smoke and mirrors

23

Good things must come to an end, so they left Chicago after staying for two weeks and headed back to Korea. Upon arrival, both males were instantly taken into custody.

Johnny knew this was coming he prepared for it. Jaehyun was also very calm because this wasn't his first rodeo. Sitting together in the interrogation room felt like deja vu, well for Johnny.

"Here we go again." Johnny glances at jaehyun who seems to be taking it pretty well. "Jae," he grabbed Jaehyun's hands.

Jaehyun looks back, completely calm and composed he said. "I think they will try to make me testify against you. I can't do that."

Johnny nods his head in agreement. "They have nothing on me because I didn't murder her. So far the only crime I have committed will be me telling them that we are married."

That hurt Jaehyun a lot. It was more than a pride thing, he knows the law by now and it still amazes him how South Korea can't change their conservative views.

"After this trial, I want to move, I don't care about how I will be treated in America at least I can say that I'm with you."

"Ok." Johnny squeezes Jaehyun's cold hands. "I guess being away from here for as long as we did together really made you envious of what we could be." Johnny teases.

"Yeah, I could walk into a club with you, kiss you on the street, be on the same document as you. I can claim legally that I'm yours. I can't do that here." Jaehyun was done with this, he knew also that one of the driving reasons for them being pulled into these hard situations was because of their sexuality.

Johnny kisses Jaehyun on the neck.

Just then two detectives walked in followed by Johnny's lawyer. "Mr.Suh, you know leaving the country as a suspect during a trial like this looks very awful for you right?"

The American gave a glance to his lawyer. "I knew but it was just a vacation trip."

"Do you know that leaving during this trial was illegal for you?"

Johnny shook his head no. "No one said I could leave the country. I can leave whenever I feel like it. Also, none of the legal advisers told me to stay. I emailed them to let them know of my departure."

Oh, the detectives were hating Johnny's guts right now. "Did you even give them time to respond or did you send that email for evidence purposes?" The female detective questions this time.

Johnny pulled out his phone and pulled up the email he received. "They told me to have fun as can be seen here."

The detectives knew they weren't going to get much out of Johnny so they turned to jaehyun. "Why did you leave?"

"I'm not a part of the trial," Jaehyun says simply. "I don't..."

"You are linked to him, if you don't testify it will be an obstruction of justice."

Jaehyun's eyes glared at the man, then he remembered that he couldn't legally be married to Johnny so he was forced to testify.

"I.."

Johnny stood up, "we are married. Even if it is just in America, we can..."

The woman slams her hand down on the table. "You're already lying, no one is that stupid to do an act of barbaric sin. Marriage between the same sex?"

"Excuse me Miss you can't speak to my clients that way. I assure you that somewhere in the world same sex is allowed. If they have proof of this then Mr. Jung can't possibly testify against his husband."

"Well there's no such documentation that South Korea accepts, anything less will be completely ludicrous."

Johnny grabs Jaehyun's hands. "It's alright. W.."

Jaehyun looked down, he felt like he was being scolded like a little child. But then he remembers there's no trial without substantial evidence. "Where's your proof? You can't hold us without proof."

That's how they were released. Never in a million years should they have to fight for the right to be treated as human beings.

"Jae, you know I never meant to put you in trouble."

Jaehyun who was placing his jewelry up looks at Johnny. "It wasn't you it was those awful detectives and this horrifying justice system."

Johnny walks behind jaehyun, " I have a crazy idea. What if we move to the US now?"

Jaehyun looks to meet eyes with Johnny in the mirror, "I might just be a little bit crazier."

"Is that a yes to running away?"

"As long as I'm with you of course it is a yes." Jaehyun stands up. "I'm tired of playing it safe, let's give them something to throw us in jail for."

Johnny nods his head. "I have tickets if you want to leave tonight at the crack of dawn. We can just rebuild our life in America."

Jaehyun vigorously nods his head. "I'm ready."

Within hours they had their clothes packed and everything that they valued of course. They were on their way to a new life in a country where no one knew about their past.

In this new life, they refused to show off their money, they wanted to live a normal life, working-class if you will.

When midnight came they were heading back to America. The tickets weren't to Chicago however, it was to California. The state of lgbtq presence.

After two days they were settled in their relatively average size house. This new life that they aspire to have seems to be taking off so far.

That was until they heard a knock at the door. Jaehyun opens it. "Sungchan?"

"Did you miss me?" The taller male hugs the life out of jaehyun. "I can't believe you ran away. Why do that knowing the consequences?"

"I'm happier here anyways," Jaehyuns says simply

"Well, I hope your happiness is worth being banned from your homeland." Sungchan pretends to walk away, "Oh, and the prosecution of your family."

Jaehyun eyes narrow on Sungchan. "I think it is. Maybe it's time for me to be selfish."

"Selfish for what a murderer?" Sungchan spits back.

"Huh?"