The rape case

"You must win today case, If not, consider yourself gone" Mr. chae says with a stern voice.

"yeah, father... I will surely make it" lee nods repeatedly.

******

In a dimly lit courtroom, the prosecutor, Alyson Kim, stands up and moves to the center, causing a hushed murmur among the onlookers.

The victim, Lily Cho, sits in the witness box, her head bowed in embarrassment, unable to meet anyone's gaze. The accused, Dylan Ray, appears defiant, with his head held high.

Alyson Kim begins her impassioned speech, addressing the grave accusations, "Today, we gather to address the alleged rape of our sister and daughter by the accused, Mr. Dylan Park. He lured the victim to a hotel under the pretense of helping her financially and studying together. However, he seizes this opportunity to assault her against her will. This trial commences on the 28th of August 2023."

She glances at the chief judge for approval and continues, "Go on, prosecutor," urges the judge.

Alyson Kim turns back to the audience, her anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"Dylan chae, a 22-year-old, forcefully rapes his 19-year-old college classmate, Lily Cho. There's substantial evidence that cannot be denied, and we start with this."

She displays a photo showing bruising on Lily Cho's wrist.

"What do you think caused this? It's clear evidence that he forcibly holds her down against the bed. The unmistakable redness indicates the severity of the assault. Furthermore, the doctor's report confirms the presence of the accused's semen," she says, displaying the report on the screen.

"Not only that, we have a witness as well," she continues.

The chief judge inquires, "Who is this person?"

"The cleaner, my lord. She happens to pass by at the time of the incident," Alyson Kim replies. The judge accepts the witness.

An elderly woman, probably in her 70s, enters the courtroom, showing signs of her age as she is provided with a seat. The chief judge instructs, "Go on with the questioning."

"Okay," Alyson Kim says, turning to the woman. "I want you to please tell us about what happened on the night of the incident and what you heard."

The old woman looks around, visibly scared and nervous.

"Everything is okay, just tell us," Alyson Kim assures.

"That night," the elderly witness begins, "I should have gone home, but a customer made a mess in the passage, and I was told to take care of it. I saw the two enter the room... I focused on what I was cleaning, and suddenly I hear a scream coming from the room, a loud one, and I can hear a female voice yelling." She pauses.

"Please, can you tell us what the yelling was about?" Alyson Kim inquires.

"The female voice said something like 'Leave me, please don't do this,' that's all I could hear, although the screaming continued," the witness replies.

The room is abuzz with people muttering as reporters' fingers dance on their keyboards.

"My lord, by the bruise in her mouth, we can deduce that he covered her mouth to prevent her from shouting. With all these pieces of evidence, it's clear that accused Dylan Park takes advantage of her," Alyson Kim summarizes, then returns to her seat.

The chief judge turns to the defense attorney. Attorney Lee James, known for rarely losing a case and possessing significant influence, stands up and moves to the center of the room. The chief judge grants him permission with a nod.

Lee James begins, "I'd like to start by acknowledging my co-worker, Prosecutor Alyson Kim, for her thorough investigation. Now, let's begin with the witness," he says, addressing the elderly woman.

"Hello, ma. Are you sure of what you just said?" he asks.

"Yes, I am sure," the witness replies.

"Are you really, really sure?" he presses.

The audience murmurs in response. "Objection, my lord. He's attempting to manipulate her," Prosecutor Alyson Kim objects.

"I'm not trying to manipulate her, I'm simply ruling out all possible angles," Lee James defends.

The judge overrules the objection, leaving Prosecutor Alyson Kim feeling defeated as she returns to her seat.

Facing the elderly woman, Attorney Lee James moves closer to her, his tone determined. "I am very, very sure," she insists.

"If that's the case, can you tell me the room number of the incident?" he inquires. The old woman falls silent, visibly searching her memory.

"Can you remember the room number?" he presses once more, but there is no response.

"My lord, she's an elderly woman who may not remember such details," Prosecutor Alyson Kim interjects.

Lee James seizes on this, saying, "Yes, exactly! She's an elderly woman who may not even accurately recall what she heard. Is she sure the screaming she heard wasn't consensual sounds of passion when having sex? I mean the moans. She can't even remember the room number. My lord, we can't rely on this witness's testimony," he asserts, and the onlookers nod in agreement.

The victim weeps, while the accused laughs silently.

"My lord..." Alyson Kim begins, but the chief judge's stern statement cuts her off. "Witness dismissed," he declares, giving her a warning glare.

The elderly woman is escorted out of the courtroom.

"Now, let's move on to the bruise on the hand and neck. I would like to ask my defendant some questions," Lee James says, and the chief judge gives him the go-ahead.

"Dylan, did you really cause those bruises?" he asks.

Changing his demeanor to appear remorseful, Dylan admits, "Yes." The courtroom is abuzz with murmurs.

"If I may ask, why did you do that?" Lee James inquires.

Dylan sniffs and replies, "We agreed to have sex that night, but she's a virgin, had never had sex before, and was afraid of it. We decided to go through with it, but when the time came, she was so scared and unwilling."

"Is that why you acted that way?" Lee James questions further.

"No," Dylan continues, "I asked we stop and do it another day, but she insisted on continuing. However, every time I tried, she would scream and push me away, saying she was afraid. I lost interest and left her, but she kept asking for it. She requested that I pin her down and not let her go. She was the one who asked for it, and I felt she really wanted it while being afraid."

The victim protests, crying out, "No, he's lying, no!"

Amidst the murmurs in the courtroom, the judge intervenes, saying, "Please, Miss Lily Cho, calm down. You will have your chance to speak. Continue, attorney," he directs, showing interest in Dylan's explanation.

"Some might have heard of it, what we call sex phobia," Lee James explains. "It's a state where someone is afraid of sex but, paradoxically, desires it, similar to other types of phobias."

He elucidates further, "like a musician who is afraid of a microphone."

"My lord, he is just speculating, and everything the defendant says is all lies according to the victim," Prosecutor Alyson Kim intervenes.

Lee James turns to the victim, "Miss Lily Cho, tell me how many boyfriends you've had. I want the truth." Lily bites her lips until they bleed, then reluctantly replies, "Three."

"That's an irrelevant question," Alyson Kim objects.

"It's not irrelevant?!" Lee James counters. "She had three boyfriends, yet none of them had sex with her. She remained a virgin until that night. It makes sense; she's afraid of sex, yet she wants it desperately."

"It's all a lie; I broke up with them because they were all jerks!" Lily exclaims, tears streaming down her face.

"My lord, if what they're saying is true, why would she bring it to court?" Alyson Kim questions.

Lee James turns to his client, asking, "Can you explain that?"

"She...she's blackmailing me," Dylan stammers with a fake trembling voice. The courtroom erupts again, prompting the chief judge to bang the gavel for order.

"No! No! He's lying!" the girl cries out.

"I would like everyone to reason this: who goes to a hotel with a guy just to study?" Lee rhetorically asks.

"I will stop here, but I and my client feel so much remorse for her, and we will compensate for the damages. We are so sorry. I, my client, and the client's family bow for this inappropriate act," he declares, bowing down. The accused and his family follow suit.

[Three hours later]

Chae Ray, Dylan's father, and also Lee James's father-in-law, delivers a resounding slap that echoes throughout the house.

"How dare you make me bow down for that woman!"

Lee James kneels and replies, "I'm sorry, that's the only way I could appease the public."

Chae Ray slaps him again, shouting, "You should have found another way, not making me kneel down, you good-for-nothing!".