17

       Everyone’s panicking, eyes directed towards two people: one’s having a dull expression while the other one’s emitting anger as she grips on the collar of the other.

“Yujin…” One of the officers tried, calling her in a very low toned voice, trying to calm her.

But no… it’s not enough.

“What did you say?” Yujin questioned, jaw tightened, teeth gritting as she speaks.

There was a tiny smirk painted on Chaewon’s face and it’s making the taller feel more livid, with her blood boiling, and chest burning.

“I’m asking you! What did you say!” No one knows what Chaewon said, only herself… and Yujin.

The two were just casually talking earlier and it’s a shock for everyone, who have to witness this, to suddenly see Chaewon being grabbed by her collar by the junior. Disregarding the titles they have in the Student Council, disregarding the fact that they are both officers and law students…

This is more frightening, knowing what are the differences between the two in someone’s life – Kim Minjoo. The present, and the past. It’s most likely not a coincidence or a simple mistake why one looks so pressed.

“Yujin, please, let’s sort this out by talki-…”

Other officers kept on trying to calm the younger, but Yujin won’t listen, clearly blocking all the noise and just focusing on her senior, “Answer me!”

There’s a scent of not just anger, but also pride and protectiveness in the air. It doesn’t seem like Yujin just got mad over a shallow reason. Upon being with the younger law student for a long time, almost everyone knows how patient she is, but definitely not someone you’d like to have mishandled conflicts, heedless of being playful as well.

But also knowing Chaewon?

One of the role models not only in the law field, but in their entire university as well.

No one can figure out the reason why this commotion even began. Both are good and diligent students, they both have good records in academics and conduct.

“Repeat it.” Yujin commanded in a low raspy voice, still grunting.

And Chaewon just chuckled, looking through the younger's eyes, she must’ve really pressed the red button pretty hard. And, “I’m just joking around, Yujin-ah~” even though responding like that, the smug look on her face couldn’t hide the lie in her excuse.

She meant what she said, she meant to put Yujin on this spot, making the latter seem like the bad guy.

“Hey!” Everyone’s head turned when a voice full of authority echoed in the room, “Ahn Yujin!” it is the President who just came, both appalled and frustrated upon lying her eyes on the scene that the two are creating.

Together with the highest head, there’s the Vice President, Sakura and of course, the base reason of the chaos, Kim Minjoo, the Secretary.

“Yujin, let go of your sen-…”

“SAY IT!” Minjoo from her spot, felt the need to rush towards her girlfriend who’s evidently ready to destroy someone’s face.

“Y-Yujin, please, calm down…” Minjoo requested, her voice so soft – so soothing.

But Yujin didn’t bother until she realized Chaewon’s eyes are lovingly staring at the Secretary. She felt like pushing Minjoo away from the woman, and so she did, she dropped the senior and gently pushed Minjoo on her back, hiding her, and suddenly, the anger obviously shown on her face was topped by softness and worry.

Though confused, Minjoo stepped back, eyes up at Yujin.

“Yujin, what’s happening to you?” The President quickly approached, and questioned the younger’s behavior, displeased.

“Yujin,” Minjoo spoke, holding Yujin’s clenched fist, “Calm down, let’s talk about this properly.”

While on from another perspective, Sakura caught how Chaewon silently let out a chuckle which she quickly erased when the attention was brought to her, “Chaewon, are you okay?”

By that time, Sakura had the premonition that things didn’t start from the younger, that probably, it is just another… scenario everyone wasn’t able to foretell, a scenario where you won’t expect a particular person has that side to cause a huge trouble.

And as someone who has the mind of a future lawyer, “How about you, Yujin? How are you feeling?” Sakura asked, giving the younger the same amount of concern that the others are giving Chaewon.

Yujin was surprised, grateful, somehow, but…

“What happened to the both of you?”

She can’t answer, especially that the subject she’s protecting against a specific type of violation and harm, is right there, right behind her, holding her, scared and worried.

Sakura found it disturbing as the younger can’t seem to answer after glancing at her girlfriend, so she turned to Chaewon, and gave the latter a kind of look, indirectly commanding her to voice it out already.

And there, Chaewon sighed and answered in such of a low toned voice, “We were talking about Minjoo, and I thought we’re friends enough for me to have the right to joke around, but she took it seriously…”

“What type joke? Be specific.”

Chaewon’s eyes met Minjoo’s, and the expression on the medstudent’s face pinched her somewhere in her chest, and to be honest, she knows – what she said was out of the line, but she has to answer, “I, in a jokingly manner asked Yujin, how well is Minjoo with her…”

“Because Minjoo did so well with me before…”

“And I still can taste everything as it vividly flashes my mind time to time. That’s how good she is.” Almost a whisper, Chaewon’s voice came out, yet, as soon as her lips were ready to close after telling the truth, Yujin grabbed her  once again, causing for her let out a stifle sound which was immediately followed by the sound of other students’ surprise tiny gasps.

Yujin wanted to curse right on her senior’s face, she wanted to call her many names, but in anger, all she can do, is clench her jaw, and shakily grip on the collar of the smaller woman.

“Yujin, calm down.” Sakura tapped Yujin by her upper arm, commanding her to let go of Chaewon, which Yujin only did when it’s Eunbi who gave her the disappointed look.

“Go to the office, the two of you, including you Minjoo. And those who are not involved, finish the tasks I gave you.” The President instructed before heading out.

They all went to the said office and the coldness from the air-conditioning made them shudder a little. Minjoo and Sakura were commanded to take the mini sofa, while Eunbi sat on her office chair and the two who caused the trouble sat on the vacant chairs in front of the desk.

“The commotion the two of you made was seriously, intolerable.” Eunbi commented, both exasperation and dissatisfaction can be traced on her voice.

“Yujin, I trusted you to be a member of the council because of your values and proper personality, I am quite surprised by the behavior you showed moments ago.” The President pointed a finger towards Yujin first, and Sakura can’t help, but to in and defend the younger’s side…

“But I guess, it’s Chaewon who started? She admitted joking, right?”

“Right, but we could’ve handled it better.” Eunbi answered, and Sakura’s brows twitched a little before responding, “But nothing could’ve gone wrong if Chaewon didn’t cross the line.”

“What are you trying to imply here, Miss Miyawaki?” Called by her surname formally, Sakura felt drying up not because of nervousness but because this will surely become an argument between them although they are not totally involved. The two younger law students, together with the medstudent even fell silent as the two top officers talked.

“I’m just suggesting that it’s not solely because of Yujin. Yes, the commotion was vividly because of her action, but it could’ve been more prevented if Chaewon didn’t say such thing.”

Eunbi parted her lips, was about to answer, but a knock interrupted them, causing a pause in their conversation as she let the person in.

“Why?”

“I’m sorry to disturb, Unnie, but you have to sign this so we can submit the paper to the administration, they are asking for it already.” Eunbi took the paper in the student’s hand, and while on it…

“Hiichan…”

The student looked at the Vice President, “Let’s have you a quick, random quiz…”

They were confused, all of them, but Sakura just went on, “What is a crime of passion?”

Hitomi had to inhale a good amount of air, thinking deeply about how will she execute the answer to that, and a few moments, she had constructed it very well, “A crime done by, most probably, the defendant, upon the sudden urge of emotion due to the action taken by the victim.”

“Example?”

“A father almost killed a man whom he found out, molested his daughter.”

“And so, will he be convicted for almost killing the man?”

“Yes, he may be punished for the physical injury and attempted murder or homicide, but the counter case the father is holding, is stronger as it includes ual harassment and if it’s a kid whose rights were violated, then also child abuse.” Well said.

Sakura gave Hitomi a nod and a tiny smile, nonverbally complimenting the newly shifted law student from the college of allied medicine.

And the Vice President’s eyes were then brought back to the President who was already staring at her, while handing the paper back to Hitomi.

“I’ll go ahead, thank you.” Hitomi gave everyone a look, slightly and silently cheering them up before stepping out of the door.

And now, it’s just the five of them again, gladly, the tension is already a little lose comparing to earlier. Eunbi had it already, accepting the idea Sakura had uttered that was proven by Hitomi’s answer.

“But…” What more?

“Do you even feel assaulted, Minjoo?” Sakura almost choked, “Because if not then, it’s just Yujin? Am I wrong, Ms. Miyawaki?”

They can tell, Eunbi is being illogical, more like, she just wants to compete. It’s odd, seeing it come through the very head of the council, but instead of inserting it as another topic to discuss…

Minjoo hung her head low, and Sakura had to speak for the medstudent herself by the time she saw her fidgeting…

“It’s already an assault, Eunbi. Having someone to spread or to say to anyone, even if it’s just one person, that you did well on the bed with them is already an assault. It is definitely a private part of someone’s life, and please… what Chaewon did before Yujin’s action is far from being considerable – they are exes.”

“And she’s poking a spot of the present girlfriend, isn’t that an obvious malice, yet when she’s the ex?”

“Order in the court!” The Clerk ordered, everyone turned silent, “All rise! The Honorable Mister Justice is here.” Everyone obeyed, they stood up and gave respect to the Judge who just entered, but despite his appearance, a lot had been focusing to different subjects…

Ahn Yujin – she had been doing nothing ever since she came, she only gave the officials a flash drive and sat comfortably on her chair and waited, she didn’t even open her briefcase or laid any paper on the table, their place is too clean for a criminal trial.

Miyawaki Sakura – one who, supposed to be out of this case already, but is sitting next to the other expert witnesses.

And Jang Wonyoung – someone no one had seen entering the court trials till today.

“Are all parties present?” The Clerk asked, and Hitomi answered first, “Yes. I am Prosecutor Honda Hitomi, and I am acting on behalf of the prosecution on this matter.”

Then Yujin followed, “I am Attorney Ahn Yujin, standing on behalf of the accused.”

“Thank you,” this time, it’s the Judge who spoke, “Kim Minjoo, please stand to hear the charge…”

From the counter side of the defense, Hitomi, tilted her head towards Yujin’s direction, unconsciously wanting to check the Defense Lawyer, yet only to meet the gaze of the latter who had her eyes gazing on the Prosecutor for a moment already.

Terrifying, Yujin is, she’s going to be honest.

Being Yujin’s officemate and sometimes, a partner in Criminal Law cases had given her the opportunity to know the younger one deeper, both as a person, but mostly, as a professional.

Ahn Yujin – usually daunting inside the courtroom, totally different from what she is, compared to her being in her normal state.

And she has that attitude, that pride and confidence when entering the facility where everyone is about to judge a number of people. It is always either Yujin is smiling, showing that she’s proud, or frowning because of discontentment.

But today…

There’s nothingness in her expression…

Unpaintable, she is about this case.

Sakura stayed on the couch, leaning on the backrest, her arms and legs crossed…

“Did you really just call me by my surname, Miss Kwon?” She asked, doing the same thing, and the President sat on her own chair, not lifting her eyes up to look at her Vice.

“Mhmm…”

“You don’t do that when you’re not mad, are you?”

“No, I don’t know… I just got carried away by it. I’m… surprised that the two fought.”

Sakura gazed on her, she wanted to tell how much irrational Eunbi was earlier, and that this is not how she works, but rather directly saying it, she instead, chose to question…

“Will you blame me, if someone touched you and I break their bones?”

Eunbi’s eyes got stuck to her Vice President’s orbs, her lips parted a bit as she tried to form out an answer yet, all she was able to do was to look down on her table and say, “We’re future lawyers, each and every action we will do should be proper, in accordance with the ethics.”

And earned a sigh from Sakura, who squeezed her eyes shut close as she responded, “Life is not just about following law, we have other matters to take care of too – psychologically, medically... Our life doesn’t just revolve around the ethics we all knew…”

“If it does then…”

“We shouldn’t be hangi-…” Sakura’s eyes widened, and got cut off when a student barge into the office, sweating and in a hurry…

“Chaewon-ssi and Yujin-ssi!” The student didn’t even know what to say, how to explain whatever it is, but the two officers had the idea already and quickly went out to assist.

Running to where the student lead them, students made way for the top two head officers and there, they saw another scene worse than what happened earlier.

“I thought we’ve settled this!?” Eunbi yelled, students forming a circle around them once more.

One student is standing, panting so hard, sweating, glaring at the one who’s almost lying on the floor, has a few bruises and a wound.

It hasn’t been twenty minutes yet since they had talked in the office, not even five minutes but here they are…

“Yujin, what do you really want!?”

Yujin instead of answering Eunbi, with her sharper glare, decided to shout, “You didn’t stop! I tried walking ahead of you to avoid another chaos, but instead of letting me go, you really had to say it aloud!”

Yujin crouched and pulled Chaewon up a little, gripping on her small arms. No one can stop the prior, she’s mad, and some of the students were able to hear what Chaewon said the time they’re already out of the office and they were too shocked to even act as officers…

“I don’t care if you or she did well, I don’t care about anything that had happened between the two of you before. I’m sure your words are meant to hurt me. But don’t you think, the main person getting affected by your words is Minjoo herself?”

“Suddenly letting everyone know she’s good at things that should remain just as something between you and her? Are you really going to use her just to break us off? You’re this low?”

“You’re disgusting, Unnie. I’m really on the verge of thinking that you did more than not lending her proper time and affection, a reason for the two of you to break up. I respected you a lot despite being her ex and accepted the offer of friendship, but now? You’re a crazy one, I guess.”

“Y-Yujin, please…” Both of their attention was caught by a very worried tone, worried… only for one person.

The younger law student stepped back as she felt a pair of hands pulling her away from the senior, and despite the trouble, Yujin faced Minjoo with full of concern, to say… “It’s okay.”