Needing A Spring Day

4. Hearing

Please note while reading this chapter that I am not a law major and have absolutely no concept of how these sort of things play out other than a few Law and Order episodes that I watched when I was a teenager...
Let's just have a little bit of imagination and pretend this is accurate, okay?

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The nerves brewing in the pit of Taehyung's stomach had never felt so toxic as he was led into the courtroom for what he hoped would be the last time. Although Mrs. Song had voiced her confidence a multitude of times, the never ending fear he could spend more time in the cemented hell continued to loom over him.

Two months filled with research, deliberations and hearings had been somewhat overwhelming for the young boy since he hadn't a clue what was going on most of the time. His lawyer did her best to simplify things and walk him through every step the best she could, but there was only so much one could retain to memory while dealing with a completely new environment.

As he was brought into the courtroom, his eyes found the familiar jury, their emotionless faces adding to the weight already heavy on his shoulders. The way they were always so focused on the details being given was something he appreciated and feared at the same time. Every memory of his rocky past had now been made public and while he knew it was to help his case, there were certain aspects of his life he wished had been kept hidden.

Mrs. Song sat waiting for him at the defendants desk, standing to her feet and smiling as his fear-stricken face neared. The ease of her expression was always something he had been jealous of, wishing he too could pretend all was well in light of their circumstances.

Behind her, for the first time, sat a small audience, watching with intrigue as he approached his awaited chair. Reporters sat anxiously, appearing to be a little too excited for the trial to begin.

Then, he saw them.

Tucked away in the very back of the rows sat the only people he hadn't expected to see.

Torturous butterflies filled his stomach as his eyes scanned over the six smiling faces he had missed over the past two months, their gazes locked in on him, silently cheering him on since they would be escorted out if their support was voiced.

He immediately thought back to all the unopened letters he had received over time, bound together and stuck between his mattress and the wall of his cell. At the time, opening them and reading their heartfelt words was too difficult of a thought. But now, he couldn't help wonder if there was any information within them that would explain why his two best friends sat on opposite ends of the group and not on one another's lap.

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Song questioned, pulling him from his thoughts as she rested her hand on his shoulder and waited for the guard to readjust the handcuffs to the front of his body.

Taehyung pulled his eyes from his friends to his lawyer, trying his best to focus his mind on the question. "I think I'm going to be sick." He responded, watching the guard attach a chain from the desk to the center of his restraints.

The older woman rubbed his back, doing her best to calm his nerves. "What have I been telling you?" She spoke softly, trying to keep his attention on her. "We're going to win this." She reassured, giving him a confident smile.

Taehyung tried his best to believe her words, nodding his head and biting down on his lip to avoid voicing his worries. Just as he was about to reply, a movement on the opposite end of the room caught his attention, sheer terror consuming his every thought.

Dark eyes met his, daggers flying across the room and into his soul as haunting memories began to resurface. The man he had hoped he would never have to see in his lifetime now sat only a few feet away, reminding him of every terrifying event that had led them to this exact moment.