Between the Lines ||Taekook/Jeongcheol ff

Episode 24: Seeking Justice

The air was heavy with tension as Taehyung and Seungchol drove to the police station. Neither of them had spoken much since hearing the devastating news, their minds consumed by the accusations that now hung over Jungkook and Jeonghan. The weight of the situation was unbearable, but they were determined to clear their names.

Seungchol gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. “I still can’t believe it,” he muttered. “How could something like this happen?”

Taehyung, staring out the window, was silent for a moment. His chest felt tight, and his thoughts were a storm of confusion, anger, and fear. “I know Jungkook,” he said softly. “He wouldn’t do this. It’s Mia. I’m sure of it.”

Seungchol nodded, his jaw clenched. “We need to prove it. We can’t let them stay in there. Not for something they didn’t do.”

As they approached the station, the media circus outside was impossible to ignore. Reporters swarmed the entrance, shouting questions at anyone who passed by. Taehyung felt his stomach churn at the sight of them, knowing that every second Jungkook spent behind bars was being scrutinized and twisted by the public.

---

Inside, Jungkook and Jeonghan were sitting in a cold, sterile interrogation room, their wrists still bound by handcuffs. Jungkook stared at the table in front of him, his mind racing. He was used to handling crises at work, but this...this was something else entirely.

Jeonghan, sitting across from him, hadn’t said a word since they were brought in. His face was pale, and there was a hollowness in his eyes that unnerved Jungkook. They had both been caught in Mia’s trap, and now they were paying the price.

The door opened, and Taehyung and Seungchol stepped inside, followed by Jungkook’s father, who had been waiting outside. The moment Taehyung saw Jungkook in handcuffs, his heart shattered. He rushed to him, his eyes wide with concern.

“Jungkook…” Taehyung whispered, his voice breaking.

Jungkook looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and guilt. “Taehyung… I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

Taehyung shook his head, blinking back tears. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. We know that. We’re going to fix this. I promise.”

Seungchol, who had been standing silently by Jeonghan’s side, knelt down beside him. He placed a hand on Jeonghan’s knee, his voice soft but firm. “Jeonghan, we’re going to get you out of here. I swear it.”

Jeonghan finally met Seungchol’s gaze, his expression haunted. “I don’t know if we can. She’s ruined everything. How do we fight something like this?”

Seungchol’s grip tightened. “We fight by proving her wrong. By finding the evidence that shows she set this up. You’re not alone in this.”

Jungkook’s father, who had been standing quietly near the door, finally spoke, his voice filled with both anger and sorrow. “This is my fault. I allowed Mia into the company. I should have seen what she was capable of. I failed to protect you both.”

Jungkook looked up at his father, his brow furrowed. “Dad, this isn’t on you. None of us saw this coming. But we’re going to get through it.”

Taehyung nodded in agreement, his voice trembling with emotion. “We’ll find the truth, Jungkook. Whatever it takes.”

---

After leaving the police station, Taehyung, Seungchol, and Jungkook’s father headed straight to Mia’s apartment. The evidence they needed had to be there. Mia had slipped up somewhere, and they were determined to find it.

When they arrived, Mia was nowhere to be found. Her apartment was surprisingly not locked and was a mess, evidence of her chaotic, spiraling mind. As they searched the place, Seungchol went through her phone records and emails while Taehyung rifled through her desk drawers.

Taehyung’s hand froze as he pulled out a small black flash drive from one of the drawers. “Seungchol, look at this.”

Seungchol rushed over, grabbing the drive. “This could be what we need. Let’s check it out.”

They hurried back to the car, plugging the drive into a laptop. As they opened the files, their eyes widened in shock. There were recordings—videos of Mia planning the entire setup. She had detailed her plans in voice memos, even talking to someone on the phone about how she would frame Jungkook and Jeonghan.

“This… this is it, she is really a fool. How can she carelessly leave the evidence?” Taehyung said, his voice trembling with relief and disbelief. “Anyway we have proof.”

Jungkook’s father, who had been standing behind them, let out a long, shaky breath. “Is this any trap?. ...We need to get this to the police. Now.”

---

Meanwhile, across town, Mia was pacing in a hotel room, her mind racing. She had thought her plan was foolproof. She had thought she would finally destroy Jungkook and his company, but something wasn’t sitting right. She could feel the walls closing in on her, and it made her blood boil.

Her phone buzzed, and she answered it with a sharp, “What?”

On the other end was her mother, furious. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve ruined everything, Mia! Everything! This plan was supposed to secure us wealth and power, not bring scandal and destruction!”

Mia clenched her fists, her teeth grinding. “I did what I had to do. They deserved it.”

Her mother’s voice dripped with venom. “You’re a disgrace. You’ve brought shame to our family. Don’t bother coming back. You’re on your own now.”

The line went dead, and Mia threw her phone across the room in a fit of rage. “They’re going to pay for this,” she muttered to herself, her voice shaking with fury. “All of them.”

---

Back at the station, Taehyung, Seungchol, and Jungkook’s father handed the flash drive to the lead investigator. The officer listened to the recordings, his expression growing more serious with each passing second.

“This changes everything,” he finally said, looking up at them. “We’ll have to re-examine the case.”

.....

Hours later, after what felt like an eternity, Jungkook and Jeonghan were released from their cells. As they stepped outside into the fresh air, Taehyung ran toward Jungkook, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“You’re free,” Taehyung whispered, tears streaming down his face. “We did it.”

Jungkook held him close, burying his face in Taehyung’s shoulder, his own tears falling silently. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Seungchol, standing a few feet away, smiled softly as Jeonghan approached him. They stood there in silence for a moment before Seungchol reached out and pulled Jeonghan into a gentle embrace.

“We’ll be okay,” Seungchol murmured. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

---

As the group stood together, relieved but emotionally drained, Mia’s determination only grew stronger. She wasn’t finished. Not yet. She had lost the battle, but in her twisted mind, the war was far from over.

And as the sun set over the city, everyone knew that the storm was far from passing.