Work Text:
Kang Yohan was probably the most loved man in the country, probably even outshining the president. He had charisma, tons of fans who would defend him to the end, and on top of all of that, he was a pretty damn good judge to boot. He got results no other judges could even come close to getting and that made people love him even more, because he put people who needed to be put away, put away. Of course, even though he was the most loved man in the country, Kang Yohan was also one of the most hated men in the country, mainly by the parents and family members of the defendants that he put away. And because many parents and family members hated him for what he did to their children, that ended up putting a large target on his back. Most of the parents, of course, never really decided to do anything to him except for quietly hate him in their hearts, but there were those who, if given the chance, would do anything to see Kang Yohan dead in the ground six feet under.
~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a quiet evening as Kim Gaon sat at his desk, finishing up some paperwork for their newest case when there was a knock on the glass near his desk, making him jump before he looked over to see his boss, Kang Yohan standing outside. Yohan then motioned with his head towards the door, causing Gaon to frown before he saved the document he was working on and got up out of his seat, heading over to his office door, opening it.
“Sir?” he asked, looking at Yohan with a raised eyebrow. Yohan smiled.
“Join me” he instructed. Gaon frowned.
“For what?” he asked as he stepped out of the office. Yohan huffed as he reached out and poked Gaon between the eyes.
“For dinner” he replied. Gaon blushed before he blinked in shock.
“Wait, you want me to have dinner with you?” he exclaimed softly. Yohan gave him a look.
“That’s why I’m standing outside your office, aren’t I?” he asked. Gaon blinked again before he nodded.
“Right…um, sure, I suppose so” he agreed. Yohan smiled.
“Good. I would have made you go anyways, even if you said no” he declared as he turned and began walking away. Gaon huffed as he quickly followed after Yohan, soon catching up to him.
“If you were going to make me go, then why did you even ask?” he asked as they walked side by side. Yohan smiled.
“Because I always like to give you a choice, even though in the end, I will usually make the final decision” he replied. Gaon huffed.
“Of course” he murmured. Yohan smiled and nodded.
“Of course” he agreed. Gaon chuckled softly as both men headed out of the supreme court and down the stairs before they headed to the right where a strip of restaurants were located.
“Where are we going?” Gaon asked after a while, looking over at Yohan.
“You’ll see” he replied. Gaon frowned.
“I hope it’s not too expensive…you know I don’t make as much as you do” he reminded. Yohan hummed.
“Oh, I’m well aware of how much you make, Judge Kim” he replied. Gaon tsked but said nothing as they continued walking until they came upon a small hole in the wall restaurant, causing Gaon’s eyes to widen.
“Wait…wait, isn’t this the restaurant that Lee Young Min terrorized?” he asked, looking over at Yohan. Yohan hummed and nodded.
“I thought this place was bought by the foundation!” Gaon exclaimed.
“Most of the businesses were in this area…I figured I could do my part and keep this little restaurant alive…and besides, the food here is good. Why demolish a place that has good food?” Yohan replied. Gaon looked at him before he smiled slightly.
“For someone who only chews and bites his food, you certainly are a foodie” he teased, giving Yohan a playful poke in the side. Yohan shot him a glare before he huffed and gave him a shove.
“Just go inside already” he grumbled. Gaon chuckled and nodded as he headed towards the restaurant, Yohan following behind.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After a nice dinner that left them feeling warm and content, Gaon and Yohan decided to just walk down the street and enjoy the quiet evening.
“So, what did you think of dinner?” Yohan asked. Gaon nodded.
“It was good. Reminded me of what my parents used to make all the time in their restaurant” he replied. Yohan looked over at him and noticed the look on his face, frowning slightly.
“Are you alright?” he asked. Gaon looked over at him with wide eyes before he nodded.
“I’m fine. Yeah, I’m fine. Just…thinking about my parents, that’s all” he replied. Yohan hummed as they continued walking, just enjoying the evening, when they were suddenly surrounded by a few people wearing masks and wielding bats.
“Um…sir?” Gaon murmured, glancing over at Yohan, who said nothing before he looked at the people standing before them.
“Can we help you?” he asked, raising a calm eyebrow as he placed his hands in his pockets. One of the people, Gaon and Yohan assumed he was a man, pointed a bat at them.
“Which one of you is Kang Yohan?” he demanded. Gaon frowned.
“Who wants to know?” he replied. The men standing before them were silent before the leader made a slight motion with his head and before either Gaon or Yohan knew it, a bat came crashing down onto Gaon’s back, making him cry out as he collapsed to the ground. Yohan looked down at him with wide eyes before he took a step forward.
“I’m Kang Yohan” he declared. The leader of the group of men glared at him.
“So, you’re the one who put my son away” he snarled. Yohan raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve put many people away…who are you referring to?” he asked before he narrowed his eyes.
“Oh…I think I remember you. You’re Jung Jae-Jo’s father” he mused. The man then pointed his bat at Yohan.
“Because of you, my son is now lying in the intensive care unit, in a coma because of those prisoners you put him with” he roared. Yohan huffed and raised an eyebrow.
“Me? I’m not the one who did that to your son…the public decided his punishment. Anything that happens outside of the courtroom is beyond my control” he replied calmly.
“You son of a bitch!” Choong-sik’s father roared before he rushed at Yohan, who calmly step-sided his attack, only to have a bat strike him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.
“No!” Gaon screamed as the men began to beat Yohan with their bats, the older man just lying there unconscious.
“No, stop it!” Gaon screamed as he pushed himself to his feet and ran over to the men, yanking them away from Yohan before he all but practically threw himself on top of Yohan like a shield, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the men to start beating him as well. He would much rather get hurt than have Yohan get hurt, as Elijah needed him. However, when no beatings came, he opened his eyes and looked up to see the men nowhere in sight, leaving him and an unconscious Yohan in the middle of the road. Gaon then let out a soft breath before he looked down at Yohan, his eyes widening in horror.
“Sir!” he screamed, quickly getting off of the man before he began searching Yohan’s person until he found the man’s phone. He then typed in the password before he went to Yohan’s contacts and began scrolling until he came upon a contact, pressing on it before putting the phone to his ear.
“Hello?” a deep voice answered.
“K! K, it’s Chief Kang. Please, come quickly” Gaon begged.
“I’ll be right there” K replied before he hung up the call. Gaon let out a heavy sigh, the phone nearly falling from his hand as he looked down at Yohan.
“God, Yohan” he murmured, quickly pocketing Yohan’s phone before he reached out and cupped Yohan’s face in his hands, gently stroking his cheek.
“Hang on, sir. K’s coming; he’s coming to take us home” he soothed. Just then, a black Escalade arrived at the entrance of the street and soon a tall man got out of the driver’s seat and rushed over to Gaon and Yohan, his eyes wide.
“Wha—” he started when Gaon shook his head.
“I’ll explain later. Right now, we just need to get him to a hospital or take him home” he declared. K was quiet before he huffed and knelt down, looking at Gaon.
“Help me” he ordered. Gaon nodded as he and K placed their hands under Yohan and lifted him up, both men carrying him over to K’s car. K then opened the back seat as Gaon carefully placed Yohan inside, shutting the door behind him while K walked around to the driver’s side and Gaon got in the passenger’s seat. Both men then shut their doors and buckled themselves in before K put the car into drive and sped off, heading towards the mansion.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived at the mansion, Gaon quickly got out and ran towards the front door, unlocking it while K took Yohan out of the backseat and carefully carried him over to the front door, stepping inside as Gaon held the door open. While K carried Yohan to his bedroom, Gaon locked the door behind them before he followed after K, heading into Yohan’s bedroom. He then walked over to the bed, watching as K carefully placed Yohan down on his sheets and tuck him in before slowly turning to look at him.
“Let’s talk outside” he murmured, his voice deep and soft. Gaon nodded and waited for K to exit the room before he followed after him, pausing to glance back at Yohan before he continued out the door, quietly shutting it behind him. He then walked over to where K was waiting and stood before him.
“So…what happened?” K asked, looking at Gaon.
“A defendant’s father from one of Chief Kang’s past trials attacked us today. Apparently, his son is lying in a coma in an intensive care unit because of what the prisoners in the prison did to him and he’s blaming what happened to his son on Chief Kang” Gaon explained. K was quiet before he looked at Gaon, his eyes full of anger.
“Why didn’t you protect him?” he snarled. Gaon’s eyes widened.
“How was I supposed to know that he was going to attack Chief Kang?! They attacked me too!” he exclaimed. K snarled and stepped forward, jabbing a finger in Gaon’s chest.
“Maybe you should have been the one who got attacked instead of him” he snarled. Gaon huffed.
“I would have been the one getting beaten if he hadn’t stepped in and defended me” he snapped. K snarled.
“Oh, so he’s like this because of you?! So this is your fault!” he roared. Gaon shook his head.
“I didn’t mean for Yohan to get hurt! I never meant for this to happen!” he exclaimed. K snarled as he grabbed Gaon by his lapels and gave him a hard shake.
“Ever since you’ve shown up, you’ve been nothing but trouble for Chief Kang” he hissed.
“Let him go!” a voice shouted, making both Gaon and K look over to see Elijah glaring at them, K especially. She then wheeled over to them and immediately smacked K in his arm, causing him to flinch, just as she hit him again.
“I said let him GO!” she shrieked. K quickly released Gaon and stepped back as Elijah wheeled herself in between them, acting as a barrier.
“Get out” she ordered. K frowned as Elijah pointed to the door.
“GET OUT!” she shrieked. K looked at her, then looked Gaon and threw him one last glare before he turned and walked out, leaving Elijah and Gaon alone. Elijah then turned herself around and looked up at Gaon, who was looking down at her with a small smile on his face.
“Thank you” he murmured. Elijah huffed before she looked up at him.
“Is he okay?” she asked. Gaon shook his head.
“I’m not sure” he replied before he turned and headed for Yohan’s room, opening the door before stepping inside, Elijah following behind him. They then headed over to Yohan’s bed and looked at him, the man looking as still as a corpse.
“He’s…he’s still breathing, right?” Elijah whispered. Gaon was quiet before he reached out, placing a finger under Yohan’s nose. He felt the slight intake of breath, making him smile softly before he looked down at Elijah.
“He’s still breathing” he assured. Elijah let out a sigh of relief before she looked up at Gaon.
“What happened?” she whimpered. Gaon looked at her before he sighed.
“A defendant’s father from one of Yohan’s past trials attacked us today. Apparently, his son is lying in a coma in an intensive care unit because of what the prisoners in the prison did to him and he’s blaming what happened to his son on Yohan” he explained gently. Elijah’s eyes widened.
“But…but that’s not his fault! Anything that happens outside of the court isn’t his fault!” she exclaimed. Gaon nodded.
“I know that. And that’s what Yohan told the father but that’s not what the man wanted to hear” he explained gently. Elijah looked at him, tears coming to her eyes as her bottom lip began to quiver, making him sigh.
“He’ll be okay, Elijah. He’s a fighter, you know that, right?” he asked gently. Elijah nodded, making Gaon smile softly.
“If he could make it out of that burning church safely with you in his arms, he can come back from this. Okay?” he soothed. Elijah nodded again before she looked at Gaon.
“I’m going to have the secretary call a doctor and have him come look at him” she murmured as she turned and wheeled out of the room to go talk to the AI secretary about calling the doctor. While she went to go talk to the AI, Gaon looked over at Yohan, who looked as still as a corpse with the only sign of him being alive being the shallow rise and fall of his chest, and sighed.
“I’m sorry sir…K’s right. I really do only cause you trouble” he murmured.
“That’s not true” a voice called out, making Gaon turn to see Elijah wheeling herself back over to him. He frowned.
“What do you mean?” he asked. Elijah huffed.
“You make him happy…he smiles more. He’s not as grumpy and distant and cold…he’s…he’s like how I used to remember him. When I was younger. I…I like this Yohan” she murmured. Gaon stared at her with wide eyes as she looked at him.
“Whatever K told you, he’s wrong. You don’t bring trouble…trouble has always followed our family. You just—” she continued before she paused, looking for the right words, when Gaon smiled.
“I understand. Thank you, Elijah” he thanked. Elijah smiled just as there was a a loud echoing ring throughout the house, causing Elijah and Gaon to look up at the sound before Gaon looked down at Elijah.
“That must be the doctor. I’ll go let him in” he declared as he turned and headed out of the room, leaving uncle and niece alone. While Gaon went to go let the doctor in, Elijah looked at Yohan, her bottom lip trembling as she reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. They stayed like that for a while before there was a knock at the door, making Elijah look up to see Gaon and another man standing next to him, holding a doctor’s bag.
“Let’s give him some privacy, okay?” Gaon murmured. Elijah sniffled and looked at Yohan, causing Gaon to sigh before he walked over to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
“He’s going to be okay, Elijah. Come now, let’s let the doctor work” he murmured. Elijah let out a shuddering breath before she let go of Yohan’s hand and allowed Gaon to take her and wheel her out of the room so that the doctor could work.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Gaon then wheeled Elijah over to the elevator, Gaon pushing her inside before he stepped inside after her. He then hit the button for the second floor, the elevator soon going up. When they reached the second floor, Gaon pushed Elijah over to her room, allowing her to open it before he let go of her handlebars, letting her wheel herself inside before he followed in after her. Elijah then wheeled herself over to her bed, Gaon walking over and watching as she maneuvered herself out of her wheelchair and onto the bed, sitting on the edge of it. Once she was sitting on her bed, Gaon walked over and sat beside her, both of them sitting in silence before Gaon looked over at her.
“Try and get some rest, okay? I’ll go check on Yohan” he murmured as he stood up, only to have Elijah reach out and grasp his wrist.
“Stay? Please?” she asked softly. Gaon looked at her with wide eyes before he smiled and smiled and nodded.
“Sure” he replied. Elijah smiled and laid down, Gaon smiling as he took the blankets and tucked her in before sitting on the edge of her bed, Kkomi soon padding over and jumping on the bed, curling into the crook of Elijah’s stomach.
“Good kitty” Gaon murmured as he reached out and gave Kkomi a little scritch on her head, the cat letting out a purr of content. Gaon smiled before he looked at Elijah, who had drifted off to sleep, and smiled a little wider before he stood up and reached out, gently removing her headband from her hair and placing it on her bedside table. He then stood up, smiling fondly down at the teenager before he turned and headed towards the door, shutting off the lights before he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He then walked downstairs and headed to Yohan’s room, just as the doctor was leaving.
“How is he?” Gaon asked. The doctor looked at him and sighed.
“He’s lucky they didn’t break his ribs or puncture his lungs…he does have a broken arm, however. I have set that but if you could, getting him to come to a hospital so that I can place it in a cast would be better. But for now, everything about him is stabilized and he’s currently resting” he explained. Gaon nodded.
“Thank you” he thanked. The doctor smiled and nodded.
“You’re welcome. I’ll show myself out” he declared. Gaon nodded and watched him walk away before he turned and walked over to Yohan’s door, opening it before stepping inside, heading over to Yohan’s bed. He then stood beside Yohan, looking at the sleeping older man and hung his head.
“Please wake up sir…Elijah needs you. I…I need you” he murmured. Yohan didn’t respond, causing Gaon to let out a shuddering breath, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.
“I never…I never meant for you to get hurt. I’m sorry…you shouldn’t have protected me” he whispered.
“If I don’t protect you, who will?” a voice croaked, causing Gaon’s eyes to widen as his head snapped up to see Yohan looking at him with a mixture of tiredness and fondness.
“Yohan” he whispered before he pointed at him.
“You yell at me for being self-sacrificing and then you go and do shit like this!” he exclaimed. Yohan looked at him before he huffed.
“Your bad habits must be wearing off on me” he mused. Gaon tsked.
“I think our bad habits are rubbing off on each other” he murmured. Yohan chuckled.
“Maybe” he agreed before he looked at Gaon.
“I heard the fight between you and K” he declared. Gaon’s eyes widened.
“You…you did?” he asked. Yohan nodded.
“And you’re not trouble…I’m the one who normally ends up in danger and you just get caught in the crossfire. So, I should be the one apologize, not you” he stated. Gaon looked at him in surprise before he chuffed.
“You’re normally not one to apologize” he mused. Yohan tsked.
“Don’t get used to it” he grumbled. Gaon chuckled before he sighed.
“Be prepared for the earful you’re getting from Elijah in the morning” he warned. Yohan sighed.
“I figured it was coming” he murmured. Gaon smiled.
“Then you should get some rest so that you can be mentally prepared for it” he suggested. Yohan hummed as Gaon looked at him.
“Get some rest sir” he instructed before he turned and headed towards the door.
“Gaon” Yohan called out, making Gaon stop and look back at him.
“Yes sir?” he asked.
“Are you alright? You did get hit by a baseball bat as well” Yohan reminded. Gaon smiled and waved his hand.
“I’ll be fine. It’s you I’m more worried about” he replied. Yohan huffed.
“Try to worry about yourself sometimes too, Kim Gaon” he grumbled. Gaon smiled and dipped his head.
“Yes~” he replied. Yohan rolled his eyes fondly before he waved his hand.
“Go to bed, Gaon” he ordered. Gaon chuckled before he nodded.
“Okay. Good night, sir” he bid as he turned and headed out the door, shutting it behind him. Yohan looked at the shut door for a while before he smiled slightly and settled back into bed. It had been a while since he had someone like Gaon care about him and his well-being…and he couldn’t deny it, the feeling was nice. It was nice being taking care of. It was nice knowing that there was someone who cared about him and wanted to make sure that he was okay. It was nice…to feel loved.