Chapter Text
The rehearsal room lights were too bright.
Everything felt sharper during award show rehearsals. The music louder, the timing tighter, the staff more watchful.
They had done this choreography hundreds of times.
The move came near the end.
Jungwon dropped to one knee, head slightly bowed as part of the formation. Behind him, Jay was supposed to leap forward, one leg sweeping cleanly over Jungwon’s head before landing smoothly on the beat.
It was precise.
It had to be.
“From the top!” the choreographer called.
The music blasted again.
They moved in sync. Sharp, controlled, familiar.
Jungwon hit his mark.
Knee down.
Head lowered.
The jump came.
But this time—
The timing was half a second off.
A shoe clipped his temple.
The impact wasn’t loud.
It was solid.
A dull, sickening thud.
Jungwon’s vision flashed white.
For a split second, the world went silent.
Then the bass came crashing back.
His body swayed before he could stop it.
The floor titled.
No.
Not Now.
The music kept going.
Jay turned mid-landing.
Jungwon’s posture wavered.
“Stop!” Jay shouted before anyone else reacted.
The music cut instantly.
The sudden silence was worse.
Jungwon blinked hard, forcing the room to settle. His ears rang like feedback through a broken mic. The fluorescent lights above felt like knives.
“You okay?” He heard someone asked.
“I’m fine,” he said automatically.
He wasn’t.
The floor felt like it was tilting.
Jay was already crouching beside him. “You’re not fine. Don’t move.”
Sunghoon’s voice was tight. “Did it hit your head?”
Jungwon tried to nod.
Big mistake.
The dizziness surged, sharper this time.
His stomach dropped.
What if he blacked out?
His hand shot out to grab the floor before he tipped sideways.
Heeseung was suddenly there too, one hand firm on his shoulder. Steady. Grounding.
“Hey. Look at me.”
Jungwon focused on him – or tried to. Heeseung’s face blurred at the edges, like a camera refused to focus.
Jay’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might crack his ribs.
“I was too close,” he said hoarsely. “I didn’t clear him properly.”
“It’s not your fault,” Jungwon managed, even though his head throbbed with every heartbeat.
He hated this.
The way his body wouldn’t cooperate.
The way everyone had stopped moving because of him.
They were days away from the award show.
They couldn’t afford injuries.
Staff rushed over.
“Did you black out?”
“No,” Jungwon answered quickly. Too quickly.
“Does it hurt?”
Jungwon swallowed. The motion alone made his vision ripple.
“…A little dizzy.”
Jay’s stomach dropped.
“Dizzy?” Sunghoon repeated, already sounding like he didn’t like the answer.
“The lights are… kind of bright,” Jungwon added softly.
That was it.
“We’re going to the hospital,” the manager said firmly.
“It’s not that serious,” Jungwon protested weakly.
Jay tightened his grip around Jungwon’s arm.
“Don’t argue.”
His voice was shaking.
Jungwon stilled.
He looked at Jay — really looked at him —
and saw it.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Fear.
“Hyung,” Jungwon murmured softly, “it was an accident.”
Jay’s jaw clenched. “I know.”
But knowing didn’t make it feel better.
When Jungwon tried to stand fully, his knees dipped.
The room tilted violently to the left.
Strong hands caught him before he hit the floor.
That was enough.
The staff didn’t hesitate after that.
They moved fast.
And for the first time since the impact, Jungwon let himself stop pretending he was fine.