「 ⩩ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Vienna, amidst the bullying at school, crosses paths with a charmingly mysterious thug who swiftly becomes her protector. They both become each other's comfort despite being polar opposites, discovering in each other the hope a...
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⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ˳༄꠶ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
↳ currently playing ;; [恋は月の蔭に ] - [Lamp]
The day of the trial arrived with an air of somber gravity. The courthouse, usually bustling with activity, seemed to hold its breath as the proceedings were set to begin.
Vienna, though surrounded by a sea of faces and murmurs, felt an overwhelming sense of isolation.
When Shotaro laid eyes on her at the court hearing, he was taken aback.
Only a few days had passed since he last saw her, but she had already trimmed her hair, now sporting short hair that barely covered her earlobes, she even had lipstick on it was as if she was going to a date.
Shotaro immediately turned to look at Ni-ki, who was seated at the other end of the courtroom.
As Ni-ki had been remanded in custody, his hair had also been, in accordance with prison regulations, shaved to an extremely short length.
Strangely, even though the two youths were now both present in the same space, there were no interactions, no exchanging of glances, and no eye contact between them. It was as though they were entirely foreign strangers.
Vienna was seated in the middle of the courtroom, presently testifying as a witness for Ni-ki's case.
"Please describe the first time you met the accused."
The entrance of the small alley. Her attempt to dial 911. Being forced to kiss each other on the muddy floor before they even had the opportunity to take in each other's face clearly. At that time, she felt nothing but disgust and shame.
And yet, who could have predicted that it was precisely this incident that would intertwine their fates for the rest of their lives?
And who could have predicted that—in occasionally witnessing the suffering inflicted by the thugs onto Ni-ki—her refusal to stand idly by, her refusal to ignore the blatant bullying happening right in front of her, her courage in picking up her mobile phone to dial the police hotline, would reward her with a male youth willing to sacrifice his life and freedom for her, gifting her with a lifetime of love, admiration, and protection?
"I was on my way home when I happened to see a bunch of thugs standing in the alleyway..."
Vienna began to recount the first time she met Ni-ki with an unnaturally slow and measured tone. Her words were delivered with a deliberate calmness, each syllable carefully chosen, as if her tale was a tapestry woven from the depths of her soul.
