Yujin stood right before the man wearing a common orange prison jumpsuit, looking down at him emotionlessly, and almost coldly — her eyes were dead-like, and intimidating. Her chin was tilted up confidently albeit not proudly, and she was nearly asserting dominance, and the people that were present at that very court were either gawking at her in admiration, or glaring at her with full of bubbling resentment. But she couldn’t care less anymore, those kinds of stares couldn’t bother her anymore — she was basically immuned to those already, after spending a lot of time in the court, of course she was already used to it but nevertheless, it always made her skin crawl, and her heart would beat erratically in anxiousness.

 

She then took a step back silently, pressing the ‘play’ button on the remote of the projector, and soon, a video was played for the present human-beings in the court to watch, and see. Yujin pursed her lips, trying not to grit her teeth, and forced herself to watch the scene playing before her.

 

In the video, a man could be seen kneeling in front of a bleeding woman on the floor, lifeless, and pitiful. Yujin winced, geez, she forgot to censor the gruesome part of the video — but even though it was something disgusting, terrifying, yet infuriating at the same time, people still watched it with wide, shocked eyes. And soon enough, the cries of the man seen in the video intensified around the cold, silent court. He was crying because he saw her dead just like that, or he was crying out of happiness because he killed her? Yujin clenched her fist on her side, she could feel herself trembling a bit. She knew the truth.

 

The man in the video was still crying until the very end of the recording, and the court, once again became dead-silent that Yujin could even hear the heavy breathing of the orange-clad convict near her, seemingly trying not to cry or shout something.

 

With a deep breath, Yujin faced the man again — and he was the same man in the video, but this time, he looked like he finally lost his soul, and his eyes were literally dead. And he looked so terrified, angry, and gloomy at the same time that Yujin pitied him, she pitied him badly. A bile started to rise up on , but she needed to keep going.

 

“So, that’s the video, the very evidence, the solid proof,” Yujin started, her voice was cold, and empty — practically avoiding eye-contact with almost everyone, and started to pace around the place, and suddenly, everything was so heavy as every pair of eyes were on her again. “And I think that’s enough, no? Enough evidence that this man, sitting in front of me with his hands cuffed — killed his own sister so he could solely receive all of the fortune their parents left for them.” added Yujin, she then halted in front of the said man, eyeing him. She did not eye him with disgust or hatred but she stared at him emotionlessly, not even showing a hint of emotion, or any pity at all.

 

That was one of the things Yujin learned how to do after years of working as a prosecutor of a leading law firm with a huge reputation. She learned how to conceal her real feelings when she was standing in the middle of the court. Yujin showed no mercy, no pity, no disgust, no loathing. It was her rule, the rule that would make her feel less vulnerable, less exposed.

 

“Even so, let me ask you again, Mr. Han.” Yujin firmly said, then pursed her lips for a few moments, continuing when she gathered enough courage, “Did you kill your own sister?” asked Yujin, almost a hiss.

 

The man in orange remained silent for seconds, his lips were obviously quivering, and there were tears forming in his eyes, threatening to fall. His shoulders were also starting to shake, and after a beat of silence, he slowly shook his head — almost desperately, and pleading. “N-No, please, I didn’t — I would never,” He choked out, stammering, and his eyes started to show fury, and fear. “This is not right, I-I coincidentally entered that room the moment she was bleeding, and already lifeless. I didn’t kill her, please.” His tone was defeated but full of sincerity.

 

Yujin just shook her head, out of pity, maybe. Then, turned to the judge who was eyeing the scene from his seat, wearing an unreadable expression on his face. He was a fat, old man — almost bald under that hat, and his face was full of wrinkles that showed that he was around his sixties already. His eyes were cruel, and dark, and it never failed to make Yujin feel annoyed.

 

He started to blabber s about the law, and the evidences — but Yujin was too distracted to listen, not like she wanted to hear his ing voice talking about justice, and all. Everything passed by a blur. But then, he suddenly reached for the gavel, slamming it on his desk, and, “This case is closed.”

 

///

 

Yujin finally stepped outside of the court after wrapping up. There was no mess earlier when the convict was sent to the prison, and he landed a life-time imprisonment too. He also didn’t fight back or anything. He just let the policemen him out with a defeated, crestfallen look on his face. He looked utterly devastated, and the only thing he did when he got escorted out of the court was — he just glared at his relatives who showed no pity on him, almost looking delighted to see him that his hands were cuffed, and wearing prison clothes.

 

The young prosecutor then looked up, staring at the night sky, and felt the heavy weight on shoulders still not lifting away. She took a deep breath, and ruffled her hair in frustration. The trial went smoothly but she was about to burst, she was so frustrated, and angry at herself. Because hell, she knew the truth — she knew who the real murderer was, and it was not him. It was not her brother, it wasn’t the man who pleaded guilty earlier. He was saying the truth earlier when he said he wasn’t the one who killed his sister but he still got charged for murder, which he didn’t even really do. He was purely innocent from the crime.

 

It was a suicide, the sister comitted suicide because of the taunt, and harassment of the other family members, and when she was found, the relatives framed him for killing his own sister so they would get the fortune for themselves since he would be sent to prison. The man also lacked an alibi so he didn’t have any slightest chance at all.

 

But yet, Yujin didn’t fight for the real truth. She didn’t fight for the one who really needed real justice. And she was sick of herself for doing that, and often too.

 

And she couldn’t do much about it. This was her job. She knew that her real job was to defend the innocent, and fight for real justice but… the world was harsh, and cruel. She needed to do this, she needed to take the side of the bad sometimes — and it made her sick, and loathe herself even more for letting the evil ones roam around freely like that, and the other innocents would be stuck in prison cells, wondering how their lives turned out like that when they truthfully didn’t do a crime at all. She wanted to throw up whenever she had to defend the bad ones. But she was left with no choice.

 

She didn’t even want this job in the first place. Her mom just wanted her to be a prosecutor like Yujin’s uncle. Yujin didn’t also know what to take up when she reached college anyway so she decided to follow her mom’s wants, and took up Law.

 

God, Yujin was so ashamed of herself. She was damn good at her job, she was damn good at defending evil people and putting innocent people into jail. ing hell. It felt like the moon and the stars above her were judging her whole existence, like they all knew everything about her deeds.

 

Then, her phone rang — snapping her out of her daze. She took out the phone from the pocket of her trousers, and checked the caller ID. She heaved a sigh after she glanced at it before answering it. “Hey, sorry, I just finished a trial.” greeted Yujin but the moment she finished speaking, the call ended just like that, and the woman took a deep inhale.

 

She checked her notification after, and she saw about thirty unread messages, and ten missed calls from none other than her girlfriend, Wonyoung — which made her roll her eyes, and grit her teeth. She was also the one who called her, and hung up soon after she spoke.

 

“God, I’m so tired, and so done with all of this.” Yujin mumbled under her breath, then loosened the tie around her collar, and popped the very first button open so she could breathe more properly. She was so exhausted — the trial earlier was mentally, emotionally, and physically draining, and she was drowning in guilt, and on top of it all, she needed to deal with her girlfriend.

 

It started to become a daily routine for Wonyoung to bombard her with messages, and missed calls, and whenever Yujin tried to reach out — she was always giving her cold shoulders, and angry at her which were really annoying, and Yujin was on the verge of snapping one of these days. She was good with her temper, being a prosecutor and all but she was slowly approaching her limit because of Wonyoung’s actions lately.

 

Wonyoung wasn’t like this before, she wasn’t acting so crazy possessive over Yujin — she was a very understanding, caring girlfriend, before. She was supportive too, even always making an effort to buy her lunch or snacks then visit her girlfriend’s office in the law firm. She would send her cute messages in the morning before Yujin woke up, and that would make the latter smile — those messages even boosted her energy to get up from her bed, and go to work even though she knew it would be stressful.

 

However, it started to disappear, the cute heartwarming messages, and the visits. Instead, Wonyoung started to become more possessive, and crazy, always messaging her, and calling her almost every minute even if Yujin was working. And she even had the guts to get angry whenever her prosecutor girlfriend would reply late, and all — she used to be alright at Yujin cancelling their plans together because of work but now, she would throw a fit whenever Yujin would decline to meet up with her.

 

And it was so exhausting. It was unhealthy, and toxic. Because of these, Yujin was starting to fall out of love, and was ready to leave their two year long relationship. If things would still go like this, and the younger woman wouldn’t change, then Yujin would leave her because that was for the better. It wasn’t working anymore, and Yujin was suffocated, it felt like Wonyoung had a leash on her. She hated that.

 

Without even reading the messages that Yujin was sure were only gibberish, or even calling Wonyoung back — she placed her phone back into her pocket then took another deep breath before walking. She used the bus today since she wasn’t in the mood for a few minutes of driving. Plus, she wanted to have a walk around, and take a breather because everything was too much, probably stop by in a store, and get some drinks.

 

And with that, Yujin walked to the nearest store with her hand in her pocket, and her other one holding her briefcase. It was pretty chill, but not freezing. Thankfully, Yujin wore her blazer today or else she might really shiver because of the coldness. She stopped by the store, and bought a can of Coca-Cola, and suddenly, rain started to pour.

 

She decided to stand in front of the store, and wait for the light rain to stop while sipping on her coke, and thinking about decisions, and all. She was considering quitting her job, it felt it wasn’t right anymore after all. And then, live again in her parents’ home. But she realized that she couldn’t do that. She was the breadwinner of her family, and this job paid nicely so if she would leave the job — for sure, she would have a hard time finding another one that would pay her handsomely. It didn’t help that her mom was in the hospital, she needed treatment for her cancer.

 

Her train of thoughts stopped after a rushing figure stopped beside her in front of the store, also avoiding the rain, and desperate for a temporary cover. Thankfully enough, the canopy was big enough to fit two or three people.

 

Curiously, Yujin turned to the person — who was a woman, she realized after seeing that she had long hair, and it was dyed light pink that reminded her of cherry blossoms which made the prosecutor stare longer, wondering where she might’ve seen someone who also had pink hair. It was very familiar.

 

It also didn’t help that this pink haired woman was very familiar. Her figure, the style of her clothing, and perfume. Everything just felt so familiar, and Yujin stared longer, trying to see her face.

 

The woman was straightening her purple hoodie, which was lightly drenched from the rain, and she was wearing jeans shorts, with a pair of familiar worn-out sneakers. And that was when Yujin finally recognized her, and she was about to speak when the pink haired woman turned to look back at her, her eyes widening instantly in recognition.

 

“Woah, Yujin? Is that you?” The woman with pink hair immediately asked, her face lightened up, as her eyes became even more sparkly when she spotted a familiar face.

 

Yujin flashed a bright grin, nodding. “It is, fancy seeing you here, Minjoo-unnie.” She replied, and chuckled, meeting Minjoo halfway for a reunion hug. And wow, it was warm, Minjoo was warm. Her heart flipped a bit as they hugged, feeling the familiar warmth spreading through her body.

 

Minjoo smelled the same. And she was still shorter than Yujin, so she tucked her chin on the taller woman’s shoulders as they hugged, just like the old times. It made Yujin smile so brightly, and happy to see Minjoo again, and she had to appear in her life again when she was having a crisis, and a very bad day. For that reason, suddenly, everything went better.

 

“How are you, you big pup?” asked Minjoo after they broke the hug, still smiling as she faced Yujin properly, looking up to meet her eyes. “It’s been years since we last saw each other.” added the older woman, reaching for Yujin’s arm.

 

Smiling, Yujin eyed Minjoo, and wow, she still looked the same — she was still the same old, ethereal Kim Minjoo. She was still calm, soft-spoken, and her eyes lit up whenever she saw something familiar or interesting. She was still so beautiful, but even way prettier now that her face matured even more, her features sharpened, and became a lot more prominent. Her pink hair made her look more radiant than she was.

 

But all in all, she was still Kim Minjoo — her ex-roommate, classmate, and close friend when they were in highschool. They remained friends, of course, but they drifted apart after they went to different college schools, and all. They still sometimes talk through social media since they couldn’t meet up anymore after Minjoo flew to Switzerland to follow her parents years ago.

 

“I’m all fine, I guess. A prosecutor now,” replied Yujin, chuckling weakly, and then threw the can of coke away. “How about you? You didn’t tell me you’re back! When did you get back here?” She threw a question, giggling — she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket but she ignored it, knowing it was just Wonyoung.

 

Minjoo’s eyes lit up more, looking really genuinely happy for Yujin. “Oh my, you’re a successful woman now, Yuj. Congrats, really, I’m so happy for you!” She exclaimed, her grip on her arm tightened for a squeeze, and Yujin gave her a tight smile, she didn’t have the guts to ruin this conversation with Minjoo. That conversation about how much she hated her job would be for the next time. “And I just got here two days ago,” added Minjoo but she didn’t elaborate on that further.

 

Yujin then realized this might be a pretty long reunion conversation, so she decided to ask Minjoo, “Thanks, and pretty recently then?” She paused then continued. “Also, do you have anything to do tonight? I want to invite you to my place so we could talk more. My apartment is just nearby.” asked Yujin with a soft smile etched on her face.

 

Minjoo beamed at that, nodding, “Sure, I don’t really have plans tonight, besides — we have a lot of things to catch up, yes?” She responded with her brows arched up in amusement. Yujin chuckled at that, very happy to know that she would spend the night talking with her long-time friend. It would be very nice to catch up with each other’s lives.

 

They soon walked together towards Yujin’s apartment after they bought some snacks from the store they were just in earlier. And of course, on the way there, they talked about their past. Their talk on the way to Yujin’s home was their past, and other old memories together like Yujin getting hit on the face with a volleyball by Minjoo in their P.E. class years ago which made the both of them laugh as they reminisced the wonderful memory.

 

“Sorry, it’s a lil’ bit messy here. Don’t really have much time to clean up.” Yujin apologized shyly the moment the both of them entered the apartment unit. She hastily took off her shoes, and hung her coat on the hanger before cleaning up some mess around the house. It wasn’t that messy but still, she was a little bit embarrassed since she knew Minjoo was a very clean person, and she used to nag at Yujin before when they were still roommates whenever she was being too messy around the dorm.

 

Minjoo giggled, placing the snacks on top of the table, before roaming her eyes around the unit — Yujin’s unit was not really big, nor small, just the average with two bedrooms. She smiled at the taller woman who was gathering a few trash from the countertop, collecting it inside a big plastic bag before throwing it in the bin. “It’s alright, it’s actually pretty tidy. Before, your mess was much worse. Seems like you learned how to clean properly now, Ahn.” The older woman .

 

Yujin made a face at the tease, but she chuckled nonetheless. Of course, she learned. After living with a clean, tidy person like Minjoo for years — she learned how to clean and organize stuff better than before. Now, she also hates seeing stuff being too messy so she would clean immediately.

 

“Duh, I’m a whole grown up adult now, I’m twenty six now not seventeen, thank you very much,” the prosecutor replied with a playful tone before rolling up the sleeves of her shirt until her elbows. “Do you want a coffee? I’ll make cups for us.” asked Yujin with a soft smile then leaned on the counter.

 

Minjoo nodded, almost too eagerly at that, standing awkwardly by the table. “Yes, please. I could get some caffeine tonight. You know my coffee taste.” She said with a wink which made Yujin laugh, turning around to prepare the coffee for them, nodding along.

 

“Yeah, of course. I still remember. You always loved to order me around to make you some coffee,” replied the younger woman with a giggle and playful roll of eyes as she recalled those times they had projects or quizzes that required them to pull an all-nighter. Minjoo loved coffee, and so, almost often — she made Yujin make her coffee since the latter knew the right taste Minjoo always loved. “You can sit on the couch, you know. Make yourself feel at home, alright?”

 

They had a light-hearted talk while waiting for the coffee machine to do its work, then after Yujin had made it — she went to the couch, and sat close beside Minjoo with two steaming coffee in mugs on her hands. She placed the hot coffees on the coffee table in front of them, then continued their talk. They were so immersed with talking that they didn’t even realize that they scooted closer to one another, and shifted position.

 

Minjoo was leaning to Yujin’s broad shoulder, and the latter had her arm draped across the older woman’s shoulders, and resting her head on top of Minjoo’s head while sipping on their coffees. They were so close with one another but it wasn’t too unfamiliar for the both of them, they were very close when they were still living under the same roof anyway. Surprisingly, the both of them weren’t too shy, and wary around each other even after years of not meeting in person again. They remained comfortable with each other. It was natural for them to be as close as possible.

 

It was sweet, and warm. Yujin could smell her perfume — vanilla, and jasmine. Minjoo really loved the scent, and Yujin came to love it too even way before.

 

“Why did you go back, by the way?” Yujin finally asked the question she had been meaning to ask. Minjoo hummed, almost sadly as she played with the mug on her hands, tapping her fingers lightly on the mug.

 

Taking a deep breath, Minjoo started sharing. “Well, our family business in Switzerland is on the brink of bankruptcy. And I went back here to find a nice, stable job to help since it’s a little bit hard to get a job there because I’m a foreigner.” She started off, her voice was solemn that Yujin’s heart ached a bit for Minjoo. Still hard working, and a good daughter even until now.

 

Minjoo came from a wealthy family unlike her. Her parents had a medium sized manufacturing company in Switzerland so the older woman was pretty loaded before — but even so, she was wise with her money but yet would always buy Yujin some stuff and food for no reason at all. But now, she was trying to make ends meet too, like Yujin.

 

“Oh no, what happened?” Yujin couldn’t help but to ask, frowning a bit, and a little bit sad. Mr. and Mrs. Kim were smart, and very good at handling their business, they were kind and nice like Minjoo, and Yujin got to talk with them a lot of times before. She was fond of the married couple. She felt sad for them, hoping that the business would be stable again.

 

And Minjoo talked about it. How their business went down after an employee had a scandal that blew off the whole country. He was revealed to be a notorious murderer, and , and people started to boycott their company because they were hiring ‘bad people’. From then on, the image of their company got destroyed, a lot of other employees quitted, and one by one, the investors also stopped investing because the company was losing tons of customers, and clients.

 

Minjoo was obviously disheartened because of what happened, both of them knew that Minjoo’s parents did their everything to make the company rise up, but after one scandal, those years of hard work went into the drain. But even if Minjoo was really furious at what happened, she was determined to help in any way she could.

 

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Yujin’s voice was soft, and really sorry but Minjoo just smiled at her weakly. “I’ll help you find a job, don’t worry. Let’s keep in touch, okay?” whispered the taller woman, trying to reassure her.

 

Minjoo shot her a very grateful look, and her eyes lit up once again. “Thank you, Yujin, really. I’m really lucky that I ran into you in that store,” The both of them chuckled. Yujin snickered that the feeling was mutual. “Also, do you know someone who’s looking for a roommate or anything? I need a place too actually since my parents needed to sell our house here. I’m currently staying in a motel downtown.”

 

Yujin paused for a few moments, not liking that Minjoo was staying in a motel. God, she felt a shiver crawling up to her spine. And before she could even think of it thoroughly, she spoke, “How about… you stay here? I have a spare bedroom, let’s live together again like the old times.” She offered, and Minjoo was wide-eyed.

 

“Really? I mean, I would love to. I can pay half of the rent and all, of course but… is it okay?” Minjoo asked, hesitance was lingering around her tone, and Yujin smiled, raising her brow up, nodding.

 

“Yeah? It’s for the better. I actually wanted to have a companion too, and this way, you don’t need to stress over finding a place to stay. Why wouldn’t it be okay?” the prosecutor asked, a little bit curious as to why Minjoo was being a little bit hesitant over living again with Yujin. They already became housemates before.

 

Minjoo her lower lip, straightening her back, and faced Yujin fully. “You have a girlfriend, right? I could vividly remember you posting a photo of you and her on Instagram.” answered the older woman. And oh, that was the thing that made her hesitate. Wonyoung.

 

“Ah, yes, Wonyoung…” Yujin mumbled, then shook her head, smiling bitterly as she sighed. “It’ll be alright. She knows you since I used to tell her about you, us, when we were in highschool.” She then paused, pressing her lips together. “And… I think I’m going to break up with her soon so she can’t have a say in my decisions anymore. This is my own home, after all,” She tiredly confessed.

 

Minjoo didn’t ask further about their relationship because she already saw the tiredness in Yujin’s eyes as she spoke of their crumbling relationship. It wasn’t working anymore, Yujin’s eyes told her. Minjoo got the message perfectly. And there was a beat of silence before the older one nodded, “Then, I guess, I’ll take your offer.”

 

With that, Minjoo also bid goodbye, and they decided that she would move here in two days. Minjoo refused the lift that Yujin offered, telling she would drop by somewhere, and the prosecutor didn’t bicker with her and just let her. They parted with a hug, and a promise to have a call tomorrow.

 

That night, Yujin slept peacefully, with a smile on her face.

 

///

 

Yujin was in her office, checking some papers — there were some cases and all but she was too lazy to do much work, she was so tired. Thankfully, there were no trials so far, and Yujin thought she couldn’t handle another one soon enough. She needed strength.

 

After a few hours, she decided to check her phone, and tried to find a job for Minjoo while eating some crackers — a suitable job for the older woman. Minjoo held a degree in Business Management after all, so Yujin might as well find something related to business, maybe… find a slot in a corporation company? Oh well. Yujin browsed through numerous job apps, and websites — taking notes of all the good ones she saw, she would send them to Minjoo later.

 

She was about to exit the job finding app when suddenly, an ad popped out on the screen, and Yujin rolled her eyes, pressing the small ‘x’ to close the annoying advertisement but much to her irritation, she accidentally tapped the pop up ad and then, there was a downloading notification. Groaning, Yujin tapped the ZHEN.apk she downloaded, checking it.

 

[ Welcome to ZHEN! ]

 

Tap to continue.

 

Intrigued, Yujin decided to fool around, and discover what the app was for — maybe, a job finding app too. She hoped that it was not a virus though. She tapped, and it went black for a second, with ZHEN flashing on the center.

 

[ Have you lost your source of funds and income? Desperate for money? Worry not, ‘cause ZHEN is all you need! ]

 

[Welcome to ZHEN! Thank you for showing interest. We are the developers of this app, and we aim to help humanity unite with honesty and luxury through this exclusive app, only available for chosen people! ]

 

[ Please enter your name, age, birthdate, , address, and phone number ]

 

Raising her brow, Yujin slowly filled up the information with a shrug. The app looked cool though, and very promising so she would give this one a try, and see for herself.

 

[ Registration success! Always remember, HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY ]

 

[ How does ZHEN work? ZHEN will ask you a question, and you just need to answer it truthfully. You need to say your honest answer through your phone’s microphone while pressing this red button here! Easy as a pie, and you will be rewarded prettily. The app can detect if you are lying, and if you lie, we will deduct a certain amount from your balance ]

 

[ And since you’re new to ZHEN, you will be rewarded with 30,000 won! And before you start, please enter your bank account information ]

 

Okay, that was it. Yujin snorted, and exited the app. “You can’t scam people like me, sorry,” She mumbled under her breath with a chuckle before sending all of the available jobs she found to Minjoo then stood up, wrapping her things up — she needed to go home early because she would clean up her unit since Minjoo would move in to her place tomorrow.

 

Hell, she didn’t even tell Wonyoung about it, but not like it would be necessary anymore. She was planning to break it up with her, she just needed a short time if she was really sure about this.

 

///

 

Yujin helped Minjoo reorganize her things in the spare bedroom — which was Minjoo’s room from now on. She didn’t have much, she had two big luggages, and a duffel bag. Well, she was starting all over again in this country, anyway.

 

And the first day, it was relatively light. Minjoo tried her best to feel comfortable around her new home, and Yujin also did her best to make Minjoo feel at home as much as possible. They did a movie marathon, and started with the Notebook — one of their favorites. They rewatched it a lot of times before in highschool, and Yujin used to tease Minjoo because the latter always cried because of the film but she didn’t cry over the movie anymore after they watched it again together.

 

They then went to their own rooms after they had a couple of movies. They also talked a lot while watching the movies so the both of them were satisfied, and so far, they really did catch up a lot. Minjoo shared how beautiful Switzerland was, and all. Yujin shared some of her experiences in the trials, and courts but of course, purposely didn’t say all the negative ones.

 

The next morning came, and for a moment, Yujin was surprised to see another person in her kitchen, making coffee. Oh, she should get used to it again. With that, they talked about the job that Minjoo would like to take while eating their breakfast together, and wow, it felt nice eating with someone again at the same dining table. Wonyoung used to visit her sometimes but because her job was hectic, she couldn’t drop by much anymore — plus, since then, Wonyoung became too aggressive, and would refuse to visit her.

 

Yujin went to her work after that, and Minjoo went to the hiring locations for interviews since she inquired last night.

 

Soon enough, the day ended rather quickly. Yujin was slightly excited to go home, and ask Minjoo how the interview went but she needed to stop by somewhere.

 

The young prosecutor just found herself walking in the familiar hallways of SNU Hospital. She then entered a specific room, closing the door quietly, and sighed when she saw a sleeping figure lying on the bed, motionless — she was peacefully sleeping, it may seem. Yujin silently sat on the chair beside the bed, and eyed the patient, a relieved sigh then escaped from her lips when she saw that she looked healthier.

 

“Hey, mom,” Yujin greeted tiredly, reaching for her mother’s cold hand, gripping it gently. “Sorry, I just visited now. Are you good?” whispered the prosecutor, and her mother didn’t answer, still deep asleep. With one last deep inhale, Yujin started to murmur her rants, she knew her mom wouldn’t hear it all but she still let her frustrations out by ranting about how her life was starting to get ty, and the only good thing that happened was when she met Minjoo again, and that they were housemates again like they were in highschool.

 

She knew that her mom was also fond of Minjoo, and they would definitely bond together nicely if they ever meet again. Yujin shared to Minjoo that her mother was in the hospital, admitted there for a long time because of cancer treatment, and stuff. Minjoo promised to visit her with Yujin soon.

 

“I want to quit my job now, mom, and find another one that als pays nicely. I don’t want to do this anymore, and I know you will be sad.” Yujin pursed her lips, and shook her head before standing up, writing a note for her mom to read after she woke up. She just informed her that she dropped by while she was still sleeping, and then went home.

 

On the way home, she was riding a taxi when her phone rang, she thought it was Wonyoung but much to her surprise, it was an unknown number, and accepted it with a polite greeting, “Hello? Prosecutor Ahn Yujin from KH Law Firm speaking.”

 

There was a baritone voice on the other line. “Pleasant evening, Prosecutor Ahn. This is Governor Kim Hansang,” Yujin froze a bit, the governor… oh god, there was news three days ago about his wife’s death. Yujin could remember herself watching it on television.

 

“Oh, hi, Governor. Why did you call?” the prosecutor asked, and shifted her position on the back of the taxi car, looking outside. She clenched her fist.

 

“I need your help, Prosecutor. It’s about covering up a murder, and I will pay you a lot.” The Governor said with a gruff, and Yujin was stunned, almost wanting to throw up in the taxi. She could feel her stomach churning, here we go again.

 

She didn’t answer for a few moments, and it seemed like it irked the impatient man from the other line. “Hello? Are you still there? If you won’t accept it, then fine. I’ll just find another better one. Good night, Prosecutor Ahn.” He snarled, and hung up almost immediately.

 

Yujin just let her hand fall, pocketing the phone back while trembling. Okay, that was it. She was going to quit that mothering job! all of those bastards, really. Instead of stopping at her apartment, Yujin instructed the driver to just drop her to the nearest convenience store, and paid for her fare. She then bought a few bottles of soju, in the mood for a drink.

 

When she reached the apartment, Minjoo was still not there. She decided to start her drinking session alone for the meantime, and think of the possible job she should take soon. She also pulled her laptop out, typing a resignation letter that she would pass tomorrow. In the middle of drinking, the door of her apartment opened which surprised her a bit, thinking it was a burglar or something but it was Minjoo.

 

The older woman closed the door, taking off her shoes, and looking so tired. “Hey,” She greeted, and Yujin just smiled, taking a shot before gesturing for her to take the seat across from her. “Woah, in the mood for a drink?” She teased lightly then sat after shrugging off her coat. Yujin poured her a shot, and winced.

 

“Something like that,” Yujin mumbled, her head hanging down low. Minjoo took the shot, drinking it then opened a can of Coca-Cola. “I really need to chill a bit. I’m planning to quit my job, and finally end everything with Wonyoung.” She blurted out which made Minjoo stop drinking her coke, looking at her with wide eyes. “And now, I need to find a job too. Speaking of, how was the interview and all?”

 

Minjoo was silent for a few moments before huffing, “Chill, Ahn. You just told me you’re going to quit your job, and break up with your girlfriend then asked me how the interview went after,” She said, playfully rolling her eyes. “It didn’t go so well, most of them are whack anyway, I’ll just go on a hunt tomorrow.” answered the older woman then leaned back on the chair, eyeing Yujin with worried eyes. “Are you okay?” She then asked, her tone went soft, and concerned for the younger.

 

“I will be. I’m letting all of these go, the things that made me feel worse.” Yujin started to have a breakdown, tears forming in her eyes, and threatening to fall already. God, she was crying in front of Minjoo again. The last time she cried in front of her was when her cousin died in a car crash years ago. “It’s so painful, I’m so tired, Minjoo. My job is ing ! I’m successful, yes. But that job, that job makes me feel so evil, and ashamed of myself. I defend evil people and put innocent ones into jail because I need money… and god, Wonyoung just keeps adding to my stress, acting so possessive, and cold, and always angry at me.” She kept rambling, and Minjoo reached for her hand on the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze, not saying anything, and let Yujin rant into her.

 

Oh, she remembered something. She and Minjoo used to have nights like this, full of rants about how stressful their schoolworks was, but now, she was rambling about how ty her life was. And honestly, she felt a lot better letting this out to Minjoo. She was a great listener after all, she also comforted Yujin after her rants.

 

“I can’t do this anymore,” Yujin whispered tiredly, almost defeated.

 

Minjoo was silent for a few seconds before inhaling through her nose, searching for Yujin’s eyes. “Change is a constant thing in this world, after all. Letting go of things is part of our life. When you know that it’s badly affecting you then let go, and search for a better one. I’m always here, Yuj. Remember that. I always got you.” She mumbled softly with a smile, finally meeting eyes with Minjoo.

 

And Yujin felt a lot better. Minjoo’s reassuring wise words, and advice were really something. Suddenly, everything didn’t feel so gloomy, and heavy anymore. She could go through this, and now, she even got her close friend by her side, making her feel less lonely. She wasn’t alone.

 

A change would be something. With that, Yujin wiped her tears, and smiled, “At least now, we can go on a job hunting together,” She cracked a joke, and the ladies smiled, continuing drinking while talking their hearts out.

 

Tomorrow, Yujin decided. She would end everything that was destroying her completely, she would do all of that tomorrow. She didn’t want to live like this forever, she wanted to do something that would genuinely make her happy like… cuddling with Minjoo as they binge-watch movies. Something like that…

 

Soon enough, Yujin felt like she had enough drinks already. Her mind was hazy, and it felt like the world was spinning. Minjoo was already in her room, sleeping, she needed to wake up early plus she was already exhausted so Yujin happily sent her off to her room, and decided to finish the drinks by herself. It wouldn’t matter that she would be late tomorrow, she was going to quit anyway.

 

With one last shot, she took out her phone, squinting when it was because of the brightness then hissed. There was a notification, and it was from ZHEN, the scam app that she accidentally downloaded yesterday. Blinking, she opened it — it was asking for her bank account details again, and while giggling, a drunk Yujin filled up the form, and then pressed the ‘DONE’ button, and waited for several seconds.

 

[ Confirmed! Now, Miss Ahn — are you ready to play ZHEN? Don’t forget the rule: HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY ]

 

Yujin tilted her head when suddenly, a simple question was asked, and there was a red button below it. She recalled that she had to press it then answer verbally.

 

[ Are you happy right now? ]

 

Snorting, Yujin pressed the red button then slurred, “God, hell no, I’m not.” She almost hissed to her phone, and released the button. Then, a word popped on the screen, and it said, ‘TRUTH’. Yujin scoffed, of course, she was telling the truth.

 

[ Good, you’re telling the truth. Now, you will be rewarded 30,000 won! ]

 

And the moment Yujin finished reading it, a notification suddenly appeared, and her eyes widened when it was from her bank app — telling her that she received 30,000 won from the ZHEN: App for Honest People. Yujin shook her head, laughing out loud as she stood up, almost stumbling on her feet — maybe, she was just dreaming or something. After cleaning up the mess, she went to bed, and dreamt of highschool Minjoo, and her walking around the mall while holding hands.

 

///

 

Hyewon stared at Yujin with shocked eyes, and then her eyes went down to the white envelope the younger prosecutor was handing her. She slowly took it with a sigh, fixing her glasses before opening it. Of course, it was a resignation letter. She once again looked up to meet Yujin’s eyes, and she noticed that she was tired, and determined to quit this job, and she understood. Hyewon was one of the witnesses of Yujin’s devastation after landing this kind of job. She saw how much Yujin suffered from this job, and even though she was reluctant to let this great, young prosecutor go — it was for the best.

 

“I understand,” Hyewon said softly, and Yujin gave her a tight smile. “But if you’re ready to take over the court again, then I’m more than willing to accept you again, Prosecutor Ahn. See you around.” added the woman.

 

With a firm nod, Yujin went out of her office, and started to wrap her things up on her desk. Her other workmates were slightly sad that she quitted, and some were also happy because Yujin was one of the most prominent prosecutors in the firm, so without her, they could shine.

 

And when she stepped outside the firm with her things in her hands, she felt like she could breathe. She felt so awesome, and light, like she could fly. With a smile on her face, she walked away from the firm without even glancing back. Next up, Wonyoung — she texted the younger woman to meet up with her. She went home to drop her things from the office, and rushed to meet her girlfriend — well, was about to be her ex-girlfriend soon.

 

The talk with Wonyoung went fast, and smoothly. Wonyoung was wearing a cold expression when she entered the establishment where they agreed to meet up, she was beautiful — Yujin once loved her, but she was also the reason why she didn’t anymore. The prosecutor immediately said what she wanted to say, straightforwardly. “Let’s break up, it’s not working anymore.” The moment Wonyoung was in front of her.

 

The younger woman just scoffed, and rolled her eyes before turning her back against Yujin, walking off the building without saying a word to the woman, just like that. The young prosecutor shook her head, Wonyoung really changed a lot. She wasn’t the woman that made her swoon, and fell in love with her instantly with her cuteness and kindness.

 

Even though it didn’t go the way Yujin had expected it, she was still relieved that finally, another toxicity went out of her life. Wow, she could freely breathe now. And her only problem now was a new job. She couldn’t help but to sigh, and stand up, exiting the shop with coffee in her hand.

 

She contemplated if she would go visit her mom again, and inform her that she already quitted her job, and tell her she already broke up with Wonyoung. But now wasn’t probably a good time. Her mom was slightly fond of Wonyoung too, after all.

 

And then, she took out her phone, and sent Minjoo a short message about how things were going nicely for her — when suddenly, a certain notification popped out from that scam app.

 

[ Ready to play again, and be rewarded with money? ]

 

Her eyebrows curled up in confusion, and a wave of a certain memory from last night came into her that made her gasp, and she checked her bank app. Her eyes twitched when she saw that it was really added by 30,000 won — and there was a message that ZHEN did really send her money last night!

 

So, that app was really legit giving away some money just like that? And how the hell could they detect if the person was lying or saying the truth? A shiver ran down through her spine. Maybe it was just random, and stuff. Geez, maybe this thing was going to scam her sooner. She would talk to Minjoo about this app later.

 

She went home after buying her and Minjoo some take-outs for dinner, for sure the older woman was famished, and tired after the job hunting. She also bought wine, well, just to celebrate that she finally quitted her awful job, and broke up with her toxic girlfriend. She knew she should spend a lot less money since her savings were not that much either. Soon, she would be begging for money on the streets. She needed a job as soon as possible.

 

Yujin got home before seven, and Minjoo just arrived a few minutes after. They then ate their dinner while talking about their days. Minjoo passed the first round of interview, and if she ever passed the second round then she would be a sales manager of a medium-sized corporation. Yujin was rooting for Minjoo, seriously — the older woman was one of the smartest, and hardworking people she ever met after all. She would get that job soon, that was for sure.

 

Minjoo was also happy that the woman finally quitted her job, and ended her toxic relationship with Wonyoung. Patting her shoulders with a smile.

 

They then celebrated it all with a bottle of wine, and when silence took over them — Yujin finally decided to talk about the app, even showing it to Minjoo, and told her that she really received money from them. The older woman blinked, turning to Yujin.

 

“Let’s search that app on Google, and see. ZHEN? Hmm, not familiar,” Minjoo mumbled, taking out her phone, and searched for the app on Google. And was a little bit shocked at the small results about the app. There were some reviews, and comments about it. But the app couldn’t be searched, and downloaded — in one site, someone commented that: “ZHEN chooses random people lurking around certain websites. If the ad ever popped out of your screen, you’re the lucky one. The lucky person can also invite one person!”

 

Yujin, and Minjoo looked at each other, still a little bit wary of the comments, and the app itself but everything was pretty convincing, and true. “If that is real then you can make a lot of money, you just need to answer stuff honestly. Try it, Yuj.” Minjoo instructed, she looked intrigued, and so Yujin did without hesitation — she opened ZHEN, and its usual greeting appeared. She then tapped the ‘CONTINUE’ button.

 

[ Do you like dogs? ]

 

Yujin turned to Minjoo who was watching her intently. Slowly, she brought the phone near her face, then pressed the red button, “Yes, I love them, in fact.” She said to the mic, and retreated her thumb away. Instantly, a notification from the bank app appeared again, telling her that ZHEN sent her 25,000 won. And she and Minjoo stared at each other, shocked.

 

Clearing , Yujin pressed the ‘CONTINUE’ button after the flashing ‘TRUTH’ went away, and another question appeared on the screen.

 

[ Are you afraid of dying? ]

 

Yujin pressed the button then mumbled, “Yes.” And there was a notification from her bank app again, saying that ZHEN sent her 27,000 won. Yujin felt like deflating, this couldn’t be true at all. There was no way, and if she would lie then, how the hell it would be deducted from her bank account so she tried.

 

[ Do you like mint chocolate flavor? ]

 

Slowly, Yujin turned to look at Minjoo who was sharply looking at her. The prosecutor then pressed the button again then said, “Yes,” She lied through her teeth, hoping that the app would cooperate. But then, her phone vibrated a bit, and there was a ‘LIE’ flashing on her screen, soon after — she was deducted by 30,000 won instantly, said the bank account. Now, that was freaking advanced technology! This couldn’t be real.

 

“What the hell, let’s ignore the part where I lied that I like mintcho, and talk about the deduction from my bank account! How could that even… sure, I did give my info and all but…” Yujin immediately blurted out when Minjoo glared at her, eyeing her with a disgusted expression. After all, she knew that Minjoo’s favorite was that disgusting toothpaste-like flavor. Before, Yujin used to try, and force herself to eat mintcho ice cream for the older woman, and would always say that she kind of liked it. She was exposed! Goddamn app.

 

Minjoo rolled her eyes, and looked at her phone instead, mumbling the words flashed on the screen. “You lied. Didn’t we tell you? Honesty is the best policy. We’ve deducted 30,000 won from your bank account. Be honest at all times…” She read out loud then turned to Yujin, her eyes were sparkling. “Now, this is really something else. Too advanced, it could detect if you are lying or telling the truth by pressing the button. This is incredible yet scary at the same time, you know?” She whispered, and Yujin nodded in agreement, thinking of the genius who made this. They were literally giving away free money for being honest, and punishing them by deducting money from them too.

 

Yujin shrugged, the app could help her financially for the meantime, and once she gets another job — she would delete this app, she was scared she might get addicted, and scammed in the end. “I can invite you here. It said you can invite one person after all. This thing can help us temporarily. We just need to answer questions truthfully.” Yujin said, and Minjoo hesitated for a few moments, but nodded in the end anyway.

 

“Sure, I guess that app can do some help for us. Let’s just don’t abuse it?” Minjoo said, and of course, a very righteous woman — she was smart, and always kind-hearted. Of course, they wouldn’t abuse the app. “Let’s have a rule. We’ll play this app when we’re only together, deal?” the older woman asked, and Yujin nodded with a smile.

 

That night, they celebrated, and talked about the randomest things. Yujin finally invited Minjoo in the app. ZHEN gave her a link then sent it to Minjoo, and when the older woman opened the link, ZHEN instantly downloaded on her phone. She set her personal info down, and soon, she was good to go but there was a new note.

 

[ Miss Ahn invited you. Welcome to ZHEN, Miss Kim! ]

 

Yujin also received a note from ZHEN after that.

 

[ You invited Miss Kim to ZHEN. Both of you can play together, and earn money together. Just be honest! ]

 

After that, they continued drinking, and they completely forgot about the app — they were laughing reminiscing their memories together. And Yujin didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol or what… but, Minjoo looked extra spectacular that night, especially whenever she laughed — a song in her ears, and she couldn’t get enough. She didn’t even avert her eyes away from the woman all night.

 

///

 

It had been two months since Minjoo moved in, and two months ever since Yujin quitted her job, and broke up with Wonyoung. Her mother already knew everything that happened, and just supported Yujin with her decisions but still, she looked a little bit sad. And so far, she was happier than ever — it was so peaceful, and she wasn’t stressed all the time. She didn’t get to find a job immediately though, thankfully — ZHEN was still functioning, and still kept giving her, and Minjoo money for their honest answers.

 

They were true to their words, they would only use ZHEN whenever they were close with one another, and there were some secrets spilled, and Yujin thought she already knew Minjoo that well but no — she learned new things about the older woman because of ZHEN, and vice versa. And not only that, they also learned a lot about themselves like the time ZHEN asked Yujin if she likes pineapples, and when the ex-prosecutor answered ‘no’, ZHEN told her that it was a whole lie. Yujin then realized she had always enjoyed pineapples after all.

 

There were some funny questions, serious, weird, and neutral — they enjoyed it so far, and on top of that, they were easily earning money. They even ordered a pizza, and drinks using the money ZHEN gave to them for being honest. But still, they never really abused but Yujin was surely getting a little bit addicted with it.

 

She and Minjoo would play for no more than an hour. And to be honest, she would rather do this with Minjoo all day, every single day — she didn’t need a job because she already discovered ZHEN but still, she looked for one because ZHEN didn’t stop Minjoo from accepting her new job; the sales manager one. She also mostly used the money she got from ZHEN for her mother’s medical bills, and more.

 

Now, Yujin decided to take a job in a cafe or something. She liked making drinks after all, and a coffee shop downtown immediately hired her. She was working there for a month already, and so far, she was happy. It was like a dream come true. The only time she was stressed was whenever a customer was being rude or if the shop was getting crowded.

 

She loved everything there, it was so peaceful, and she was doing what she loved. It was so healing, the shop always smelled coffees, and buns. It was her dream place, and god, she was so happy working there. And the highlight of her day? Minjoo would always go to the shop everyday after a day of exhausting work, and buy coffee — and also wait for Yujin’s shift to end so they could go home together.

 

Yujin smiled when the door opened, and the bell chimed but her smile turned into a bright grin when she spotted a familiar woman entering the shop sluggishly, and looking like she really needed caffeine in her system after a stressful day. “Hey there, having a rough day?” She asked, leaning onto the counter with a smirk.

 

Minjoo rolled her eyes, wearing a tired smile. “You can say that,” replied the older woman, then added, “You know my coffee, barista Ahn.” Then pulled out her wallet, handing the cash to Yujin.

 

The younger woman hummed, getting the change for Minjoo, and gave it to the latter — which she just put inside the tip box. It made Yujin smile then made Minjoo’s usual order. Her shift would end in ten minutes, and she was excited to go home with Minjoo — wow, that sounded more intimate than it should, really. It felt so domestic, and Yujin’s heart flipped at the idea.

 

She shook her thoughts off, and glanced at Minjoo while waiting for the machine to make the espresso shot. She spotted the older woman sitting silently on her usual seat, staring outside the huge glass window beside her. And wow, she really looked beautiful in her uniform: clean white shirt with black blazer, pencil skirt that showed her wide hips, and stilettos — her hair that was dyed beige now, was tied up into a messy bun. She was so freaking attractive, and mature-looking. Even though she looked very tired, she remained pretty, and ethereal. Goodness gracious, really. Minjoo’s beauty was something she couldn’t get used to, it was simply out of the world, and overwhelming. She was always admiring, and worshipping the woman every time she spotted a chance.

 

Minjoo was really famous back in their school days because of her unrivaled beauty, and kindness. She was the princess of SOPA before. Yujin could still remember being jealous, not because of Minjoo’s popularity but because sometimes, when they were in school — people flock over the older woman, and she didn’t like that one bit.

 

In fact, Yujin might’ve developed a small crush on Minjoo back then. Nah, maybe it was just admiration, and a small attraction. She has eyes after all, and Minjoo was terrifyingly pretty to the point even the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, couldn’t be compared to her.

 

Sometimes, she couldn’t believe that she was a close friend of a woman like Kim Minjoo.

 

She finished up preparing the coffee, and handed it to Minjoo, taking a seat across from her since there were no customers so far, and Yuri, her co-worker, was there, cleaning the counter. The said woman even sent her a teasing wink when she finished making Minjoo’s coffee which made the younger roll her eyes but she was blushing a bit.

 

“Hey, are things going nicely?” Yujin asked as Minjoo took a desperate sip from her cup, not even minding if it was too hot, only grimacing a bit before turning to Yujin, giving her a tight smile.

 

“No, it was annoying. My superior is still taunting me, and some employees are antagonizing me, especially the female ones because apparently — I’m stealing every guy’s attention in the company.” Minjoo ranted, obviously annoyed, and shaking her head.

 

Yujin chuckled at that, still popular in her workplace. A small green sensation started to spread around her chest when Minjoo said that. She tried to ignore it, and focused her attention on Minjoo.

 

“Quit, it’s draining you. I’m sure there are a lot of better companies willing to hire you.” Yujin said, tapping her fingers on the table, still staring at Minjoo — unknowingly, her eyes landed on the older woman’s lips. It was pink, all natural — Minjoo liked to wipe off her lipstick the moment she stepped out of her workplace, saying that it was too tingly on her lips. It looked so soft, and so plump. Yujin wondered what it tast— okay! Stop right there.

 

Minjoo shook her head, bitter. “I can’t. It pays nicely, Yujin. And this one can boost me if I ever work there for longer than five months. But seriously, after that, I’ll leave that bat of a company.” She hissed, taking another sip, and Yujin just tilted her head.

 

“You have ZHEN, Minjoo. Use it, and quit your job.” Yujin offered an answer, wanting for the older woman to get out of that hellhole immediately.

 

For a moment, silence engulfed them, and Minjoo was looking at her like she said something very ridiculous. “I told you, Yujin. We shouldn’t be too dependable on that app. Let’s not abuse it.” said Minjoo, shaking her head.

 

Yujin’s brow arched, and huffed, “Hey, I’m just suggesting. And it’s a good one. You don’t need to work, just answer those questions honestly all day — you’ll be rich in no time.” She replied with a slight playful tone but that was her mistake, Minjoo’s expression went a little bit gloomy. The ex-prosecutor snickered, pursing her lips together.

 

“ZHEN is still a little bit of a shady app for me, Yujin. Don’t you even wonder who the hell developed that app, and the money! God, Yujin, where the hell did those come from? Do you think someone would willingly give us tons of money in exchange for truthful answers? No, Yujin.” Minjoo spat, serious, and sneering. Yujin gulped, Minjoo never got angry, and when she did — oh god. “And look, it’s slowly brainwashing you, Yujin…”

 

Yujin her lower lip, looking at Minjoo guiltily, and murmured a small apology. The older woman just shook her head, and sighed, finishing her coffee, and asked Yujin if they could go home now. The younger woman nodded, and changed, bidding goodbye to Yuri as her shift ended — ready to go home with Minjoo.

 

They didn’t use ZHEN that day, and for a few days. And well, Yujin and Minjoo were still on good terms, and the older woman didn’t look too angry anyway. Yujin was relieved that Minjoo didn’t give her cold shoulders after their small… bicker that day. Wonyoung really traumatized her when it came to those kinds of stuff.

 

Soon, they used ZHEN again. Answering questions smoothly, but Yujin noticed that Minjoo was slightly gloomy today, and she would always glare on her phone, and she would answer boredly.

 

Irritation still looked good on Minjoo.

 

[ Do you still love your ex? ]

 

Yujin snorted at that, and finally, Minjoo smiled when she saw the question for her. “Hell no,” She said to the phone, and the screen flashed a ‘TRUTH’ and a notification from her bank app appeared again, she received 50,000 won this time. Huh, of course, she already moved on from Wonyoung — she was sure she already fell out of love the moment the younger woman started to change attitudes last year.

 

Now, Minjoo’s turn. Yujin waited for the question, and her eyes widened the moment she read it. Minjoo also froze a bit, gulping, and feeling tense, and uncomfortable.

 

[ Do you like girls? ]

 

Well, as far as Yujin knew — Minjoo only fancied men, not women but she was open and supported LGBTQ+. She even congratulated Yujin when she posted a photo of her and Wonyoung in her Instagram about making things official with the model anyway. Plus, Minjoo was never a judgemental person.

 

“No,” Minjoo quietly whispered, albeit nervously. Yujin stared at her intently, gritting her teeth because for some reason, her answers made her feel so offended, and sad… something shattered inside her but when ‘LIE’ flashed on Minjoo’s phone screen, she almost rejoiced.

 

A beat of silence, and a smirk went to Yujin’s lips, feeling her heart drumming wildly then turned to look at Minjoo who was in daze, a blush slowly creeping up on both of her cheeks then her lower lip nervously — not meeting eyes with Yujin. The younger woman didn’t say anything about it though, focusing on her ZHEN because it was her turn.

 

But inside, for some reason — she liked the idea of Minjoo liking women, which meant, Yujin had a chance— what the hell! What was she even thinking? Minjoo was only a good friend, nothing more! She shouldn’t think of this, she just found Minjoo beautiful, and attractive, that was all. It was all nothing. And she was just attached because they were living together. She felt like this towards Minjoo when they were still in highschool before...

 

They continued to use the app, not talking that much anymore because it was slightly awkward, especially Minjoo who was a little bit restless. Yujin could still feel the butterflies in her stomach which she desperately wanted to vanish because it was wrong.

 

After a few minutes, they stopped, and awkwardly bid each other goodnight then walked into their own respective room. Yujin bit her lip as she sat on her bed, trying to suppress her grin. ZHEN was really doing wonders despite being a little bit shady.

 

She dreamt of Minjoo again that night, it was always Minjoo who she dreamt of. But now, she was holding hands with Yujin, smiling at her — and Yujin was almost fooled because Minjoo looked at her like Yujin was her everything, like she was madly in love with her. And it almost felt too real.

 

///

 

Peaceful weeks passed smoothly like that after the night Yujin (and somewhat Minjoo) learned that the older woman also liked women. They never really talked about it, and it was a mutual agreement for them not to mention anything related to that. Yujin thought, maybe Minjoo was in denial before, or she still hadn’t realized it yet until then.

 

And after that very night, Yujin was starting to get terrified. Because when she learned that Minjoo could also swing that way, something inside her awakened. It was scary. She thought of Minjoo a lot, she wouldn’t deny that — but recently, Minjoo would occupy her mind 24/7. There were times she was too distracted to do her work because she zoned out, thinking about how pretty, and perfect Minjoo’s nose was, and other Minjoo-related stuff.

 

Whenever the woman was near her, Yujin’s heart would do things. Butterflies would fill her stomach, and it was getting worse day by day to the point, she couldn’t help but to blush at the sight of Minjoo. She almost fell on the floor once when she saw a newly awoken Minjoo coming out of her room because gosh, she was so attractive. It was a sight really.

 

Recently, they weren’t cuddling that much anymore. After that night, Minjoo became a little bit wary around her too, she hesitated whenever they made skinship. And Yujin thought it would be for the better because she was afraid Minjoo would hear the erratic, happy beating of her heart if they ever cuddled.

 

But even so, Yujin ignored all of those. She insisted that it was nothing but a mere attachment slash attraction. But unbeknownst to her, there was something blooming.

 

Still, their daily routine didn’t change at all. Yujin would drive Minjoo to her workplace since it was just near the coffee shop then she would also drive to her own workplace — do her job, and wait until the clock turned four — patiently wait for Minjoo to enter the coffee shop, and when she finally arrived, Yujin would make her coffee, then they would talk for a bit then go home together — eat dinner together, do their own stuff or talk with each other — and after that, they would go back to their own room to sleep.

 

Now, Yujin was waiting for Minjoo to enter the shop because it was already four. She was lazily leaning on the counter, and grimaced when she heard Yuri talking with her girlfriend — giggling like a lovesick woman. But hey, she was happily in love, and in a very strong relationship. As far as Yujin knew, Yuri and her girlfriend were already together for a year. Yujin never got the chance to meet her though, and she just knew that Yuri’s girlfriend’s name was Yena, and she was a band member playing drums.

 

“Oh my god, you’ll pay me a visit? Right now, my love? I will love that!” Yuri exclaimed, giggling, and Yujin sighed, scratching the back of her ear. Well, it looked like she would meet ‘the’ girlfriend later.

 

But she didn’t think of it much when suddenly Minjoo entered the shop, looking tired as ever — her hair was messy, and all but still, she became extra attractive. Suddenly, something bloomed in Yujin’s heart.

 

“The usual,” Minjoo told her with a smile, handing her the paper bills. Yujin just smiled back, winking, then handed her the change before doing her job. She walked to Minjoo’s table, placing the coffee in front of her. Yujin just silently watched Minjoo sip on her drink, the older woman looked more tired today, and the younger woman thought she might drain Minjoo’s remaining energy if she would start a conversation so they sat there in silence.

 

The bell chimed, followed by a familiar squeal but she didn’t mind it, and continued to stare at Minjoo. The older woman noticed the stare, and cleared , pushing the coffee aside. “Yujin, I think I won’t use ZHEN anymore.” She then blurted out.

 

Blinking, the ex-prosecutor tilted her head then asked, “Why? Seriously, ZHEN is harmless, Minjoo. We’ve been using it for months now, and we’re still not dead.” Yujin said, and a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach returned after months of not appearing. It was the same feelings she would always feel whenever she had defended the evil side in the court.

 

Minjoo sighed, pinching her nose for a bit — and that was her habit whenever she was really getting annoyed now, it was like a gesture to collect herself up, and not snap. “Yet. And Yujin, ZHEN is brainwashing—”

 

“Did someone mention ZHEN?” A voice suddenly piped in, unfamiliar, and all.

 

Yujin and Minjoo looked at the source of the voice, and saw that there was a woman standing in front of their table — they blinked in confusion eyeing the woman up and down because well, she was really wearing something eye-catching: black leather jacket, black crop top that had a skull printed on it, black ripped jeans, and boots. Her black hair was tied up into a ponytail, and her make-up was goth-like. Okay, not weird but the full black outfit was really something.

 

“Uhh,” Yujin uttered. “And who are you?”

 

The mysterious woman clad in black, smirked at them, and there was when the both of them realized that she was loudly chewing her gum on . “Yena.” She answered, and Yujin’s mouth went a lil’ bit agape, oh, this was Yuri’s drummer girlfriend. But before she could even say anything more — Yena sat beside her, resting her feet on the table. “So, I heard you guys talking about ZHEN?”

 

Minjoo’s eyes lit up, and Yujin deflated a bit because of the woman’s sudden interest towards Yena. “Yes, we’re talking about that ZHEN app. Do you use it too?” She asked, almost too eagerly, and Yujin was a little bit sulky at the fact that the older woman’s attention wasn’t on her.

 

Yena hummed, taking off the gum from , and stuck it under the table which made Yujin gasp, ready to snap but Yena answered Minjoo’s question, “Not really, well, I used to. Not anymore.” The woman then shifted her position, settling her feet on the ground, and turned even more serious.

 

“You guys both use it?” The pair nodded, and Yena sneered. “Delete it soon.” She said, almost annoyed. Minjoo just stared, a smile threatening to form on her lips, and she was waiting for a little explanation.

 

Yujin pursed her lips together, forming a thin line, and finally threw Yena a question. “And why? Who are you to tell us that?” She asked, her eyes narrowing. The woman beside her eyed her, almost pitifully, and a little bit disgusted — shaking her head disapprovingly. She could feel Minjoo’s gaze boring a hole on the side of her face.

 

“As someone who used that app before,” Yena emphasized, glancing at her cockily, even turning her head a bit side-ways so she could stare back properly. “I tell you, it’s not really good at all.” She added, and turned to Minjoo who was silently listening, and watching.

 

Yena continued on, blabbering about ZHEN. “I mean, sure, it’s nice, right? An app paying you thousands of won if you answer their question honestly. A dream come true for everyone. You will earn tons of money by just simply answering the truth.” She said, stating the pros of using ZHEN, then pursed her lips — her eyes narrowing to glare at Yujin with slight disgust. “But it’s also messing up with your brain, waking up the greedy part of you. And look, you’re starting to get brainwashed, dearie.” She pointed out yet also stating the cons of the app.

 

Yujin turned red in embarrassment, and anger, especially when Minjoo tried to hold her laugh because of what Yena had said to her. Realization then struck her. She deflated once again, feeling a little bit bad for doing that. Of course, she was stuck on the positive idea of ZHEN, not really thinking much about it deeply.

 

“If I were you, Imma delete that bat of an app. That is scary, especially the advanced technology? Insanity,” Yena said, and snorted. “And join our plan on finding the developers of that app,” She then added. It caught Minjoo’s attention again, and Yujin, too.

 

“Tell us about that,” Minjoo replied seriously, almost immediately.

 

Yena smirked, looking accomplished. “Well, me and the other past users of the apps who didn’t get successfully brainwashed by ZHEN — started a plan on exposing this app, and find out who the hell are the developers because they need to be stopped by doing this madness. There are a lot of cases of the said ZHEN users getting addicted too much, and went cray-cray.” She explained, huffing, “We want to destroy them. We’re about to start the investigation next week. We have a friend who’s a detective, also a past user, and was very intrigued on finding the mad developers.”

 

Yujin gulped, and Minjoo was really into it, even saying that they were in, and asking for more information about exposing the app, and how they could help. Finally, the younger woman spoke after heaving a sigh. “I’m a prosecutor, well, ex-prosecutor. How can I help you guys?”

 

Yena’s face glowed, very happy at the information she learned. “Just what we need!” She exclaimed, sighing in relief, murmuring under her breath that Yujin was heaven sent. Well, Yujin finally realized the bad side of this app, and they all really looked determined to find out who the developers were, and end them. For some reason, she felt good, like she was about to defend someone who really needed justice, and freaking destroy the other evil side.

 

“You will represent us, something like that. You’re the one who will show the evidence, and proof, then defend. And we already have some of those! Wait, even if you’re not in a law firm, you can still do it, right?” Yena asked eagerly, biting her thumbnail.

 

Yujin sighed again, nodding as a response. “Yes. I have a license, and I have a lot of connections.” She proudly said, smirking at herself — her chest swelling in pride when Minjoo gave her a loving look. Well, now, it really felt like she had a purpose — a good one, even.

 

Yena smiled brightly, taking out her phone. “Now, give me y’alls’ contact information so I could add you both to our group chat.”

 

///

 

When Minjoo and Yujin got home that afternoon, they were a little bit silent with one another — they were thinking, of course. Especially that they met Yena, and learned her plans on discovering ZHEN’s developers. It would be hard work, but the drummer already told them they got a lead already so maybe in two weeks or so, they could get the names.

 

Yena also sent Yujin some official documents, files, reports, and records regarding the negative side of ZHEN. Yujin read a little bit of it, and was shocked to learn some brainwashing reports, and many horrendous things. Well, this could really lead to the court.

 

They silently settled beside each other on the couch after they silently ate their dinner. Their minds were running, and with a sigh, Yujin turned to the older woman, and took out her phone, opening the ZHEN app — and her heart flamed in anger when she realized that this app almost brainwashed her but then, because of this app, she learned about Minjoo more — and they learned how to be more honest.

 

“Let’s use ZHEN one last time before we delete it completely.” Yujin murmured, and Minjoo looked at her like she was crazy but never said anything yet, and the younger woman took it as a cue to explain why she still wanted to use the app even though they just recently discovered the effects of it. “This app, even though it’s a bad app — I got to learn more about you, and all. It also made us honest with each other so… for the last time, we’re going to be honest using ZHEN, and after it — let’s be more real, and naturally honest with one another, alright?” She elaborated on further, showing the screen to Minjoo, and the app was already opened.

 

The older woman was a little bit reluctant but she gave out a defeated nod, whipping her phone out, and opened the app with slight hesitancy which made Yujin smile a bit.

 

At first, the questions were the usual, and all but suddenly — it started to become even more personal, and related to her feelings but Yujin tried her best to be honest, thinking of it thoroughly. However, when the next question appeared, Yujin was slightly confused.

 

[ Did you ever fall in love when you were in highschool? ]

 

Certainly not. Yujin was sure of it, there were small crushes but never really went serious because she was a little bit busy, and her priority wasn’t finding a lover. Plus, she had Minjoo back then to accompany her. So, she confidently answered, “No.” While staring right back at Minjoo who was intently watching her, of course, she would be intrigued — she and her spent their highschool days together and the older woman knew that she never fell in love with someone nor entered a relationship.

 

So, Yujin was shocked to see that the bolded word, ‘LIE’ was flashing on her screen — she was deducted 40,000 won instantly but she couldn’t care less for that because… what? She fell in love when she was in highschool? And with whom? To that senior she had a crush on? But no, she knew it was just a small attraction. This must be a mistake, she didn’t fall in love at all that time.

 

Her eyes met Minjoo’s pair, and the latter was slightly surprised as well, and a little bit betrayed because the older woman must’ve been thinking that Yujin hid the fact she fell in love with someone when they were still in high school. “No, I did not. I know my feelings, this must be an error or .” Yujin said, laughing it off. Minjoo wasn’t convinced.

 

“You know that the app has a very advanced technology, and is always accurate, right? Deep inside you, you know it. So, who?” The beige haired woman asked, a little bit demanding but yet, asking curiously. Yujin gulped, shaking her head, thinking all of the memories she had in high school, and instantly, her brain flashed almost all of the memories she had with Minjoo, and oh—

 

Yujin froze, tensing a bit. Minjoo didn’t notice it, and just continued on reading the question, frowning a bit. “Eh? Also the same as your question?” She mumbled, and that made Yujin snap out of it, peeking on Minjoo’s phone, and saw that it was asking if she also fell in love when she was in high school.

 

Despite being one of the most popular girls in the school before — like Yujin, she never really showed interest in dating. She never really fell in love, just small crushes too. Yujin believed her because Minjoo would never really lie to her. But then, Minjoo suddenly fell silent, and soon enough, Yujin’s chocolate orbs met Minjoo’s honey doe eyes that made her heart skip a beat.

 

The older woman was looking at her fiercely, not uttering a single word for a few moments, just staring. Yujin watched her eyes shifting into sparkly one then became gloomy, and suddenly, there were flames but yet, her expression remained unreadable. Her eyes gave way though, and Yujin could see right through her soul. Slowly, Minjoo lifted the phone near her lips, and mumbled a small, almost inaudible, “Yes.” That surprised Yujin.

 

‘TRUTH’ was flashing on her phone screen, and Yujin’s heart was beating so harshly in her chest, like it was threatening to burst out. Her eyes started to shake. But she never said anything, just shakily continuing to answer the question ZHEN was asking her.

 

Something really shifted in the atmosphere, there was a tension building between them.

 

[ Are you in love with someone right now? ]

 

Yujin gulped at that. Was she? No, of course not, she wasn’t even interested in someone right now after Wonyoung because she was too busy with Minjoo — and oh… wait no, not like that. Right?

 

Taking a deep breath, she shifted on her seat, feeling heavy under Minjoo’s intense gaze. Yujin then quietly answered, “No.” Again. And the word, ‘LIE’ was flashing on the screen again. Yujin felt like she got slapped right on her face.

 

Minjoo’s eyes were scarily intense, and her brows were twitching slightly, almost looking desperate to ask her thousands of questions but Yujin was out of it. She was pulled into a deep abyss, and her mind was running. And she wasn’t even surprised that Minjoo flashed in her mind when she thought of the words, ‘Am I in love?’. It scared her, it scared her — because realization was slowly creeping in, and hitting her like a ten-wheeler truck. A blooming sensation started to spread around her chest, like cherry blossoms beautifully blooming in spring.

 

The older woman didn’t say anything, yet. And continued to answer the next question, and much to her shock, it was the same question again! Yujin blinked, she thought that ZHEN was being an to them today. Maybe it detected that they were planning bad to the app, and decided to be real .

 

[ Are you in love with someone right now? ]

 

It was the same question. And Yujin didn’t know if she would rather hear, ‘yes’ or ‘no’. She didn’t know, either way, it would make her heart flutter or shatter or both. But still, she anticipated the answer — geez, the confrontation that would happen in a bit was already making Yujin cower and tremble. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that kind of talk because god, she wasn’t sure of her own feelings either, and it was driving her crazy.

 

Minjoo gulped, and mumbled, “No.” And Yujin could feel her heart flipping then shattered a bit. But then, the screen flashed a ‘LIE’ which made the both of them widen their eyes in shock. They just stared at each other for a few moments before exiting the app, and deleted it without even saying it to each other — they just deleted it on their own will. Yujin was even slightly happy to uninstall the app because this mothering app really made her ride a rollercoaster of emotions in just a span of a few minutes.

 

, she realized that she was in love with someone through this freaking app. Would she be happy or annoyed by that fact? But for now, she set the anger, and relief aside. The both of them needed to talk about the elephant in the room.

 

“You first,” Minjoo beat her to speak first, breaking the awkward silence. “Explain, and be honest, Yujin. Who?” She firmly added as she eyed her desperately, her jaw was clenching, and so were her knuckles — clutching the cushion like her life depended on it.

 

Yujin was silent, the corner of her lips twitching — she wanted to speak, really, and explain that it was a mistake but the more she thought of it, the more she felt like she was lying to herself, and to Minjoo. These past few minutes had been a ride, and hell, she just realized her feelings that moment! It was frustrating but giddy at the same time.

 

And god, yes, Yujin would finally admit that she might be in love with Kim Minjoo — her long-time close friend, her housemate, her safe haven, and her favorite person in the whole wide world. She was in love with her, that was a fact that she couldn’t deny anymore, and she couldn’t run away from these feelings anymore. And wait, was she also in love with Minjoo when they were still in high school? !

 

Minjoo was the person she always saw whenever she thought of the future, and they were together, still strong, even way before. She couldn’t see her future without her, and she was going to admit that she was heartbroken when they didn’t attend the same college, and when Minjoo flew out of the country. Minjoo was always the first person she always thought of whenever something happened, be it bad or good. Minjoo was always occupying her mind 24/7, and it was driving her mad. And the way the older woman’s smile makes her feel? Goodness, her heart was going to burst all the time. Minjoo in general always makes her feel nice, giddy things. Ever since highschool! And those feelings even went stronger when they reunited, and became close again.

 

God, was this how stubborn, and much of an in denial Yujin was? She always refused the possibility of loving Minjoo, not in a friendly way? This was a lot to take in, but then, the feelings were there already from the beginning. It was the realization that caught her off-guard.

 

“You.” Yujin didn’t know where she mustered the courage to utter that, it felt like it was automatic. She couldn’t lie any more, Minjoo did say that she should be honest. And Yujin couldn’t lie right in front of the older woman’s face. She was too whipped to be a liar. “Yeah, it’s you, Minjoo.” She repeated, gulping, as she tried to calm her heart.

 

She was a little bit scared of Minjoo’s reaction, what if she didn’t feel the same? Their friendship would be at risk, and Yujin couldn’t live off without Minjoo being too close to her.

 

Minjoo was shocked, it was evident on her godly face but she tried to remain calm, her lips were quivering as she stared at Yujin. The younger yet taller woman refused to meet gazes with her, she was afraid that if she ever stared back, she would see pity in her eyes. Yujin had enough heartaches for today.

 

“Since when?” Woah, Minjoo wasn’t really beating around the bush, huh. Well, Yujin already confessed anyway so might as well share everything that Minjoo made her feel.

 

Yujin took a deep breath, slowly turning to face Minjoo, and met gazes with her. And Minjoo’s honey orbs didn’t hold pity, instead, it was sparkly — and Yujin could see stars in it, almost like the whole universe. Her heart once again skipped a beat. “Since highschool, I think… I-I just realized now, I’m… I don’t know, Minjoo. But all I know, you have always been the one who makes me happy, and you never fail to make me feel thousands of things all at once.” She revealed, her lower lip nervously.

 

The younger woman just became even more tense when Minjoo didn’t speak, and Yujin thought it might be the best time to counter her. “How about you, Minjoo? Who?” She asked, breathlessly. Minjoo didn’t answer but her eyes hardened, and it slightly frustrated the ex-prosecutor. “Who Minjoo? Who? Tell me, and be honest!”

 

Something flickered inside Minjoo, and her eyes went intense again, flaming in sincerity. “You! Ahn Yujin, it’s you! Since highschool, okay?” Minjoo confessed, almost spatting, and she was also breathless as she revealed that.

 

Yujin could feel her body freezing, shock hitting her. She was really stunned, and her heart literally stopped for a few moments. It felt too good to be true. All this time? Minjoo was also in love with her? Yujin could feel herself fainting because it was too much, all too much to take in but she held herself firmly because Minjoo wasn’t done speaking yet.

 

“Yes, since highschool. I’ve been harboring these feelings for you ever since. I never confessed because I didn’t want to ruin our close friendship, and — and, I was afraid you didn’t feel the same so I kept it until we parted, and I thought I already moved on but suddenly, we met again. The old feelings went back, waking up from its deep slumber inside my heart. And now, it’s you again, and it’s just… insane. I love you, Yuj—” She was cut off from her blabbering when Yujin suddenly cupped her jaw then leaned in, closing the gap between them, and brushed their lips together.

 

Minjoo’s eyes widened but later on relaxed onto the feeling of Yujin’s soft lips on her. It was a dream come true, she thought she wouldn’t be able to feel those lips against her but now… Minjoo just scooted closer, pulling the younger woman even closer by her neck, and started to respond to her kisses.

 

Kissing Minjoo was really something else, it felt like she was kissing with the clouds. Her lips were so soft, and sweet, and Yujin couldn’t get enough of it, kissing her passionately, and pouring her utmost feelings in it. Yujin could even taste the frustration of Minjoo waiting years for this moment to happen, and the both of them were satisfied that it finally happened after dancing, and tiptoeing around each other for a long time.

 

When Yujin pulled away, both of them were panting softly while their heads were pressed together, eyeing each other so lovingly. Yujin bit her lower lip, “I love you too.” She whispered, and Minjoo grinned at that, pulling her closer again, pulling her for an eager, hungry kiss.

 

“Good, now talk less, kiss more. I’ve been craving to do this ever since god’s know when.”

 

///

 

A whole month had passed for the new couple, and everything was starting to get even better from then on. Especially since they finally managed to arrest the developers of ZHEN after they got their names last week, there was already a warrant for those people.

 

Minjoo and Yujin still managed to arrange their relationship despite balancing work, and the ZHEN issue together. Both of them were happy, always together, and their relationship grew rapidly. Each day, they were just falling harder, and harder. And oh, they sleep together in Yujin’s room now, Minjoo’s room was long abandoned already.

 

Every night, they would kiss, cuddle, and sleep together with smiles on their faces, on each other’s arms, feeling warm and content. Their daily routine even became better knowing that they were a couple now. They were just so happy, happier than before — Yujin always thought how she survived without being with Minjoo for years back then, and god, she managed to live her life without being kissed by Minjoo! Horrible.

 

Yujin decided to quit her part-time job, and decided to focus on the ZHEN case instead. She also called Hyewon to tweak some things, and in exchange, she would be back to her law firm. The Head Attorney was delighted, and agreed to their plans.

 

Finally, Yujin was standing in front of the court again, and a trial would happen in an hour or so. She purposely went early to experiment how she felt because she would enter this hellhole again. Courts were one of her least favorite places after all but when she saw the familiar place, her stomach wasn’t churning anymore. Instead, she was confident, and tough, ready for the session later because she wasn’t here to defend someone who was the evil one, and cover their deeds with lies — she was here for a real better cause. And from now on, she decided to never take offers from bad potential clients.

 

She didn’t realize but she came to love being a prosecutor. In all of those years, even if it wasn’t a wonderful experience, she learned how to love her job. And now, she would make a small change, and really become a better prosecutor, be better at her job.

 

Yujin took her phone out, and checked that Minjoo messaged her.

 

From: Joo <3

 

Good luck, baby. Destroy their asses, and that app :)

 

With a smile, Yujin composed a short reply, ‘I will’. And pocketed her phone, she then finally entered inside, and prepared things because for sure, everything would go heated a little bit later.

 

One could be honest without that goddamn app, and money, anyway. It would be better that way.

 

///

 

Yujin opened the door of her apartment, and closed it gently — she was just taking off her shoes when she saw that Minjoo was rushing to greet her, hugging her tightly then pressed a kiss on her lips. It was their daily greeting now, and Yujin wasn’t complaining at all, she was already getting used to it.

 

“So, how was it?” Minjoo was nervous, Yujin could tell that. The young prosecutor just gave her a tired smile, leading her towards the couch, and let her sit there. Her girlfriend was still in her work clothes, not even minding to change clothes, and really waited for Yujin.

 

Yujin shrugged, and Minjoo deflated. That was the moment the younger woman let out a cheeky grin, clapping a bit. “It’s done. We won. The judge will put charges on the developers, and the other investors who got brainwashed will file another case. Those s will be going to prison, and for ten years! It will change once the court receives the other files, and will charge the convicts again. They also didn’t follow some rules, they didn’t officially register the app, it was illegal so… yeah, plus, we have evidence of money laundering, the money we get every time we answer a question was all from bad hands. All in all, they might stay in prison for twenty years or so for their crimes. Plus, the app will shut down soon~” Yujin explained, and looked happy. Minjoo squealed, and pulled her girlfriend for a hug, obviously proud, and also glad to hear all of those.

 

The developers of ZHEN were hackers, and criminals who were obsessed with honesty for some reasons. They were diagnosed with some weird mental illness, they used their genius invention into something bad disguised as something helpful and Yujin didn’t even pity them at all when they saw all of them on the trial. They tried to fight back, and manipulate some documents, and datas but Yena — who was also a hacker, beat their asses out, and had the original ones already, and showed it to the officials.

 

The money they received from ZHEN went to the charity, and other orphanages. And since then, they really became even more closer, and honest with each other. Even though ZHEN almost ruined their lives, it still helped them in some ways, like learning to be honest all the time, and hey — if it weren’t for ZHEN, she and Minjoo were still in the mutual pining phase.

 

“You’re such a hero!” Minjoo cooed, complimenting Yujin, and the prosecutor laughed at that, pressing a kiss on her forehead, then on the tip of her nose. “You did a great job, my love.” added the older woman, and her voice became soft.

 

A flame lit up in Yujin’s heart. Finally, she was doing something good, and she was helping innocent people whose lives were destroyed because of certain evil people. It felt so good, and she wasn’t feeling anymore after she went out of the court once a trial had ended. Everything was really going for the better. She was loving all of these new things yet also the same.

 

It was something nice, really. It was almost perfect, and a dream came true. Yujin wanted everything to happen this way, and she was feeling good. She got her old job back but better, and she also got a very wonderful, perfect girlfriend — the woman of her dreams, literally.

 

“Yeah, I think I certainly did.” Yujin whispered lovingly, and pulled Minjoo for a kiss — a very passionate yet gentle one, where they took their sweet, sweet time, and almost didn’t want to let go. The both of them smiled in between their kisses, giggling giddily.

 

Yujin was genuinely happy this time. And she couldn’t really wish for more.

 

///

 

A/N: hope you guys liked this fluffy piece HAHAHAHAHA y’all be crying because of mine yesterday whoops think of it as a compensation from the one who commissioned this and mine!

 

stay safe yall~