Fatal Trouble | Y.Jw

| 16 |

"We'll take a break until 14:15. Sentencing will be decided after the break," the judge calmly declared and let the small talk of the courtroom break out as Defendant Jung was led away and out of the room for the break. The on-lookers all started to chat about what they thought the sentence would be.

Calmly Jiyeon cracked her fingers and finished her transcript of the first half of the session, marking in that the break started at 13:30 and quickly typing in her start time as well, which would be 14:15.

"If you'd like Miss Young, there is lunch back at the station," Detective Ahn pointed out and approached her table, his empty coffee mug dangling from its handle on his fingers.

"Thank you. I think I'll just go for a cup of tea instead," she excused slightly hoarse from the last two days of fever and sore throat.

"I'll make Secretary Choi pack a box for you to bring home," Detective Ahn assured with a small smile.

"Thank you."

Detective Ahn was quick to leave along with a few of the officers. Meanwhile, Jiyeon quietly got up from her chair at the side of the room. She picked up her coat from the back of her chair and quickly pulled it on before glancing about the room. Eventually noticing Jungwon in one of the back rows, standing up and staring straight at her.

With a small nod of his head, he gestured towards a nearby door and raised both his eyebrows in a question. A small smile spread on Jiyeon's face before she simply nodded and took the nearest door out of the courtroom.

Jungwon was faster than her though. She wasn't long down the hallway towards the citizen entrance before Jungwon had rounded the corner and strode down to her.

"I'm gonna go get a coffee in the staff room. Come on," Jungwon excused and nodded for Jiyeon to follow him up a staircase beside her.

The staff room wasn't exactly big, but large enough for a few people to fit in. It was only Jiyeon and Jungwon using it though. Both looked on as the electric kettle was working hard to boil enough water for both of them.

"Secretary Choi said you've been sick," Jungwon commented and Jiyeon nodded quietly.

"Just a small fever," Jiyeon excused and kept on tugging her coat tighter around her.

"Still look a bit sick to me," Jungwon pointed out and Jiyeon shrugged quietly, "you don't look well, Miss Young."

"I need to do my job," she excused quietly, "I feel alright. No fever and my throat is only a little itchy. It'll be just fine by tomorrow. I don't look well because I didn't put on any makeup."

"Really?" Jungwon questioned and looked back at her face, "hmm... might be it."

"How man-like of you," she remarked and Jungwon shook his head, "to say I don't look well just because I'm not wearing any makeup."

"Your nose is red," Jungwon clarified, "it has nothing to do with how your eyelashes look. Mascara doesn't change your face the same way sickness does," Jungwon stated and reached out to pour up both their mugs once the kettle finished boiling. One cup of coffee and one with a tea bag, "Yes, I know you only wear mascara. Why? Because I need to be observant and yet I can't figure out what the hell it is that I'm missing in this case."

"A perpetrator," Jiyeon pointed out and grabbed her cup and watched as the teabag got soaked and turned the colour of the water. Eventually pulling it up and throwing it out in the nearest trashcan.

"Obviously... but some clue has gone past me," Jungwon sighed heavily as he glanced about the small room and sipped from his coffee, "frustrates me. Ugh! What is it that I'm not seeing?"

"You said you knew when and where the next murder will happen. Why not just wait until then?" Jiyeon murmured, "wait the two weeks and-"

"I can't waste another life," Jungwon murmured and shook his head - taking a long sip from his coffee.

"Have medics on standby," Jiyeon shrugged and got a side glance from Jungwon, "what?"

"Nothing," he murmured.

"Why are you even talking to me about this anyway? You're the detective and I'm just the transcriber," Jiyeon pointed out, "I'm not even studying to be in law enforcement or such."

"Because you've transcribed enough things for the police to notice something I might miss," Jungwon murmured, "and you're a bit more emotionally available than I am," he added with a small shrug, "you read emotions easier than I do."

"Well, that explains a lot," Jiyeon murmured and sipped from her tea.

"I'm not emotionless," Jungwon quickly clarified and Jiyeon shook her head quietly, "sometimes I just... I get so focused on deducting that I forget about facial expressions and emotions."

"Yeah yeah," Jiyeon hummed with a small nod.

"Like... I can feel things too," Jungwon assured and Jiyeon nodded and closed her eyes for a second.

"The clue," Jiyeon reminded him and he immediately nodded, "what clue are you missing then?"

"I don't know! You tell me!" Jungwon snapped before sighing heavily and rubbing his face, "I'm sorry... I... not that much sleep and you know... yeah... I'm sorry Jiyeon."

"Well... I'm gonna leave you to work," she murmured and pushed away from the table she was leaning against, "I'll see you doing the court runnings for your murder."

"You don't work before that?" Jungwon frowned.

"I usually don't work outside of court dates," Jiyeon shook her head quietly, "Detective Sim was the only reason I have been working so much lately. Earned a lot last month."

"Hm..." Jungwon hummed quietly, "You know if you... yeah... you know... if you need to like... I might some help with all my clues if you get bored. I'll make sure you get paid for the time you might spend-"

"I think I'm hardly of any help," Jiyeon pointed out, "I'll see you, Detective Yang."

"Yeah... sure..." Jungwon murmured and watched as she left to return back to the courtroom.

Quietly he scratched the side of his nose and let himself stand in silence until he had finished his coffee. A frustrated sigh left him as he placed the mug in the sink and ran a hand through his hair.

"Nice going, idiot," Jungwon murmured and glanced around the small room before deciding to rush down and grab his coat. He would do better in connecting clues at home than sitting through another few hours of court proceedings.