CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, METION OF WEAPONS & ASSAULT, & ANGST
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𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤
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Jungkook stood in front of his mirror, quietly taking in his well-built form adorned in a white button-up and black blazer. His trousers felt too tight, each button biting into the skin of his torso and chest, the collar of his shirt choking every breath from out of his lungs until he saw his cheeks grow red. Maybe he didn't need a tie after all. Hesitantly, he slipped into his buckled shoes, purposely taking his time to wiggle his feet into place as he glanced down at the watch on his wrist.
Rachel's trial started at nine. It was ticking in at almost 7:45 in the morning and Sejin said that they needed to be at the court by at least eight. With a sigh, the brunet jammed his hands into his pockets. All he wanted was to sleep in for once; he couldn't remember what it felt like to have a restful sleep, his constant dreaming, fidgeting, and nightmares keeping him up until odd hours in the morning. A shuddering sigh escaped his rosy lips as he briefly remembered the first night terror he'd experienced with Yumin; feeling her tense up in his arms as she whimpered his name in her sleep. How she'd tried so hard to hide it from him and his hyungs just so she wouldn't burden them further. And now, it was him that was hiding it from her. The rolls were reversed, Jungkook tightening his grip around his bedsheets almost every night as he groaned Rachel's name under his breath. Every nightmare he had, he couldn't escape her grip. She forced him back against her bed every single time and he woke with tears in his eyes and the breath absent from his lungs.
"Baby?"
Jungkook's spine went rigid at the sound of a feminine voice from behind. He wiped the back of his hand over his eyes as tears collected in his lashes, keeping his back to his door as soft footsteps stepped cautiously towards him. After what felt like several heartbeats, arms circled his waist and something pressed up against him from behind, making him feel warm and safe as his stiff spine thawed until he slumped forward.
Jungkook recognized Yumin's presence: her scent, her touch, her voice, just the feeling of her pressed up against his without having to see her face. He felt her shift onto her toes, lips brushing against the nape of his neck as she pressed delicate kisses down to his collar. Linking their hands together for a moment, he tugged her forward into his line of sight, immediately making for her slender waist to pull her against him.
"We should head out soon," she whispered into his shirt. "The sooner we get it over with, the better."
"I know...I know."
Jungkook couldn't think of anything else to say. He had a million thoughts tumbling out of order in his head and yet he found it so difficult to put them into words. Yumin's hands slid up his chest and around his neck, her nails sending tingles racing down his spine. Her touch made his thoughts grow disorganized until frustration began to take shape. Being used to a complicated life, things had grown too difficult for him to fully handle. He just wished he could go back to before he'd met Rachel. Oftentimes, he wished before Yumin, but he was thankful he'd met the brunette amongst all other things that had occurred in the past nine months.
Yumin's hands slowly slipped down his chest as she began to back away, but he kept his arms hooked behind her waist to keep her against him. Jungkook groaned in irritation under his breath, growing more and more frustrated the longer he stood still. Rolling his eyes, he gently shoved against her stomach, forcing her back against the wall between his closet doors as he roughly entrapped her lips between his. His fingers bit into her skin through her clothes, rumpling the fancy material as he greedily tugged her against his chest. She gasped in surprise, hands twitching in the air as she struggled to slip into his embrace. Gradually, her body softened and her hands lowered to his chest as she fisted his collar to urge the upper half of him over herself. He towered a few inches above her, one arm stationed near her head to prop him upright. Hearing Yumin's tiny whimpers under her breath seemed to ease the amount of frustration burning through his veins, but nothing was enough to satisfy him. After a few moments, Jungkook pulled away, breathless with swollen, glossy lips as he seethed to himself.
"I'm so fucking tired," he breathed. "I just want all this bullshit to end; I'm so fucking sick of it."
Yumin remained quiet, her fingers picking absently at his shirt as she stared off into the distance. Lowering his forehead into the crook of her shoulder, the brunet blew a gust of breath from his nose, sending shivers down her spine as he curled closer against her broad form. He let his eyes flutter closed, feeling his limbs grow numb as he moaned under his breath. Everything felt completely off and he couldn't place any emotion in his head. It was like being trapped inside of a funhouse; the constant turning and shifting making him nauseous and shaky, minus the fun.
"I-I'm trying as hard as I can, Jungkook. I'm trying to fix everything, and I know you're tired-"
"You can't fix everything, angel."
"But, I can try. I couldn't stop Rachel from hurting you, but I can stop her from hurting anyone else now. We just have to get this over with. Once she's tried guilty, I can focus on Yura..."
Jungkook absently trailed his lips up her tanned neck, marking her skin red around the collar of her black button-up. Groaning softly, Yumin tilted her head back against the wall as she fisted her hand in his silky hair. He cupped the side of her face, kissing her gently as his thumb brushed along her cheekbone.
"Once Rachel is gone for good," he mumbled, pulling away, "I'm not going to stop until Yura's in the same position as her. He shouldn't be out on the streets, Yumin, and you know this."
"I know... but, maybe...if I just keep him away from you-"
"There's no 'but' about it. Yura needs to be put in jail. Immediately."
Pulling away, Jungkook looked Yumin dead in the eye as her spine went rigid with shame. She averted her gaze to the floor, a blush blossoming over her dolled-up face as he kept their distance to a minimum. He felt slightly disappointed in her at hearing her grow defensive at the mention of throwing Yura in jail, but he was well aware of her sick attachment to her ex. With a sigh, Jungkook stepped back, allowing Yumin to breathe normally as she'd been holding her breath with him so close.
"I'm not going to stop until he's behind bars, Yumin. I know you know that's what's best."
Yumin could only nod, keeping her lips sealed as she adjusted her sleeves to roll and button them above her elbows. She looked masculine, more masculine than normal, and the maknae found himself getting lost in the sight of her. Dolled up for something no person would enjoy, yet her expression quickly hardened until it was almost completely emotionless.
Feeling his back tingle, Jungkook beckoned the brunette with his hand towards the bedroom door. They were running late on time, and if he didn't make to leave now, he might not have the courage to show up at all.
_
The hushed voices of everyone in the courtroom made everything ten times as unnerving. The seven of them twirled about slowly on the heels of their dress shoes, taking in every inch of the wide, spacious wooden room. Jungkook stood at the front, beside his lawyer, a short blonde adorned in a dark blue blazer and trousers for show. In the row behind sat Sejin, Yumin, and Seokjin, being the second most important witnesses in the case of Rachel's trial. Yumin sat tall, body froze in her seat, eyes trailing over every inch of the room in search of the sickening brunette. She tried not to convey any emotion on her face, but everyone else knew what was going through her head. Murder. She wanted Rachel dead, and they knew that having her behind bars would never be enough.
In the very back sat Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi; they served as no use to the discussion of Rachel's charges and therefore were pushed to the very back of the four rows. Between them and the others were what could only be labeled as other lawyers, and of course Jungkook's mother. She sat with her purse clutched in a death grip on her lap, knuckles paling against her fair skin. Mrs. Jeon appeared antsier than anyone else in the room with her leg bouncing quickly and her chest heaving with each breath. Every so often, Jungkook would cast a glance at her over his shoulder, his brows furrowed above his mask as he made sure she was alright.
On the opposite side of the room sat only four people: Rachel's lawyer, a woman with various piercings on the visible part of her face with a child stationed beside her, and a lone man dressed in regular, all-black attire. Rachel's lawyer was distracted by his paperwork, shuffling through each sheet of paper and scanning over the words typed down as quickly as he could without wasting time. Rachel would be hauled into the courtroom at any moment, and he had little to no time to spare before the judge arrived to list her charges.
The startling woman with piercings was tending rather loudly to her child, scolding him every so often as he whined up at her through his mask that he was bored and wanted to go home. She would hiss and curse, and eventually, the poor child shut his mouth and turned down to the floor with fresh tears brimming in his dark brown eyes. He kicked his feet back and forth, swinging them as a distraction to cure his boredom. Little did he know that he could be there for several hours, as much as it took to charge Rachel with everything she was guilty of.
The final man in the back sat lounging in an informal manner; legs spread, arms crossed against his broad chest as he glared at one person in particular over his black, chain-adorned mask. His gaze was unwavering, steely, and intimidating as his eyes peered past the unnamed woman and her child at the opposing group on the other side of the courtroom. His chest heaved with each breath he took with teeth grit in rage behind his mask. However, he didn't make a sound. Didn't move a muscle. He would be spotted by the end of Rachel's trial, he was sure of it, but if she spotted him too soon, his plan wouldn't be as fun as he wanted it to be. He wanted Yumin to be surprised when she saw him.
After all, it had been a while since she'd last laid eyes on Yura.
_
I drummed my fingers anxiously on my hardwood seat so quickly that I had to sit on my hands to keep them still. Strangely enough, I didn't want the trial to end as much as everyone else did; while Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook's mother sat wordlessly behind us, my eyes drifted over almost every inch of the courtroom as I waited for Rachel to step through the doors behind us. I knew I wouldn't do anything; risking myself yet again in such a careless way would screw everything up in more ways than just one. Although, the idea of being locked away where Yura couldn't reach me was oddly comforting, save for the fact that Jungkook and the others would be at his disposal and I wouldn't be able to do a thing.
Listening to the double doors crack open behind me, I sighed in relief, turning to look over my shoulder as two security officers in vomit green attire forced a very agitated Rachel into the room. For some reason, she was shackled, wrists and ankles, but after a moment I understood why. As one of the officers nudged her forward she writhed in their hold, forcing them to pause in the middle of the aisle to situate her before continuing. Rachel's gaze was wild above her jet black mask, head swiveling atop her shoulders this way and that as she took in the audience she would be seated before. It had barely been two weeks since she'd been arrested and it already appeared as if the isolation was driving her mad.
Turning towards our section of the piers, Rachel's gaze settled on Jungkook who watched her from his spot at the near front of the room with wide, startled eyes. Her gaze went predatory in a mere second as it landed upon him, her mask shifting atop her face as she smirked from behind it. I already knew which expression she was wearing: lips turning up against her pale face, parted to reveal stainless white teeth as she stumbled forward in her shackles. I turned on my rear to watch her more carefully and felt Seokjin's hand rest on the lower portion of my back from behind.
At the sight of movement, Rachel turned to me, her smile widening beneath her mask as a sickening giggle bubbled from deep in her throat. The unexpected sound brought shivers down my spine and limbs, making me seize up as I straighten my back. I didn't want to appear inferior to her in any way; we both might've been cuffed the day she was arrested, but I'd make sure it was only me that walked out of that courtroom free that day.
"Can I say something to her?" Rachel asked, her eyes still trained on me.
The security guards glanced over her at each other, one shaking his head while the other offered a shrug. After a second of silent communication between them, they stepped off to the side, closer to my pier, and let Rachel lean close to address me. I scrunched my nose beneath my mask as the sickening smell of her rotting breath wafted into my face. Having her so close, I noticed the knots in her once silky smooth hair, the discoloration in her face, and her thin, bird-like wrists shackled at her waist. She looked like hell and it was obvious she hadn't bothered to take care of herself once she'd been detained.
"Look at me, Yumin," the brunette sang under her breath. The security guards leaned back to allow us to quietly exchange words, although I had nothing to say to her except a string of curses. "Look me in the eye, you pathetic little-"
"What do you want?" I hissed, balling my fists in my lap.
"Even if I'm tried guilty today, you're not getting away so easily. He'll get you; I can promise that."
"I don't care. As long as you're behind bars for what you did to Jungkook."
"Still trying to protect him, I see. Cute. Pathetic, but cute." She leaned closer, and I had to hold my breath as her stench made me lightheaded. "But, he's not the one you need to worry about now."
Rachel turned her head to the left, eyes completely leaving mine to settle on someone in the back of the room. I looked at her a second longer before following her gaze to where the others sat, my heart dropping down to my stomach as I saw who she was focused on. Yoongi's eyes were locked with hers, brows lowered in complete loathing as he stared the brunette down. I felt my mouth fall agape with disbelief and fear before turning back to Rachel, but she'd already straightened her posture and stepped back to the center of the aisle.
"You fucking slut-" I meant to lunge out of my seat, but Jin hooked his arms around my waist before I could even get to my feet. He pulled me back against his chest as quiet gasps from others in the room became audible. I was sure no one had been able to hear every word we uttered, but now I wish they had.
"Don't get too cocky, princess!" called Rachel over her shoulder as she was pushed between the swinging doors into the front of the room. "You might end up like me!" She glanced over her shoulder one final time as she was jerked towards her seat.
"Or worse!"
_
Seokjin hadn't realized he was holding his breath until the judge pushed his way into the room with a file clasped flimsily in between his thumb and forefinger. He loosened his hold around Yumin's waist, slipping one hand back to his side while the other rested reassuringly atop her thigh. Unable to hear the majority of her words with Rachel, Jin was anxious to know what she'd said to the brunette before turning towards the back of the room and then turning away to leave Yumin furious and trembling as she looked after her. Even now, the younger quivered beside him, her gaze burning into Rachel's form as she was hauled into her seat to the left of the judge and left to sit for the rest of the trial.
As the judge settled into his seat with a loud sigh, a short-statured man with a receding hairline, he cleared his throat and looked out amongst the audience before him. He addressed the opposing side with a nod, and their side with a warm good morning, to which everyone replied with curt inclines of their heads. No one was in the mood for a friendly introduction, especially Yumin, Jungkook, and the maknae's mother, who continuously bounced her leg behind him on the tiled floor.
"Let's get things started, shall we?" the older man spoke out. "You will address me as Judge Rahn and nothing more. We are here today with charges against Rachel Choi for sexual assault, rape, and unlawful spiking of someone's drink. After a quick search of your household-" Judge Rahn held up a small bag of dark red tablets, each smaller than the pad of his pinky, and gave Rachel an uninterested glance. "-the police found the substance that you used to sedate Mr. Jeon with the night of the assault. Did you, or did you not use these the night you assaulted him?"
The room went quiet as they waited for Rachel to reply. She lolled her head forward, glaring up at Judge Rahn with a look of utter annoyance as she mumbled, "You already know the answer to that, so why're you asking me?"
"Did you, or did you not spike Jeon Jungkook the night you took advantage of him?"
"Yes! What're you, daft!?"
Judge Rahn ignored the irritated brunette's jab and continued to sift through his paperwork.
"We also found several weapons in your possession, including a taser, various pocket knives, and a handgun, which wasn't in your name. It was in the name of a Min Yura; any idea who that might be?"
Seokjin felt Yumin feeze up beside him, her gaze lifted from where it had lingered at her feet to glance between the judge and Rachel. Her hands fell apart and quickly linked with his as her leg began to bounce anxiously against the floor. Squeezing her hand lightly, he switched his hold on her to pull her against his side, comfortingly rubbing her inner thigh as her breath came out in shaky whiffs.
Rachel remained quiet, lurking gaze trained on Yumin from afar as she refused to speak. With a sigh, Judge Rahn continued as his narrowed eyes scanned over her paperwork for her case.
"No? Not a problem; we can find him in our system in no time. I'd ask you what your intentions were with so many weapons, but I think we've got an idea already. Why did you take advantage of Mr. Jeon? Hmm? I would think as co-workers, you two would be rather...buddy-buddy?"
"We were, your honor," Jungkook spoke up confidently. In the court of law, there was no time to waste being hesitant. "I considered her a friend...but, I don't have any clue what she considered me."
"I wanted to be your friend, Jungkook, but when I found out you were dating her-" Rachel's stare burned into Yumin, forcing the brunette to straighten her posture further as she glared right back at her. "I'm not going to stop until she gets what she deserves."
"What exactly does this woman deserve, Ms. Choi? You seem to really dislike her."
"I hate her. Yumin, you've had everything since you moved to Korea and every time I think I've finally found someone, you have to come and take them away."
"I never took anything from you!" Yumin shouted. "You were the one Yura cheated on me with, not the other way around! If you hate me so badly, then focus on me, not them!"
She gestured behind her to where Yoongi, Jimin, and Taehyung were seated quietly. Jin took that as a surprise; up until now, Rachel had only seemed to be targeting Jungkook, despite her threats from before. Now, everyone else was roped into the mix and Yumin wasn't going to stand for any of it. The brunet could feel her begin to stand as she and Rachel shouted back and forth, but he kept his arm hooked around her backside, rooting her against her bench so that she didn't make an even bigger scene. Yumin's voice rose higher until she was practically screaming at the woman shackled at the front of the room. Not even a second went by before Judge Rahn slammed his gavel atop its post repeatedly, silencing the room until not even the other's breathing could be heard.
"That's enough!" He jabbed a finger in Yumin's direction, his wrinkled hand shaking as he did so. "Keep quiet unless I ask you to speak or you'll be thrown out of here on your ass, got it!?" Embarrassed, the brunette immediately sealed her lips, lowering her gaze back to the floor as he turned down to Rachel in her seat. "Behave, before I add another five years on top of your charges for annoying me."
"You can't do that!"
"Watch me."
Seokjin leaned close to press his mouth up against Yumin's ear, mumbling quickly under his breath as to not disturb the rest of the room. "Knock it off before you get in trouble. You need to calm down."
She jerked away, tugging her hand from his as she splayed them out against her knees. He could see her hands trembling, palms sweating as she rubbed them anxiously upon her thighs. Hesitantly, he pried his gaze away from her to focus on Judge Rahn as the trial continued and let his hands roam freely along her lower body. He kept one arm stationed behind her backside to hold her in her seat, uneasy at the idea of her bolting out of it to fling herself at Rachel again. His free hand rubbed along her upper forearm and finally clasped over her own, holding it down against her leg to comfort not only her but himself. Yumin wasn't the only one that wanted to fly from her seat and lash out at someone.
_
The rest of the trial lasted well over an hour; it was almost ten-forty in the morning and everyone was just now beginning to wrap things up. I'd kept my mouth shut for the most part and only spoke when asked to testify to Rachel's aggressive behavior, per Seokjin and Judge Rahn's threats for me to keep quiet. Every time one of their gazes found mine, or even Jungkook from in front of me, I felt tingles of shame rush up and down my spine. I might've been mildly tame throughout the rest of Rachel's trial, but my thoughts ran rampant with all the things I wanted to do or spit in her wretched face.
"So, with the charges of rape, sexual assault, spiking, illegal possession of a foreign firearm, and the abuse allegations against Jang Yumin," Rahn boomed throughout the courtroom, "I hereby try Rachel Choi guilty."
I felt the breath force itself from my lungs as I collapsed in on myself, my hands snaking around the back of my head and fisting my hair. Seokjin's hand slipped up my backside and rubbed comforting circles upon the small of my back. Tears trickled down my face with relief, and I had to try so hard from making my cries audible as Judge Rahn continued.
"You are sentenced to a minimum of thirty years in prison with good behavior, although-" He turned to the side, glancing out of the corner of his eye through his thick-rimmed glasses down at the brunette as she silently fumed with rage. "-I doubt that'll be the reason you ever get released."
The two security guards that had hauled Rachel through the courtroom doors moved into position to drag her to her feet as the judge called out, "Case closed," slamming his gavel down repeatedly on his desk before gathering his papers in a neat stack and vanishing out the back door. Amongst the light, excited chatter that came from our side of the room, I could make out Rachel's curses of defeat as she was ordered from the room, forced the withdraw from the light of day until she was well into her fifties. I pushed myself shakily to my feet as everybody rose from their hardwood seats. Behind me, Jungkook's mother shook out her aching legs before happily trotting up to her son. She engulfed him in her embrace, despite her smaller stature, peppering the brunet's rosy face in kisses until he pushed her away with a smirk.
We all merged into the center aisle while Rachel's side of the court dispersed and left the room. There was nothing left for them to say or do; she'd been convicted and no one would see her free for years to come. I grinned lightly at the thought as I felt someone's hands slip behind my back, rubbing comfortingly before pulling away. I kept my distance while Jungkook, Sejin, and his lawyer stood in a circle to converse what happened next, the others surrounding them a few feet apart with their hands shoved in their pockets. Waiting at the back of the group allowed me to observe everyone left in the room; all four of my boyfriends, Seokjin, Sejin, and finally Jungkook's mother, who I'd interacted briefly with outside of the courthouse that morning. She was a vibrant woman, one who'd been more than delighted to finally meet me. Her cheeks had bunched up behind her hand-sewn cloth mask as she thanked me repeatedly for what I'd done for her son. I'd replied that I was only doing what any other person would do, even though that wasn't true. Any other person would've left, knowing their presence was the root of all their issues, and yet there I was.
While the other's conversations lingered in the air, mingling and mixing together to where I could only pick up a few words here and there, something lurked close behind me. The sensation rattled me to the core, but as I turned to look over my shoulder, no one was there. What appeared to be police officers and stranded lawyers stood in the open doorway to the courtroom, but they kept to themselves, sharing rather loud chatter with one another while the mother with various piercings pushed her way out into the hall with her bickering child. As I watched them leave, another form caught my eye: everything was black, from head to toe, mask glistening to silver chains as they stared straight through the crowd at me. Not only their stare but their very being made me instantly nauseous and only after they pushed away from the farthest wall did I recognize them. They tilted their head to the side as they walked from view, pulling their mask down over their chiseled face to reveal a devilish smirk with yellow stained teeth. The drying tears in my eyes resurfaced and trickled down my face as I stood slack-jawed in the middle of the room, watching the one person I hated most walk away as if they had never left at all.
_
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I apologize for disappearing for another two months. I really can't find much motivation to write anymore, but I'm trying. This story holds dear to my heart and April marks the two year anniversary since I came up with the draft for the first ever chapter of Forever. I appreciate all the love and support both I and the book have recieved so far, and am so excited to see so many new readers poor in. I can't wait for you all to read this book til the end. I'm more than excited<3