Guts (EXO)

When It's Just Too Late

That blade ain’t gonna clean itself, kid.”

Baekhyun’s empty gaze flickered up to the gang member sitting across from him. He was stacking dozens of rifles into a box and carrying it to the other side of the city hall’s lobby.

Baekhyun’s eyes darted back down to the knife in his hand, blade caked with dried blood. Right. He was supposed to clean the weapons. Without a word, he took a cloth from the table in front of him and started wiping the knife.

“You’ve been out of it since last night’s attack,” the gang member said, walking over to him as he chuckled. “Got too scared ya’ lost ya’ voice?”

Baekhyun scoffed, shaking his head and setting down the knife. “No,” he deadpanned. “I’m just tired. That’s all.”

“Ya’ gotta get used to it, then,” he said. “You’ll be tired everyday from now on.”

The thug turned on his heels and walked towards the hallway, passing Jiyong’s other henchmen who were busy unloading weapons and bringing them inside the vicinity. They haven’t got an ounce of sleep since yesterday, though Baekhyun knew he wouldn’t be able to even if he tried. There was no time for it.

Baekhyun was about to go back to his polishing when TOP appeared from the main entrance, his white dress shirt rolled up to his sleeves, revealing his bloody hand. His other fine arm was slightly hidden behind his back, and he was slightly staggering to get inside.

“Where have you been?” Baekhyun asked from the living area, standing to his feet. “We’ve been looking all over for you since last night. What happened?”

“Doesn’t matter now that I’m here,” TOP mumbled, walking past him and about to leave the lobby when Baekhyun suddenly called after him to stop.

Baekhyun bit his lower lip, slightly regretting what he did. It was a bad idea to ask, but he just couldn’t help himself or his curiosity. He just had to know.

“Back there at the rooftop,” he started slowly. “How did it turn out? Did you…” he trailed off, unsure if he should continue what he was about to ask. “Did you kill D.O?”

For a moment, TOP did nothing but stare at him, face completely void of emotion. Baekhyun thought he would use his power on him and was about to turn away when he finally spoke.

“No. I didn’t,” TOP said, and the breath Baekhyun didn’t know he was holding finally released.

“O-Oh.”

“But,” he continued, “I did something even better.”

Baekhyun’s brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding what he meant by that. Without a word, TOP proceeded to walk back inside again, but not before tossing something towards Baekhyun.

Baekhyun squinted his eyes as the object rolled in front of him. He blinked a couple of times before his mind finally registered what it was, making him curse loudly while backing away from it.

It was a hand; a human hand that’s been dirtied by dust and dried blood, but that wasn’t why he was so freaked out.

On its index finger, there was a ring with the Earth symbol laced around it, making Baekhyun realize as to what it meant and whom the hand belonged to.

---

Hyerin woke up abruptly bolting up from the bed, gasping loudly as if trying to desperately suck air into her lungs. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face as she looked around frantically.

Her mind couldn’t register her surroundings. Everything was just blank until a spark of recollection hit her so hard it all came to her at once. It felt like a big heavy stone was dropped onto her shoulders; it gave off a heavy, helpless feeling that she couldn’t lift no matter how hard she tried.