Our Little Dorm Mother

Chapter 40- I'm Sorry

Chanyeol's blood was boiling.

It was like a dark fury had possessed him when he saw what was happening at the end of the warehouse. With thundering steps and a tightly clenched fist, Chanyeol hurled himself at Ryuk, causing him to lurch backwards and away from Nami. He didn't know what came over him or, where his strength came from but, he didn't hold back. 

He couldn't. 

It was like he was consumed by an insatiable rage that fomented his being, pulsating through his body like an electric current and, the only outlet for it was for his fists to connect with Ryuk's face.

The sound of pounding flesh reverberated around the warehouse as Chanyeol pummelled Ryuk to the floor, hindering him immobile. 

Chanyeol didn't care that his hands were covered with blood or that his knuckles felt raw. He panted, grunted with effort, his chest heaving, as the fury which overwhelmed him slowly ebbed away, at the sight of an unconscious Ryuk on the floor. 

He had beaten him up to the point that his face was almost unrecognisable.

With exhaustion creeping up on him, Chanyeol straightened himself up. He breathed out as he tried to calm his seething rage down, his head still spinning from the spikes of adrenaline that was still throbbing in his bloodstream.

"It's okay, Nami-ah. You're safe now... you're safe now..."

Chanyeol looked up from where he was standing and saw D.O cradling Nami in his arms. She was sobbing, her frail arms tightly gripping his shirt as her head was buried deep in his chest. She was shaking uncontrollably.

His heart broke at the sight of her.

Nami was wearing a pink dress that had been torn at the top. He noticed how her bare legs were covered in dirt from being on the ground and that her feet were bleeding where small shards of glass had punctured her soles. Her long, raven hair looked like it had been curled into large ringlets before it had been ruined. The face, that he had grown to love, was covered in blotches as her makeup had smeared from the large tears that fell from her almond-shaped eyes. Bruises shaped like handprints covered her arms where Ryuk had tried to restrain her.

He felt like shit.

Nami had gone through the effort of dressing up for him--for their date--and tonight of all nights he had failed her. He had failed to protect her for the second time.

Slowly, he took off his jacket and bent down next to D.O and covered her with it, his eyes brimming with guilt and yearning for her to look at him. "Nami-ah..." he tried to reach out to her but she flinched away, clinging even more to D.O as she continued to sob. She refused to meet his eye.

Hurt, Chanyeol retracted his hand and slowly got up. "I'll go and call the others" his voice sounded sorrowful. D.O gave him a brief nod as he continued to hold a vulnerable Nami in his arms, gently rubbing her back as he tried to reassure her that she was safe now.

With one last look, Chanyeol turned away, his hand covering his eyes as he walked outside to make a phone call. He needed to tell Suho and the others that they had found Nami and that they needed to do something about Ryuk.

~*~

D.O watched as Chanyeol walked away, his shoulders slumping with every step he took. There was no doubt on what Chanyeol must be feeling. He had seen how beaten up he was.

D.O peered down at Nami who was still shivering despite being covered by Chanyeol's jacket. She continued to sob on his chest, her cries were quiet but nonetheless painful for him to hear. He didn't like seeing Nami this way. He didn't like that this happened to her. He didn't like that he hadn't done anything to stop it.