12

Tao hurriedly went into the police station and looked around, scanning the place and he approached the police officer. "I'm the representing lawyer for the victim, where is Hyomin?"

Sohyun followed Tao and she looked around the station, filled with teenagers that has tattoos on their arm. He  found Hyomin at a corner, rubbing her wound and wincing while looking around. "Hyomin. You alright? Did they do anything to you?" Tao asked worriedly, shaking her shoulders, while Hyomin shook her head. "I'm alright, Tao."

"Let's go out first. We'll talk about this in the car." Tao and Sohyun slowly brought her up, and Sohyun held onto her arm, holding onto her as she walked. While Tao led the way, Sohyun looked at Hyomin. Her legs were obviously bruised, scratches on her forehead, and she bit her lip while she walked. "What happened?" Sohyun asked worriedly, looking at all those wounds, it must be a long time abuse. She sighed and looked at Tao, then back at Sohyun. "It's nothing. Don't ask Tao about it alright?" she whispered, and she nodded.

Tao was silent throughout the entire journey. He didn't ask or question Hyomin about those wounds, and he was practically fuming mad.

He was just not his usual self.

"Tao, you can't blame him.." Hyomin whispered, while Tao braked and pulled over. "How can you not blame him?!" Tao asked harshly, while Sohyun jumped, blinking at him as he looked at the red light, panting heavily. Hyomin took in a deep breath and signed. "It's my fault. I chose to stay with him. He gave me food to eat and a place to stay-"

"You don't have to stay with him! I left him too, and he didn't come after me!"

"Tao, I think Hyomin has her reasons to stay with him," Sohyun murmured, even though she has no idea who that 'him' they were talking about. "Yeah, she thinks she owes him and wants to help him. No one would be like you! I came out of the police station five times within four months, because of him. Him! He did this to you for five times within four months, how do you expect me to feel? No matter what this time I'm not going to let him go this time. I'm charging him," Tao said in determination, and he continued driving, while Hyomin’s eyes rounded in surprise and she held onto his sleeve. “Tao you can’t!”

Tao shook her grip off him harshly. “Well I can, and I will. I just can’t understand you,” he growled and Sohyun looked at the both of them at the back seat and she tilted her head. *First time seeing him like this.*

"I can't understand you too," Hyomin mumbled. "Just drop the charge Tao. I'm not going to charge him and I don't want you to charge him, he's our benefactor after all."

"But he doesn't control your life," Tao grumbled. Hyomin sighed. *Stubborn fella.*

Sohyun sighed even more and she massaged her temples. She has no idea what those two are talking about. What benefactor? What him? What what what? She has no idea at all.

--

Hyomin and Tao has been arguing non stop after coming out of the police station, and even when they reached the firm they were still bickering with Sohyun completely confused of what they were talking about.

To make it short, it means Sohyun was on another frequency line from them.

"I said I don't need it! I can handle my own affairs," Hyomin shouted, which left Tao in a daze. "But the thing is that your life is at stake! I keep bailing you out from him for over these years, I'm sick and tired of it!"

"Then you don't need to bail me anymore," Hyomin mumbled, looking away while Tao looked at her and frowned.
"If I don’t, who would? I can bail you for now that doesn't mean I can bail you the next time! What if now I let you and you get another beating from him, that could be the last time I would be seeing you!" Tao shouted, while the whole entire office's attention was in his room.

That room was like a room filled with explosive objects such as grenades and bombs that goes off any second.

Sohyun jumped, and bit her lip, standing outside of the office.

"If you don't curse me, it won't be the last time you would be seeing me," Hyomin snapped back at him, while Tao looked at her in surprise. He groaned and sat in his seat. "I really can't handle you Hyomin. You are always like this. Stubborn."

"Anyway, I'll go back home first if there's nothing," Hyomin grabbed her bag and walked out of the room.

“That’s not your home! That’s a lion’s den!” he shouted then quickly sent Sohyun into his office once Hyomin was out of the firm. "Tail her. And try to persuade her."

Sohyun immediately nodded, and rushed out of the firm, but as usual, she knocked into the door, and quickly scrambled up to follow her.

"Hyomin," Sohyun called out and caught up with her. "Ah yes, Sohyun. Why are you looking for me?" she turned and asked. Sohyun bit her lip and looked down. Then after must consideration, she ought to know what their relationship and their 'benefactor' for god who knows.

"I met Tao in the orphanage," Hyomin said, placing down her cup, sighing. "We were orphans, being abandoned and the thing is that I was six years old and Tao was nine, we were lucky to be adopted by aman, and that guy was our benefactor," she explained, while Sohyun was confused. "How does this got to this case?"

"Our benefactor is the one who was behind those bruises,” she said sadly as she pointed at her bruises andwounds that were all over her hands and legs, while Sohyun's eyes widened in surprise.

"He.. He did this to you? How could he..”

"Because of all those beatings, Tao left him when he was fifteen, while I insisted on staying."

"You can leave him like what Tao did. You don't have to be with him," Sohyun persauded. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "We're always indebted to him. He was the one who helped us when we were about to die on the streets. And actually when we were sheltered by him, he was really nice, he didn't beat us up. Instead, he treated us really good, but only five years later, then he started to turn into a drunkard." 

Hyomin's eyes scanned the drink, talking as she looked down. "It really wasn't his fault. His business failed and he turned to drink and gambling, which made him turn like this. I just know that if I continue to help him, he'll definitely change, but Tao just doesn't believe.." her voice trailed off, and she softened.

Sohyun looked at Hyomin, then diverted her gaze to her drink, blinking as she pondered. "But .. But what if he doesn't change after all those beatings? How do you know he would change?"

She placed both of her hands on the table and shook her head. "I can. I will. He raised me up till where I am now-"

"With beatings. Hyomin I know you care about your whatever benefactor, but what if he really beats you to your death? Who would take care of him? If you charge him now, and he pleads guilty, he can get a lighter sentence and comes out, plus he wouldn't go back to his old ways because he knew once he does that, he'll be sent to jail, again," Sohyun cut her off, knocking some sense into her head.

Hyomin looked down, fiddling with her fingers. "Hyomin, I know you care about your benefactor or uncle, but even if he took you in, he doesn't own your life. You can't just let him control you and be under his nose for the rest of your life," Sohyun continued, frowning. "And why do they even need laugh at you? As long as you are right, and your uncle's in the wrong, you don't need to worry about anything. Hyomin, just muster up your courage alright?"

She bit her lip and thought, then turning to look at her.

"If .. If I charge him, would he get a lighter sentence?" Hyomin asked, and Sohyun smiled, nodding. "If he pleads guilty, and there's enough evidence, the judge can consider sending him a lighter sentence, or maybe you can write a pleading letter for him."

Hyomin sighed, and nodded. Sohyun then knew, there would be hope.

--

Tao looked around his new house, pacing up and down and going up the stairs, then going back down to the living room. He sighed in frustration, and groaned on his bed. "There's nothing to pack, nothing at all," he muttered, then stood up, looking around the empty house.

"Kris, follow me," Tao ordered as he ran down the stairs and out of the house, while Kris looked at him. "Where are you going?" he asked, following the panda.

"We're going around to introduce ourselves, and create some rapport with the neighbours, in case they need any help or we need any help from them," Tao said and walked out.

Kris caught up with him. "Hey don't go. You'll scare all the neighbours away with your look," Kris said and pointed at Tao's face, while he sighed. "I have absolutely nothing to do at all. What do you expect me to do when my computer isn't here?"

"Study Hyomin's case then," Kris said and walked into the house. "Hyomin doesn't want to see me for the time being." Tao sighed, and shook his head. "And besides, I'm not anxious of Hyomin's case at all. Because I'm sure I can win with those evidence in my hands," Tao squinted his eyes and brought his fist to his eye level, then slowly closing up his fingers. "I have everything under control,"he smirked and shrugged. "I'm just bored, that's all."

"Fine. I'll change then meet up with you," Kris said, and went up, while Tao rolled his eyes and followed him.

Sohyun slurped on her cup noodles and she brought her knees to her chest, sitting on the sofa comfortably and watched the television while she wait for her sister and grandfather to come back from the grocery store.

The doorbell rang, and she got up, shuffling her feet to the door, then opened the door with her free hand.

Her eyes rounded in surprise, and she gawked at him while Tao blinked at her, then smiled. "Oh so you live here?" he asked smiling, while Sohyun's jaw dropped and she froze at her spot. She should have looked through the door hole first.
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