Stray Kids | Sickfics

Breathe | Minho

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a/n:

-requested by YansephShipper_08

-hope it's to your liking!

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Jisung's pov

"Why are you awake this early?"

I blinked into Minho's direction while trying to suppress a yawn. I checked my phone once again to make sure that I hadn't overslept.

"Min! We don't have practice before 10."

I pouted as I didn't reveive an answer. He just continued putting on his shoes and packing his sports bag before letting out a sigh.

A sigh? Did this man just sigh on me?

With a huff I rolled out of bed, my vision darkening as I stood up too fast.

"You should go back to sleep."

Oh wow. He speaks.

"Not before you answer me."

Slowly, I was getting impatient. Was it so hard to speak? Was it so hard to tell me?

"You're being insanely mysterious right now and it's too early for me to deal with that. Do you want me to follow you so I know where you are going? Do you want that?"

I pecked his shoulder in hope he would look at me.

"Yah, Jisung, I'm just going to the dance studio!" He turned around, giving me this undefinite expression that I couldn't quite decipher. He looked deadly tired; that much was clear. The dark circles under his eyes, the paleness of his face and the sluggish way he moved all painted a vivid picture of exhaustion.

if I hadn't known it better, I would have forced him back into his bed but we were all aware that Minho wasn't of one who easily succumbed to rest or relinquished control.

"Why so early? Don't you think it's a little too much? I noticed that my tone went from being annoyed to being concerned in just seconds.

"I just want to warm up in peace. See you later."

He was already out of the door before I could reply. Tchs.

For a moment I considered following him to the studio so I could at least make sure he wouldn't overdo it, but giving it a second thought, Minho was a grown ass adult and knew what his body could and could not handle.

If he thinks that he can compensate whatever has been going on lately by overworking himself to the point of complete exhaustion, then let it be. I'll leave him in peace with that but I can still worry about him.

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Minho's pov

As I walked towards the dance studio, a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. Something felt off today, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. My breaths came a little shorter than usual, each inhalation feeling like a shallow sip of air.

But I pushed the nagging feeling aside, brushing it of as mere exhaustion from our hectic schedule. We had a lot going on, flying from one country to another, performing everyday for one week straight. It was tiring, very tiring and it took a toll on us all. We came back from our tour in Japan just two days ago and yet we were back into training again.

It was managable in the past, it should be managble now if there wasn't this...stupid diagnosis. Before going to Japan, we all had to do a health check-up as always. It was a mandatory thing and for most of us it was nothing more than a short talk with the doctor.

This time however, my lungs showed very low levels of oxide when breathing and together with my chest pain it was clear that I had asthma. They tested me for every allergy, for every cause that could have possibly led to the state I was in now. All they found was that it probably won't get any better. As a dancer and singer, where you obviously strain your body and voice, you shouldn't really have any disease that could restrict your capacity even the smallest bit.

That's why I kept it to myself and tried to hide it as much as I could. I didn't want them to see me as weak or burdened with this condition. I didn't want their worry or pity. I wanted to be seen as strong, as capable.

So it was only logical for me to train before the actual training starts. This way, I thought I could improve my stamina.

After two hours of going through a new choreography, I was everything but satisfied. My breathing was particularly bad today but I didn't want to use my inhalator. I was scared that if I'll use it too often, I will become dependent on it.

At 10 am the others were slowly arriving at the studio. While warming up, I noticed Jisung giving me concerned looks which just added to my stress.

"Minho? You look a bit pale, are you okay?

Was it that obvious? With a determined nod, I forced a smile and replied.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

Chan studied me for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed, but he ultimately accepted my response.

"Alright, just let me know if you need a break or anything, yeah?"

I nodded again, knowing that I would never ever ask for a break.

As the music started, I joined the others, dancing with all might. I tried to hide my struggle, taking small breaks whenever I could, but it wasn't enough. With each movement, a subtle tightness gripped my lungs, as if they were contricting, refusing to expand fully. But I didn't want to acknowledge it. I didn't want to admit that my own body was betraying me, that my breaths were no longer as effortless as they used to be. I couldn't afford to appear weak, not infront of my talented, hardworking groupmates.

I stole glances at the others, their flawless execution of the choreography, their unwavering stamina. I admired their resilience, their ability to power through any obstacle. But a part of me felt isolated as if I were dancing on fringes, struggling to keep pace.

My lungs burned and each breath became a battle. I couldn't keep up the act any longer. I desperately tried to catch my breath, my hands resting on my knees, but it was never enough. I felt like I was drowning on dry land, gasping for relief that seemed to elude me.

It was during on of those breaks that my facade finally crumbled. I couldn't hide it anymore. The struggle became too overwhelming, too consuming. I didn't know if I was still standing or not because my vision was clouding. I could vaguely sense Chan, Jisung and the others frantic talking.

The only thing I was able to do was to point to my bag, my voice barely a whisper as I managed to utter the words, "Inhaler...in my bag."

The truth spilled out, and with it came a mix of relief and fear.

...

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a/n:

this is like one of the worst I've written so far

sorry for the late update, I kinda had a lot going on with uni and stuff and I'm back into my studying phase

anyways, I'm taking a small break from writing so I can really focus on my studies. I hope I'll have more time soon! I also can't wait to share something I've been working on recently. Stay prepared for the future!

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