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Chapter Text

A pen clicks and scribbles.

A page is pinched and turned.

And a man sighs as he stares down at the myriad of notes he had taken. Bullet points that could count as essays as each possible piece of evidence is heavily analyzed, but will it be enough?

Silver hair frames the disgruntled expression of a young man, a defense lawyer. He once wanted to go into the field of linguistics and language, but now he is using his power over words in a very different context.

He is using them to fight for truth, for justice.

…And he had been hoping for so long that by walking this path, his words could reach the man he has longed to reunite with after all their years of being apart.

Kaveh Paradisaea, ‘The Light of Justice'. Someone with a smile as bright as the sun, yet with an unrivaled determination . A prosecutor that is so dedicated to the concept of bringing comfort and justice to the victims and giving people peace of mind to the point where he is yet to lose a single case.

Perhaps every person that was sentenced due to his work was the true perpetrator, a criminal that deserves their fate, but what about the eventual trial where the defendant is not the true culprit? Where Kaveh tries to doom the innocent? 

Would he hang on tightly to his role as a prosecutor and fight to get them convinced no matter what? Or would the love in his heart overcome his career, and cause him to admit defeat?

That ‘eventual’ trial is becoming a reality, and the silver-haired man sighs as he picks up a piece of paper that was placed on the side of his desk. It is a contract. Teal eyes read the words for what would be the dozenth time, and finally, a decision is made.

If you agree to be the defense for this case, please sign here.

He picks up his fountain pen, and there is the sound of a pen tip against paper as he signs his name. 

Alhaitham.

He had already decided to take this case the moment he heard who the prosecutor would be, and rapidly began analyzing evidence and researching. However, he had been hesitating to sign the contract because he knew there was no turning back once he did. He would see his childhood friend again, but as enemies debating against one another.

Alhaitham puts down his pen and leans back in his chair, a hand reaching up to rub his temple as he lets out a tired hum.

“After all this time, I’m finally facing you…”

Seeing Kaveh again was why he had fought so hard to become a defense lawyer in the first place, but now that it’s finally happening, anxiety and doubt lingered in his mind. He sees Kaveh in the media constantly, but finally reuniting with him in person… Alhaitham fears it.

He has done everything in his power for their reunion, but he is not ready for it.

Despite his worries, Alhaitham will be the defense for this case, and he will see Kaveh again, regardless if reuniting with the blonde will change his life for better or for worse.

He has come all this way to see him again, he will not give up now.

—————————————————————

15 years ago.

“Tam Tam, check this out!”

Crimson eyes sparkle as an enthusiastic blonde shoves a painting in the young Alhaitham’s face.

“Maman painted this! Isn’t it pretty?”

“Uh. I guess.”

Kaveh’s eyebrows furrow from Alhaitham’s unenthusiastic response.

“At least pretend to sound excited!”

The blonde crosses his arms, and takes a seat next to Alhaitham on the bench he was sat upon.

“I apologize… I tend to only get excited over things you make. You’re my friend, after all…”

“If you’re friends with me, it means you’re friends with my mother!”

“…Does it?”

Kaveh lets out a huff.

“Duh! She cares about you too! She wouldn’t invite you over for dinner all the time if she didn’t!”

Alhaitham blinks twice, and then turns his head away, a hint of shyness on his face.

“Maybe, but… I want to see your paintings more, or anything you make in general. It’s different if it’s you.”

“Hehe, really~? You’re so adorable, Tam Tam~! Well, I’ll tell you a secret. I’ve been stashing old blueprints Maman doesn’t need anymore, and I’ve been using them as a reference to work on my own! Maybe you can see those sometime!”

The small silver haired boy seems to like the idea of that, and he looks back at Kaveh.

“I’d like to. After all, nobody our age designs buildings.”

“ Our age? Don’t act like we’re the same age! I’m your senior. A whole two years older than you!”

“A year and a half, actually.”

“Hmph, whatever…”

Kaveh crosses his arms, but his feigned irritation is short lived as he quickly changes the subject.

“That reminds me, it’s my mother’s birthday soon. We’re gonna have dinner at my place, you have to come. Oh! Bring your Nana too! It’s a super big deal, she’s turning thirty-three.”

“Is it really a big deal? It’s not like being thirty-three changes much.”

“What would you know!?”

The young Kaveh pouts, and Alhaitham shrugs in response.

“I wonder if baba will come… He’s been so busy with work lately.”

Kaveh’s voice softens, his demeanor growing a hint of sadness.

“Come to think of it, I don’t see him very often.”

Alhaitham replies, unsure if he should provide any words of comfort. He isn’t very good at that sort of thing.

“Yeah… I guess being a defense lawyer makes you super busy, but I admire him for it…”

Kaveh looks up to both his parents greatly, his mother a skilled architect and his father a great defense lawyer. He admires them so much to the point where he doesn’t know who he wants to be more like.

“He saves people who have nobody on their side, protecting innocent people from being locked up for stuff they didn’t do… It’s true justice! He’s like a hero!”

The blonde’s cheerful attitude returns as he speaks about his father, his eyes sparkling once again.

“Baba and Maman… I want to follow both their footsteps!”

Alhaitham tilts his head in curiosity.

“Is a defense lawyer architect a real job?”

“Definitely not, but I can be the first!”

A small smile forms on Alhaitham’s lips.

“Don’t forget about me when you’re famous then.”

“I could never! You're my Tam Tam! You’ll never get rid of me!”

“Good.”

Alhaitham seems pleased with the response. 

“ Kaveh! Dear, don’t you want to come watch your fathers trial? We’re going to be late!”

Both boys look up as they are approached by a blonde woman in her early thirties, Kaveh’s mother, Faranak. Kaveh immediately stands up.

“O-Of course, Maman! I was just talking to Haitham… Do you think he could come? Baba’s going against that evil Azar guy!”

Faranak’s eyes widen.

“To a trial? Is he interested in that kind of thing?”

Alhaitham stands up from the bench.

“Not really. There’s too many people at things like that… I think I’ll go home before Nana begins to worry. I’m sorry, Kaveh.”

“Aw… Okay, I understand.”

Kaveh looks disappointed, but he doesn’t want to beg Alhaitham to come to something that he wouldn’t be comfortable at.

“Well, you wanna come over tomorrow afternoon? I got a new board game you might like. We can grab snacks at the store too!”

Alhaitham likes the idea.

“As long as my Nana says it’s alright, I’ll be there.”

“Cool!”

“ Ahem.”

The sudden sound of Faranak clearing her voice catches Kaveh’s attention.

“Isn’t there someone you’re supposed to ask before bringing friends over?”

“S-Sorry Maman… Can Haitham come over after school tomorrow? We won’t make a mess, I promise!”

“Hmm…”

Faranak pretends to think about it, like she isn’t sure of what her answer will be, but it’s just an act to tease the two boys.

“I suppose it’s alright.”

“Yay! Thank you Maman!”

Kaveh gives his mother a cheerful grin before turning back to Alhaitham.

“I gotta go now.”

He says before wrapping his arms around Alhaitham, hugging him tightly.

“Get home safe, kay? Or both your Nana and I will scold you!”

Alhaitham answers with a small scoff.

“I’m not a baby, I can handle myself.”

“I mean it! If you fall over, or run into some bullies, I’ll be super mad!”

Kaveh’s protectiveness over him was amusing to Alhaitham. His friend was always like this, fussing over him and attached, but he didn’t mind the clingy attitude the blonde had. He only has his grandmother when it comes to family, so having a best friend who cares so much about him is nice.

Kaveh in general was nice, and Alhaitham likes nothing more than being by his side.

…He is starting to wonder if the way he feels about Kaveh is more than just ‘friendship’. Even if he did have a ‘crush’, it wasn’t like he’d tell Kaveh. Not yet, anyway. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Pinky promise?”

“My house is like a ten minute walk, if even that. Is a pinky promise really necessary?”

“But you still have to keep an eye out no matter where you are or how long the walk! W-What if those guys who were teasing you at school show up? What if-“

“Kaveh.”

The blonde’s mother spoke. Faranak seems amused, but she knows they can’t just stand here and continue this cycle of ‘stay safe’ ‘I will’ ‘will you?’. If they don’t get going soon, they’ll be late and won’t be allowed into the courtroom.

“Just a minute, Māmān!”

Alhaitham knows Kaveh worries a lot about everyone and everything, so he completes his request. It was true that Alhaitham got teased fairly often both in and out of school, but he knew how to fight, so if those bullies ever tried to hurt him, he’d be able to defend himself. Even so, he doesn’t want to get in trouble with his Nana for fighting.

“Fine. Pinky promise.“

“Yay!”

The two boys loop their pinkies together. 

“I promise that I’ll always keep myself safe, and I want you to promise me something too.”

“Huh? Sure. What is it?”

“That’ll we’ll…”

Alhaitham pauses, a little embarrassed about what he is about to say.

“That we’ll be there for eachother, always.”

“That’s a given! Of course I promise that!”

A smile as bright as the sun is on Kaveh’s face, and the two step apart, their intertwined pinkies seperating.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for the day. See you tomorrow, Tam Tam~!”

The cheerful Kaveh joins his mother’s side as he gives an enthusiastic wave.

“Mhm, goodbye, Kaveh.”

Faranak takes her son’s hand in hers, and waves goodbye to Alhaitham before she gently pulls Kaveh along with her, the two leaving to make their way to the courthouse. Alhaitham watched them walk away…

..and it’s been 15 years since he’s seen Kaveh from that point.

—————————————————————

It was safest to keep his briefcase padlocked, Alhaitham thinks as he closes it, taking one last look over everything he brought to present in court to make sure he didn’t forget anything.

He isn’t one to panic or stress, but he feels anxiety dwelling in his heart. Is he truly prepared for this upcoming interaction? To see Kaveh again… Alhaitham wonders if his heart can handle it.

Taking a seat on a lounge chair in the defense waiting room, he sighs. Alhaitham picks up a book he brought with him and tries to read to pass time while he waits for his client to arrive and the court session to begin. He usually cares little about being punctual, but Alhaitham found himself showing up quite early before the trial.

Of course, he is aware of the reason why. Sitting at home waiting was not helping his mind relax, but now he is simply waiting at the courthouse, is there any difference? 

He takes a sip from the takeaway coffee he ordered on the way here and goes to resume his book, but he is interrupted as he notices two people entering the defense waiting room.

Alhaitham puts his book down and stands up, approaching the two, it was one of the most skilled detective’s from the precinct, Cyno, and his defendant.

“You're the one escorting the defendant to the courthouse?”

He asks. The white haired detective swiftly answers his question.

“I elected myself because I wish to speak with you.”

“About?“

“You asked for this the other day. The precinct… Or more accurately, I retrieved it yesterday evening. The sign in sheet of the defendant’s part time job. I came to give it to you.”

Cyno passes Alhaitham a clipboard that has the sign in sheet. This trial is a murder case of a young woman that died in a cafe, so it was essential to have the sign in sheet of the employees. It shows when each employee started and finished their shift that was working that day, alongside any employees that came in regardless if they were working or not; it was important for services to document when people are on the premises.

The main suspect is an employee of the cafe, a university student named Layla. Alhaitham is quite sure she isn’t the culprit, and it’s not just because of her meek attitude, but because of analysis he had done of the murder as a whole.

“You have ten minutes before the trial, I suggest you look thoroughly through what I gave you. Considering who you’re up against, you need to be diligent.”

Who he’s up against…

“I’m aware who my opponent is, but I’m confident in my abilities.”

Those words were said trying to comfort his client, but also to comfort himself. He can do this… right?

“U-Um, excuse me, Mr Alhaitham?”

The timid defendant speaks up.

“Hm?”

“Thank you for all of this…. Please trust me when I say I wasn’t even in the cafe when the murder happened… Believe me. I believe in you, and I know you can get me out of this mess… E-Even if the prosecutor is-“

“That’s enough about him.”

Alhaitham interrupts Layla. All this talk about Kaveh wasn’t helping his nerves. He will have to face him soon enough, but he can’t prepare himself if he’s too busy talking about the blonde.

“I’ll be looking through the sign in sheet now. It’s integral to use every second before a trial to prepare oneself. I suggest you do the same. You will be questioned, so try and spend the time we have to ease your anxiety.”

At that, Alhaitham returns to the lounge chair and immediately begins to flip through the time sheets. Yes, Layla was working at the time of the murder, and the main evidence against her is that she was the only one who could enter where the murder occurred, but that doesn’t mean she is guilty. 

His eyes scan the page, it seems that Layla’s manager was on leave the day of the murder, and there were three employees working at the cafe besides Layla at the time. 

The victim of the case is a student that attends the same university as Layla, and shared classes with her. Her time of death was estimated to be between 11:50am to 12:00pm. Her cause of death was strangulation.

The assumption was that it had to be an employee who committed the crime due to the location of the murder being in a back storage room, and Alhaitham supposed that made sense, considering that a regular customer wouldn’t know of its existence, let alone where it is.

However, Alhaitham is certain Layla is not the killer, and he’s ready to back up that claim in court… Even if it’s against Kaveh.

He looks up, and carefully studies the nervous state of his defendant, and the calm demeanor of the Detective that stood beside her. Cyno notices Alhaitham staring, and speaks up.

“It’s about time we head in. I’ll guide Miss Layla to the defendants chair… and you mentally prepare yourself for what you’re about to face.”

Cyno walks off to the direction of the courtroom, and Layla follows with unsteady footing, it seems she hasn’t been sleeping at all. Given her predicament, it wasn’t surprising.

Alhaitham watches the two walk in, and as they close the door behind them, he stands up and takes a deep breath.

It was his turn to enter.

He puts his coffee cup in the bin, and then grabs his briefcase. With everything in hand, he walks towards the door in a confident stride.

He will face Kaveh, and he will fix what is broken.

—————————————————————

15 years ago.

The tone on the television shifts as the woman announcing the news begins a new story. She sighs, her eyebrows furrowing as she begins to speak.

“Two days ago, on the 28th of December, a shocking scene was discovered in one of the lifts of the public courthouse.”

Alhaitham, who was sitting reading a book, looks up. The news finally catching his attention. The public courthouse…? He knows Kaveh was there that evening. He hasn’t heard from his friend since. On top of that, when he visited Kaveh’s house to hang out, nobody came to the door, so Alhaitham went home. 

“As many citizens are aware, at approximately 2pm, there was an earthquake, though it was only slight, it-“

The television screen went black.

“Haitham, my child… This is something I must tell you, not the news.”

Alhaitham looks up to his Grandmother, and immediately feels an extreme sense of dread. He stands up swiftly, slamming his book down on the coffee table.

“What happened to Kaveh!?”

He isn’t one to cry, but Alhaitham begins to tear up.

“Haitham-“

“Where is he!?”

“Kaveh is safe.”

Alhaitham takes a step back and stumbles onto the divan. Kaveh is safe? Is he really? Then why wasn’t he at his house the previous day? Something’s wrong, something’s terribly wrong…!

“It’s his father. Roshan Paradisaea. He… was found dead. Please understand Haitham, your friend and his mother are grieving.”

“‘Found dead’? You mean he was murdered.”

His Grandmother let out a soft sigh, she didn’t want to say it outright, especially to a child, but she knew she couldn’t hide anything from Alhaitham.

“…Yes, but please, you must not try and get involved in any of this.”

Alhaitham’s eyes narrow as he looks down at the ground.

“Is Kaveh at home? Is he really safe ?”

“…I’m afraid Faranak has fallen very ill due to her grief, she is not in a state to care for Kaveh at the moment. He left town yesterday.”

Alhaitham knows Kaveh has no other family to care for him. Where did he go? He just suddenly left? Without saying goodbye!? Alhaitham felt tears streaming down his face. 

“Left town!? Where is he..? W-Where’s Kaveh…? Nana, please…”

“I-..”

She hesitates.

“A housing unit for children in the city. Hopefully until his mother recovers. I’m sorry he never got a chance to speak to you. I squeezed all the information I could out of the police, and Faranak is in no state to talk to me…”

So Kaveh was whisked away to go live with a bunch of people he didn’t know in a city he didn’t recognise!? He wasn’t safe! He couldn’t be, not in a place like that!

“We can’t-.. We can’t leave him there! He can stay with us, can’t he?”

“You know we don’t have the room or the income for that, my child… I know it’s scary, but if his mother recovers, you will see him again.”

This is all happening so fast, Alhaitham’s head is spinning.

“I…”

His throat feels dry, he can’t speak. He’s angry, he’s worried, and he’s so terrified that something will happen to Kaveh, too.

“I’m going to my room.”

Alhaitham dashes past his Grandmother with teary eyes. He isn’t the type of child to cry.. But this? This is too much. Way too much.

…but everything will be okay, right? Faranak will get better, and Kaveh will come home.

He’ll come home…

—————————————————————

Alhaitham takes his place at the podium for the defense, and he stares at the unoccupied prosecution podium. The courtroom is silent. Layla sits nervously in the defendants chair, and Cyno is standing with her.

The silence is finally broken by the sound of a door opening, and a number of excited giggles and whispers.

“It’s him! The Light of Justice!”

“Wow! He’s so pretty!”

“The way he wears his hair is so cute!”

“It’s time to watch Prosecutor Kaveh send another criminal away!”

“Is it just me, or does he look uneasy?”

Usually, the famous prosecutor Kaveh Paradisaea walks into the courtroom with a smile on his face, his steps filled with confidence as he stands at his podium. However, today was different. He walks with hurried steps, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression telling of his uncertainty. Kaveh would have known that Alhaitham was the defense. 

After fifteen years of separation, Alhaitham was unsure of how Kaveh would react to seeing him again, but seeing him now.. He looks pained.

Just what had happened since they were children?

As Kaveh reaches the prosecution podium, Alhaitham can finally get a good look at him in person, instead of simply seeing him in the media.

His hair is still that same golden blond, but longer than when he was 12. It suited him. He stood with elegance in a fancy-looking red suit (Alhaitham wasn’t a fashion expert, but he thought if they were side by side, it would complement the dark green suit Alhaitham wore). His crimson eyes don’t have the same sparkle they once did when he was a child, but despite that… Despite how long it has been since Alhaitham saw him…

It’s still Kaveh.

Finally, a small smile forms on the prosecutor’s face, and he raises his hand in a slight wave to his opponent across from him.

“It’s been a while, Alhaitham. You’ve certainly grown.”

Though he was smiling, it did not reach his eyes. Sadness dwells in them instead.

“Indeed it has.”

Alhaitham says, crossing his arms. The topic of conversation shifts in the audience at the sudden reveal that the two men know each other.

“Huh? I’ve never seen Prosecutor Kaveh go against this guy before…”

“Are they friends? I don’t understand.”

“I’ve seen this defense lawyer before, but I didn’t think he would know Mr Kaveh…”

“ Ahem, that’s enough murmuring, we have a trial to commence.”

The judge clears his voice, speaking up, and the room grows silent. With a raise hand, he swiftly bangs his gavel.

“Court is now in session for the trial of Layla Luscinia.”

His eyes dart to Kaveh, and then to Alhaitham. The tension in the room is obvious.

Kaveh notices the judge’s gaze, and flashes a smile and a small wave.

“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor!”

Alhaitham averts his eyes. Watching Kaveh on the opposite side ready to fight against him is almost overbearing.

When Alhaitham became a defence lawyer, he figured this would happen eventually, but he was always dreading it. He didn’t want things to be this way, not with Kaveh.

“Well? Is the defense ready?”

Forcing himself to look at Kaveh as he addresses Alhaitham, the blonde leans over his podium, a teasing smile on his face.

“…Yes.”

Is he ready? Not really, but he doesn’t have much of a choice.

“The defense is ready, Your Honor.”

Alhaitham pushes his emotions down onto the depths of his heart, something he’s been doing for a long while now. His eyes narrow, a serious gaze meeting his opponent.

Kaveh’s smile fades. The blonde knows this isn’t a game.

“I’d like to proceed with the prosecution’s opening statement. Prosecutor Kaveh, if you’d please?”

The blonde takes a deep breath to ready himself, his eyes fluttering to a close as he does. They quickly snap open, a look of determination inside.

“Thank you, Your Honor. I will say with utmost confidence that the defendant is guilty. At around two in the afternoon, the victim was found dead, her cause of death being strangulation. The murder took place in the back storage room of the cafe, a restricted area that no regular employee has access to. Normally, this would include the defendant. However, the manager of the cafe was on leave that day, and left Layla as the acting manager, which meant she was in temporary possession of the key to the storeroom. We have the manager here to take the stand if necessary. The body was discovered by the defendant and another employee when they entered the storeroom, and the defendant feigned surprise.”

His tone shifts to working mode as he speaks, it is clear that despite the smile he wore when entering the courtroom, he took this role very seriously.

“On top of that, the prosecution believes the defendant has a motive behind the murder. Information was provided about Layla from various professors at her university. I believe the detective who interviewed the professors can explain the motive best. The prosecution calls its first witness. Care to take the stand, Detective Cyno?”

Cyno, who is standing next to Layla, lets out a soft sigh. He expected this would happen, but he wasn’t the type who liked attention all over him. Regardless, he nods, and gestures to one of the bailiffs to take his place supervising the defendant. He leaves Layla’s side to take his place at the witness stand.

“I’m sure you know how this goes, Cyno. So let’s get it over with. Name and occupation?”

Kaveh asks.

“Cyno Aureus, public detective.”

His tone is blunt, the detective quite agrees with the idea of ‘getting it over with’.

“So, what did those professors have to say, exactly?”

The Judge asks. Cyno stands with his arms crossed and furrowed eyebrows. He doesn’t hesitate to give an answer.

“The majority of people I spoke to had nothing of value to say. Only one professor said anything regarding the defendant.”

“But it’s a rather interesting thing, isn’t it? Tell us.”

Kaveh tries to push the information out of Cyno faster.

“Very well. One of the defendant’s professors told me she had seemed down due to her results in a previous exam, and it just so happens that the student to receive the top grade in that exam… was the victim, Miss Sidra.”

Alhaitham closes his eyes in thought. He already knew this information, but it was irritating nonetheless. Layla having a possible motive tips the scales in the prosecution’s favor, but is it really motivating enough? Teal eyes open, and the attorney speaks up.

“That in itself could be considered a weak motive if there is no evidence that the defendant has a poor relationship with the victim. The professor said her attitude was due to her exam results, yes? Why should we assume it’s because of jealousy?”

“Objection!”

Kaveh pipes up, immediately responding to Alhaitham’s words.

“‘Cause jealousy isn’t the right word for it. Think about it. It’s not that the defendant was jealous of the victim, but that she viewed Sidra as an obstacle. After all, the worse other students perform, the better the defendant seems. If she eliminates the best performing student in her course, there’s fewer people she has to overcome.”

“That’s not-“

“Silence.”

Layla tries to speak up, but quickly grows quiet when the Judge interrupts her. Alhaitham’s eyes dart to the anxious girl, her body trembling.

“So what you’re trying to say is that Layla drew the victim to the cafe with the intent to murder her?”

Alhaitham raises an eyebrow as he speaks, he’s not buying this.

“She likely thought she could pin it on one of the other employees, but that failed, considering the fact that she’s the only one that could unlock the door where the murder took place.”

Kaveh states, his crimson eyes meeting Alhaitham in a challenging look.

“It’s a premeditated crime.”

“Yes, it is.”

Alhaitham agrees with Kaveh’s words. The latter’s eyes widen at the attorney’s immediate agreement, but he tries to not let his surprise get to him.

“Oh? You’re giving up already? I thought you’d give me more of a challenge, Hai-“

“Premeditated by the true culprit, of course.”

Kaveh’s breath hitches, he bites down on his bottom lip.

“…What are you trying to pull?”

“Detective Cyno, I’d like you to list all the ‘evidence’ the precinct discovered, besides the previously mentioned ‘motive’.”

Alhaitham doesn’t give Kaveh a response, his attention quickly shifting to the man standing at the witness stand.

“Objection! That’s my witness, you can’t order him around!”

“Objection overruled.”

The Judge states, seeing no issue with Alhaitham’s request. His eyes are on Kaveh, but then move to Cyno. 

“Go ahead, Detective.”

Cyno gives a sigh.

“I suppose I can, but you’re both already aware of it all anyway…”

“I know that, continue nonetheless.”

Alhaitham says. He knows what he needs to do. He had already thoroughly studied this case and every piece of evidence that was available. All he needs to do is put his thoughts to words in the courtroom.

“Alright. Alongside the motive, there’s also the key that was mentioned. It’s true that Layla was acting manager for that day, therefore the one holding the key. On top of this, the autopsy revealed that there were dissolvable sleeping pills in the system of the victim. The most likely theory is that the victim’s drink was laced with multiple of these, and was led to the back storage room when the cafe was empty and the employee’s were on their lunch breaks.”

“Objection.”

Alhaitham raises his voice.

“Why would the cafe be empty in the middle of the day? The employees on their lunch break all at the same time?”

“You were so focused on picking apart every piece of evidence, that you didn’t look into the cafe as a whole very much, hm?”

There’s an annoyed tone in Kaveh’s voice as he speaks.

“The employees are all very close. They close the cafe for half an hour to share lunch together. The defendant simply needed to leave the break room and catch Miss Sidra before she left. She probably feigned concern, seeing how drowsy the victim had become… and likely told her to sit down in a ‘quiet’ place instead of going out into the busy street. Layla and Sidra were classmates, so it’s natural that Sidra would trust her.”

“That’s just a theory. You’re basing your argument off a mere hunch.”

Alhaitham feels his irritation growing. So this is what it’s like to face Kaveh in a trial, hm?

“It’s less a theory and more of an explanation. We already know the defendant is guilty.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“Right. It’s for me to prove, and I believe I have.”

It’s rather obvious that Kaveh’s in a hurry to finish the trial, like he can’t cope with being in the same room as Alhaitham for too long. Though the defense attorney tries not to let that bother him, it’s difficult to ignore the pain in his heart. Can Kaveh truly not stand the sight of him? His hand clenches into a fist underneath the table in frustration as he debates.

“More of those sleeping pills were found in Layla’s bag, yes? Someone simply took some out of it. Layla is also.. quite the clumsy person, the key to the back room could have easily been stolen from her.”

“Objection!”

Kaveh huffs.

“Why would she have the sleeping pills in the first place if she wasn’t planning something!?”

“…you’re seriously asking that?”

Alhaitham lets out a sigh.

“What are you saying?”

Kaveh’s eyes narrow.

“You were so focused on the cafe, that you didn’t look into the defendant as a whole very much, hm?”

He parrots Kaveh’s previous words, which immediately cause the blonde to let out an offended gasp.

“Detective, could you please enlighten us on what type of ‘sleeping pills’ the ones found in Layla’s bag were?”

Alhaitham’s eyes flick to Cyno.

“The one who could explain it best is the coroner, who is here as an available witness.“

Cyno looks to the frustrated Kaveh, his head tilting slightly as he speaks.

“Prosecutor, it’s your job to call the witnesses to the stand, so…”

Kaveh takes a deep breath as he tries to calm himself.

“O-Of course… The prosecution calls the coroner, Doctor Tighnari, to the stand…”

Though there’s hesitation in his voice, Kaveh knows he can’t simply refuse.

Cyno happily takes his leave, returning to Layla’s side and sending the bailiff back to his original post. He gives the doctor a grin as he takes his place. Tighnari sighs, and crosses his arms as he leans over the podium.

“Seems like someone’s got you all worked up.”

He said with a slight smirk, his statement directed at the prosecutor.

“Stop it…”

“You certainly seem stressed. Have you been taking that relaxation tea I recommended?”

“Doctor Tighnari, your name and profession!”

The blonde tries to shut him up.

“You just said it yourself. ‘Doctor Tighnari’.”

Alhaitham states.

“Must you interrupt me!?”

Kaveh crosses his arms as he tries to keep his professionalism. Alhaitham supposes the blonde isn’t used to anyone who can actually hold their own against him. It’s rare for ‘The Light of Justice’ to be flustered in court, but it was kind of… cute.

No. This is certainly not the time to think about such things, this is a murder trial! 

After internally scolding himself, Alhaitham speaks up.

“I didn’t think you were so snappy in trials, how intriguing.”

“You-!”

Before Kaveh can come up with a response, the loud sound of the gavel breaks the two out of their argument.

“That’s enough of this meaningless conversation. Do both the defense and prosecution wish to be held in contempt of court?”

“Ah!”

Kaveh’s eyes immediately widen.

“I apologize, Your Honor… I didn’t mean to get so worked up.”

Alhaitham took note of the fact that Kaveh was quick to change his demeanor. It seems he is quite afraid of getting into any trouble. Of course, Alhaitham wasn’t keen on the idea either, and gave a noncommittal apology himself.

“Right. I too, apologize. Shall we continue?”

The judge gives a sigh.

“Yes, we shall. Witness, please state your name and profession.”

“My name is Tighnari Vulpes, I’m a doctor and a coroner.”

“Could you tell us more about these sleeping pills?”

Alhaitham asks. Tighnari nods as he begins to explain.

“Right. The easiest way to put it is that they’re a prescription medication. From what I was told, there was no script in the defendant’s bag, but… Well, I’m a doctor. I simply checked her medical records. Layla was indeed prescribed sleeping medication to help her.”

Hearing this, Kaveh quickly stammers. Alhaitham gives a smirk. The blonde had no idea that it was nothing out of the ordinary for Layla to have such a thing. Nevertheless, Kaveh comes up with something fast.

“I see…Yet why would she carry them to her day job? Even if she planned on sleeping during her breaks, taking a sleeping pill would knock her out cold. She wouldn’t be up by the time she had to continue working. It doesn’t make sense.”

Alhaitham’s smirk remains on his face. His in depth analysis of all the evidence is coming in handy.

“The defendant’s bag and everything inside was submitted as evidence, so why don’t we talk about what else was in that bag? Tell me, Kaveh. What else was found in Layla’s bag?”

“ What else? Well, simple necessities, of course. Her wallet, phone, deodorant, change of cloth-“

Kaveh freezes, realization hitting him.

“Change of clothes… The cafe doesn’t have a uniform, so why would she..?”

His voice grows quiet as the blonde begins to mumble to himself.

“Have you figured it out, Light of Justice? The defendant informed me she was planning to go to a friend's house after her shift to stay the night. Naturally, she would bring a change of clothes, and naturally, she would bring the medication that helps her get a good sleep. You might try and say a ‘change of clothes’ was in case she got blood on her, but we both know that the cause of death, strangulation, isn’t considered ‘bloody’.”

A scowl forms on Kaveh’s face as he listens to Alhaitham’s explanation.

“Is that supposed to prove she didn’t do it? Alright, I’ll admit, perhaps it wasn’t a premeditated murder, but she’s still the culprit. Is aiming for second-degree charge your goal here?

“No, my goal is to bring the truth to light. I’ll say it again, it was premeditated, but not by Layla.”

Kaveh huffs.

“Fine, if you’re going to keep fighting… You should know you said something ridiculous earlier.”

“Did I?”

Alhaitham tries to think back to all points he had made throughout the trial, what exactly did he miss?

“Someone took sleeping pills out of the defendant’s bag, that’s what you said.”

“Yes, and what about it?”

Kaveh’s frustration fades, a smile forming on his face in its place.

“I told you that you didn’t look into the cafe enough. Layla’s bag was in her locker, which as the name suggests, was locked. Not with a key, but with a code.”

Alhaitham feels a rush of nausea to his stomach. Now that he thinks about it, he definitely heard about the code before. He knew there were lockers, but he simply assumed Layla’s locker key was stolen alongside the back storage room key, or perhaps she had left it unlocked on accident knowing her nature. He now remembers the code, and his hands thump onto the podium, gripping the edges.

“She likely told someone her code for an unrelated reason in the past, and that was the same person who-“

“You don't sound very confident with that hypothesis, Haitham.”

“Some people are extremely lucky, it’s always possible that-…”

No, what is he saying? There’s no way someone stood at the lockers trying every possible combination. Not only would they be spotted quickly, but there’s so many possible combinations of numbers that it would take days on end to unlock it. He throws away that idea, and tries to reaffirm the idea of someone knowing the code.

“…Someone still could have known, or spied on her and watched her go into her locker before, memorizing the code…”

“The cafe manager notified us that Layla had changed her code the previous day. Are you certain someone figured out her code that fast? Or that someone as notoriously anxious as the defendant would give out her locker code to others so easily? Even if the employees are on close terms, when interviewed, they all said that Layla was the ‘distant one’. Would she really trust them enough to give the code? Besides, the employees all said they didn’t know her code.”

“The other employees are suspects too. One of them must have lie-“

“That might be considered a logical conclusion in some cases, but the employees were all on their lunch breaks, besides Layla, who mysteriously left the break room. All the employees that were working at that time have an alibi except the defendant. I think it’s time the next witness took the stand, and when you hear her testimony, you’ll finally realize your client is guilty.”

Alhaitham’s eyebrows furrow and he clenches his teeth. Now that Kaveh regained his confidence, he’s showing his true ability as a prosecutor. Layla didn’t kill anyone, right? 

Stop it, Alhaitham. If you doubt your client, there’s no hope.

“…Then call in your next witness.”

It’s time for a cross examination. If Alhaitham wants to succeed, he needs to pick apart the witness testimony to reveal the truth. He has little to do with the witnesses, so Alhaitham’s unaware of whatever this upcoming testimony is that is going to ‘prove Layla guilty’.

“Gladly. The prosecution calls the next witness, an employee that was working with the defendant at the time of the murder.”

Tighnari gives a nonchalant wave as he turns and leaves the stand without saying a word. Like Cyno, he didn’t seem to be a fan of this whole charade. It doesn’t take long for a young woman to approach the witness stand. She reaches up, and twirls a strand of her hair around her finger.

“Will this take long?”

She asks, her eyebrows furrow.

“Why are this trial’s witnesses all so sour?”

The Judge asks, his eyes widening.

“Because the defense and the prosecution’s lovers quarrel is difficult to watch.”

The woman answers.

“It’s not like that!”

Kaveh slams his hands on the podium as he pipes up. Alhaitham decides not to comment on the witness's statement.

“A-Anyway…”

The prosecutor crosses his arms, refusing to let his confidence falter.

“Witness, please state your name and profession.”

“My name is Zohreh Pashaei. I work part time at the cafe, but I also do finance work.”

“I’m sorry for troubling you like this, Miss Zohreh… I hope you’re doing alright after a tragedy occurred in your workplace.”

Kaveh’s sympathy is genuine, Alhaitham can tell. There’s a solemn look in his eyes that brings back memories.

When we were kids, he would always look at me that way when I dealt with bullies.

His mind begins to slip into the past, but Alhaitham can’t afford to get distracted, and he quickly brings himself back to reality.

“It’s fine, I suppose. I mean, I’m not happy about it, but I’m relieved my brother didn’t get himself involved… He goes to the same university as your supposed killer, after all.”

Zohreh states, her eyes wandering around the vast courtroom as she spoke.

“But oh well.”

Her gaze falls back on Kaveh.

“Do you want me to recount that day?”

“Anything you deem relevant, yes.”

Alhaitham quickly chimes in, interrupting the conversation between the witness and Kaveh.

“Just because the witness thinks something is irrelevant doesn’t mean it is.”

Kaveh sighs, but he doesn’t argue against the statement, knowing it as true.

“I suppose you have a point… Fine. Witness, please tell us what you remember from the day of the murder.”

“Mhm, I’ll do that.”

Zohreh says with a nod. Alhaitham’s eyes focus on the witness, he needs to listen carefully to everything she says, and pick out the flaws in her testimony. 

“Now let me think… Ah. Layla was doing the opening shift that morning, considering she was the manager for the day… I started at nine, I usually do.”

She goes back to twirling a strand of hair around her finger, a clear habit of hers.

“Um… There was me, Layla, and two others… Work was pretty normal. Layla was pretty nervous about being the manager and all, but she was doing fine. Well. I guess she wasn’t doing fine if she killed someone and all… Uh, anyway. It was a fairly quiet morning. Not too many customers. It was around eleven thirty when that Sidra girl came in…”

Alhaitham tries to keep his gaze focused on Zohreh, but his eyes can’t help but dart to Kaveh, who seems to be listening to the testimony with equal amount of focus as Alhaitham. Even though the blonde wouldn’t be the one cross-examining the witness, he was listening closely to every word she said.

“Like you guys talked about, we always have lunch together. So when that time rolled around, we closed the cafe, so Sidra went to leave the place, but she looked pretty unwell. I guess she would be if she was drugged.”

“Closing during lunch isn’t a smart business practice.”

Alhaitham states.

“Objection! Irrelevant! If you have a problem with it, then just don’t go to the cafe!”

Kaveh speaks with a huff.

“I wasn’t planning to, considering there was a corpse in the storage room.”

“Don’t be disrespectful!”

“That wasn’t my intention…”

With the two men getting into another pointless argument, Zohreh crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

“Seriously? This is exactly why I wasn’t looking forward to coming up here. Can we get a move on?”

The Judge clears his throat to get their attention.

“I quite agree with the witness. The defense and the prosecution will refrain from this unnecessary war of words and get back on topic.”

Both Alhaitham and Kaveh look away in embarrassment, before both of them apologize in unison.

“My apologies, Your Honor…”

Kaveh adjusts his posture to stand up straight and with confidence. He places a hand on his hip as he requests for Zohreh to continue.

“Sorry for the interruption. I’d like you to keep going, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, whatever…”

She shrugs.

“So where was I? Uh… Right! So we closed the cafe and all four of us headed into the break room to eat.”

“Hold it.”

Alhaitham interrupts.

“All four of you? So Layla was indeed in the break room? You know this means she has an alibi? After all, you were all still on your lunch break when the murder happened.”

“Seriously? Just wait and she’ll explain.”

Kaveh says with a scoff.

“Yeah. It was all of us at first. However, like… five minutes into lunch, Layla left the break room. Obviously we didn’t think much of it at the time. She didn’t return until the cafe reopened.”

This must be what Kaveh was talking about when he said this testimony would make Alhaitham ‘realize that his client is guilty’. So it was true she was the only employee without an alibi? 

“See? Checkmate, Alhaitham.”

There’s a grin on Kaveh’s face. The blonde is positive he’s achieved victory. Alhaitham crosses his arms. There’s so much evidence stacked up against the defendant. Should he accept defeat? Agree that she’s a murderer?

No, the way she cried and pleaded for Alhaitham’s help at the detention center… Layla wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t commit the crime.

There has to be something, anything. He has no choice but to press the witness for more information.

“What happened after you reopened?”

He asks Zohreh. Kaveh shakes his head in disbelief that Alhaitham isn’t giving up.

“Uh… Well, we reopened and went back to work? Same as usual. We didn’t suspect anything was wrong, and Layla was pretty normal. Well. As ‘normal’ as she can be.”

“Did you ask her why she left the break room?”

Alhaitham’s eyes narrow. He has to get as much information as possible.

“No? Why would we? We all just assumed she was going to the restroom. We have no restroom at the cafe, so we always have to go to the public toilet across the road. It’s a pretty busy road, so it takes a while to get across. It’s normal for a bathroom break to take that long for us.”

“What if she really was out of the building?”

“Haitham, must you badger my witness?”

Alhaitham’s eyes flick to Kaveh, who looks unamused by the discussion. He doesn’t respond to the blonde, instead looking back to Zohreh. He has to find something.

“I dunno if she was or not..! I only went out to the public toilet once a bit before our lunch break! I saw the manager and he said he was dropping some stuff off, but only him!”

That’s it!

“Hold it!”

He raises his voice, perhaps a little excited that he finally found a hole in this case.

“ The manager? As in the actual manager, not Layla?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Zohreh sighs.

“So? As I said, he was probably just dropping stuff off.”

“Did he go inside the cafe?”

“I didn’t see, but he would have to if he had stuff to drop off.”

Kaveh is silent behind the prosecutor’s podium, but he has an expression of confusion and worry. It seems he had no idea about the manager being on premises.

“Why wasn’t I told about this!?”

He speaks up, asking in a panicked tone.

“I didn’t think it was important. After all, he didn’t have the key to the back room, so he’s not a suspect, right?”

Zohreh says with a shrug.

“Even if he didn’t have the key… We have him here to testify about the cafe and staff if necessary, but now his alibi is questionable!”

The prosecutor sweats, his hands gripping the podium. He takes a deep breath, trying not to lose his composure.

“No… It doesn’t matter. It’s true he didn’t have the key. He would have only been there for a short time. Besides, there’s already so much evidence that points to the defendant being the culprit…”

Kaveh straightens his posture.

“I think it does matter.”

Alhaitham speaks up.

“After all, if he were simply dropping things off. Why wouldn’t he tell you he was there? You have to speak to every witness before the trial. Why would he keep something like that from you? If he was innocent, then he should be honest.”

“If he was there for such little time, he probably didn’t think it was necessary to tell me. The evidence still points to Layla, and don’t forget she had no alibi when the murder happened! She had the empty cafe to herself while all the staff were in the break room!”

“My defendant was not in the cafe at the time of the murder!”

Alhaitham finally announces. He hadn’t mentioned what Layla told him previously because he knew that Kaveh would simply tell him that she’s lying, but now, crimson eyes narrow. Kaveh lets out a soft sigh.

“Fine. That’s what you claim? Then why don’t we get the defendant to testify?”

Even though Layla would be a nervous wreck at the witness stand, she didn’t kill anyone, and the truth would reveal itself soon enough.

“Yes, we shall. After she does, the manager will take the stand.”

Though it’s not Alhaitham’s call to make, Kaveh does not refute him.

“That’s alright. Both the defendant and the manager’s words will show the truth of the case that you’re so desperately denying, Alhaitham. That your defendant is a murderer!”

The tension in the room skyrocketed as the teal eyes met crimson. The two men stared at each other with absolute determination in their eyes, neither even close to giving up.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through in the last fifteen years, Kaveh. You’ve changed, yet you still hold the same passion you did when you were a child.”

Whatever happened since they seperated, Alhaitham didn’t know the details of it, but as he looks at the prosecutor standing across from him, it’s obvious that the confidence that the blonde puts on is an act to hide his true emotions. His eyes are so passionate, yet so sad. His justice is prevalent, yet not the same justice he upheld so long ago.

“Shut up.”

Kaveh says, his words quiet and with little venom.

“This isn’t the time to reminisce about the past… I have… I have to beat you!”

Alhaitham feels a stinging pain in his heart.

He’s not being honest with himself.

Alhaitham had worked so hard to become a defense attorney, all because of Kaveh. When they were children, Kaveh saved him so many times…

It’s my turn to rescue you, Kaveh.

“Ahem.”

All eyes in the room land on the judge.

“I believe we should hold a recess. When we continue, the defendant will take the stand.”

“But it was just getting good!”

“I want to know how this ends!”

Complaints from the audience begin, but it doesn’t take long for the judge to react with a bang from his gavel.

“Court will continue after recess! That is final.”

There was a series of ‘awws’, but nobody gave any more complaints. Alhaitham sighs, he could really use a little bit of a break. A chance to breathe after everything that had happened in this trial so far sounds nice. He swiftly packs up his things, but he can’t help but look at the prosecutor across from him.

Kaveh’s eyes are on him, but he quickly looks away when he realizes Alhaitham caught him staring. If there’s any chance to, Alhaitham needs to speak to him privately. He can’t let their relationship turn into court rivals who spout bitter words at one another.

He has to find out the truth about what happened to Kaveh.

—————————————————————

15 years ago…

“Faranak’s been transferred to hospital.”

The small Alhaitham hugs his knees as he sits on the divan and listens to his grandmother. She gives a gentle hum, and takes a seat next to the boy.

“Is she ever going to get better?“

Alhaitham asks, his voice quiet.

“She hasn’t been taking care of herself, and ended up getting an infection she wasn’t seeking medical attention for. I’m afraid that…”

“That she’s gonna die too. Just like Kaveh’s bābā .“

He is already used to talking about the topic of death. After all, his parents had passed away as well.

“Recovery is unlikely… I understand this must be very hard for you, it hurts me too. If you need to cry, my dearest Haitham, please don’t hold it in.”

“I’ve already cried enough over everything.”

Alhaitham looks away.

“So, am I never seeing Kaveh again? He’s gonna go to a new family?”

“…He, well. He already has.”

“Huh?”

He looks back to his grandmother with wide eyes. 

“He sent a letter addressed to both of us. Though there’s a part that says ‘For Tam Tam only.’ Of course, I have no idea what he’s written in that part, but the general letter itself…”

The letter is placed in Alhaitham’s lap.

“He has been taken in by a man named Azar . A prosecutor that often faced his father in court. I don’t know much about the man, but he’s considered one of the best in the nation. He’s quite wealthy, so he has the resources to take care of a child.”

“Azar..?”

The name is familiar to Alhaitham, he recalls Kaveh mentioning him before.

“Bābā’s going against that evil Azar guy!”

Kaveh’s voice echoes in his mind.

“Is he really safe with that guy?”

The situation makes Alhaitham feel incredibly uneasy.

“I believe so. He wouldn’t be in Azar’s custody if it was dangerous, I’m sure.”

His grandmother places a hand on his back in a comforting motion.

“Nana…”

Alhaitham looks down at the letter.

“Can I be left alone? I want to read the part that’s only for me.”

Giving a nod, his grandmother rises from the divan. As she makes her way to exit the living room, she turns to give her grandson a look of concern.

“If it’s too much for you… I’ll just be in the other room. Alright?”

Alhaitham’s voice is quiet as he responds.

“Alright.”

She removes herself from the room, leaving Alhaitham alone. He lets out a soft sigh, and his eyes dart to the letter. There’s a folded piece of paper that says ‘For Tam Tam only’, like his grandmother said. He picks it up, his thumb gently brushing against the ink. 

“Kaveh…”

His name is said like a quiet prayer. Alhaitham begins to unfold the paper with trembling hands. Soon enough, his eyes meet the neat handwriting of his friend. There are small stains scattered across the letter.

Tear stains. Kaveh’s tear stains.

Alhaitham’s clenches the letter. He had tried to be strong for his grandmother, telling her he had already cried enough…but just like Kaveh, there were still tears he could shed. That was evident as he felt them sting his eyes as he began to read.

‘Dear Haitham.

Are you taking care of yourself and your Nana? I hope so. I’m sorry I can’t be there to protect you from the bullies anymore, but maybe it’s about time you learnt to stand up for yourself. Just don’t get in trouble for fighting, please.

My new home is strange. It’s big, and I keep getting lost. It’s also really quiet. I don’t know why Azar took me in. I wish I could have stayed with you, but I know that would be too much for your grandmother.

Azar doesn’t talk to me much, and I usually eat alone. It’s weird, because most of the people I get to interact with are housekeepers. I guess he’s busy with work. He did tell me that he doesn’t want me going to school, because the other kids will ‘influence me’. I’m going to be homeschooled by a private tutor. It sounds lonely. 

I was given new fancy clothes. I don’t think they’re my style, but Azar says I have to wear what I’m given, and that I should be grateful that I’m in a home like his. 

I haven’t decided if I like it here yet.

I’d still rather be back with Māmān… I hope she gets better and takes me home.

…The doctors said she probably won’t.

Please don’t forget about me, even if I never come back.

I won’t forget about you.

—Kaveh’

Alhaitham’s tears stain the page alongside Kaveh’s. ‘If I never come back’… How could he say something like that? 

He quickly folds up the piece of paper, and stares at it with glossy eyes. Tears roll down his cheeks, but he doesn’t make a noise. He doesn’t want his nana to see him crying. 

Kaveh had asked Alhaitham not to forget about him. Of course he never would, but… what about their promise?

“That we’ll be there for eachother, always.”

So that was just a ridiculous wish they were hoping for, huh?

—————————————————————

Sitting on one of the lounge chairs in the defense waiting room, Alhaitham stares at the old letter with a solemn expression. The paper had a yellow tint from age, and the pen ink is faint, but he can still make out the words.

‘I won’t forget about you.’

They haven’t forgotten one another, but when he saw the look in Kaveh’s eyes as he stood at the prosecution podium, he wondered if Kaveh should have.

The look in his eyes was not anger, disgust, or anything of the sort.

It was pure sadness.

Alhaitham is not skilled at reading other people's emotions, but with Kaveh, despite how long they had been apart, he couldn’t help but notice the melancholy gaze of his former friend.

A prosecutor who hasn’t lost a case… Regardless of the smile Kaveh may put on, he was a fearsome opponent for anyone standing on the side of defense. 

…but why prosecution?

Kaveh’s father, Roshan was a defense attorney, and the blonde looked up to him greatly, even saying he wanted to be like him one day (and follow in his mothers footsteps as well, Alhaitham remembers him saying he’d become the first ‘defence lawyer architect’). So why has he become a prosecutor?

Alhaitham has an inkling.

Azar.

The most feared prosecutor in the country, who just like Kaveh-, is yet to lose a single case. However, unlike Kaveh who has been a prosecutor for a few years… Azar has been one for over thirty years.

Did Azar convince Kaveh to go into prosecution instead? It makes sense. After all, Azar despises all defense attorneys. Why would he let his adopted child become one?

Alhaitham has seen Azar in the media, never in person, but he can still hear his voice speaking to Kaveh.

“I’ve taken you into my house, now I will take you under my wing and turn you into the prosecutor I know you can be!”

…Or something like that.

The attorney snaps out of his thought-induced daze as two familiar faces approach him. He quickly puts the letter in his pocket after folding it up in a number of swift movements. He still has that letter to this day, and brought it with him to the courthouse for his trial against Kaveh. A ‘good luck’ charm, per say. 

Alhaitham isn’t a sentimental person, but this letter is all that remains of his childhood friendship with Kaveh.

“You put on a good show out there.”

A nonchalant voice says. Alhaitham’s eyes meet the owner of the voice, Tighnari. He doesn’t talk to the Doctor much, but he knows Cyno is close to him.

“You’ve got Kaveh huffing up a storm, no one’s shaken him up that much in a trial before.”

Tighnari continues.

“I find it hard to believe his distressed behavior is simply because of Alhaitham’s debate abilities.”

 Cyno chimes in. Alhaitham sighs. No one is aware of his and Kaveh’s past, but is it really that obvious they know each other?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar.”

The detective immediately responded. With a job like his, it’s natural that Cyno is good at telling when a person is lying.

“Look. I know I can’t force you to tell me anything, and I don’t wish to, but whatever happened in that courtroom… It wasn’t just another day of the prosecution and the defense debating. That had… something else entirely.”

Alhaitham is glad Cyno didn’t prod him for information, it’s none of his business anyway.

“Whatever’s going on in those heads of yours, just don’t let it distract you from justice. The truth must be revealed.”

After his words, Cyno turns to walk away. 

Tighnari crosses his arms as he speaks again.

“No matter what you think… Kaveh isn't a bad person, okay?”

“I know that.”

Alhaitham’s response comes out with more venom than he intended. Of course Kaveh’s not a bad guy. Alhaitham knows that better than anyone.

“I’d even consider him a friend. He’s just… got a bit of a temper.”

Thinking back to his childhood, Alhaitham scoffs in response. Kaveh’s always been that way.

“I know that too.”

“…Eh? I guess you know him pretty well.”

Tighnari blinks, but is suddenly caught off balance. He grabs onto the arm of the lounge chair Alhaitham is sitting in. The ground begins to rumble, and the building starts to shake.

“Why now of all times!? Damn earthquake! ”

Tighnari curses the natural phenomenon. People around the room dash to grip onto something, trying to find stability on the quivering ground. Earthquakes in this area were common, especially in this city and the neighboring town, but even though everyone is used to them, they’re still an irritating feat.

After a short while, the shaking comes to an end. The relieved individuals in the room let go of whatever it was they were gripping to. Sighs of relief are heard throughout the space. Tighnari stands up straight, and immediately rubs his temple in annoyance as he begins to speak.

“Those things are always a pain… Wait.”

Tighnari’s eyes widen. 

“Kaveh..!”

Alhaitham’s eyebrows rise. Kaveh? 

“I have to go.”

The doctor says before turning on his heel and making a swift exit from the waiting room. Alhaitham stands as well, but he knows he can’t follow.

He still wants to, though.

Why had Tighnari mentioned Kaveh..? If he connects earthquakes to Kaveh, one memory pops into his mind.

“As many citizens are aware, at approximately 2pm, there was an earthquake...”

The day Kaveh’s father died, there was an earthquake. Unease settles in Alhaitham’s chest as he thinks about his former friend. Given the circumstances, it seems that earthquakes are an upsetting reminder for the blonde, and it’s likely Tighnari went to check on him. 

Alhaitham almost follows him, but he stops himself. What is he thinking? He can’t barge into the prosecution waiting room just because he has a hunch his childhood friend is distressed.

There’s anxiety bubbling in his chest as he waits for the second half of the trial to begin.

—————————————————————

The courtroom is tense as everybody returns inside, both from the earthquake and the clear fact that something going on between the defence and prosecution (of course, only Alhaitham and Kaveh know what that ‘ thing’ is, everybody else simply knew that they knew eachother from the past, but only the two men knew the extent of it).

Everybody is back in their previous positions, including Kaveh, but his eyes are looking down at the podium. It’s likely he’s trying to hide the distress on his face, Alhaitham figures.

“…We will begin the second half of the trial. Prosecution, will you call the defendant to the stand?”

The judge asks Kaveh, but there is no answer from the blonde.

“ Ahem. ”

Kaveh’s hands clench the edge of the podium as the judge clears his throat. The prosecutor forces himself to open his mouth, but his words come out shaky.

“T-The prosecution calls the defendant… Layla Luscinia to the stand…”

Even though Layla knew this was coming, she perks up at the mention of her name, and nervously makes her way to the witness stand, followed by Cyno. She stands at the stand like a frightened animal. Her eyes look to Kaveh, waiting for him to tell her what to say, but the blonde has lost his confidence.

“Um…”

Kaveh’s voice is quiet, and murmurs around the courtroom start up.

“What’s up with him?”

“Did something happen?”

The judge looks to Kaveh, waiting for him to speak. When he doesn’t, Alhaitham speaks instead.

“Defendant, please state your name and occupation.”

The attorney says, crossing his arms. Kaveh’s eyes flick to Alhaitham in surprise, but he doesn’t protest, letting Alhaitham take control despite it not being his role.

“I know we’ve already mentioned your name and occupation quite a bit… but, if you could?”

Alhaitham speaks again, and with that-, Layla answers.

“M-my name is Layla Luscinia… Um, and… well, I work at the cafe, of course…”

It’s no surprise that she’s nervous, but Alhaitham is ready to ease her anxiety and prove her innocence. He looks over to Kaveh, who is still staring down at the podium.

“I’ll get right to the point.”

Alhaitham says.

“What were you doing at the time of the murder?”

Layla takes a deep breath.

“..I was outside of the cafe. Yes, it’s true I left the break room, but it’s because I was asked to do something.”

All eyes are on Layla, even Kaveh finally looks up. The prosecutor’s eyebrows are furrowed as he listens to the defendant as she gives her alibi.

“At around 10:30 that morning… I found a note that said there would be a package outside the cafe with stock, and the note asked if I could collect it during my lunch break…”

“Doing labour during your break? What an unfair workplace!”

The judge says, his eyes widening, but they then narrow.

“Can anyone verify this alibi?”

He asks.

“U-Um… Well, I didn’t see anyone, Your Honor, but… the note was signed.”

“Of course it was.”

Alhaitham spoke up.

“I find it hard to believe you would follow the instructions on the note if it was anonymous. Tell us who signed it.”

“…My manager.”

With Layla’s admission, the room is filled with various murmurs from the audience. Alhaitham isn’t surprised. He’s already positive Layla is innocent, so now all his suspicion falls onto the manager. 

“Where is this note now?”

Kaveh finally speaks up, regaining the fire in his eyes. His expression isn’t confident, but determined.

“W-Well... When I came inside. It was gone.”

“So there’s no proof this note ever actually existed.”

Crimson eyes narrow as Kaveh gives a sharp glare. His gaze is not at Layla, however, and instead directed to Alhaitham. 

“And if it did? You and I both know what it changes, Kaveh.”

Alhaitham looks back at Kaveh with just as much determination in his eyes.

“Isn’t it obvious? The manager is the true culprit, and he’s trying to frame Layla. He destroyed the note because it was vital evidence against him .”

His expression is certain and serious. Alhaitham will convince Kaveh of the truth, he will.

“You’re making up stories, Haitham.”

With furrowed eyebrows, Kaveh refuses to listen to Alhaitham’s claim.

“You have no evidence that note ever existed!”

“We can’t rule out the idea of the manager being the culprit. It goes against everything a lawyer stands for!”

Alhaitham grits his teeth as the two men argue. Surely, Kaveh cannot in good faith still try to say there is no way the manager is innocent.

“We already agreed prior to the recess we would bring him out as a witness either way, no?”

The defense attorney asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I suppose we did…”

Kaveh sighs.

“Fine. He’ll take the stand, and I’ll prove you wrong once and for all. Defendant, do you have anything left to say?”

The prosecutor's gaze flicks to Layla.

“There is one thing.”

She says, nervously playing with the hem of her dress before she continues to speak.

“Sidra is- was my friend. She always encouraged me, and told me to never give up. That I was skilled and intelligent, I just needed to stop doubting myself. I would never hurt her. Never. If the truth is that my manager murdered her…”

Suddenly, the nervous look in her eyes shifts into one of anger.

“I’ll never forgive him!”

A small smirk forms on Alhaitham’s lips, he’s glad to see Layla finally showing the confidence he knows is hidden inside of her. Her behavior catches Kaveh off guard, he can sense the raw emotion in her voice, and it puts him off balance.

“You…”

Kaveh takes a moment to collect himself.

“The truth will be discovered, regardless of whether you committed the crime or not.”

He was sounding more unsure of himself, more unsure if Layla had done it or not.

“I’ve never lost a case, but…”

Taking a deep breath, Kaveh readies himself for what he’s about to say. 

“True justice is most important.”

It seems like he struggled to say it, like there was some invisible force stopping him from saying what Alhaitham deemed as obvious. Alhaitham furrows his eyebrows, studying the expression of uncertainty laced on Kaveh’s features.

It’s almost like Kaveh’s been told the opposite countless times, that winning is most important. That he must do whatever it takes to convict the defendant every single trial.

When Alhaitham thinks of who took him in all those years ago, who took Kaveh away from him. The pieces start to fall into place.

What did Azar do to you?

Alhaitham doesn’t know if he’ll ever get a chance to ask, but he’s dedicated to saving Kaveh from whatever hell he’s fallen into. After all, that’s the main reason he became an attorney in the first place.

“You may leave the witness stand now, defendant.”

Kaveh says.

“The prosecution calls the manager of the cafe to the stand.”

With that, Layla takes her leave. Her expression of distress has been replaced with determination. As she returns to the defendant’s chair, her eyes shift to Alhaitham, and she gives him a nod of reassurance, like she is saying ‘You can do this’.

Soon, a man takes the empty spot at the witness stand. There's an expression of annoyance on his face, and sweat on his brow. His frustration makes sense; after all, he is a suspect too.

“Bah! How ridiculous, dragging me up here…”

The manager speaks with a huff.

“You amateurs have no respect. My time is important, you know.”

Kaveh gives a sigh, and ignores the man’s complaints.

“Name and occupation, please.”

“Hmph. All I want to do is be successful and set my family up for life, yet you insist on bringing me into this mess?”

“..Sir, your name and occupation?”

The prosecutor repeats himself again.

“Personally, I think you all owe me an apology for interrupting my peaceful life to drag me to a courthouse to partake in this meaningless drabb-“

“Name! And! Occupation!”

Kaveh slams his hands down onto the podium, a frustrated expression on his face. He raises his voice at the manager, and gives him an angry glare. Alhaitham is glad that the blonde’s temper has reached someone other than just him.

“…Fine. I’m a man of many talents, many careers, and a man of great wealth. You may call me Hatim. One of my many great endeavors includes being the owner and manager of that cafe you’ve all mentioned a million times.”

A sigh comes from the prosecutor. He’s relieved to finally get the most basic info out of Hatim. He calms himself, taking a deep breath before Alhaitham speaks up.

“If you’re so short on time, I suggest we don’t tiptoe around the situation and ask exactly what we need to. It has recently come to our attention that you were possibly at the cafe at the time of the murder. Care to tell us why? ”

“Err… Like that Zohreh girl said, I was dropping things off.”

Alhaitham’s eyes narrow. 

“What were you dropping off?”

“Coffee cups. Small, regular, and large!”

Kaveh quickly chimes in.

“Wouldn’t stock go into the back storage room?”

“Not always. I placed the coffee cups directly under the cupboard! I did not step foot into that store room, no sir!”

Hatim swiftly replies.

“Nobody saw me dropping off the cups because they were all on their lunch break, of course.”

With a raised eyebrow, Kaveh asks another question.

“Did you see the defendant at all?”

“You mean that anxiety-riddled Layla? No. I didn’t see her. After all, she was in the back storeroom strangling the unconscious victim, no?”

The opportunity to bring up the note Layla had spoken about has presented itself, and Alhaitham speaks up, crossing his arms as he talks.

“You’ve been here for the entire trial, which meant you must have heard of an apparent ‘note’ that told Layla to head outside of the cafe to pick up stock during her lunch break. She claims the note was signed by you.”

“A complete lie! I wrote no such note!”

Hatim turns up his nose with a huff.

“First of all, I am a fair and kind manager! Asking her to work on her break is completely against the rights of an employee! Secondly, as mentioned earlier, there is no proof this note ever existed in the first place!”

“Perhaps it never existed, or perhaps it truly was destroyed.”

Alhaitham replies, tilting his head.

“We can’t go off the fact that it might have existed when there’s no evidence for it. I believe talking about this ‘note’ any longer leads us to a complete dead end. I don’t think there is anything else to go off to prove the defendant innocent.”

Kaveh says with a sigh.

“…Even if the note is a dead end, there’s something else I’ve been thinking about.”

Alhaitham knows pushing the topic of the note further will do him no good, so it’s time to pose another question. His mind goes back to the topic of the sleeping pills used on the victim. They were in Layla’s bag, in her locker. The locker was locked with a code that only Layla knew, but… What if there was a scenario where she, or anyone using a locker, forgot their code?

“…Remember the lockers? The victim had sleeping pills in her system, the exact same sleeping pills the defendant was carrying in her bag. We made the assumption that only Layla could access them because they were inside her locker, which you can only access if you have a code. However, I want to ask you, Kaveh. Is there really no other way to access the lockers? What if… Someone forgot their code?”

Immediately, crimson eyes widen. Realization hits Kaveh as something comes to mind.

“I hadn't really thought about it, because I figured it was irrelevant, but… The lockers do have a keyhole, it’s for a master key, but there’s only one…”

“Only one?”

Alhaitham asks.

“Tell me, who would have this master key?”

Kaveh takes a deep breath before replying.

“It would have to be the manager, Hatim.”

Hatim immediately scoffs in disbelief. He shakes his head in a huff.

“What are you two blabbering about? You’re saying I had the means to access the pills? Sure, I do have the master key, but that doesn’t mean anything! It’s still Layla’s locker! She simply unlocked it herself with her code!”

“We now know you were at the cafe at the time of the crime, and could access Layla’s locker.”

Alhaitham’s eyes narrow as he speaks.

“Unfortunately for you, you’re a suspect too.”

“Ridiculous! You’re ridiculous!”

Hatim calls out, anger on his face as he raises his voice. He continues to shout, eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t forget where the murder took place! Are you forgetting that Layla had one of the keys to the back store room!?”

“Hold it!”

As soon as Hatim finishes speaking, there’s a loud protest from Kaveh.

All eyes in the room are on him.

“Do you have any idea what you just said!?”

Alhaitham has realized it too, but he stays quiet. Kaveh is going against his own witness, even if it means sacrificing winning the trial.

“Eh? What are you on about?”

Hatim raises an eyebrow.

“You said, and I quote ‘Are you forgetting that Layla had one of the keys to the back store room?’.”

Kaveh begins to explain.

“This entire trial, we’ve been going off the basis that there is only one key. That contradicts what you said. You said one of . Which means there are multiple keys!”

Realizing that he had made a fatal slip up, Hatim almost faints on the spot.

“S-So what if there’s more than one? A-Any decent manager would have multiple copies of important keys…”

“So you’re admitting that you also had a key to the back storeroom when the murder occurred?”

Alhaitham asked.

“As well as a key to the lockers? You realize how this sounds?”

“Shut up! You amateurs have no right to accuse me of murder! You absolute fools!”

Kaveh gave a sigh before responding.

“We’re just saying that there’s more than one suspect now….”

“I am not a suspect! Are you fools forgetting about the concept of a motive!?”

Alhaitham gives a sigh. Truthfully, he isn’t sure what he will do to combat this, because he has no idea whether Hatim has a motive or not. His eyes shift to Kaveh, a silent plea. Hatim is his witness after all. Maybe there’s something Kaveh knows that Alhaitham doesn’t. 

“Just because we don’t know of one doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist.”

As soon as Kaveh speaks, Alhaitham’s confidence deflates. Unfortunately, it seems like Kaveh has no clue either.

“What a weak argument! How pathetic. That’s what you get for trying to go against your own witness, blondie !”

With those mocking works towards Kaveh, Alhaitham starts to wonder if this is a fruitless endeavor. He’s run out of things to push against Hatim. Is this it? Has he… No. Have they , he and Kaveh, really lost?

“Wait!”

A voice suddenly calls out. It’s coming from the defendant's chair. A determined Layla stands up from her seat, wanting to talk.

“Please! Let me give another testimony!”

She stretches her arms out wide, trying to make her small frame seen. The judge raises an eyebrow at her actions.

“You will not speak out of turn-“

“Please!”

Layla interrupts him, her voice pleading and desperate.

“Your Honour, I’m begging you! I-I think I know what the motive is!”

“Preposterous!”

Hatim doesn’t hesitate to chime in the moment Layla mentions a ‘motive’. He scoffs, shaking his head.

“She is merely trying to pin the blame onto me! It is true that she is the defendant, no? This trial is for her, no? That girl is willing to come up with whatever lie she can think of to not face the consequences of her horrifying actions.”

“No! That’s not it! That’s not the truth and you know it .”

Layla puffs up her cheeks in a huff, her eyebrows furrowing as she argues against Hatim.

“Just let me testify, please !”

With a sigh, the judge looks to Kaveh.

“Prosecutor Kaveh, your thoughts?”

Immediately, Kaveh complies with Layla’s request.

“My thoughts are that she has all the right to speak if she has more to say.”

He turns to Layla.

“Layla Luscinia, will you take the witness stand and tell us the entire truth? No excuses, no lies.”

“Yes! I promise I will! That’s all I’ve been doing this whole time!”

With that, Kaveh speaks the required words.

“The prosecution calls the defendant to the stand to testify.”

“No! I won’t let her come up here and spew nonsense!”

To the surprise of no one, Hatim is quick to protest. 

“We will decide for ourselves if it is nonsense.”

Kaveh’s eyes narrow as he speaks. Alhaitham sighs, and gives Hatim an annoyed glare.

“If what she is about to tell us is false, then why are you so afraid, Mr Hatim? Prosecutor Kaveh said it himself. We’ll decide if it’s nonsense. If it’s a lie, we will figure that out.”

The defense attorney says with a shrug.

“ You… Hmph. I don’t trust you two are even capable enough for that.”

Hatim’s stubbornness continues as he refuses to budge. Suddenly, there’s a loud, annoyed shout.

“ Be quiet! It’s my turn to testify! You want to keep refusing till they drag you away?”

It’s an extremely pissed off Layla. Kaveh eyes widen, and so do Alhaitham’s. They’ve never seen her angry before.

“You will not speak to your manager like that! I’ll fire you!”

Hatim spits in a frustrated growl.

“Well guess what..? I… I quit!”

The audience gasps, but Alhaitham rolls his eyes. This is as cliche as any novel. Regardless, he’s proud to see Layla standing up for herself.

“I don’t think the cafe will be running for a while after this entire ordeal anyway…”

The judge says with a sigh.

“Anyway… Where were we? Oh, right. Bailiff, get this man off the witness stand.”

“W-W-Wait! Don’t touch me! I’ll leave!”

Hatim reluctantly removes himself from the witness stand, but is soon approached by a bailiff anyway, standing by him in case he attempts to run off. He scoffs, but doesn’t risk complaining further.

With the witness stand finally free, Kaveh breathes a sigh of relief and gives a gentle smile to Layla.

“It’s your turn now.”

He says. The ruthless prosecutor act has slipped away as the true Kaveh comes to light. That’s what it is, Alhaitham knows this is the same Kaveh from all those years ago. So he smiles too. It’s a small, almost invisible smile, and no one will notice it, but he’s smiling.

“What are you grinning at?”

Almost no one. Kaveh notices.

“Nothing.”

Alhaitham crosses his arms and feigns innocence. Before the pair can bicker, Layla has taken her place at the witness stand and speaks up.

“S-So, as I said, I think I might know what his motive is…”

She begins to explain.

“So, Mr Hatim is what you’d call a ‘savvy businessman’ type, right? Um, he owns a lot of places. The cafe is only one small part of his assets. There’s this old library near the university that was put up for sale because the owner passed away, and his daughter decided to sell…Mr Hatim was the one who bought it.”

The bailiff took hold of Hatim’s arm as the man began to tremble in anger the more Layla spoke. He was getting too close to lunging at the girl.

“After he bought it, he announced he’d turn it into an apartment complex because it’s what would make him the ‘most money’. The thing is… A lot of the students from my University really like that library, Sidra included. So she ended up making a petition to stop this change, it got a lot of signatures from both students and residents of the area. She even started leading small protests whenever Mr Hatim was present at the library.”

With Layla’s words, the pieces were being put in place. Alhaitham spoke up nonchalantly.

“It would have been quite the hassle for him, I suppose, but as a fan of reading myself…. I can’t blame Sidra for her actions.”

Layla nodded in agreement.

“Yeah! It made him very angry. Mr Hatim always complained about Sidra at work. I believe his frustration towards her is motive enough… W-Well, I mean… I’m no lawyer, but it sounds like enough to me.”

“It shouldn’t be hard to confirm if what the defendant is claiming is true or not.”

The judge states, his eyes looking to both Alhaitham and Kaveh, expecting them to share their thoughts further.

“When looking into the witnesses for the trial, I did hear about Mr Hatim’s purchase of this library.”

Kaveh states.

“When looking into the victim, Sidra, I did come across various petitions from her, but at the time I didn’t know they had any connection to this case or Hatim.”

Alhaitham adds.

“Though after hearing Layla’s testimony, I believe those petitions were for the library.”

After he says that, Kaveh soon follows with a question directed to their new suspect.

“Do you deny the defendants claims, Mr Hatim?”

“Do I deny them !? Of course I deny them! I-I… I certainly… I…”

Hatim stood on shaky legs. He’s sweating from head to toe. He knows even if he ‘denies’ Layla’s claim, Alhaitham and Kaveh already know that what she is saying is true. They made that clear when they confirmed knowing about the library and Sidra’s petitions.

“I deny them… I deny them them I deny them I deny-“

“Careful there, stress is bad for the skin.”

Alhaitham speaks up. His words are mocking, but he speaks in a completely stoic nature. There’s an audible ‘pfft’ from Kaveh.

“I deny… Them...”

Hatim is looking at the ground, taking deep heavy breaths. The courtroom grows silent, until suddenly, Hatim has a burst of energy. He pushes past the bailiff and darts to the center of the room.

“You’re all ridiculous… You’ve crossed me, so I’ll make sure you all pay…”

Alhaitham raised an eyebrow.

“How exactly? Steal sleeping pills and knock us out? Take us to a back room and strangle us? Frame it on someone else?” 

He purposely tries to rile up Hatim further, trying to coax a confession out of him, and luckily-, it works.

“Exactly..! I’ll kill you… I’ll end you all like I did to that girl! You, Layla, you are a failure of an employee! I’ll kill you!”

Hatim points to Layla.

“ You ! Annoying prosecutor! You’re supposed to get the defendant charged, not me! You’re horrible at your job, I’ll kill you too!”

He points to Kaveh.

“You over there, your snarky attitude pisses me off! You’re next!”

Finally, he points to Alhaitham. He then looks to the judge.

“And you…”

The judge crosses his arms and sighs, shaking his head in disappointment.

“Me…? What have I done?”

“You… Uh… I don’t like your tie!”

“My tie!? What’s wrong with it?”

Somehow, the judge seems most offended by this than anything else that has happened in the trial prior. Alhaitham stays quiet. He doesn’t want to agree with Hatim, but he too dislikes the judge’s tie.

“Enough about the tie!”
Kaveh speaks up with a huff, and then redirects the topic back to Hatim’s crime.
“Hatim’s words classify as a confession! He said ‘I’ll end you all like I did to that girl’, and then proceeded to threaten us, too.”

“I… Confessed?”
Hatim blinks in confusion, unaware of his own actions.

“Yes, you did.”
Alhaitham says with a deadpan tone.

“I… did…”
His voice is detached as Hatim realizes he can no longer fight after confessing his crime out of rage. He doesn’t try to run as a bailiff takes a hold of his wrists and handcuffs him. Hatim simply lets out a weak laugh, like this whole situation is both unbelievable and hilarious.

“I confessed. I confessed, I ruined everything, I confessed…”
Hatim repeats those words like a prayer, laughter mixed in between speech.

“Hm, I suppose he’s in a state of shock.”
The judge points out.
“Mr Hatim will be taken into custody and his trial will commence at a later time. Now, my attention is brought back to the defendant, Layla Luscinia.”

His eyes flick to Layla, and she stands up straight as she listens.
“I believe it’s time for me to give my verdict. Prosecutor Kaveh, Mr Alhaitham, your thoughts?”

“There’s nothing else for me to say. It’s time.”
Alhaitham says, crossing his arms as he waits. Kaveh, however, takes a deep breath before he begins to speak.

“..I have lost the trial.”

He admits.

“The great Azar, my mentor… He has never lost a trial. It was the same for me, until now, but…”

Suddenly, Kaveh smiles.

“I don’t mind.”

With that, he takes a bow.

“Thank you for letting me fight both against you and alongside you, Haitham. You’ve become a great attorney. I’m proud of you.”

Alhaitham gives a small smirk in response. This show of honesty from Kaveh is nice, and after so many years, he’s glad to finally be teammates with the boy from his childhood that was guided by justice.

Thank you for choosing justice, and not success.

“I will now give my verdict.”

All eyes in the room fall on the judge.

“I pronounce Miss Layla Luscinia… Not guilty!”

There’s immediate cheers and applause from the audience, and Alhaitham almost chokes on glitter as there’s a confetti cannon too. What ridiculous theatrics. Most places would think celebrations in the courtroom like this are strange, in truth, Alhaitham agrees. It’s like you’ve cleared a level in a video game, except it’s not fictional and the ‘level’ determines the fate of multiple real people.

Colorful confetti falls through the air, but Alhaitham’s eyes are on Kaveh. He’s giggling as coloured paper and glitter lands upon his golden blonde hair. Those ruby eyes of his are sparkling, and it’s a beautiful sight. 

He’s absolutely radiant.

The crush Alhaitham had when he was a child has now returned in full force.

As the audience continues to cheer, there’s the loud sound of the gavel banging. The judge tries to speak up over the noise.

“ Ahem ! Court is adjourned! Everyone, please safely exit the room.”

It took a while for everybody to actually listen to him.

—————————————————————

There’s an excited buzz in the lobby of the courtroom. People are chatting and laughing around the place. Alhaitham carefully adjusts his tie, and then looks to the hallway. He’s waiting for Kaveh…

If Kaveh actually wants to see him outside of the courtroom.

Alhaitham gives a sigh, and rubs his temple. His head hurts from all the commotion today, he wants to go home and read a book in silence, but he refuses to leave unless he can talk to Kaveh.

Someone approaches him. There’s a tap on his shoulder and Alhaitham turns around, but it’s not Kaveh.

“Congrats. You did some great work.”

The voice is from Cyno, and Layla is standing next to him. She speaks up next, a smile on her face.

“T-Thank you so much, Mr Alhaitham! You saved my life..!”

“Your life? Mm, I suppose you could consider it that.”

Alhaitham says. He’s glad to see Layla in a good mood, finally free from the label of a ‘murderer’.

“If anyone could break Kaveh’s winning streak, it’s you.”

Cyno says it matter-of-factly, but Alhaitham shakes his head.

“I couldn’t have done it without him, though. He ended up working with me.”

“I’ve never seen him do anything like that before.”

Another voice chimes in. It’s Tighnari.

“You must be someone he trusts a fair bit.”

Tighnari’s words make Alhaitham think. The idea of Kaveh still having trust for him after so long apart is strange, but given the way he acted during the trial, it makes sense.

“I want to be.”

Alhaitham replies. He wants Kaveh to be honest with him, to tell him what’s happened to him in these past 15 years. 

He has a lot to tell Kaveh too.

“Hey, Kaveh!”

Tighnari and Alhaitham turn their heads to Cyno, who is calling to the blonde prosecutor that is currently trying to sneak out of the courtroom without being noticed by the group. Kaveh freezes, and stiffly turns around. He parts his lips to speak, but hesitates as Layla approaches him.

“Um…”

She takes a moment to get the words out.

“Prosecutor Kaveh, I-“

“I’m sorry for my actions.”

Kaveh interrupts before Layla can finish.

“Huh?”

Layla’s eyes widen in confusion.

“I fought to get you charged for a crime you did not commit. I was doubting myself from the start, but continued to pursue you because I was afraid of losing. Finding the truth is the most important part of being a prosecutor. I must remember that.”

He gives an apologetic bow, but Layla crosses her arms and sighs.

“Maybe you did do that at first, but… You came around, Mr Kaveh. You sacrificed your winning streak to find the truth, and to save me.”

“She’s right.”

Alhaitham approaches the two. Kaveh’s cheeks seem to redden.

“You said in the courtroom that you’re proud of me. I’d like to say the same for you.”

“Haitham…”

Kaveh says his name quietly, a soft whisper.

“Ah… I think I’ll leave you two alone.”

Layla returns to chat with Cyno and Tighnari. There’s panic on Kaveh’s face. He’s clearly anxious to talk to Alhaitham alone.

“You seem against the idea of having a conversation with me privately.”

“It’s not that, I just… I’ve been dreading this because I don’t know what I’ll say. It’s been fifteen years, Haitham.”

“To be honest, I feel the same, but I won’t let this opportunity slip by me. I won’t let you slip by me.”

Kaveh lets out an almost inaudible gasp, but Alhaitham hears it. He wonders if Kaveh is surprised he still cares about him after all these years.

He never stopped caring.

“Alhaitham, I…. I’m not the same person I was all those years ago.”

“Well yes, you grew up.”

“That’s not what I mean!”

Alhaitham takes a step closer.

“You're still Kaveh. I don’t know what you’ve been through. What that man put you through… but regardless of all that, you’re still Kaveh.”

Kaveh hesitates, going to speak but he stops himself. Alhaitham continues talking.

“You aren’t a defense attorney like your father was, or an architect like your mother was, but you still have that same sense of justice you did when you were a child.”

“That’s not true. Azar taught me that success is most important above all. For a while, I believed him. I’m still confident that all the defendants I’ve won against were guilty, but… It got to a point where my mind couldn’t choose between winning and the truth.”

Alhaitham sighs.

“You say you’re confident everyone you’ve proven guilty was so. Doesn’t that mean it was both winning and justice? If you truly agreed with Azar’s mindset, why did you join forces with me to save Layla? Why did you smile when acknowledging your loss?”

“That’s because you snapped me out of that mindset.”

Teal eyes widen. 

“How so?”

“Seeing you on the side of defense, doing everything in your power to help your client… There was a look in your eyes. A determined look I’ve only seen in one other defense attorney… Roshan Paradisaea . My father.”

Alhaitham stops breathing for a moment. Roshan was a legend amongst attorneys, and his death was a tragic mysterious event. To be compared to him, especially by his son is a grand feat. To be the reason Kaveh broke free from the mindset Azar had put into him… Alhaitham’s goal of ‘saving’ Kaveh didn’t seem so far-fetched.

“When I saw that look in your eyes, I knew I had to fight for the truth as well, no matter the outcome… and I can say with confidence that working together with you in the trial, even if just for a brief moment, is the happiest I’ve felt for a long time.”

“That doesn’t have to be the only time.”

Alhaitham says.

“We can do it again. We can become teammates who fight for the truth together, Kaveh. We can become friends again.”

Kaveh gives a chuckle, he seems fond of the idea, and yet…

“I’d love that, but I can’t accept your offer.”

“Why not?”

Alhaitham’s eyes narrow. He’s been so desperate to reunite with Kaveh, and it’s obvious the blonde wants it too. So why is he making this so difficult?

“Because of Azar. I’ve been in his clutches for the past fifteen years. He controls me, Haitham. Even though I’m an adult, I’m not free. He’ll never let me have this. I want nothing more than to be by your side again, but-“

His voice starts to break.

“ I can’t go against him.”

“Kaveh. You already did. Why stop at that?”

Alhaitham puts a hand on his shoulder.

“ Exactly. I already did, and he will be furious with me. I can’t let it get worse.”

“You seemed so pleased with how things went during the trial, are you regretting your actions?”

“No, I’m not. I’m glad I did what I did, but I fear what will happen to me if I….”

A tear rolls down Kaveh’s cheek.

“…Become friends with you.”

Alhaitham clenches a fist. Is Azar really that terrifying a man that Kaveh won’t risk disobeying him too many times? He’s never seen the famous prosecutor in person, but whenever he sees Azar’s face in the media, Alhaitham gets the sense that he’s a dreadful person.

“What has he done to you?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know. I just… I have to hide away my true feelings and force a smile in front of him. Otherwise I risk everything.”

“It’s not just him you hide your true feelings from, it’s the world.”

“Hah. I guess so… You know, I keep telling myself maybe it would be better if I didn’t have any emotions at all.”

Kaveh gives an empty laugh.

“Yet thanks to you, I am saddled with unnecessary feelings.”

Alhaitham shakes his head before replying.

“Nothing you are feeling is unnecessary. Please, Kaveh. Don’t hide your emotions, don’t let that man control your life.”

“I haven’t doubted myself like this in so long…”

The blonde gives a sigh.

“Stay with me, Kaveh.”

Alhaitham pleads with him.

“…Maybe one day I will have the strength to.”

With that, Kaveh takes a step back, and then he smiles.

“One day, when I’m a better man, I will come back to you.”

He turns away, but Alhaitham grabs him by the hand and speaks.

“I will chase after you till I can no longer breathe.”

“I’m not worth it.”

Kaveh says, not looking back at him.

“You have always been worth it to me.”

Alhaitham lets go of Kaveh’s hand. He can’t force him to change his mind, but he will not give up.

“…Let me save you Kaveh.”

“I hope you can, Haitham.”

Kaveh walks away, exiting through the main doors of the courthouse, leaving Alhaitham alone.

“I promise I will.”