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PARADISE
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Taehyung

Yi-Seo and I reach the court just when Jimin arrives with Dr Han, and once inside the courtroom, I take my seat right beside her. Woo-Bin joins us shortly after, and he occupies the seat beside Jimin.

Today, my anxiety has actually reduced greatly, and I feel a kind of clarity and a sense of tranquility within, which also probably reflects off my visage. Attorney Seong is at his desk, and so is the defense attorney.

A few unfamiliar people are sitting on the other aisle, and they keep murmuring something amongst themselves while catching my eye a few times. I’m guessing they’re probably from Aeon entertainment, going by how they bowed to me and gave me polite smiles a while ago.

Sammy isn’t here yet, and I was kind of expecting him to chicken-out at the last minute. But it is inevitable that he would be punished today, irrespective of his presence in court. I still don’t know what kind of punishment would be delivered to him and Dr Han, but the real conscientious punishment that they have received thus far is their mistakes being exposed to the public.

Today, just outside the courtroom, there is press and media coverage as well, and I cannot help but feel a little ecstatic about the agency folks and the media being here at the same time.

Attorney Seong sounded quite confident about today’s outcome, and it has definitely raised my hopes, even though I keep repeating to myself not to expect too much. My blacklisting being canceled would be the pinnacle of victory in this case, but I may be getting ahead of myself if I expect that. However, a monetary settlement and an apology are not even the last things that I want from the two guilty men. Sammy, in particular.

While we wait in silence for the court proceedings to begin, I softly place my hand on the back of Yi-Seo’s hand, seeking her warmth as I weave my fingers into the gaps between hers and hold on tightly. Her gaze moves to meet mine as she turns her palm upward and interlocks her fingers with mine, giving me a sweet smile that sends a warmth circulating all over my body—the warmth that I was craving for.

The judge arrives in the courtroom, and once the clerk does his routine of introducing the case, attorney Seong begins speaking, “Your Honor, as an extension of the hearing held yesterday, I would like to request you to kindly consider the confessions and evidence provided in court and pass the rightful judgment that would appease the plaintiff’s demands,” he bows his head to the judge before he returns to his seat.

The judge nods her head, adjusting her glasses once before turning to look at the defense attorney.

“Does the defense have any claims? Are the defendants and their accomplices present in court?” She questions him, looking at him through the top of her glasses.

The defense attorney rises from his seat and leans into his mic. “Your Honor, defendant Lee Se-Young is present here. Mr Choi Sung-Won could not present himself due to an unexpected health concern,” his voice is timid, causing a frown to form on the judge’s face.

“A health concern? Is there proof?” She demands in a slightly authoritative tone, after which the defense attorney passes some papers to her.

As I expected, Sammy has tried to run and hide from the inevitable, but he should know better because his absence here today will not change anything. My shoulders rise and I straighten up my posture in heated anticipation of what is to follow.

“Alright,” sighs the judge. “Are the representatives from Aeon entertainment present in court?” She raises her eyebrows in question.

Turning my head to the side, I see those two unfamiliar people standing up from their positions and bowing their acknowledgement. Along with them, there is one of the managers who used to work with us back in the days. I remember him well as manager Nam, and his presence here is even more reassuring because he was among the few agency folks who had my back during the sex tape scandal.

Before the agency representatives return to their seats, manager Nam turns his head to the side to look at me, and when he does, he gives me a radiant smile of recognition that bounces off my countenance as well.

The judge then begins speaking,
“The confession of the defendant, Lee Se-Young, formerly known as Dr Han Woo-Seong, along with the clear evidence that he submitted in court has simplified this case to a great extent. The court understands that the drug injected by the plaintiff was interchanged on purpose by the defendant and his instigator. The plaintiff has been unaware of this, and given his reputation and public presence in the past, a conscious consumption of drugs on his behalf at such a public event is a dismissed scenario based on moral, professional and ethical grounds,” she pauses a bit to flip over the page of the document that she’s reading from.

These are the words I’ve been longing to hear since forever. And upon hearing them now, my eyes tear up in joy, and the corners of my lips pull into a quivering smile as I slightly squeeze Yi-Seo’s hand that I’m holding.

“The motives of the instigator and the defendant have been well-established, and they are guilty of the damage caused to the plaintiff. The court hereby concludes the innocence of the plaintiff, Kim Taehyung, in this regard,” she takes a moment to scan the crowd.

“Furthermore, due to the misuse of medical liberty, the defendant Lee Se-Young would have his medical license canceled. He is to be sentenced to three years in prison with two years’ probation, but on humanitarian grounds considering his ill health, he will be sentenced to eighteen months in prison with two years’ probation, and a monetary settlement of one hundred million won to the plaintiff,” the judge announces firmly, making my heart pound within my chest.

“The co-conspirator and instigator, Choi Sung-Won, who had a direct motive towards the plaintiff, is being sentenced to five years in prison with two years’ probation, and a monetary settlement of one hundred million won to the plaintiff. Additionally, he is also being charged for procuring and trafficking illegal and potentially fatal narcotic drugs. This brings his total non-bailable sentence to eight years in prison, with five years of probation, along with an additional fine of twenty million won to be remitted to the court,” her words ring in my ears, and my chin trembles even as my smile refuses to die down. I feel an overwhelming sensation rising from within my chest to the back of my throat.

Holding Yi-Seo’s hand a little tighter to release a bit of my emotions, I somehow manage to hold back my tears from spilling.

“The court hereby requests Aeon entertainment agency to invalidate the blacklisting of the plaintiff, Kim Taehyung, and to publicly issue a media and press statement regarding the same, at the earliest. Reversals should be made to any kind of limitations imposed on the plaintiff due to the blacklisting order. With this, we end the proceedings of this civil litigation,” saying so, the judge presses a seal to a set of papers and passes them on to the clerk, and then she rises from her seat and leaves the courtroom.

My teary eyes blur my vision, and when I blink my eyes, fat drops of hot tears begin to stream down my face. I don’t know how to react to this moment, and in the past ten years, I hadn’t once dreamed of hearing such a judgment or being in such a situation. Ever.

There is so much going on within my mind and heart that I’m just not able to bring myself to emote properly. I rise from my seat as if entranced by the entire situation, and Jimin is the first to take me into a tight hug that triggers my tears further.

I’m laughing and bawling as I hold him back tighter and bury my face in his shoulder.

“Taehyung, you won. You won. You deserved it,” Jimin’s muffled and shaky voice sounds close to my ear as his hands keep pacifying the vibrations in my back.

My words don’t make it past my whimpers, and it takes me a while to bring my tears under control and pull away from Jimin’s embrace. When I meet his eyes, he appears no lesser than an angel in my eyes. Without him and his solid trust in me, and the intricate research that he did with such devotion, I wouldn’t have gotten here. My life would have kept revolving in circles within the destructive walls that I chose to hide behind all these years.

“It’s time to celebrate,” attorney Seong announces cheerfully as he jogs up to us, and we all turn to look at him.

He is grinning big—the happiest I’ve seen him—and my face mirrors the same, which is probably the happiest that anyone around me has seen me be.

“Thank you so much, attorney Seong,” I wrap my arms around his shoulders, and he returns my gesture, gently patting my back a few times.

“I only did my job, and your case was strong. There was no chance of losing. It’s time for you to look forward to a great life,” he says with a smile when we pull back.

I nod my head in response, with a smile that seems like it doesn’t want to reduce one bit. His words are true, but nothing about my case has changed in these ten years, and it is strong today only because of the people around me who put their unflinching trust in me and chose to stand up and fight for me.

Fate had its plans in place for me, and the domino effect of meeting one right person at the right moment has led me through a series of so many new people and events, and ultimately brought me to where I am today. Right now, I’m clueless how to repay everyone’s kindness and determination.

I may not have regained everything that I lost, but the only thing that matters is that I have gained so much more than what I dreamed of, and it makes me want to treasure and protect what I have now for the rest of my life. I’ve gained precious people, and they’re all I need.

Woo-Bin emerges from behind Jimin, and he is a crying mess, just like me. Through the years, he has seen me at my best and my worst, my highest and lowest, and he still stuck by my side like glue through thick and thin. Woo-Bin has always been there for me, and I know that we will stay and be there for each other no matter what. We briefly hug each other amidst another wave of relieved tears, and then I’m met by the agency representatives who are waiting behind Woo-Bin.

“Annyeonghasimnikka, Taehyung-ssi. It’s so good to see you again,” manager Nam smiles and greets me with a bow of his head.

“It’s good to see you too, manager Nam,” I bow to him, smiling, and he looks a little stunned.

“You still remember me? That’s such an honor,” he smiles, crinkling his eyes.

“I never forgot,” my words bring a fond smile to his lips.

“Taehyung-ssi, we will make an announcement to the press and media right now, and the official proceedings and paperwork will be completed soon. Could you please join us outside the courtroom?” He emphasizes his question by motioning his hand in the direction of the courtroom doorway.

“Yes,” I agree quickly, following the small group to the entrance of the courtroom.

As we approach the area, I notice that the courtroom doors are wide open, and I could also spot an array of camera flashes that make my heart race. In the past, there were those days where I literally spent over ten hours a day in front of numerous cameras, and today, the sight of just a few is making me a bit nervous. So much to the extent that even my legs feel a little heavy and my stomach twists. It’s funny how much life can change over time and how even extremities that we never knew existed can still be experienced.

Regardless of my nervousness, we step outside the courtroom, and manager Nam and his group stand by my side, putting me in the middle. The cameras flash repeatedly, and the reporters immediately begin firing their questions as they thrust their handheld mics towards me.

I’m blinded by the intensity of the camera flashes, and I find myself squinting as I raise a hand to bring about some order. It takes a few more seconds for the chaos to settle slowly, and when there is a bit of peace in the air, I puff out a breath and lift my eyes to look into the lineup of cameras.

I’m nervous, borderline trembling even, no denying that. But, more than anything else, I’m also extremely thrilled. I haven’t prepared anything to say in such a position, and I’m only hoping to string together a few sensible words and keep my statement crisp.

I clear my throat before I begin speaking,
“Thank you, all, for waiting patiently. I’m greatly thrilled and honored to be standing here today, after being declared innocent. I may have been out of the scene for a long time now, but I will work hard and do my best to make good music that everyone can enjoy. To my fans who had belief in me, thank you so much. Your love and support mean everything to me. Please wait for me a bit more,” my tears threaten to spill, but I manage to hold them back and smile and wave for the shutterbugs.

Manager Nam takes over now, and he begins to address the gathering.
“As per the verdict, there was clear evidence that artist Kim Taehyung is innocent. The agency will invalidate his blacklisting, and an official statement regarding the same will be issued on our website as well as to the media. Please look forward to it. Thank you,” he keeps his statement brief and bows and thanks the group that erupts into a round of applause which sends a shiver up my spine and makes my eyes grow moist once again.

The moment ends like a dream, and soon, the press and media gathering vacates the space in a while, by which time we move back into the courtroom where Jimin and Woo-Bin stand by pacifying a weeping Yi-Seo.

It devastates me to see her shed sad tears, and at this moment, I really want to be there for her because she has given up on Se-Young only for my sake. Even though I can never be Se-Young to Yi-Seo, I can still be the man that deserves her love and give her all the happiness and love she deserves. I will support her in everything she wishes to do, and be there as her strongest pillar, just like how she has been mine.

It was because of the idea of her wanting to write my biography that we even started being present in one another’s lives, and doing my little part in helping her reach that goal driven by her passion would be a very meaningful thing for both of us. So, without second thoughts, I usher manager Nam to the side to have a private word with him.

“Manager Nam, I have a request to make,” I weave my fingers through my hair as I speak.

“Please let me know what it is, Taehyung-ssi. I’ll do my best,” he readily acknowledges with a smile.

“Miss Kwon over there,” I point to Yi-Seo who is still softly crying at a distance, and manager Nam turns around to look at her before he turns back to me.

“She is one of the main reasons this case was even brought back to court. Miss Kwon is writing my biography, and for that to shape up and become a reality, she needs permission and clearance from the agency. I don’t know what that involves, but whatever it is, please take care. It means a lot to her and to me, and I want her to publish it without any trouble,” I speak in one stretch.

Manager Nam nods, giving me a knowing smile.
“That sounds brilliant! I’ll take care of it, Taehyung-ssi. The legal team needs to give their consent for this, and I’ll talk to them and arrange a meeting with Miss Kwon at the earliest,” he accepts my request, making it one big thing off my list now.

We then exchange a few words as well as our phone numbers, and he leaves shortly after asking me to be present at the agency office when they call me, which would most probably be in a day or two.

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The title of this chapter is more on the lines of the literal title meaning of John Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.
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Thank you for 12k reads on Infamy.
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Published on : 02/23/2023