The Aged | Gyuhao (Sequel to Youth)

- 44

| Chapter Forty - Four — SURPRISE |
| gore warning |

Mingyu was screaming in pain.

It was so loud his voice echoed off the walls.

It started right when they arrived at headquarters, Mingyu wailing in agony, shouting that his abdomen felt like it was on fire and to 'Fucking get it out! Get it out!'

"Fuck, what's hurting you so bad?" Joshua curses, dragging Mingyu inside. They make it to the kitchen soon enough, finding it to be the closest room they could find, "Clear it off, clear it off," He tells everyone.

The island in the kitchen is swept at the surface, potatoes and seasonings falling to the floor. They pay no mind to the chef's anger.

"Lay him flat," Jihoon says.

And they do. Mingyu's sprawled out on the kitchen island, Seungcheol and the others screaming for the kitchen people to leave and give them some space.

"Shit, he's bleeding out," Hansol hisses.

"We gotta apply pressure," Joshua tells him, flattening his hands against Mingyu's wound and pressing down as hard as he can.

Mingyu jolts, a vein popping in his neck as he screams even louder than before, "No! No!" He groans, pushing Joshua's hands off.

"Is there something in there?" Wonwoo asks from afar, biting his nails nervously.

Joshua furrows his brows, pulling back Mingyu's shirt. His face sours at the intensity of the wound, "Damn, he got you good, bud," Joshua chuckles to lighten the mood. Mingyu merely sobs, "It's gonna be alright,"

"Hey, you 3, out," Sunoo ushers for the Cerise members to leave. They were a bit too young to witness something as gory as this. With a combination of Eunchae's crying, Riki's paleness, and Jungwon's trembling, he knew.

"I think there's something inside of him," Joshua swallows, looking over at Wonwoo, "You might be right,"

"We gotta get it out. It could dissolve inside his bloodstream," Jihoon says.

"Fuck," A bead of sweat rolls down Joshua's forehead. He looks at Mingyu in sorrow, leaving his side for only a moment, coming back in another, "You might wanna bite down on this," He slides a wooden spoon between Mingyu's teeth, watching the boy cripple in fear.

Seungcheol pales, "Shua, are you—"

"Yeah," Joshua bites his lip. He doesn't wanna do this either, "We gotta get it out," He shivers, staring down at Mingyu's wound as he pops his knuckles, "Hold him down,"

"Jesus Christ," Jihoon puts his hands on his hips, pacing back and forth.

Listening, Hansol holds down the right side of Mingyu's body, whilst Seungcheol comes up to the left.

Sunoo had made his way back inside the room, hands covering his mouth in shock and disgust of the situation. He stood by Wonwoo, who did the exact same.

"On 3," Joshua tells Mingyu.

"Squeeze my hand tight if you need a break," Seungcheol says, taking Mingyu's weakened palm in his own. Through tears, Mingyu nods in understanding.

"1,"

"Oh god," Sunoo gags, having to leave again.

"2,"

"I can't watch this," Wonwoo shakes his head, turning around to face the cabinets.

"3,"

Joshua dives in, puncturing Mingyu's wound as he quite literally digs around inside of it in search of whatever was inside of him.

Mingyu screams almost immediately at the action, as one would when they're getting their guts swirled around.

There's blood everywhere. It stains Joshua's fingers, and squirts up to paint Seungcheol's face.

"Shua..." Seungcheol says in warning.

"Hurry up and find it!" Jihoon screams.

"I'm trying!" Joshua shouts back, Mingyu's agony raising in volume. He tries not to throw up as his fingers leave imprints inside Mingyu's body as he digs around. The blood almost flies up and stains his eyes.

"The blood!" Wonwoo's in shock, "Hyung, hurry up! There's so much—"

"Shut up! Everyone shut up!" Joshua gasps when his fingers hit something weird.

"What is it?" Seungcheol asks over the muffled screaming, Mingyu biting down so hard on the wooden spoon it almost breaks, "Shua?"

"I don't know," Joshua responds in worry, hissing as he digs around more. He's gotten used to the screaming, as dark as it sounds, "There's something in there. It's sharp,"

"Sharp?!" Jihoon coughs, "Oh, hell no,"

"Jesus Christ, what the hell did he put in him?!" Wonwoo yells.

"Shut up!" Joshua says again, "I've almost got it!" He says, looking down at Mingyu, "You're gonna be fine, okay? I'm almost done. It's almost over, I promise,"

Mingyu hasn't squeezed Seungcheol's hand yet. And that alone is fucking insane. Mingyu was the strongest person they all had ever known. They honestly shouldn't be surprised with his incapability of stopping.

"Fuck—" It feels like a miracle when Joshua finally pulls the object out.

Mingyu slumps against the island in exhaustion, chest heaving up and down as he melts into the wood like paint.

"What is it?" Wonwoo walks closer, Jihoon trailing close behind.

Joshua takes a rag from the far end of the island, wiping the thing down, ridding it from the access blood coating it's surface.

Joshua swallows.

"It's a USB,"

Mingyu, through his hazy state, makes a connection with past events as soon as the words leave Joshua's mouth.

"Something's wrong," Mingyu says, eyes still glaring at that stupid rose on Minghao's throat, "You wouldn't do this— You'd never." He shakes his head maniacally, "What the hell did they do to you?"

Mingyu feels victory when he just but barely catches Minghao's eyes flash in panic.

But, his mask is back on in seconds, "This is me, Kim Mingyu. The real Minghao. I'm so sorry you can't accept me," He rolls his eyes, and he slaps a hand to Mingyu's mouth to mute his cries as he presses on his stab wound harshly, the blood gushing.

Mingyu coughs when Minghao finally stops.

Minghao hadn't done that for fun.

He had purposely stuffed a USB inside of Mingyu's body, wanting him to find it, needing him to.

It was only a matter of what was inside that determined the reason why.