he paints with lies ❆ kookmin

12 • 열둘

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(a/n); so, I don't know much about the law. it's also apparently different in every country.
I did look things up to the best of my abilities, but don't expect perfection sxjssjs thanks.

❁ཻུ۪۪⸙͎.'◦• ⊱›────── January 27th 2020

The court hall slowly filled with people, but Jimin still could not spot Jungkook among them. Seokjin had arrived however─not as the prime suspect of the forgery, but as a possible accomplice. They were both being sued.

The best thing that could happen would be that they had to pay a fine, or nothing at all, if the jury believed that Jungkook's mental disorder resulted in the crime. It was also important that Seokjin was proved to be unknowing. If they could not, the mild punishment would be imprisonment for a maximum of six months. This was not what Jimin dreaded, but the hardest punishment─imprisonment for up to ten years. It was a Van Gogh painting after all.

They had a good chance at winning, as long as Jungkook showed up. The police had not been involved a lot so far, and they surely did not want to involve them further. They were however the ones who brought both the forgery and the original. Jungkook had handed the original over when he was brought in for questioning, in company of Hani as his psychiatrist. Seokjin had been brought in for a second time, and even Jimin had been questioned.

There were still a few minutes left until the judge would arrive along with the jury. The opponent had arrived though, sitting on the judge's right side.

"Jimin, do you need anything? You look quite pale. Should I get you some water?" Hani asked, concern laced in her voice. She rubbed his back soothingly, but the agitation would only go away once he could see Jungkook.

"I'm fine." Jimin croaked. "I just-"

"Jimin!" His voice echoed through the court─it was a spacious room with high sealing, all wooden desks, benches, floor and walls. Jimin's eyes met his immediatley as he spun around to see him press past people along the aisle. Those big doe eyes that belonged to the only person he wanted to see right now, were stupidly locked with his.

"Jungkook." It was more of a whisper, but relief was evident still. He stood up from his seat beside Hani, closing the distance to Jungkook. He only had time to take two steps before they stood in front of each other, and he let out all the built up worry as he smacked Jungkook across the chest. It was a soft hit, a sincerely defeated one.

Jungkook's eyes were wide as he looked down at him, lips parted as he exhaled audibly.

"You're late," he said with a frown, and an almost indistinguishable pout. There was still time left─Jimin was just worried.

"I'm sorry." He smiled apologetically. "Appa tried to make me stay longer to review what I'll do when he's in Canada next week."

This was the first time Jimin heard of this, so when Jungkook looked almost defeated, he did not understand why.

"Jimin," Jungkook said as he looked down, and Jimin simply hummed anxiously. "I lied to him to get out of there."

Jimin's shoulders dropped at the tone in Jungkook's voice. He was disappointed in himself.

"It felt so easy, relieving. Like breathing, as you break the surface after being under water for too long," he confessed, and it ached inside them both. "It felt so good to just let go of this restraint that I-"

"Don't blame yourself Jungkook. You needed to do it, and you can't help those feelings. Please, don't beat yourself up over it." Jimin's voice was quiet and reassuring. He intertwined their hands, out of sight from everyone else, for good measure. "I'm not mad."