Archive of Our Own

The arena in Paris was loud enough to make the floor vibrate. Even backstage, where the walls dulled some of the noise, the crowd sounded like a living thing.

Thousands of voices.

Thousands of lightsticks.

Thousands of people waiting.

Hyunjin rolled his shoulders and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet while the stylists made final adjustments to his in-ear monitors.

"Your hair is already a mess," Seungmin said, appearing beside him with a bottle of water.

Hyunjin snorted. "We haven't even gone on stage yet."

"Exactly."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"Unfortunately."

Seungmin grinned.

Across the room, Felix was laughing at something Han had said while Changbin was unsuccessfully trying to steal someone's snack.

Everything felt normal. The familiar chaos before a show. The kind Hyunjin loved.

A staff member called out a two-minute warning. The atmosphere shifted instantly.

The joking stopped. Adrenaline kicked in.

Chan gathered everyone together.

"Okay."

Eight hands stacked on top of each other. Everyone leaned in.

"Let's have fun."

"STRAY KIDS EVERYWHERE ALL AROUND THE WORLD! You make Stray Kids stay!"

The cheer echoed through the hallway.

Then it was time.

The moment they stepped onto the stage, the arena exploded. The sound hit Hyunjin like a physical force. He couldn't stop smiling.

Lights swept across the crowd. Fans screamed. Music thundered through the speakers.

For the next hour and a half, everything blurred into movement.

Dancing.

Running.

Laughing.

Talking to fans between songs.

The energy was endless.

By the time they reached the final section of the concert, sweat soaked through Hyunjin's shirt and his lungs burned pleasantly from exertion.

Still, he felt good.

Really good.

The members were scattered across different sections of the extended stage, waving at fans and joking around while preparing for the next song.

Hyunjin jogged toward the center platform.

"PARIS!" Chan shouted.

The crowd screamed.

"ARE YOU HAVING FUN?"

The answer nearly blew the roof off.

Hyunjin laughed. He turned to wave at a section of fans near the barricade.

At the same moment, a staff member near the side of the stage was moving a heavy camera support stand that had been repositioned for the final filming sequence.

Normally, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Normally, everyone would've had enough space.

But the stage was crowded. The lighting was changing. People were moving quickly.

And Hyunjin stepped backward without looking.

The staff member looked up. His eyes widened.

"WATCH OUT!"

Hyunjin barely had time to turn.

The metal support slammed directly into his left side.

Hard.

A sharp corner caught him just below the ribs. The impact knocked the breath out of him instantly.

For one horrible second, all he could do was stand there.

No air.

No sound.

Nothing.

Just pain.

White-hot and sudden.

His entire body folded forward reflexively.

"HYUNJIN!"

Someone shouted his name.

The noise of the arena seemed to disappear.

He grabbed at his side. His stomach clenched violently.

"Oh, shit," he gasped.

The metal stand had already been pulled away.

Several staff members rushed forward.

Chan was the first member to reach him.

"What happened?"

Hyunjin couldn't answer immediately. His lungs were still trying to remember how breathing worked.

Another hand landed on his shoulder.

Then another.

Suddenly everyone was crowding around him.

"Are you okay?"

"Did it hit you?"

"Where?"

"Move, let me see."

Felix looked horrified.

"Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin finally sucked in a proper breath. Pain flared across his abdomen. Not unbearable. Just sharp. Like someone had punched him as hard as possible.

He winced. Then immediately straightened.

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Chan said. "You literally folded in half."

"I'm fine."

"You looked like you died."

"Thank you, that's very reassuring."

Changbin frowned.

"Let us see."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine if you're holding your stomach."

Hyunjin looked down. Realized he was still clutching his side. Quickly dropped his hand.

"See? Better already."

Nobody looked convinced.

A medic who had been stationed backstage hurried over.

"Can you tell me where it hurts?"

Hyunjin pointed vaguely toward his left side.

The medic gently pressed against the area.

The pressure made his stomach tighten. A brief flash of pain shot through him.

"Ow."

"There?"

"Yeah."

The medic nodded thoughtfully.

"Any trouble breathing?"

"No."

"Dizziness?"

"No."

"Nausea?"

"No."

"Can you walk?"

Hyunjin took several steps immediately.

"See?"

The medic looked relieved.

"Probably a bad contusion."

"A bruise?" Han asked.

"Most likely."

The members visibly relaxed.

Well.

Mostly.

Felix still looked ready to fight the camera stand personally.

Hyunjin laughed.

"It's literally a bruise."

"A giant metal object hit you."

"And I survived."

"You are unbelievable."

"I know."

The medic gave him one last look.

"If the pain gets worse later, tell someone immediately."

"I will."

Chan pointed at him.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

"You lie all the time."

"That's rude."

"It's true."

The music cue for the next segment began playing through the speakers.

Staff members started signaling urgently.

The show had to continue.

Hyunjin stretched experimentally. The movement hurt. But not enough to stop him. Not even close. He had danced through worse. At least, that's what it felt like.

"I'm good," he insisted.

Chan hesitated.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Positive?"

"Chan hyung."

"What?"

"If you keep asking, I'm going to start charging you."

That earned a few laughs. The tension eased.

Finally, Chan sighed.

"Fine."

Then he leaned closer.

"Tell us if it gets worse."

"I will."

"Promise."

"I promise."

The members slowly dispersed. Returning to their positions. Returning to the show.

Hyunjin waited until everyone was looking away. Then pressed a hand against his side again. The spot still hurt. A deep ache now. Throbbing beneath his ribs. He grimaced. Took a careful breath. And then pushed the feeling aside. Because the crowd was screaming. The music was starting. And there was no way he was ending the concert over one stupid hit to the stomach.

A few seconds later, he was back under the lights.

Smiling.

Dancing.

Pretending nothing had happened.

By the time the concert ended, Hyunjin was exhausted.

Not the normal kind of exhausted.

Not the familiar post-show ache in his legs or the burn in his lungs after nearly three hours on stage.

Something else.

The pain in his side hadn't disappeared.

If anything, it had settled deeper. A heavy ache tucked beneath his ribs. Not sharp anymore. Just constant. Annoying. Persistent.

Every time he twisted the wrong way, it reminded him it was there.

Still, he smiled through the final bows.

Waved to fans.

Took pictures.

Made hearts toward the crowd.

And by the time they finally disappeared backstage, everyone was riding the high that came after a successful show.

"PARIS WAS INSANE!" Han yelled the second they were out of sight.

Changbin nearly jumped on him.

"THEY WERE SO LOUD!"

"I couldn't hear myself!"

"I couldn't hear YOU either. That's probably why I was so happy."

"Yah!"

Laughter erupted around them.

Hyunjin smiled automatically. The movement pulled slightly at his stomach. He ignored it.

"Did you see the signs?" Felix asked excitedly.

"There was one that said I looked like a potato."

"That was your favorite one."

"It was."

"It absolutely was."

Felix looked offended.

"It was creative."

"It literally said potato."

"A beautiful potato."

"I can't believe you're defending it."

"I'm embracing it."

The argument continued all the way through the backstage hallways.

For a little while, Hyunjin almost forgot about the pain.

Almost.

Then they climbed into the vans. And the second he sat down, a dull throb spread through the left side of his abdomen. His smile faltered. Just for a second. Nobody noticed.

The city lights blurred past the windows.

Paris was beautiful at night. The streets glowed gold beneath rows of old buildings. People still filled the sidewalks despite the late hour.

The members chatted nonstop. Retelling moments from the concert. Laughing over mistakes. Arguing over who had forgotten choreography first.

"It was definitely Han."

"It wasn't me!"

"It was you."

"It was Changbin."

"It was not."

"It absolutely was."

"Prove it."

"I can't."

"Exactly."

More laughter.

Hyunjin leaned his head against the window. The cool glass felt nice. His stomach didn't. The ache had spread lower now. Not dramatically. Not enough to alarm him. Just enough to make him uncomfortable.

He shifted slightly. Immediately regretted it. A stronger pulse of pain rolled through his side. His jaw tightened. Nobody noticed. Everyone was too busy arguing.

For the first time since the accident, Hyunjin considered saying something.

Just mentioning it.

Just telling Chan that his side still hurt.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing serious.

Just—

The thought disappeared as Felix practically climbed over three seats to show everyone a fan video.

"LOOK AT THIS."

"Felix, sit down."

"No."

"You're going to fall."

"I won't."

"You absolutely will."

"I have balance."

"You walked into a wall this morning."

"That wall came out of nowhere."

The entire van erupted again.

Hyunjin found himself laughing despite everything. The pain lingered. But everyone looked so happy. So relieved.

The concert had gone well.

Nobody was stressed.

Nobody was worried.

Nobody was dealing with a crisis.

For once.

And Hyunjin hated the idea of ruining that over what was probably just a bad bruise. So he stayed quiet.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, the ache had become constant. Not severe. Just impossible to fully ignore.

The luxury suite they'd been given occupied nearly an entire floor.

The moment the doors opened, everyone spilled inside.

Bags were abandoned.

Shoes disappeared.

Someone immediately stole the best couch.

"THAT'S MY SPOT!"

"Not anymore."

"Minho!"

"Finders keepers."

"You are 26 years old."

"And yet I'm still winning."

The atmosphere was warm. Comfortable. The kind that only happened after months of living together.

Nobody had to perform.

Nobody had to act.

They could just exist.

Chan collapsed into an armchair.

"I think my legs are gone."

Changbin nodded.

"I don't think I've sat down in six years."

"That's not how time works."

"You know what I mean."

Seungmin walked into the kitchen area.

"Does anyone want food?"

Every head immediately turned.

"Yes."

"Obviously."

"What kind of question is that?"

"I regret asking."

Meanwhile, Hyunjin lowered himself carefully onto one of the couches.

Carefully.

Very carefully.

Because every sudden movement seemed to make his side hurt.

He exhaled slowly.

The room spun with conversation.

Han was talking over Felix.

Felix was talking over Jeongin.

Jeongin was talking over everyone.

Changbin was pretending to be offended by something.

Minho looked entirely too comfortable.

Chan had somehow started answering emails.

And for a moment, Hyunjin just watched them.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

Then a wave of nausea rolled through him.

His stomach clenched.

Hard.

The smile vanished instantly.

Hyunjin swallowed.

Okay.

That was new.

He took a slow breath.

Waited.

The feeling eased after a few seconds.

Probably because he hadn't eaten enough.

Probably because he'd danced for hours.

Probably because he'd gotten hit earlier.

Nothing serious.

Definitely nothing serious.

"Hyunjin."

He looked up.

Chan was watching him.

Uh oh.

"What?"

"You okay?"

The room quieted slightly.

Several heads turned.

Hyunjin immediately smiled.

Too quickly.

"I'm fine."

Chan narrowed his eyes.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"What about your side?"

There it was.

The question he'd been hoping to avoid.

Felix sat up immediately.

"Oh right. How's your stomach? Does it still hurt? Should we call somebody?"

"What if you cracked a rib?"

"You can't crack a rib from that."

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

The concern spread through the room surprisingly fast.

Hyunjin felt his chest tighten.

Not from pain.

From guilt.

They looked worried.

Way more worried than he wanted them to be.

So he laughed.

Actually laughed.

"Guys."

Nobody looked convinced.

"It was literally a bump."

"A metal stand hit you."

"I'm alive."

"That's not the point."

"I'm fine."

Chan continued staring.

Hyunjin forced himself to sit up straighter.

Forced himself to relax.

Forced himself not to put a hand over the aching side of his abdomen.

"It hurt earlier," he admitted.

Several faces immediately tensed.

"But it doesn't now."

A lie.

A complete lie.

The pain was worse than it had been during the concert.

But nobody needed to know that.

"It stopped?" Felix asked.

"Pretty much."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

Hyunjin smiled.

"I promise."

Another lie.

The worst part was how easily it came out.

Because he genuinely believed he was protecting them.

That's what he told himself anyway.

Minho studied him from across the room.

"You look pale."

Hyunjin's stomach dropped.

For a second he thought he'd been caught.

Then Jeongin spoke.

"We all look pale."

"That's true."

"We just finished a concert."

"I'm pretty sure I left my soul on stage."

"Only your soul?"

"I also lost my dignity."

"You never had that."

"Wow."

The conversation immediately derailed.

The tension disappeared.

Just like that.

Hyunjin almost sighed in relief.

Felix still looked uncertain.

"You're really okay?"

"I'm really okay."

"You're not just saying that?"

"No."

"Because you're kind of famous for saying that."

"I am not."

The entire room laughed.

"Yes, you are."

"You literally always say you're fine."

"Because I usually am."

"Suspicious."

"Very suspicious."

Hyunjin threw a cushion at Han.

Han nearly fell off the couch.

Everyone started laughing again.

The moment passed.

The concern faded.

And eventually nobody was looking at him anymore.

Nobody noticed how quiet he became.

Nobody noticed him shifting carefully every few minutes.

Nobody noticed his hand briefly pressing against his side when the pain spiked again.

Because why would they?

From the outside, everything looked normal.

The concert had been a success.

Everyone was happy.

Everyone was safe.

And Hyunjin sat among them smiling, laughing at the jokes, pretending nothing was wrong.

While somewhere deep beneath his ribs, the pain continued to grow.

++++

The suite was warm with post-concert energy.

Half-empty water bottles littered the coffee table.

Someone's jacket was hanging off a lamp.

Han had somehow ended up lying upside down across an entire couch.

The city lights of Paris glowed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Below them, traffic drifted through the streets like streams of gold.

Everyone looked tired.

But it was the good kind of tired.

The kind that came after a successful show.

The kind that made everything seem funny.

Even Changbin's terrible jokes.

Which was saying something.

"I still think we should order room service," Chan announced.

Several people groaned.

Immediately.

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"We can order room service anywhere."

Chan looked offended.

"Room service is convenient."

"We're in Paris," Seungmin said.

"Exactly."

"And?"

"And we should actually leave the hotel."

Felix sat up instantly.

"YES."

"Thank you."

"Exactly."

Felix pointed dramatically at Seungmin.

"He understands me."

"I wish I didn't."

"Rude."

Han rolled off the couch.

Then sat up.

"I have an idea."

Nobody trusted that sentence.

Not even a little.

Minho looked at him.

"That's already concerning."

"I saw a place online."

"Oh no."

"It's famous."

"Oh no."

"They sell giant hot chocolate bowls."

"Oh no."

"You drink hot chocolate out of a bowl."

"Oh."

The room immediately changed sides.

"Wait. Really?"

"How giant?"

Han pulled out his phone.

A few seconds later he shoved the screen toward everyone.

The reaction was immediate.

"Oh my god."

"That's ridiculous."

"I want one."

"That looks amazing."

Felix looked ready to sprint there immediately.

Changbin leaned closer.

"They have pastries too."

"Now we're talking."

"I love France."

"You've been here for two days."

"And?"

Jeongin grabbed the phone.

His eyes widened.

"Wait."

"They have crepes."

The room exploded.

Everyone started talking at once.

"We're going."

"Definitely.""Immediately."

"I want three."

"You can't eat three."

"Watch me."

"Please don't."

Hyunjin listened to the chaos from his corner of the couch.

Smiling when appropriate.

Nodding occasionally.

Trying very hard not to focus on the pain.

Because the pain had definitely changed.

It wasn't just an ache anymore.

It felt heavier.

Deeper.

A pressure sitting beneath his ribs.

Every now and then it would spike sharply enough to steal his breath for a second.

Then ease again.

Leaving him wondering if he was imagining it.

He shifted slightly.

Pain flared.

His stomach twisted.

Hyunjin swallowed.

Okay.

Maybe he really was more tired than he thought.

"Hyunjin."

Felix pointed at him.

"We're going."

"Hm?"

"The chocolate place."

"Oh."

Hyunjin forced a smile.

"Sounds fun."

"Right?"

"Yeah."

"You're coming."

The words landed like a problem.

For a brief second, Hyunjin considered saying yes.

Maybe going out would distract him.

Maybe moving around would help.

Maybe—

A pulse of nausea rolled through him.

Sudden.

Unpleasant.

His stomach clenched hard enough to make him pause.

No.

Definitely not.

He couldn't spend the next few hours pretending to feel fine.

Not with everyone around.

Not when he wasn't even sure what was wrong.

So he shrugged casually.

"I think I'll stay here."

The room quieted.

Felix blinked.

"What?"

"I'll stay."

"Why?"

Hyunjin stretched lazily.

Or at least attempted to.

The movement hurt.

His smile almost slipped.

"I'm tired."

That part wasn't even a lie.

The members exchanged looks.

"You're always tired," Seungmin pointed out.

"That's true."

"Terrible argument."

"Thank you."

Chan frowned slightly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"We don't have anything tomorrow morning."

"I know."

"So sleep later."

"I literally danced for three hours."

"So did we."

"Exactly."

Changbin pointed dramatically.

"See?"

"That's not helping your case."

"It helps my case."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Han interrupted.

"I think he's secretly becoming old."

Hyunjin threw a cushion at him.

Han dodged.

The cushion hit Jeongin instead.

"HEY."

Everyone laughed.

The moment passed.

Thankfully.

Because Hyunjin really didn't want anyone looking too closely at him.

Felix still seemed unconvinced.

"You don't want food?"

"I can order something later."

"You never order later."

"Maybe tonight is different."

"Hm."

The suspicious noise made Hyunjin nervous.

Not because Felix knew anything.

Because Felix noticed everything.

Even when nobody else did.

Minho finally spoke from his spot near the window.

"If he wants to stay, let him stay."

Hyunjin nearly sighed in relief.

Thank you.

For once.

Chan nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I guess."

Then he pointed a finger at Hyunjin.

"But if you're feeling worse—"

"I'm not."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I know exactly what you were going to say."

Chan narrowed his eyes.

"Do I annoy you?"

"Constantly."

"Good."

The room laughed again.

Chan looked satisfied.

Hyunjin smiled.

The smile hurt.

Everything seemed to hurt lately.

A strange heaviness had settled across his abdomen.

Not unbearable.

Just wrong.

Very wrong.

And for the first time all evening, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe he should tell somebody.

Maybe he should let the medic check him again.

Maybe—

Then Felix started arguing with Changbin about pastries.

Han got involved.

Jeongin immediately took Changbin's side.

Nobody understood why.

Seungmin declared both sides stupid.

Minho added fuel to the fire.

The argument somehow became louder than the concert.

And Hyunjin looked around the room.

At all seven of them.

Laughing.

Relaxed.

Happy.

No schedules.

No stress.

No emergencies.

Just one good night.

One good memory.

He couldn't ruin that.

Not over a stomach ache.

So he pushed the thought away.

"I'm going to shower and sleep," he announced.

Chan nodded.

"Okay."

"Text us if you need anything."

"I won't."

"That wasn't a request."

"I know."

Felix pointed again.

"Eat something."

"Okay."

Another lie.

The third.

Or fourth.

Maybe fifth.

He'd lost count.

The members began gathering jackets.

Phones.

Wallets.

The suite filled with movement.

Doors opening.

People shouting over each other.

Arguments about directions.

Arguments about transportation.

Arguments about arguments.

Normal.

Everything felt normal.

Which made it easier to ignore the growing knot of dread in Hyunjin's stomach.

Twenty minutes later everyone was finally ready.

Chan stopped near the door.

"You sure you're okay here alone?"

There it was again.

That question.

The one Hyunjin desperately needed everyone to stop asking.

Because every time someone asked, he wanted a little more to tell the truth.

"I'm fine."

Chan stared for another second.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

Felix walked over and squeezed his shoulder.

"Rest."

"I will."

"Don't stay up scrolling."

"I won't."

"That's a lie."

"Probably."

Finally, everyone started filing out.

Changbin.

Han.

Jeongin.

Seungmin.

Felix.

Minho.

Chan last.

The door opened.

Then closed.

And just like that—

The suite became silent.

Completely silent.

No laughter.

No voices.

No arguments.

Nothing.

Only the distant hum of the city outside.

Hyunjin sat perfectly still on the couch.

Waiting.

Listening.

Making sure they were really gone.

A full minute passed.

Then another.

The elevator dinged faintly somewhere down the hall.

And the second he knew he was alone—

His smile vanished.

Instantly.

As if someone had switched it off.

Hyunjin bent forward sharply.

A gasp escaped him.

His hand flew to his side.

"Fuck..."

The word came out barely above a whisper.

The pain hit harder than it had all night.

Deep.

Hot.

Wrong.

Very, very wrong.

And for the first time since the accident, genuine fear curled in his chest.

Because nobody was here anymore.

And he could finally stop pretending.

He stayed bent over on the couch for a long moment, breathing carefully through clenched teeth.

"It's fine," he muttered.

The words sounded weak even to him.

"It's just bruised."

He'd taken harder hits before.

Everyone did.

Concerts were chaotic.

Dancers got injured all the time.

Bruises happened.

Pulled muscles happened.

He was tired.

That was all.

His body had been running on adrenaline for hours.

Now the adrenaline was gone.

Of course everything hurt more.

That was normal.

Right?

Hyunjin swallowed and slowly sat back.

Immediately regretting it.

A sharp stab tore through the left side of his abdomen.

"Ah—"

His breath caught.

His hand flew to his side.

For a few seconds all he could do was sit there.

Waiting.

Waiting for the pain to fade.

It did.

A little.

Enough for him to breathe again.

"See?" he whispered to nobody.

"Still alive."

The attempt at humor fell flat.

Because he was starting to feel scared.

Something wasn't right.

The ache wasn't behaving like a bruise anymore.

It felt deeper.

Almost like something inside him was twisting.

He pushed himself upright.

Bad idea.

The room tilted.

A wave of dizziness washed over him.

Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut.

"Okay..."

Slow breaths.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Eventually the dizziness settled.

His stomach didn't.

The pain remained.

Steady.

Relentless.

And somehow worse than it had been five minutes ago.

"God..."

Maybe he needed painkillers.

That was all.

A painkiller.

Some water.

A little sleep.

Tomorrow he'd wake up feeling stupid for worrying.

That had to be it.

Using the armrest for support, Hyunjin forced himself to stand.

The movement nearly folded him in half.

A broken sound escaped him.

"Nngh..."

His knees threatened to buckle.

He froze.

Waited.

Then took one careful step.

Another.

Another.

The kitchen wasn't far.

Normally.

Right now it felt miles away.

Every movement made his stomach protest.

Every breath seemed to pull at something painful beneath his ribs.

Still.

He kept going.

One step.

Pause.

Another step.

Pause.

By the time he reached the kitchen counter, sweat was running down the back of his neck.

His hands shook.

"Seriously?"

He laughed weakly.

"I'm acting like I got shot."

The joke wasn't funny.

Not when he could barely stand.

He opened a cabinet.

Found the small travel first-aid kit.

Painkillers.

Thank God.

With clumsy fingers he popped two tablets from the foil packaging.

Nearly dropped them.

Managed to get them into his mouth.

Then grabbed a bottle of water.

His hand was trembling so badly that water splashed onto the counter.

"Get it together."

He tipped the bottle back.

Swallowed.

One mouthful.

Then another.

The water had barely reached his stomach when nausea slammed into him.

Hard.

Hyunjin froze.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

The sensation was immediate.

Violent.

His stomach lurched.

A horrible sickness surged up his throat.

"No, no, no—"

He dropped the bottle.

Water exploded across the floor.

Hyunjin didn't even notice.

He was already moving.

Or trying to.

One hand clamped over his mouth.

The other pressed against his side.

Pain shot through his abdomen with every step.

"Hhk—"

He stumbled.

Caught himself on the wall.

Then practically ran toward the bathroom.

The second he reached the toilet, he dropped to his knees.

And threw up.

Violently.

His entire body convulsed.

A strangled sound tore from his throat.

The force of it made his abdomen feel like it was being ripped apart.

"Ugh—"

Another heave.

Then another.

And another.

By the end of it his eyes were watering.

His chest hurt.

His throat burned.

And somehow—

Somehow—

His stomach hurt even more.

Hyunjin slumped against the side of the bathtub.

Breathing hard.

Sweat dampened his hair.

His hands wouldn't stop shaking.

The nausea eased slightly.

The pain didn't.

If anything it seemed worse.

Much worse.

A deep burning pressure beneath his ribs.

Like someone was driving a knife into his side and slowly twisting it.

He curled forward.

Instinctively protecting his abdomen.

"Okay..."

His voice cracked.

"It's okay."

Just a bruise.

Maybe food poisoning.

Maybe exhaustion.

Maybe—

Another stab of pain cut through him.

"Aah—"

The sound escaped before he could stop it.

Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut.

His breathing became uneven.

No.

This wasn't normal.

But he still wasn't ready to admit something serious was happening.

Not yet.

He sat there for several minutes.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Trying to convince himself it would pass.

It didn't.

The next wave of nausea arrived suddenly.

He barely made it back to the toilet.

Vomiting again.

And again.

And again.

Each time leaving him weaker.

More exhausted.

More frightened.

Hours seemed to pass.

Or maybe minutes.

He couldn't tell anymore.

Time felt strange.

Everything felt strange.

The bathroom floor was cool beneath his cheek.

At some point he'd ended up lying on it.

Curled tightly around his stomach.

Every attempt to straighten out made the pain worse.

So he stayed curled up.

Shivering.

Sweating.

Hurting.

The suite remained silent.

No voices.

No footsteps.

Nobody coming to check on him.

Because everyone thought he was sleeping.

And he'd made sure they believed that.

A bitter laugh escaped him.

Immediately followed by a groan.

"God..."

His side throbbed.

His abdomen burned.

His entire body felt heavy.

The pain had spread beyond the original impact site.

Now it seemed to fill his whole stomach.

Every breath hurt.

Every movement hurt.

Even lying still hurt.

At some point he realized something.

This wasn't getting better.

It was getting worse.

Much worse.

The realization finally broke through the denial.

Hospital.

The word drifted through his mind.

Maybe he actually needed a hospital.

Maybe he should call Chan.

Maybe—

Yes.

Call Chan.

That is smart.

Chan would know what to do.

Relief flooded him.

A plan.

He had a plan.

All he needed was his phone.

Hyunjin slowly reached into his pocket.

The movement alone made him gasp.

"Ah—"

His fingers finally found the phone.

He pulled it out.

Barely.

It felt strangely heavy.

Like it weighed ten kilograms.

His vision blurred.

The screen lit up.

Too bright.

Way too bright.

He fumbled for Chan's contact.

His hand shook violently.

Come on.

Come on.

Just one call.

That was all.

One call.

His thumb missed the screen.

Twice.

Three times.

The effort made his head spin.

His breathing became ragged.

"Nnh..."

The phone slipped.

For one horrifying second he tried to catch it.

Failed.

It fell from his hand.

Clattered across the tile.

Then slid underneath the sink.

Several feet away.

Hyunjin stared.

His brain taking a second to process what had happened.

"No..."

He reached toward it.

Pain exploded through his abdomen.

His arm collapsed.

A cry tore from his throat.

"Aahh—!"

The phone remained where it was.

Far away.

Impossible.

He tried again.

Nothing.

His body refused.

He couldn't even push himself upright anymore.

Couldn't crawl.

Couldn't stand.

Couldn't reach his phone.

The realization settled over him slowly.

Cold.

Terrifying.

He was stuck.

Completely stuck.

Another wave of pain crashed through him.

Worse than before.

So much worse.

Hyunjin curled tighter around himself.

Both arms wrapped around his stomach.

His forehead pressed against the tile floor.

A sob escaped him.

Then another.

Not from panic.

Not even from fear.

From pain.

Pure pain.

"Hurts..."

The whisper broke apart.

"Please..."

Nobody heard him.

The suite remained silent.

Paris glittered outside the windows.

The city was alive.

The members were laughing somewhere across town.

And Hyunjin lay alone on the bathroom floor.

Curled into himself.

Shaking.

Unable to move.

Unable to call for help.

While the agony in his abdomen continued to grow.

++++

It was well past midnight when they finally returned.

The streets of Paris were quieter now, though not completely asleep.

Felix was still carrying a paper bag full of pastries.

Han had somehow convinced Changbin to buy something ridiculous from a souvenir shop.

Jeongin was laughing so hard he could barely walk.

"You spent twenty euros on THAT?"

"It was art."

"It was a plastic Eiffel Tower."

"It was artistic."

"You're unbelievable."

The elevator ride to their floor was filled with overlapping voices.

Everyone was tired.

Everyone was happy.

The night had been fun.

Simple.

Normal.

Exactly what they needed after a concert.

The elevator doors opened.

The group spilled into the hallway.

Chan fished the keycard out of his pocket.

"Quiet when we go in. Hyunjin's probably asleep."

"Oh."

Felix lowered his voice instantly.

"Right."

Han nodded.

"Good point."

The door unlocked.

They stepped inside.

The suite was dark except for a few lamps.

For a moment everything seemed completely normal.

Quiet.

Still.

Peaceful.

Then—

A sound drifted down the hallway.

A weak, strained noise.

"Ahh—"

Everyone froze.

The sound was barely recognizable.

Pain.

Raw pain.

Then another.

"Nngh—"

Felix's smile vanished.

"What was that?"

Nobody answered.

Because they all knew.

The sound came again.

Louder this time.

A broken cry.

"Aah—!"

The entire room changed instantly.

Every trace of relaxation disappeared.

"Hyunjin."

Chan was already moving.

The others followed.

Fast.

The sound was coming from the bathroom.

Another pained groan echoed down the hall.

"Hhk—"

Felix's stomach dropped.

"No."

No.

No.

No.

The bathroom door was half open.

Chan reached it first.

Then stopped so abruptly that Minho nearly ran into him.

For one horrible second nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Because what they saw didn't make sense.

Hyunjin was on the floor.

Curled tightly on his side.

One arm wrapped around his abdomen.

His hair was damp with sweat.

His face was ghostly pale.

And he was shaking.

Actually shaking.

A strained cry escaped him.

"Aah— God—"

Felix felt all the blood drain from his face.

"Oh my God."

Hyunjin barely seemed aware they were there.

His eyes were squeezed shut.

His breathing came in short, uneven gasps.

Every few seconds another sound escaped him.

A groan.

A whimper.

A broken cry.

"Nnh— Hurts—"

Then another wave seemed to hit him.

His entire body tensed.

"AHH—!"

The sound echoed off the bathroom walls.

Jeongin physically flinched.

Seungmin stared.

Han looked sick.

Changbin looked terrified.

Nobody had ever seen Hyunjin like this.

Nobody.

Not once.

Chan dropped to his knees immediately.

"Hyunjin."

No response.

"Hyunjin!"

This time Hyunjin's eyes cracked open.

Barely.

They were glassy.

Unfocused.

He looked confused.

Disoriented.

Like he wasn't entirely sure who was speaking.

"Chan..."

His voice sounded wrecked.

"What happened?" Felix asked.

"What happened to you?"

Hyunjin tried to answer.

Instead a pained gasp escaped him.

His hand tightened against his stomach.

"Can't..."

The words dissolved into another groan.

"God, he's burning up," Changbin said.

"No, look at him."

Han's voice shook.

"He's white."

Actually white.

Hyunjin's lips had lost almost all color.

Sweat covered his face.

His breathing looked wrong.

Everything looked wrong.

Chan carefully touched his shoulder.

"Can you sit up?"

The reaction was immediate.

The second Hyunjin moved even slightly—

"Aah!"

His entire body jerked.

Minho swore under his breath.

"Don't make him move."

"Hospital," Felix said immediately.

"We need a hospital. Now."

Nobody argued.

Not a single person.

Because this was far beyond a stomach ache.

Far beyond a bruise.

Chan nodded sharply.

"Call the manager."

Seungmin was already pulling out his phone.

Han was already dialing.

Everyone started moving at once.

Trying to help.

Trying not to panic.

Failing.

Then Minho frowned.

"Wait."

Everyone looked at him.

Minho pointed toward Hyunjin's side.

His shirt had ridden up slightly.

Just enough.

"Lift his shirt."

Chan hesitated.

Then carefully grabbed the hem.

"Hyunjin, I'm lifting your shirt."

A weak nod.

Chan raised the fabric.

The room went silent.

Completely silent.

The entire left side of Hyunjin's abdomen was dark.

Deep purple.

Almost black in places.

The bruising spread far beyond the original impact site.

And worse—

The area looked swollen.

Distended.

Wrong.

Very wrong.

Felix stared.

"No."

Han's face went pale.

"What the hell..."

Changbin looked horrified.

Jeongin actually took a step backward.

Even Chan stopped breathing for a second.

Because bruises weren't supposed to look like that.

Minho's expression hardened immediately.

"Hospital. Now."

Hyunjin made another small sound.

"Nnh..."

His eyes squeezed shut again.

One hand clawed weakly at his shirt.

The movement looked desperate.

Pain-filled.

Felix swallowed hard.

"We should've stayed."

Nobody answered.

Because they were all thinking it.

Every single one of them.

We should've noticed.

We should've known.

We should've checked.

Chan forced himself back into motion.

"Okay."

His voice was shaking.

"Okay. Minho, help me."

The two carefully moved into position.

"Hyunjin."

Chan touched his shoulder.

"We have to move you."

A tiny shake of the head.

"No..."

"I know. We have to."

"Hurts..."

The word came out broken.

Felix nearly cried on the spot.

Because Hyunjin never complained.

Never.

And now he sounded terrified.

"I'm sorry," Chan whispered.

Then they lifted him.

The reaction was immediate.

A cry ripped from Hyunjin's throat.

"AAH—!"

His body curled instinctively.

Trying to protect his abdomen.

Felix grabbed one of his hands.

"It's okay. No, no, it's okay. We've got you."

Another pained gasp.

Another whimper.

Hyunjin buried his face against Chan's shoulder.

Shaking.

The sight made everyone feel sick.

Because they could tell he wasn't trying to be dramatic.

He simply couldn't hide it anymore.

The pain was too much.

Together, Chan and Minho carried him out of the suite.

Felix stayed beside them.

Talking continuously.

Not because he knew what to say.

Because silence felt worse.

"We're taking you to the hospital."

"Okay?"

"Just hold on."

"We're right here."

Hyunjin didn't answer.

His eyes were closed again.

Small pained sounds slipping out every few breaths.

"Nngh..."

"Ah..."

The elevator ride felt endless.

Then the lobby.

Then outside.

The cool night air hit them.

A vehicle was already waiting.

Chan headed straight for it.

"Back seat."

Minho opened the door.

They eased Hyunjin inside as carefully as possible.

Every movement seemed to hurt.

Every bump.

Every shift.

Felix climbed in beside him immediately.

Hyunjin practically folded in on himself.

One arm locked around his stomach.

Breathing hard.

Minho got into the passenger seat.

Chan slid behind the wheel.

The second the engine started, Chan was already moving.

Fast.

Very fast.

Behind them, the others climbed into a second vehicle.

Changbin.

Han.

Seungmin.

Jeongin.

Nobody was talking anymore.

Nobody was laughing.

The joy from earlier had vanished completely.

Replaced by dread.

As the cars pulled away from the hotel, Felix looked down at Hyunjin.

At his pale face.

At the sweat.

At the way he kept curling tighter every time another wave of pain hit.

And for the first time that night, a terrifying thought crossed Felix's mind.

This wasn't just bad.

This might be serious.

Really serious.

And suddenly the hospital couldn't come fast enough.

The drive felt endless.

Even though Chan was speeding.

Even though the roads were mostly clear.

Even though the hospital wasn't actually that far away.

It still felt endless.

Because every second was another second of watching Hyunjin suffer.

And none of them could do anything about it.

The interior of the car was filled with shallow breathing.

Pained sounds.

And panic.

Lots of panic.

Chan gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

His eyes never left the road.

Not once.

The speedometer climbed higher.

He didn't care.

"How far?" Minho asked.

Chan glanced at the navigation screen.

"Eight minutes."

"Eight minutes?"

The words came out strangled.

Eight minutes sounded impossible.

Too long.

Way too long.

In the backseat, Felix was trying not to panic.

Trying and failing.

Hyunjin was curled against him.

Folded almost completely in half.

One arm wrapped around his abdomen.

The other clutching Felix's sleeve weakly.

Like he didn't even have the strength to hold on properly.

Another wave of pain hit.

Hyunjin gasped.

"Aah—"

His entire body tensed.

Felix immediately leaned closer.

"Hey. Hey, hey. We're almost there."

A lie.

They weren't.

But Felix didn't know what else to say.

Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut.

A strained whimper escaped him.

"Nngh..."

Felix felt sick.

Actually sick.

Because he'd never heard those sounds from Hyunjin before.

Not once.

Not during injuries.

Not during exhausting schedules.

Not during rehearsals.

Never.

And now they just kept coming.

Small broken noises.

Pain-filled sounds that made every person in the car feel helpless.

Chan swallowed hard.

"Hyunjin?"

No response.

Just another groan.

"Hyunjin, stay with us."

A weak nod.

Barely visible.

Minho turned around in his seat.

His face looked pale under the streetlights.

"Look at me."

Hyunjin's eyes opened slightly.

Then immediately closed again.

"Good."

Minho's voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Keep doing that."

Another sharp breath.

Another pained sound.

"Hhk—"

Felix felt tears burning behind his eyes.

No.

No.

He wasn't crying.

Not now.

Not when Hyunjin was the one hurting.

So he pushed the feeling down.

And grabbed Hyunjin's hand instead.

"It's okay."

The words felt ridiculous.

Nothing about this was okay.

But he said them anyway.

"We're here. We've got you. Just hold on a little longer."

Hyunjin's grip tightened weakly.

Then another spike of pain hit.

The reaction was immediate.

His body curled even tighter.

A cry escaped before he could stop it.

"Ahh—!"

Felix flinched.

Chan swore under his breath.

Minho looked away for a second.

None of them could stand hearing him like this.

Because Hyunjin wasn't someone who complained.

He wasn't someone who cried.

He wasn't someone who let people see him vulnerable.

And now he couldn't even hide it.

The pain was tearing straight through every wall he'd built.

Felix brushed damp hair away from his forehead.

"You're okay."

Hyunjin let out a breathless laugh.

Or maybe a sob.

It was hard to tell.

"No..."

The word was barely audible.

Felix's heart broke.

"No?"

Hyunjin shook his head weakly.

"Hurts..."

Felix closed his eyes for a second.

God.

The guilt was crushing him.

He should've stayed.

One of them should've stayed.

Any of them.

Someone.

Anyone.

Instead they'd left him alone.

Left him suffering on a bathroom floor for hours.

Chan seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Because suddenly he spoke.

His voice rough.

"We shouldn't have gone."

Nobody answered.

Because there was nothing to say.

They all knew it.

Minho stared out the windshield.

Jaw clenched.

"If we'd stayed..."

The sentence never finished.

It didn't need to.

The silence said everything.

Another painful sound escaped Hyunjin.

"Nnh..."

Felix squeezed his hand.

"Don't think about that."

Minho looked back at him.

"What?"

"Don't think about that right now."

Felix's voice shook.

"We just need to get him there."

Minho looked away.

But he nodded.

Because Felix was right.

There would be time for guilt later.

Right now they just needed the hospital.

The next few minutes crawled by.

Every red light felt personal.

Every turn felt too slow.

Every second felt wasted.

Then finally—

The hospital appeared.

Bright lights.

Emergency entrance.

People moving in and out.

Chan nearly slammed on the brakes.

"We're here."

The words had barely left his mouth before everyone was moving.

Chan jumped out first.

Minho was right behind him.

Felix carefully let go of Hyunjin's hand.

"We're here. We made it. Okay?"

Hyunjin didn't answer.

His eyes were half closed.

His breathing uneven.

Another weak groan escaped him.

Chan opened the rear door.

The second they tried to move him—

"Aah!"

His entire body jerked.

"I'm sorry."

Chan sounded devastated.

"I'm sorry."

Hyunjin buried his face against his shoulder.

Shaking.

Chan carefully lifted him into his arms.

Felix followed so closely he nearly tripped.

The hospital doors slid open automatically.

Cold air rushed over them.

The emergency department was bright.

The smell of disinfectant filled the air.

Everything seemed to happen at once.

People talking.

Phones ringing.

Machines beeping.

But Chan didn't care about any of it.

He stormed toward the reception desk.

"Help!"

The word echoed across the room.

Several people looked up.

"My friend needs help!"

A nurse immediately stood.

"What happened?"

"He got hit during a concert."

Chan was practically shouting now.

"Hours ago. His stomach— He's been vomiting. He can't stand. He's in a lot of pain."

The nurse's expression changed instantly.

Professional calm.

But urgent.

Very urgent.

"Bring him here."

More staff appeared.

Questions started flying.

"How long ago?"

"Where was the impact?"

"Did he lose consciousness?"

"Any allergies?"

"Any medications?"

Felix tried to answer.

Minho tried too.

Nobody was thinking clearly.

They were all talking over each other.

Then one nurse looked at Hyunjin.

Really looked at him.

At his pale face.

At the sweat.

At the way he was curled around his abdomen.

And whatever she saw made her move faster.

A wheelchair appeared.

Then another staff member.

Then another.

"We're taking him now."

Chan carefully lowered Hyunjin into the chair.

The movement drew another cry from him.

"Aah—"

Felix looked like he might be sick.

The nurse immediately knelt beside Hyunjin.

"Sir, can you hear me?"

A weak nod.

"Good. We'll take care of you."

Hyunjin didn't seem to hear.

Or maybe he was too exhausted to respond.

The staff began pushing him toward the emergency treatment area.

Fast.

Very fast.

Felix instinctively followed.

Only to be stopped.

"You need to wait here."

"What?"

"Please."

"But—"

"We'll come get you."

The doors swung open.

The wheelchair disappeared through them.

And then—

The doors closed.

Just like that.

Leaving Chan.

Felix.

Minho.

And the others who had just arrived.

Standing in the middle of the emergency department.

Staring at the closed doors.

Trying to catch their breath.

Trying not to panic.

And trying not to imagine how bad things had to be for the hospital staff to move that quickly.

++++

The waiting was the worst part.

Not the drive.

Not finding Hyunjin on the bathroom floor.

Not even hearing him cry out in pain.

This.

Sitting outside the emergency department with absolutely no idea what was happening behind those doors.

That was the worst part.

Nobody was talking much anymore.

The adrenaline that had carried them to the hospital was fading.

Leaving only fear behind.

The waiting area was brightly lit.

Too bright.

Machines beeped somewhere in the distance.

Doctors hurried past.

Patients came and went.

The entire hospital continued functioning normally.

Meanwhile, the seven of them felt like their world had stopped.

Chan sat hunched forward in his chair.

Elbows on his knees.

Hands clasped so tightly they hurt.

He hadn't moved in nearly ten minutes.

Felix sat beside him.

Silent.

Which was unusual enough to be alarming on its own.

Minho leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

His expression looked calm.

But everyone knew him too well.

The muscle in his jaw kept twitching.

Changbin was pacing.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Han finally grabbed his sleeve.

"You're making me nervous."

Changbin stopped.

Then immediately started again.

"I can't sit down."

Nobody blamed him.

Jeongin stared at the floor.

Seungmin stared at the doors.

Nobody knew what to say.

Because every possible conversation led to the same thought.

Hyunjin.

Alone.

Somewhere behind those doors.

Hurting.

And none of them could help him.

After several minutes, Han finally broke the silence.

His voice sounded small.

"We shouldn't have left."

Nobody answered.

Not because they disagreed.

Because they agreed too much.

Felix swallowed.

His eyes never left the emergency doors.

"He wanted to stay behind."

The words felt pathetic.

Weak.

Like an excuse.

Because they all knew it wasn't enough.

Chan rubbed a hand over his face.

"He asked us not to worry."

"Yeah," Seungmin said quietly.

"And we listened."

Nobody liked how that sounded.

Changbin stopped pacing.

"How bad do you think it is?"

No one answered immediately.

Because nobody wanted to say it.

Nobody wanted to think it.

Minho finally spoke.

"If it wasn't serious, they would've told us already."

Jeongin looked like he might be sick.

"Don't."

Minho looked away.

The silence returned.

Minutes crawled past.

Five.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Twenty.

Every time the emergency doors opened, all seven heads snapped up instantly.

Every time it was somebody else.

A nurse.

Another doctor.

A patient.

Not Hyunjin.

Never Hyunjin.

Felix kept replaying the image in his head.

Hyunjin curled on the bathroom floor.

Shaking.

Crying out every time the pain hit.

The memory made his stomach turn.

"He was alone."

Nobody responded.

Felix's voice cracked.

"He was alone for hours."

Chan squeezed his eyes shut.

That one hurt.

Because it was true.

Every single one of them had been laughing.

Eating.

Taking pictures.

Walking through Paris.

While Hyunjin had been suffering alone.

None of them knew how to live with that thought.

Then—

The emergency doors opened.

A doctor stepped out scanning the room.

"Family of Hwang Hyunjin?"

All seven were on their feet instantly.

"Yes."

"That's us."

"How is he?"

"What happened?"

"Is he okay?"

The questions crashed together.

The doctor looked serious.

Far too serious.

And suddenly nobody could breathe.

The doctor glanced down at the chart in his hand.

Then back at them.

"We need to take him to surgery immediately."

The world seemed to stop.

Completely.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

For one second the words didn't make sense.

Immediately.

Surgery.

The words bounced around inside Chan's head.

Refusing to connect.

"What?"

Felix whispered it.

The doctor continued.

"We don't have much time."

Panic exploded instantly.

"What do you mean surgery?"

"What happened?"

"How bad is it?"

"What's wrong with him?"

The doctor raised a hand.

Trying to calm them.

It didn't work.

Not even a little.

Chan stepped forward.

"Please."

His voice shook.

"Just tell us what's happening."

The doctor nodded.

Then delivered the sentence that changed everything.

"He's bleeding internally."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Nobody reacted at first.

Because nobody wanted to understand.

Nobody wanted the words to be real.

Internally bleeding.

Changbin blinked.

"What?"

The doctor looked directly at him.

"The impact he sustained earlier caused significant trauma to his abdomen."

A cold feeling spread through Chan's chest.

No.

No.

No.

The doctor continued.

"We performed imaging."

His expression tightened.

"We found a ruptured spleen."

Several of them visibly froze.

Han looked confused.

Jeongin looked terrified.

Felix had gone completely pale.

"A ruptured... what?"

"A ruptured spleen."

The doctor spoke carefully.

"As a result, he's been bleeding internally for several hours."

Several hours.

Several hours.

The words hit like a punch.

Several hours.

While they were eating desserts.

While they were laughing.

While they were taking pictures.

Hyunjin had been bleeding internally.

The realization made Changbin stumble backward.

"Oh my God."

The doctor nodded grimly.

"He's lost a significant amount of blood."

Felix's eyes filled immediately.

"No..."

The doctor looked toward the emergency department.

"We need to operate right now."

"Right now?"

Chan asked.

"Yes. If we don't stop the bleeding—"

He stopped.

But he didn't need to finish.

Everyone understood.

Perfectly.

The fear in the doctor's eyes said everything.

Jeongin looked like he might cry.

"Is he..."

The question got stuck.

The doctor answered anyway.

"He's very sick."

Nobody breathed.

"Can you save him?"

The words came from Han.

Small.

Broken.

The doctor paused.

Then nodded once.

"We're going to do everything we can."

Everything we can.

Not a guarantee.

Not a promise.

Everything we can.

And suddenly the situation became horrifyingly real.

Chan felt sick.

Actually sick.

Because just a few hours ago Hyunjin had been laughing with them.

Arguing with Han.

Throwing cushions.

Smiling.

And now a surgeon was telling them he might die without emergency surgery.

Felix wiped at his eyes.

His hands were shaking.

"Please save him."

The words came out immediately.

Without hesitation.

"Please."

The doctor looked at him.

Felix took another step forward.

"Whatever it costs."

His voice cracked.

"I don't care. Whatever treatment he needs. Whatever surgery. Anything."

Changbin nodded immediately.

"Anything. Seriously. Anything."

Chan's throat felt tight.

"Please."

The single word sounded desperate.

Because it was.

"We don't care about anything else. Just help him. Please."

For a moment the doctor simply looked at them.

Seven terrified young men standing in the middle of a hospital.

Trying not to fall apart.

Then he nodded.

"We're going to try."

It wasn't enough.

But it was all they had.

A nurse appeared beside him.

Holding paperwork.

Talking quickly.

Everything suddenly moved fast.

Very fast.

The medical team was already preparing.

Already mobilizing.

Already racing against the clock.

Then, through the partially open doors, they caught a glimpse of a gurney moving down the hallway.

Just for a second.

Just long enough.

Hyunjin.

His face was pale.

An oxygen mask covered part of it.

IV lines ran from both arms.

Doctors surrounded him.

Moving quickly.

Talking rapidly.

Preparing.

The sight hit all of them like a truck.

Because suddenly it wasn't abstract anymore.

This wasn't a hospital visit.

This wasn't observation.

This wasn't a precaution.

This was life or death.

The doors closed again.

And a few moments later, Hyunjin disappeared toward the operating room.

Leaving seven terrified members behind.

With nothing to do except wait.

And pray that they weren't already too late.

The next few hours passed in complete misery.

Nobody slept.

Nobody even tried.

The waiting room had become their entire world.

A handful of uncomfortable chairs.

A coffee machine nobody touched.

Bright fluorescent lights that never seemed to dim.

And the operating room doors.

Always those doors.

Everyone kept looking at them.

As if staring hard enough would somehow make them open.

Chan sat in the exact same chair he'd chosen hours ago.

He hadn't moved much.

Hadn't spoken much either.

Every now and then someone would hand him a bottle of water.

He'd take a sip.

Then go right back to staring at the floor.

Felix sat beside him.

Curled up in his chair.

Arms folded tightly across his stomach.

Every time the operating room doors opened, he sat up immediately.

Every time it wasn't news about Hyunjin.

Every time disappointment settled over the group again.

Minho looked calm.

Which meant he was probably the most stressed out of all of them.

His leg hadn't stopped bouncing for nearly an hour.

Changbin had worn a path into the floor from pacing.

Han had tried counting ceiling tiles.

That lasted five minutes.

Jeongin looked exhausted.

Seungmin looked sick.

Nobody knew what to do with themselves.

Because there was nothing they could do.

For once, no amount of effort could help.

No amount of worrying could help.

No amount of money or influence or determination could help.

Their friend was in surgery.

And all they could do was wait.

At some point Han spoke quietly.

"Do you think he knew?"

Several heads turned.

"What?" Felix asked.

Han swallowed.

"When we left."

The room went silent.

"He was already really sick."

Nobody answered.

Because the question hurt too much.

Minho finally looked up.

"He probably knew something was wrong."

"Then why didn't he tell us?"

The words came from Jeongin.

Immediately.

Without hesitation.

Almost angry.

And underneath the anger was fear.

A lot of fear.

Nobody blamed him.

Chan rubbed both hands over his face.

"Because he's Hyunjin."

The answer was simple.

Painfully simple.

Everyone understood.

Hyunjin hated worrying people.

Always had.

Even when he was hurting.

Even when he needed help.

He'd smile.

Laugh.

Say he was fine.

Until he couldn't anymore.

The realization made Felix look away.

His eyes stung.

Again.

The waiting room fell quiet.

Then quieter.

Then almost completely silent.

One hour became two.

Two became three.

The clock on the wall continued moving.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Until finally—

The operating room doors opened.

Every single person stood up immediately.

A doctor stepped out.

Still wearing surgical scrubs.

Still wearing a surgical cap.

Looking exhausted.

For a second nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Then Chan was already halfway across the room.

"How is he?"

The doctor stopped.

Looked at all seven of them.

Then nodded.

And suddenly everyone could breathe again.

Just a little.

"The surgery went as well as we could have hoped."

Several shoulders sagged immediately.

Relief.

Tiny.

Fragile.

But there.

Felix nearly sat back down from sheer exhaustion.

The doctor continued.

"We were able to control the major source of bleeding."

More relief.

More shaky breaths.

"We also managed to preserve his spleen."

That got an immediate reaction.

"Really?"

"That's good, right?"

"That's good?"

The doctor hesitated.

And the relief disappeared instantly.

Because everyone noticed.

Immediately.

The hesitation.

The doctor clasped his hands together.

"We were able to save it for now."

For now.

Nobody liked those words.

Not one bit.

Chan's stomach dropped.

"What does that mean?"

The doctor sighed.

Then answered honestly.

"The bleeding has decreased significantly."

Everyone listened carefully.

Hanging on every word.

"But it hasn't stopped completely."

Silence.

The doctor continued.

"At the moment, his condition is stable."

Stable.

Good.

That sounded good.

Until—

"We're monitoring him very closely."

The doctor glanced down at the chart.

"If the bleeding continues."

Nobody breathed.

"We may need another operation."

Felix immediately looked pale again.

Another operation.

No.

No.

No.

The doctor continued.

"If that becomes necessary, we may have to remove the spleen completely."

The words landed like a bomb.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

It felt like all the air had vanished from the room.

Changbin stared.

"Remove it?"

The doctor nodded.

"Only if absolutely necessary."

Han blinked.

"You can just..."

His voice cracked.

"You can just take it out?"

"If we have to."

The doctor wasn't trying to scare them.

He was being honest.

Which somehow felt worse.

Jeongin looked horrified.

"Is that dangerous?"

The doctor nodded slightly.

"A person can live without a spleen."

That should have been reassuring.

It wasn't.

Not even close.

Because nobody wanted Hyunjin to lose an organ.

Nobody wanted him to need another surgery.

Nobody wanted any of this.

Chan swallowed hard.

"So we're not out of danger."

The doctor met his eyes.

"No."

The answer was immediate.

Brutally honest.

"No, not completely."

The room went silent again.

Fear settling back into everyone's chest.

Not as overwhelming as before.

But still there.

Still waiting.

Still refusing to leave.

The doctor softened slightly.

"Right now he's stable."

The word again.

Stable.

It was all they had.

"He's in the intensive care unit."

Felix closed his eyes briefly.

ICU.

Even hearing the words felt unreal.

A few hours ago Hyunjin had been on stage.

Smiling.

Dancing.

Now he was in intensive care.

The doctor glanced between them.

"I know this is difficult."

Nobody laughed.

That was the understatement of the century.

"Can we see him?" Seungmin asked quietly.

The doctor paused.

Then nodded.

"You can."

Instant relief.

Immediately followed by—

"One person."

The relief vanished.

"What?"

"Only one?"

"This is the ICU."

The doctor's tone remained calm.

"There are restrictions."

He looked apologetic.

"But I can't allow all seven of you inside."

Nobody liked that answer.

Not even slightly.

"But—"

"I'm sorry."

The doctor shook his head.

"One visitor."

The group exchanged glances.

Nobody needed to discuss it for very long.

Because the answer was obvious.

Felix looked toward Chan.

So did Minho.

So did everyone else.

Chan blinked.

"What?"

Minho crossed his arms.

"You're going."

Chan looked genuinely surprised.

"No."

"Yes."

Felix nodded immediately.

"You're the leader."

"So?"

"So you're going."

Han pointed.

"Absolutely."

"Without question."

Jeongin nodded.

"Hyung should be the first person there."

Seungmin agreed.

"Definitely."

Chan looked around.

Realizing nobody was changing their mind.

Not a single person.

Eventually he sighed.

A shaky breath.

"Okay."

His voice sounded rough.

Very rough.

"Okay."

The doctor nodded.

Then gestured toward a hallway.

"Come with me."

Chan suddenly felt nervous.

Ridiculously nervous.

More nervous than he'd felt all night.

Because this would be the first time seeing Hyunjin after surgery.

The first time seeing how bad things really were.

And part of him wasn't sure he was ready.

The doctor started walking.

Chan followed.

++++

The ICU was quieter than Chan expected.

Not silent.

Never silent.

Machines hummed softly.

Monitors beeped at regular intervals.

Footsteps echoed occasionally from somewhere down the hallway.

But compared to the chaos of the emergency room, it felt almost unnaturally calm.

The nurse stopped outside one of the rooms.

"He's in here."

Chan nodded.

His throat suddenly felt tight.

The nurse quietly stepped away.

Leaving him alone.

For a moment, Chan simply stood there.

Hand resting on the door handle.

Trying to prepare himself.

Trying to convince himself he was ready.

He wasn't.

Not even close.

Slowly, he pushed the door open.

And immediately wished he hadn't.

Not because it was gruesome.

Not because it was shocking.

Because seeing Hyunjin like this hurt.

A lot.

The hospital bed seemed too big for him.

Too white.

Too sterile.

Hyunjin looked impossibly pale against the sheets.

The color had completely drained from his face.

His lips were nearly colorless.

Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.

His hair was messy from surgery and hours of treatment.

Multiple IV lines disappeared into his arms.

Clear fluids.

Medication.

One bag of blood hung beside the bed.

Half empty.

Still slowly transfusing.

A heart monitor displayed steady green waves.

An oxygen cannula rested beneath his nose.

And then Chan noticed the drain.

A tube emerged from beneath the bandages on the left side of Hyunjin's abdomen.

Attached to a collection chamber partially filled with dark red fluid.

Blood.

The sight made Chan feel dizzy.

Because suddenly everything became real again.

The surgery.

The internal bleeding.

The possibility of losing him.

All of it.

For several seconds he couldn't move.

Couldn't think.

Couldn't breathe properly.

Then he finally forced himself forward.

One step.

Then another.

Until he reached the bedside.

Hyunjin didn't react.

Still asleep.

Still unconscious.

Still frighteningly still.

Chan slowly lowered himself into the chair beside the bed.

The plastic creaked softly.

His eyes never left Hyunjin.

"Hey."

The word came out barely above a whisper.

No response.

Of course.

Chan swallowed.

Then reached for his hand.

Carefully.

As if Hyunjin might break.

His fingers felt cool.

Weak.

Chan wrapped both hands around them anyway.

Trying to provide warmth.

Trying to reassure himself more than anything.

"We're all here."

His voice cracked slightly.

Outside this room, six people were waiting.

Terrified.

Exhausted.

Refusing to leave.

But Hyunjin didn't know that.

So Chan kept talking.

"Everyone's worried about you."

A shaky laugh escaped him.

"You really scared us."

No response.

Only the soft beeping of the monitor.

Chan stared at their joined hands.

Then down at the blanket.

Then at the drain again.

Immediately regretting it.

His chest tightened.

God.

Hyunjin had been bleeding inside for hours.

Hours.

And Chan had been walking around Paris arguing about desserts.

The guilt hit him all over again.

Hard.

His eyes burned.

"Noona would've killed me."

A weak laugh.

Another shaky breath.

"Seriously."

His voice grew quieter.

"We should've stayed."

The words escaped before he could stop them.

"I should've stayed."

Silence.

Chan looked down.

Blinking rapidly.

His vision blurred.

A tear slipped free anyway.

Then another.

He immediately looked away.

Embarrassed despite being completely alone.

"Sorry."

He laughed weakly.

"You're in pain and somehow I'm the one crying."

His voice cracked again.

This time worse.

"I really thought it was just a bruise."

The room remained quiet.

The monitor continued its steady rhythm.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Chan squeezed Hyunjin's hand gently.

"Just wake up, okay?"

A pause.

"We can deal with everything else later."

His throat tightened.

"Just wake up."

Minutes passed.

Maybe twenty.

Maybe thirty.

Chan wasn't paying attention anymore.

At some point he stopped talking.

Simply sitting there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Then—

A small movement.

Chan immediately straightened.

His heart jumped.

"Hyunjin?"

Another movement.

Tiny.

Almost imperceptible.

A slight twitch of his fingers.

Then a faint frown.

Chan was on his feet instantly.

"Hyunjin."

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Hyunjin's eyes opened.

Only halfway.

Everything seemed blurry.

Bright.

Confusing.

The ceiling.

The lights.

The unfamiliar room.

For several seconds he simply stared.

Lost.

Disoriented.

Trying to understand where he was.

Then his gaze found Chan.

"...Hyung?"

The voice was barely audible.

Rough from dehydration and exhaustion.

Relief hit Chan so hard it almost hurt.

"Oh thank God."

His eyes immediately filled again.

No.

Not now.

Quickly he wiped them away.

Before Hyunjin could notice.

Then he forced a smile onto his face.

A gentle one.

A calm one.

The kind leaders learned how to fake.

"Hey."

Hyunjin blinked slowly.

Everything felt strange.

Heavy.

His body didn't seem to belong to him.

His stomach hurt.

His side hurt.

His head hurt.

Even breathing felt difficult.

A confused frown appeared.

"What..."

His voice trailed off.

Chan immediately leaned closer.

"Easy."

"What happened?"

There it was.

The question.

The one Chan had been expecting.

The one he'd been dreading.

Hyunjin shifted slightly.

Immediately regretting it.

Pain shot through his abdomen.

A weak gasp escaped him.

"Aah..."

Chan placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Don't move."

The concern in his voice was impossible to hide.

Hyunjin frowned harder.

The memory slowly returned.

The hotel.

The bathroom floor.

The pain.

The phone.

Then nothing.

"...Hospital?"

"Yeah."

Chan kept his tone light.

As calm as possible.

"You gave us a pretty big scare."

Hyunjin looked confused.

Still groggy.

Still struggling to think.

Chan carefully chose his words.

"You were hurt worse than we thought."

A pause.

"You had some internal bleeding."

Hyunjin stared at him.

Trying to process that.

"They fixed it."

Chan quickly added the next part before panic could appear.

"You're okay."

Another pause.

"You're safe."

The words seemed to help.

A little.

Not completely.

But enough.

Hyunjin relaxed slightly against the pillow.

Still confused.

Still hurting.

But calmer.

His eyelids already looked heavy again.

The medication was pulling him back under.

Chan noticed immediately.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"There he is."

Hyunjin blinked slowly.

"What?"

"Always sleepy."

A weak huff escaped Hyunjin.

Almost a laugh.

Almost.

Then he winced.

Pain.

Chan immediately shook his head.

"No. No laughing."

A tiny smile appeared anyway.

It vanished just as quickly.

Exhaustion was winning.

Chan brushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead.

"You should rest."

Hyunjin looked like he wanted to stay awake.

Wanted answers.

Wanted explanations.

But his eyes were already closing.

"Everyone..."

Chan understood immediately.

"They're here."

The answer came without hesitation.

"All of them."

That seemed to satisfy him.

A faint look of relief crossed his face.

Good.

Chan squeezed his hand gently.

"We'll still be here when you wake up."

Hyunjin gave the tiniest nod.

Then his eyes closed completely.

His breathing slowly evened out.

The tension left his face.

Sleep claimed him again.

Chan remained beside the bed.

Still holding his hand.

Listening to the steady beeping of the monitor.

And for the first time since finding Hyunjin on that bathroom floor—

The fear eased.

Only a little.

But enough to let him breathe.

++++

By the time Chan left the ICU, it was still dark outside.

The hospital hallways were quieter now.

Most visitors had gone home.

The waiting room had emptied considerably.

But not completely.

Because six stubborn idols were apparently incapable of listening.

Chan rounded the corner and immediately found exactly what he'd expected.

Nobody had left.

Not one person.

Felix was curled up sideways across three chairs.

Not asleep.

Just staring blankly at the ceiling.

Minho sat beside him with his arms crossed.

Changbin had somehow managed to sit in the exact same position for nearly an hour.

Seungmin was pretending to read something on his phone.

Pretending being the important word.

Han was nodding off every few minutes.

Then jerking awake immediately afterward.

Jeongin looked exhausted.

All of them did.

Chan stopped walking.

"You're kidding."

Six heads turned toward him.

Felix sat up immediately.

"How is he?"

"What happened?"

"Did he wake up?"

"Did he say anything?"

The questions came all at once.

Chan rubbed a hand over his face.

"He woke up for a little while."

The collective relief was immediate.

Everyone visibly relaxed.

Just a little.

"He did?"

Felix's eyes widened.

"Really?"

Chan nodded.

"He was confused. No surprise there. He was drugged out of his mind."

That earned a few weak laughs.

The first laughs anyone had managed in hours.

Chan dropped into an empty chair.

Then immediately frowned.

"Why are you all still here?"

Nobody answered.

Because everybody knew the answer.

"Guys."

Still silence.

"Seriously."

Chan pointed toward the exit.

"Go back to the hotel."

Immediate protests.

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"Not happening."

"Next question."

Chan stared.

"You all look terrible."

"Look who's talking."

Seungmin didn't even glance up from his phone.

Chan sighed.

"I mean it. We have schedules eventually. We need sleep. We need functioning brains."

Han blinked sleepily.

"I'll sleep when Hyunjin isn't in intensive care."

Nobody argued with that.

That was pretty much how all of them felt.

Minho shrugged.

"I'm staying."

Felix nodded.

"Same."

Changbin folded his arms.

"No chance."

Jeongin looked genuinely offended by the suggestion.

Chan gave up.

Immediately.

There was no winning this argument.

Not tonight.

Or this morning.

Because technically it was already morning.

The hours had slipped by unnoticed.

At some point the sky outside the hospital windows began turning gray.

Then blue.

Then pale gold.

Sunrise.

One member would drift asleep for a few minutes.

Then suddenly wake up.

Disoriented.

Panicked.

Immediately remembering where they were.

Then checking the ICU hallway.

Checking their phones.

Checking for updates.

Over and over again.

Felix fell asleep twice.

Both times lasting less than ten minutes.

The second time he woke so suddenly that he nearly fell out of his chair.

Han laughed weakly.

"You okay?"

"No."

"Fair."

Around seven in the morning, the hospital café finally opened.

Changbin bought coffee for everyone.

Nobody really wanted it.

They drank it anyway.

Around eight, a nurse passed through the waiting area.

Immediately seven heads turned.

The nurse looked startled.

Then kept walking.

Around eight thirty, Jeongin accidentally dozed off.

His head landed directly on Seungmin's shoulder.

Seungmin stared down at him.

Sighed.

And didn't move.

Nobody mentioned it.

The exhaustion was winning.

Slowly.

Relentlessly.

By nine o'clock, everyone felt half dead.

Even Chan.

Especially Chan.

Then—

The ICU doors opened.

Immediately every person in the waiting room looked up.

A doctor stepped out.

The same one from earlier.

The reaction was instant.

Seven people stood up so quickly it was almost impressive.

The doctor actually smiled.

A real smile.

The first one they'd seen from him.

And suddenly hope exploded through the group.

Because doctors didn't smile like that for bad news.

"Good morning."

Nobody returned the greeting.

Chan stepped forward.

"How is he?"

The doctor's smile widened slightly.

"We have good news. The bleeding has stopped."

Silence.

One second.

Two.

Then—

"What?"

Felix's voice cracked.

The doctor nodded.

"The bleeding has completely stabilized."

For a moment nobody moved.

Because after hours of terrible news, their brains didn't know what to do with good news.

Then Han let out a breath.

A huge breath.

"Oh my God."

Changbin physically sat back down.

His legs suddenly giving up.

The doctor continued.

"We monitored him throughout the night. He remained stable. His blood pressure has improved. His lab results look better."

Every sentence felt like a miracle.

Every word made the tension ease a little more.

Chan felt his knees go weak.

"So..."

Minho asked carefully.

"No second surgery?"

The doctor shook his head.

"No second surgery."

Immediate relief.

Visible relief.

Felix actually covered his face with both hands.

"Thank God."

Han looked seconds away from crying.

Again.

Jeongin laughed.

A weird, shaky laugh.

The kind people made when they were overwhelmed.

Seungmin rubbed both hands over his face.

For the first time in hours, his shoulders relaxed.

The doctor glanced at the chart.

"We're going to keep monitoring him."

"Of course."

"But at this point we don't anticipate needing to remove the spleen."

The sentence hit almost as hard as the first good news.

Because all night that possibility had hung over them.

A shadow.

A threat.

Now it was finally fading.

Not completely gone.

But fading.

Chan closed his eyes briefly.

Relief washed through him.

The doctor continued.

"If everything continues as expected, he'll be transferred out of the ICU today."

That got an immediate reaction.

"Really?"

"Today?"

"Already?"

The doctor nodded.

"He still has a long recovery ahead of him."

Nobody cared.

Not right now.

Because compared to where they'd been twelve hours ago—

This was amazing.

The doctor smiled again.

"He got very lucky."

The words settled heavily over the group.

Lucky.

Yes.

Very lucky.

A few more hours.

A little more bleeding.

A little more delay.

Things could have ended very differently.

Nobody wanted to think about that.

Not anymore.

The doctor checked his watch.

"We'll move him to a regular surgical ward later this morning."

Then he left.

And for the first time since arriving at the hospital—

Nobody felt like they were drowning.

Felix immediately collapsed back into his chair.

Laughing weakly.

"I think I aged ten years."

"Twelve."

Minho corrected.

"Minimum."

Han rubbed his eyes.

"I need a week-long nap."

"You need a month-long nap."

"Also true."

Changbin looked toward the ICU hallway.

A small smile finally appearing.

The first real smile anyone had seen from him all night.

"He's going to be okay."

The words felt strange.

Wonderful.

Almost unreal.

But nobody argued.

Because finally—

Finally—

They could believe it.

A few hours later, nurses carefully transferred Hyunjin out of the ICU.

The monitors were fewer now.

The emergency had passed.

The danger had eased.

As his bed rolled down the hallway toward a regular room, seven exhausted members followed behind.

Like an overly protective flock.

Refusing to let him out of their sight.

++++

The surgical ward was significantly quieter than the ICU.

Less intimidating.

Less frightening.

No constant alarms.

No nurses rushing from room to room.

No feeling that disaster could strike at any second.

Just a normal hospital room.

Well.

As normal as a hospital room could be when it contained one recovering idol and seven extremely overprotective members.

Hyunjin was asleep.

Again.

Which wasn't surprising.

Every nurse who entered the room seemed to say the same thing.

"He needs rest."

"Let him sleep."

"Don't exhaust him."

The problem was that Hyunjin had apparently decided to take those instructions very seriously.

Because he kept falling asleep every twenty minutes.

Felix had started counting.

"That's the fourth nap."

"It's eleven in the morning."

"He's making up for lost time."

Han nodded.

"Honestly, relatable."

"You're always asleep."

"Exactly."

The room was calm.

For once.

Everyone was exhausted after the night they'd had.

Nobody had enough energy left for chaos.

Not yet.

Hyunjin shifted slightly in bed.

Immediately grimaced.

Then settled again.

The movement wasn't dramatic.

But everyone noticed.

Every single one of them.

Because they were watching him like nervous parents.

Minho sighed.

"He looks annoyed."

"He always looks annoyed."

"Fair point."

Several minutes later Hyunjin slowly opened his eyes.

Again.

This time they stayed open.

For longer than thirty seconds.

Progress.

He blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then frowned at the ceiling.

As though trying to remember where he was.

The memories seemed to arrive slowly.

Hospital.

Surgery.

Pain.

Unfortunately, definitely pain.

A quiet hiss escaped him.

"Agh..."

Immediately seven heads snapped toward him.

The reaction was so synchronized it would've been funny under different circumstances.

Hyunjin stared.

"...Why are all of you looking at me like that?"

Felix nearly launched himself out of his chair.

"YOU'RE AWAKE."

Hyunjin flinched.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

Felix sat back down.

Chan stood from his chair.

"How are you feeling?"

Hyunjin thought about it.

"Like I got stabbed."

The room went silent.

Then Han nodded.

"I mean... Technically?"

"Han."

"What?"

"Not helping."

"Sorry."

Hyunjin laughed.

Immediately regretted it.

The laugh turned into a wince.

His hand instinctively moved toward his abdomen.

"Oww."

Chan immediately leaned forward.

"Don't laugh."

"You're literally making me laugh."

"That's your fault."

"How?"

"I don't know."

The answer made no sense.

Nobody cared.

Because he was talking.

Actually talking.

And suddenly the room felt brighter.

Lighter.

Alive again.

For a few moments everyone simply watched him.

Making sure he was really awake.

Really okay.

Really here.

Then Felix's smile faded slightly.

The mood shifted.

Just a little.

"Hyunjin."

Something in his voice made Hyunjin look up.

Felix swallowed.

Then looked away.

"We're sorry."

The room immediately became quiet.

Hyunjin blinked.

"What?"

Changbin rubbed the back of his neck.

"We shouldn't have left."

Hyunjin groaned.

Actually groaned.

Not from pain this time.

"Oh my God."

Chan looked guilty.

"We should've noticed."

"No."

"We should have."

"No."

Minho spoke next.

"You were bleeding internally."

Hyunjin sighed.

"How was that your fault?"

"We left you alone."

"You didn't know."

"We still left."

"You didn't know."

The conversation was rapidly becoming epetitive.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes.

Then instantly regretted the movement because apparently even rolling his eyes hurt.

Life was unfair.

"Guys."

Nobody looked convinced.

"Seriously."

Still nothing.

"Seriously."

Chan opened his mouth.

Hyunjin pointed weakly at him immediately.

"Don't."

Chan closed his mouth.

Everyone laughed.

Including Chan.

Hyunjin looked around the room.

At all of them.

Looking exhausted.

Looking stressed.

Looking like they hadn't slept all night.

Because they probably hadn't.

The realization softened his expression.

"You idiots."

Han looked offended.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"We stayed because we care."

"I know."

"Then why are we idiots?"

"Because you all look terrible."

"That's rich coming from you."

"Fair."

Hyunjin accepted that immediately.

He probably looked awful.

The nurses kept showing him reflections accidentally.

It wasn't encouraging.

Jeongin suddenly pointed.

"You scared us."

Hyunjin looked guilty.

"A little."

"A little?"

Felix repeated.

"A LITTLE?"

"Okay. Maybe more than a little."

"Hyung."

"What?"

"I thought you were dying."

The room fell quiet again.

The joke disappeared immediately.

Hyunjin's smile faded.

Because Jeongin sounded genuinely upset.

And maybe a little traumatized.

Which was understandable.

Hyunjin reached over carefully.

Very carefully.

Everything still hurt.

His side especially.

The incision.

The bruising.

The general existence of his abdomen.

All terrible.

But eventually he managed to poke Jeongin's arm weakly.

"I'm sorry."

Jeongin looked away.

Still upset.

Still emotional.

But slightly less so.

Mission accomplished.

For a while they simply talked.

Nothing important.

Nothing serious.

Just normal things.

Concert memories.

Fan signs.

The terrible souvenir Changbin bought.

The even worse pastries Han dropped on the floor.

The fact that Felix had nearly cried when the doctor smiled.

"I did not."

"You absolutely did."

"I did not."

"You did."

"Hyung."

"You cried."

Felix looked betrayed.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Not yours."

"Rude."

More laughter.

Real laughter.

The kind they hadn't heard since before the concert.

The kind that made the room feel normal again.

Almost.

Not completely.

Hyunjin was still pale.

Still weak.

Still hurting.

Every now and then a flicker of pain crossed his face.

Every now and then he shifted carefully.

Trying not to aggravate his abdomen.

Trying not to pull at the surgical site.

Trying not to look as tired as he felt.

But he was improving.

Little by little.

Minute by minute.

And everyone could see it.

Eventually a nurse entered.

Took one look at the room.

Then at Hyunjin.

Then at the seven members surrounding him.

"Okay."

Nobody liked that tone.

"You need rest."

Collective groans.

The nurse pointed at Hyunjin.

"You."

Then pointed at the others.

"And especially you."

Minho immediately stood.

"She's kicking us out."

"She's definitely kicking us out."

"She's absolutely kicking us out."

The nurse smiled.

"I am."

Hyunjin grinned.

Immediately wincing afterward.

Worth it.

Completely worth it.

As the members slowly gathered their things, Chan paused beside the bed.

"You scared us."

Hyunjin smiled softly.

This time more carefully.

"Sorry."

Chan squeezed his shoulder gently.

Then smiled back.

"Don't do it again."

"I'll try."

"That's not reassuring."

"It shouldn't be."

"Hyunjin."

The room erupted into laughter one final time.

And as the members reluctantly followed the nurse out of the room, Hyunjin watched them go.

Still exhausted.

Still hurting.

Still nowhere near fully recovered.

But alive.

Surrounded by people who cared.

People who stayed.

People who refused to leave.

And for the first time since the concert in Paris—

Everything was going to be okay.