Samurai Deeper Kyo Fan Fiction ❯ Wicked Ground ❯ The Defense ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14

The Defense

 

Yuya stepped into the courtroom, her hair let loose and hanging around her face for once. She wore a simple black pencil skirt and a matching satin twill shirt jacket with black heels. She was going for the conservative look today; today was what counted. Her defense. Her last chance to save Kyo.

 

Hotaru was already there, talking with his client. They both gave her very ugly looks as she sauntered by; she, in turn, gave them a little wave and smile. All the while she was thinking, I hope you rot in hell, you scum bags.

 

After an hour's wait, Kyo was brought in. His eyes had dark circles under them, making his face look sunken. Unlike the previous day, though, he met her eyes as he walked in. He even managed the barest hint of a smirk when the security guard warned him to behave.

 

Kyo glanced over at Yuya, his crimson gaze sweeping over her form. Yuya felt her heart jump at his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, and Yuya could only hope that it was “I realize why you did what you did last night” or something equally as understanding.

 

“You're getting fat.”

 

Yuya started, unsure if she had heard him right. “What?!” she sputtered loudly.

 

Kyo was smirking as he turned his gaze in front of him. “You heard me. You look like you're putting on weight.”

 

Yuya was struggling with her mounting anger when Hotaru sauntered over to them. “Having troubles, Yuya-chan?” he asked. He must have heard her strangled cry of indignation toward Kyo.

 

“No, Hotaru-chan,” she mimicked him with a forced smile. “Kyo just told a rather funny joke and I-”

 

“It wasn't meant to be funny or a joke,” Kyo interrupted, still leering. He turned his eyes to Hotaru, murmuring, “Oh, and give your client my… regards…”

 

Hotaru said something under his breath before walking back to his side of the courtroom.

 

With Hotaru out of the way, Kyo looked back over at Yuya. “I meant that as a compliment, by the way. You don't look like a damn corpse just brought out of the grave anymore.”

 

Before Yuya could decide how to react to this, the court clerk made his way into the room. Everyone stood in time with everyone else, and sat back down when Migeira entered. Things seemed much more relaxed and less rigid than yesterday. That was good for Yuya; that meant that she might be able to keep the jury's attention a bit more effectively.

 

“Senior defense attorney, Miss Shiina Yuya, will you call forth your witnesses now?”

 

Yuya was snapped out of her contemplation swiftly and stood, murmuring, “Yes. If Your Honor pleases, the defense would like to call Miss Izu Okuni to the stand.”

 

Okuni graced into the courtroom, wearing a provocatively cut, taupe business suit that probably came from a bondage/fetish shop. She was sworn in, her expression haughty, and then she sat behind the stand, gazing impassively at Yuya.

 

“Miss Izu, how long have you known Mr. Mibu?” Yuya began, trying to keep her voice civil. She didn't like Okuni; she'd never met the woman in all actuality, but she was everything Yuya had wanted to be; amazingly beautiful, long dark hair, full lips, and a figure to die for. Just being in the same room as this human Barbie made Yuya livid with jealousy.

 

Okuni took her time to answer. She cast her eyes around the courtroom, licked her lips, and then nonchalantly leaned forward to the microphone. “I've known his since I started doing secretary work for our boss at K/O Auto. About five weeks.”

 

“In that time period, what would you say Mr. Mibu's personality was?” Yuya asked, glancing over at the jury. As she had expected, they weren't as fidgety as they had been. They sat still, listening with engrossed attention.

 

“He was quiet. He seemed like he needed some fun. So I asked him out for drinks.” Okuni shrugged, licking her lips again. It seemed to be a habit of hers.

 

“Tell us about the night of January-”

 

Before Yuya could finish, Okuni let out a rather elaborate sigh. “Well, Kyo and I went out for drinks. We didn't really hit it off, though. He was… I don't know. He was expecting conversation and I couldn't give it to him. I'm a simple kind of girl. I was going to give him a fun time, but…” she shrugged.

 

Yuya closed her eyes, trying not to let her disgust show. “And then what happened?”

 

“The man over there,” she said, jerking her head in Tokugawa's direction, “came up and asked me to… Well, he said he'd show me a good time if Kyo wouldn't. My mother taught me to stay with the man who you came with; so I refused. The man persisted and Kyo told him to back off. The man took it as a threat, I guess, so he pulled a sword.”

 

“A sword?” Yuya repeated.

 

Okuni sighed again. “A big-ass knife. I don't know what you'd call it. Either way, he pulled a weapon and Kyo beat him up.”

 

“So you claim that Kyo was only protecting himself?” Yuya asked.

 

“Exactly. I'd like to think he was protecting me, as well. But yes, I'd say it was self defense.”

 

Yuya nodded. “Thank you, Miss Izu. No more questions, Your Honor.”

 

Hotaru took his place at the head of the room. His eyebrows were furrowed; whenever that happened, Yuya knew she had him cornered. He couldn't find a way to worm himself out of this one.

 

Or so Yuya thought.

 

“Miss Izu, I only have one question. Did Mr. Mibu continue to beat Mr. Tokugawa, even after he was down on the ground?”

 

Okuni balked. “I…I-”

 

“`I' is not an answer, Miss Izu,” Hotaru interrupted. “Please answer the question.”

 

Okuni made a great show of sighing once again. “Well, yes. He did.”

 

“Do you think Mr. Tokugawa posed any more of a threat when he was down? Or was Mr. Mibu acting irrationally?”

 

Okuni cast a scared look from Yuya to Kyo, and finally to the judge. Everyone was waiting expectantly. Yuya was holding her breath and, sometime within the moment of silence, Kyo's eyes closed balefully. There was a spitefully grimace to his full lips, something that was nearly painful to look at.

 

“Kyo was… Kyo was acting irrationally… but it was not his fault! It was the heat of the moment! You can't send him to jail for something like that! I mean, the guy isn't even dead!” Okuni blabbered, eyes wide. No matter what pretenses she used, it was obvious that she felt something for Kyo.

 

Hotaru smiled confidently, murmuring, “No more questions, Your Honor.”

 

Kyo's eyes were opened again, but there was a hint of restlessness in his expression. He knew the worst was far from over. If Yuya couldn't take the jury's mind off of his beating a man nearly to death… then Kyo would be facing prison time.

 

Without Kyo noticing in, Yuya had called up three different witnesses. They had all helped his case, he was later told, until Hotaru came up and asked the same question. Did Mr. Mibu have a reason to continue beating Mr. Tokugawa while he was down.

 

Each answer was the same.

 

No.

 

…

 

“The jury is about to make a drastic decision,” Yuya said aloud in her closing speech. She had not prepared for this one, unlike her opening. Her mouth was moving with the words that she felt, deep down. Not the ones she was expected to spout out.

 

“This drastic decision could put an amazing man, a quiet man, a talented man, behind bars.” Yuya paused, casting her sad expression across the jury. “I have only spent a week and a half with Mr. Mibu, but I can tell the jury this. He is unlike anyone I have ever met. He has more pride and honor than anyone I have known before. He may have done something horrible in the heat of the moment, but that's all it was; the heat of the moment. This is a man with a clean slate, a clear record. Don't force him to sit in a jail cell for years just because he found himself trying to protect himself, his date, and his honor.”

 

Yuya resumed her seat beside Kyo, who was staring at her with an undeterminable expression.

 

The jury members were cleared out after a few words by the judge. The judge himself exited and only the journalists, prosecution, and defense were left.

 

Everything was silent, save for the buzzing activity of the journalists gossiping within their ranks. Yuya felt nervous, which was unusual for her. She was always worried about winning, yes, but in every case before hand she'd been assured victory. Now, things were at stake. Now she actually needed to win.

 

Kyo didn't look at Yuya for the entire hour that the jury was debating. Near the end of that hour, though, he took her hand in his underneath the table. It was shocking and quite unexpected, but Yuya felt relived at his touch. Maybe this meant he had faith in her?

 

As if sensing her thoughts, he murmured, “Thank you, Yuya.”

 

Yuya nodded and, at those three simple words, felt her eyes flood with tears.

 

The Judge returned, as did the jury. Migeira asked, “Has the jury reached a verdict?”

 

The senior juror stood, his expression grave. “We have.” He handed a slip of paper to the Court Clerk, who in turn took it to Migeira.

 

Migeira opened the leaflet and read aloud. “The jury has found Kyo Mibu… guilty.”