Better | Park Seonghwa

"Please come home tonight, hyung. Seonghwa hyung looks like someone kicked over his plant."

Seonghwa glanced up from his tray at San, who was giving their leader his best pleading voice, teetering closely on full out aegyo.

"What's it matter to you?" Hongjoong asked, wincing at how his reply sounded. San easily brushed it off.

"Hyung isn't eating and it's weird. I think he's lonely at night."

Seonghwa looked back down at his lunch, which had gotten cold as he pushed it around on his plate. He hadn't thought anyone would notice. "I'm fine," he interjected. "Just not that hungry. I had a late breakfast."

Hongjoong hummed, already halfway out of the room, heading back to his studio. San was left pouting at the eldest. "But you always eat a lot."

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," San scoffed. "I'll go find Young-ah. What is with everyone today..."

Seonghwa took a bite of rice as San left their break room too, his stomach immediately rolling uncomfortably.

Truth be told, he hadn't had breakfast either; he had woken up today feeling somewhat off and the thought of food first thing in the morning had made him just want to go back to bed. He'd hoped after morning practice that he'd get his appetite back but he found himself just moving his food around on his plate as the other members ate and left around him.

He ended up wrapping his plate back up and putting it in the fridge before downing a glass of milk instead, at least it was something to get him through the afternoon. Sometimes that's all they had time for anyway when their schedules were packed.

Another comeback was just around the corner and Seonghwa was preparing with the rest of the members, putting in long days at the company filled with practices of every kind. But nothing beat the hours Hongjoong was putting in. San did have a point, Seonghwa couldn't remember the last time Hongjoong had actually been at the dorms longer than the time it took for a quick shower and to repack his bag. And Seonghwa did miss hearing the soft clicking of keys at night, Hongjoong's creative process lulling him to sleep. Now there was just silence and an empty bed.

Seonghwa's stomach churned again, and he pressed a hand to it. Just comeback nerves, right? And lack of sleep. Maybe a little bit of longing for his roommate too. At least that's what he told himself as he headed out to the dance studio.

The members were all sitting around in the dance room, their practice just having ended, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat from their faces. Yeosang got up and passed around some water bottles which they took gratefully.

"I think it's going well," Yunho said after a minute of catching their breaths. "Another day or two and I think we'll have it down. Then we can tackle the last song."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

San, ever full of energy, stood up and began doing some of the moves again as he watched himself in the mirror, and slowly everyone else rose too, gathering their things.

However, Seonghwa was still on the floor, elbows on his knees and head hanging down. He was focusing on the droplets of sweat that kept dropping down from his nose.

"You okay?" Wooyoung asked quietly, a hand patting his back as he passed behind the elder.

"Mmm.."

Wooyoung brought his hand down, holding it out to help Seonghwa stand. "Come on, let's go."

Seonghwa took it and pulled himself up, but what he didn't expect was the feeling of the room tilting as his knees buckled.