Scalpel [EXO Gang AU] DISCONTINUED

ix

Jongin threw open the bathroom door, his silver hair slicked back. He wore a dark green jumpsuit. The one thing that made Ji Ah laugh was the fact that he was wearing sky blue socks underneath his black combat boots.

He gave her a small smile as he tied the laces. "I'm trying to be intimidating."

She shyly nodded, turning to the bathroom door.

She threw the clothes she was wearing to the ground, and slipped into the ripped jeans and crop top sweatshirt that reached far past her wrists.

To top it all off, she tied a choker around her neck, a small silver pendant hanging round the center. It wasn't hers, but she still felt that it was familiar, maybe calming, in a way.

Her nerves had finally seemed to settle down.

Of course, the moment didn't last long. She was rudely awakened from her relaxing moment when she heard the door to their motel room open and people pile in.

She unlocked the door and slowly turned the knob, afraid of what she'd find behind the door.

Apparently, the rest of EXO had come to their room. Baekhyun and Jongdae were taking a few shots in the back, Minseok and Kris were arm wrestling, and Kyungsoo was holding a pillow above Luhan's head, poised and ready to let it fly.

Yixing was leaning against a wall, watching the whole thing go down. She stood beside him, surveying the chaos.

He looked down, noticing her... perplexed expression. She'd certainly never seen anything like this before.

"This is just what we do before we conduct gang business. We need to be in a good mindset before we do anything, and we need to represent our gang well," he explained casually, as if any of that made sense to Ji Ah.

"I take it you like to be known as unpredictable and destructive," she commented, a smirk on her face as Jongin took the alcohol away from an angry Baekhyun.

"Is it that obvious?" He chuckled.

"Yeah," she muttered, nodding her head.

"I guess, in a deeper sense, this could be the last moment we're all together, the last moment we're alive. This is our last hurrah before we do stupid and dangerous things."

Ji Ah looked up at Yixing, pity in her eyes. His jaw clenched as the silence continued. "We like to think of ourselves as a family first, then a gang."

He looked down at her, meeting her gaze.

"Then I'll do my best to keep you all alive," she promised. But when push came to shove, she was unsure if she could keep it. 

Yixing nodded, turning away. "Alright, let's go!" He shouted, stopping the commotion and herding everyone towards the door. "Luhan, you're up."

Luhan stood in the doorway. "Everyone got their code names and aliases?"

Everyone nodded in response.

"Good, I'm taking a black SUV. Follow me closely. They don't want their location compromised or entered into any Japanese GPS, as the government keeps close tabs on any weird places, so you'll just have to follow me. Remember the rule, one car in between, and if not, stay 25 yards apart at all times."

The information was immediately accepted, and they all walked out the room. Ji Ah decided to follow Kris, considering he was the tallest and easiest to spot in a crowd. He only noticed she was following him when he abruptly stopped and she walked right into him.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, hey," he replied, unfazed.

Continuing to follow him, she ended up riding with him, Kyungsoo, Minseok, and Jongin.

She silently got into the car, leaning her head on the window and saying prayers to anyone who was listening.

Minseok tapped on her shoulder. He was holding a switchblade in his hand, offering it to her. "Listen, worst case scenario, you'll need it."

She took it cautiously, carefully sliding the small weapon into her pocket.

"So, what happened while we were abroad?" Kris asked, leaning back and looking out the window.

"Oh, nothing much," she replied, then she remembered Jongdae's swollen and bruised face. "Someone from Pentagon broke into your..." She was unsure what to call their mansion. "...base and Jongdae fought them off. It's the reason he looks like he got thrown off a cliff and landed face first."

Minseok snickered at her comment. "That is definitely not something that happens every day."

"More like every 3 days," Kris mumbled from the backseat.

Minseok let out a sigh, a response to the anticlimactic conversation. This was going to be a boring three hours. It's not like he could discuss China's economically thriving black market with her.

"Anything else?" He pushed, hoping for some sort of conversation starter. It was hard to be an awkward adult and an intimidating gang member at the same time.

"Uh, no."

"H- how have you been adjusting?"

Ji Ah's heart jumped. "Oh, uh, alright I guess," she responded, closing her eyes. "I prefer not to think about it too much."

I'd really prefer not to think about it at all.

Minseok nodded, understanding. She'd been through a lot. They'd taken hostages before, or other members off the street. That was how they found Jongin. However, unlike Jongin, they normally didn't last long. And with every suicide, a wave of guilt hit him.

Kris watched as Minseok carefully draped his jacket around her, chuckling to himself.

"What?" Minseok questioned, glaring at Kris.

"You're notorious as one of the cruelest members of the gang, why are you giving her your sympathy and care?"

Minseok shrugged. "I don't know."

Kris' voice softened and his face became solemn. "Does she remind you of your sister?"

Minseok turned away. "A little bit."

Kris let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"What's there to be sorry for? She's... somewhere better now."

Kris frowned. "Don't say that. You don't have to hide your feelings around me."

Minseok rolled his eyes, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and plugging in his earbuds. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Wake me up when we get there, Kris."