20 – [1 of 2]

        Nine in the morning, she sat on a steel chair, the same chair she usually takes, back on those days it was her wife who she would meet.

The room was filled with nothing but the stainless table and the steel chairs, a microphone and a few off cameras – Interrogation Room, it is, where suspects are being investigated, examined and questioned.

It's cold, but Yujin couldn't even bother herself to wrap up or feel it as she sets up her laptop, plugging into the USB port is a flash drive containing a number of videos and photos she thought, she should see.

Personal vlogs, song covers, song performances and the others are just random videos and photos taken from their college years up to working days. It's just sad, these videos will never continue, no clips will ever add up to the folder anymore as the owner died in the hands of her own lover, the usual subject of the clips themselves.

Coming that in mind, how the case was concluded followed. It has been four days since the last trial for the case of the murdered victim Kim Chaewon, a fine lawyer, a respected human all in all, and despite her death, people can think of an 'at least' statement – At least, she had her justice served.

"I am Prosecutor Miyawaki Sakura, standing on behalf of the prosecution."

Back to the case, Sakura stood up and introduced herself as the prosecutor for the same case she held weeks ago. It never crossed her mind that she'll be back on the same courtroom to handle the same case, yet with a different set of witnesses and a new defendant, but with everything already placed on her table, nothing should be a problem.

It was all connecting perfectly anyway, thanks to Yujin.

Mentioning Yujin, the young one is sitting, this time, along with the crowds beside her friends Chaeyeon and Yena. Another difference comparing to today's court trial and the previous ones is that, they're finally sitting on the prosecution side, not wanting to cheer for the defense side even though...

It is also a friend who's going to be examined and sentenced.

"This should be the last, right?" Yena broke off the silence within them three. Chaeyeon responded with a look, while Yujin's eyes narrowed a bit as she watches Sakura listen through the witness examinations and didn't speak until both women are looking at her.

"With the evidences that I've presented and are still lying on the table against the defense, I guess so."

"By the way," Chaeyeon leaned a little closer to the younger, "Why is it Sakuchan, not you? Like what you said, you're the one who presented everything, right?"

Yujin breathed in, "Although I want to, even though I want to stand there and question Hitomi, I can't. My title says Criminal Defense Lawyer, I already shrugged off being a prosecutor, years ago, and so I can't prosecute anyone in a courtroom. That's a law."

Then, there was a silent sigh from the two. It doesn't feel right, well, when did it feel right to watch someone who took another's life to be prosecuted and defended? – What it means not to feel right is perhaps, due to the fact that they're here not only as audience, but as a few of those people in front, are their friends.

Sakura as the prosecutor, Wonyoung as the last standing witness for the prosecution side, and them as one of those hoping for Chaewon's death to be finalized with rightful justice.

To think that even the defendant named Honda Hitomi, usually called as Attorney Honda Hitomi, is the one wearing a blue coverall uniform with her hands secured with handcuffs.

That woman with oh so innocent face, so quiet lips, seemingly pure orbs, sweetly toned voice, fragile appearance, the woman they used to call not just Attorney but "Bread Lover", had the thought and had practiced injecting lethal chemicals to the person they didn't even know until it was revealed, she loves the most.

Just like the Embodiment of Perfection, the Bread Lover has been someone most of the people won't foresee as a being that will fail to obey a highly and strictly observed law, and contravene the way how people view them and the reason why they are respected.

A lot had been in Yujin, Yena and Chaeyeon's minds, they didn't even notice that the time is running quickly until Wonyoung got off of the wites box.

"What will happen to Wonyoung after this?" Yena asked, and Yujin just answered, "Nothing. Chaewon's parents are not filing any cases against anyone, but just against Hitomi alone."

Right, "They didn't file a case against you too, right?"

Yujin nodded, "They're only after the one who had the actual thought of killing her although I, to be honest, still contributed to it."

"If it wasn't for Chaewon collapsing because of me then she could've the time to escape, or energy to fight. Or she and Hitomi will have an argument at home rather than having to harm one another."

It was never Yujin's fault, of course, the entire occurrence was something she or anyone, never had a thought of coming. But no one can deny that needless to say, what she did was a crime too, to let her emotions devour her logical mind that night, beat her senior until unconscious. It was never right at any point.

Yet to Chaewon's family, there are these types of wrong, one for being selfish or for selfish desires, which is the unacceptable one, and the other is the reasonably wrong side, where Yujin is. How she acted was reasonable, somewhat still, acceptable. Even the family themselves, didn't expect that their lovely Kim Chaewon will commit adultery, or even hide a person she's in relationship with, what more to suddenly find out that the unannounced fiancée killed the woman. That’s what it makes for only Hitomi's act to be more prominent than anything else in the situation.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, I guess, you did your part already. You found who injected the chemicals and presented firm evidences. You’re actually too nice or doing that, you know?” Yena looked at her, deeply gazing through her eyes with sincerity.

“You put to an end to the situation you’re supposed to be not involved anymore, and you reached this point of helping despite what they did to you.”

Well said, very… well said.

“Proceed.” The Judge ordered, and the present Defense Lawyer responded by, “I call Honda Hitomi to the witness box.” And a Sheriff escorted the defendant, who remained standing to pronounce the oath.

“Do you swear the evidence you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

This is the last chance Hitomi, “You’ve lied for long and hard enough, this is your last chance to save everything we all still hold.”

“Yes.”

“State your name and past job, please.”

“Honda Hitomi, was a prosecutor.”

“All you have to do now is, be honest, please…”

“You may now be seated.” The Clerk said, and the Defense Lawyer took a deep breath as soon as the Defendant obeyed.

“What was you relation with the victim again, Miss Honda?” Her Lawyer asked, “I’m her,” Hitomi let out a deep sig and continued… “Fiancée.”

“For how long have you been with her as a girlfriend?”

“Since two years after our graduation? It’s been long.”

The Lawyer nodded, the examination currently going on sounds so bland, it really contains no specialty. There’s nothing the Defense Lawyer can do for Hitomi anymore anyway, he can’t prove her innocent anymore, that’s for sure. And it will be even harder for them to ask for the sentence to be degraded, because it was a first degree murder, planned beforehand, and was successfully done.

“I see. So, what made you think of committing that crime?”

Yet, there’s always spice in dramas, right?

“Because I was mad? I loved her with all of me, with everything I have and yet she had the thickness to cheat on me with that woman. I was just… mad.”

There always is.

“And you know, since I gave her everything… I should receive the equal treatment, right?”

“But she wants me off, she admires her better, still. So, if it’s not for me even if I want it, then, dispose it than let someone use what should be yours.”

It was the same answer she gave Eunbi, and even after hearing it ahead of everyone, the oldest is as surprise as those people with her in the crowd at this moment. There were even audible gasp, even Hitomi’s Lawyer was a bit taken aback.

Obsessive? Possessive? Psycho? – Be that as it may, the Defendant doesn’t seem to be in the right state, oh well, who in the world is in the right mind to commit anot just a crime, but asin? She had been this broken, malfunctioning as a human being for years, and now is the time to show each and every part of it. She no longer hods a reason to hide.

The Lawyer stood frozen for some quite of time, which Hitomi found as an opportunity to say everything she has in mind that time, or at least, to confess what was actually about to happen, how her plan was supposed to be.

“Do you know why those chemicals? Or why that procedure? Why not just beat her to death that night when I had the opportunity after Ahn’s act?”

“Well, I wanted not my fiancée to suffer upon receiving the injections, what I actually planned was to inject it to someone else, the base reason of this…”

“Kim Minjoo.”

Everyone flinched, especially Yujin, the younger almost flew to the Defendant’s position, was about to react in an unlawful way once more, but Yena and Chaeyeon beside her pushed her back to her seat.

“I just want to live a peaceful life, you know, to get rid of pests is the step one to it.”

Yujin started to shake.

“I mean, you see, even Ahn Yujin almost killed Chaewon before me, when she found them ing each other.”

“The only different thing I had in mind was, what I did… was preplanned.”

“But oh well, that night was too overwhelming. I felt devastated and I just did what came into my mind first.”

Great shock, everyone is in.

For how many times had they been receiving surprises from this case already? How many twists in personalities are there? – Minjoo cheating, Yujin almost committing the same crime, Wonyoung being an accomplice witness, Hitomi testifying her own crime, everything they’re unleashing is… beyond against how they are being viewed.

Almost everyone shivered after hearing Hitomi’s statements, even the Judge himself got terrified of how the defendant, a former Defense Lawyer and Prosecutor thinks, but one froze…

Ahn Yujin.

“Get rid of pests is the step one to it.”

“Even Ahn Yujin almost killed Chaewon before me.”

No, no…

It’s not the same, they’re not the same.

They don’t think alike, but how she beat up Chaewon till almost lifeless invaded her sanity once more, every punch flooded her, and if it weren’t for Yena commenting, “Hey, look at the Lawyer, even him is appalled.” She could’ve felt dizzy already.

The Lawyer can’t say much, this is not how he briefed his client, this is not how they planned it, but he rode the flow, took another heavy breath and this time, faced everyone.

“Thank you. Your Honor, I have no further questions.”

And that was it for the defense position, now, it’s time for…

“Crown, do you have any questions for this witness?”

Sakura, the Prosecutor, “Yes, Your Honor.” She responded and quickly stood up, fixing her sleeves as she walks to the platform, eyes up on Hitomi’s pair, eyeing the younger who she used to see as a pretty innocent one.

A friend…

She’s going to prosecute a friend.

She did try to do the same to Yujin during the first set of trials, but why does this one feels different, heavily incomparable.

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