angstamaaaa, i just saw your answer to that ask about sbu character's majors and degrees. i love the lore behind all of the characters. and also i'm so interested in that tidbit that both y/n and jaemin did a semester at harvard law. it's taking me back to like a legally blonde academia setting 🥺 like elle woods seems more of the loud girlier counterpart between the two but they both have that same brilliance and fiery passion for law and i love that movie!!! how was jeno coping for that semester back in korea when y/n and jaemin were over there??? lol. how was their time there at harvard? could everyone see that they had something magnetic between them? like academically and/or out of the classroom setting?
🌟 sbu special: jaemin and y/n's semester exchange in harvard
doing a semester exchange 10,982 kilometres away from seoul with a thirteen-hour time difference was already hard enough for jeno. what made it even worse was the fact that jaemin was there with you graced by your presence for the entire semester while all he got was a one-hour video call each day.
jealousy left a bitter taste on his tongue. more often than he’d like to admit, jeno found himself scrolling through skyscanner, staring at flight tickets just to see how quickly he could get to you only to shut his laptop in frustration moments later.
“how was your day, baby?” you asked, pulling out containers of tupperware from the fridge, each neatly packed with meals you had prepared in advance. jeno watched you through the screen, a small pout forming on his lips. “well, my day hasn’t started yet,” he said, pausing before adding softly, “but regardless of how it goes, it’s not a good day if you’re not around.”
you chuckled softly in adoration with jeno's sulkiness, "just a hundred and twenty more days," you reminded him, earning a small nod from him. "what about you? you sound like you had en eventful day," he asked.
“not really,” you hummed, mixing ingredients into a bowl before sliding it into the microwave. “i had back to back lectures, and now i’m preparing for my moot court case against jaemin tomorrow.” jeno’s jaw tightened ever so slightly at the mention of his name, biting the inside of his cheek as he masked the irritation. “what’s the case about?” he asked.
“are you sure you're interested?” you shot him a playful look. “mmhm,” he nodded, resting his chin on his hand. “lay it on me darling.”
“well, long story short,” you began, taking a bite from your rice bowl, “a guy named steve was identified as the murderer of an eight year old boy in 1925. but before he could be convicted, he time-travelled to the present day. so the question is—should he be held accountable under present-day law for a crime committed back then?”
jeno didn’t hesitate. “of course he should be held accountable!” he exclaimed, lightly slamming his fist against his desk as your laughter rang through his speakers, bright and unfiltered. god—he was so in love with you. more than you even knew.
the exchange was just as hard on you as it was on jeno but in most aspects, you were thankful that jaemin was with you even though you found him almost insufferable for the most part. you hate to admit that if it wasn't for jaemin, it wouldn't have been easy adjusting to life in america.
weekly moot courts against jaemin had became the highlight for every civil law student in harvard. some may even call it cinematic. what started as a petty debate with jaemin on 'the godfather' being one of the greatest film of all time had spurred into a public showdown where bets were placed on who the better counsel was. currently you were in the lead with six wins and jaemin at four.
as usual the atmosphere in the club rom was electric.students packed the sides as spectators, an appointed senior sat at the front as judge, and the two of you stood on opposite ends—already calculating each other’s next move. "as agreed upon both counsels, the loser will make breakfast as per the winner's request for a week is that right counsels?" mike started. "yes," you answered, glancing over to jaemin, only to be met by a stupid grin. "i'd like a cheese toast with apples sliced with a quarter inch by the side and a handwritten letter tomorrow," he teased.
you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms “last i checked, losers don’t get to make requests,” you shot back. “and i’m pretty sure that’s not me. i’m still in the lead.”
“this case concerns steve harrington who was identified in 1925 as the perpetrator of the murder of eight-year-old john doe. before he could be convicted, he evaded the legal process by traveling forward in time to the present day.” you stated, thereby commencing the start of the trial. across the room, jaemin doesn’t look at you immediately, flipping a page in his bundle calmly and almost disinterested in what you're saying.
he already knew what you were going to come with and jaemin was determined to have your handmade breakfast for this week. it was all he's been thinking about and frankly he's more driven than ever to win this.
“the applicant submits that the respondent must be held accountable under present-day law. to allow otherwise would be to reward evasion through temporal means and deny justice indefinitely.”
the judge leans forward, fingers steepled. “counsel, are you suggesting that the passage of time or in this case, the circumvention of it should not affect criminal liability?”
“precisely your honour,” you reply. “the act remains the same. the harm remains the same. the only difference is that the accused has displaced himself beyond the reach of the legal system that would have tried him.” you replied smoothly as you took a step forward. “if the court refuses jurisdiction, it creates a loophole—one where individuals may escape accountability simply by stepping outside the timeline in which their crime was committed.”
“the applicant’s argument is compelling,” jaemin begins almost conversational, “but ultimately flawed.” his gaze shifts briefly to you before returning to the judge. “this case is not about whether a crime occurred. it is about whether this court, in the present day, has the authority to try it.”
the judge raises a brow. “and your position?”
“that it does not, your honour.” jaemin takes another step forward. “the alleged offence took place in 1925, under a distinct legal framework, evidentiary standard, and societal context. to prosecute the respondent now would be to subject him to a legal system that did not exist at the time of the alleged act in its current form.”
“this violates a fundamental principle of criminal law: that individuals must be judged according to the laws and procedures applicable at the time of their conduct.”
“murder was illegal in 1925,” the judge interjects.
“yes, your honour,” jaemin replies calmly. “but legality alone is not sufficient. the question is one of jurisdiction and fairness.”
he turns a page, though he doesn’t look at it. “the proper forum for this case is 1925 not the present. if the respondent avoided conviction, that is a failure of process in that time, not a justification for this court to reconstruct it under modern standards.”
you couldn't help it—you stepped forward before your allotted rebuttal, pen tapping against your notes. “your honour, if i may.”
the judge nods.
“my learned friend’s argument effectively grants immunity to anyone capable of escaping their original timeline,” you say. “if the past cannot try him and the present refuses to, then he is beyond the reach of any legal system. that cannot be the position of the law.” you looked at jaemin and he smirked, staring back at you with what anyone would describe it as the look of endearment. everyone in the room could see it but you. the smile jaemin tries to hide whenever you speak, the subtle tracing of your footsteps in his own moves whenever he's presenting his case, the way he chose to deliver his arguments to you mostly rather than the judge.
“the respondent is not being punished under new laws. he is being held accountable for an act that was criminal then and remains criminal now. the continuity of that prohibition justifies present jurisdiction.”
“your honour, the applicant frames this as a question of closing loopholes,” jaemin says. “but the law is not built on convenience.”
“it is built on principle.” he looks at you. “if this court asserts jurisdiction, it sets a precedent where temporal displacement allows the state to choose whichever legal framework is most advantageous for prosecution. that is not justice it is opportunism.”
“the respondent is not above the law,” jaemin adds. “but neither should he be subjected to a system that was never meant to judge him in this form.”
it was exhilarating to say the least for everyone. the sight of two brilliant people going head against each other with the fullest confidence that you had in yourselves.
it was then the the final decision came. the judge leans back, “this court finds in favour of the respondent. while the alleged crime is grave, the issue before this court is one of jurisdiction. to try the respondent under present-day law would compromise the principles of legal certainty and procedural fairness.the proper forum for adjudication lies in the time in which the offence occurred,” the judge continues. “this court declines to extend its jurisdiction in a manner that would retrospectively alter the legal context of the alleged act.” he says. “the respondent is therefore not liable under present-day law.”
you couldn't believe your ears that you've lost this round. jaemin on the other hand was already basking in the cheers, gesturing dramatically for the crowd to get louder before turning to you, grinning wide and unapologetic. “i’ll send you a grocery list,” he winked.
jaemin never told you then, but that one week of handmade breakfast from you? were hands down, without a question, the best meals he's had since the move to america.
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