ATEEZ ONESHOTS [BXB]

- No More Goodbyes -

TBE
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3ʀᴅ ᴘᴏᴠ
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✎...

Yeosang's brows drew together in a tight knot, his gaze flicking toward the dimly lit hallway. The soft click of a door shutting still echoed faintly in the silence. His voice came out low, barely more than a whisper, but the tension threaded through it was unmistakable. "How's he doing?"

His eyes lingered on the closed door Wooyoung had slipped behind, the faint sound of footsteps now distant. The weight of his concern hung in the room like a heavy cloud, unspoken but palpable.

Seonghwa, sprawled on the couch, let out a long, weary sigh. He pushed a hand through his hair, fingers briefly tangling in the strands before his arm fell limp at his side. His head lolled back against the cushions, and for a moment, his eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought. "He's still sad," he murmured, the words thick with helplessness. "But... at least he's sleeping now."

The quiet stretched out, settling uncomfortably between them, broken only by the soft shuffle of Yunho shifting where he sat perched on the couch's arm. His lips pressed into a thin line, eyebrows knitting into a deep frown, the kind that made his usually bright eyes look shadowed and distant. His voice, when it came, carried a note of sadness that none of them had been able to shake since earlier that night. "It doesn't feel right," he said, almost as if to himself. "He's always so... full of energy, especially with his birthday coming up. But now..." He trailed off, his gaze dropping to the floor as if searching for answers in the pattern of the rug. "He's just... shut down."

Yeosang's hands tightened in his lap, his knuckles paling as he stared down at his fingers. "What could be wrong?" His voice, though soft, cut through the silence like a dull blade. The question hung in the air, unanswerable, but it echoed the thoughts weighing heavily on everyone's mind.

For a moment, no one spoke. The stillness of Wooyoung's living room was deafening, filled only with the faint hum of the refrigerator in the adjoining kitchen. Each of them sat there, lost in their own thoughts, combing through the night's events, replaying conversations, glances, anything that might explain the sudden shift in Wooyoung's mood.

It didn't make sense. Wooyoung wasn't the type to retreat into himself like this. He was the life of every gathering, the one who made them laugh until their sides ached, who filled the room with warmth and laughter. And yet tonight, something had changed, and none of them could figure out why.

Flashback——

The night started off promising, with laughter echoing through the cozy, upscale restaurant as the six friends took their seats. Soft candlelight danced across their faces, and Yunho, ever the playful one, nudged Wooyoung's arm, hoping to see the usual bright grin spread across his face. They were starting with the first thing they planned to do for Wooyoungs birthweek, But something in Wooyoung's eyes didn't sparkle the same way. He smiled back, but it was faint, almost like a mask, and it sent a small shiver of unease through Yunho. He watched, feeling something stir in his gut—something wasn't right.

The others were too caught up in the banter to notice at first. Seonghwa had teased Jongho about his straight-laced demeanor, and even Yeosang had thrown in a sarcastic comment, rare but perfectly timed. Hongjoong, always with a sharp wit, guided the conversation effortlessly, making sure no one was left out. But as the evening unfolded, Wooyoung's responses grew quieter, clipped, as if he were elsewhere entirely. He chuckled at the jokes but never quite joined in.