The warm, golden rays of the afternoon sun streamed in through the windows, casting a soft glow over the room where Duri sat, his fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard as he scanned through endless lines of text and data. He was desperately searching for any clues, any shred of information that could lead him to Vinny's whereabouts, but the digital trail had gone cold.
Duri closed his laptop in frustration, rubbing his weary face as his mind drifted back to the intimate moments he had shared with Akari. Her tropical, honeyed scent still lingered in his nostrils, and he could almost feel the warmth of her skin against his lips, so close to the delicate curve of her neck. But the memory only served to send him spiraling, consumed by thoughts of the horrors Akari had endured.
Duri longed for her to open up, to trust him enough to share her pain so that he could try to fix it, to make it right. Yet Omani's words echoed in his mind - Akari needed time, time to heal and rebuild that fragile trust that had been so cruelly shattered.
Omani walked into their shared office, to see the exhaustion on Duri's face. "Let me guess," he placed his hand on Duri's hair, playing with it. "No sign of Vinny"
"Not even a morsel" Duri leaned into Omani's touch. "Did you find anything?"
"No, but Terry is on it, very on it, I had never seen him so dedicated before" Omani explained, sitting in the seat before Duri. "I was thinking…"
Duri cut him off. "About Akari, I know, I can't stop thinking about her" he rubbed his face again.
"Yes, well, maybe we are not the best people for her to open up to" Omani tried to approach the subject, slowly, for Duri's sake.
"What do you mean?" Duri didn't like where this was going.
"Maybe she needs a neutral party to just listen, no emotions attached," Omani explained.
"I don't want her unloading this shit on a stranger, Oppa, she needs comfort" Duri didn't like the idea of her pulling away even further.
"Yes, but not from us, not now, at least. She needs to heal," Omani tried to reassure Duri. "We helped her physically by getting professional. Why can't we do it mentally and emotionally?" He reached over and patted Duri's hand. "It's been three weeks. If we wait any longer, the trauma will only get deeper"
Duri gazed into his lover's gentle eyes and understood the truth of the situation. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that involving more people would only serve to distance her further from their shared sense of comfort.
"Let me think about it" Duri grabbed Omani's hand.
"That's all I ask," Omani gave him that heavenly smile. "Well, we better get going. We promised nurse Hazel that we would take Akari out a bit," he exhaled. Exhaling, Omani said, "She has been cooped up."
…
The distinct floral scent of the nurse's French perfume immediately caught Akari's attention, tingling her nose and instantly transporting her to another time and place. The familiar fragrance evoked a sense of nostalgia, reminding her of old black-and-white movies from her grandparents' era and the comforting aroma that used to linger in her grandmother's closet. As Akari inhaled the perfume's delicate notes, she couldn't help but feel a pang of wistfulness for those bygone days.
The nurse, Hazel, was an imposing figure with an icy demeanor. Her cold, blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Akari, and her face had a chiseled, almost statuesque quality, as if carved from solid stone. Hazel rarely spoke, which Akari secretly appreciated, as the silence allowed her to get lost in her own thoughts during this weekly ritual of having her hair washed. Akari admired Hazel's professionalism and the deft, methodical way she tended to her duties, moving with a graceful efficiency that was almost mesmerizing to observe.
As Akari stared up at the bathroom ceiling, she found herself longing for the familiar comfort of Omani's gentle fingers massaging her scalp and the cheerful chatter of Duri happily feeding her bites of kimbap while they all watched their favorite Korean dramas together. The two of them would often get carried away, talking over the actors and laughing at the hilarity or gasping in shock at the dramatic twists, while Duri would occasionally shush them in mock annoyance. Akari smiled fondly at the memory, but an underlying pang of guilt tugged at her heart, as she remembered how easily she had pushed her dear friends away after the "incident".
After Hazel had the bowl dried Akari's hair, patting Akari's shoulder. "Remember, Mr Cho will be picking you up in a moment. They will send you some living clothes. I will leave you to dress" she placed the clothing on the sink.
"Thank you," Akari called after Hazel as she left with a patient smile and a nod.
As Akari peeled off the soft, delicate robe, the fabric brushed against her bare skin, sending shivers and goosebumps rippling across her entire body. She reached out for her discarded clothes, but as she did so, her gaze fallen upon her reflection in the mirror.
As she stands there, her flesh bears the vivid, pinkish welts and lash marks that criss-crossed it, serving as a stark and painful reminder of the trauma she had endured. Akari's mind is instantly transported back to that fateful masquerade, where she had twirled and danced joyfully, smiling radiantly at Duri and Omani - a bittersweet memory now tainted by the anguish that followed.
The recollection of Vinny savagely tearing into her skin, the searing sting of the blows digging relentlessly into her body, caused Akari's mouth to fill with a sour, watery taste as acid began to crawl up her throat. Overwhelmed by the visceral sensations, she turned away hastily from the mirror, her trembling limbs propelling her towards the toilet where she proceeded to retch violently, the room spinning around her as a dizzying haze assaulted her.
There was a knock on the door, followed by nurse Hazel's stoic voice. "Ms Rain, are you okay?" She asked so softly.
Before Akari could say anything, another knock came. "Mama, are you okay?' Duri's voice came barreling through, filled with anxiety. "Let me in." his voice sounded stressed.
"I am fine" Akari's voice wavered, it was weak and shaky.
"Please, mami, open up," Omani whispered gently, like he was talking to a baby bird.
Akari needed some comfort and their voices were causing a lump to form in her throat. "Okay, just give me a moment" she pulled on the robe and began to crawl towards the door, unlocking it while leaning at the wall.
Duri and Omani rushed into the bathroom, their faces etched with concern as they took Akari into their arms, determined to provide her with the comfort and care she so desperately needed at that moment. Duri cradled her trembling form against his broad chest, his heart pounding with a mixture of worry and tenderness as he began to pepper soft kisses across her clammy forehead, whispering sweet words of encouragement into her ear in a soothing, melodic tone.
Meanwhile, Omani worked quickly yet gently, using their nimble fingers to wipe the remnants of illness from around Akari's mouth, their touch feather-light and soothing. With unwavering focus, Omani then shifted their attention to Akari's hands, tenderly massaging her fingers and palms in an attempt to ground her, to remind her that she was safe and cared for in this vulnerable moment.
"You don't have to say anything," Duri encourages her. "Just lean against me" Duri looked at Omani.
"We were thinking you could talk to someone," Omani carefully said. "someone neutral"
Akari shook her head. "Just hold me and do my hair." She snuggled into Duri's neck.
"Okay," Omani nodded, looking at Duri for encouragement. "Let's do that"