Step-brothers ||BTS FF

Chapter 41

"Good morning, my dearest," Seokjin chirped, flashing a delightful smile as he glanced toward the stairs when he heard her soft footsteps brushing against the tiled floor.

His smile faltered as he saw her standing there, looking far from fresh and healthy.

She had lost quite a bit of weight over the past few days, to the point where her rib bones were almost visible.

She had chosen not to dwell on it too much because her pre-finals were fast approaching, and she didn't want anything to interfere with her goal of getting into her dream college.

To avoid drawing attention, she began wearing oversized hoodies and loose clothing so her family wouldn't notice and make a big deal out of it. They tended to panic over even the smallest scratch.

However, today, she looked worse than ever.

"Oh my—are you okay?" Seokjin asked, approaching her with concern in his eyes.

"No," she replied in a barely audible voice. "I'm thirsty." He could swear he had heard her say that far too many times lately, too many to count.

"Okay, take a seat on the couch; I'll ask the kitchen staff to bring you some water," he said, gently guiding her to the living room and helping her sit on the couch.

"Can I please have some juice instead?" she whined, refusing to sit down.

"Y/n, you don't look well. Maybe just have some water now," he insisted, sitting beside her and signaling one of the kitchen staff to bring some water.

"Juice," she continued to whine.

Seokjin was shocked by her abnormal behavior and touched her forehead to check if what he was thinking was true.

"I can't tell if your forehead is hot or my hand is too cold. I'm going to get a thermometer," he said. She leaned her head against the couch as he stood up and left to fetch it.

Feeling her head being squeezed wickedly, she swallowed hard, trying to keep the bile down, but the sour taste in her mouth told her it was a losing battle.

Choosing not to sit still, she stumbled to the bathroom, her vision blurring with each step. The lights seemed too bright, piercing her eyes like needles. She fumbled for the switch and turned them off, preferring the dim glow of the nightlight.

Kneeling in front of the toilet, her stomach convulsed. She retched, the violent motion sending sharp stabs of pain through her head. Her body heaved again, and she vomited, the sour liquid burning her throat.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the headache seemed to tighten its grip with every heave, making her want to scream, but even the thought of noise made her wince.

Seokjin returned with the thermometer in hand but was surprised not to find her there. He was about to call out when he heard a worried male voice, presumably one of his brothers, as they were the only other men in the house while their parents were away at work.

Following the voice, he walked down the dimly lit hallway and heard the sound of retching from the bathroom. His heart sank, and he quickened his pace, pushing the door open with urgency.

Inside, he saw Y/n hunched over the toilet, her face pale and contorted in pain. Beside her was Namjoon, kneeling on the cold tile floor, one hand gently rubbing Y/n's back and the other holding a damp washcloth to her forehead.

Y/n looked barely able to keep herself upright. Her skin was clammy, her hair matted to her forehead with sweat. Each heave seemed to drain her energy, leaving her gasping for breath between bouts of vomiting. Her eyes, glassy and red-rimmed, met Seokjin's briefly before another wave of nausea hit her.