[may]

Graduation was just around the corner, and Namjoon was stressed.

The last couple of weeks, he'd been going to work for about half his usual time, then he'd go home and study with Jin, and after putting Young-Jae to bed, they'd meet up with Ji-hoon to discuss the case.

Exams were almost upon them, and although he wasn't exactly nervous about them, it was another stress on top of the already growing pile.

"So, do we have a good understanding of what's going to happen?" Ji-hoon questioned.

The lawyer, Jin, and Namjoon were sitting in the Kim's house, going over the final plans for the court case tomorrow.

Young-Jae was upstairs hanging out with Taehyung and would be spending the night at his grandparents' house. Jin and Namjoon would be taking the day off of school to head to the courthouse for the trial.

Thinking about the day ahead, Namjoon's nerves were going haywire.

Tomorrow was the big day.

They were finally settling the case.

Most would think it was a grand affair with a room full of witnesses and impassioned lawyers shouting to defend their clients, but the reality was that it was between Namjoon and Seulgi and them alone.

They each could provide witnesses, but there was no need for a large crowd, and it would be over soon enough.

Ji-hoon clapped the man on the back, giving him a warm smile.

"Don't worry about it too much. I am positive that you are the right parent to be taking care of Young-Jae. We'll get through this tomorrow without a doubt."

Namjoon gave a shaky smile back, too nervous to really comprehend the lawyer's words.

-

"Namjoon, stop fidgeting," Jin huffed, dabbing some concealer under his boyfriend's eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled, letting go of his tie.

After a completely restless night of tossing a turning, the younger had woken up looking visibly stressed with dark circles.

Thank goodness he didn't have to go to school, as he and Jin decided to lounge around, killing a few hours before their afternoon court date.

Now, they were getting ready to leave, Namjoon freaking out in every aspect, Jin attempting to be the calm figure through it all.

"Okay, all done!" he exclaimed, moving away so Namjoon could look at himself in the mirror.

He was surprisingly happy with it.

Before, he looked like a raccoon with a bird's nest on his head. Now, he looked like a well-rested, businessman dressed in a suit with his hair gelled away from his forehead.

"Thanks, babe," he said, slightly shocked, as he got up from the chair in front of the bathroom mirror.

Jin gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, before packing up the makeup.

After a light breakfast, they hopped in the car, Jin calling his father to tell them they were on their way.

Looking over at Namjoon, his jaw was clenched, slightly jutted like he did when he was really concentrating. Jin smiled, placing a reassuring hand on top of the younger's.

"It'll be okay. I promise," Jin said, kissing the back of Namjoon's hand as they drove to the courthouse.

-

"Boys," Ji-hoon greeted them at the entrance, opening the door for them to enter. "Our trial is scheduled for twenty minutes from now," he reminded them, as they went through the process of going through security and finding their way through the building.

"How long will this take?" Jin said as they found some seating outside the room.

Namjoon sat down next to him, arms crossed over his chest, as Ji-hoon sat opposite them.

"I doubt we'll be here longer than two hours. First, we'll have a few minutes to give a brief summary of our case, Seulgi and her lawyer will go first. Then, we'll have a chance to call up witnesses, cross-examine, re-examine, and then each give our closing statement. I know our side should be done in about forty-five minutes, so depending on how much information they have, maybe an hour and a half."

Jin nodded, putting his hand on top of Namjoon's shaking knee, trying to get him to calm down.

The action didn't go unnoticed by Ji-hoon who simply looked away with a small smile on his face.

About fifteen minutes went by when Namjoon looked up to see Seulgi and her lawyer quietly talking amongst themselves in the corner.

He huffed, glaring a little, before turning to his phone to text his parents.

Although they didn't have any planned witnesses, Mrs. Kim had decided to come and sit with Jin so he wouldn't be by himself while he waited. If the case arose, she could also be called in as a witness.

A few minutes later, a man came out of the courtroom.

"The case between Kang Seulgi and Kim Namjoon?" he asked, as they all stood up to go inside.

Namjoon became nervous and shaky once more, Ji-hoon shooting him a look of reassurance, as Jin gave him a small smile, touching his arm.

Although Namjoon really wished he could've given Jin a kiss, they'd agreed not to show too much affection because they were afraid that it may affect the judge's bias.

Walking into the room, a new wave of panic washed over him.

Even though everyone had reassured him that there really was no chance they could lose, there was still a seed of doubt that this could be the last time Young-Jae was in his care.

And now that Jin wasn't by his side to reassure him, Namjoon had to remind himself about all the reasons why he had to stay strong and not have a mental breakdown in the middle of the floor of the courtroom.

Both parties went to their respective sides, sitting at little wooden tables in front of the podium.

Looking over at Seulgi's side, Namjoon watched as her lawyer was taking out binders, folders, notebooks, and other supplies from his briefcase.

He watched as Ji-hoon simply plopped a small manila folder with a few notes and some legal papers onto the table.

That worried him.

Well, should he be worried?

Doesn't that mean that Ji-hoon was confident in the little material that he had?

"Please rise for the judge," someone said, as the woman came into the room.

All of them bowed, as she returned it, before sitting behind the podium, shuffling through some papers.

"This is the case between the plaintiff, Kang Seulgi, and the defendant, Kim Namjoon, over the sole custody of their son, Kim Young-Jae. You are here today after being unable to settle on an agreement outside of court, so I will hear from the plaintiff first and then the defendant with your opening statements. You may proceed."

And with that, the trial began.

Seulig's lawyer stood up, shuffling through his papers before glancing at the paper for a moment before looking up.

"Thank you, your Honor. We're here today to discuss sole custody over three year old Young-Jae because we do not see Kim Namjoon as a fit parent."

It took everything in Namjoon's power not to stand up and shout at the man, so he simply settled on glaring from a distance.

"In a recent turn of events, we were exposed to his true nature. An explosive, foul-mouthed teenager, who had no control over his emotions, and quite frankly, could be considered borderline abusive. Recently, Mr. Kim and my client got into a small argument at her home which resulted in her falling and injuring herself. My client had a few bruises, a small sprain, and said she feared for her safety. I have submitted pictures and hospital records as proof."

Namjoon's eyebrows practically shot off his forehead, as he whipped around to look at Ji-hoon. He whispered to the man that he had no idea what the lawyer was talking about, and although Ji-hoon had a stoic expression on his face, his eyes told Namjoon that this was unexpected and didn't look good.

"On multiple occasions, he was seen in public causing a disturbance and yelling at my client. Once he got word that Ms. Kang had filed for sole custody, he showed up at her home disturbing all surrounding neighbors as he pounded on her door and attempted to attack her. I have submitted witness testimonies to this incident as proof. Yes, Ms. Kang has only recently come back into her son's life, but she has been willing to learn and continues to do so- well until Mr. Kim restricted her from visiting Young-Jae. Limiting their time to weekends and only at his home. This further supports our case that he is controlling, and is not fit for this role as her son's guardian."

Namjoon hated how twisted the man's words sounded. How believable he could make Namjoon sound like a god-awful person.

"Ms. Kang is a fine young lady with a bright future ahead of her. An up-and-coming model, she has a healthy social life, a well-paying job- which Mr. Kim can't even say he has- and means to provide Young-Jae with a mother and father. A complete family unit, which is also something Mr. Kim has failed to do so."

Namjoon heard Ji-hoon softly scoff from his side, sounding almost bored with this man.

"My client and I do not believe Kim Young-Jae is safe in Mr. Kim's care and are here today to see it through and take the necessary steps for change. That is all."

The man sat down, as if he had expected some sort of applause for his speech.

The judge remained expressionless, nodding as she shuffled through some papers, before turning her attention to the Kim's side. Namjoon sat up a little straighter as she called on Ji-hoon.

The man stood up, gracefully, a small smile on his face. He turned to the other side of the room, giving a small bow.

"Thank you Mr. Choi for that wonderful performance. I will now try to set the story straight and produce the facts."

Ji-hoon placed a hand on Namjoon's shoulder.

"My client, Kim Namjoon, is a wonderful father."

Hearing Ji-hoon speak with such passion, made Namjoon happy, and all fear seemed to fade away.

"Has been for the past three years that he's spent, lovingly taking care of his son, Kim Young-Jae. At his side through every diaper change, fever, scraped knee, temper tantrum, the good and bad moments, all that- may I remind you- Ms. Kang turned her back on. Kim Namjoon, at the young age of fifteen, stepped up to the plate and decided to be a loving father to a little baby boy. While facing a rigorous school workload including extracurriculars and a job, sacrificed much of his social life in order for Young-Jae to live a happy, healthy, vibrant life. And what did Ms. Kang do? Jet off to some posh private school in America, where she lived her life away from any parenting duties. Choosing to chase her dreams rather than face reality."

Namjoon looked over at Seulgi, to see her head down, an upset look on her face.

Serves her right.

"In any case, my client has proved time and time again that he is more than capable of caring and loving his son. Yes, he may have gotten upset and loud at Ms. Kang, but I do not believe that it is without reason for a parent to become enraged when their child is put in danger, as Mr. Choi has so expertly avoided. Mr. Kim was angry on multiple occasions, and not without reason. Ms. Kang has lost her son in a grocery store, and attempted to take Kim Young-Jae without anyone knowing-"

"Objection!" Mr. Choi exclaimed, standing from his chair.

But before he could get a word out, the judge used the gavel.

"Mr. Choi, if you do not refrain from interruptions during the opening statements, I will have to fine you."

"Sorry, your Honor," the lawyer said, bowing before sitting back down.

Ji-hoon gave a small smile, before continuing. "As I was saying, I think we can agree that a parent would be frustrated and angered, and in fact, I think Mr. Kim handled himself well. As for the notion that Mr. Kim has attacked and injured Ms. Kang, I do not believe my client is capable of physically harming another. He has suffered from his own abuse- coincidentally enough because he chose to take on the role of a teenage father- and I do not think he could wish that upon anyone else."

Namjoon looked down at his hands.

When talking with Ji-hoon about the case, he'd surprisingly opened up about the past trauma in his life. It felt good to get it off his chest, but he was a little nervous about it being used in court for fear of sounding weak or unfit to handle such things.

"Now, Mr. Choi mentioned my client's inability to provide a job or a family unit. If we look at the facts, Mr. Kim is interning at an entertainment company and is due for his first paycheck in less than a month. In the past, he also worked in a bookstore in which every penny was put into a savings account for Young-Jae's needs. I think it is safe to say that he has done well to provide for the little boy, paying out of his own money for babysitting, an apartment, and daycare services. Toys clothes, food, you get my point."

Ji-hoon sighed, shaking his head. "As for the aspect of a family unit." he sent a disappointed expression in Mr. Choi's way.

"My client may not have a female partner, but that does not make his relationship any less important. Young-Jae loves Namjoon's partner, and even calls him 'appa'. In fact, I think it to be unfair that Mr. Kim has to compete with Ms. Seulgi for custody when you so confidently pointed out that Ms. Kang can provide a mother and father family unit. My client, is unable to produce offspring of his own, due to the harsh restrictions put on same-sex couples here in this country, and yet, your client has every ability to be able to reproduce her own offspring."

Namjoon honestly hadn't thought about that point, until Ji-hoon brought it up.

It made him a little upset knowing that he and Jin couldn't ever actually have a child that was theirs.

"I think that Mr. Choi has failed to truly understand the facts, being that this is a case for the sole custody of sweet Young-Jae. That this is a battle to see who deserves to be the guardian and role model for this three year old, not bashing my client at every turn he gets. Kim Namjoon is a worthy parent. One who has sacrificed much to be where he is today, and I believe with every fiber of my being that he deserves to continue on the path to guardianship over his son, Kim Young-Jae. That is all."

Now, that was a standing ovation performance in Namjoon's book.

A few minutes for a break, and the judge called on Mr. Choi to produce his witness.

"I'll be calling on Ms. Kang Seulgi as a witness."

The girl timidly scooted off her seat and over to the podium.

"Now, Ms. Kang, will you recount the argument you had with Mr. Kim where you were injured? What was the argument about?"

Namjoon looked up at the girl to see her looking guilty and upset.

"He and Jin found a suitcase in my room with things for Young-Jae."

"In your room? Did you give them permission to enter your room?"

Seulgi looked down at her hands. "N-no."

"So they invaded your personal space, without permission?"

Seulgi hesitated, eyes darting at the livid look in Namjoon's eyes, before slowly nodding her head. "Y-yes."

"And was there any explanation of what that suitcase was for?"

The girl shook her head, looking down at her hands.

"So they assumed that you were attempting to disappear with Young-Jae, and they broke into your personal space without permission?"

The girl paused again, looking between Namjoon and Mr. Choi before slowly nodding her head.

"Now, after they found this suitcase, you said Mr. Kim Namjoon began yelling at you. Can you describe the events that happened after?"

Seulgi let out a shaky breath, refusing to look anyone other than Mr. Choi in the eye.

"N-namjoon, began shouting in my face, about how I am a screw up. I-i tried to explain what the suitcase was f-for and, um he...screamed at me to s-shut up. I was shocked, a-and scared. I tried to move back and tripped, s-spraining my wrist when I fell. H-he, um...he threatened to end me."

Seulgi's shoulders deflated as she finished.

Namjoon was absolutely baffled. Mr. Choi nodded in triumph, getting exactly what he wanted.

"Now, can you recall the moment Mr. Kim shouted at you in a public setting, after the disappearance of your son?"

Seulgi nodded her head, not looking anywhere near Namjoon.

"Can you tell me why he walked out of the grocery store with that woman?"

"He was...distracted."

"By what?"

"A phone."

"Belonging to whom?"

Again, another pained, guilty expression.

"Namjoon's boyfriend. Jin."

Mr. Choi looked up, smug.

Namjoon was practically seething.

"Your Honor, in both instances, I'd like to point out that Mr. Kim was outraged at problems that arose because of something he or his partner had done. Ms. Kang's privacy was invaded, assumptions were made, and she was confronted by Mr. Kim in such a terrifying manner that when she scrambled to get away from him, she fell and ended up with several bruises and a sprained wrist. The reason for Young-Jae's disappearance that day in the grocery store was because of Mr. Kim Namjoon's partner, failed to take his phone away, and then Ms. Kang was forced to take the brunt of the fall, being embarrassed in public by Mr. Kim as he concluded that it was all her fault."

Namjoon remained shocked. How was he able to make those moments where Seulgi was clearly in the wrong seem like his fault?

"I think it is plain as day who the real guardian should be. Ms. Kim's ability to take the brunt of such slander is commendable, and with time, she can learn as much as Mr. Kim has in his three years of practice."

Mr. Choi walked back to the table, looking over at the Kims with a satisfactory smile.

"Mr. Jung, you will now have time to cross-examine the plaintiff."

Namjoon looked over at Jin-hoon, who gave him a reassuring thumbs up, before standing up and walking towards Seulgi.

"Ms. Kang, please, can you tell me three things? What is Young-Jae's favorite color, his favorite food, and what is he allergic to?"

"His f-favorite color is...um, blue. I know that he likes cookies, and, um, he's allergic to n-nuts."

"Hm. And can you elaborate on what nuts?"

Seulgi bit her lip, looking between her lawyer and the one in front of her.

"Um, t-tree nuts?"

Ji-hoon lightly hit the podium, looking over at the judge.

"As you can see, Ms. Kang is unable to answer a few simple questions. Although she was able to get his favorite color correct, she had to stop and think about what her son was allergic to. A very important thing, as it could mean life and death, could it not?"

Ji-hoon turned back to the distressed girl.

"Now, Ms. Kang. If I may, did Mr. Kim ever explicitly say you could not come and visit or raise your son in the time that you were at a boarding school in America? Did he ever say you had to stay away?"

She slowly shook her head.

"My client has not, in any way, prohibited you from being there for your son over the course of three years?"

She slowly shook her head. Ji-hoon nodded, turning to the judge again.

"So why is it that now at this moment in time, we are discussing the fact that Mr. Kim limited visitation with Ms. Kang- for Kim Young-Jae's safety- when she had three years to visit him? Why are we just not facing the facts, when they were there all along? Mr. Kim has provided and sacrificed for all these years and we chose a few weeks to define it all."

Ji-hoon turned back to Seulgi.

"Tell me Ms. Kang, what was your intention in coming back to Seoul and seeing your son?"

She looked over at her lawyer before speaking. "I-i was in town for work, and... I realized how much I missed Young-Jae. I-i