𝐈&𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄, 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐧

when fatigue hits

aug 2024 

nagoya, japan 

NaRi's stamina had always been a struggle - not because she got overly tired and was frequently missing events or her schedules, no. it was the complete opposite. she seemed to never get tired, which was both a benefit and the greatest threat to her health. the girl, now frequently grouped into the same category as one of her dearest hyungs, mark lee, was known as a super idol - one who seemed to never rest. 

balancing her life between both enhypen schedules and her solo schedules had never posed a challenge for the girl, NaRi always more than happy to stay in the studio for a few hours longer than the guys, nitpicking even the slightest of changes to their tracks or choreographies. 

the past two years of nonstop releasing music, touring, events, schedules - it might have started to become too much for Mireia to handle. 

might have.... maybe. she wasn't sure, though. 

that was the only conclusion she was able to come to right now though, as the bright lights of the vanities in the Nagoya venue they were performing at were just a smidge too bright for her sensitive eyes to handle. she blinked the drowsy feeling away, or at least attempted to, knowing they had a long night ahead. 

Jay had thrown in the towel a few hours ago, feistily declaring to their management he wouldn't get on the stage, in front of that huge audience, in his condition. he always seemed to know what was best for himself. 

so did NaRi, except Jay was the type to actually do something about it. NaRi simply seemed to stay quiet when it came to herself. 

her eyes trailed towards the reflection of the second oldest sleeping on the couch, some sort of baggy on his head to help regulate his body temperature. she softly smiled, feeling relieved at least one of them would be rested. 

suddenly, there came a hefty feeling upon the girl's chest, one which threatened to close her airway around nothing. something will go wrong today. 

breathing a swift prayer before they stepped onto the stage, NaRi couldn't seem to shake off the queasy feeling invading her insides. heavy feelings of anxiety were suddenly so obvious to her, hand shaky as she somewhat struggled to have a firm grasp on her personalized mic. 

the sentiment began to disappear the second the sold-out venue came into her line of sight, eyes blinking as they attempted to focus on the endless blurry faces of her beloved engene. 

a while passed, all traces of anxiety seemingly nonexistent within the girl, NaRi enjoying the life of performing she felt so blessed to have. 

maybe she was simply experienced and now an expert in fighting these negative feelings now, or maybe it was the two energy drinks from the US she had stashed in her mini travel refrigerator, who knew. all NaRi was now concerned about was destroying the heaviest, most energy-draining wave of sleep she had ever felt in her life. 

her eyes were the heaviest they'd ever been, feeling like there were 20-ton boulders clinging onto the delicate flabs of skin by the diminishing end of a piece of thread. NaRi had never even dreamed of the feeling, however sitting on one of the mid-tier levels during their One In A Million performance proved itself as the girl's breaking point. 

she hadn't noticed, but Jake was clearly going through the same - the boy taking any chance to close his eyes, masking his fatigue by passionate singing and feeling the song. NaRi opted to pinch the skin protecting her kneecaps, the pangs of pain barely managing the job of keeping her alert. it was clear to her that if even the slightest bit of drowsiness were to hit her system, she would fall off the elevated, tiered platform, on her bottom in front of everyone. 

she couldn't let that happen. any half-hearted "dancing" she could include to add the slightest sense of energy to her performance was crucial for her, there was no way she would let this take her down. 

it was probably one of the most difficult things of her career so far, staying awake. 

and she's sued her company, 

and won. 

the moment they were taken from the public's view, NaRi's body fell limp. a hard thud sounded behind the boys as they, themselves struggled to get to the dressing room, the sound managing to wake them up. thankfully, Jay had woken from his nap twenty minutes before the concert ended, already sensing this exact situation would occur. he was so expecting, in fact, that he was carrying NaRi's travel blanket with him, wrapping her in the warm fabric before carrying her to the room, the medical staff following close behind. 

"ah, reina." park began, brushing the girl's dyed hair out of her face, allowing the medical staff to check her vitals. "no more all-nighters for you."