Dangerous Lines | Yuzuru Hanyu

55. Judgment

There were no doubts in Yaeko's mind that the defense lawyer was trying to corner her with what she loved.

Her husband knew about Yuzu and it was no surprise that they were attempting to use that in court to weaken her stance.

What they had failed to realize was how predictable it all was. She had been expecting this low blow.

"Even if there were outside reasons for me to finally speak up, none of them make the defendants less or more guilty of the accusations. I think it's fairly easy to understand my point of view if I explain everything. I want you to put yourself into the position of a young girl whose father just sold her to marry one of the most powerful leaders of the Yakuza, how do you think this girl felt? For years on end, I was terrified of screwing up, of getting myself or those I cared about, hurt because I said or saw something I shouldn't. Years of wondering if there was any way I could get out of the prison I was given. I never had many answers to my pleas and maybe yes, after 10 years under these conditions I needed a little push to finally act on it. It's easy to accommodate when you're comfortable but with every tortured soul I saw, I felt guilty of the crimes I wasn't committing. They used me as an intermediary for years on end because a Woman is always a bit easier to trust. I was a tool for whatever purpose was necessary. If you really want to know why now? Because I finally had enough, I finally realized that I deserved better for my life and that everyone had suffered enough on their hands. I have no regrets for being here and I will be even happier once they are all out of the streets so everyone can live peacefully again."

Her statement was strong. Strong enough that the defense lawyer cowered right away with a simple "I have no more questions" that made Kiyoshi stare at him with a pissed glare. Yaeko had made him give up with her words and you could bet she felt powerful.

The thumbs up she received from both the Agent and the Prosecutor were also good encouragements for her to feel slightly more relaxed.

"Witness is dismissed."

Never had she been more relieved. Her part was done and everything was finally out of her hands.

She stood up and started leaving the stand when her heel caught up on a crack in the wood, making her trip. The prosecutor was kind enough to grab her gently before any fall could happen but her instinct made it so that her first concern had been to protect her stomach, thankful that everything was ok. As she stood and her eyes landed on her husband, Yaeko froze. He was looking at her up and down, a knowing smirk on his face as his eyes landed on her midsection.

Gulping, she did her very best to ignore what she had just seen. He would be locked behind bars when this was over, there was no need to be concerned about it.

Well, that was her very first mistake.

The court was dismissed for a whole hour after everything was presented. The jury needed that time to make a decision and it allowed everyone for a well-deserved break after so many hours inside the courtroom.

Yae left the room and headed to the outside gardens for a bit, taking deep breaths as her brain lingered on everything that happened in that courtroom. The policemen guarding her kept a safe distance but never allowed her to leave their sight, it was both assuring and tense to feel their eyes on her.

She was certainly glad that the commotion that was outside wasn't allowed anywhere near inside these gardens, allowing her to finally get a break.

It was hard to explain but she felt the weight leaving her shoulders for a while. It was the first time in years that she felt that way. It was no longer up to her.

Her thoughts were broken by a gentle hand on her lower back and a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Are you alright?"

His scent was still as intoxicating as she remembered, making her feel at home right away. That was exactly what he was to her.

Yaeko turned and embraced his body, head resting on his shoulder while one of his hands traced her spine in a slow and cautious motion.

"I'm ok."

Yuzuru knew her well enough to read through the lines on that answer but he still didn't say much more about it.

"It's done, alright? You did your part."

"You think it will be enough?"

"We can only hope it is. There's no room for mistakes when your life is at stake."

"Not just mine, you're in the middle of this too."

"I spoke to Agent Miura and he doesn't think they would try anything on me. Messing with a public figure openly is a bad rep, especially when that figure has enough money to make them go bankrupt."

Yuzuru was right about that. There was nothing the Yakuza loved more than money. It was always about money and drugs. Their priorities were very well established.

"I still worry."

He hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head.

"Come on, they're going to read the verdict and this will all be over."

Right then, Yae should have trusted her feelings. Her body didn't trust that it was all ending, if anything, it just felt like it was the beginning of a whole new mess.

She was only proven right when the jury started reading the verdict.

As most of the Yakuza members being judged were deemed guilty in court, her husband just kept staring at her with a smile, one of those that was enough to creep her out. She had known that man for a while and he seemed too relaxed given his surroundings.

Yaeko only understood why when his name was announced, the final and most anticipated verdict.

"The Jury considered that Takayama Kiyoshi is proven NOT guilty"