I just finished writing this chapter up on my IPod, so I hope you'll all enjoy it. It feels kind of rushed, and boring only because nothing really important happens, although I do quite like the ending. There's some hidden suspense there >.< Anyway, the real relationship as well as suspense is about to start right here. There will be a few more filler chapters before anything big comes, so that this isn't rushed, but I'm really lookign forward to this, so I hope you are too.

So...I hope you enjoy the chapter! Good night!

Being the niece of the guy who owned the holding cell and the daughter of the two most influential lawyers in Seoul, it wasn't hard for MinJee to get permission to release Donghae from the holding cell. After all, her uncle did insist that she call if she needed anything, and this was something, wasn't it? 
 
As she set foot inside her apartment, she sighed in relief. Keeping up her whole "lawyer" act was the most tiring job ever. She already felt mentally drained, and she hadn't even started on the paperwork, let alone investigating and interviewing the scene and those involved. She inwardly groaned as she remembered the man trailing behind her. This would only mean that she had no time to relax. After all, a lawyer definitely could not let their guard down around their client. 
 
She quietly took a seat down at her desk, flipping over the lid of her laptop. MinJee picked out a few papers from her briefcase, settled them on the desk, and started reading over the documents. 
 
Suspect: Lee Donghae (Male) Age: 24
 
Case Description: Monday February  6, 2011 at 22:15, an important historical painting known as the 'Eight Scenes of the Four Seasons' by An Kyon (I looked up random famous Korean paintings due to my lack of prior knowledge, so this is totally random) was stolen. At the scene was found two men. One was said to have witnessed the crime, while the other is suspected of stealing and trespassing. The daughter of the owner of the Seoul Art museum, Choi Haneul,  also claimed to have witnessed the scene. She went on to say..." 
 
A look of frustration crossed MinJee's face as she quickly skimmed over the rest. This was bad; really bad. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a hopeless case, but... 
 
She glanced up at Donghae who awkwardly took a seat on the couch, and blankly stared into space. What really stung, was that look of desperation mixed in with a bitter sadness and betrayal. He looked hurt, overwhelmed...maybe even scared. Knowing this, it definitely didn't look like he could've done it. Not to mention the placement of the painting on the wall. He was a little too short to have reached it. 
 
There had to be a way to prove him innocent, simply because she knew he didn't really do it. It was just a gut feeling, but she could feel it. He didn't do it, but the only way she could prove that was with the truth, and Donghae refused to tell her or anyone for that matter; therefore, the key to her case was in fact Donghae which was exactly the reason she invited him to temporarily live with her. 
 
The way MinJee saw it, as this was her job, the simple solution was to win his trust. If she could somehow befriend him, then he'd definitely be willing to tell her the truth. 
 
She stole another glance at the boy to confirm her beliefs. 
 
He definitely looked naive enough. 
 
Suppressing a heavy sigh, she threw her documents aside, and approached the boy. 
 
'Be friendly and professional MinJee.' 
 
"Hey." She greeted, attempting to sound as casual as she could possibly manage, which wasn't very. A surprised expression came over him as he was broken from his trance-like thoughts. His glossy eyes met her's. She suddenly found herself wondering just what it was that he could possibly have been thinking about."How are you doing?" 
 
Donghae glanced up at her incredulously, as if to say 'Do I look okay?' MinJee's nose scrunched up, feeling stupid for asking such a stupid thing. He opened his mouth to speak, and she expected a sarcastic remark, but instead... 
 
"I'm fine, thank you." He answered, his breath hitching a bit in his throat, and his tone hoarse from crying. There was practically no soul behind his words, but despite this, he offered her a small smile. It was as if he were the one re-assuring her, not the other way around. 
 
"Fine enough to tell your lawyer about what really happened?" She jokingly pressed with a smile, although she was quite aware that she was just desperately scraping for any possible details. His smile suddenly dropped, and there was no glint of humor in his eyes. 
 
"No, noona. I can't." 
 
"I see. I didn't honestly expect you too. There seems to be a reason why you refuse to tell me, and it's definitely not because you have nothing to tell. It's something else, isn't it, Donghae-ssi?" He squirmed in his seat at this, refusing to meet her gaze. No words were exchanged in the next few seconds. Unexpectedly, it was Donghae who broke the silence. 
 
"Noona." He started, glancing up at her with his huge dark glossy eyes. "You told me that you'll be on my side, but...will you be on my side as a lawyer, or as my friend?" 
 
MinJee hesitated at the question. What was she to say? The truth? A lie? She struggled with her decision, not sure what to say. She hadn't even decided what to say,  before she opened to speak. 
 
"As a friend. You can trust me because I'll be by your side." Her tone remained steady and confident, hiding the true guilt she felt. Was she lying? She took this case because she needed it to maintain financial stability. So...she always viewed Donghae as her job, or the baggage that came with it...an obligation. Lying to him didn't feel right. Befriending him just to learn about the truth behind the case felt horrible. 
 
"I promise." She added only because she knew that she had never before broken a promise. This would bind her to this. Whatever the outcome, she would have to be friends with Donghae in the end, and that was the way it was supposed to be. Otherwise she'd be lying to him, and her pride would not accept that. Anyway, how hard could it be just to visit a person a few times? It wasn't as if she didn't want to be bound to a person like this, yet she didn't want to be either. She was indifferent towards the situation. From her observations, it was easy to tell that Lee Donghae didn't have anything or anyone at the moment. If he had somewhere to go, he'd have gone there instead of agreeing to stay with her. He had nothing. 
 
"Now then, I'd ask to get to know you since we will be friends from now on." She started, stealing a quick glance at her wrist watch. 1:12. "But it seems as though it's getting late, and you seem tired physically, mentally, and emotionally. I don't you'll be up to it."  
 
He nodded, yawning loudly into his hand. After hearing her statement, it seemed as though he finally realized just how exhausted he was. He then shook his head, and began to speak. 
 
"But...noona, I don't think I could ever fall asleep. Not after..." A knowing smile appeared on her face, and she nodded as his voice trailed off. She already knew what he was about to say. It was a normal symptom seen in many client's behavior; especially, the innocent ones. 
 
"I got it." Getting into lawyer mode, she faced him with a reassuring look and a small nod. "Here's what I can do. I can tell you exactly what I'm planning to do for your case. It'll probably make you feel much better." She waited for his hesitant nod before continuing. "This case...is quite difficult. Now, I don't mean to pressure you, but without your side of the story, there isn't much I can do, although I doubt you'll tell me. So, I'll do what I can. Your trial is in a few months. During this week, I'll fully analyze the reports and case description. I will later visit the scene, talk with as many witnesses as I can manage, and do a bit of investigating. I'm hoping to find something there that will help me...or rather, you." 
 
He nodded. He seemed less tense than before, as if he fully believed that she'd find something to help his case. 
 
'That's probably because he knows he didn't do it. The evidence that I need should all be there.' MinJee wondered to herself. 
 
"Better?" She questioned. As expected, he gave a quick nod. 
 
"A bit." He answered honestly, tilting his head. "But I still have one more thing to say." She nodded for him to continue, convincing herself to break away from her stubborn side, and to acknowledge his request...whatever it might be. "I know you're supposed to be my lawyer and all, but...I think I'd feel more comfortable if you treated me like a normal person." 
 
"A normal person?" She questioned in a surprised tone with widened eyes. This had been the first client that she had ever met that didn't want special treatment. She found it slightly unusual, and was taken aback by the request. She suddenly felt awkward at this. MinJee was never one for...friends. "Are you sure about that?" 
 
"Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'd feel more normal if you just treated me like someone you just met off the streets or something." MinJee nodded in understanding, although reluctant. This wasn't something she'd normally do for a client, but she decided that Donghae could be a special case for two important reasons; One being the fact that she made a promise to be friends, and the second being that she absolutely needed to gain his trust to discover the truth. 
 
"Fine." She answered without hesitation. MinJee crossed her arms across her chest, eyeing the boy who sat next to her with a serious look. "But don't expect me to be nice then. You told me to be real with you, so I'm going to be myself. I'm definitely not going to be as nice as I was today." 
 
Donghae nodded, a wide grin spreading out across his face. This time, the smile reached his eyes in a genuine manner. She found herself taken aback once again, as this was the first time he had really smiled since she met him. It was kind of...stunning? It was not what she expected at all, and she found herself annoyed at her reaction. It was so...not her. She bit her tongue in annoyance, to keep herself from dwelling on these ridiculous thoughts any further. It was stupid that she was wasting her time thinking about this. 
 
'Snap out of it, MinJee. It's just a kid.' 
 
"Whatever. Get to bed." She dismissed. The bright smile still hadn't left him as he nodded happily, and turned to leave. Her gaze followed the boy as he left the room, until she could no longer see him. Once he was out of sight, and she was left to herself, she immediately fled to the desk, knowing that there was work to be done. She attempted to look over the documents, found that her concentration was broken and her thoughts were elsewhere. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she slammed a fist down on the documents in annoyance, due to her inability to concentrate 
 
"Damn it. I swore I was never going to fall for anything like that again." She cursed to herself quietly as she clutched her head, hoping the unwanted memories would go away. She hadn't felt like that in a long while. And she wasn't about to be fooled by a simple smile again. No, never again. 
 
Unfortunately, she spent the rest of the night drowning in them. Drowning in the misery as it all came back to her again...those wasted four years.