don't see how that would change what she was able to see."

Alexia shows a foxy smile. "I'm not worried about what she might be able to see there. I'm talking about how long it would take her to get there!"

Miles backs away in surprise.

"Mrs. Starr, how long did it take you to get from that station to the scene of the crime?" asks Alexia.

She stares at them but says nothing.

"Witness?" asks the judge.

Take out a lunch box again. "You ordered the squid wheels, right?"

"How disgusting!" both girls say in unison. The quality of lunches has gone from excellent to low to inedible.

"Anyway," Angel says, "I would bring my boyfriend a PB&J lunch with fresh blackberry jam."

The judge reflects on this. "Hmm... Mora for the bridegroom!"

"He wasn't at the station, so I waited." Angel approaches where we are and points to the plans, which are on the defense bench. "I witnessed the crime from the glass-walled station... And before I realized what I was doing, I found myself running toward the scene." He traces the path he was trying to take, which seemed very short. "But... The door was locked. I couldn't open it." She then charts the new path she was forced to take. "That's why I had to go through the visitors' parking lot in Block B."

"Show me too, will you?" The Judge requests. She picks up the plans and traces them again for him. "That's a big turn-off."

She shrugs. "I wouldn't say it. It only took me five minutes to get there."

"What?!" They all exclaim in unison.

The gallery begins to talk to each other, but not loud enough to ignore a loud bang from the sledgehammer.

The judge pulls his beard. "This changes things considerably!"

"But it was that woman who was there in the defendant's chair who stabbed him! I know! I have photographic evidence!" Angel exclaims, as he raises his right hand again. "I swear... I swear by my best plastic fork!"

The judge shrugs. "He is right. And the fork is a wonderful invention."

"Do you want another caviar lunch?" Angel says as he holds it.

"Absolutely!" The Judge exclaims excitedly.

Alexia sighs wearily as Angel brings it closer to the supposedly impartial authority of the room.

"Miss Fey!" says Ema. "Do something!"

"I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!” Alexia murmurs before exclaiming. "OBJECTION!!" and slap the table with their palms, "Five minutes between the testimony of the murder and the arrest? Think about it! You could make pasta in that time if you like al dente!"

"Ha!" Angel holds another box. "I have lunch boxes that tie knots with the pasta, rookie!"

"It's not the point." Alexia answers, before continuing with her line of reasoning. "Doesn't this five-minute blank space seem strange to you?"

"Is it strange how...?" asks Miles.

"Your Honor!" Alexia turned to the judge. "If you were a criminal, what would you do with five minutes of total solitude?"

He shrugs. "I guess he would run away." Then he jumps. "Hey! Don't get the wrong idea! I didn't kill anyone..."

"Yes, but you have the instincts of a murderer! You'd run away from before anyone arrives!" Alexia says with a half-smile. "But this time it was different! Ms. Skye stayed at the scene of the crime... she even got careless enough to have her picture taken! No real criminal would act this way! It's inconceivable!"

At this final statement, Angel exclaims furiously as she throws her bag across the room, straight into the gallery.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone looks at the Judge, waiting for him to speak.

"Okay, then. It seems that we have reached the end of this testimony," he says while pointing the gavel towards Angel. "She holds a grudge against the defendant and there is a gap in her testimony."

The Cough-Up Queen is growling from her stall.

He turns to look at the prosecutor's office. "Mr. Edgeworth, is the next witness ready?"

Miles sighs. "Unfortunately, it appears that I have overestimated this witness because of her professional history."

Ema applauds. "Way to go, Miss Fey! We fucked up that closed can!"

"That was too close." Alexia murmurs, deliberately ignoring the slur that Ema said.

The judge folds his arms. "I'm afraid the Choking Queen has been dethroned. And with that, the session is adjourned!"

But while he raises his sledgehammer...

"HOLD IT!!"

Everyone turned their heads towards the lady at lunch. She calmly bends down and picks up one of the lunches from before. "Mr. Edgeworth, you ordered the Squid Wheels, didn't you?" he asks, pulling him closer to him.

Once again, the two girls shudder. That's the one she tried to give them.

Miles raises a hand. "I'd rather not take leftovers from the defense team. Do you have anything else to say?"

She puts a hand on his hip. "Maybe. I have decisive evidence that can save you."

"What was that?!" asks the judge.

"Uh, is this one of your tricked-out lunch boxes...?" Alexia asks tiredly.

The Judge shakes his head. "Anyway... we have no more questions to ask you, Ms. Starr."

"Maybe this will change your mind?" Angel says as he holds the biggest box he's ever had today. "Is this your giant lunch box?"

Jokes aside, the judge actually applauds excitedly. "Whoo hoo! A triple floor!" As soon as he has it in front of him, he says, "Out of deference to the determination of the witness, I will allow one more testimony! Let's listen to this decisive evidence."

Angel bows. "As Lunchland's motto goes, you won't be disappointed!"

Alexia growls annoyed. "What will she take out of her lunchbox now?"

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Beginning of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Conclusive Evidence

"I should have mentioned those 5 minutes during which I didn't see the crime scene. But now, let's talk about the victim's shoe... Hadn't I told you about the matter...? Tests show 2 types of blood in the shoe! One was the victim's, of course. But the other one was—" it was the blood of the defendant, Ms. Lana Skye! This shoe proves it! It's an impeccable test!"

End of Witness Testimony – Angel Starr's Statement, Conclusive Evidence

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During the testimony, Angel took out some gloves and put them on her hands to hold the shoe in question. Everyone is amazed at it.

"Is there blood on that shoe?!" The judge is incredulous.

Angel smiles and goes over to go get her bag from the gallery. "Try Lunchland, for all your lunch needs and decisive testing!"

"Why did I just find out about this?" demands Miles.

Alexia raises an eyebrow. "Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sure she's already made it pretty clear that she doesn't trust you with proof!"

"How is it possible that this girl seems to understand better than you?" she asks. "In any case, I did my own research."

"And did you do blood tests?" asks Alexia.

"That's what I did. Didn't I mention that I have three boyfriends in forensics?"

Ema rubs her temples. "How many are already going so far?"

"Six, and most likely, still counting," says Alexia.

"Anyway, I can't take this as proof!" Miles snaps.

"Why not?!" Angel demands.

" You must know the two rules of Evidence Law, Mrs. Starr! Rule 1: No evidence will be shown without the approval of the Police Department! In other words, this shoe is illegal evidence! At least, for the time being!" Edgeworth exclaims.

Alexia just watches. "(Looks like Mr. Edgeworth is celebrating.)"

Ema looks at Alexia. "Is that so, Miss Fey?!"

"Theoretically. But it seems that Mr. Edgeworth is forgetting a detail." Alexia says, drawing attention to her.

Edgeworth looks annoyed. "And what would it be that I'm forgetting?"

"It's that Ms. Starr said that this shoe was analyzed by a member of the forensic department. So yes, we like it or not, she complies with the first rule by having the approval of the police department. In addition to the fact that the general public also has the right to upload evidence, as long as it is related to the case." Alexia explains in great detail.

"I couldn't have explained it better." Angel says with a wicked smile.

In response, he dropped his head by banging on the table. "Argh!"

"(Mr. Edgeworth looks rather sullen.)" Alexia thinks.

The judge rubs his forehead. "Despite the complaints of the prosecution... It seems that this evidence satisfies the first rule of the law of evidence. It looks like you have yet another count against you, witness."

Angel shrugs. "Whatever is necessary to ensure that the guilty are properly tried."

Place the shoe on the right side of the photo, which has been returned to the table along with the plans.

The victim's shoe was added to the court file.

"There's blood on the toe of the shoe." Alexia whispers, looking at the shoe.

"That blood... it's my sister's, right?" Ema says fearfully.

"That's what it looks like." Alexia says. "Remember that Ms. Lana's right hand was bandaged when we saw her in the detention center. It must have been cut off at the time of the crime..."

"My poor sister..." Ema murmurs sadly.

"It also looks like there's blood on the sole of the shoe." Alexia comments. "It has to be the victim's. He must have stepped into a small pool of his own blood."

"All this blood... It's horrible," Ema says trembling.

"(Hmm... This blood could be an important clue...)" Alexia thinks seriously.

"Alright, Miss Fey, you can question the witness!" Says the Judge.

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Beginning of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Conclusive Evidence

"How come you lied about the five minutes?" Alexia asks.

"I guess you could say I just wanted people to see the results," Angel replies.

"What does it mean...?" Alexia questions.

Angel exclaims, frustrated. "How many times do I have to say this? I saw the chief prosecutor stab the victim before my very eyes! Compared to that, a five-minute 'blank' means nothing!"

"Then why didn't you tell the truth?" asks Miles. Wow, he looks so tired of this...

Angel crosses his arms. "Don't make me laugh! We are dealing with the most untrustworthy of the vile known as prosecutors! Falsified evidence, fixed testimony, erasing and manipulating evidence!" She grab a lunch. "When you fight monsters, you must use all the tricks in the book!"

With that, he throws lunch into the prosecution bench. Miles has to get out of the way. "Hey!"

"How does that make sense if the suspect admits she did it?" Alexia whispers to herself.

"False testimony is the most despicable crime of all, Ms. Starr. Let's end this once and for all," says the judge.

"If not, I'm imagining things. I would say there's a critical problem with this evidence." Says Alexia, before exclaiming, "A clear contradiction!"

"Wait!" says Alexia. "I see it!" She takes the gloves out of her bag and picks up the shoe. "Look at this! The blood here on the shoe is a contradiction!"

"That sparkle in your eyes... You're still young, rookie." Angel comments mockingly. "Now I'd give you peppery fish guts, but I doubt very much you can handle that heat, right?"

"Let's listen to what Mr. Fey has to say!" the Judge proposes, "what is contradictory about the victim's shoe? Show us the problem with this evidence!"

Alexia taps the table with her palms. "It's more than clear, and there's blood on the sole of that shoe!"

"It will be your blood on my shoe if you don't explain!" Angel snaps.

"Miss Fey! What could be contradictory about the blood on the sole of his shoe!?" asks Miles.

End of Cross-Examination – Angel Starr's Statement, Conclusive Evidence

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"You've seen the crime photo, right?" Alexia says taking the photo of the crime. "Do you see any traces of blood somewhere here?"

"In this photo there is only a part of the floor!" Miles rebukes her. "There might have been some off-camera."

"That's impossible," says Alexia. "We were there, and we didn't find anything remotely resembling a footprint made of blood. And I doubt very much that the police did, otherwise they would have said something about the presence of any there."

The gallery is again amazed. It seems that Lana looks annoyed by this whole thing...

"Order! Order! Order!" shouts the judge. "Explain yourself, witness!"

Angel looks like a deer in front of the headlights of a car. "What?! Hey? I, uh..."

"Way to go, Ms. Fey!" Ema says. "But now we have to ask ourselves this: why were there no footprints there?"

"That's true! There has to be a reason why there wasn't a footprint!" says the judge.

"The only explanation that comes to mind right now is that Lana either killed this man somewhere else, or she was just the one who found the body, eliminating the possibility that she killed him." Alexia deduces, crossing her arms. "Unless there is a method so that in just 5 minutes or less, she had the time to clean the blood, I only see how you validate these two options..."

"...'Unless there is a method to clean the blood in as little as 5 minutes or less'..." Miles murmurs as he looks at Lana. "I see... Now I understand."

Alexia raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Understand what?"

"Understanding that our witness is more devious than I thought!" says Edgeworth, pointing to Angel. "We were deceived to the end! But she made a mistake! There is a vital hint of truth in her testimony."

"And what is that, Mr. Edgeworth?" asks Alexia.

"Remember what you told us about detaining the suspect ... I thought it was a strange thing for a normally serene chief to do."

"Wait a minute, are you referring to when she kicked that oil drum?" Alexia says intrigued. Miles nods in confirmation.

"Now, witness. Let me ask you a very simple question." Edgeworth says with a half-smile. "That oil drum she kicked... was it empty?"

Angel shakes his head. "I wasn't. It was full of water."

"What?!" says Ema. "That means...?!"

"Yes, it is, Miss Skye." Miles smiles. "Your sister knocked over that gas can for one and one reason only: To erase the bloodstains that would become evidence against him!"

"Nooooo!" Ema screams. Alexia simply remains stoic.

"Good!" The judge applauds. "That ties things together pretty well! The blood stains left on the victim's shoes clearly link her to this murder! Then, after committing the crime, he overturned the oil drum to erase the telltale signs!"

Angel mocks. "Wow, that's a prosecutor's specialty... erasing evidence!"

Alexia followed the situation stoically, with a rather calm expression. Something that began to bother Angel; "What's going on, rookie? Do you have anything on your mind?"

Fey shrugs. "Only one. I was remembering when you said something about when you have to fight monsters, you have to use all the techniques in the book."

"Yes, I said that. So what?" Angel replies angrily.

"Well... Couldn't you be in cahoots with the prosecution? You could have lied about the water..." Alexia says as if she doesn't want the thing.

Angel looks as if he wants to pounce on Alexia. She just smiles slyly, "(The lure is ready. Let's see what's bigger, your grudge or your pride?)"

Edgeworth looks annoyed by the defense's words; "Enough! There's no need for any more debate," he turns to the judge, "The verdict, Your Honor!"

"Well..." The judge raises his sledgehammer. "I see no reason to prolong this trial."

Tears slowly form in Ema's eyes. "No! Miss Fey, do something!"

"Don't worry, Kitten." Alexia says with a small smile. "You will see that we do not have the need to speak for this trial to last any longer..." Ema looks confused at the lawyer

The judge raises his gavel more. "This court finds the defendant, Ms. Lana Skye..."

"HOLD IT!!"

It's Angel again. Her face is contorted with fury.

"I told you..." Alexia whispers. Ema is simply surprised.

"Rookie. What the hell did you just say?!" Angel growls, annoyed.

"Me? What did I say?" Alexia says pretending not to understand.

"You just said I was on the side of the prosecution?!" Angel exclaims angrily.

"Isn't that right?" says Alexia, shrugging. "It was you who say that Miss Skye is hiding evidence by erasing the traces of blood."

"I have the feeling that you have offended her...", says Ema, looking at her nervously, as she wipes away the tears that escaped her.

"You bet she did!" Angel snaps. "I thought you had your fill, but here you are, demanding a second helping! Another lunch box..." The one he holds seems to be hslf-half. "A lunch box called 'evidence'!"

The judge is taken aback for a moment. "Do you have anything else, witness?"

"Your Honor, you have reached your verdict!" Miles hisses. "Any further comments will be considered contempt of court!"

With a foxy smile, Alexia says; "Mr. Edgeworth, as if that has stopped people in this courtroom before."

"Besides, your threats don't scare the Cough-Up Queen!" Angel shows another photo. "Look at this! I kept it in case anyone dared to say that this shoe didn't belong to the victim!"

The judge studies it. "I don't see any margin for error in this evidence."

"Ah!" shouts Ema.

"T-The asphalt..." Ema murmurs in shock.

"Indeed. It's wet..." Alexia says calmly.

The judge nods. "Erasing the last trace of doubt from the mind of the court. Immediately after the murder, the crime scene was washed with water!"

Ema's face twists to be sadder than before. "I'm sorry. I guess... I couldn't help after all."

"(Oh no, now it sounds like Maya two months ago. But this is not her fault. We knew that this case was almost impossible to win. And it seems that this is what her sister wanted anyway!)" Alexia thinks, looking between the Skye sisters, before returning her gaze to the photo presented and studying it as quickly as she can. "(But, even though I know it's impossible to win, I'm not going to fall until I take my last breath...)"

And she found just what she needed... in the form of a cloth inside of a car’s muffler. "(Bingo...)"

"Very good! This time I would like to declare a final verdict!" Says the Judge.

Before he can hit the sledgehammer, the five of us shout, "Your Honor! HOLD IT!".

That makes him nervous. "What about all of you?! Can I no longer render my verdicts in peace? Whatever it is, can't it wait?!"

"No, it can't wait! Then it will be too late!" Alexia exclaims annoyed. "Since you can't give your verdict because there's a problem with this evidence!"

"What could it be, Miss Fey?" Edgeworth says.

"This one!" Alexia exclaims, pointing to the car's pipe. "Look!"

Miles looks at him closely, before realizing, "Wait! Something is sticking out of the car's muffler!"

"Ah! What is that sticking out of there?" The Judge says intrigued.

"It doesn't matter!" Angel says. "It has nothing to do with the case!"

"Actually, it does," Alexia says crossing her arms. "You were the one who told us how important it was!"

Angel backs away. "When?!"

"Don't you remember?" Alexia says, as she slowly moves Lana's phone with her hand. "He said he heard her mention a muffler! She was probably referring to the one in the car, which means that this piece of cloth could prove to be vital evidence for the case!"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Angel throws her bag behind her, toward the double doors, and crushes her hat once more.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Once the lunch lady is a little calmer, the judge says, "It looks like we'll have to stay the proceedings."

"sus... SUSPEND!?" She asks.

"I wonder about that piece of cloth. If we leave any questions unanswered here, we don't do the law any favors! Have the car inspected at the crime scene immediately and bring me that cloth!" The Judge orders. "The verdict will wait until after we have seen all the evidence. Okay...?"

Miles sighs. "I suppose so."

Ema gasps. "I can't believe it... it was too close...."

Alexia nods her head. "But we've made it... (at least for now...)"

"The court will adjourn for a thirty-minute recess!" The judge lifts the giant box, which is one place below. "After all, it's time for lunch!"

"Are you still hungry?!" Both girls say in unison. More were silenced by the blow of the Judge's mallet.

8 notes · View notes

cravetive · 8 months

Text

ＴＨＥＭＥＳＳＷＥＬＥＡＶＥＢＥＨＩＮＤ | ２

❈ Pairings: Namjoon x F!reader , Jimin x F!reader

❈ Genre/Au: M (18+);smut;Marriage Au;Namjoon x Jimin best friends! Cheating! Angst.

❈ Synopsis: Falling in love with your husband’s best friend was not at all how you imagined your life to go, and his return has you unraveling under the lies you’ve created to keep your family.

❈ Warnings: smut, dirty talk, oral sex (F!receiving), foul language, mentions of cheating, fingering, unprotected sex (don't do it), Namjoon is still an angel from above, Angst, Y/n gets her shit together, Angst with some alleviation, orgasms, mentions of arousal, did i say angst?, mentions of miscarriage, therapy, overworking, mentions of mental health, brief mention of suicidal thoughts, physical violence

❈ Word Count: 10K hehe

❈ Authors Note: I want to apologize for the delay, I wrote and deleted and then rewrote this so many times, I found myself struggling to give this story the right ending but I hope I did it justice and that you enjoy :) i cried a few times

Part 1 can be found here

5 boxes, that’s all it took for Y/n to pack up the life she had created with Namjoon, 5 boxes. She watched how the movers picked them up like they didn’t carry much weight like they were just meaningless boxes. She couldn’t stay, even if she wanted to, even if Namjoon had begged her, she just couldn’t stay. She recalled the night prior, the tears that fell down Namjoon’s face, each of them tearing her apart, the way he pleaded- implored her to try. to help him save what remained of their marriage but she just couldn’t. couldn’t lay next to the man whose life she had destroyed, who she had lied to for such a long time.

When Namjoon returned home that Tuesday night, he had found his house empty. There were no traces of his wife’s scent in the rooms where she tended to be, and he couldn’t hear Harumi’s squeals of excitement when he walked through the door. It only took a moment of realization for him to sink to his knees, only a second more for him to weep in agony.

The house they had chosen to live in for the rest of their lives together was no longer a home. What remained there were their memories. The rooms still held onto their laughter and the walls were still filled with their portraits, but it was empty. There was only the reminiscence of the good moments, of the love that was shared but was no longer present.

Namjoon cried and twisted in pain, reluctant to admit he hadn’t been capable of salvaging their love, he knew Y/n loved him, to a certain extent in a certain way but she loved him. No one was that good at pretending. the kisses, the touches, and the intimacy. That couldn’t have been all a lie.

“I love you” Namjoon muttered into Y/n’s ear as his hands roamed her body over her nightgown, the thin material doing a poor job of concealing her warm skin. Their lips moved together as his tongue danced in her mouth, with her tongue following his lead. It was the kind of kiss that left one breathless, the one that caused an adrenaline rush within the pit of one’s stomach. It carried weight all while remaining soft and laborless.

It just came naturally, for Y/n to feel consumed by Namjoon.

His touch and his scent caused pressure under Y/n’s navel, one that she could never avoid while in his presence. The movement of their lips turned hungry and desperate, causing them to reach for a breath each time they dragged their mouths against the other. Yet, they couldn’t pull away, it just felt too good for them to do so.

The sensation arising between Y/n’s thighs urged for friction, it pulsated insatiably whilst his mouth departed hers and found interest in the crook of her neck. She squeezed her thighs together, the movement stirring a soft moan from her throat. She could feel his hands everywhere at once, his warm breath fanning over her willing skin, begging him to demonstrate the love he spoke of, asking him to intrude on all that she was.

He pressed his hands against her chest, the sensation of the silky fabric rubbing against her nipples causing them to harden under his touch. He left wet and soft kisses along the center of her chest, while the strap of her nightgown dropped down her arm. The sound of her moans and the smell of her scent lulled him into a trance of need and desire. He pulled on her straps, wanting to expose more of her skin for his tongue to explore.

Her cheeks grew flushed as his mouth continued its escapade down her body, and she swore her arousal could stain her panties if she was wearing any. It pooled between her legs and all she wanted was for him to find his way there so that he could give her an alleviation to the sensation he had mustered to create.

He gently fell to his knees almost as if he was vowing to her, the action leaving her to look down at him. His hooded eyes took her in, the way her hair fell over her face as she looked at him with so much desire, the quick rise and fall of her chest and her parted mouth as she panted. His hands ran along her exposed thighs as he spoke just as breathlessly up at her.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.

But he didn’t want to stop, he had lost all control of his senses, only wanting to touch her, to feel her. while he asked, he begged internally for her to say no.

She reached for his face, her figure towering over him. the way his hands were moving against her skin causing her to lose focus.

“don’t stop” she shook her head “I don’t want you to stop” she begged.

He groaned in pleasure, leaving all self-restraint behind. He guided her towards the bed, pushing her back onto the sheets allowing her to sit at the edge. She watched in pure bliss as he planted kisses along the trail of her inner thighs, his hand moving teasingly toward her core.

With each kiss, he got closer to her center, and she drooled at the thought of his mouth devouring her. his hands reached to push the fabric of her nightgown past her hips, exposing her dripping cunt. She sighed in excitement, unable to take her eyes away from him and her hips shifted in anticipation.

He glanced up at her, the sight of her dark eyes filled with lust leaving him hot and bothered. Her gown had slipped down her shoulders and now sat above her hardened nipples, he moaned lowly at the sight, enraptured in her beauty. He gripped her waist as his mouth trailed its way to her pussy, unable to tease her any longer.

It took a moment for her to catch her breath as he captured her cunt into his mouth, the warmth of his tongue moving against the sensitive nub conducting loud moans to erupt from within her mouth. She gripped onto the sheets, her head falling back in pleasure. Her legs falling apart to give him further access. Her hips buckled towards his mouth aching for more. his tongue moved in between her folds, tasting her sweet and warm nectar.

“Joon” Y/n breathed.

Her hand ran through his black hair, grinding her hips against his face. He lathered her cunt with saliva, his nose pressing against her clit as he worked his tongue in and out of her walls. She couldn’t form any thoughts as he ate her out with such need like it was his last meal on earth- like it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. His tongue was skilled and moved slowly, ensuring she felt every movement he made. Over and over again.

She could feel the climax coming, the burning sensation rising up her stomach, the feeling coming in waves, leaving her numb in ecstasy. While his hand gripped onto her waist, keeping her in place the other palmed his hardened cock as her loud moans and pleads sent him further into euphoria.

He pulled his tongue away, guiding his fingers and pressing them against her clit, moving them slowly, her arousal leaving his digits glistening under the moonlight that shined through their bedroom curtains. He moved them away and dipped them in his mouth, his eyes glanced up at her and the view was mesmerizing. Her head was thrown back, her breasts exposed as her silk gown rested below her ribs, and her chest heaved from the lack of air in her lungs. He slipped his wet fingers into her, her walls contracting against them. he moved them slowly inside her willing pussy, arching them to find the spot he knew so well, all while his mouth took its rightful place back against her cunt.

“Namjoon” she breathed “fuck, it feels so good.”

The sound of his name coming out in moans from her mouth sounded like heaven and he was determined to get her to say it over and over again. He picked up the pace of his fingers and so did his tongue, causing her to yelp out his name like a prayer. Her hands gripped onto his air tightly, keeping him right where she wanted him. his tongue traveled around her folds, sucking and licking everywhere it could reach. If he could, he would stay there forever, bringing her all the pleasure she needed.

Y/n could feel the pressure building in her belly as he continued his relentless pace, Namjoon worked skillfully, ensuring he brought her to climax. He guided her legs over his shoulders and continued lapping at her cunt. She knew she was closer, one of her hands reaching to dig her nails into the arm that held one of her legs.

“I'm coming Joon” she whimpered but that only caused him to lose himself further in between her legs, urging her to spill herself into his mouth.

The muscles in her body tensed as she felt her orgasm rippling through her, the feeling of Namjoon’s wet tongue causing all the nerve endings in her clit to ignite. Her body relaxed only a moment later, loud gasps falling from her lips. Through hooded eyes, she watched as Namjoon licked the juices into his mouth and when he finally looked up, she could see her orgasm dripping down his cheeks.

He reached to wipe his lips with his thumb, collecting all that was left of her taste and bringing it back into his mouth with a hum. He had never seen anything so captivating, the way she struggled to catch her breath and the haze that remained in her eyes from the pleasure he had just provided.

She reached for his face and pulled him into her, her lips urgently seeking his. He pulled away slightly, teasing her urge. He noted the way she begged for him with her eyes and smirked. He hovered his lips over hers “I would spend the rest of my life making you cum” he whispered, “if it meant I’d get to see you like this.”

He slipped his lips on hers and moved them passionately, his hand cupping her cheek.

“I love you, Namjoon” Y/n whispered whilst looking into his eyes.

“We want the spring exhibition to have as much color as we can compact in one room” Y/n instructed while she guided her team to one of the empty rooms in the museum. “Keep in mind we don��t want the colors to clash, we want to do this in a way where the visitors can subtly see the shift between our yellows and our blues.” The team nodded in understanding, writing notes on their notepads.

“The artists will be bringing us pieces which include flowers and landscapes which will be our center focus for the upcoming season” she added. “What artists are we working with this year?” one of the team members asked. Y/n hummed, unlocking her tablet and opening one of her files “Uhm... we have Lee Joon-ho, Kim Seung-won, Song Sung-ki, Kim Seok-Jin…” Her eyes trailed down the list of numerous artists, her words halting at the last name on the screen.

“I think we are missing one, Y/n” the member pointed out.

“Yeah, Park Jimin is also working on this exhibition” another revealed.

Y/n closed her eyes at the mention of the name, her heart beginning to beat abnormally. It had been 4 months since she last spoke to either Jimin or Namjoon, deciding it was best if some distance was kept between them. Truth be told she needed space to come to terms with the things she had done, apologies were just not enough for the shitstorm she had caused. So, she would avoid crossing paths with them whilst at work and kept Harumi in the museum’s daycare to facilitate visitation between them.

It might have been childish, but it was the only way she could stop feeling so fucking guilty. She knew seeing them again would only cause further turmoil within her morality and she wanted nothing more but to lessen the pain she felt every day.

Choosing Namjoon would hurt Jimin.

And choosing Jimin would only further humiliate Namjoon.

“If there are any other questions, I will be in my office” she sighed, beginning to walk away from the gallery. Her steps were quick as she followed the path to the room where she now often found shelter. The past 4 months had been bitter, to say the least. Moving into her own apartment had proven to be the most difficult step of the separation, she had been constantly consumed by the empty spaces that had been once occupied by Namjoon, leaving her to face her demons all on her own.

It also didn’t help that she would often find herself thinking of Jimin during lonely nights of wine glasses and melancholy and it often left her mental health strained.

She couldn’t bring herself to decide, knowing that ultimately all parties would suffer.

The guilt and self-loathing alone had driven her to seek help.

Dr. Jung eased her mind and settled her feelings even if it was just for a moment but not even, he could help her confront the decision that lay in front of her. choosing one was to lose the other and so she chose to keep both, even if it was just from a distance.

Y/n scanned her tablet again, looking over the long list of things she still had to do for the day. the new exhibition consumed most of her time which helped to keep her negative thoughts at bay yet, constantly having to roam the museum meant she was at a larger risk of crossing paths with both men.

There was a frantic knock at her door which dragged her attention away from the screen.

“Come in!” she called but the door had swung open before she could even finish speaking.

“oh Mrs. Y/n, you need to come now!” her colleague yelled into the room, her eyes were panicked, and her breathing labored.

“what’s happening?” Y/n quickly stood from her chair and followed behind her colleague “Is it the exhibition, did something go wrong?” Her steps quickened and soon she was running. If something had gone wrong it would mean 3 months of work gone to shit, she groaned as she continued her pace, trying to catch up with her colleague.

“Did something go wrong with the exhibition?” she shouted again, and her colleague turned, taking in Y/n’s frantic stare “No Mrs. Y/n, it's your husband” Y/n’s steps faltered, and her breathing halted. Her husband? What was happening? She furrowed her brows in confusion and then she began to run, her legs moving her towards the destination but her mind racing with endless questions.

She could hear screaming before she even reached the hall and could see visitors to the museum standing by murmuring amongst each other. Her legs came to a stop as she took in the scene before her. her eyes widened in shock, and everything froze within her, she couldn’t move as she heard the men shouting at each other.

“You fucking piece of shit!” Namjoon yelled, his voice booming against the halls, his hands balled into fists by his side and his face beat red, Y/n could see the rage pouring through his eyes, all directed towards Jimin.

“Why? Because I gave her what you couldn’t?” Jimin shouted back, his own anger rolling through his words.

Y/n shut her eyes for a moment, hoping that this was a fraction of her imagination, that this wasn’t really happening in front of her.

“You were my friend” Namjoon cried out, the pain visible in his voice “We’ve been friends since high school man, what the fuck is wrong with you.”

“You left her alone when she miscarried Namjoon, what the fuck is wrong with you” Jimin spat back “I stayed, I was by her side and I treated her like a person, not like a broken plate that you had put together again, you ran and left her alone like she was a burden.”

“Oh, so because you served her as a shoulder to cry on, you felt entitled enough to fuck her for 3 months?” Namjoon’s voice carried throughout the vast spaces, gaining gasps from those who observed the argument. Y/n lowered her head in shame as she felt all eyes go to her now.

“No, we did that because we love each other,” Jimin remarked, a smirk falling on his lips.

“Shut up, you don’t love her” Namjoon stepped closer “You don’t care for anyone but your goddamn self” he shoved Jimin against the wall, earning another gasp from the crowd that had formed.

Y/n tried to shove past the bystanders but as the seconds passed more and more people came to presence the altercation, she pushed and shoved with all her force but she couldn’t get to them, tears of frustration beginning to fall from her eyes.

“I could say the same thing about you, Namjoon” Jimin chuckled coldly.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Namjoon yelled as he pushed Jimin back once again.

“you’re just talking shit to excuse the fucked-up person that you are!”

“ you’re just trying to keep my family because you don’t have one of your own” Jimin shouted.

“Shut up!”

The crowd yelped as Namjoon’s fist connected with Jimin’s mouth causing Jimin to crash into the wall behind him. Y/n inhaled sharply; fear written over her face. “Fucking move!” she shouted, her body shoving past the people who stood in front of her and jumping in between Jimin and Namjoon.

“Stop!” she pleaded, tears rushing down her cheeks “Just stop, please!”

Namjoon was out of breath, his eyes calming at the sight of his wife as she cried pleads from her lips. He lowered his bloodied fist and only then felt the sting of the punch he had thrown and landed on his best friend's face. “Y/n” he muttered, realization settling in the pit of his stomach. Jimin held onto his mouth, blood seeping through the sides as he watched Namjoon with hatred.

“What is wrong with the both of you?” Y/n cried, her cheeks turning bright red as she spoke.

“Y/n i- “Namjoon attempted to say but stopped his words as he took in the scene before him. he knew he had fucked up; he had been so consumed with his anger to realize the damage he had caused, his eyes traveled around the room. He stared at the unfamiliar faces who watched the entire ordeal unravel, shock written all over their expression. he gasped as he realized what he had done, exposing their dirty laundry for everyone to see.

“Fine, I fucked up I know I did” Y/n whimpered “but I’ve paid my dues, okay?” Jimin looked back at her, worry in his eyes. He wanted to reach towards her and embrace her and so did Namjoon. They shared painful glances at each other. “Namjoon, I don’t know how else to apologize for the things that I have done but this?” she raised her brows in surprise, her face holding disappointment.

“And you Jimin? Fine, I didn’t tell you Harumi was your daughter, but you left for an entire year, you ran away like a coward, you don’t get to come back into my life or my daughters and demand anything!” she yelled, her eyes reddened with tears.

“If I had called you and told you I was pregnant, would you have returned?” The question floated in the air as silence took over the room, Jimin lowered his gaze in shame. He wouldn’t have, he was a different person then, someone irresponsible and unpredictable. At the time he probably would’ve ignored her, told her he wasn’t ready to be a father.

“I did what I could with what I had” Y/n sighed “and until either of you get your shit together, I want you as far away from my daughter and me as possible” she concluded, beginning to walk away.

“Y/n wait” Jimin attempted to stop her, holding onto her arm which she snatched away harshly, she gave them both a defeated glare.

“don’t touch me.”

“Have you been feeling anxious lately?” Dr. Jung spoke, sitting with his legs crossed in front of Y/n.

She played with the pendant on her necklace, her eyes remaining elsewhere.

“If you don’t want to talk, I understand but I need you to know that we are a team and I need you to help me help you” he spoke knowingly. Y/n sighed, fixing her eyes back on her therapist.

“Yes, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep for the past 2 weeks” Her voice was reluctant as Dr. Jung observed her closely. In reality, Y/n found herself struggling to survive and if she could be honest it had only worsened with time but being honest while sitting in this room would only lead her to be locked in a hospital soon if she didn’t measure her words.

“And why is that?” he asked, his brows raising as if to encourage her to speak.

She took a deep breath and looked away once again, trying to find the right words to describe all that worried her, but her brain had been scrambled ever since the incident that took place a few weeks ago and she lived in constant fear that it would happen again.

The humiliation alone kept her in her office more time than before, she couldn’t even look at her team or colleagues in the eyes anymore. Not since they found out about what had happened between her, Jimin, and Namjoon. She had heard the staff murmuring whilst she walked by, gossiping and switching up the story for entertainment.

It was embarrassing.

If it hadn’t been for the proof of her therapy, she would’ve been fired from the position she had worked so hard to obtain, while Namjoon and Jimin only received a slap on the wrist.

“Uhm, I’ve been feeling like I don’t have control over what happens around me anymore” she sighed, trying to maintain her tone whilst tears threatened to spill past her eyes.

“It’s like anything could go wrong at any minute and everything that I have could be taken away from me in an instant and it’s suffocating, to have to make sure everything is okay all the time, I'm tired” Her lips trembled as she released the tension from within her chest.

“And since when have you been feeling like this?” Dr. Jung asked, his eyes looking back at his notes from previous sessions.

“I guess since my miscarriage” Y/n struggled to get the words out, her throat becoming dry “It was the first time I felt completely helpless, like there was nothing that I could do that could fix what was happening and then Namjoon became distant, he didn’t talk to me or hold me like he used to” tears slipped down her cheeks as she brought forth the memories that clung to her mind.

“Sleeping with Jimin was the first decision I made that felt like I was in control, that felt like it was something that was happening because I wanted it to, he was there when I needed someone the most, nurturing me back to who I was” she confessed, not only to Dr. Jung but to herself. Finally, realizing the meaning behind her actions allowed her to forgive her past self for the mistakes she had made.

“You know” Dr. Jung spoke, passing her a tissue for her tears “us humans often think that we need to control everything around us but there is no such control, it doesn’t exist” he advised “It is only something we make up so that we can blame others or blame ourselves for the things that have happened to us.”

“I need you to know that whatever you decide to do moving forward, it is something you need to do for your well-being, not because you want to be in control or because you want to protect anyone else but yourself” he expressed, leaning forward to grasp her hand in his.

“it’s okay to be selfish” he added, giving her a small smile.

“What do you want, Y/n?”

She looked down at her hands that were wrapped in the hands of her therapist, and she glanced back at him, contemplating her answer. She was confused, unable to even grasp what he was asking because she had never truly focused on what she wanted. When she was with Namjoon all she wanted was to preserve their relationship but when she was with Jimin she didn’t have to think about preserving anything, because he was the one trying to preserve her.

She let out a small laugh that surprised Dr. Jung, he watched in amusement as she began laughing loudly, her head falling back unable to contain herself and then like a symphony with no breaks or silence, her laughter shifted into sobs, loud ones that boomed from her chest. She looked at Dr. Jung in confusion unable to explain what was happening, but he held a smile, offering her another tissue.

‘Meet me at our favorite café at 4 pm’

Namjoon read over the message on his phone for the 7th time now, ensuring that his response had been adequate, his eyes looked over the time once again. 5 minutes had passed since he last looked and it was now 4:15 pm but he couldn’t bring himself to blame Y/n, designing the exhibition had left her running on borrowed time. He took another drink of his iced coffee, looking over at the people who came and went from the entrance.

15 muffins, 12 iced americanos, 2 croissants, and 3 honey oat lattes.

That’s what had been sold since he stepped inside the small shop 15 minutes ago, he had run all the way to the café, fearing he would be late but upon entering the establishment he came to realize their favorite table near the window was completely empty.

The door rang with the arrival of a new customer, but he didn’t bother looking up this time, giving up on expecting it to be her. yet, only a few seconds after the space had been engulfed by her scent. He lifted his eyes from his phone screen and watched as she approached their small but comforting table.

“Hey,” she whispered, her voice as delicate and soft as he remembered.

A month had passed since he last saw her. Y/n had stood on her word of wanting them as far as possible, even going as far as removing Harumi from the museum's daycare center and enrolling her somewhere else. It had pained him not to see either of them. he often found himself walking towards her office which was on the opposite side of where his office was but always turned when he was halfway there opting to respect her boundaries even if it killed him to do so.

“Hey,” he responded, his voice cracking a bit as he spoke.

“Thank you for coming” Y/n hung her purse on the side of her chair and took a seat in front of Namjoon. She took a moment to observe him. She noted the stubble forming under his chin and the dark circles underneath his eyes, he looked tired, and it made her feel like a ton of bricks had been emptied on her shoulders.

“Rough nights?” she asked, her eyes now looking into his.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, attempting to sound casual “your team has me working overtime since you decided to add historical pieces to the installment.”

Y/n smiled shyly “Sorry about that, we were missing something, and what better than timeless pieces” She leaned back comfortably. “I hope it's not too much trouble” she added.

Namjoon shook his head, taking another sip of his coffee. He didn’t know how to contain himself, but he was trying, he wanted to reach forward and touch her, his skin calling out for hers, but he didn’t know where they stood or if she would be comfortable with that. It pained him to know he didn’t have that liberty anymore. It hurt to know he had taken it for granted.

“Not at all” he responded; nothing was ever too much trouble to him when it came to Y/n. his heart pounded harshly in his chest from just looking at her. He missed her beyond words and seeing her now reminded him of the reason why. It was as if he was meeting her for the first time all over again, her beautiful eyes and cheeky smile. He missed her.

“Well,” Y/n sighed, playing with the sugar packets on the table. She tended to fidget when she was nervous or when she didn’t know how to start a conversation and Namjoon knew that. He cleared his throat, choosing to help her.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

Y/n giggled, looking back at him with a nod.

“it's not an easy conversation” she began, biting down on her lip nervously. “But I think it's one that we should have” Her eyes remained on the wedding band Namjoon wore around his finger, hoping that he didn’t notice she wasn’t wearing hers.

“Hey, don’t be nervous” he encouraged, offering her a dimply smile.

Her heart lurched forward painfully at that smile, the one he preserved only for her.

“Uhm…I know things haven’t been easy for either of us” Y/n verbalized “and I just wanted to clear up the air because I don’t want us to be on bad terms” she sighed, running her hands through her hair “I’ve made a decision and I think you should be the first person to know because I owe you that much” if the café had been quiet enough the sound of Namjoon’s heartbreaking would’ve been deafening as he pieced together the words she was speaking. He remained silent, blinking away tears that settled in his eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Joon. I think I’ve done enough of that, and I don’t think we can cultivate anything healthy by staying with each other” Y/n’s voice cracked, her hands shaking whilst folded on top of the table. “I’m sorry, there's nothing in the world I wouldn’t give to turn back time and do things the right way” She avoided his stare, guilty jabbing at her heart as the words came from her lips.

“I wish I could love you in the way you deserve, but I just can't.”

Namjoon reached forward and laid his hand carefully over hers, looking back into her pained eyes and nodding in understanding.

“I love Jimin, and I have for a very long time now, he’s the father of my child” she sobbed, her heart shattering as she came undone in front of her husband “And he makes me happy” Namjoon closed his eyes, and looked away, unable to conceal his own tears.

“After we lost our baby, I think you decided to mend that with Harumi and me, to open a new chapter and forget about the pain that you faced” Y/n continued, her hand now holding onto his. Namjoon glanced down at their hands, wishing that they could remain in the café forever, never wanting to let go of her but he knew that it was impossible, it was something he had tried to do so many times before and had failed at.

“it's okay” he whimpered, nodding his head as to ease her aching heart.

“I understand Y/n” he added “I just want you and Harumi to be happy even if it isn’t with me.”

“I want you to be happy too, Joon” Y/n couldn’t stop the tears that fell from each word, unable to let go as easily as he had.

“I will be, maybe not today or tomorrow or the day after that but all wounds someday heal, and I will be okay” he assured her “I’ll be just fine.” He smiled, his eyes holding a sea of agony.

“Just promise me that you’ll look after Harumi and tell her about me, tell her how much I love her” his hands trembled against hers as he spoke “Don’t let her forget about me because I will never forget about her.”

“Thank you” Y/n wept “Thank you for loving my daughter like she was your own and for not hating me for the things that I did.” Namjoon reached forward and wiped a few tears from her cheeks, his touch holding longing and warmth.

“I couldn’t hate you even if I tried.”

Y/n hesitated to knock on the door, her fist held in the air while her mind raced with doubt, would he even open the door? Knowing it was her on the other side? She took a deep breath and released her fist, looking back down the long corridor, thinking that perhaps this wasn’t the best time.

She fidgeted in place, looking down at the unanswered message she had sent. It had taken her a total of 2 hours, 47 minutes, and 3 seconds to send it and he hadn’t even seen it. She could feel her heart sinking into her navel, anticipating the rejection that would soon come.

She thought of double texting, of reminding him that she still existed but she was sure he’d rather pretend like she didn’t. She had ignored all 120 of his calls for the past few weeks so it was only right he gave her a taste of her own medicine. Even it was bitter and burned her throat like hell.

“Stop being a coward, Y/n” she breathed, turning to stare at the door once again.

The first knock was almost silent, drowned out by the thumps of her heart.

“fuck” she muttered.

Maybe he wasn’t home, deciding to take some fresh air and she was just standing there like a fucking idiot. She bit down on her lip and looked down at the text message again. Did he block her? maybe deciding she was dragging this for far too long and making a choice of his own. She couldn’t blame him, had she been in his shoes, she would more than likely have done the same, but the message had been delivered. It rested on his phone, untouched, waiting for a bit of attention.

“Could you try to know a bit harder, I don’t think he heard you” a voice spoke from behind her.

“I know but what if he doesn’t open the door” she replied, absentmindedly.

“I mean it wouldn’t hurt to try” the stranger suggested, and Y/n nodded, lifting her fist to knock on the door, much harder this time.

“Woah, maybe not try to break the door.”

She sighed, shaking her head and turning around “This is stupid i- “her words were cut short by the man who stood in front of her, her cheeks growing red at the realization . “oh- “she muttered and he let out a light chuckle.

“I think he heard you this time” he joked, and a small giggle fell from her lips.

He raised his left hand which carried a bag with takeout inside, smiling at her “Hungry?” he offered, and she nodded slowly. He moved to enter his code into the door panel and the lock opened with a soft melody, he pushed it open and allowed her to step inside first.

The first thing Y/n noticed once standing inside were the canvases sprawled around the living room area, waiting for the painter to finish creating them. Y/n noted how nothing had changed, the walls remained the same color and he still owned the same furniture, even the scent of sweet apples and acrylic paint that engulfed her was the same. She smiled to herself for a moment, finding comfort in the familiar space.

“Sorry for the mess, I've been trying to get some pieces together before the installation” he huffed, removing his jacket and shoes at the door. Y/n just nodded in response, removing her own shoes. Y/n took hesitant steps into the apartment, tracing her hands along some of the finished paintings along the walls.

“Nothing has changed” she muttered to herself, but Jimin heard her words and hummed.

“I don’t have much time to re-decorate” he chuckled.

She glanced over at the sofa she had helped him choose when he first moved in, the same sofa where he would make her his during late nights, the same sofa that held their whispered I love you’s and guilt-driven tears. Jimin couldn’t confess that he hadn’t been able to change anything for fear of losing the memories the room held. Everything had remained the same.

The chipped lamp that they had drunkenly thrown off the table, the curtains that Y/n had gripped onto while screaming his name in ecstasy, the coffee table that witnessed their dirty secrets, and the rug in which they used to devour each other all had been left untouched.

He moved past her and entered his kitchen, searching around for plates and cutlery and then joining her on the sofa, Jimin could feel the tension as he slipped the take-out from the bag and passed her one of the forks he had fetched.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding her gaze.

“how’s it been?” he asked, his attention on the Tteokbokki he placed on each plate.

Y/n remained silent for some time, her eyes focusing on the hem of her sweater. She didn’t know how to reply, a lot had transpired since the last time she saw Jimin, and she didn’t even know where to begin. So, she opted for something simple, something she didn’t have to struggle to say.

“It's been good.”

He glanced at her for a moment taking in the lie she had just spoken. It wasn’t that she was a bad liar if time had been able to prove anything, it was that she wasn’t, but Jimin could tell by the way her voice fluctuated in the air, something anyone could’ve picked up on, if they knew her in the way that he did.

“that’s good” he sighed, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

“how's Harumi? I've missed my little bee” Y/n felt her heart skip a beat at the question, her smile falling for a moment, and she could feel guilt rising within her. She had never considered how cruel she had been by keeping her daughter away from Jimin, too consumed with her feelings to even think about his.

“she’s doing great, she’s gotten so big” she replied, taking out her phone and scrolling to some of the pictures she had recently taken of her. She reached forward, showing Jimin her screen.

“Oh wow,” he exhaled, taking the phone in his hand and staring at the picture for a moment. Y/n could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she looked away, trying to dab them away with the sleeves of her sweater.

“she’s so big now” he whispered, “You blink once and the next thing you know she’s 18 and asking for a car” Jimin laughed.

“I'm sorry Jimin” Y/n sobbed, his eyes fell on her again and he could see the regret written over her expression. “hey” Jimin moved closer, removing the space that had remained between them.

“Hey, don’t be sorry” he embraced her in his arms, and finally, Y/n let go of her tears on his chest, as she had done so many times before. He brushed his hands through her hair trying to comfort her whilst she trembled under his touch. His heart ached at the sound of her sobs, her tears dampening the shirt he wore.

“It was the right decision, Y/n” he reassured her “You put her first, and as her father I understood” he pulled her face that was buried in his chest and his thumbs wiped away tears that trickled down from her eyes. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening under the lights.

“You made the right choice” he nodded.

“I met with Namjoon” she whispered, her lips trembling after the words left her lips. Jimin sighed and pressed his lips together.

“you guys are a family Y/n and I left, I don’t get to be selfish” Jimin continued wiping her tears, his hand gently rubbing the skin of her cheeks in comfort. “I know you love him, and I know he's been a great father to Harumi, I can't intrude on what you guys have” Y/n shook her head.

“No, you don’t understand” she spoke, bringing her hands to where he rested on her face.

“he’s the better choice Y/n” he muttered, and Y/n could hear the sadness that rippled through his words, stabbing at her heart.

“All I ask is that you let me see Harumi, I want to be part of her life.”

“I chose you,” Y/n said, interrupting his words. Jimin halted his movements, looking down at the girl he loved in shock, he had been preparing for the moment she would say she had chosen Namjoon, and had braced himself for impact for the pain that was to come.

He had renounced himself of the hope of ever having her again, convincing himself that his love would never stand a chance against what she and Namjoon had.

“I just want you” she whispered, solidifying her statement.

“Really?” his voice hitched as tears slipped down his cheeks. She nodded and he sighed in relief, closing his eyes for a moment. He hadn’t realized the way he had been holding his breath since he had found her knocking on his door, wanting her to rip the band-aid as quickly as possible, and having her say those words eased his mind beyond comprehension.

“Are you sure?” he asked, biting down his lip nervously.

She nodded whilst tears continued to stream down her face. She couldn’t describe how afraid she was of his rejection, her relationship with Jimin had always been a risk and now she sat in front of him in her most vulnerable state, letting him know that she wanted him.

“I understand if you don’t want to” she whimpered “You have your art and your trips, and I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

“What are you talking about?” Jimin breathed. He tilted her chin to meet his eyes. “I swear to god nothing else matters to me” he stroked her cheek with his hand, scanning the outer fear in her eyes “I'll do anything to have you by my side, you and Harumi complete me.”

Y/n reached forward and captured his mouth in hers, kissing him passionately. Jimin quickly gave in, holding her closer to him. He couldn’t tell if it was a dream or not, he had thought of this moment for so long, engraved it in his mind during sleepless nights under the hope that it would someday come true.

“You're mine?” he asked, reluctantly pulling from the kiss.

“All yours” she hummed, nodding her head with a smile.

He jumped onto her, causing her to shriek whilst he lay on top of her.

“Jimin, what are you doing?” she let out a giggle, watching as he removed his t-shirt. Her eyes scanned his abs and her hand reached to trace the tattoo on his rib cage. She recalled the night he had gotten it; she was the first person he had called, and she had scolded him for the impulsive decision. Yet now it was her favorite thing to look at.

“We need to celebrate with some dessert” he groaned, licking his lips.

“Jimin, we haven’t even eaten yet” she cried out, slapping his chest playfully.

Jimin pulled Y/n by her legs, bringing her closer to him. She laughed as he removed her sweats, his eyes scanning the pink thong she wore. He bit down on his lips and looked at her with an arched brow “I guess someone came prepared.”

“oh, shut up” she exclaimed before throwing her head back in pleasure when he pressed his thumb against her clit.

“You don’t know how much I've missed seeing you like this” he moaned, moving his thumb in circles causing Y/n to whimper in response. “How much I’ve wanted to hear your naughty little moans” he groaned. He could feel her arousal moistening the pad of his finger as he continued the motion against her thong.

His fingers played with the hem of her sweater slowly lifting it to reveal her stomach. Y/n hummed in pleasure, her eyes remaining closed as he teased his way to her breasts.

“you’re so touch starved, baby” he mentioned, noting the chills that raised above her skin. His cock pressed against his sweats at the view, the way she withered under his touch. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

He tugged her thong off, leaving her exposed on his sofa.

“I wish I could wait baby but I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long ” he whispered, lust dripping from his words. He pulled her closer, opening her legs for better access. He pulled down his sweats, spitting into his hand and lathering his hardened cock with saliva and Y/n moaned as she watched him align himself with her pussy.

He rubbed the tip of his cock against her wet folds causing her to let out a pornographic yelp and he couldn’t focus on anything but the sounds she was making and the feeling of his cock moving against her throbbing clit. The sight of his cock covered in her juices caused him to groan loudly, his swollen pink tip pulsating against it.

“Jimin” she moaned “Jimin fuck me.”

It was all he needed to hear for him to plunge into her with ease, her walls giving his dick a warm welcome. They both moaned in unison at the action, his hips rocking into her out of reflex. he rolled his hips slowly, letting her adjust to his length.

He left a trail of kisses along her chest, lifting her sweater off her body all while beginning to rock his hips quickly into her causing her to scream in complete rapture. She moved her hips along his, keeping the same tempo and he buried his face into the crook of her neck, soft pants leaving his full lips.

“You feel so good” he groaned, his hands gripping her thighs that wrapped around his waist. He began pounding into her, the sofa beginning to bounce underneath their motion.

“All mine,” he said as he bit into the skin of her neck making her jolt in reaction.

“All mine” Jimin repeated as he created a chorus of their skin slapping together inside his living room.

“All mine” he groaned as he lost himself in the feeling of his cock moving in and out from her walls.

“All yours” Y/n joined, her fingernails digging into the skin of his shoulders, the ache causing him to move harder, faster.

He lifted her leg and placed it against his chest as he positioned her to lay on her side. He thrusted back into her, a loud moan escaping both of their lips. As he worked his cock inside of her, he pressed his thumb back against her clit. Moving it in the same rhythm as his hips.

“Is this, okay?” he groaned, his hips bucking at the feeling of her arousal around his cock.

“y-yes fuck yes” she screamed, her hands holding onto the cushion underneath her.

“Fuck it feels so good” he barked, his other hand reaching to play with her nipples.

Y/n’s legs trembled as he fucked into her, and she couldn’t contain the yelps that fell from her mouth. Jimin readied himself for the complaints his neighbors would give tomorrow morning, but he didn’t care, he loved to hear Y/n scream in pleasure, the sound alone bringing him closer to the edge.

He loved having her like this, screaming his name and taking his entire length. It felt so good to be inside of her once again. He knew that he missed it but now that he was able to touch her again, to make her moan and beg for more. It was a thrill he couldn’t describe.

His love language was to touch, to feel. He never thought words were enough, so he poured himself into her as a demonstration of his affection.

“Look it's Papa’s painting” Y/n whispered into her daughter's ear while walking her through the art gallery “Look he named this one after you” Harumi giggled in her mother's arm, pointing at the paintings that were displayed on the walls.

“papa” Harumi babbled causing Y/n to gasp. “Yes! Papa” she cheered, hugging onto her small frame. “Jimin! Come here!” she shouted urgently.

Jimin excused himself from the conversation he held with some of the guests and walked toward them, confusion on his face.

“What happened?” he called out, a frightened stare in his eyes.

“Come! I think Harumi said her first word” Y/n chirped, bouncing one-year-old Harumi in her arms.

“Shit, and I missed it?” Jimin groaned, putting down his drink and standing closer to his girls.

“Look we will try again” Y/n instructed, pointing over to one of the many paintings that decorated the walls “Look Harumi another painting, who painted these beautiful paintings?” Y/n asked, urging her daughter to say her first word again.

Harumi looked over at the bright yellows and pinks on the canvas, her mouth widening in a smile.

“Papa,” she said once more which caused Jimin to stare in shock.

“Did she say papa?” he beamed, pulling Harumi into his arms.

“Did she say papa?” he asked again, excitement dripping from his words.

“Yes!” Y/n exclaimed a laugh following shortly after.

“Oh, my sweet baby girl” he hugged her into his chest and kissed the top of her head, humming in happiness. “I will paint the whole world all the colors you’d like, I love you little bee” he proclaimed. Y/n leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek with a smile.

“Papa,” Harumi said once again, her hands reaching to rub her father's cheek.

“Yes, papa” Jimin repeated, smiling down at his daughter.

Y/n’s heart filled with warmth at the sight before her, her entire world standing in front of her. She reached for her phone and swiped to her camera, taking a quick picture to add along with the thousand others that remained framed in their shared home. There was a bittersweet feeling emerging from her gut, she had everything that she had ever wanted and yet, it still hurt her to think about the events that had transpired to get here.

“Ms. Y/n, could I bother you for a moment?” one of her colleagues asked, “so sorry, I just need you to stop by my office really quick and sign from release forms for the press.”

“Oh god, yes thank you for the reminder” Y/n exhaled and turned to Jimin who stood with their daughter in his arms, pointing at more paintings that were displayed, naming Harumi all the colors that had been used.

“Hey babe, I'll be right back” Jimin nodded in understanding and directed his attention back to his daughter.

Y/n followed her colleague down the corridor, passing by familiar faces who had come to attend the event. She kept a confident smile on her face as she walked, no longer feeling ashamed to greet them or make her presence known. It had taken her a while to get to this point, to no longer hide in her office in embarrassment. she had finally come to terms with her past. eventually finding closure with her errors.

She entered her colleague's office and proceeded to sign off on the documents that lay on the desk. “May I note that you look radiant tonight” her colleague noted, offering Y/n a warm smile. “Oh please, I just threw this on” Y/n giggled, laying down the pen in her hand and handing over the signed forms to her. “no, really Y/n you look so bright, so full of life” she added.

“Thank you,” Y/n said with a smile on her face.

“You look happier than before and I don’t mean to be rude, I know it has been a rough couple of months, but I’m glad you got your glow back.”

“I'm glad too” Y/n responded, turning on her hill and stepping out of the office.

She began walking down the long corridor once again, noticing how the space had emptied. She concluded everyone had left to attend the exhibition and hurried her steps, afraid she would miss the presentation.

“Running late, are you?” a voice asked, Y/n almost collapsed against the body that stood in the middle of the corridor, her hands flying to catch herself against their arms.

“oh I’m so sorr-“she looked up at the familiar face who looked down at her with all the endearment in the world “Sorry” she whispered, her face becoming as red as the carpet underneath her heels. Namjoon smiled while helping her regain her balance.

“oh Ms. Y/n, you are never on time” he chuckled which caused Y/n to look down in embarrassment.

“I’ve just been running around like a headless chicken all day” she sighed, attempting to excuse her bad habit.

“Well take it easy, we are here now, and the exhibition looks gorgeous” Namjoon replied. His words eased the anxiousness in her chest, which until this point she hadn’t realized she had. Y/n took a moment to take him in, admiring how the black tuxedo he wore made him look wise beyond his years and how he had chosen to slick back his black hair. She hadn’t seen him since the day they finalized their divorce and she had to admit that seeing him again was like a breath of fresh air.

He looked happier, healthier. The black circles under his eyes had disappeared and his skin glowed underneath the dim lights of the corridor.

“Thank you that means a lot” she responded, realizing she hadn’t spoken in a while. Namjoon nodded and reached forward to pat her head softly. a gesture he had often done when he wanted to soothe her.

“You did good, don’t worry” he hummed.

In that moment, she couldn’t form any words. There was a feeling nestled in her chest that she couldn’t describe. She had missed him, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that. Instead, she faked casualness, as if she was talking to a colleague or an old friend.

Even if all she wanted to do was reach forward and give him a tight hug. She never felt like she had said enough to him back in the café, didn’t think her words had been capable of explaining how thankful she was or how much she cared for him. She had hoped there was a way she could take out her heart and demonstrate it to Namjoon so that way he could understand what words weren’t sufficient to describe.

She wanted to display it for him like a painting.

“How have you been?” she asked, and she knew it was a risky question, one that she might not have been prepared to hear the answer to. Yet, behind that question remained a million more. What did I miss? Are you happy? Do you hate me?

“I've been doing great” he exclaimed “Busy but great, I've been traveling a lot more and the museum is thinking of promoting me soon so I can't complain.”

“Oh my god, are you serious?” Y/n chirped.

“That is amazing Namjoon, you deserve it.”

“Yeah, hopefully I can manage.”

“oh, I don’t doubt that you will”

“How about you?”

“Huh,” Y/n blinked, taken back by the question.

“How have you been?” His eyes held the same love and admiration they always did as he looked into hers and she felt herself shrink under the intensity.

“Oh, uhm well as you can see, I just finished the exhibition which I'm praying turned out okay, and yeah, I’ve been focusing on Harumi now that I have more time, and” she cut her words, realizing she was rambling and let out a soft giggle.

“I'm sorry” She had grown mortified and embarrassed, covering her reddened cheeks but Namjoon shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.

“I don’t mind” he reassured her, offering her a warm smile.

“Joon” a voice called in the open space in which they stood, causing them both to turn in its direction. The woman stepped quickly, a bright smile on her face whilst she approached them.

“Oh hey,” Namjoon said, receiving her into his arms.

“I'm sorry I’m late, traffic was horrible” she spoke, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Y/n watched in surprise as they turned to face her. the woman was gorgeous, and she looked even better standing next to Namjoon. Y/n couldn’t avoid the way her heart tightened for a moment, but she repressed the feeling, offering a wide smile in concealment.

“May, this is Y/n my ex-wife,” Namjoon said, presenting her to Y/n. His arm rested around her waist whilst May leaned into his side.

“Nice meeting you” she spoke softly, extending her hand for Y/n to shake.

“Y/n this is my girlfriend May” Namjoon added.

Y/n took her soft hand into hers and gave it a firm yet gentle shake. It screamed ‘Take care of him’ and May nodded in understanding.

A wave of emotions took over Y/n, leaving her disoriented and yet, at ease all at the same time. She had found an aching sensation coming from her chest, it was a foreign sight. to see someone else stand beside Namjoon in the way she had so many times before. Yet, she wasn’t angry or jealous, she was grateful. grateful that he had found someone to love him in ways she couldn’t.

“I must be on my way now” Y/n smiled, glancing down at the carpet for a moment and then looking back up at Namjoon” It was nice catching up Namjoon and it was a pleasure meeting you” Y/n spoke as she glanced at May once more “I'll see you around” she added. Namjoon offered her a warm smile as she stepped to the side and continued her hurried walk towards the exhibition.

She didn’t give herself enough time to register what she had just witnessed, instead, she pushed it far back in her mind and found consolation in the fact that he had found someone new, someone who probably made him happy. She could no longer be selfish; it just wasn’t who she was anymore.

Once Y/n stepped into the exhibition she had found all the guests in their seats and her boss, Dr. Kim already halfway through his speech, she cursed under her breath and hurried to take a seat beside Jimin and Harumi. “Everything okay?” Jimin asked, taking in her flushed cheeks and glossy eyes. She looked back at him and nodded “Everything is perfect” she reassured him with a smile. He reached for her hand and interlinked it with his, planting a soft kiss on her skin.

“And with that, we would like to give a round of applause to all the members of our staff who have outdone themselves with this year’s spring exhibition” The crowd began to clap and cheer, bringing a smile to Y/n’s face.

“I'm proud of you” Jimin muttered into Y/n’s ear before planting a soft kiss on her cheek which in return caused her to blush.

“Tonight, we would like to honor one of them specifically” Dr. Kim spoke, a small smile on his face. “They have demonstrated great leadership and creativity this year and have worked hard to make this exhibition what it is today” he gestured over at where Y/n sat with her family, a spotlight shining on them soon after.

“We would like to proudly invite Ms. Y/n to the stage to receive the award for innovation and performance from the MMCA.”

Y/n sat frozen as the words registered in her brain, she looked over at Jimin in complete shock and he offered her a knowing smile. “Go on,” he said, a chuckle falling from his lips. She stood and took slow steps as the room filled with clapping; she couldn’t contain the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she made her way to the stage.

she received the plaque in her hand with her name engraved onto it, she admired it for a moment and then looked back at the crowd that cheered for her. She stood in front of the microphone and hesitated to speak. Dr. Kim who stood beside her gave her a nod and she took a deep breath before she addressed the room.

“I’ve drank 3 glasses of champagne so this should be a breeze” she spoke which caused the crowd to roar in laughter. “I can only say that it was been a privilege to work on this project along with my colleagues and my team, it wouldn’t have been possible without them” She took a deep breath, looking down at the award in her hand once more.

“I also want to thank my family, my daughter who I adore, and my partner Park Jimin who never left my side during this entire process” She could see Jimin cheer from amongst the crowd, dancing with Harumi in his arms while they waved up at her. Her eyes then fell on Namjoon who stared proudly at her, a small knowing smile displayed on his face.

“And to those who have been by my side despite all the trials and tribulations that I have faced, may we continue to value art in the way we have” she concluded and in response, the crowd erupted in cheers once again.

As she stood on the stage, she could see them both. The man who loved her despite her mistakes and the man who would stop at nothing to see her happy. She tokened herself the luckiest girl in the world for having met them both in only one lifetime.

‘Art is a lie that makes us realize truth’

-Picasso

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