+ thirty one

It was still dark outside as the two boys made their way across the street, having left the dorm buildings through a side door that connected with an alley. Chanyeol got his key to the apartments out and opened the front door that went into the lobby. The two then took the elevator to the fifth floor where Narda lived with Nari. When they arrived at her door, Chanyeol knocked and she opened it after a moment. 

As soon as she opened the door, Chanyeol blurted out an apology. "He caught me sneaking back into the dorms with my disguise and he wanted to come along." But the look in his eyes was practically begging her, please tell him to go away.

But Narda took one look at them and was unimpressed by their attire. They wore dark sweatshirts for the light morning chill, skinny jeans, black caps, and black masks. The usual things they wore when they didn't have schedules and they didn't want to be noticed. But almost every time they were noticed by the media. The last thing Narda wanted was for anyone to find out why they were really in Busan. Her hands reached out for them, pulling the two boys into the apartment. She made them stand in the middle of the living room and walked around them, her mind drawing up ideas as to how she could make them go more unnoticed.

She hurried to her bedroom and opened her closet, sifting through her sweaters and jackets until she found the ones she was looking for. She then returned to the living room with two jackets slung over her arm. Narda tossed one at Chanyeol, and one at Baekhyun.

"These jackets belong to my dad and my brother." She said to them. One of them was black and the other was white. But both had one thing in common--they both had the name Mexico written out in big red, white, and green letters. They also had a little Mexico flag on the top side of the back. "Put those on and I swear no one will even suspect that you two are EXO members. They'll think we're all Mexican tourists. Just wear some sunglasses too, but no masks." She warned them. Wearing masks to cover their nose and mouth was an Asian thing, certainly not something that people in Mexico did.

The two boys did as they were told and Narda nodded, satisfied with the changes she made to their outfits. She then handed them backpacks for their clothes instead of luggage, and the three called a cab that would get them to the train station. 

The train ride there only lasted a few hours and when they arrived, they checked into the same hotel Chanyeol and Narda stayed in when they went to the Mariachi festival several weeks back. Just being in the same town again brought the memories--the ones she could remember at least--pouring back into her mind. She walked into the room slowly and gulped back, getting lost in her thoughts. Chanyeol walked in behind her, setting their bags on the side by the door, and last was Baekhyun. At least--Chanyeol thought--she had been right about their outfits.

That one simple change made them almost invisible, no one even looked twice at them.

Baekhyun walked up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and for the first time in a while, she didn't run away or flinch away from his touch. But he knew it had nothing to do with her forgiving him or anything. It was her reverting to a child-like state, like the time they found her on the beach. The trauma was far too heavy for her to even think about the other problems in her life, including being mad at Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol noticed this and was struck with pangs of jealousy. How she was so comfortable with Baekhyun, and it also caused a prick in his chest because it showed him who she truly wanted to be with. In her time of need, she was looking to Baekhyun for comfort. He walked over to her and took her hands in his, pulling her into his arms gently for a hug. She absently settled into his arms and as she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her forehead, she snapped back into reality for a moment. Her arms wrapped around him as well and gripped the material of his jacket desperately. 

She almost wanted to turn and run back to Seoul. She didn't want to be in Busan, and she didn't want to face the person who had attacked her on the beach. 

"Are you ready to go?" Chanyeol asked her so gently, as though he thought she might break. 

But that was how she looked to him. She was so small, and so fragile, and right then she looked like she just might break out in tears if he worded things wrong. He also thought she just might break at his touch. Baekhyun just stood off to the side awkwardly for a moment. He wanted so badly to hold her too, to reassure her that everything would be okay. He would never let anything like that happen to her again.

It just wasn't his place to do so. Chanyeol was her boyfriend, not him.

A tiny section of his brain though, the part that still kept hope that Narda would come back to him in the end, told him to believe that she would seek his arms soon. Just like she did when they found her on the beach. She had been so scared and so helpless that all she could think to do was find refuge in the one person she truly loved.

She nodded her head slowly when she pulled away from Chanyeol and she was composed enough to walk out into the hotel lobby without clinging to either of them like a terrified child. Even when they climbed into the taxi she was composed. But as they arrived at the police station, her breath caught in her throat and her hand reached for one of the two boys in the car. Her hand desperately gripping his as though she would get lost if she didn't.

The problem was it wasn't her boyfriend's hand she had taken.

-

They waited in the lobby area for about a half hour after checking in and finally, the officer who had interviewed her a few weeks back was the one who came out to find them. Her voice was still gentle as the wind and compassionate. Even so, it didn't make Narda feel any better about her situation. The woman officer began to explain slowly, taking no rush in her words, even as officers rushed around behind the counter left and right. "We're going to take you to the back so you can see a line up, and maybe you can tell us if you recognize anyone. We have some security footage from hotels on the strip, but we want to see if you remember anything."

Narda gulped nervously and the woman outstretched her hand for Narda to take. Narda looked at it, but was reluctant to go in there alone. Before taking her hand, she looked to Baekhyun, and then Chanyeol. Knowing what she wanted, the officer offered her a choice. "You can take one person with you. The other has to stay here in the lobby."

Narda licked her dry lips, being torn as to who she would pick. 

"Why can't they both go with me?" She wondered in a slight whine. She felt selfish for the second time when she wanted both of them by her side. But she felt even worse when the thought popped into her mind that if they really had made her choose right then and there, the person she would rather leave behind was Chanyeol.

The woman officer heaved a sigh, but gave in. Something about Narda Gutierrez tugged at her heart strings. Maybe it was the fact that she was foreign. Or maybe it was the fact that she looked so utterly terrified. "Normally we only allow one person to go with the victim, but screw the rules today. Follow me." She gestured for them to follow her behind the counter and to another room where they had their line up.

They went into a room with a glass window and the woman turned to Narda. "Do you remember anything else from that night?" She asked her.

Narda gave a shake of her head.

"All I remember was walking back to my hotel when I started feeling dizzy." She explained. "Suddenly, everything went black and when I woke up, I was on the beach the next morning."

The officer nodded slowly and the unclipped her radio from her belt. She clicked on one of the buttons and ordered, "Bring them in."

A line of people with similar characteristics and features were lined up in the room. He looked a bit different, not wearing swim trunks, but Narda recognized him instantly. Her breath caught in her throat as she pointed him out. "That was the guy who saw me on the beach by myself and invited me to the party." She said, her eyes brimming with hot tears.

"Hm." The officer nodded. Then she brought her radio back up to her lips. "Number three." She said.

At that, the other suspects were taken out of the room.

Narda remembered him looking more friendly and cool when she had been at the party. The officer then began to explain, "Its become a common practice between attackers nowadays. They'll organize these big parties with free alcohol, music, and food. They'll invite young girls who they think will be easy targets, and then they'll drug them, and have their way with them. That week that you came in, we had two more girls come in, telling the same story. Then we looked at the security cameras on the strip of hotels, and we saw you in the footage." Narda didn't think that the same thing had happened to other people. And that wasn't counting the ones who probably didn't go to the police.

At least Narda had the support of Baekhyun and Chanyeol, who had convinced her to go.

The officer continued, "You were walking to your hotel and then started stumbling. This guy," She pointed to the man still on the other side of the window, "was following you. When he noticed the drug had taken effect, he hurried up to you and grabbed you--"

The tears were now streaming down Narda's face and she hid herself in Baekhyun's arms.

The EXO member understood that the officer was trying to help and explain what happened, but still, he couldn't help but glare at her. "Okay, that's enough." He said firmly, hiding Narda away in his arms.

"We will need her to formally press charges and then there will be short trial, which will mostly consist of a sentencing since we know he's guilty and there is concrete proof." The officer said to them.

She gestured for them to follow her again, at the same time instructing through her radio for them to lock up the suspect. As they left the room, he was being taken out of the other room as well. A horrible grin plastered across his lips as he recognized Narda after weeks. His words were teasing and sent a chill down Narda's spine. 

"What's the matter?" He asked her, "Why are you here all by yourself?"

Narda tried to hide herself deeper in Baekhyun's arms, shivering with fear.

The young man from the beach continued talking. "You were so stupid to trust me. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to talk to strangers?" Talking to Baekhyun and Chanyeol this time, he finished with, "That's what happens when you leave a pretty girl alone. Someone else comes along and has fun with her. You know what? My friends had fun with her too--"

The exact same words he said to her when he saw her on the beach. Without even so much as a warning, Chanyeol stepped in front of Narda and Baekhyun, shielding her from view. 

"She's not alone, asshole." He said through gritted teeth, his hand balled into a fist as he threw a punch that collided with the attacker's jaw. The woman officer who had been with him had to pull him back to subdue him, and two other officers took the attacker out of the way. 

"Good job, Chanyeol." Baekhyun congratulated his room mate. "I would have done the same thing."

He really would have, if he hadn't been holding Narda.

She was the only thing stopping him from chasing after them and punching that guy in the face himself. And that was the least he wanted to do. But if he really did what he wanted to do, then he would be put in jail, possibly for murder.

It took another few minutes for Narda to give her statement, pressing charges against him.

When everything was over for the day, she was allowed to go back to the hotel. They had been scheduled to go into a small court the next morning for the hearing. The officer assured her that it was not necessary for her to attend if she didn't want to, since they had video evidence that he was guilty and would most likely be sent to prison.

But Narda just wanted to put everything behind her.

She didn't want to see or hear of Busan in a long time.

-

just a quick update for this story before the mexico game starts. it should be starting in about an hour. i want to write one more update tonight and then maybe one or two tomorrow. as it gets to the end, its just going to get more dramatic.

also, i understad that this topic is very serious and i am in no way trying to make light of it. if you or anyone you know is being abused in anyway, talk to someone. maybe you think that no one can help you, but there is always someone willing to help. i have a cousin whose husband verbally abuses her all the time.

and he doesn't let her see anyone but her family basically. i have tried so many times to help her, but her parents even take his side.

even though i haven't been much help, at least i have tried because i love her.

-clary