The judge waited for all to be quiet before clearing his throat loudly. "Good morning. Calling the People of the Tokyo Prefecture, Japan versus Izumi Yukihira. Are both sides ready?" The crowd shifted as the trial began.
Ryu Hoshino, Mikan's lawyer, said with a serious tone,
"Ready for the People, Your Honor."
Touru Nagasaki, Izumi's lawyer, spoke,
"Ready for the defence, Your Honor."
The judge nodded and went through protocol: "The next thing in a court trial is an opening statement. The public prosecutors will go first, and the public defenders goes next. Will the public prosecutor stand and present their case to the jury?"
Ryu straightened and turned his body towards the jury. His cool onyx red eyes had some of the jury members to shrink back. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Ryu's composed voice echoed throughout the silent court.
"The defendant has been charged of child abuse to the victim of Mikan Yukihira, both mental and physical abuse,"
"The evidence will show the defendant has been abusing the victim of ten years. The victim is now fifteen. Multiple wounds have been repeatedly shown on the victim's body. Along with multiple charges, the evidence I will present will prove the defendant guilty as charged."
Meanwhile, Izumi frowned at the word choice that Ryu used. The court summon read only one charge. Touru, though, was not affected. Once Ryu stepped back, he immediately went into action,
"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, under the law, my client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. During this trial, you will hear or see no real evidence against my client. You will come to know the truth: that Izumi Yukihira, father of Mikan Yukihira, was simply being the father of a mentally ill child and has been wrongfully accused of the abuse. The 'victim' as you put has been abused of someone else. Therefore, my client is not guilty."
Natsume and Hotaru was practically seething with anger when they heard the statement.
Mikan was mentally ill?!
Natsume had to hold himself back from brutally smashing the guy's head into pieces! Just for a moment, he gave his darkest glare at Izumi that the whole court had goose bumps. From the high table he sat, the judge could clearly see the black-haired teenager who was the cause of the drop in temperature. The judge cleared his throat, wondering briefly how a teenager could scare a grown man like him, before he spoke,
"The prosecution may now present their case and evidence."
Ryu stepped up as Touru stepped down. Even when all eyes were trained intensely on him, he did not waver. He stood with a trained gaze towards the jury.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Today, the defendant has been charged of physical and mental abuse to the victim of Mikan Yukihira. Izumi Yukihira, supposed father of the victim, initiated the abuse for ten years."
"Do you have any exhibits that could be admitted s evidence against the defendant?" The judge asked formally.
"Your Honor, I have many exhibits that will be admitted as evidence. However, the prosecution calls the victim."
At that sentence, Mikan's breathing stopped.
It was time.
She struggled to lift her head but she was rooted to the spot. Panic started to set into her mind and her legs were ready to run away but when the bailiff's hand gently gripped her arm, her body moved on its own. She flinched from the sudden touch and she instinctively jumped back, causing the chair to fall. All eyes were trained at her but she kept her head low, too ashamed of her reaction. Slowly, she went to the witness stand.
"Mikan Yukihira, is it true that you were abused on an almost daily basis?" Ryu's firm question rang inside the silent room. Mikan kept her head ow, her eyes glued to her shoes. She could feel Izumi's death glare at her and she knew, one look at that glare would silence her.
With a new fear in her throat, she choked out,
"Yes."
The crowd gasped and the murmurs started again. Hotaru remained silent but when she hear the fear in Mikan's voice, her heart gave a painful squeeze.
"Order! Order in the court!" The judge commanded. Once again, silence filled the air.
"You may continue," the judge said.
Ryu nodded. "When did the abuse start?"
"When I was five," came the quiet response.
"The abuse continued all the way until now?"
"Yes."
"Do you see the abuser in this court room?"
Mikan was silent for a moment. Her body shook slightly when the fear increased and attacked her heart. Her mind was numb and she could feel Izumi's glare burning through her. The panic started to rise but Mikan took a deep shaky breath and slowly let it out.
No more running away.
"Yes."
And she knew that one word sealed her fate.
Ryu nodded but Mikan caught a glimpse at the silent encouragement in Ryu's eyes.
"No more questions Your Honor,"
"Defendants, do you have any question?"
Touru stood up and nodded.
"Yes, Your Honor."
Touru deliberately walked slowly towards Mikan and for every step he took, Mikan's heart pounded faster and faster. The way he walked was as if he was slowly circling his pray before he decided to pounced on his prey.
And in this situation, Mikan was the prey.
"Mikan Yukihira, who are you currently living now?"
The question caught Mikan by surprise by she answered anyway, albeit warily,
"My mother, Yuka Yukihira."
There was a dark glint in his eyes when she answered and a shiver went down her spine when she saw the sinister smile. Touru faced the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, The charges against my client states physical and mental abuse to a child of fifteen years. The victim recognized the abuser is within the court room. However, the defence claims the victim mentally ill. The victim cannot separate truth from lie. The victim knows that the abuser is in the court room but she fails to point out who is the real identity of the said abuser. Do you know why, ladies and gentlemen? It's because my client is not the abuser, but her mother, Yuka Yukihira!"
Mikan felt her blood turning cold when he said those words.
Does he know?
Sitting among the crowd, Persona was shocked. He turned his attention towards Izumi, his eyes searching for anything in his face to show that it was all according to plan but Persona knew how Izumi's mind worked.
Izumi didn't care about Mikan so he couldn't have known about Yuka's abuse. There was a high probability that he was blindly pinning the accuse on Yuka.
"On the same year the victim has claimed to be abused, my client and Yuka Yukihira had been divorced. It states that Mikan Yukihir and Yuka Yukihira have been living together ever since. Ladies and gentlemen, please consider the fact that Mikan Yukihira is mentally ill and for that, has been confused between my client and her mother!" Touru claimed but Mikan could clearly hear the smugness in his voice.
The room was again erupted with noise and the judge pounded his gravel.
"Order! Order in the court!"
"No further question Your Honor."
The judge nodded. "Very well. The witness is excused."
The bailiff help Mikan back to her spot but she made sure that he wasn't touching her in any way.
With a still composed face, Ryu stood up and face the jury.
"The defence has finished their statements. We the prosecutors are charging Izumi Yukihira of physical and mental abuse. The defendant denies of ever hurting the victim, and claims innocent because the victim is mentally ill and thus confused the abuser for her mother. However, there was no records of the victim being sent to any hospital or any help even before the divorce. Why is she not in a hospital? Why is there no records of her being in any mental hospital? But most importantly, why is the victim not enlisted as mentally ill? If the victim is really mentally ill, why does she not receive any help even though 10 years have passed?" He paused to let the information to sink it. "From the witness session with him, you can see she has no difficulties in speaking or moving. In what way is she mentally ill?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, before you consider the fact that my client is mentally ill, I have many exhibits that tell us she is not. Your Honor, Exhibit #1 shows the contract between Izumi Yukihira and Snow Angel and a contract between Izumi Yukihira and an entertainment industry called 'YH Entertainment'."
Almost immediately, Touru stood up.
"Objection! What does my client's work has to do with the case!"
"Objection overruled. Please proceed with the exhibits."
Both contracts were passed to the judge where he examined it.
"The defendants say that my client was abused by her mother. However, Izumi Yukihira works as a manager for a famous teen singer, Snow Angel. However, the identity of the Snow Angel is still a mystery world wide. And do you know why, people of the jury? It's because Snow Angel is actually Mikan Yukihira!"
There were gasped all over the room but Ryu was not done.
"The truth is that Mikan Yukihira was forced to be disguised as Snow Angel and she was abused severely by Izumi Yukihira during work! Exhibit #2 are pictures of Snow Angel and Mikan Yukihira. Observe that they have the same body and facial structure. When in disguise as Snow Angel, Mikan Yukihira is required to wear blue contact lens and spray her hair white. The similarities are too much of a coincidence. I ask the jury to acknowledge this."
The judge examined the pictures closely and immediately noticed the similarities.
"After the pictures were shown, the judge spoke,
"The defendant may now present their second case of evidence."
When Ryu sat, Touru stood up with a few papers in his hand,
"Your Honor, I have evidence that my client is not the real abuser. Exhibit #1 shows a list of receipt found in Yuka Yukihira's house for the past year and also the results of Yuka Yukihira's fingerprints present on the said receipts."
The judge scanned the receipts for a moment and saw the list of alcohol drinks. He shifted his gave to look at the complicated information chart that shows the matching fingerprints on the receipts with Yuka's.
"As you can see, Yuka Yukihira was a heavy drinker. People of the jury, when a person is drunk, he or she is not aware of one's actions. The possibilities of Yuka Yukihira abusing her own daughter in a drunken state should not be tossed aside. Also, it is more likely for a person to abuse her own daughter when she is a heavy drinker."
Persona paled.
He thought that Izumi was completely unaware of Yuka's abuse but when he look the slight intrigued look on his face, Persona knew for certain that he didn't know. Instead of focusing at Izumi, Persona narrowed his eyes at the lawyer, Touru Nagasaki.
Somehow, he managed to collect enough evidence to show Yuka was also abusing Mikan. Whether he truly knew the truth, Persona didn't know.
Meanwhile, Natsume narrowed his eyes. Mikan never told him that Yuka was a drinker. For a moment, his mind briefly wondered the truth of Touru's words.
Was Mikan being abused by both of her parents?
Natsume didn't know the answer.
Ryu was now up to speak. He had fully opened her briefcase and took out the evidence. They were going to present their third and forth piece of evidence. He walked up front.
"Your Honor, I have several pictures and a tape recording that wound be the next evidence. However, I request the tape recording to be heard for the public but I'd like to have a closed hearing with the picture exhibits."
The judge nodded. He skimmed through the pictures and immediately felt sick. There were pictures of both Mikan and Snow Angel showing the scars and bruised littered all over her body. In both pictures, Mikan and Snow Angel had their backs facing the cameras so only the bruises and scars on her back were seen but even that was more than enough for the judge.
"The pictures have been admitted as evidence. This is Exhibit #3."
Hotaru couldn't help but internally flinched. She remembered when they took the pictures. It took days for Hotaru to convince Mikan to show her scars. But when she did, Hotaru immediately looked away. She remembered every scars that would be nothing but painful. She remembered the black and blue bruises that didn't fade yet. She remembered how Mikan was silently crying, ashamed and hurt when she had to show her.
Ashamed that Hotaru was seeing the ugly side of her.
Hurt for the hideous remainder of her uselessness.
Mikan breathing stopped when she felt the burn of Izumi's glare on her but she forced her herself to keep breathing. She stared at her shaking hands that were folded on her lap.
"Officer, please play the tape recorder."
Everything was silent for a moment before everyone heard the sound of footsteps.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Hide,"
Everyone could hear the unmistaken fear in the soft whisper.
"HIDE!"
Everyone cringed at the sudden loudness but it was soon followed by the sound of a door being opened.
Everything was quiet again before an ear-splitting yell broke it.
"YOU STUPID WORTHLESS BITCH!"
Izumi's voice was too clear to doubt it to be anyone else.
SLAM!
There was no voice but everyone could already imagine the sickening sound to be Mikan's body being slammed.
All too soon, it was over.
Mikan bit her lips when she remembered that day. It was when Hotaru and Natsume confronted her when she was Snow Angel. One glimpse at Hotaru and she knew that Hotaru was the one recorded it.
"This is evidence that an event has occurred between Mikan Yukihira and Izumi Yukihira. An event that had ended with one of them being hurt. I ask you to be logical, ladies and gentlemen. Can a petite fifteen years old girl be the one to cause that aggressive action? No! So it can only be the other person in the room which was none other than Izumi Yukihira!"
"Objection Your Honor! It is true that my client had said such vulgar words but there is no proof he was the one to cause the action! Who is to say that no other people was present during that time? It was stated clearly that Mikan Yukihira had asked someone present at that time to hide!"
The judge looked at Ryu, as if asking him the same question.
"Your Honor, the prosecution calls Hotaru Imai to the stand."
Mikan almost had a whiplash when she turned her head too fast. Her eyes widen when she saw her best friend silently walked to the stand with the same emotionless expression she had used to see.
"Hotaru Imai, what is your relationship with Mikan Yukihira?"
"I am her friend?"
"Is it true that she is being abused by Izumi Yukihira?"
"Yes."
"Hotaru Imai, where you present when the recorded event took place?"
"Yes. I was the one who recorded it."
"Beside you, Izumi Yukihira and Mikan Yukihira, was anyone else present?"
"Yes. Natsume Hyuuga was also present."
"Can you tell us the actual events that took place?"
"We were at Snow Angel's dressing room. Hyuuga and I wanted to confront Mikan about her being Snow Angel. We didn't hear it but Mikan did. The sound of footsteps. Izumi Yukihira was coming. Mikan screamed at us to hide. She grabbed the both of us and shoved us behind a table. Not a moment longer, the door opened and Izumi Yukihira entered. He suddenly shouted at her and started grabbing her. Mikan tried to run away but he managed to roughly grabbed her wrist. He slammed her to the wall and with his other free hand, punched her in the face.
Mikan was thrown to the side from the force and was kicked in the stomach before she had time to recover. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her to the wall again. And that was when we had enough. Hyuuga grabbed him to distract him and I took Mikan away from that place."
Her voice was calmed but there was no mistaken at the concealed anger beneath.
Ryu nodded and faced the judge.
"No further questions, Your Honor."
"Does the defendant have any questions?"
Touru shook his head with a grim expression. "We do not, Your Honor."
"The witness is excused."
After the secretary left, Ryu called for another witness.
"The prosecution calls Natsume Hyuuga to stand."
Mikan held her breath as the familiar black hair and red eyes entered her line of view as Natsume went to the witness stand.
""Natsume Hyuuga, what is your relationship with Mikan Yukihira?"
There was no hint of any emotions as he answered with a cool tone,
"I am her friend."
"Natsume Hyuuga, was the events told by Hotaru Imai the truth?"
"Yes."
"When was the first time you realized the abuse?"
It was when Snow Angel had finished a press conference. She was in her dressing room. At that time, I already had suspicion about her identity but I went there to confirm it. I also had suspicion about her being hurt for some reason but I had a glimpse of her bruises. She was wearing her Snow Angel mask so I snatched the mask away. There I saw her, my friend Mikan Yukihira in Snow Angel's disguise.
"But then I saw the bruise on her cheek. I got closer to her to get a better look at the bruise but she flinched away and her face told me she was scared. That was when I knew she was being abused."
"Did that event occurred before the recorded event?"
"Yes."
"Was that the reason Imai had brought that tape recorder?"
"Yes. I told her to bring it."
Ryu faced the judge.
""No further questions, Your Honor."
"Does the defendant has questions?"
"Yes Your Honor."
Natsume watched through a piercing gaze as Touru walked closer to him.
"Natsume Hyuuga, were you the boy in the newspaper that said to have a scandal with Snow Angel?"
Mikan paled when she heard the question but Natsume's voice was calm.
"Yes."
"So do you admit in having a scandal with Mikan Yukihira?"
Anticipation was in the air as everyone leaned forward to hear Natsume's answer. They all knew about the news of a boy running away with Snow Angel.
"No. The news was only false assumption. During that time, the news reporters had surrounded Mikan, asking useless and non-stop questions. She has suffered abuses, I don't think I need to explain why I ran away with her from those annoying reporters," although slight, they still hear the venom behind his last sentence.
"But do you deny in having feelings towards Mikan Yukihira? As in, more than friends?" Touru pressed.
Natsume knew what he was trying to do. If he answered yes, than his words would be doubtful since he had feelings for her. Meaning that the jury would think that he could outright lie to the whole court because he liked her.
But Natsume refused to back down.
"No, I don't. I love her for years and that's why, I'll always protect her and make sure she would never be abused again," Natsume's voice harden at the end.
For a moment, Mikan was taken back but when Ntausme's eyes was staring right at her, she ducked her head down and a furious blush covered her face.
Silently, Touru was seething at the teenager. He expected him to break, to stutter his words or get nervous so that everyone would doubt him.
He didn't expect him to boldly declared his love to the whole court and to sound so firm and determined when he said he would protect her. Instead of planting seeds of doubt, Natsume had swooned the jury with his determination.
He underestimated Natsume and now his plan backfired.
"No more question, Your Honor," he said through gritted teeth.
"The witness is excused."
Natsume went back to the crowd but Mikan couldn't help but to glance at him one more time, still not believing that Natsume had said he loved her in front of the whole court. But when her eyes met with his, she felt her heart beating at a faster rate.
"Ryu stepped up.
"There is more than enough proof to proof that the defendant is guilty as charged." He glanced at the jittery jury. "If there is still not enough, there is still two more charge I bring up to proof the defendant is the abuser of Mikan Yukihira,
Izumi Yukihira is guilty of a hit-and-run accident 10 years ago."
Finally done!
This might be the most complicated and hardest chapter I ever wrote!
I'm not really good at writing in formal speeches and honestly, I never went to a court room and everything I wrote is through other stories about a court room scnes and through TV.
Also, I had mostly took the scene in a Kuroko No Basuke Fanfic called 'Betrayal In Its Simplest Form'. So credits to the author, Virelei! Without it, I could never wrote this chapter!
Thanks to everyone who are still waiting and reading this story. Special thanks to those who reviews and gave me wonderful ideas to continue this. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter.