Taehyun walks into the blue-law building in utter protest and unwillingness. his steps are heavy, wishing to go back to where Kai had dropped him off and just stay the day with him.
he grips his briefcase, going past security and making his way upstairs to their office. his mind is both cluttered and completely empty.
"you'll be okay?" Kai asks right when they're about to part.
Taehyun nods despite the heavy feeling in his heart. he feels like Kai can see right through his lie, heck, he most definitely can.
"I'll be professional. don't worry." he reassures after getting a skeptic response from the younger.
now, on the elevator by himself, Taehyun wants to take back that statement. who said he had to be professional? it's not fair.
he doesn't want this.
doesn't want to join the meeting, or sit by the table. even if it's with great co workers like Felix and So-Yeon. he knows he has to, it's part of his job.
and hey- no one told him to go and fall in love with a witness. this mess is on him and his rather poor decisions.
........................
in light of not having anything to do, Kai sits around for 5 minutes before he is bored out of his mind. having to run here and there for so long that resting feels impossible, he decides to be useful and do some of the cleaning around the already clean apartment.
he's dusting the furniture, cleaning imaginary dirt from the window frames, redoing the bed twice because the first time the sheet wasn't 100% wrinkle free. polishing the floors to pass the time, and doing the little dishes left in the sink from the other day.
changing the empty toothpaste tube for a new one and wiping down the sink from the water gathered on it when they washed their faces.
he does it all, until the apartment looks spotless, without a single thing misplaced.
he looks at the clock, thinking about how Taehyun must already be halfway done with the meeting.
he's done at 6pm... Kai remembers. close to dinner time.
will he have time for lunch?
Taehyun once told him they rarely get time to eat at the office. so Kai does the only thing left, preparing a nice meal for his hardworking boyfriend. knowing how hard this day must be for Taehyun, because of him.....
he hates it. that it's his fault. his decisions, as right and calculated as they are, it hurts the people that he loves.
he can only hope good comes out of it. only time can tell.
....................
"why the grim face?" Felix does not miss a beat, attacking Taehyun as soon as he walks in the meeting room. "someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"lay off him, Felix." So-Yeon comes to Taehyun's aid and he in returns gives her a small, thankful smile. "rough night?"
"you can say so.." Taehyun sits at his assigned chair, waiting for Miss. Rue.
"I heard we have some pretty big evidence to review today." Felix beams. "I kind of harassed Miss. Rue yesterday to tell me what it's about, but I got nothing." he laughs awkwardly.
the door opens.
"good morning everyone." Miss. Rue walks in with a stack of papers, a black tape and a to go coffee cup. "I hope you're all ready for the meeting." she places the stack in front of her seat and looks a head. "how are we today?"
So-Yeon gives a thumbs up while Felix answers with enthusiasm. "all ready!"
Taehyun mumbles something akin to. "same old, same old.." wanting to get this day over with as fast as possible.
Miss. Rue looks at him longer than she does others, glint of care and sympathy in her eyes. he shouldn't be surprised, since she knows the nature of his relationship with Kai.
"should we get started then?" she gets up, turning on the TV behind her with the press of a remote. "I spoke to the suspect's son yesterday. he had given me, us-" she corrects herself. "a lot of insight on the case, along with something else." she shows the tape in her hand.
Taehyun sees Felix twitch in expectation beside him and he groans eternally.
"as you all know. Taehyun's apartment has been tempered with while he was working at Hybe. is that True, Taehyun-Shii?"
he nods, straightens his posture automatically when he feels Felix and So-Yeon's curious eyes pierce at him.
"true."
"when was it Taehyun-Shii?"
"right after I got the position for paralegal in the case."
Miss. Rue nods in satisfaction.
"we've already received the footage from Taehyun's apartment, showing 5 individuals break in, amongst them, a person named Ok DongJun." she puts the tape into the TV. "during my meeting with the Son, Huening Kamal Kai. he had brought to my attention the possibility that this group was paid by the Hybe team to cause trouble and shake ours and the witnesses ground."
"why would the Hybe team want Taehyun to get sick if he was on their side right from the beginning?" Felix raises a good question.
"we're not sure of the specific reason just yet. it might also be that they did not want someone with a clear mind on the case to avoid whistle blowers." she answers. "may I ask, Taehyun-Shii. during your time on the case, did you sense something wrong with the way Mr. Kim handled the procedure? if so, can you walk us through the events?"
"Taehyun-Shii, I think you should wait outside. you've said enough."
"did you even look at the flies before bringing them to me?
"go home Taehyun-Shii. I don't even want to look at you right now."
"every criminal case is green labeled Taehyun, as the top paralegal in your department you should already know that, right?"
"get your fucking act together...."
he shudders, cold sweat gathers under his shirt collar. suddenly, it's like he's right there in the same room with him, getting ridiculed, gaslighted. those two damned months, many days he had slowly lost the reputation he had worked so hard to keep. weeks he started losing faith in himself, in the career path he had so proudly took.
"there have been few events." he confirms. "the first meeting with the suspect. I pointed out the fact that out client had a tattoo on his arm, since i hadn't seen that on the mugshot, I was curious about when he got it done."
"what was the response you received?"
"I was kicked out of the meeting and told to wait outside."
Miss. Rue hummed.
"would you say that dismissing you was a fair decision?"
"I wouldn't say that. it was a logical question based on the evidence I saw."
"I think we all agree that it was an exaggerated reaction." Miss. Kim looks at Felix and So-Yeon. "unless you have a different opinion."
they both shake their heads.
"I would ask the same." Felix shrugs. "good paralegals must have eyes for small details as such. not providing a proper answer is one thing but he should've allowed Taehyun to stay in the meeting."
"If anything." So-Yeon joins in. "attention to details in a great quality for a paralegal to have. he should have provided a proper answer."
he's not going to admit it, but hearing them say what he had doubted for so many times. was his question normal? was he a bad teammate? feeling so useless in Mr. Kim's team. it felt good to finally be a part of something where people know your worth.
he fights down a little smile.
"was there anything else?"
"the labeling system." Taehyun tells, this time with twice more confidences now that he was being backed by his team. "Mr. Kim was carrying a file related to out case, but when I asked what it was, and wondered why I haven't seen it or reviewed it before, he had lied saying it was for another case." Taehyun recalls. "but it had a green label, I'm a 100% sure he lied to hide whatever was in that file from me."
"do you have a guess to what it might be that he was hiding?"
Taehyun shakes his head.
"I suppose incriminating evidence against the client. but I could be wrong."
Miss. Rue nods.
"I think.. I think they drugged me before the hearing." Taehyun reveals after a couple of seconds.
"drugged you?" Miss. Rue's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. inviting him to expand on his comment.
"we were on the way to court. Mr. Kim told me I looked pale, and offered me a water bottle. I drank until it was about half empty. a few minutes after I passed out, and when I woke up we were already in the middle of the hearing."
"you completely blacked out?" Miss. Rue has an expression on her face akin to concern. it touches Taehyun in ways he can't explain.
someone understands him.
"I don't remember getting out of the car, or stepping into court."
"I see... I assume there were more incidents like those." her eyes show sympathy for him.
Taehyun nods.
"based on those events. do you think Mr. Kim had a hand, or is actively getting paid off to rig the case and alter evidence?"
"I believe so, Yes."
"is there a possibility he had a hand in hiring the group who broke into your apartment. do you think he knew that you were suffering an ongoing health condition?"
"I think he knew, even if he wasn't the one who hired them. I'm certain if was someone from the team, higher or not."
"you're suggesting someone of the associates had done it?"
"It would make sense." Taehyun answers calmly.
"So-Yeon, Felix. I would love to hear your thoughts." Miss. Rue once again turns to his co-workers.
"certainly. what has been told is concerning. I would not be surprised in the entire defense team is in it together." So-Yeon says. "why else would Mr. Kim try to single out Taehyun whenever he had the chance? like you said, they saw a whistle blower risk in Taehyun."
"what about their new paralegal then?" Felix wonders out loud. "don't they have to replace Taehyun with someone else? does that mean he is getting drugged too?"
"not a lot of paralegals would notice what Taehyun has. they follow their higher's orders blindly." So-Yeon says. "we've seen it in other law firms. the last one I've been at, we were told to just do out job, in the minimal sense of it. Hybe Law is just the same, if not more strict."
"did you feel that in your time as an employee there?" Miss. Rue turns the question to Taehyun. curious to hear his insight on the matter.
"it's definitely.. by the book. you could say." he answers short, than expands. "I wasn't allowed to ask questions outside of the case, or that were out of personal curiousity."
"did that stop you from questioning Mr. Kim?"
Taehyun's shirt collar is now fully soaked, making his nape itch uncomfortable.
"not... really." he admits in a rather quiet, some might say shameful voice. "I don't think I was in the right mind to question anything at that time."
"if you weren't drugged. would you question his work?" Miss. Rue rephrases her question.
it's a question that requires no thought. he's here, risking his everything, not to mention his relationship with his parents that gone downhill ever since he quit Hybe. he choose this profession, not because of the sheer pressure from them, or anybody else.
justice, is just right. it feels right, to work towards justice, to do what is good, what is moral.
"I would, Yes." Taehyun breathes in deep.
"that's good to hear, Taehyun-Shii." Miss. Rue smiles fondly. she claps her hands, getting up. "I think we should get on today's agenda then. in light of Hybe illegally hiring gangs to spook witnesses and sabotage their co workers, we received another piece of evidence from the forth witness."
Felix moves back in his chair.
"the forth witness?"
Miss. Rue purses his lips.
"as it turns out. Kai Kamal Huening, the step son of the suspect was at the scene and witness the murder with his own eyes."
"who else has this information?" So-Yeon leans forward, leaning her hands on the table. "just us?"
"as far as we're concerned, the information has only been disclosed to our firm. and only the people in this room know who the forth witness is. needless of me to say that this is highly confidential, be sure to treat it as such."
So-Yeon and Felix nod, both has serious, genuine expressions on their face. Taehyun's tense muscles relax a little at that. knowing the information is in good hands.
"he was able to give us a tape showing he was physically and mentally harassed and threatened by Ok DongJun a few days ago. everything is on camera." she turns the TV on. "he had given us the green light to review it, and decide whether it's right to show it in court to prove Hybe's illegal interference in the case.-
-without further ado."
"audio too?" Felix whispers when the recording starts and muffled sound comes out of the speakers.
"most of it is not coherent, but the camera did catch some audio." Miss. Rue responds.
Taehyun's eyes are glued to the screen, waiting. and there he is, Kai, appearing on the TV at the very top right on the screen. doing something on the register's computer, looking awfully distressed, when the door opens.
there's exchange of words between the group and him, he seems rather.. relaxed? calm?
it's quiet, until Kai gets up, walking toward the group. something he says ticks the guy on the front and he yells out, pushing Kai back.
"That's Ok DongJun." Miss. Rue narrates for them here and there.
a few guys take Kai is their arms, and he doesn't resist. Taehyun's stomach churns. he feels sick to his bones.
"what are they looking for?" So-Yeon asks quietly as to not interrupt the sound coming from the tape even though it's mostly incoherent shouting.
Taehyun tunes out the answer, he already knows what they were after anyways.
Kai's on the floor, and the recording continues. the kick at him, again and again, and again. treating him not like a human, but a beating bag.
Taehyun cringes. he wants to, but can't look away from the scene. it continues on for a few more agonizing seconds until they stop. and "Archie" crouches in front of Kai.
the camera does not pick up on any of the words said, which only triggers Taehyun's restlessness as to what was said. regardless, Kai's face stays blank
the time in which they spend at the bar is no longer than 10 minutes, going in and out with the disk in hand and leaving the place an absolute mess.
without saying a word, Taehyun pushes his chair back so hard that it flips upside down and dashes outside with his hand on his mouth, until he finally finds the men's restroom where he throws up all the breakfast he had just a few hours ago.
so much for staying professional, he thinks as his face in buried inside the toilet, heaving.
Miss. Rue gives So-Yeon and Felix a small smile against their worried faces. she pushes her chair back as well, gently.
"I'll go see if he's okay."
..........
Author's note.
The support yall have shown on my notice is what gave me the strength to finish this chapter. Thank you for being the light in this dark time....
Have a great day💙