Author's Note:

Yall I'm finally done with exams!!!!!!!!! So expect more regular updates from me, and maybe even new stories woooo :))

Just so you guys know, my knowledge about the legal system is literally based on TV shows and limited research on google.

(I swear google probably thinks I'm fighting a lawsuit for child custody).

But anyway, onto the story!!

For a whole month since Sakura came to her house to sue for sole custody of Wonyoung, Eunbi had dreaded for this day to come. Even as she was faking an engagement to everyone she knew, it was still less of a torture than having to count down the days leading up to this. It was the day of the custody deposition with her ex-wife, and it was safe to say that Eunbi wasn’t looking forward to it at all.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in mid July, the last thing Eunbi wanted to do after a morning photoshoot was to go to her lawyer’s office for a deposition. But with 2 cups of coffee in her and a feeling of pure vengeance, she managed to force herself to go. She had to consciously breathe in and out a few times to calm herself in the empty elevator as it went up to the 23rd floor. Right as the elevator doors opened, Eunbi was glad to be greeted by the friendly face of her lawyer.

“Hey, how you holding up?” asked her lawyer, Honda Hitomi.

“Could be a whole lot better.” Eunbi answers truthfully. “Is she here?”

The singer’s lawyer, who is also likely going to be her sister-in-law very soon, pointed at the direction of the meeting room with her thumb. “Yeah, they’re waiting in the meeting room. You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” came Eunbi’s response.

The two walked towards the familiar room where problems between Sakura and Eunbi had to be settled over and over again. It was a peculiar feeling everytime Eunbi walked into Meeting Room 2. Even on a sunny day like this, with the sunlight shining inside through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the room ambience was still gloomy.

A year ago when they were trying to settle the divorce, the room felt so cold that Eunbi asked if they could turn on the heater in the middle of June. Turns out, it wasn’t the room itself, it was just the atmosphere between Sakura and Eunbi. Today had been similar to the deposition of their divorce. They didn’t acknowledge each other more than the short eye contact and a curt nod at the general direction of the other.

Despite sitting across from one another, Sakura and Eunbi only stared absentmindedly to the walls straight ahead in their vision. This was one of the rare times where the cold shoulder is in fact very cold, only for the fact that outside of this room, they had to appear civil for the sake of their daughter. At least they still try for Wonyoung. It was always for Wonyoung.

The singer really wonders where it went wrong between them. How somewhere along the way, their arguments couldn’t be settled calmly behind closed doors anymore. They had to settle their problems out in the open, in front of a lawyer and a judge, in a court, being mediated like children who got into fights in the playground. It was a far stretch from when they first met and fell in love at first sight.

“Ms. Kwon... Ms. Kwon.... Eunbi...”

Eunbi shook herself awake from her thoughts when she heard her name being called by her ex-wife’s lawyer. “Sorry, what?” Eunbi asks.

“I was asking you if my client’s claim is true.” The lawyer glances down to the paper in front of him. “That in January earlier this year, you left your daughter with Miss Chaewon for 2 weeks, is that correct?”

Eunbi nods.

She remembers having to explain to her daughter that the last branch of her tour wouldn’t allow her to come home for two weeks. The tour had been in North America, and it wasn’t like Eunbi could fly there and back when the shows were only a few days apart from one another. Wonyoung had given Eunbi the silent treatment the morning she left for the airport. The singer at least got a hug goodbye, but only after she apologized for the hundredth time to her daughter.

The lawyer looked at the court reporter who was typing everything down, “Let it be shown on record that Ms. Kwon agreed with the statement.” He proceeds to continue questioning Eunbi. “And when you were recording your new album in April earlier this year, Wonyoung would sometimes sleep at your company building while you recorded songs until..” he pauses to check his notes again, “...2 am, is that correct?”

Eunbi answers ashamedly with a small, “Yes.”

An annoying triumphant smirk crossed the lawyer’s face. Eunbi never wanted to punch someone’s face so badly. It was even more irksome to see Sakura who was just on the side, listening and watching passively at everything. 5 years ago, Sakura would have been sitting next to her, defending her pride from anyone that would cross Eunbi for even just looking at her wrong. But this time around, Sakura was at the other side of the table as that someone who was crossing Eunbi.

The lawyer looked to Sakura to see if she wanted to add anything. When she didn’t, the lawyer handed a file to Hitomi. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that if you would like to avoid doing this in front of a judge, you can accept the offer Ms. Miyawaki is making now.”

Instead of acknowledging Sakura’s lawyer, Eunbi looked to Hitomi who was reading through the settlement. When Hitomi looked up, Eunbi could already tell that the offer was bad. “Sole custody until Wonyoung is of legal age.” Hitomi paused to gauge Eunbi’s reaction, but the singer only remained straight-faced. Hitomi continues, “Wonyoung will have to move to Japan with Ms. Miyawaki. But you still get visitation rights whenever you decide to visit Japan.”

“No.” Eunbi says immediately. She didn’t need to think it over. There was no chance in hell that Eunbi would let Sakura take her daughter away to a whole other country.

“No?” Sakura’s lawyer repeats in surprise. Unlike Sakura who already knew that it was impossible to get Eunbi to agree to her sole custody of Wonyoung–at least outside of court, the lawyer was taken aback by Eunbi's determination to keep Wonyoung. The lawyer looked to Hitomi, thinking that Eunbi’s lawyer would likely advise the singer to reconsider. He thought that Eunbi’s lawyer at least would tell her that going to court won’t change the fact that Eunbi is losing her case. But Hitomi knew Eunbi wouldn’t take the deal, not unless a judge told her so, so she kept mum.

“You have no case to fight all the evidence stacked up against you. How are you going to appeal to the judge to keep your daughter? Do you want to bring in your daughter or your sister to testify in front of a judge? Do you want to let a stranger decide where your daughter has to live? Listen, you’re going to have to give up custody either way, wouldn’t you rather do it here–outside of court?”

Eunbi crossed her arms and swivels