(BTS FF) Ending Green

thirty*•°✾°•*considerately aware

Riya's POV

A week later, my friends make their first official appearance back.

Their management chose a live broadcast as well, and ironically, it's the same show I was on. I wonder if that was planned, or if they liked the reviews my broadcast received.

Either way, they're there, and I'm in my living room watching.

I sit on my living room couch, my hands gripping a throw pillow and a blanket as the broadcast begins.

They're all wearing professional attire—not business suits like at court, but professional dress shirts. Some wear jeans, and some wear slacks. It's a polished look, but not too polished.

I ease a bit, relieved I won't have to see them in suits today. I wonder if I'll ever be able to see them wearing business suits without linking it to court. Probably. My therapist said the association is a coping mechanism our mind does to subconsciously keep us safe.

Realistically, I know suits aren't what cause me harm, but my fear will soon catch up with the rest of me, and healing will work its way into every crevice of my body. I know it will. I promised myself I would allow healing, and that means allowing the time and patience for it to.

I lean forward, pillow to my heart as Mark speaks.

"As you know," he says. "Riya Lynn came on here to speak about the situation. She mentioned how grateful she was to have you all testify on her side. How was it testifying against Chansoo? Unnerving?"

"You could say," Namjoon says drily. "It was more so annoyance that we had to see him. It's unnerving to see someone lie through their teeth while there's evidence proving their guilt. It's interesting to know there are still people as idiotic as he is."

I exhale into my pillow.

I've seen him annoyed in interviews before, but this is different. He's perfected the art of hiding it, but now, he's letting the signs spill out for the world to see.

"When did you realize Chansoo wasn't who he portrayed himself to be?" Mariah asks.

I push myself closer to the edge of the couch.

Jin answers this time. "When you're around someone often, the façade they have begins to crack. I'd say after a month of him being around more often, we knew he wasn't a great person, but none of us knew to what extent. If we had known—" His features tighten. "he would have been fired a long time ago."

"Others believed his façade because they didn't see him as often as you all did," Mariah says, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I agree." Namjoon nods. "100%. That's the point of a façade. You don't let it down around those you're trying to fool. You don't let it down around those you're trying to take something from, and he was taking money from the company while he took something much worse from Riya." His eyes darken. "And now he's paying for it."

My eyes flit to Jungkook's on the screen just in time to see a muscle in his jaw tick. He looks pissed.

"Do you think he deserves more time?" Sooly inquires.

None of my friends hesitate before responding, "Yes."

"We won't get too political," Namjoon says pointedly, "but we think survivors deserve more time for peace, and criminals deserve more time to think about what they've done."

Mariah nods. "I agree."

"I think you're all very loyal to Riya," Mark picks back up, "with everything that you've said."

My friends nod, a few of them adding, "Of course."

Mark continues with, "Some pictures surfaced from the court date, and it seems one of you is a bit closer to her than the others."