Lost & Found

Chapter Twenty-Three

Present Day
22-Years-Old

Yoongi and Aera sat nervously in the courtroom, waiting for the proceedings to start. Aera couldn't bear to do it, but Yoongi looked around the courtroom and saw three other couples. These people, he assumed, were the others hoping to adopt Jungkook.

Suddenly, the door to the courtroom opened and another person entered. Yoongi wondered if it might be Mrs. Kang with Jungkook, so he turned around to see.

But instead he was met with the sight of Sunhee walking down the aisle. Yoongi nudged Aera, who turned a bit in her seat to see what Yoongi was trying to bring to her attention.

It took a moment for Sunhee to notice them, but when she did, she threw a glance at Yoongi's arm around Aera's shoulders, and then Aera's hand on Yoongi's thigh. When she saw the latter, it was then that her eyes fell on the engagement ring on Aera's finger. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment, Aera worried that Sunhee might lash out and hit her.

Sunhee's eyes then met Yoongi's and she seemed to be channeling every ounce of anger and disgust she could manage through hers. Yoongi didn't look away; his mind was racing too fast to recognize that he probably should have. A few more moments passed between them before the judge entered the courtroom, and Sunhee quickly took a seat.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the judge said. "Let's get on with this case. In the matter of the adoption of Park Jungkook, the court has decided to award custody to Kim Cheol and his wife, Kim Yeri.

"No!" Aera gasped quietly. Yoongi squeezed her shoulder as his eyes filled with tears.

"I want to say thank you to the other couples here who took an interest in little Jungkook. Rest assured, nothing wrong was found about any of you, but the court's adoption committee has decided the Kims are the best placement for this child."

"No!" Aera said a bit louder, though no one else but Yoongi heard her.

Sunhee had whipped her head around to stare at both of them. Yoongi looked up and saw her, and narrowed his eyes at her self-satisfied smile. He stared her down, until he felt Aera's form begin shaking and he realized she was on the verge of a breakdown.

He turned back to her and quickly wrapped both of his arms around her as he said, "It'll be okay, A. It – "

"How?!" she suddenly cried out loud, causing everyone in the courtroom to look over at her and Yoongi. "How will it be okay?!"

She began sobbing so violently, that her whole body was trembling. She fell out of her seat and to her knees. And then, she let out a wail so loud, it pierced through the doors of the courtroom and out into the rest of the courthouse. It was a deep, aching, soul-shattering scream.

"Aera, listen to me," Yoongi said as he tried to lift her up off of the floor. When he couldn't, he got down on the ground next to her. "The most important thing is that Jungkook is taken care of. And if the court believes these people will do that, then – "

"You're on their side?!" Aera asked as she pushed Yoongi away from her.

"No," Yoongi insisted as he tried to pull her to him again. "I'm just – "

"How could this have happened?!" Aera wailed. "I did everything right! I – "

"Ms. Seong," the judge's voice called out through all the crying and murmuring going on in the room. "Ms. Seong, please look at me."

Aera shakily stood after a moment, and her red, teary eyes looked up at the judge.

"The court had to take into account the fact that there had been accusations against you, and – "