The Burning Lives

Sentenced

Suggested listening: The Wailin' Jennys - Keep Me In Your Heart

TRIGGER WARNING: graphic depiction of death

Both Hwoarang and Shikichi stood incredulous in front of the smiling Yamada. As if sentencing two persons to death was a personal vendetta, a golden trophy to show off on a desk. Eun-jung started crying. Jin looked at the floor, not a word spoken. Hwoarang, realising what everything that just happened would mean, snapped.

-NO! There must be a way. There HAS to be a way! You won't take away my family, you can't just kill two people like that... she's a fucking teenager, for god's sake! Have a little humanity!

-Mr. Kazama-Seong, you're about to be thrown out of this Court if you don't recollect yourself.

-I will recollect my ass! This is a travestry and you're a bunch of fools! First Devils, and now Death Row based on a single video where you can't even see any of them touching the man? Do you have any agenda against Jin or something? This isn't finished, this is far from finished, you hear me? I will free them before you have the chance the hang them both!

-This is enough. Guards, remove the man from my Courtroom.

-No need to make a fuss. I have feet and I can walk myself out of this excuse of a court of law. You're a disgrace to law itself, all of you. You should be ashamed.

Hwoarang angrily walked out of the room, slamming the doors behind him. He felt like he could burn the whole building down right there, right in that moment. He slid on the floor and started crying because he was too angry, too nervous, too anxious about what was going to happen. The truth was, he didn't know what to do at that point. All his plans, all his actions were all for nothing. They were projecting the incriminating video in that very right moment and he couldn't do anything about that. He couldn't do anything about the sentence. He couldn't do anything about shit. Either Shikichi had a secret, brilliant plan in that creative mind of his, or they were screwed. And Jin and Eun-jung were dead. The thought made him nauseous, to the point he actually went to the toilet to throw up. Fuck. He didn't even know when the execution would be. He washed his face, trying not to think about words like sentence, verdict, execution, death row, hanging... and yet, they were the only words spinning around in his head.

He heard the doors opening and ran outside the bathroom. He saw Jin, looked him right in the eyes, murmured "I'm sorry", and the Japanese whispered "I love you" back. Eun-jung was sobbing uncontrollably, and Hwoarang shouted -Gongju! Saranghaeyo!- she smiled faintly while she was carried away by the guards. Shikichi was there, and the Korean approached him.

-What a stunt you pulled there.

-Did I ask for an opinion?

-No, but I did give you one anyway.

-Well, don't. How's the situation?

-Back to square one. The video is legit and Yamada showed it to everyone this time.

-Is there any other plan we can...

-No. There is not, Hwoarang.

-What do you mean, "no"? We just give up on them, like that?

-Look. We have done more than what was humanly possible to help them. You put your life on the line, literally. But know... we are out of cards. There is nothing else. Nothing.

-I don't believe it. There must be...

-Hwoarang! Wake up! They did it, and they got caught. We did the best we could. The best, and beyond. But this... this is the law actually working, I am sorry, my friend, it is. They did murder Heihachi, right or wrong that it was, they did it. And they didn't clean up well enough. This is payback. I am sorry, Jin was also a friend to me, and Eun-jung... my god, she's a teenager. It pains me, but this is what it is. There is nothing left to do.