𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 ⦂ 𝘣𝘵𝘴

𝖎𝖎𝖎. 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋

⌗ 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 ! ʾ ૪ ࣪˖ オ ˖˙ ៹
❛❛ 𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖾 ❜❜

CHAPTER ; better
tw // bullying, abuse, death threats, and mentions of medication
please be careful if you decide to read if you get triggered by the topics mentioned

"SO, I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER," Mason started. "I never meant to worry anyone, especially you Jimin hyung with the pills."

"Seun-ah, it's okay," Jimin reassured him with an angelic smile, "but, what happened?"

Mason turned his head down to face his twiddling fingers as he tried to think of the right words to describe what he was going through. The members just watched him as they've never seen a Mason who was lost for words. He has always been able to be on the ball while using his words, almost as poetic as Namjoon or Yoongi.

"I had a nightmare?" He said in a questioning tone. "That's at least the best way to describe it. They don't happen too often, but usually when I'm stressed," Mason's head tilted upwards to see Seokjin nodding to encourage him. "Like I am right now, but it's not about performing right now."

"What's stressing you out then?" Taehyung asked.

Yoongi pulled Mason's phone out of his own pocket to show the other members the texts he had been receiving. "This is what's been happening."

As each member would scroll up on the texts, their faces would show both their anger and shock that people would say stuff like that to their member. Jimin came close to tears as it reminded himself of the death threats he received the year before and during their tour.

"Who are these people, Mason?" Namjoon angrily asked. "Who sent you these messages?"

Mason's throat felt like it was clogged, sound barely able to escape. Looking directly at Yoongi, Mason silently begged him to respond.

"They were old trainees from SM who used to bully him," Yoongi told them, voice trying not to waver. "They stopped when he left the company, but recently found out his phone number and have been texting threats to him. They started around the time he qualified for the Olympics."

The members looked at Mason with shock in their eyes. How could anyone ever try to bully one of the nicest people on the face of the planet?

With tears now rolling down his face, Jimin got up and made his way over to the younger to wrap his arms around him. He rested his forehead right on the top of Mason's head, placing soft kisses on his hair. "Oh, Seun-ah."

"We are going to the company with this," Namjoon exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "They can deal with this for real, especially since it's about bullying."

Seokjin let out a sigh before speaking. "We will get to that, but we will do it when Seungcheolie is ready. Okay?" He knew how hard it was to get Namjoon out of his 'angry' mode, or his 'papa bear mode' as Mason once described it. They didn't need anyone to get in trouble beside the people that were hurting their own member.

"Seungcheol-ah, do you think they could hurt you?" Hoseok asked, trying to conceal his own anger. "Like physically?"

After a few seconds, Mason nodded, not trusting his voice.

"He also told us that," Seokjin wiped his eyes before continuing, "the staff at SM were also in on it. They just let it happen to him, even as they were watching."

Looking down at the table, Taehyung then shot his head up while looking at Mason. "Prince," The rest of the members besides the second youngest looked at him with confusion. "The day we met Seun-ah, he had sticky notes on his door and he said they called him the 'Prince of SM'. They were jealous of you, that has to be the reason why they hurt you, especially after you just qualified for the Olympics!"

Namjoon snapped his fingers and pointed to the younger one. "Taehyung is right, they started when you were doing something huge, like the Olympics. Now, they might be texting you since we've gotten more popular, especially in the West."

"They never debuted, right?" Yoongi asked, getting a quick shake of the head from Mason. "They're jealous that the person they bullied is more successful than they'll ever be."

The second youngest at the table shrugged and nodded his head, agreeing to what was being said around the table. "They used t-to really scare me, to the point of me hiding at the rink because nobody would find me there," Mason sighed, relieved to have some of the pressure off of his chest. "I would always get in trouble with the company, but I-I had to so I wouldn't get hurt."

Jimin, who still had his arms wrapped around Mason, patted the top of his head, ruffling his light hair. "You did what was right for yourself, Seunie. You did good."

Mason nodded, a small, toothless smile adorned his face.

Taking a deep breath, Yoongi held onto his hand. It was easy to see that Mason was starting to get overwhelmed with the whole situation. "The company and teachers used to praise me, l-like a lot, and the idols really liked me si-since I was there for so long," he stopped to let himself process what he was thinking before continuing, "an-and a lot of the other trainees really d-didn't like it or me. The only ones w-who liked me are the ones in NCT and Red Velvet since we trained together for a really long time."

"And about the medication," Mason started, looking around the room at his members to focus on one who had been silent the whole time. "I, uh, as you known, was in a car accident when I was 11. When I woke up from being in surgery, I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and because of it, I developed insomnia and p-panic disorder. I couldn't sleep for months, and when I did," he watched as Jungkook finally raised his head to meet his gaze, "I would wake screaming for my m-mother."

"The PTSD, from what I can tell, is gone," Mason mentioned after pausing for a bit, "but I do still suffer from severe insomnia, as you guys know, and p-panic attacks from time to time. So, the pills help me sleep and k-keep my anxiety under che-eck."

Namjoon reached his hand out to hold onto Mason's own, "Thank you for telling us, Seun-ah. You know you can come to any of us to tell us about what you're feeling, okay?" Watching as the other nodded, a small smile appeared on Namjoon's face, "Nobody will judge you."

Jimin lifted the younger man off the chair to finally give him a proper hug, kissing his cheek to comfort him. "I'm so s-sorry you had to go through this, Seunie," he sobbed in the other's arms.

"I'm okay," Mason replied, turning to look at the others, "as long as I have you guys."

"And you always will."

Mason nodded, letting his first genuine smile in weeks grace his face.

He was relieved to know that his members will always have his back no matter what.

AUTHORS NOTE ———— i lied,, this did not come out a few days later but probably close to a year (rip 😭)