Don't Blame Me || Jeongcheol

Chapter 16

Haneul's eyes widened, his face growing pale and worried. He clutched the stuffed tiger tighter, his small hands digging into the soft fur. "Is he going to be okay...?" he asked, his voice shaky and scared.

Seungcheol bit his lip, trying to keep his expression neutral. He didn't want to scare Haneul any more than necessary, but he also didn't want to give him false hope. "The doctors are doing everything they can to help him. He's stable, but he hasn't woken up yet."

Haneul's face fell, his small shoulders slumping. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, his bottom lip trembling. "When will he wake up...?" he asked, his voice small and wobbly.

Seungcheol felt a pang of sympathy and pity in his chest at the sight of Haneul's sadness and fear. He wanted nothing more than to be able to give him a definite answer, to promise that Jeonghan would definitely wake up and be okay.

But he couldn't do that. The truth was that the doctors didn't know when or even if Jeonghan would wake up.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, kiddo," he admitted, his voice soft and tired. "The doctors aren't sure. We just have to wait and see."

As soon as the first tear rolled down Haneul's cheek, the dam seemed to break. He burst into tears, sobs wracking his small body as he clutched the tiger plushie tightly against his chest.

The members all looked stunned and worried as they watched Haneul cry. None of them had ever seen a child cry with such raw, heartbroken emotion.

Seungcheol felt a lump form in his throat as he watched Haneul sob. He had never been good with crying children, and he didn't know what to do to comfort or soothe Haneul. He felt helpless and awkward as he stood there, watching the child's small body shake with sorrow.

The other members looked just as helpless and unsure. They knew they should do something to help Haneul, but they had never been in a situation like this before. The only one who seemed to be any kind of comfort was Hoshi, who was kneeling beside Haneul and patting his back awkwardly.

Hoshi looked up at the other members, his expression panicked and pleading. "What do we do?" he whispered, his voice filled with worry. "He's crying so hard we have to do something."

Nobody had any answers. They all stood there, feeling useless and helpless as they watched Haneul cry his heart out. It seemed like he would never stop, his small body shaking and shuddering with each sob.

Seungcheol watched Haneul cry, feeling a pang of helplessness and anxiety in his chest. He had never been particularly good at comforting or dealing with emotional situations, and he felt utterly out of his depth.

"Hoshi," he said, his voice firm but surprisingly gentle. "Go get him some water."

Hoshi nodded, standing up quickly and heading for the kitchen. The other members looked at each other, unsure of what to do or say. They could all hear Haneul's sobs, and it tugged at their hearts.

Without thinking, Seungcheol moved forward and knelt down beside Haneul. His heart was beating fast in his chest, and his palms were sweaty. He wasn't sure what he was doing, or why he was doing it. He just knew that he couldn't stand there and watch Haneul cry any longer.

He gingerly reached out and placed his hand on Haneul's back, wincing inwardly at how small and vulnerable the child felt. He began to rub small, gentle circles against Haneul's back, hoping that it might provide some measure of comfort.

The other members watched in surprise as Seungcheol kneeled down beside Haneul and began to rub his back. They had never seen their leader act so tenderly and gently with anyone before, let alone a small child.