#sbu asks

🌟 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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this is such a dangerous question to ask me i had taylor as my #1 artist last year..

Also does he still have hidden love feelings for y/n (not just as jun's mother) and is he aware of that?

I am literally so obsessed with sbu, thank you for creating this story 💗 hope you enjoy tds4 as well!!!

incoming special addition!

“oh—you can go first.” you gestured with a small wave of your hand.

jeno let out a soft chuckle, the kind that was more out of habit than ease, and walked ahead. you followed, keeping just a step behind, as if even now you weren’t sure how close was safe to be.

halfway to the gates, he glanced back at you over his shoulder—just for a moment, like he was checking to see if you were still there. it had become second nature to him—a habit he couldn’t shake. no matter how hard he tried, you were always there, lingering in the corners of his mind, woven into everything he did—even years after the divorce. he told himself to let go, to push you out of his world, but the truth was undeniable: you had been part of jeno’s life from the moment you stepped into it, and you never truly left.

today was no different. it mirrored that very first morning when the two of you dropped jun off at kindergarten—his tiny hands tucked safely in yours and jeno’s as you sang little tunes to make him smile. jeno remembered it vividly. he remembered the warmth, the laughter, the quiet sense of wholeness. he had loved his little family then, and he loved it still. because in his heart, it was always his family. and as he watched the scene before him unfold in his head, he could hardly believe it: the future you once dreamed of together had all been burned away because of his foolishness.

// end!!!!!

jeno defo still have some sort of feelings for yn but doesn't engage with it because he knew he's done some irreversible damage to yn and their relationship. jeno isn't inherently a bad person and still have the purest intentions towards yn so he'll never try to pursue yn again even if given the chance bc he believes that it's what's best for her!

this took awhile!!! my sincere apologies~ 🥲

you were always the first to wake up in the morning. you liked the quiet — the way the house still felt half-asleep, the steam curling around you as you stood under the shower’s warmth. your showers always lasted longer than they should have, mainly because you loved the heat but also because of the tiny doodles you liked to draw on the fogged-up glass.

jaemin used to tease you for it at first, until he realised he didn’t really mind being late for work if it meant waiting for you to finish your little ritual. he found it endearing — your small sketches, your fingerprints smudged across the misted surface, tiny pieces of you left behind.

one morning, inspiration struck. you drew a small rabbit on the glass, your finger tracing its outline, giggling quietly to yourself. then, with a mischievous grin, you added an arrow pointing toward it and wrote jaemin beside it — because to you, he always looked a little like one. soft, gentle, and endearingly stubborn. best thing is, you were the only one who got to see this side of him.

you stepped out of the shower smiling. a few minutes later, jaemin slipped in, still half-drowsy, and froze when he saw it — the rabbit. his laugh echoed off the tile. with a finger, he added a small puppy beside your rabbit, scrawled y/n next to it, and drew a heart linking the two. then, after a moment’s thought, he added a speech bubble above the rabbit that read, “dinner date tonight?” snapped a quick photo, and sent it to you.

you were drying your hair when the message came through. seeing his little addition made you laugh out loud, warmth blooming in your chest. you texted back immediately — “only if the rabbit pays.”

from that morning on, it became your thing. you’d doodle something on the shower glass; he’d add his piece after. sometimes it was silly — stick figures, hearts, inside jokes. sometimes it was quiet and tender, a small hey cutie or a doodle of jun.

P.S. take care of your health. It should be the first priority you have been working nonstop

hiii! i’m soooo sorry (x3330201 times!!!) that it’s taking so long to drop🥺 i promise im working on it whenever i can, it’s just that school and work had been really crazy (i know i say this all the time but it’s literally sooo crazy with submissions season coming up and major concerts happening back to back weekends😭)

incoming teaser🌟

"breathe, y/n, stay with me." jaemin’s voice cut through the heavy fog clouding your mind. his hand was wrapped tightly around yours, grounding you, his thumb brushing against your trembling knuckles. "donghyuck, file a report now," jaemin ordered, his tone sharp and urgent. donghyuck doesn't hesitate, already pulling out his phone, dialing the police with shaky fingers.

but you couldn’t move. your body refused to. the world felt muffled, far away. your thoughts ran wild, colliding, scattering. only one thing was clear—jun. your son. your baby. the only piece of love you had left in this godforsaken world.

"y/n!" jeno’s voice pierced through the chaos as he shoved past the crowd, eyes wide, heart pounding. he looked between you and jaemin, voice strained. "what’s going on?"

"she must’ve taken him away!" you screamed, the words tearing out of you like they had been clawing at your throat for hours. your glare found jeno—sharp, accusing, and desperate. he froze. confusion flashed, then realisation hit like a blow to his chest. he looked around—donghyuck whispering frantically into the phone, jaemin steadying your shaking form, and you… eyes wild with fear.

the “she” in question—he knew who it was.

his lover.

and “him”—jun.

the air around you shattered. anger, grief, panic—all tangled and suffocating. you stumbled forward, pushing against jaemin’s grip. "i have to find him," you said, your voice breaking.

"y/n, wait—" jaemin caught you by the arm, pulling you close, his voice low, trembling but firm. "listen to me, you can’t run around like this. you’re not thinking straight. i’ll get the car. just… just stay here, okay? please. i’ll be right back."

he squeezed your shoulders, searching your eyes until you nodded, barely holding it together. then he ran off toward the parking lot.

and then jeno appeared again. breathless. disheveled. guilt written all over his face.

"where is she?" you shouted, stepping closer until he had to stumble back. "where did she take him? where did that bitch take my son?"

"y/n—" his voice cracked. his phone was in his hand, trembling, the screen showing soomin’s name flashing. "i’m calling her—i’m trying to—i swear, i don’t know!"

"don’t lie to me!" you shoved him hard in the chest. jeno staggered back, barely catching his balance. your vision blurred with tears and rage.

"you did this!" you screamed, your voice raw. "you brought her into our lives! you let her near him! everything i love—everything that mattered to me—is gone because of you!"

jeno’s lips parted, but no words came. only a broken sound—half sob, half breath. he looked at you like he’d been hit, eyes glassy, his chest heaving. "i didn’t know," he whispered, voice trembling. "y/n, i didn’t know she’d—"

"you never know, do you?" you spat, your tears finally spilling. "not until it’s too late."

silence hung heavy between you—shattered only by the sound of sirens in the distance, drawing closer. jeno’s hand was still on his phone, but it had slipped to his side, forgotten.

you turned away before he could say another word, your knees weak, your heart breaking all over again. jaemin’s car screeched to a stop nearby, headlights cutting through the darkness. "y/n!" he called out, practically jumping out of the care to get you.

hii! the majors of the main characters are mentioned in chapter 5! but let me just expand on this hehehe~

𝜗ৎ jaemin: jaems majored in law and specialises in corporate/business law! he graduated with a minor in finance and did a semester exchange at harvard law school with y/n in their final year and was said to almost become the top student, only falling behind y/n by only a fraction in gpa :")

𝜗ৎ jeno: jeno majored in business studies with a second degree in communications! he graduated first class honours at the top of his class and was president for the school's photography club~ he was considered to be an all rounder excelling in his academics and an active player in pushing the photography club into a recognised club that organisations outside of school would engage for special events!

𝜗ৎ y/n: y/n too, majored in law, specialising in civil and environmental law! y/n was unofficially crowned as the student with the highest amount of wins in moot court back in university and during her time in harvard with jaemin, the two of them had a running competition for the highest amount of wins in moot court where for six months every week without fail, students would gather to watch.

𝜗ৎ chen le: chen le majored in law, specialising in civil and criminal law! he was on the same year as jaems and y/n, but instead went to cambridge for his semester exchange where he spent six months working on the side as a paralegal for a small law firm <3

this is such a badly put together moodboard but i made a draft of it while crafting the storyline in seoul!

jaemin: jaemin’s colour is defo black/grey (i think his moodboard is the most cohesive imo!) when i first envisioned jaemin’s character, i wanted him to come off as someone who has his guard up high (mega high walls!!). in the story, jaemin seems to be really witty with yn, but i’m not sure if anyone noticed that jaemin tends to shut yn’s questions out or doesn’t really answer the questions directly. i’d say the only time that jaemin really had his walls fully broken down is in chapter 8 when he shares a part of his life with yn on the couch.

jeno: jeno’s colour is blue! calm on the surface but deep and endlessly complex. his moodboard is a little all over the place but that’s because that’s how jeno is. he lives a pretty simple life after the divorce with yn. jeno’s someone who tends to keep a lot of things to himself (super apparent and the reason why his marriage did not work out at all) so he is defo someone who emotional carries a lot of baggage :( he embodies insecurity and yet despite everything, he really tries to do right by the people loves especially jun.

yn: yn’s character is brown! i think among jaemin and jeno, yn has the strongest (and fun) personality seeing as she does engage with her friends regularly, has hobbies like playing board games and especially loves drinking (a healthy amount ofc!) she’s defo a people person. she feeds off people’s energy (which is why i think she and jaemin matches really well bc jaemin consistently gives off the energy she needs) and has a strong passion in serving the community for greater cause. she may not be living her dream career but she’s content with what she’s been given and just really wanna make the best out of it.