he paints with lies ❆ kookmin

3 • 셋

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❁ཻུ۪۪⸙͎.'◦• ⊱›────── January 16th 2020

Holiday lights still decorated the trees along the snowy white roads. Jimin was on his way to the firm in the early morning, as he luckily only had lectures in the afternoon.

The past days had been busy, which meant that his curiosity about Mr and Mrs Jeon's son was close to forgotten. Jimin had told himself that the memory was better forgotten and buried, as he would just be disappointed when he saw the real person behind the mask. It was just hard to forget the man when he had not yet confirmed that theory himself.

He parked the car close to the door, wanting to avoid the nipping cold, and walked towards the main entrance hurriedly. He shook his head lightly as he stepped through the glass doors, trying to make the snowflakes leave his hair.

It was quiet in the reception area, in difference from the hustle made by lawyers, paralegals and assistants working on his father's floor. It was only 8 am in the morning, though if you asked anyone working at the lawfirm, they would say already 8. These people basically earned more money the faster they worked.

Jimin's father had started the firm at a young age, but as his startup partner resigned a few years ago, Kim Namjoon took his place. The man was young, but brilliant. He was incredibly smart, and he possessed one of the biggest hearts that Jimin had ever come across.

He saw his father even before he stepped into the office, as the wall and door facing the centre of the building were of glass. He was standing in the middle of the spacious room, back facing Jimin. As he tugged on the door, he could immediately hear their conversation though it was low.

"Jin hyung?" he asked as he stepped inside, killing their conversation. "I didn't know that you were the client."

"Hello to you too Jimin." His smile was warm, but the tone of his voice was cold with sadness. It pained Jimin to hear─even more than he let show.

The blonde man sat in one of the butterfly chairs that was draped in a grey fur during the winter. Kim Seokjin, known as Jin, was one of Jimin's father's most important clients and a good friend of Jimin. His family were nothing close to ordinary─they were rather part of the elite. Seokjin's uncle was a businessman who owned large parts of Soul. Seokjin himself would most probably be taking over after him.

"Good morning, Jimin," his father said happily, knowing that his son would be in for the long run with this case. Jimin would never deny Seokjin his help, and they both knew that it was true the other way around as well.

''Morning appa,'' he answered before taking a seat in the grey sofa draped with black furs. "So, if you're the client Jin, that means you're accused of forgery?"

It was better to get right to it in Jimin's opinion, and he knew that his father had little time. Perhaps that was why he often rushed with whatever he was doing in the presence of his father.

"Yeah, they've had police search my apartment for the original, and I've been in for questioning at the station already. But I'm telling you, Jimin, I didn't do it. I sold the painting thinking it was the original."

Seokjin looked almost desperate to prove that he was innocent. Jimin knew that he spoke the truth, however. He had seen him lie before, and this was not a lie that he told him. It made relief flow through him, and he took a deep breath at that. He realised then, that he had not been breathing properly since his eyes had landed on Seokjin.

"It was a Van Gogh painting that's been in Jin's family for a few years," his father spoke up, earning his full attention. "It had already been validated both when their family bought it, and before Jin had it displayed in a gallery where it was sold. He's even got papers on it.