Stray Kids | Sickfics

Rejected | Han

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a/n:

-tw: fainting, cursing

-requested by jjkooke12

-hope you're all doing fine!!

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Jisung's pov

Today we had an important dance practice, one of our last training before the show. We still had lots of things to work on and everyone was required to be there. I knew from the moment I woke up that something was off.

My body felt like it was dragging behind, as if I was wading through thick mud with every step. I knew I wasn't sick because I've had this feeling before and it was usually always before something important.

A tiredness and heaviness spreading all over my body, making any movement difficult.

We started our warm-up routine, stretching and limbering up our muscles. But as I moved through the motions, I could feel the exhaustion weighing me down, pulling me deeper into its grasp. I tried to shake it off, to push through the fatigue, but it clung to me like a heavy cloak, refusing to let go.

"Hey, Jisung, you look like you're about to fall asleep standing up!" Changbin joked, a playful smirk on his face.

I forced a laugh, trying to brush off his comment, but inside, I was screaming for someone to listen, to see past the facade I was putting up. I glanced over at Seungmin, hoping to catch his eye, but he was engrossed in his own warm-up routine, oblivious to my silent plea for help.

"Seriously though, Jisung, you need to wake up! We've got a lot of work to do today," Changbin added, his tone turning more serious.

I nodded, my heart sinking with every word. Didn't they see? Couldn't they tell that something was wrong? But as we dove into our practice, my concerns were drowned out by the flurry of activity around me. Everyone was focused on perfecting their own parts, leaving me to struggle in silence.

I tried to speak up, to tell them that I wasn't feeling well, but my words were lost in the cacophony of sound. They brushed it off as a joke, laughing it off as if it was nothing more than a passing inconvenience.

"Guys, I think Jisung might need a break," Felix's voice cut through the chaos, but it was quickly dismissed with a wave of Changbin's hand.

"He's fine, just needs to push through it," Changbin replied, his tone final.

But I couldn't push through it. I was barely holding on by a thread, the fatigue threatening to consume me whole. I tried to meet Felix's gaze, to convey the desperation lurking behind my eyes, but he turned away, lost in his own preparations.

And then, just when I thought I couldn't bear it any longer, everything went black.

Without warning, the ground seemed to shift beneath my feet, tilting at a precarious angle. I reached out for something, anything to steady myself, but there was nothing but empty air. Like a puppet with its strings cut, I crumpled to the ground, darkness swallowing me whole.

When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself lying on the cold, hard floor, surrounded by concerned faces. Chan knelt beside me, his brow furrowed with worry, while Felix and the others hovered anxiously in the background.

"Jisung, are you okay?" Chan's voice was laced with concern, his eyes wide with fear. I tried to speak, to reassure them that I was fine, but my throat felt dry and constricted, the words catching in my chest.

"He needs help," Minho's voice broke through the fog of confusion, his urgency sending a jolt of panic through me. Changbin was at my side in an instant, helping me sit up as Seungmin handed me a bottle of water.

"I'm sorry," I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to..."

But before I could say anything else, Chan cut me off, his expression pained. "No, Jisung, don't apologize. We should have listened to you, seen that you were struggling."

Changbin nodded in agreement, his voice soft with regret. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. You were obviously not well and I...just ignored it."

"It's okay," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "I know you didn't mean to."

There was no anger left in me. I couldn't bear to see the guilt etched on their faces, knowing that they were suffering because of me. Despite the pain I had endured, harboring resentment was the last thing on my mind.

As I struggled to my feet, the others exchanged worried glances, their concern palpable in the tense silence that hung between us. They had seen me collapse just moments ago, and now, to see me up and moving again so quickly, it only added to their worry.

"Jisung, are you sure you're okay?" Changbin asked, his voice filled with concern.

I forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice strained. "I just need some rest."

Without waiting for another answer, I stepped outside of the studio, not wanting to have any more attention on me. I didn't realize that Minho had followed me but all of a sudden he was holding me back from walking away.

"Jisung, do you need a doctor?" he asked, his voice soft but tinged with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"I... I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "I just want to go home."

He nodded, his expression filled with understanding. "Okay, Jisung," he said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Let's get you home."

And so, with Minho's steady support, we made our way out of the studio and into the cool night air. The streets were quiet, the world around us cloaked in silence, but the ache in my chest seemed to echo in the emptiness around us.

As we reached my apartment building, Minho turned to me, his eyes filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Jisung," he said, his voice heavy with guilt. "We should have realized something was wrong."

I shook my head, the hurt lingering but softened by the warmth of his concern. "It's okay" I replied, "I should have said something sooner."

He sighed softly. "You know, Jisung, it's okay not to be okay sometimes. You don't always have to put on a brave face for us."

"I know," I admitted, the admission heavy on my tongue. "It's just... I don't know how to say it sometimes, you know? I don't want to burden anyone with my problems."

"I get it, but you're not burdening anyone by sharing what you're going through. We're all here for you, always."

He paused, his gaze meeting mine.

"Are you going to be okay on your own?" he asked, his voice gentle but filled with worry.

I hesitated, uncertainty flickering in the depths of my eyes. The truth was, I didn't want to be alone, not tonight, not after everything that had happened. But of course I wasn't going to say that out loud.

"I'll be fine," I replied, forcing a smile that felt more like a lie. "Thanks, Minho."

But Minho wasn't fooled. He could see through the facade, see the uncertainty that lurked beneath the surface. And so, with a knowing smile, he asked, "Hey, have you still not watched that anime we talked about last time? Wanna watch it together?"

A sense of relief flooded through me, and I nodded gratefully. "Yeah, that sounds great," I said, my voice a little steadier now, my shoulders relaxing as some of the tension melted away.

He smiled, his eyes warm with understanding. "Alright then, let's go inside."

₍ᐢ  ›   ̫ ‹ ᐢ₎

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