🌹This is a super long (4k+ words), boring chapter with Kang's, Wang's and Taehyung's trials. If you wish to skip it, I would totally understand and not hold it against you because I know some people find these things boring. At least read the end of the chapter, you won't be disappointed🌹

Also, note that I have no idea about trials and stuff, I searched for hours to be able to write this chapter and there are definitely going to be inaccuracies and I apologize for that.

🥀

Almost a week went by, and although it wasn't usual for a trial to be arranged so fast, Seongwu did everything he could to accomplish that. And that was how Kang's trial was scheduled for today, and Wang's trial was scheduled for two days later.

Jeongguk had been visiting him every day, even though Taehyung wasn't allowed to have so many visits in a week. Seongwu once again was the one who made that possible, and they were able to spend two hours together every day.

Also, in the past week, Jeongguk sued his father for child abuse, and the lawyer who was assigned to him for Wang's case took over that case as well. Of course, his father denied all charges and was set free until the trial due to the lack of evidence at the time.

Jeongguk got ready to go to the trial with Yoongi and Seokjin. He was so nervous about the whole thing he almost felt like puking. That man needed to rot in prison for everything he had done, and if he were to be proven not guilty, Jeongguk would lose it completely.

Once they arrived at the court, they sat at the back quietly. A few minutes later, two officers walked inside with Kang and led him to take his seat. Everyone stood up when the judge was about to enter and sat back down as the judge took his seat.

"Are both sides ready?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," both sides said one after another.

"Begin."

The prosecution attorney stood up and bowed. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The defendant has been charged with drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, accessory to sexual assault, and accessory to aggravated assault. The evidence I will present will prove to you that the defendant is guilty as charged."

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Under the law, my client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. During the trial, you will hear no real evidence against my client. You will come to know the truth, that Kang Suhon is not related to any of the changes, therefore my client is not guilty."

"Very well. The prosecution may call its first witness."

The attorney called Taehyung as the first witness. He wasn't present until now in the trial, but after being called, two officers brought him inside. Once he vowed to tell the truth, he sat down and said some personal information before the prosecution attorney walked towards him.

"You work for Mr. Kang, don't you?"

"I used to."

"How long do you know him?"

"About nine years."

"And what exactly did you do for him?"

"I was running one of his clubs called Hayan Night."

"Can you elaborate more? What would be a usual night of work for you?"

"I would get to the club two hours earlier to check the supplies of cocaine I had left."

People started murmuring once they heard what he said. "Settle down," the judge said with a strict voice. "Proceed."

"Continue, Mr. Kim."

"Then, we will start the preparations to open the VIP section. The people who came there were elites, and they usually wanted to try Kang's cocaine so they could purchase it."

"So you were selling drugs to the clients."

"I was the middleman. I didn't make a profit out of it. It was Kang's cocaine, and all earnings were going to him. I was only getting a paycheck for running the club."

"And do you know where the defendant was able to source the cocaine?"

"He was making it himself."

"So you're saying the defendant is guilty of drug trafficking and manufacturing?"

"Objection, Your Honor. We don't need to hear his personal opinion."

"Objection overruled. The witness worked with the defendant for years and this makes his opinion solid. Please, answer the question."

"With all due respect, it's not my opinion, Your Honor. It's the truth. I've been doing this since I turned twenty-one. He made me sign contracts that can prove what I'm saying is the truth."

"With that Your Honor, I would like to have these three documents as prosecution's exhibit number one and ask that they be admitted into evidence."

"Does the defense have any objection?"

"No, Your Honor."

"The documents will be admitted as prosecution's exhibit number one."

He gave the documents to the clerk. "As you can see, in the documents are all the rules Mr. Kim had to follow. It can be proven that Mr. Kim didn't have any profit from the sales of drugs thus the drugs belonged to the defendant since he is the rightful owner of the club Hayan Night. Also if I may present these pictures as exhibit number two."

"Does the defense have any objection?"

"No, Your Honor."

"The pictures will be admitted as prosecution's exhibit number two."

"In the pictures, you can see the lab in which he made the drugs. The house is under his mother's name, and she was also caught lying about not being a doctor. In Hayan Night, we found cocaine that approximately amounted to three hundred million, and as we checked his bank account, there was no such amount transferred ever. How could he get this amount of cocaine if he wasn't making it himself?"

"Do you have any more questions for the witness?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Kim, you had surgery not long ago, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us why?"

"Kang's men beat me up so badly I got a massive bleeding in my stomach and I had to have surgery. And he was the one who ordered them."

"Did he hit you too?"

"He did. He had never done it before, but he did that day."

"Had he put his men to hit you before?"

"Oh, countless times."

"And why is that?"

"He didn't have to have a reason. If I did something wrong or something he didn't like, he put his men to beat me up."

"I see. I have no further questions, Your Honor."

"Does the defense wish to ask any questions?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Kang's lawyer stood up and approached him. "How can we know these documents are real?"

The question had Taehyung creasing his brows in utter confusion. "Excuse me?"

"What part of the question do you not understand?"

"What do you mean real?"

"I mean that you could have made them yourself. How can we know these contracts are real and that the defendant gave them to you to sign them?"

"Are you serious now?"

"Mr. Kim. Behave," the judge warned.

"Why would I do that? They found the cocaine in Hayan Night which is Kang's club. I most certainly didn't purchase it and most certainly didn't have any profit out of it, and these things can be proven."

"I have no further questions, Your Honor."

"The witness can be excused."

After that, the prosecution brought Namjoon, Jimin, Hoseok, Yunho, and Yaesung to testify, and things didn't look good for Kang. The only thing they couldn't prove yet was the charge of accessory to sexual assault since Wang's trial was scheduled for later.

"Are you ready for the final arguments?"

"Yes, Your Honor," both sides said, and the prosecution attorney faced the jury. "As you can see from the evidence, the defendant is involved in drug trafficking and drug manufacturing. All witnesses who had been working for him for years said the same things. Also, the doctor who treated Mr. Kim every time the defendant put his men to abuse him told you every detail of his injuries he got each time. Based on the evidence, you must find the defendant guilty."

"The prosecution has presented no real evidence to you to show that he is involved in any kind of way. The documents could be fake, there is no clear evidence that the defendant was selling drugs or manufacturing them. Also, there is no evidence that the defendant was involved in the change of aggravated assault. All that means, there is a reasonable doubt and, therefore, you must find him not guilty."

"We will continue in a while."

 
"What do you guys think?" Jeongguk asked, anxious.

"I think that Kang's lawyer couldn't say anything else than 'you can't prove that' and 'there is no evidence for that', blah blah, such a shithead," Seokjin hissed and clicked his tongue in irritation.

"You do have a point," Yoongi said with a muted chuckle.

 
A while later, the jury returned to the court and the judge followed. "Have you reached a verdict?"

"Yes, Your Honor." The jury foreperson gave the verdict to the clerk, and he handed it to the judge.

"We the jury, found the defendant guilty of the charge of drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, and accessory to aggravated assault. We request the defendant to be sentenced to 45 years in prison with no parole and pay the fine of €800,000."

"Thank you jury for your service today."

The three boys headed outside with bright smiles etched on their lips. "So many years with no parole isn't that bad, right?" Seokjin asked.

"It's good enough." Jeongguk chuckled. "Will you drive me to see Taehyung?"

"Yes, come on."

Jeongguk was elated to see him so happy about finally putting Kang behind bars. The first step to their new beginning had been done, and they couldn't wait for the other trials to come.

🥀

Two days later, it was Jeongguk's chance to put Wang behind bars, and he couldn't screw it up.

Once he arrived at the court, he met with his lawyer and went over a few things. He saw Wang enter soon and felt nothing but disgust towards him. What made him beyond furious was the smirk Wang shot him before he took his seat.

When everything was ready, the judge asked both sides to make their opening statements.

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The defendant has been charged with drug trafficking and sexual assault of a minor. In this trial, I intend to prove that he asked another man to blackmail the victim into doing something he didn't want so Jackson Wang can have his way with him. I will also present evidence that will prove his involvement with drugs. Please, find the defendant guilty as charged."

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My client does not plead guilty to the charges because he didn't do anything wrong. He is innocent until proven guilty and I doubt the prosecution has any solid evidence. Please find the defendant not guilty of the charges of sexual assault and drug trafficking."

"The prosecution may call its first witness."

"May I start with the victim?"

"Yes, go ahead."

Jeongguk pushed himself off his seat and went to the witness stand. Once he vowed to tell the truth, he said his name and age.

"Tell us what happened that day, Jeongguk."

"That day, two of Kang's men came to my house. They said if I don't want Taehyung to get hurt, I have to go with them."

"Tell us who Taehyung is."

"Taehyung used to work for Kang. He was running one of his clubs, Hayan Night."

"Taehyung is important to you, right? That's why you went with them because you didn't want him to get hurt, right?"

"Objection, Your Honor. He's leading the witness for an answer."

"Objection sustained. Please rephrase your question."

"Is Taehyung important to you?"

"Yes, he is."

"Why did you go with them?"

"Because they said I get to see Taehyung and that he won't get hurt this way. I didn't want him to get hurt."

"And what happened next?"

"When we arrived at Kang's house, Taehyung was already beaten. He was on his knees, his hands were tied up, his face was covered with blood. Kang said he wanted to make a deal with me. The deal was to let Wang do whatever he wanted to me for one night, and he would spare Taehyung's life. These were his exact words."

"So basically he blackmailed you."

"Yes. I didn't have a choice. I couldn't be the reason for Taehyung's death, I couldn't take it. When I said okay, they put me in a car and took me to a hotel. Wang was waiting for me in a room. He talked to me for a while before he told me to get in the bed.

⚠Attention⚠
[|The next paragraph contains memories of the sexual assault|]
 

He g-got on top of me and kissed my neck. I was crying, I was shaking, and he even told me that the fact that I was crying turned him on more. Then, he ran his hands on my chest and stomach. He kissed me on my stomach too. Then he took my p-pants off and gripped my thighs. And—And he placed his hand on my crotch, and then I heard banging sounds."

"It must have been so traumatizing for you."

"It was awful. I couldn't—After that, I couldn't stop crying for hours and I couldn't talk to anyone or let anyone touch me."

"Did you know the defendant before?"

"No. He knew me, though. My father was his client. He was buying drugs from him."

"Drugs you say?"

"Yes. I didn't know about it. I found out that Wang takes pictures of his clients' family members or important people in their lives, and that's how he knows me. He was obsessed with me. He said it himself."

"What exactly did he say?"

"He said, "My obsession is you and my need is to fuck you real good.""

Some gasps were heard from the people in the court and then intense murmuring. "Settle down!"

"I see. And who told you these things?"

"Yunho, his nephew. He'll testify too, and he will tell you himself."

"May I present these pictures as exhibit number one?"

"Does the defense have an objection?"

"No, Your Honor."

"The pictures will be admitted as prosecution's exhibit number one."

"As you can see, in these pictures is Jeongguk, the victim. We can clearly see that he has been taking pictures of him for at least three years. While for other people he has about five pictures, for Jeongguk, he has over a hundred pictures. This can prove obsession, and also it's worth pointing out that he was taking pictures of him without his consent."

"Do you have any other questions?"

"No, Your Honor."

"Does the defense wish to ask any questions?"

"Yes." Wang's attorney rose to his feet. "Let's finish this quickly, Your Honor. There is no evidence that my client did what that kid says."

"They found him in a bed without pants, he was crying and Wang was on top of him. Doesn't this show that the victim wasn't enjoying what was happening?" Jeongguk's attorney asked intensively, unable to control himself.

"No."

"Okay, settle down, settle down," the judge interrupted them. "Please refrain from talking while the defense makes its case."

"Jeongguk, did he hurt you physically?"

"No."

"Did you give consent to be taken to the hotel?"

"What—I didn't have any choice!"

"You're not answering the question."

"I—I did, but that doesn't mean—"

"See, Your Honor? He did."

"Let him finish. Mr. Jeon, finish what you wanted to say."

"I did say yes, but that doesn't mean I wanted to." He clasped his hands together as tears welled up in his eyes. "Why would I want this disgusting man to touch me? I never even had sex before. Why would I give myself to him? He broke me, he messed me up. He didn't hurt me physically, but he destroyed me mentally. If—If I didn't have Taehyung in my life, I wouldn't be sane now."

"Do you have any more questions?"

Wang's attorney gulped as he lowered his head. "No, Your Honor."

"The witness is dismissed."

Jeongguk's lawyer called Yunho and Yoongi to testify. Yunho said everything about Wang's business and what Wang had told him about Jeongguk. Yoongi talked about when he found him in the hotel room and how he was after that.

"Are you ready for the final arguments?"

"Yes, your Honor," both sides said. "I think we were all able to see how the defendant's actions affected the victim. He did not want to consent to whatever the defendant wanted to do to him but instead, he was blackmailed into giving consent. With the evidence presented to you, we proved his obsession with the victim, and the motive for his actions is clear. Also, the evidence his nephew provided us with can prove that he was indeed trafficking drugs. Based on the evidence, you must find the defendant guilty as charged."

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. He did give his consent despite wanting to or not. Also, the evidence his nephew brought doesn't prove that he is involved in drug trafficking. It was his personal notes for the meetings with clients, and the messages he presented to us could be fake. All that means, there is a reasonable doubt and, therefore, you must find him not guilty."

The judge dismissed the trial for the jury to come to a verdict, and not even thirty minutes later, they returned.

"That was fast," Jeongguk whispered to his lawyer, worried.

"You won, Jeongguk, that's why it was fast."

His brows popped apart at his words. "You think so?"

"Of course."

Once the judge returned to his seat, he asked for the jury's verdict. "We the jury, found the defendant guilty of the charge of drug trafficking and sexual assault. We request the defendant to be sentenced to 25 years in prison plus 15 years with the eligibility for parole after 30 years and pay the fine of €500,000."

"Parole? You give eligibility for parole to someone who assaulted sexually a minor?" Jeongguk's attorney questioned as he sprang up from his seat.

"The defendant did not manage to hurt the victim physically. The verdict is reasonable. The court is dismissed."

They trod outside then, and the attorney turned to the younger boy. "I'm sorry, Jeongguk. He shouldn't have gotten the right for parole."

"I know, but we won at least. Thank you for everything you did."

"We still have one more fight to give," he said with a comforting smile.

"Let's do this." Jeongguk smiled back at him.

🥀

Seongwu pushed the situation as much as possible and managed to change Taehyung's trial date from eight days to only three days after Wang's trial.

And there they were; Jeongguk was sitting with his hyungs at the court, cheering for Taehyung silently, as Taehyung chuckled at their cute behavior.

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The defendant has been charged with accessory to drug trafficking. We will present evidence that will prove his involvement and we request you to find the defendant guilty as charged."

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My client pleads guilty of charges."

Everyone started whispering as they were confused at his remark. "What?" the judge asked with furrowed brows.

"My client is guilty as charged. We can't prove that he's not. But we want you to hear his side of the story before coming to a verdict."

"Fine. The prosecution can call its first witness."

"Can I call the defendant?"

"Does the defense have an objection?"

"No, Your Honor."

Taehyung shifted to the witness stand then and took an oath to tell the truth.

"You admit to trafficking drugs?"

"I admit to the accessory in distributing drugs without profit."

"So what exactly was your job?"

"I was meeting and talking to clients. If they wanted to purchase drugs, I was simply giving them the amount they wanted. I was placing all the money in a safe in my office, and the next day, Kang's men were taking it. I didn't have a profit. I was simply the middleman."

"But you were involved."

"Yes, I was because I didn't have a choice."

"Can you elaborate more?"

"Yes. When I was sixteen, I left home because my mother was treating me awfully. I didn't have a place to go, no one helped, and I ended up living in the streets. A few months later, Kang found me and took me in. That's what he did. He took homeless kids and orphans so they could work for him. I didn't want to work for him. I didn't want to be involved in this."

"Why didn't you leave when you made money?"

"There's the catch. If one of us wanted to quit, Kang had the right to take everything we had gained. It was in the contract he made us sign. He would take our money, our houses, and all the items in it, all of our possessions. So if I quit, I would end up homeless again and broke."

"No further questions, Your Honor."

"Does the defense wish to ask any questions?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Tell us how it was to work for Mr. Kang."

"It was awful. The only good thing was the money since he was paying me well. I can't even count how many times he ordered his men to beat me up. I ended up in the hospital three times in the last month and had to have surgery at last. I didn't have a life. I was only running the club. My life was the club, and I hated every moment of it. I didn't choose to be born without a father. I didn't choose to have a mother who didn't give a s—who didn't care about me one bit. I didn't choose to live this life. This life was handed to me, and if I hadn't taken it, I would have been dead years ago."

"No further questions, Your Honor."

Taehyung's attorney called Jeongguk, Jimin, Namjoon, Hoseok, Yunho, and other employees of Hayan Night to talk about him. The support they gave him made Taehyung tear up and warmed his entire existence.

 
After the jury came to a verdict, the clerk passed it to the judge. "We the jury, found the defendant guilty of the charge of accessory to drug trafficking. We request the defendant to be sentenced to two years in prison. We want to recommend to suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community supervision."

The judge seemed skeptical for a while. "I will allow this. You're going to be on probation for one year. If you behave, you won't have to serve your time. Wait outside to be called for instructions."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Taehyung's lawyer said.

"The court is dismissed."

Taehyung spun around then and scuttled to his baby who was already waiting for him with opened arms and a wide smile on his lips. He pounced on him, arms flying around each other, and they giggled as they twirled in their spot.

Nothing could describe the immense relief and bliss that overflowed them at that moment.

"Baby, I'm free."

The moment these words infiltrated Jeongguk's ears, a load of tears pooled in his eyes. They stopped spinning but didn't detach from one another in the slightest. "You don't know how happy I am."

"I hope these are happy tears," Taehyung said as he swiped a delicate thumb over his wet cheeks, peering at him with chock-full of adoration eyes.

"Yes, they are. I'm so happy, Tae. I'm so fucking happy." He connected their lips into an eager kiss.

"You're still in court!" Yoongi whisper-yelled as he slapped their shoulders lightly.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Before they exited the building, Taehyung glanced at his lawyer. "Thank you for everything."

"I'm glad you're free."

And with that, they walked outside; Jeongguk and Taehyung were latched onto each other, joyful smiles embellishing their faces. "Are you ready to start our life together?" Taehyung asked.

Jeongguk drew a tender kiss on his lips. "You don't know how long I've waited for this."

"It's finally happening, little bun. Everything is over but everything good starts right now."

"Do you love me?" Jeongguk questioned as he strung their foreheads together, the hold on his nape tightening a notch.

"Fuck, I love you so much. More than anything."

"Good because I love you so, so much too, Taehyungie hyung."

And they kissed again, ignoring anyone who watched them and Yoongi and Seokjin who teased them nonstop.

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Only four chapters left🌹
For those who want fluff and smut, don't go anywhere😊😏