"I only hit him because he was attacking my friend, and I didnt even want to kill him I just wanted to stop him, and my friend.. she just freaked out I guess so she ran away and thats why the evidence was against me."
"That's horrible." He commented sincerely.
"And she may not have been the best people out there but she was one of my best friends so I told my lawyer to call her in, believing that she would tell the truth but... the attacker had semi harassed her sexually and ofcourse something like that if revealed can terribly tarnish a girl and her family's reputation- " Luna was answering all the questions the elites had thrown at her without taking a breath in between.
"So, she denied that she was ever there and that left me as a liar infront of the court" her voice broke, "And my lawyer had to change our previous statement and that in turn tarnished mine and my family's reputation -"
Tears fell down her cheeks as she put a badaged hand over her chest, it felt as if the walls she had built around her mind to protect her sanity had started to collapse and all the accusations and snide comments she ever heard attacked.
"So, our last resort was to plead self defense. Nothing supported that statement, but nothing supported the statement that 'I' simply murdered him either.
My family formed a team of lawyers to have the sentence reduced as much as possible but the attacker's family and his brother kept pushing for a longer sentence." She was full on crying by now.
"At the end, the judge ruled five years in court. My grandfather says that I was lucky to have gotten this much because the attacker was a french owner of a big lawfirm but-" luna breathlessly struggled to say something, her lips moved but no sound came out.
Haemin pulled Luna's wrist and brought her to him, he hugged her and caressed her hair.
She cried into his shoulder, "I didnt do anything wrong, I saved her! Why should I serve any time at all?!"
"Im so sorry you had to go through all that."
Luna burried her face in the crook of his neck and hugged him back, "Im not a criminal" she mumbled.
"No, that pathetic excuse of a man who harassed a minor is the criminal, the girl who lied in court and left her savior to rot in prison is the criminal." Haemin said it with all his strength.
Luna didnt know if the tears escaping from her eyes now were sad ones or happy ones.
She figured it was the latter, judging by the ball of sunshine that was growing inside her replaced the chain saw from earlier.
☾
Even though Luna had crutches now, Haemin still gave her a piggyback ride into his house and Joy carried the crutches.
Being fully aware of Luna's thumping and erratic heartbeat, Haemin once again wondered if what he was doing was okay and what the bounderies were when helping someone.
But as long as my intentions are pure, its okay right? He asked himself.
"Wont your mother say someting if she sees me?" Luna asked.
"We wont let her see you, we're taking you to The Lair."
"The Lair." Luna repeated and looked towards Haemin for clarification.
Haemin turned his head to the face peering at him from his shoulder but quickly turned it back.
Too close.
He cleared his throat, "Yeah, its like a secret hideout. Our house was designed by my mum's brother and Joy's dad uncle Hyunbin, so, Joy asked her brother to draw a second basement and added it to the original design without my parents knowing."
Joy laughed, "Aunt Seyoung hardly goes to the first basement let alone the second."
"She's got a mild phobia of basements." Haemin said.
Luna smiled, "It sounds cool."
☾
It really was cool.
Luna stared in awe at the sleek and sophisticated interior, it was all black marble.
She looked around while constantly pulling her short night gown down which was proving to be quite a nuisance thanks to her bandaged hands.
It was Joy's and kind of too racy for Luna, it was blood red silk with more lace than cloth.
The lair was basically a whole apartment, what with three rooms,a huge lounge, a beautiful kitchen - in which Luna was already dreaming of cooking and baking in - a gaming room, and an indoor pool.
Haemin walked out of his room, changed into baby blue pajamas and Luna missed him in a tux already.
He gave Luna a quick once over and blinked and looked away, "You can go to Joy's room and talk or something while I make dinner okay?"
"I can hel-" she began to say but then her bandaged hands gave her a poker face so she mummed, "Never mind."
Haemin chuckled and sent her in Joy's direction.
"Joy! Keep Luna company while I make dinner." Haemin shouted.
"Make a frozen pizza! Luna get in here." Joy shouted back.
She was on her phone lying on her bed covers, "Lie down" she patted the other side of the bed,
"Those crutches look so annoying, I want to break them."
Luna chuckled softly and shyly sat down on the bed.
She was suddenly aware a little too late that Joy was a new person - Haemin's cousin! - and Luna's first inpression on her was the worst she could imagine.
"Oh no need to be so awkward, our first meeting was like a typhoon! A felony, a chase, and an accident! We're practically naked buddies now." Joy said with big hand movements.
Luna's eyes widened, "Pardon?"
Joy sat up, "The disaster was Sooin Jung bumping into you, the felony was me breaking that mirror to end your panic attack, and the accident was your sprained ankle." She explained seriously, "They say the truest and the best friendships are between crime partners."
Luna tried hard to keep the silly grin off her face, and kept touching her neck in embarrassment.
She called me her crime partner.
She thought goofily.
"Now tell me which one of these poses makes me look sexier." Joy showed her her phone screen.
There were two selfies, in one she had messy hair and she intensely gazed into the camera.
In the second one she lightly bit her lower lip.
Luna panicked, she was horrible at this, she thought both of them were equal in the sexy and good looking department.
"Okay how about this, just pick one and then we'll go ask Haemin too." She helped.
Luna picked the first one.