9th Member | Stray Kids <3

59 / Overwork

Summer spent all her time practicing. New dances, singing, everything for their comeback. She felt like she was missing something. She felt like everything she was doing was wrong. She felt like she couldn't even think straight. She was so excited for this comeback too, her hair was even dyed a light pink now, a color she'd wanted to do for years. Yet everything still felt wrong. It was 2 in the morning. She had been at JYP since 10 am, 16 hours. Of course she'd stopped to have a snack here or there or drink some water of coffee, she went home once to feed her cat but she was in and out like a ghost, but this was just a normal day to her recently. She started to lose weight too. Not like anyone really noticed due to her always wearing massive clothes, but she could tell. She kept telling herself once she got it, once she could do it perfectly she could go eat as much as she wanted. But she never became content with her work.

"Where's Summer?" Jeongin and Seungmin walked into the living room.

"She's still at JYP." Felix replied. He, Hyunjin and Chan were all watching something on their television.

"It's late and needs to come home." Seungmin said.

"Believe me we've tried to get her to come home she either says no or she won't answer." Chan said. "I don't know what's happening with her."

"She's overworking herself that's what's happening." Hyunjin stood up, "Let's go get her."

"I don't know if she'll want us to go get her." Jeongin said quietly, "She doesn't like to depend on other people. She wants us to depend on her but she doesn't want to depend on us. She's very independent and if we go to get her she's going to feel weak which could just make it worse."

"But she can depend on us." Chan said.

"But she doesn't want to. She wants to be perfect for us so we can depend on her. That's why she's working so hard." He responded.

"But we need to show her that she can't do this to herself. Even if it's not what she wants we're a family and we rely on one another. And it's okay to feel weak. No one can be strong all the time." Hyunjin said, "I'm going."

———

"5 6 7 8 1 2- Oh my god." She threw her arms up as she stopped dancing. She went over to the front of the room where her water was and just sat there for a bit, trying not to cry. Why was everything not working all the sudden? She was losing it. She sat there with an emotionless face while tears fell down her cheeks. She laid down, using her sweatshirt as a pillow and looked up at the ceiling. What if she couldn't keep up anymore? What if she would get kicked out? What if she was going to lose it all? She laid there for a second more before slapping herself out of it and getting back to work. It was nearing 3 by now.

———

"Is anyone else coming?" Hyunjin asked as he put on his shoes.

"It would be better if just one or two of us goes." Jeongin spoke.

"I'll go." Chan got up and put on his shoes too.

"Keep us updated please." Felix said with a worried tone.

"I'll text you when we get there and what the situation is." Chan said.

"Thank you." Seungmin has a small smile on his face. Him and Jeongin stayed with Felix on the couch. They all didn't want to talk, they just waited around for a text.

———

Everytime she messed up she'd start the music over. Not giving herself a chance to even think in between. Occasionally she'd record herself when she thought she'd finally gotten it just to nitpick a certain detail that made her start that whole process all over again.

Channie: We're here. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bokkie: Thank you. Goodluck

"Summer?" Hyunjin bursted into the room.

"Hyunjin? What the hell are you doing here?" She gasped, she looked mad.

"It's time to go home Summer." Chan stepped in the room.

"Chan? What going on?" She asked.

"Do you know what time it is Summer? It's nearly three in the morning you've been here for like 17 hours. You need to come home." Hyunjin ordered.

"No. I'll go home when I get this right." She insisted.

"You can get it right tomorrow. You aren't losing time by taking care of yourself and sleeping. You need that more than you need practice in fact. And what about your cat?" Chan walked over to her.

"I fed her at like 7. And you're one to talk, you pull all nighters here all the time Chan. If I need to take better care of myself so do you. I'll be home at 5 how's that?" She tried to bargain with them. Chan was taken aback by her comment a little.

"No." Hyunjin said, "You're overworking yourself for no reason Summer. You have this choreography down. There's no need for you to spend days here practicing by yourself." He told her.

"Maybe it's because I automatically need to work harder to be here. I'm not like you guys. People hate me because i'm not fit for this group, or because I don't look good with you guys because i'm a girl. So I need to work harder to look like you all." She wasn't yelling, but she was definitely upset, "People already love you all. I still need to earn that."

"Don't let some stupid haters on the internet get to you. Have you heard literally everyone saying how you're making history, breaking stereotypes, people love you Haeun. Everything you do. Don't let some stupid jealous people dictate what you need to do." As Chan spoke tears started to fill up in her eyes.

"Of course I know that. That's like the number one rule to being famous."

"Do you know that? Because when people got to you before your ITZY debut you left." Hyunjin said, "And now you're letting those same people dictate you in this group."

"Don't you dare bring what happened with ITZY into this Hyunjin." Tears fell down her face, "You know damn well why I left. If you're going to act like this why would I want to come home?" She yelled at him.

"Haeun he didn't-" Chan got cut off.

"I'm just looking out for you, I care about you I'm worried Haeun." Hyunjin said.

"Well then maybe don't be such an asshole while you're worrying about me." She crossed her arms, "Goodnight you two i'm not going home." She crossed her arms as she went back to her phone at the front of the room to play the music again.

"Please co-"

"Goodnight." She told them without even turning to look at them. Maybe if she turned around she would have noticed Hyunjin crying, maybe she would have felt bad and comforted him, but she didn't. Chan nodded to Hyunjin, signifying that they needed to leave.

Channie: She's not coming home

Bokkie: What? She has to

Channie: We'll tell you when we get home.

"Oh my god." Seungmin said.

"Maybe I could go talk to her." Jeongin said, "Maybe I can help."

"This is bad guys." Felix said as he held his phone, "What do we do?"

"I'm going first thing in the morning." Jeongin said, "The only other person allowed to come is Seungmin." He said firmly, "She'll talk to us. She just needs some space."

"I think that's a good idea." Felix agreed, "I'll text Chan."

Bokkie: Seungmin and Jeongin are going to talk to her tomorrow, we'll give her some space for a bit

Channie: Okay I think those two will definitely help her.

As soon as Chan and Hyunjin left she broke down. She kneeled on the floor with her hands covering her face as she cried, did Hyunjin really think she was weak? Did he really think that? She just wanted to lay in her bed. But there was no going home now. She practiced the rest of the night. Until 6 in the morning, when she finally fell asleep on the floor.

A/N: Adding some more drama in because i feel like it tehe