“Hey Soya, do you have a second?”

Soya glanced over her shoulder where Mina was trailing behind her, trying to keep up. Her best friend was being arrested for murder; she didn’t have a second to spend on anyone else. Not when she couldn’t even be Ayeon’s lawyer to defend her herself.

“I’m in a rush, Mina.  Another time.” She muttered.

Mina ran in front of Soya, holding her arms out to stop her, “I know it’s you.”

Soya raised her brow with a resigned sigh, “You know what is me?”

“I know who you are.” Mina said firmly.

Soya made a face, “Um…great. Are you okay? Is this some delayed side effect from getting stabbed?”

“Soya, it’s me.” Mina said defiantly. 

Soya patted her shoulder, “Mina, I think you need to go to the hospital for a check-up, you’re not making sense.”

“It’s me. It’s m—” She huffed in exasperation before pulling out her phone and typing furiously on it.

A second later, Soya’s phone chimed, and she pulled it out, staring at the message.

[User1340ac92] It’s me.

-----

“I should’ve known. I can’t believe I didn’t it put together that the one person who’s avidly going after the Commissioners was the same person replying to my old forum post.”

She had dragged Mina, by the arm to a small emptied coffee shop, shoving the both of them into a desolate corner booth where no one could hear them.

“How did you know?” She muttered.

Mina sighed, “The username. I talked to Jinah, she told me how you used to call her your lucky star and then I realized your date of birth and well…”

“Damn it.” Soya grumbled.

Mina smiled a little, “I thought it was sweet.”

Soya rolled her eyes, “It was back when I first met her. She worked on my…on my domestic abuse case.”

“Oh, were you the prosecutor on it?” She asked.

“No.” Soya said quietly, “I was the victim.”

Mina’s eyes widened, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s in the past. The conversations we’ve been having, we can’t let anyone know. I could get fired.” Soya said seriously.

Mina frowned at her, “Why do you even keep working there if you know how evil the place is?”

“Because even if my boss is corrupt, I am still doing good. I am still fighting for justice. It wasn’t until all this stuff that you came out with what you had, I realize that I couldn’t pick and choose my injustices.”

“It’s insane that it was you all this time. You helped me expose him, you gave me places to look.” She said, her eyes moony.

Soya shook her head, “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m lucky it was you and not someone who wanted to expose me for running my mouth. I just wanted to release my frustration without risking my identity.”

“You don’t know who his kid is?” Mina asked eagerly. 

She shook her head, “No, I know he has one because years ago I overheard him talking to him on the phone when he stepped out of a meeting with the old Commissioner. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it because he wasn’t important back then, I didn’t think he’d ever be. He was just some Chief from a random district. But when you started asking questions, I found out that his son was a cop but there’s no record of him, maybe he’s been transferred, maybe he quit, maybe he’s been shipped out of the country. But one thing I know for sure is that the children of powerful people are liabilities, and their parents will lie, cheat and steal to cover up their mistakes.”

“Ayeon thinks it’s Lee Dong Jae. The one guy on my blacklist who we couldn’t track down, he doesn’t have a single personnel file in the database.” Mina offered. 

Soya laughed dryly, “You’re not going to track him down, we already tried, he’s hidden by someone who, the second you think you’ve found him, will just whisk him away and hide him somewhere else. There's no point chasing ghosts.”

“We can’t give up. Ayeon thinks Lucas might’ve been after him.” Mina was determined.

Soya leaned back in her chair in thought, “You can’t be seen anywhere near this, you’re too recognizable, but my advice is to stop looking for the man who's in hiding, look for the people that would’ve been around him, old partners, old prosecutors, old witnesses. Anyone who might know him who aren’t hiding.”

“Go after people who don't have the Commissioner’s protection.” Mina reaffirmed. 

Soya smiled with something dark brewing, “Hell, go after the dead detective who might’ve almost tracked him down.”

-----

“Okay, this is just the bail hearing. We’re presenting arguments to the judge over whether you should be held in jail until your trial or if you can be let out.” Shownu said quickly.

Ayeon nodded, her face grim as she adjusted the tight blazer that Shownu had given her, one of Soya’s. She walked behind him, too tired to keep up with his long strides. She recognized him vaguely when he came into the little meeting room at the prison. He filled up the door and glowered down at her like he thought she did kill someone.

Until he started speaking.

His voice was calm and kind and it was two minutes into him explaining his strategy that she had started to cry. He was frantic and scrambled for a tissue before handing her an expensive looking handkerchief. 

“Hands together and don’t glare at the judge, I know you’re going to hate this, but look vulnerable and kind, like you wouldn’t hurt a fly in the world.” He whispered quickly in her ear as they approached the defendant’s table. “He cannot think you’re a threat.”

“Okay.” She mumbled.

He smiled and squeezed her shoulder gently, none of her friends could be seated behind her, most of them were police officers who were instructed by their superiors to either sit by the prosecution or not step foot into the court at all, or they were civilians that the police had their own reasons to hate.

Only Johnny came.

And when he smiled at her, she wanted to cry because he was holding flowers in his hands, and she was certain that she knew exactly who gave them to him.

The prosecutor was young, his hair slicked back and a smug grin that made her curl her nails into the palm of her hand. He walked up to Shownu and smirked, “Looks like the only lawyer a cop killer can get is a cushy corporate one who only knows how to draft contracts.”

“And how’s the Prosecutor’s Office doing? I hear you’ve been outranked by Soya, haven’t you been there twice as long as she has? Looks like graduating on daddy’s dime doesn’t get you very far.” Shownu spoke clearly and calmly, his eyes scanning his notes.

“You think that judge is going to respect a lawyer that had never argued a case and is just a glorified editor with an expensive degree?” He hissed. Shownu had clearly hit a sore spot.

Shownu scribbled a note on his papers, unphased, “I don’t know, you should ask him yourself.”

“All rise.”

Shownu stood first and it took more energy than Ayeon expected to stand along with him as the Prosecutor huffed back to his table. The judge was greying with little reading glasses perched on top of his head. “Sit down, sit down.”

“So, this is a bail hearing for Detective Yoo Ayeon on charges of murder of the first degree. Prosecution, what are you asking?”

“Your Honor, the prosecution’s office is asking that Detective Yoo be held without bail. She is a danger to the public; she is an officer with thorough knowledge of the law and how to evade it as well as relatives overseas with the resources to flee.”

The judge raised his brows before turning to Shownu, he blinked before smiling, “Mr. Hyun Woo, it’s good to see you. How’s your father doing?”

Ayeon could see the Prosecutor turn and stare at Shownu with his jaw open. Shownu just smiled, “He’s doing well, Your Honor, thank you for asking.”

He nodded with a warm smiled before clapping his hands, “And what is your side, Mr. Son?”

“We ask Detective Yoo be released on her own recognizance. She’s an upstanding member of society with strong ties to the community and a clean record. The prosecution’s claim of danger has not been proven and is a subject to be decided on in trial. Other than that, she will surrender her badge, gun, and passport for the duration of the trial, and she has an ailing father in the hospital, Your Honor.”

She stiffened, her heart thudding loudly in her ears at the mention of her father. Shownu didn’t notice the change in her or at least chose to ignore it, “She has no reason to leave the country when he’s in that state.”

She was glad they couldn’t read her thoughts because he was one of the reasons that she wouldn’t mind picking up and leaving. She figured Soya had offered up that angle because she sure as hell didn't tell Shownu about her father's hospitalization. 

The judge took a long breath, scanning the documents in front of him before speaking, “I do believe that the defense has made a solid argument and I have read articles praising the work of that young detective but the charges levied against Detective Yoo are severe so I will set your client’s bail at one million dollars. She will wear an ankle monitor and be put under the supervision of her team lead, uh…Ms…”

“Kim Jinah.” Shownu offered.

“Yes! Ms. Kim Jinah.”

He slammed the gavel down and as quickly as she stepped into the courtroom, she was being dragged out, with Shownu on her heels.

“I will talk to Johnny, I’m sure your friends can pitch in, don’t worry, they’ll get their money back as long as you don’t break any of the measures of your bail. It shouldn’t take too long. I’ll be back with the money just sit tight.”

She turned to look at him with half of the smile, “Thank you.”

-----

“We’re short ten thousand.”

They were all gathered around the steps of the courthouse, cheques in hand while Shownu chewed on his lip, racking his brain, “What about her father? Isn’t he a famous professor?”

“Absolutely not.” Soya hissed, “I’d rather take out a second mortgage.”

He sighed, “We need to figure something out or you will be taking that mortgage.”

“We all chipped in. The well is dry.” Mina complained. Taeil, Doyoung, Johnny and herself had all dipped into their pockets for Ayeon. Jaehyun, Jinah, and Soya were the first to pool resources until they realized they didn’t have enough.

“Really? We all did?”

They turned to see Taeyong strolling towards them, hands in his pockets and sunglasses sitting on the tip of his nose.

“Taeyong?” Jaehyun called out, “What are you doing here?”

He grinned, “I have a sixth sense for whenever someone needs money.”

“10 grand?”  Jaehyun asked gravely.

Taeyong’s smile didn’t falter as he pulled out a cheque, “I didn’t say it’d be all my money. I got Jungwoo and Haechan in on it, too.”

“Why?” Johnny asked.

Taeyong slung his arm around Jaehyun, “Anything for Detective Yoo.”

“Bu—”

“No complaints.” Shownu said, snatching the cheque out of his hands, “I’m going to submit these, I’ll bring Ayeon out the back door, meet her there, she’ll need her friends.”

Soya reached out, grabbing his wrist, “Thank you for everything. I owe you and the missus a visit. I swear.”

He smiled, his eyes curving up as he touched her hand, “It’s what I do for family.”

When he jogged off, she turned to the group and nodded, “So, let’s go. Knowing Shownu, he’s going to throw his weight around which means she’ll be released quick.”

“Actually…”

Everyone looked over at Jaehyun whose face was tensed, “I think, I should go home.”

Mina was stunned, “What the are you talking about? You’re the one she’ll want to see the most.”

“I don’t think so. She’s going to be overwhelmed if she sees me. I’m not what she needs now. She needs you guys.” He sounded like the words were being tortured out of him.

Mina looked frustrated, “What does that mea—”

“Okay.” Jinah whispered. “Okay, go home.”

Mina frowned, “Wha—”

“No, Mina, let him go.”

Jaehyun scanned their faces, “Thank you for everything you did for her. She’s lucky to have you all.”

They said nothing when he walked away, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. Taeyong’s face was set in a frown and he turned to Jinah who just shook her head. She hooked her arms around Soya’s and led the group to the back doors and waited.

Waited for Ayeon to come home.

-----

“I’m going to come by in a bit, I know I’m supposed to supervise you, but I’ll have to bring some things over.”  Jinah said, running her fingers through Ayeon’s tangles, “God, and I’ll bring some of Soya’s fancy conditioner.”  

The walk back to her apartment was nice, albeit a little suffocating with everyone around her, wanting to hug her and reassure her, but she was in no position to turn away the love and compassion that she was being offered. She would choose to suffocate in love than drown in loneliness any day of the week. 

Taeyong snorted and pulled out a plastic bag, “I brought something better than anything Soya could own.”

Mina looked appalled, “Do you just carry full unopened bottles of expensive conditioner around in your pocket?”

“My best friend’s girlfriend went to jail; I’m looking out for her.” He grumbled.     

Johnny smiled, “You could’ve offered food or something.”

“I’m offering something useful, hello, does no one else see her hair?”

Ayeon smiled weakly before looking over at them, “I don’t know what to say, I just—”

“Relax, we’re going to get our money back. You don’t need to thank us for a temporary favour.” Doyoung snorted. "We look out for our own."

Taeil sighed, “It’s going to be a hard battle, Ayeon. They’re going to come at you harder now that you have one win.”

“So, we’ll come at them harder than that.” Jinah fired back.

Ayeon leaned her head against her door, listening to them bicker and fight before catching Johnny’s eyes, the only person who was staying silent.