Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 93: The Stand & the Shadow ⚠️

This trial wasn't just about what was done to him-it was about everyone who had watched, helpless, and carried that pain in their own hearts.

It was about those who had held him up when he couldn't stand, who cried when he couldn't cry, who screamed inside when he couldn't make a sound.

It was about love.
Love that refused to back down.
Love that never gave up on him.

It was my honor to sit beside him, holding his hand as he fought with every breath to stay grounded.

But he wasn't alone.

Not with me, not with Yoongi's hand on his shoulder, or Namjoon's steady warmth at his side, or Jin oppa standing just a few feet away, equal parts attorney and soulmate.

These men-my men-his men-our family-we were with him. Every step of the way.

And now, the people who loved him most were taking the stand.

Tae held my hand like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to this world the moment Jiwon approached the witness box.

His entire body went tense, and his breathing became shallow.

Namjoon reached out, resting his hand gently on Tae's back.

"You're okay," he murmured, his voice like velvet, calm and certain. "We've got you."

Jin oppa stood with that calm, fierce expression he wore when he was in the courtroom-but I could see the way his fingers tightened ever so slightly as he glanced back at Tae.

His heart was on the line too.

"Im Jiwon, how long have you known Kim Taehyung?"

Oppa's voice rang clear, professional-yes-but filled with restrained emotion.

Jiwon sat tall, but his eyes shimmered.

"Since we were eight. Since before he stopped smiling."

Taehyung inhaled sharply beside me. Yoongi's hand slipped into his free one without a word.

"Can you describe your relationship with him?" Jin oppa asked.

Jiwon's jaw clenched.

"He's not just my best friend. He's my brother. My family."

The silence in the courtroom felt sacred.

"I watched him suffer. For years. And I couldn't stop it. I tried. God, I tried. I begged him to tell someone. But every time he'd look at me with those terrified eyes and say-'They'll never believe me.'"

Taehyung let out a sound between a gasp and a sob.

I leaned in closer, resting my forehead against his shoulder for a second, grounding him. Letting him feel me.

Jiwon's voice grew harsher.

"And then one night I found him. On the side of the road. Bleeding. Bruised. Running. And I knew-if I let them take him back, he wouldn't survive."

Gasps echoed around the room.

"I took him home. I hid him. I lied for him. And I would do it again. A thousand times."

Jin oppa didn't flinch. "You moved to Seoul."

Jiwon nodded.

"With my parents. With our parents. Because we love him. Because we weren't going to let him be alone again."

Taehyung cracked.

"I'd do anything for you," Jiwon murmured from the stand, turning to face him.

"You know that, right?"