Caught You [ Stray Kids | Seo Changbin ]

N I N E

THIRD PERSON'S POV:

"You're involved in Kim Mari's crimes....right?", a man spoke on the phone.

Changbin was flabbergasted for a second as he had forgotten the trouble that Kim Mari's investigation would cause him but he calmed his nerves the very next second as he had to make an important decision right now. Would lying and saying that he's not involved with her be the right decision?

"No...I guess I'm not.", Changbin spoke reluctantly.

"You honestly didn't get any idea when she was with you those times? Wow, Changbin, I actually thought you had some sense in there. You're lucky that we're friends or else you would've gotten punished if I wasn't in this seat.", the guy on the phone pontificated.

"Yeah...I'm....I'm sorry.", Changbin felt bad for lying. Even if he told the truth, the same would've happened to him. Both ways were troubling for him and he could only choose one of the two.

"Well, even if you aren't involved, you're still a witness. Nevertheless you hadn't committed anything wrong, you've to be present at the trial.", the guy on the phone sighed.

"Yeah. W-when is the trial?", Changbin asked.

"In a week, it might take longer as they still have to do some more investigation."

"Alright then, thanks dude.", he hung up the phone.

Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it now. But before everything, he has to know everything about the person whom he's siding with, and he also has to inform the person whom he's siding with about what he knows.

__________

"Prisoner 143.", the small speaker on one of the top corner of the room spoke."Someone is here to meet you. Please, exit your cell and you may not attempt to run."

"It's that girl.", a few women gossiped.

"What is a princess doing here?", they all laughed. Mari turned her head towards them and smirked.

"You might not know, no one can be as venomous as a princess, who's longing for the throne.", she left without hearing another word from the girls.

Once she got out of her cell, a police officer put on a handcuff on her wrists.

Though, Mari didn't know who had come to meet her, she didn't care any less. She had convinced herself that no matter what, she's going to be either beheaded or given a lifetime sentence.

"They're inside.", the police officer opened the door, revealing a small booth divided from the middle with a glass wall which had small holes drilled in it, which are most probably to communicate. As she entered the booth, she was way too astonished by the booth to even see the person sitting on the other side of the booth. When she finally looked, she was even more taken aback to see Changbin sitting on a chair on the other side of the glass wall.

She didn't want to see him. Never again. She was too ashamed to face him. The person whom he was getting close to, gradually, got arrested by the police, why? She thought he'd hate and despise her now but that's not the truth. He knew about her conditions all along.

"Take a seat.", Changbin said.

Mari silently sat down on the chair, right then, the police officers left the booth.

"Why are you..here?", Mari asked.

"I just had a few things to discuss.", Changbin explained.

"You know it all now, don't you?", she was on the verge of tears.

"Mari, I-"

"You're here to mock me and tell me I am a horrible person, right?", she let her tears flow.

"No, Mari. If I wanted to do so, I would've done it long ago. I came to tell you how I support you.", Changbin explained himself.

"Why would you support a criminal like me?", she wiped her tears and displayed a stiff emotion on her face.

"Because i...", he can't say he loves her in this situation, can he?

She scoffed at his reaction.

"You have no reason to support me. Just leave.", she glanced at her hands.

"Mari, I fully support you because I know that you do it for a reason. And that reason is good enough for me to not let you go. We have to know each other and each other's situations so we can fight together. So we can prove that you're not in the wrong. I know how your life is like. I know after seeing a few of your situations because I like you. I care for you and that is one of the reasons that I can see you so clearly."

Mari didn't say anything back to him. She was embarrassed. Once again, she was embarrassed because she doubted Changbin's kindess and love.

"Even if do know, I still want to hear it from you so I can be sure that what I know is really true."

Stop it.

Stop it.

Stop it.

Just stop it!

I'm only getting what I deserve!

"So, tell me. Why do you do it?"

"Don't you know? I'm a criminal.", she scoffed."I do all those bad things just for my own advantage. I hurt other people just to pleasure myself. You still think I'm a good person?"

"Mari...", Changbin gave her sincere smile. A smile that held warmth and words of sympathy and encouragement. She wanted to accept those words but she worried that she was aiming for something that's unreachable for her. Something that she's not qualified enough for. But that was wrong.

"...it's ok. You don't deserve to be despised, Mari. I know how you're so kind deep down. No matter how I look at you, I can only see the good in you. Because you only have the good in you."

Stop lying.

"I'm not lying."

You're just trying to console me.

"I'm only stating facts."

You and I are not related so just leave.

"You don't have to be blood related to help another."

Just leave me alone!

"That's the problem. I can't."

Saying all those words out loud, wasn't something she realized she was doing.

__________

A/N: 👹