Subtle Differences | Junhao oneshots

Scare

"I don't know if I can do this," Junhui hesitated, staring down from the big staircase prop that stood 2 meters high into the sky, making him tower over his members, who gazed up at him expectedly and slightly impatiently. For nearly half an hour they had been practising this part for the new music video they were set to film in a week's time, where Junhui had to run up that flight of staircase, turn dramatically, and fall backwards into his members' outstretched arms. His hesitation did not stem from the fact that he did not trust them to catch him, but that he was scared of heights, and having only practiced falling from a chair onto a thick mattress, the upgrade to the actual prop brought shivers to his spine.

Not to mention only five members (albeit the more built ones) shielded him from a potential collision with the rock-hard practice room floor and a concussion that would most definitely follow. 

Cold air filled his lungs and quickly squeezed them dry again as he took a deep breath, contesting the fear that started slithering into the back of his chest. Run, turn, fall, it's that simple, he assured himself internally. "Should we take a break first, then continue?" Jeonghan's voice suddenly rang out amidst the silence, causing a ripple of laughter and jokes to surface. The older was known for being the most energy-lacking within their group, which made the rest of the members tease him, thinking that was the reason why he requested for a water break. Junhui, however, knew better. From across the room, he had already spotted Jeonghan looking at him with concern. 

"Even Jeonghan has done this before, there's no reason why you should be scared," Junhui mumbled to himself under his breath. 

He turned around on the spot as Mingyu, Seungcheol, Hoshi, Dokyeom and Joshua gathered in place below the staircase prop, legs bent and ready to catch him at any time. Closing his eyes, Junhui counted to three slowly before letting himself tip backwards exactly as their instructor had taught him countless times, back straight and upright. He felt as though he was floating in the sky for two seconds, before his back and legs made contact with his members' arms in a surprisingly... soft landing.

"See, wasn't too bad was it?" Mingyu smirked at him, seemingly pleased to see someone else scared of heights for once. "Oh shut up," Junhui made a face. Despite his outer calmness, his heart was beating rather fast, and his palms were much sweatier than usual. Their instructor called for a short water break, before they practiced this entire part with music. As Junhui sat to drink water, a familiar warmth huddled beside him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Minghao asked in a soft tone. Junhui nodded, truthfully a bit ashamed that he was making such a big deal out of a simple stunt. He knew Minghao could sense the fear just by the way he was searching Junhui's lowered eyes. "Okay well, you know they'll always catch you no matter what. And if anything happens, I'll be right there hm?" Minghao pat his knee lightly, comforting Junhui the same way he had been all these years together. The warmth flooded through the older's heart, and he instantly felt more confident to execute the stunt. 

Not long later, the members assembled back in the middle of the practice room, Junhui standing a distance away from the staircase and staring at it with such intensity it looked like he was sizing it up. Once the instructor hit play on the laptop, music blasted through the speakers, and almost like synchronised robots, each member immediately went into the tough choreography. 

As the music slowed down in rhythm, Junhui's mind went blank except for one thought: making it up the stairs. He threw himself forward, truly as if they were filming the music video, and pulled himself up each staircase, all the way till he reached the very top where for a split moment time itself in the practice room seemed to stop, everything and everyone pausing and looking at him. 

With one last push in his sore thighs, his foot landed at the very edge of the last step, teetering downwards. And that was when his ankle gave out. 

Junhui did not know what happened, but he just knew for a few moments he was in the sky, then he wasn't. He landed with his ankle beneath the crushing weight of his own body, and his right knee contorted in the most excruciating position. Afterward, the black spots started forming in his vision. But the most painful of them all, was his leg. It burned. An electrifying, antagonizing pain shot up from his ankle, passing through his lower leg and finally ending near his mid thigh. He had never felt the sensation before. It might as well have been no different from dipping his leg in a cauldron of lava.