Shattered Silence

The Breaking Point

One night, after a particularly rough day of practice, Riwoo found himself sitting alone in the dorm's living room. The lights were dim, casting long shadows across the room. He could hear the soft breathing of the other members from their rooms, the sound of the city outside the window. But all Riwoo chould focus on was the weight in his chest, the overwhelming sense of failure that wouldn't go away.

He didn't even notice the tears until they started falling, warm streaks down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away, ashamed of how weak he felt. He wasn't supposed to cry. He was supposed to be strong, to keep going no matter what. But tonight it was too much.

The quiet creak of a door opening made Riwoo quickly try to pull himself together. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, but it was too late. Sungho stepped into the room, rubbing his eyes as he walked over to Riwoo.

"Riwoo? What are you doing up?" Sungho asked, his voice groggy but filled with concern.

"Just...couldn't sleep," Riwoo replied, his voice shaking slightly. He turned his head, trying to hide his face from Sungho.

"Are you crying?" Sungho's voice was soft but surprised, and Riwoo cursed himself for not being able to hold it in.

"I'm fine," Riwoo said, hating how weak his voice sounded. "Just tired."

Sungho sat down beside him, not saying anything at first. Riwoo kept his head down, staring at his hands, feeling like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.

"It's okay, you know" Sungho said quietly. "It's okay to not be okay sometimes."

Riwoo shook his head, the knot in his throat growing tighter. "I can't... I can't let everyone down," he whispered. "I'm supposed to keep it together."

"You're not letting anyone down," Sungho replied, his tone serious. "We're a team, Riwoo. We're here for each other, remember? You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

Riwoo wanted to believe him, but the fear of being a burden, of failing the group, was too strong. He felt like he was trapped, caught between wanting to be strong and needing to let go.

"I just... don't know how to keep going," Riwoo admitted, his voice breaking. "Everything feels too heavy."

Sungho didn't say anything right away. Instead, he reached out and pulled Riwoo into a hug, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Riwoo stiffened at first, but then the floodgates opened. All the fear, the exhaustion, the pain he had been holding in came pouring out as he sobbed into Sungho's shoulder.

"It's okay," Sungho murmured, rubbing Riwoo's back soothingly. "You're not alone. We'll get through this together."

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The next day, Riwoo felt a little lighter, but the anxiety still clung to him like a shadow. Sungho had stayed with him that night, talking with him until he had calmed down enough to sleep. But even though he had opened up a bit, Riwoo still felt like he was walking on the edge of a cliff.

Author note:
The author know it's short but the author has school tomorrow and needs sleep.
The author will let Riwoo suffer a little more. (Sorry)
(The author did not read this a second time, so incorrect words may be in there.)