Chapter 12
Case EXOTIC
A/N Enjoy:)
Taeyeon’s POV
“Where are you?” I asked over the phone as I headed out of Soohyun’s room.
“I’m in the car park. Come out.”
“Ok.” I closed the phone and I quickly headed towards the elevator. On the way, I met a few familiar faces whom I quickly acknowledged and left.
As I stepped out of the hospital, the chilling night wind struck my face. Quickly, I ran towards the car and without even glancing at the car plate, I immediately yanked the car door open and I hopped inside.
“Whoa that was cold….” I hugged myself as Baekhyun yanked up the air con.
“ Your black soya milk with two sugar cubes,” Baekhyun handed me my favorite drink.
I didn’t take much notice of how our hands lingered a little too long as he passed the warm paper cup into my hands.
Nor, did I want to acknowledge that fuzziness inside of me whenever Baekhyun was near.
I'm not supposed to.
Him being part of my life was more than enough.
“Thanks Baek,” I smiled as I immediately downed the rich, steaming soy milk.
He watched me drink quietly with a smile on his face.
“I’ll drive you home now,” Baekhyun told me as he turned around and began igniting the engine.
“No, wait. I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here with Soohyun,” I immediately felt guilty after saying the words.
Baekhyun looked so tired.
It was late into the night and he probably just finished his work. And now, he came all the way to the hospital to drive me home yet I didn't want to go.
Baekhyun exhaled, “Taeyeon, everyone in the hospital will take good care of Soohyun. You don’t need to worry about it.”
I squeezed the paper cup in my hands so tightly that the heat burned my hands.
“But.....I want to stay.”
“You’ve been up all night and day. I think it’ll be best if you get some sleep. Afterwards you can always come to the hospital,” Baekhyun spoke in his usual soft and gentle tone.
I remained silent as I stared down at my paper cup. I watched the steam slowly swirl out from the cap and disappear into the air.
Baekhyun sighed loudly. “I’m taking it that you won’t leave no matter what.”
“I’m sorry Baek.”
He ran his fingers through his head. “Taeyeon, you need to learn to take care of yourself. There are things which you don’t need to waste your energy on.”
I reached for his arm, resting my hands on it.
“Baekhyun, I know that I may not be close with Soohyun. In fact, I don’t know her at all. But there’s this connection I feel towards her. It might sound weird, but I see myself in her.”
His gaze gently fell upon me.
“I..I see the old me in her; the girl that I was before I came into EXO.”
Baekhyun didn’t speak as he listened to me patiently.
“And no matter what choice Soohyun makes now, we all know that she won’t be able to get rid of Talons, or EXO. The day she decided to take on the job, she had mindlessly gotten herself tangled in this cruel and violent world. And when the day comes, I don’t want her to face the world out there alone.”
I felt Baekhyun’s gentle hands reach towards my face. His long fingers softly brushed my cheeks as he tucked the strands of loose hair on my face.
“ I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you earlier....” Baekhyun apologized.
I shook my head, “the important part was that you were there.”
Baekhyun retrieved his hands that I wished would stay longer.
“Don’t worry Taeyeon, Soohyun will be fine. She has you.”
I smiled, “gomawo, Baek. And also, sleep tight.”
As I entered Soohyun’s room again, a familiar figure was exiting.
"Oh, Sehun. Why are you here?”
“Water boy. Night noona,” Sehun replied while pushing past me.
“Yah, is that how you speak to your noona? I swear, you and Kai need to learn some manners,” I tried to keep down my voice as I scolded Sehun who was already half way down the corridor.
Sehun laughed.
No One’s POV
Sehun laughed as he could literally feel his noona’s glares piercing his back.
As he turned the corner, he decided to pay a little visit to Soohyun’s doctor.
He knocked on the counter.
The young nurses behind immediately froze after seeing his face.
“Sehun-nim, is there anything we could assist you with?” the nurses stuttered.
“Go transfer a message to the doctor of Soohyun that……”
“Bwo?! You think I have brain damage?!” Soohyun screamed at the doctor and the many nurses behind him. It was early in the morning and her eyes were wide with bewilderment and anger.
“ No, no, no, we do not know for sure. That’s why we need to chec-“ The doctor desperately tried to come down this V.I.P patient before him.
The young nurses all back away from this exploding patient before them.
From the looks of it, she did looked quite crazy.
“So you do think I have brain damage! How the hell do you assume that I have brain damage?” Soohyun shoved her head towards the doctor, “Look at it. Look at my damn head. Does it look like it’s cracked? Is there a fricken stick coming out of it? No . Because it’s a goddam normal head!”
Quietly, unseen, Kai made his way to Taeyeon unnie who stood completely frozen in the back of the room. Soohyun’s screaming had woken her up and she was still half asleep as she took in the chaos before her.
“What’s happening?” Kai asked.
Taeyeon shook her head.
“Y-y-yes I c-can see that but there had been a reliable source requiring a brain examintation for you,” the doctor continued.
Soohyun crossed her arms angrily, “oh yeah, so what did that “reliable” source tell you?”
The doctor struggled to speak. “He..he said that….th-at… you attempted to dive into the ground from your bed,” the doctor spoke in a whispher.
Some snickering could be heard from the nurses hiding behind.
“Said what?” Soohyun asked in disbelief. She clearly heard the words of the doctor but she just couldn’t believe it.
“He said th-that you p-pretended to d-dive,” the P.D pretended to dive in live action to explain the words, “ into the ground”, he then pointed at the ground.
Soohyun stared at the P.D, eyes widening at the moment.
The doctor, thinking that his patient had still not understood, attempted to explain once more.
“dive” he started to motion the movement of ‘diving’ and “into the ground”, he stomped on the floor once more.
“For goddamn sakes I know what diving into the ground means!” Soohyun exploded.
“Who the hell told you that I was diving into the ground?” Soohyun yanked the P.D’s white coat, pulling him closer to her.
“I—I—I- can't tell...” The doctor dropped his pen and clip board in shock.
Soohyun glared into the doctor’s eyes for a brief second and then it clicked.
“Wait…you said he” Soohyun carefully watched the doctor’s expression.
His eyes flickered to the right, and then the left, anywhere except at Soohyun.
Who the hell would have the power to order a check up on her?
Who would hate her so much to do so?
“Oh sehun….” Soohyun muttered under her breath.
The doctor frantically shook his head, “No...no..no..no.. it’s not Sehun-nim. It’s definitely not Sehun-nim.”
Kai finally erupted in laughter. He tried to hold it in but this scene was way too much for him.
Soohyun, surpisingly collected said in a dead monotone, “Kai oppa, would you mind putting Sehun on the line?”
“ My pleasure,” Kai answered as he dialled Sehun's number and changed the setting to speaker.
The call had begun, and the beeping sound will come to a stop eventually.
The doctor panicked. His hands were trembling as he tried to deny Soohyun’s words, “I’m telling you it’s not him...you got it wrong...it's not Sehun-nim.”
Soohyun shot him a deadly glare which made him completely shut up.
The beeping suddenly ended.
Soohyun cleared .
“....what do you want Kai?” Sehun’s arrogant voice flowed out of the speaker.
........
“OHH SEEHUNNN YOU FRICKEN JERK! ONE DAY I'LL MAKE THESE STUPID DOCTOR AND NURSES CRACK THAT GODDAM DAMANGED HEAD OF YOURs OPEN TO CHECK FOR THE DEFECTED PARTS. AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WILL FIND? THEY’LL FIND THAT YOUR ENTIRE GODDAMN HEAD AND EXISTANCE IS DAMAGED. I SWEAR THAT THE NEXT TIME I MEET U ILL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU INSOLENT SWINE! AND YOU WILL BE CRYING ON YOUR GODDAMN KNEES DO YOU HEAR ME?”
Kai’s uncontrollable laughter filled the rest of the call while Taeyeon tried to calm down the frightened doctor and nurses.
“Insolent swine!” Kai dropped onto the floor in a fit of laughter.
Soohyun’s POV
Later in the day, after the hectic and frustration morning had finally passed away, Suho came to visit which meant it was time to decide my next move.
The whole morning, Kai had been congratualting my bravery for going up against the egoistic and mighty Sehun. But for some reason, I didn't feel like I did anything that amazing...more so, I had this unease in me as I realised that I might've gotten myself into a very, very messy business.
I had also been told by Taeyeon unnie that perhaps I went overboard on the staff here. They were actually the ones having a tough time. On one side was the consequence of disobeying a direct order from an EXO leader and the other was to face the consequence of upsetting a VIP patient which apparently was me.
Now that I think about it, I felt a small pang of guilt. But for a seventeen year old girl, I can only hold in my moods as well as I can with a sneeze. And that’s, impossible.
As Suho entered my room, the nurse who was just finishing my afternoon check-up, immediately scattered away after giving Suho a small bow of acknowledgment.
Like the previous times, Suho was neatly dressed in a suit as he pulled a chair to sit next to my bed.
“Soohyun-shi, how is your recovery coming along? I heard you had a conflict with the doctor this morning. Was there anything that bothered you?” Suho asked me genuinely.
“Soohyun is fine.My recovery is good and thank you for everything,” I thanked him.
He smiled, “that’s great then.” He did not persist to ask anymore about this morning which I was glad. I didn't seem like he knew about the phone call....or maybe he did?
“I suppose there is more to your visit? Am I right Suho-shi?” I went straight to the point.
Suho leaned forward towards me as he spoke, “I like your straightforwardness. And yes, I’m here to talk about your next move, or more specifically, our next move.”
“I can’t pretend that nothing has happened anymore can I,” I asked Suho even though I knew the answer that he would give me. These long hours stuck in the hospital bed had given more than enough time to evaluate my given situation.
And I don’t know if I will actually like the answer he would give me.
Suho sighed, “No, I’m sorry but there is no way for you to untangle yourself from us, or from the man who captured you. You are stuck here Soohyun. But I believe for a girl like you, you had previously considered the consequences before connecting yourself to us.”
I inhaled deeply, “Yes, I’ve thought of the consequences. And I would like to sincerely thank you for everything you’ve done for me; for offering me protection, saving me, and now this. You could have easily gotten rid of me yet you did not. Why would you take the risk to protect a girl like me?”
Suho took a moment to reply. “Soohyun, you are a very clever girl, so I will cut the matters short. It’s true, saving you was definitely a risky option. Our opponent, your kidnapper, the Dragon Head, is the leader of Talon, a powerful organization that is equal or possibly more powerful than EXO. To anger them is to carve a very dangerous and difficult path for everyone in EXO. That’s hundred and thousands of lives on the line Soohyun."
He watched me closely to check that I was following,"But, our opponent is also our strongest competitor in the field. And it’s the law of nature,that only the strongest can survive. And as the head of EXO, with thousands of people below me, I must take the responsibility to make us the survivors of the game.”
“..so.. where do I come in? I asked carefully.
“ You, Soohyun, had made yourself worthy in this game by feeding The Dragon Head false information about who you work for. And coincidentally the Dragon Head is a very suspicious man,” Suho continued.
I nodded slowly, “Ah.... I see. So you want to use me, and the false information that I’ve created, to perhaps damage Talon in some sort of way? But what’s on the other line for me? I could be killed for all I know.”
“Protection. This time it is the utmost sworn protection by EXO,” Suho stated.
I felt my heart beat pulsing through my veins. Suho was offering me the chance to join EXO. This will make the whole investigation so much easier.
I gave out a shaky laugh. “ I think I’ve realized now that I don’t have much options.”
Suho was in complete seriousness as he spoke to me. I could feel that strong sense of authority and power radiating off him.
“And why do you say that Soohyun.”
I leaned back into the pillow and I shrugged.
“Well isn’t it quite obvious. If I choose to deny this offer and leave, then I’d definitely be recaptured by Talon. At that time, it wouldn’t be just Talon who wishes to kill me,” my eyes landed upon Suho. Ofcourse, EXO would not risk having me recaptured. When I do, they would probably be the ones to kill me.
“So that means my only option is to take the offer.”
Suho opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off.
“But there’s a catch isn’t there?”
Suho looked at me quietly.
And I continued to explain, “ the catch is that unless I prove myself to be useful you will not offer sworn protection. And this is because, incase I stuff up, EXO would not be tied to me. Or, in case I decide to betray EXO, you can erase me without hesitation.” I in a deep breath, “ In a nutshell, I could be killed at any moment from now by you, or Talon unless my false information turns out to be useful.”
Suho stood up from his seat, “you are a very intelligent young lady indeed. It would be a privilege if you were to be a member of EXO, Soohyun.”
“if….” I repeated the word in my head.
I turned my head to the window and I watched the bright sunlight fall down from the sky.
Was this the last time I will ever see the sun again?
“So when do I start?”
“ Tomorrow evening you will be debriefed before you attend the Annual Conference. Good luck Soohyun.”
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