As Akari walked into Dr. Nel's office, her usual confident demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Her shoulders slumped, and she fell onto the chaise couch with a heavy sigh, clearly drained of energy. The contrast between her current slouched posture and the prim, proper pastel suit she wore was jarring.
It was as if the confident, put-together persona she normally projected had been stripped away, leaving a weary, disengaged version in its place. Dr. Nel instantly noticed the change, sensing that the self-assured core of Akari's being was still there, but buried under a veil of exhaustion and disinterest.
"Where's that confidence?" Dr Nel teased.
"I told you, it was just some makeup and clothes" Akari looked at her.
"How are you feeling today?" Dr Nel approached this weird, tired Akari with caution.
"What did I tell you about those types of questions?" Akari gave Dr Nel a bored look.
"Okay" Dr Nel relaxed her chair and looked directly at her. "You are bored and dissociating. Why?" she said after clearing her throat.
Akari laid there for a moment, thinking about the past week, she rapidly sat up. "Home has never been a place I found peace in." She explained with her hands. "It was either too quiet or too…" Akari stopped again, pushing the memory away.
"Loud" Dr Nel continued Akari's thought, watching get lost in her memories.
"Well, yes," Akari nodded.
"And now?" Dr Nel urged her to speak further.
"Now it feels like home, but it's not and my body wants to leave." Akari began to rub her hands. "And I can't," she looked out of the window, into the peaceful garden. "If my safety is based on Vinny's life, why wait? Why not go out and get him"
Dr Nel intertwined her fingers. "What if I tell you that you won't be able to?" She said with a stern face.
"What do you mean?" Akari couldn't comprehend that thought.
"Akari, you have been through a horrible situation," Dr Nel began to explain. "and seeing the person who caused such hurt, you might freeze," she nodded at Akari.
Akari scoffed, crossing her arms and legs, leaning back in her seat. "I highly doubt that," she chuckled. "Highly"
….
Duri and Omani stood in the kitchen, watching Akari lying across the couch, her eyes fixated on the television but her mind clearly elsewhere. They both sensed that something was off about her behavior, a noticeable change from her progress towards her usual vibrant, engaged self.
Over the past week, Duri and Omani had observed Akari become increasingly sluggish and withdrawn, often retreating to quiet corners of the house where she could be alone. This new solitary tendency worried them, as they would sometimes struggle to locate her when she disappeared from view.
In a desperate attempt to lift her spirits, they had tried taking Akari to the private gym in their apartment building, or inviting her to join them for a swim in the rooftop pool. But rather than participating, she would simply sit listlessly on the pool benches, or flat out refuse to leave the apartment at all.
Duri and Omani were at a loss, unsure of how to help Akari, who seemed to be slipping further and further back into a troubling state. The answer to Akari's problems was right in front of them, but they were hesitant to pursue it, fearful of the risks involved.
Omani couldn't take it anymore. He slowly put down his matcha tea, which made Duri look at him. "I know this is not something you want to acknowledge, but…" he stopped, looking at his lover. "She needs to get out," he said, cautiously.
Duri began to shake his head. "No," he said firmly, not even trying to think about it.
Omani turned fully to face him. "Whether you like it or not, Akari is not a patient type," he tried to reason with Duri. "She can't stay locked up, waiting for-"
Duri cut Omani off. "A man who tortured her" he let the words hang in the air for a moment. "You want us to take her out there and basically dangle her in front of him, tempting him," he explained with his hands. "Have you lost your mind?"
"No," Omani's eyes were cold. "But the last time I saw her this…distant was after that torment," he saw Duri realizing that fact. "I can't watch her shrink into herself again, Duri" Omani's voice was so fragile when he said those words. "She was making so much progress"
Duri's gaze was drawn once more to Akari, whose posture had shifted dramatically since their conversation had begun. Where she had previously been engaged, eyes fixed on the television screen, Akari had now completely withdrawn, turning her back to the flickering images and wrapping her arms tightly around herself. The motion was almost involuntary, a subconscious attempt to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible, as if she could somehow disappear into the fabric of the couch cushions.
Duri watched, concerned etching across his features. He had a decision to make. "Okay," he said hesitantly, watching the light flicker through Omani's eyes. "But" the light dimmed. "Under my condition," he said firmly.
Omani gave Duri a deep peck on his lips. "Of course," he sighed in relief.
….
"I don't know why I need to get dressed for dinner?" Akari stepped out wearing a lovely lavender tweed vest dress paired with a loose blouse underneath.
Duri and Omani, who were waiting anxiously for her, stopped their fidgeting to stare at her. "I can't get over how beautiful you look in anything," Duri gushed over the way Akari's curves fit her body.
Akari's cheeks flushed at his words, but she brushed it off. "Please don't," she dismissed his words. "Why am I getting dressed?"
Omani and Duri exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes meeting in a moment of silent understanding as they noticed Akari dismissing their earlier compliment with a casual wave of her hand. Sensing her subtle discomfort, the two men slowly approached her, their movements deliberate and cautious.
Omani reached out, gently taking Akari's hand in his own and raising it to his lips, placing a tender kiss upon her fingertips. Meanwhile, Duri stepped closer, wrapping his muscular arms around Akari's waist and pulling her in against his chest, the warmth of his embrace enveloping her.
Yet as the men drew nearer, a moment of hesitation passed between them, a fleeting shadow of doubt crossing their features as they remembered the trauma Akari had endured. This fragile, guarded woman stood before them, her past pains still lingering like scars upon her soul.
But to their surprise, Akari did not flinch or pull away - instead, she found herself leaning into their touch, a strange sense of longing and comfort washing over her. The whole encounter had taken her off guard, yet Akari found herself craving more of this gentle, almost reverent attention from the two men.
Duri deeply into Akari's eyes. "Again, I can't get over how beautiful you look in anything," he told her, affirming any doubt in her mind.
Omani pulled Akari's hand away from his lips. "You have no idea how we see you, and I don't think you ever will, but every word is true." he leaned forward, caressing her cheek.
"Understand?" Duri's deep voice sounded behind her, which made Akari nod, her face as hot as ever. "Good"
"Now, we have a surprise for you" Omani took Akari's hand and leaned her out of the room.
….
Akari stepped into the dimly lit art gallery, her eyes immediately drawn to a picnic basket nestled in the center of the room, bathed in the soft glow of a starry night scene projected onto the surrounding walls. The sight caused her breath to catch in her throat as a wave of emotion washed over her. She hadn't been expecting this thoughtful gesture - something so simple, yet so profoundly meaningful, had caught her completely off guard.
Tears silently started streaming down her cheeks as she realized the significance of this scene. It was her favorite setting, the one she had always longed to experience, and now Duri and Omani had brought it to life before her very eyes. The fact that Duri and Omani had gone to such lengths to create this magical moment for her, when thoughtfulness and consideration had so rarely been extended to her in her life, almost overwhelmed her.
As Duri and Omani reached out to comfort her, Akari initially brushed off their touches, overwhelmed by the intensity of her reaction. But then she let out a small, disbelieving laugh through her tears.
"All this for me?" she looked between the two men.
Duri began to wipe her tears while Omani rubbed her back. "It seems like everything we do now is for you," Duri said honestly.
Akari was completely caught off guard by those unexpected words, causing her to feel a rush of emotions. At that moment, she found herself at a loss for words. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around both of them, holding them close in a warm embrace.