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The first time Soohyun saw bruises on Ga-on it was fair to say she wasn’t that surprised, because the other had an annoying talent for getting into fights. Angered and aggressive men provoking Ga-on leading to a brawl was part of his life, it was something to be expected with that temper of his. Of course she was worried upon seeing dark bruises decorating her best friends neck when meeting with Elijah, but as she said it wasn’t that alarming. On top of that Ga-on haven’t said a word regarding his bruises, normally he would explain the origin of any kind of wounds but not this time and Soohyun respected that, but still.
Where in the world could he have gotten into a fight? In his neighborhood was a lot of crimes happening for sure and she herself stumbled upon gut turning scenes, she wished to forget as soon as possible but the thing is Ga-on hasn’t returned into this neighborhood for a long time. He had stayed with Kang Yo-Han ever since the older brought him there after the explosion, taking Ga-on‘s mobile phone and isolating her best friend there, without a way to contact anyone.
Leave Judge Kim to me. He had said, before turning around and leaving her speechless and too irritated to say anything against it. Not that he would have listened to any complain nor changed his mind.
The following days she couldn’t help the unease which had settled inside her, gave her a stomach ache and a headache, thoughts swirling around Ga-on in the hands of Yo-Han all day and the articles and information she discovered didn’t help at all to calm her down. Kang Yo-Han was a dangerous man, he was cunning and ruthless and wouldn’t stop just because he might hurt a few people in the process, she didn’t know his goal, but she knew that he would do anything to win his little game.
Kang Yo-Han was in fact controlling, she learned that when he took Ga-on by force, locking him up in his mansion, holding onto his phone and deciding when the other was able to leave. He was manipulative, playing the saint with angels wings while gaining the trust of the population and conducting them to his tune, while smiling and being seemingly the innocence itself, despite paying witnesses and imposing penalties such as flogging.
She knew that the devil judge took an interest in her best friend, otherwise the older wouldn’t be this passionate about luring Ga-on into his arms. But she also knew that Ga-on wouldn’t be swayed, his parents deaths had left him with strong morals and an even stronger dislike for criminals or any sort of law breakers and Soohyun was sure that Kang Yo-Han had a lot of illegal things going on. So there was no way that he would consider switching sides and letting himself be embraced by the devil, giving in to his pain…right?
She felt guilty for feeling that little tweak of doubt in her stomach. Not too long ago there was a time Ga-on let go, he didn’t care at all, eyes full of anger and his hand perfectly still with the little knife in it, aiming for the throat of the man who ruined his life. She had seen a Ga-on she didn‘t knew existed, a colder much crueler version of her best friend, with dead eyes and determination giving her goosebumps. She had seen this kind of expression in a lot of interrogations in her carrier, the loss of a moral compass leading to horrible crime scenes. The kind of expression she saw into Kang Yo-Hans eyes the first time they met.
But despite all the warning signs and red flags she was convinced that Ga-on could handle it. Just as he said he was going to stay in the mansion to spy and look for relevant informations and was allowed to leave the mansion as he pleased by now, which eased her more than it should have. Why did her best friend who became an adult a few years ago needed permission to enter and leave the house? There was just so much wrong with this but she herself was busy with a shit load of work so she didn’t had much time to think about it.
It only became alarming the moment she saw how her best friend was thrown against a wall from the one man everyone called the devil, with an intimidating rage inside his eyes causing her to freeze for a moment, while fear filled her. He was terrifying she decided, watching the broad back of Kang Yo-Han standing before a wide eyed Ga-on breathing heavily while leaning at the pillar he had collided with.
The rage of the man was heavy and destructive, no one in the small cafe dared to say a word, afraid of being his next target. Elijah seemed not as surprised as she was, but more angry as if this was something she was used to seeing, as if she was familiar with Kang Yo-Hans violence and held a strong dislike against it.
Now the bruises on Ga-on made sense. Horror filled Sooyhun and without waiting for Kang Yo-han to leave the room with the crying girl in the wheel chair she closed the distance between her and Ga-on, forcing his head to the side to take a closer look at his neck, making out finger prints.
„He did that right?“, her eyes found his face, lips trembling slightly, „Ga-on, you need to leave. Don‘t you realize how dangerous he is? He is a total psychopath“
As expected her best friend sighed, gently grabbing her wrist and removing it form his chin, „I have everything under control, I got this.“
„No you obviously don’t. He threw you like a rag doll“, she shook her head and brushed her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself down, before grabbing Ga-on‘s wrist trying to roll his sleeves up. For how long has this been going on? What was happening in that dark mansion, which looked like a horror house standing inside of a theme park.
„What are you doing?“, confusion painted his face, while he watched his best friend inspecting his arms. It didn’t took him long to understand her gestures, which caused him to pull his hands out of her grip and furrowing his brows in anger, „He isn’t that kind of person. He doesn’t abuses me“
„No?“, Soohyun snapped, feelings hurt that he stepped away from her and looked at her full of anger for suggesting the obvious. As if Yo-Han wouldn’t hurt a fly.
„Then what is this? And don‘t you dare tell me you fell down the stairs“, she snapped and crossed her arms, „ I’ve heard enough of that in my job.“
„It was my fault. I was out of line“, he pressed, rubbing his shoulder, which had to hurt from the rough encounter with the pillar, while walking to the big glass window, looking down and locking eyes with Kang Yo-Han, Soohyun had to realize after following his gaze.
„Do you even listen to yourself?“, she grabbed his arm again, trying to pull him away from the glass, away from the man looking up with a dark promise on the lips.
Kang Yo-Han carried the girl into the car without much difficulties, showing once again that he wasn’t only a beast with words but also considering his physique. It took a lot of strength to manhandle someone as tall and well built as Ga-on, she knew her best friend wasn’t only good looking but also had an amazing body underneath that big sweater she doesn’t recognize as one of his own. There was no way Ga-on was in power in any moment he spend with the older man. And that’s what scared her.
But as she said, Ga-on was an adult, it wasn’t her decision with whom he lived or where, so she couldn’t do anything but watch and plead him not to go as he said a rushed goodbye to her, before storming out of the caffee.
Desperation filled her, seeing him disappearing from her sight. He changed, he wasn’t the Ga-on she knew, this Ga-on was messed up and lost his direction she carefully guided him to. She felt as if she lost her place beside him and was only able to watch as he walked deeper and deeper into the dark Myst, leading him to a creature with bright red eyes, starring at her best friend with hunger and possessiveness.
——-
The next time she met Ga-on after his breakdown in the restaurant, voicing his doubts about who was at fault for the con artist escaping prison and crying into her shoulder he changed. His eyes weren’t full of light and hope anymore, but rather dull and empty. Her best friends eyes seemed darker like black holes and reminded her of Kang Yo-han, giving her goosebumps all over. No.
She forced a smile on her face, before stepping closer, taking note of the suit he wore that wasn’t Ga-one style at all. It was too expensive, too dark and made him look like a stranger, a cruel and dangerous stranger and made her feel threatened for the first time in her life when she was with Ga-on.
„How are you feeling?“, she asked her question but wasn’t really focusing on his face and expression, instead her eyes roamed over his body, taking in all the little changes and stopping at the angry red marks at his wrists, barely visible with the long sleeves of his suit. Surely most of the people wouldn’t have noticed, but she was trained to notice something like this, it was her job to spot crimes without them being vocalized.
He had been tied up she realized, eyes darting up in horror while her heart sunk to her knees. Who was it? Did Kang Yo-Han did this? Did he hurt him?
She had seen victims of murder and rape with this kind of marks, that came from rough ropes or belts or even tape and it drove her crazy to even thing about this possibility.
Rape. No, Kang Yo-Han wouldn’t…Ga-on wouldn’t let it hap…No. she knew it happened to men too, not just women but Ga-one wasn’t weak, not…weaker as Yo-Han?
„Good, better“, Ga-one answered but sounded just as empty as his eyes looked, he seemed distant, only a small polite smile showing on his face without reaching his eyes.
„About bringing down the court, I can-…“, she began only to be interrupted by her best friend, voice stern and sharp, „You‘re not“
Soohyun blinked, „Huh?“
„You are not“, the taller repeated stepping forward, „ You’re not going to bring down the court“
„Ga-on…“, her voice was thin, unbelieving. Wasn’t this what they have agreed on when having diner at Ga-On‘s house? Wasn’t everything back to normal? Wasn’t he back and hi trusting Kang Yo-Han shattered?
Her hands were shaking, „What is going on? What is the matter with you?“
„I just opened my eyes, Soohyun. There is no justice in this world until you make it“, Ga-on looked angry, rage burning inside him, reminding her of the scene not too long ago into the small caffee. This wasn’t her soft and gentle best friend, who despite being angry never showed any aggression towards her nor raised his voice. Usually Ga-on didn’t get angry, just disappointed.
„The system has failed us, Soohyun“, he wispernd with a sad smile and a blink of pain in his eyes which she liked better than the blind rage but still wasn’t satisfied with, „Every system ist controlled by power“
„I know you‘re angry and disappointed. I understand that, Ga-on, I really do and I want to help you, but you have to come back home for me to do so“, she looked around the marble corridors, afraid that one man in particular would find them, it was their work place after all. It would turn the situation and she feared that against Kang Yo-Han she had no chance to talk Ga-on into leaving here and pursuing him to stop this nonsense.
„I am home“, came the responds that shook her to the core, making her gulp, while shaking her head, grabbing his wrist.
„No, Ga-on. Home, your Home, Not…there“
„You don’t understand“, this was a statement. An observation. Ga-on looked at her, indifferent and without giving away what he was thinking. The calculating look didn’t suit him and only mad her more desperate to leave already. This whole building full of people in expensive suits, the exclusive looking court, the rich and powerful who played their games in the shadows, all this wasn’t their world, this wasn’t where they belonged.
„Let’s go, I’ll talk to the professor, he‘ll understand and help us find a solution, okay?“
She stepped forward, tugging at her best friend, who was not making any attempt to move nor flinch away from her touch, he just stood there, watching as she tried to make him leave while looking up and down the white corridor with the dark wooden door at the end. The devil’s chambers.
„You‘re looking for him“, he stated and couldn’t help but chuckle unamused, while looking up to the ceiling seemingly thinking about how much he was allowed to say.
„I‘m not…“, Soohyun began to feel helpless and frustrated, but denied the obvious as to not anger her best friend further. She already realized that Kang Yo-Han was a sensitive theme.
„He‘s manipulating you, you said so yourself“, she whispered in a sharp tone, lowering her voice.
„He stopped“
„No“, Soohyun steeped forward looking up, a serious look on her face, as he squeezed his hand, „He will never stop, because that’s what he’s like, you know it yourself. There’s a reason they call him ‚devil judge‘, does a judge bribe witnesses?“
„He did it in order to judge him and put him behind bars, because he was an arrogant and abusive piece of shit!“
„Abusive like Kang Yo-Han?“, she raised an eyebrow, raising Ga-one wrist and roughly punching up his sleeves to show him the red marks, „What did he do? Do you have more of that? Is he flogging you too?“
„What are you Talking about?“, Ga-in snapped back, before taking a deep breath and lowering his voice while looking around if there’s anyone who could overhear their conversation.
He locked eyes with her before speaking very clearly, „He‘s not abusing me. I want it. I like it. I ask him to.“
This made her freeze, it felt like a bucket of ice cold water was emptied above her and she couldn’t help but stare at Ga-on, who now began to losen his tie with tightly pressed lips. Irritation followed by fear of what was to come made her wait as he started to unbutton his shirt too, allowing more and more insight of his pale skin.
„He‘s doing nothing I don’t want him to, do you now that power play can be intriguing while having sex? I think you can tell he‘s not exactly a gentle Lover, but I don‘t ask him to“, finally he had unbuttoned enough to grand her a great view of his bruised neck, covered in bite marks and hickeys, continuing on the body parts that were still hidden behind clothing.
„Don‘t jump to conclusions, I‘m old enough to decide about my life and my sex life. I trust him, because he‘s a good man. I won‘t ask you to do the same, but don‘t tell me that I‘m living my life in the wrong way“, still gentle as ever he grabbed her wrist and removed it from his arm, before holding her hand and looking at her with a hint of the warm Ga-on she used to know, „I know what I‘m doing, I just realized that justice isn’t given troughs the law, because money and power IS the law and it changed my view on the system and how I want to spend my life. I‘m not exactly satisfied with how you live your life either but I accept it, so I want to ask the same of you. I don’t want to lose my best friend, Soohyun“
Maybe it was because she got a glimpse of the old Ga-on, the boy she grew up with or maybe it was the puppy eyes he gave her but she knew that she would give in in the end, because she too didn’t want to lose her best friend and first love but she also knew that she couldn‘t accept a Ga-on who had become someone like Kang Yo-Han. The bruises freaked her out, she was not entirely disgusted but she couldn’t understand why someone would want to hurt the ones they love like that. How can someone treat their beloved ones rough enough to leave bruises that reminded her of the victims of domestic abuse or rape. Was that even Love? Or just sheer possessiveness? Was it the thrill to corrupt someone like Ga-on or the power he displayed just like he said?
Maybe it was because of her job, of what she had saw and will never forget not even in her dreams, but the worry about Ga-on wouldn’t fade anytime soon.
Even now she knew that her dreams will be plastered by images such as Ga-on being tied up, will crying and groaning in pain, while Kang Yo-Han had his way with him, struck him in the face when he made the tiniest mistake in the household or at work and choking him as a punishment. And she wasn’t there to protect him as she vowed to.
Everything seemed Tonfall apart and just now in this exact moment she realized how careless she had been, this change in Ga-on didn’t came over night, it wasn‘t something sudden but she haven’t care enough to notice it, feeling too save that nothing could take Ga-on away from her. She became a police officer because of him and expected him to stay out of gratitude and guilt, dedicating his life to her just as she did for him, but that wasn’t the case. It was a selfish thought and dumb and desperate, because she loved Ga-on, always had and wanted him to be his so she wasn’t that much different from Kang Yo-Han was she? They both wanted to have Ga-on and she lost, due to her feeling as if she was the most important thing in Ga-on‘s life and miscalculating her worth. He for sure liked her a lot, but as he said, he wasn’t gonna fall in love with her.
She hadn’t noticed the man appearing behind Ga-on, slipping a hand around the youngers waist and pushing Ga-Ons head back to expose the bruises even further, until Kang Yo-Han hummed while looking at the marks he left, „If I were to say I find my work marvellous and want to bruise him up even more I‘m sure I won‘t ease your unnecessary worry, am I right?“
Her eyes narrowed, while barely comprehending what the older man had said. Seeing the man, let alone seeing him touch Ga-on like she yearned to do for years now made her angry and defensive and she knew she shouldn’t let him read her like an open book, but she just didn’t care „You‘re correct“
She could see the corners of his mouth switch as if he had fun messing with her, showing off Ga-on and his ownership of him. Jealousy hit her and she knew that Kang Yo-Han catched on onto her feelings for her best friend, enjoying it how she had to look away after a few seconds seeing him caressing Ga-ons jaw and pressing the younger into his side.
„Then I won‘t say it, detective“, he let his hand fall down while giving her an amused raise of the eyebrow, allowing Ga-on to look at her again, this time as if she wasn’t anything more than a stranger, contrasting what he said earlier about not wanting to lose her.
It was as if Ga-on logged out of his own body, leaning into the chief judges grip like a doll, eyes only focused on his owner, while ignoring her completely. Kang Yo-Han seemed like his whole world, the only thing that he took an interest in and wanted to look at and it made her even more angry. What did the man, watching her with a knowing smile do to break Ga-on? What had he told him to make him this submissive?
She was sure if the older told Ga-on to do something dirty and utterly humiliating like pleasuring him with his mouth, right here and then her best friend would do it without much hesitation.
Was that his way of manipulating her? Of showing his superior position and power over the man she loved and couldn’t have. Ga-on didn’t say a word, only standing tall and motionless while looking at her, but at the same time swing right through her.
She gave in after all, made up her mind that she wasn’t gonna object this anymore until she had some serious evidence that would led to the arrest of Yo-Han. The day would come when she stormed into the office of this man, with an arrest warrant, cuffing him and letting him rott in some cell far away from Ga-on.
„I‘m very sorry, detective, but I‘m afraid we have to take our leave now“, the chief judge took a look at his watch on his left wrist, „The criminals are never asleep and we have to work on the next trial. But if it helps to ease your worry you‘re welcomed to join us for diner tonight“
„I accept“, she blurred out before thinking, taking what was offered to her, and nearly missing the surprised look Ga-on gave Kang Yo-Han.
„I‘m fond of correcting your false misconceptions, maybe you‘re even ready to change you‘re mind about my and Ga-On‘s decision“
He belittled her, speaking as if she was a child which needed to be educated and had the audacity to pat Ga-on‘s bum, signaling him to start walking to his office, while smiling at her.
„With all due respect, but I don‘t think so, Sir“, she flashed him a smile before stepping aside and bowing to them as a farewell, „Have a Good day and don‘t overwork yourself Ga-on. You don’t know when to stop.“
He had never known when to stop and she had never known how to move on and accept something new. That was something that would never change and she wasn‘t troubled by that, already dialing the number of the old man needing to inform him that Kang Yo-Han had dug his teeth into Ga-on already, not willing to let go.
She wasn’t gonna stand by and watch her best friend descending into madness.