Scalpel [EXO Gang AU] DISCONTINUED

xii

Yixing ran his fingers through Ji Ah's hair. She was still laying on his chest, but she had fallen asleep now. She looked so peaceful. He wanted to stay like this. Forever.

If only that was possible.

He was just beginning to doze off when he heard footsteps approach the door. He gently laid Ji Ah's head on a pillow. Yixing tensed up, preparing to grab his switchblade from the dresser. As he crept towards the door, he heard someone knock once, then twice, then 6 consecutive knocks. A wave of relief hit him, and he let out a sigh.

As cheesy as it sounded when Junmyeon first suggested it, having a secret knock had proven useful, especially in foreign places.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed and listened as someone fumbled with the lock.

Tao entered the motel room. He nonchalantly threw a duffel bag onto the ground before kicking off his boots. He threw off his jacket and nodded at Yixing as a greeting. The new bruises adorning Tao's knuckles caught Yixing's eyes, and he watched as Tao quickly shoved his hands into his pockets. 

"What happened?" Yixing asked, eyeing Tao as he sauntered off to the bathroom to clean the blood staining his hoodie.

"Nothing really. Just a spar."

"I thought you said street fighting was too easy to you."

"Well..." Tao yelled from the bathroom, trailing off. "Japan is a different place. There are new people to fight here."

Yixing chuckled and shook his head. "You're a terrible liar, Zitao."

"Listen, I just did some canvassing. That's all." Tao ran his hands through his hair. He examined his reflection in the bathroom mirror. As much as he hated to admit it, he despised the man looking back at him. He walked back towards Yixing, sitting next to him on the bed.

"What is there to canvas? We have no territory here," Yixing questioned, trying not get angry.

Tao rubbed his neck. "I- I was just trying to get some information on Bum-kun." He whispered.

"Okay," Yixing narrowed his eyes. "So why weren't you up front with me about it?"

It wasn't unusual for anyone in EXO to wander the streets in search of information. Getting opinions and rumors from the public was crucial to their success. If they just relied on the news and other mass media, they could've never crossed so many names off of their hit-list.

Tao silently gestured to Ji Ah, who was still fast asleep.

Yixing cocked his head, unsure of what Tao was trying to get across

"We can't let her know what we really do." Tao murmured. "It's better off for her if she still thinks of us as just gang members."

Yixing stared at Ji Ah, contemplating Tao's words. He was right. She would be scarred if she knew everything. It would never matter how close they got, she could never know.

"What will she gain from knowing about all the twisted things in the world?" Tao continued.

Yixing scowled and got up off the bed. He began to pace around the room, shifting his gaze from here to there. He hated it when Tao was right, and unfortunately, that was a common occurrence.

Yixing lowered his voice. "So what did you find out?"

"Nothing," Tao grimaced. "Everyone here is super secretive. Talking about politics gets you wary glances."

Yixing sighed, staring up at the ceiling. Why did everything have to be so much harder than he imagined?

He pulled out his phone and stared at the time. They had a few hours left before the delivery. It was probably best if they ate something.

"You hungry?" He questioned.

Tao's stomach was growling, but after beating a few people into pulps, his appetite had diminished. "No. You could ask Ji Ah, though."

Yixing walked over to the bedside. Ji Ah was on her side, facing away from him. When he left, it seemed she snatched another pillow to fill the gap where Yixing had been. She was hugging it tightly, which made Yixing feel a little bit guilty about having to wake her up.

He gently nudged her shoulder. She stirred, but sunk back into her pillow. He nudged her again, a little bit harder this time.

"Ji Ah," he said softly. "Do you want anything to eat?"

She awoke, slowly turning on her back and looking up at Yixing.

Yixing felt his stomach flip as she met his eyes. He had never noticed how pretty her eyes were. How the chocolate-like brown in them contrasted her smooth, pale skin and rosy cheeks.

His face flushed with pink as she continued to stare, completely innocent and unaware of what she was doing to him. He quickly turned away.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Do you want anything to eat, Ji Ah?"

She slowly sat up, looking around the room. A beam of sunlight hit her back as she arose, and she turned around to look at the small window hidden above the headboard of her bed. It was still light outside, but the orange and red tints in the sky suggested the quick approach of sundown.

"Yakitori," she responded, still gazing around the room. She wasn't particularly hungry, but the daunting mission ahead scared her enough to make her crave her comfort food. "Is that possible?"

"Oh, yeah. For sure."

"Okay, thank you."

Ji Ah laid back down and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Yixing could wake her up when he had the yakitori.

And that's what he did. When Tao returned with their meals, he woke her up and let her eat it under the safety of the motel blankets. Neither he nor Tao said a word as she hurriedly devoured her meal.

"Thank you," she panted, lying back down once more.

Tao and Yixing glanced at one another, unsure of what to do. The delivery was in a few hours, and if she was still this fatigued, it would be hard to complete it successfully. They sighed and let her sleep, although drinking wasn't as fun when they had to try to be quiet.

About an hour before the delivery, Ji Ah naturally woke up. She got out of bed and let out a long yawn. She stretched her arms and legs before waving at Tao and Yixing, who watched as she arose. 

She was about to go grab a drink of water before she spotted the bruises and cuts on Tao's knuckles. She sighed and walked over to where he and Yixing were sitting. They were on the dirty hotel floor, their backs up against the wall. Yixing was on his phone, while Tao was staring at the ceiling in silence.

Ji Ah grabbed Tao's hand, making him flinch. His cheeks flushed as she looked closer at his knuckles, bringing his hand closer to her face.

"Ji Ah," Yixing said, looking at her with a bewildered expression. "What are you doing?"

She ignored his question. "Yixing, my first aid kit is in the front pocket of my suitcase. Bring it to me."

"Oh, sure," he replied, standing up and walking over to her suitcase. He rummaged through it before pulling out the first aid kit. He lightly tossed it to Ji Ah, who caught it with her other hand.

"Thank you."

She opened up the kit, first grabbing disinfectant. She poured a small amount onto a cotton ball, and then lightly pressed it against Tao's knuckles. He let out a wince as the liquid met open wounds.

"You don't have to do this, you know," he mumbled as she continued to clean his hands. He hung his head low. He didn't know how to thank her, or how to tell her that regardless of what she did, those cuts would scar. They'd remain tick marks on his hands. A constant reminder of who he was.

Ji Ah took her eyes off of his knuckles, and instead met his eyes. "The agreement was that EXO would let me live in exchange for my medical help," she said, squaring her shoulders and sitting up straight. "I do have to do this. It's what I signed up for."

Tao awkwardly looked away, letting out a sigh. Neither he nor Yixing said another word.