Naeun kept pacing back and forth in an empty hallway.

Despite spending most of yesterday’s time with Taemin, Naeun managed to complete and memorize her testimony. It was short but coherent and concise which was how she wanted it to be. Though her mind was ready to face L, her heart wasn’t. Things didn’t get calmer when Naeun spotted L’s adoptive parents. She had seen them before in school but had never conversed with them. The look on his mother’s face crushed her heart. Even though she wasn’t L’s biological mother, a mother’s love is a mother’s love - there are no boundaries to it. Her husband rubbed his wife’s back as he whispered comforting words to her, hoping it would elevate her mood.

Naeun couldn’t help but feel remorse for what she was about to do to them - putting their only son in years of imprisonment. But she suffered too. Naeun needed justice and L needed to be brought to justice.

The heartbroken couple wasn’t the worst she saw. Many of her peers who had heard of the news came to attend the trial, including L’s friends. They looked disgustingly at her group of friends, especially Taemin. He returned their glares with the same intensity.

Naeun had to get away from the stuffy environment and the murmurs and glances everyone was giving her. So, there she was, in the empty hallway with only the echoes of her boots clucking as her company. She rubbed her hands for warmth but also in anxiousness. Whispering encouraging words failed and so did happy thoughts.

“Slow down there, honey.”

Naeun didn’t have to turn around to recognize whose voice that belonged to.

“Taemin Oppa,” she began, “I don’t know if I can do this. What if I start breaking down in the middle of my testimony? What if I stutter and can’t get the message across? What if the judge and lawyers think that my past was only a made-up story to get back at L? What if they decide to release him? What if-”

Taemin stopped her, “Relax, Nang-ni. You’ve been practicing and memorizing that speech all night, I swore I wanted to rip the paper away from you,” he joked.

“I couldn’t sleep without hearing a few phrases in my head!”

She chuckled at his humorous attempt but quickly became anxious again.

“But what if-” Taemin interrupted her again.

“No more what-ifs. Ready or not, you are going into that courtroom and claim L’s guilt,” Taemin said sternly. Her shoulders slouched but Naeun knew he was right. She nodded grimly.

“And don’t worry about everyone else,” he continued, lifting her head for her eyes to meet his, “Just keep your eyes on me.”

Memories of her time at the ice skating rink and their snowball fights resurfaced and she couldn’t stop a small smile from forming. Taemin smiled back and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Her eyes widened.

“Oppa,” she hissed, frantically turning her head left and right to see if anyone had witnessed their tiny display of affection.

Taemin chuckled at her reaction and was about to go in for another one when the voice of their beloved Headmaster interrupted his moment.

“Naeun-ssi,” he said.

“Yes?”

“The trial is starting in five minutes. Please prepare.”

Naeun nodded at her Headmaster as Taemin growled softly. She pinched him by the arm.

“Ow!” he hissed quietly.

“And kids,” Headmaster Han called out to them again, “Please keep things professional. We are at a court, not a club.”

Naeun’s face beamed red and Taemin let out a low cough.

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

Once Headmaster Han was out of sight, Naeun smacked Taemin again.

“Stop hitting me woman!” he complained.

“He saw us, you pabo!” she scolded back.

“It was just a quick kiss!” Taemin claimed innocently, raising his arms in defense, “That’s nothing compared what we had last-”

“Stop!” she raised a hand at him, “Let’s just forget about this and go back to the others.”

Taemin scoffed, “It’s not like we did anything yesterday,” as an evil smirk curved its way up to his face.

I swear to God, he’s going to be the death of me!

She smacked him once more before walking away.

Taemin grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in for a hug.

“O-Oppa,” she tried pulling herself away, but that only made his hold stronger.

“You’ll do fine,” he said, his serious tone back. Naeun felt herself relaxing into his embrace as her arms wrapped around his waist.

“After today, everything will finally be over.”

Naeun nodded in reply.

An announcement was suddenly made that the trial of Kim Myungsoo would commence in two minutes.

Time to enter the belly of the beast.

~~~

The side door opened and through it came two policemen holding L by his arms. A sob could be heard from his mother. She had not stopped crying since stepping foot into the courtroom. L’s father was trying to put up a brave face but even Naeun could see behind his mask; he too was at a point of breaking. He was just holding it in for his wife.

And his son.

A flashback of her past reminded Naeun of the time L mentioned his relationship with his father. Despite the love he tried to give L, L never saw him as a father; just a man who gave him whatever he wanted but not what he needed and like every other CEO, his father barely spent time with L. His relationship with his mother was closer, but he could never see her past the “woman who gave him another chance in life that my mother gave up on.”

Like Jonghyun, Naeun too had tried to persuade L to talk things out with his parents before it was too late. He ignored her then and now, it was too late.

L avoided her gaze. It upset and annoyed Naeun.

After everything you’ve done, the least you can do is look straight at me while you admit your guilt.

The unknown rage surprised Naeun a little but quickly disappeared as a policeman in front of her held a bible in one hand and spoke, “Ms. Son, do you promise to tell the truth and only the truth?”

She laid one hand on the bible and raised her other arm, “I do.”

It was the judge’s turn to speak, “Ms. Son, you may proceed with your testimony.”

Naeun thanked the judge before looking at the audience. Butterflies in her stomach spiraled like crazy.

I probably shouldn’t have that huge bowl of ramyeon for breakfast, she cursed but she closed her eyes, breathed in and out, and reopened them.

"On the day my school was to return to Seoul from our winter trip, Myungsoo had tricked me into meeting him alone. He confronted me about my lost memories, claiming that I still remembered them then. When I didn’t comply, he assaulted me.”

Naeun caught him flinching a little.

“He shook me like a rag doll before throwing me to the side of the ballroom. He threatened to hit me in the head if it meant regaining my memories. I begged him to stop, told him that I had no clue what he was talking about, but he refused.”

Naeun shivered under the reminder of the incident. She swore her ears could still catch the faint echo of the words, “ADMIT IT!” Her fists clenched tightly on the hem of her sweater.

“But...that wasn’t the first time he assaulted me.”

Small murmurs and gasps echoed in the silent room. Everyone except Taemin and her mother didn’t look surprised.

Taemin’s leg itched. It took every fiber in him to stay calm in front of Naeun yesterday as she described the incident to him. Now that L was only a few feet away, he wanted nothing more than to shake him like a rag doll.

Naeun’s heart palpated; her breathing became uneven and cold sweat dripped down her head. The piercing eyes of L’s lawyer stared intently at , ready to act at the slightest word, the slightest mistake Naeun would make and use it against her.

Calm down, you can do this.

The words were in her head and up but they refused to come out. She couldn’t afford to make a scene, not when she was so close to peace and freedom.

“Ms. Son,” the judge addressed her, “You may continue if you have any more to say.”

“I-I do, j-just give me a second.” Her voice was trembling and she started feeling lightheaded.

Come on, Son Naeun! Get a grip!

“Your honor,” L’s lawyer stood up, “I believe our victim may have been too traumatized by what happened that she seemed to claim a false memory, perhaps?”

Taemin flinched. He unfolded his arms, but Key held him back and shook his head at him.

“While her claim of his assault three weeks ago is deemed worthy to be put the poor boy to punishment, I do not believe Mr. Kim should be charged with attempted and thus, years of imprisonment.”

No, no, no, no! This is not happening!

Naeun was running out of time. If she couldn’t carry out the rest of her testimony, L would only come out with mere punishments.

She closed her eyes tightly, Son Naeun, for once in your life, get a bloody grip!

Just keep your eyes on me.

She widened her eyes open.

Everyone around her disappeared; the room fell silent in her mind.

All Naeun could see was Taemin. He looked as anxious as she was, but he was holding it in for her.

“Keep it...I want to see you wear it tomorrow.”

“Uljima.”

“Nan Joahae…”

Always wear this bracelet...I will protect you.

“You are my Night and Day.”

“And I am so blessed to have met you…”

“I love you.”

Everything he’d done for her, everything he’d do for her, Naeun couldn’t let him down. His kindness, his warmth, his love for her, she wanted to return them all. Then, as if receiving a glimpse of the future, she saw a child squealing with the largest grin Naeun had ever seen as she ran around a green lawn, away from a taller, much older man who chased after her. A woman sat not too far from them, giggling at the sight of their goofiness with a book in her hand.

A new fire burned inside her. A fire that burned brightly for Taemin and herself; for their future.

Taemin had done so much for her.

Now let me return the favor - with peace and joy.

The whole time, the lawyer had yet to stop his blabbering, “And that is why Ms. Son’s-”

“I was sixteen years old,” she interrupted him, her voice so powerful and intimidating, it shook everyone, including herself. L finally looked at her.

Good.

She didn’t look back and continued looking at Taemin. The fire in her soul would be fueled by hope, not hatred.

“I was at Myungsoo's place, confronting him for assaulting a friend of mine. He got furious and started breaking things around him. He…he then cornered me to the sofa, trapping me and then locking my wrists with his hands and my legs with his knees. He told me he'd show me just how much he 'loved me'."

Everyone knew what she meant as more gasps filled the room. L’s parents looked more devastated wishing they were hearing things or that the words coming out of Naeun’s mouth were false.

“He ripped the side of my sleeves, tearing it down to the level of my waist. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't squirm away. I was trapped under his hold as he left bruises and bite marks all over me from my lips down to my neck and around my shoulders. I begged him to stop, that I didn't want what he wanted with me, but his hold only got stronger. His knees loosened as he tried to pull my tattered shirt out and that's when to escape and make a run for it but as I did, I was hit by an oncoming car that left me with mild amnesia. It made me forget everything about Myungsoo and our time together.”

Naeun turned to the judge, “That is all.”

Tears endlessly gushed out of L's mother's eyes, her choked sobs refusing to stop. His father could not bear to look at L.

“Do you have proof, Ms.Son?” the lawyer questioned her.

She swore a vein popped in her head.

Naeun was about ready to rip this guy’s head off.

“She does,” her prosecutor, Mr. Jung, replied for her. He showed the judge a picture of Naeun’s scar as well as the medical records of her accident and amnesia and a letter of proof from Dr. Song about the incident Naeun told her back in the hospital.

“How can we be sure that these pieces of evidence aren’t fabricated?” the lawyer questioned again.

“Aish, I wanna chew his head up,” Eunji growled. Taemin couldn’t agree more. He could sense Naeun’s patience grew thin and her eyes darkened. As attracted as he was from her sudden outburst in confidence, she was on a tightrope. The lawyer, who went by the name Myung Dae-gu, was no easy opponent.

Prosecutor Jung and lawyer Myung were at each other’s neck when a raspy voice interrupted them.

“It’s true.”

L looked at the judge before him, “ I did try to her.”

Naeun couldn’t hide her shock.

“Mr. Kim,” the judge said, “Are you admitting your guilt to the assaults of Ms. Son?”

He looked at her. For a moment, Naeun saw a glimpse of the once happy L who made her heart flutter.

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh, Myungsoo-ah,” his mother wailed.

Lawyer Myung gritted his teeth, “Mr. Kim,” but there was nothing he could do. L had admitted his crimes; the trial was over.

“Kim Myungsoo, you are hereby charged with the assault and attempted of Son Naeun. For your actions, you will be fined $5000 and face three years of imprisonment," and with that, the judge slammed her gavel on the block.

Naeun let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

It's finally over.

Relief washed over her but as she saw the policemen taking L away from the courtroom, her eyes finally met his - hollow, yet full of despair and regret. Memories started flashing in her mind again:

"Myungsoo Oppa!"

"Naneun Joahae, Myungsoo Oppa."

"Na-do, Kitten."

"Promise you'll never leave my side?"

"I promise."

Naeun hated that a tiny part of her felt hollow but her life with L wasn’t just horrific. There were also joyous moments that the two shared. However, nothing could ever seal the wounds he had caused. She dismissed the memories and looked away.

Goodbye, L.

~~~

The doors had closed. The sound of a wailing mother could still be heard from afar. Murmurs and glances aimed at Naeun like laser beams ready to strike.

Naeun ignored them all, her focus only on the man who stood in front of her. He didn’t smile or laugh but she sensed his calmness, his relief. He could sense hers too.

She engulfed him into a hug and he held her tightly.

It’s finally over.