Seokjin had been as calm as his limit in his opinion. He was ready to face his challenge, his biggest challenge. It was only when the clock struck the hour Sera promised to reach his place he had been a bit tensed. The last-minute jitters, common to the bravest of humans. He could regain himself, nonetheless; he waited. Soon it became a minute past their designated time, a minute and a few seconds, a few minutes, and then, hours. Seokjin was conflicted, whether he be disappointed or celebrating that he was being gifted more time. After he was done relishing the later, he tried calling Sera. After hours of rejected calls from the woman, when she did call, it had been a haste 'I'll call you later'.

He was forced to go back to his routine, or rather a special routine of diversion and relish before his heavy task would commence. The duration of the diversion lasted more than a day, for that was how long Sera had been late. 

Seokjin was in the kitchen mindlessly whisking a batch a batter for an early lunch. In his kitchen, to be exact, he hadn't been going to the restaurant for the past few days, after he abruptly had denounced his headship and passed it to his trusted manager. He was less stressed, he had completely dismissed the prospects of Sera showing up after the previous day's situation. That was when Sera walked into the kitchen.

"My friends are warming up to you, I see," Seokjin said as he whisked.

"I didn't even have to knock, thank you guys," Sera shrugged.

In Seokjin's opinion, Sera looked extremely odd. He hadn't ever seen her in a non-feminine attire, she was always well dressed for her rich club-owner image. Sera was wearing a tracksuit, and she looked like she ran to his house.

"You're sweaty," he stated.

"I'm aware, I ran up to here. Had been working out extra since morning. You know why."

"You look pathetic." She had deep dark circles, looked paler and dehydrated. Seemed older than her age; her condition was even more pathetic than himself, Seokjin deemed. "Why didn't you come yesterday?"

"Have you not been watching the news?"

The man shook his head. He was focused on himself and his posse all this while, and the formalities of handing over the restaurant and will-writing and what not.

"It was a crazy day for me," Sera began with a sad chuckle. "But then what day in the past weeks wasn't. Yesterday was too much though. I have seen many stressful events in my life, that gave me the thick skin that I have now. Those were way in the past though, thought I was immune to difficult times still."

Sera took a deep breath. Glancing at Seokjin made her realize he was waiting for her to fill him in about the actual matter. 

"So..." she began.

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Sera panicked when she saw who the caller was. Taemin never called unless it was something serious regarding Jimin. She had been stressing over how to free Jimin, in fact, she was supposed to do it in a few hours. Mentally, she was as pessimistic as one could be, and Taemin's caller ID was making her imagine the worst of scenarios.

"Hello," she spoke into the phone nervously.

"S-Sera-ssi, I don't know what's happening? They barged in and arrested him just now. He- he?"

"What are you— Who are you talking about? Don't tell me it's Jimin, please. And arrested, what do you mean arrested?" Sera held her head, waiting for a reply, anticipating the worst.

"The police....they said he was suspected of the murder of that Gitak man I saw on news. They took him. He couldn't have done that, right? He can't—"

Sera threw the phone immediately. Gitak, that was the name of Namjoon's gang leader. Taemin was right, Jimin can't ever commit such a heinous crime, but Namjoon did. 

Sera's coping mechanism led her to destroy all the objects nearby her. After she was done throwing it all over the place and pulling her hair as much as she wanted, she managed to fish out her ex-collegemate's number. The later was at present a successful defence lawyer in Seoul.

It took a few hours and many calls exchanged between Sera and the newly appointed lawyer to gain a full understanding of the case. Jimin was caught with Gong Gitak on the CCTV the night he died. Sera even received a copy of the footage. It was a very peculiar scenario according to the lawyer, but Sera anticipated the anomaly owing it was an unnatural being that killed the man.

Jimin was only seen attacking but not killing the victim. He let the tired, possibly passed out man to continue laying on the ground. He did not leave, however, he stood at the scene and kept playing with a doll and needles. The victim seemed to abruptly scream and continued it till he was dead. All the while, Jimin just ignored. The case was peculiar and one of a kind, it could take any direction in the lawyer's and the law graduate's view. Jimin could be saved, Sera believed, but had doubts if the inspector was biased. According to Taemin's statement, the police said Jimin was a murder suspect. Either the inspector believed in voodoo and had sentiments for the victim or he believed Jimin's battery might have triggered the death. In conclusion, Sera had no idea if she could get Jimin a bail.

They went to try their luck anyway. While the lawyer was representing at the inspector's table, Sera was lucky enough to get permission to go talk to Namjoon.

She saw him crying by the bars of the cell. She gritted her teeth as soon as she saw that. The spirit was a good actor. 

"Oh my God, Jiminie," she acted sad, reaching her hands to rest it on his. 

"I didn't do it, Sera. I told the officer I beat him up because of the bad things he said to me. I was under influence, Sera. They're not believing me. Help me, please," he cried hard.

"Were you really under high dose?" Sera whispered in English making her voice crack intentionally as she displayed her fake tears. She hoped the other knew the language well. There were other cellmates but no policemen around.

"Yeah, I made sure of that. You're a good actor," he whispered back. 

"There weren't much CCTVs in your time?"

"Even near a dumpster, no!" He managed to pull off saying that while crying.

"Listen, I don't think you will get bail. The trial could take some days, manage to get shifted to a hospital. Pass out, get beat up with the cellmates, I don't know, make it severe enough to get admitted and stay till the trial."

"Why? I will win the case and I'm just in custody for a while."

"I know you will. And this is a remand. And if you want to get out, listen to me without countering?"

"I hope you have a plan. And warming up to me, eh?"

"For Jimin, I'm doing this for Jimin."

"Miss, your time's up!" a policeman headed Sera's way.

"Jiminie, stay safe, okay?" Sera shifted back to Korean, as she dramatically wiped her tears.

"Please help me, Sera, don't leave me, please." the other acted along.

Sera went back to her ex-collegemate. "I've never seen you cry," the woman stated.

'It was an act,' Sera wanted to scream.

"So?" Sera asked, she'd figured out about the bail, she just wanted to know what the officer's statement was.

"The intentional attack could've led to homicide, in their words. Could be a very well planned murder as well. They didn't start the interrogation yet. And the policeman seemed disturbed talking about the case, I kind of got the feeling that some higher party may be involved. Because it doesn't make sense, why is he on remand? Do you have any theory, you were the batch topper, Sera."

Sera was sure the inspector believed in the supernatural. Though he was right about that, if legally that statement were ever to be presented in the court, the judge would simply question the sanity of the prosecution.

-

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-

"Wait! I remember seeing the news about Gitak's gangmen. Their bodies were found in some dumpster or something. I had a speculation Namjoon was behind it, but I didn't hear anything from you so I let it pass. Could it be that the inspector suspects Jimin about that too?" Seokjin asked once Sera filled him in.

"Oh shit! Now I believe Namjoon did it too, but there were no evidence in that case at all. Also, Jimin has no connection with them. But since Gitak is associated with them, the police might think that way." Sera grabbed her head.

"Hey, hey, relax!" 

"Yeah, we've got a task to do. One thing at a time," Sera said convincing herself.

"But why did you tell him to land up in the hospital, it doesn't make sense. Namjoon had a history of being detained, for him this will be the crazy task to do."

"Once Jimin comes back, he himself would be the one who'd have to go through the confinement. I know for sure his poor soul wouldn't be able to survive that, the boy's so fragile, I don't even want to imagine how he is doing now. Being rescued only to be confined again as a potential murderer, I can never let him suffer like that."

"I understand your sentiments, but this is not a sappy action movie. Namjoon can fail miserably, and that'd be used against Jimin in the court. It's a big risk. A pretty dumb idea."

"And what we're going to do now isn't the biggest risk ever? I'm playing on all the risks, that's the only way I can make sure my loved one survives. And it's my matter Seokjin-ssi, risks ain't new to me. Now let's head to work."

"Uhh...yeah. Can we do that after lunch? I'm making my favourite dish, besides you've never got to eat food made by me."

"Are you that hungry? I can eat your food some other time. Every second count in this and you know that."

"I don't think you'll eat with me if not now."

"I don't think we're strictly business here, I can see you as my acquaintance, we can manage that Seokjin." It was the first-ever time Seokjin heard Sera addressing him informally.

Seokjin shook his head with a small smile on his lips. "Please, energy is necessary for this task, and you could definitely use some, Sera. Besides, my intuitions say that we'll save Jimin-ssi successfully, I can even imagine him being happy in the future even when I've never seen him before."

Sera sighed as she signed for Seokjin to continue cooking. "Do your intuitions turn true often?" she asked.

"Yes, always. Even though I questioned your plans with the police stuff earlier I knew it'd all turn out well in the end. Intuitively, I'm positive this rescue would be a success."

"Then why do you look like the worst has come to you, Seokjin?"

Seokjin didn't answer. He continued as a sad smile played on his lips.

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A/N: