The courtroom air was filled with tension. There’s no even a slightest sound could be heard; even though there were voices came right behind the courtroom door that sounds just like a passing wind.

 

Clock keeps ticking, and sweat beads started to roll down his side from his forehead.

 

He may look calm on the outside; but only him that knew the catastrophe right inside his soul. But still, he kept waiting.

 

The prosecutor and judge soon entered the courtroom, together with the jurors behind them. Every inch of their face couldn’t simply give the answer that he wants and yet it’s somehow did make him mad.

 

He didn’t like waiting. He simply doesn’t like it.

 

The foreman then held out a piece of white paper to the judge from the jurors. It contains the final decision that had been made by each and every juror from the Jury Deliberation session before, after all the evidence presented together with the fact review of the case been considered – they had eventually reached a verdict.

 

The judge took the paper and read it aloud after looking at it for several seconds.

 

“I hereby as the Judge of this case would like to inform the final verdict, after both parties – the prosecutor and also the attorney who is as Mr. Choi’s representative – had given their best in presenting evidences and even direct and indirect examinations from the witnesses related to this case.”

 

He gulped nervously. This is it; the moment that he waited for.

 

“Therefore, I’m announcing that,” The judge halted for a second and takes a deep breath before continuing his sentences. “Mr. Choi had been found guilty.”

 

The ‘ah’ and ‘oh’ or even loud whispers could be heard in almost everywhere inside the courtroom, making the silence surroundings been no more to found.

 

DUK DUK DUK

 

“Silence! The session still haven’t meets its end yet!”

 

Everyone stunned with the stern order from the judge thus quietly shifted back to their respective order.

 

But, there was one person who suddenly laughs heartily, as if nothing happened and nothing could simply stop him – he is laughing.

 

“Are you now is being rude?”

 

The harsh voice from the judge once again filled the courtroom which made its air became more stiffened.

 

The attorney wore a worried look on his face when his gazes fell onto his defendant. Slowly, he whispered towards the defendant with firm sentences. “Stop it! You’ll meet another sentence for this rude behavior!”

 

His laugh that started from a small laugh then gradually turned into a big, loud and high-pitch scream that frightened everybody, mostly the poor attorney that was now meets his rage eyes.

 

“I don’t care.”

 

His lips soon turned into a smirk before he scanned his surroundings and spotted several people right from the seats meters away from him that he knew very much.

 

“I’m not guilty. I’m not!!”

 

A great ruckus had been made; he wiped everything on the table located in front of him and made each papers are flying away to almost every places on the marbled floor.

 

As if that was not enough, he made his way towards the small gate that separate between the spectators’ seats and the place that he had been before, waiting for his verdict to be read, with his crooked steps.

 

“It’s your entire fault!!!” He yelled out randomly. “It never mine! It’s not mine!!!!”

 

With a quick action, just before he entered beyond the gate; the security guards swiftly took him down by force. His wrists been gripped harshly, and with his face being pinned down on the floor – there is no reason that he could escape.

 

As if there is no words ‘give up’ in his life dictionary, he is trying hard to make his victorious escape by struggling with his remaining energy left under the force. But still, he had to eventually surrendered, as he couldn’t ever fight them under his unstable circumstances.

 

The sudden attack did bring a shock to all of the spectators, especially the ones that knew him. They stared at him in awe before simply revert their eyes away from him in despair.

 

They just couldn’t bear to look at him, in his wild state.

 

He soon stood up with both of his hands had fitted perfectly into handcuffs with his head hung low as if he finally admit his loss that he had to face from now on.

 

“I’m sorry,” That was the only sentence that he could word out before he is heading for the next location; the jail.

 

He would sit behind those bars throughout his life if he’s been lucky enough. Or else, he would be sentenced to death; which make him lost interest to keep alive anymore.

 

How he just hoped that he could rewind the time – or even, erase it.

 

“I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t stop to keep seeing him calmly took his seat right beside the attorney, and somehow, it hurts her even more to see his frozen visage that shows no reaction – at all.

 

She knew that she should be the one who assured him that everything will be just fine, and she knew that she should be by his side during his hard times.

 

But, she can’t. She just can’t do that.

 

“Mr. Choi had been found guilty.”

 

She closed both of her eyes tightly as soon as she heard the word ‘guilty’ been spoken by the judge. As if she could felt it, she feels the pain.

 

Slowly she tightened her grip and clung on her black trench coat desperately, as she is gasping for air to breathe.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

She quickly looked up when suddenly a voice filled with anxiety entered her eardrums, made her eyes met the soothing eyes that the person sat beside her owned.

 

“I’m okay,” Short replies were given as she didn’t want him to know the guilt feelings that started to churn inside her.

 

But that guilt feelings start to grow even more – when she sees with her own eyes; the part of him that she scared the most.

 

“I’m not guilty. I’m not!!”

 

She closed both of her ears with her hands. As if she was chanting a mantra, she keeps saying the word ‘no’ repeatedly up until his sparkling eyes spotted her.

 

She swears that she could felt her heart skipped a beat, and her face turned ashen.

 

“It’s your entire fault!!!” Those vengeful eyes of him still stayed on her, as if to tell her the hidden message behind his action. “It never mine! It’s not mine!!!!”

 

She shook her head vigorously. She won’t listen. She won’t believe him; no more.

 

He made his way towards her which made every bone in her body froze in terror. Her mind is completely blank, and all that she could see is just...him.

 

A pair of strong arms then surrounds her fragile body.

 

She had finally snapped back to reality. Her face was now facing a broad chest of a promising man that she adored very much. And she had even listened to his fast heartbeat vividly.

 

“Don’t look at him if you don’t want to,” The voice echoed in her ear. “I’ll protect you.”

 

She stiffened when she heard the sincere words came out from his mouth. She never thought that someone could eventually protect her; as she was an independent person who used to do everything all by herself.

 

But now, everything has changed. And she needs a protector to herself. With that belief, she softly replies; “Thank you.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Her eyes bulged. The word ‘sorry’ did strike her in an instance as they weren’t from the man that hugged her right now.

 

The apology came from someone else.

 

She softly pushed his body and looked towards the opposite direction in surprise.

 

Did she hear it right? Did she see it right?

 

She was just about to stop the guards from bringing him out from the courtroom to hear it once again as those two words been spoke either too slow or too fast – she couldn’t get that clearly enough.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Her eyes now are b with tears, and she finally lost and choked in her own emotions. Those plea of him that asking for her forgiveness is making her reminisced back their moments together before, as if it just happened by yesterday.

 

Then, something entered her mind. She eyed the closed door where he had been taken away out from the courtroom in despair.

 

“If just,” She murmured softly to herself as tears dripping down her cheeks. “If just time could be rewind back to the beginning...”

 

She took a deep breathe, before she wiped her tears weakly.

 

“...will our ending turn out to be different?”

 

 

Petite's Note : I know that this chapter seems so sudden and you must be so puzzled and asking 'What's going on?' or even 'Who's who?' and many more. This isn't a wrong chapter; yup, it's the prologue. This prologue is actually bringing you to the current situation - which will lead the story to go back to the past; just before everything in this prologue happened. So, just sit back, relax and waits for the next chapter, ne? :)

And not to forget; thank you so much Virtuosos and healer96 for being the earliest subscribers of this story~ <3 

 

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