ENHYPEN SickFics

The Unseen Burden- Jungwon

**Author’s Note:** *This story is entirely fictional and does not reflect the real personalities or events related to Yang Jungwon or Enhypen.*

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The noise from the crowd was deafening as Enhypen stepped off the stage. Their debut had been a whirlwind of bright lights, camera flashes, and an ocean of fans chanting their names. It was everything they had dreamed of during their trainee days. Yet for Yang Jungwon, the leader of Enhypen, the moment that should have been filled with joy felt clouded with doubt and unease.

Jungwon had never imagined himself as the leader. He was the second youngest in the group, quiet by nature, and had always preferred observing rather than leading. But when the company announced he would be the leader, he didn’t argue. He had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to question their decision. But deep down, doubt festered.

The first few weeks after their debut blurred together—a whirlwind of schedules, interviews, and performances. On the surface, everything seemed perfect. They were a cohesive team, their bond strong. But underneath, Jungwon felt the weight of his new role pressing down on him. Every time he tried to guide the group, insecurity crept in, whispering that he wasn’t good enough. He was hesitant to speak up, especially around his older members. Jay’s sharp gaze and confident demeanor intimidated him. Sunghoon’s quiet, observing nature made Jungwon feel like he was being judged with every decision he made. And Heeseung, the oldest and most experienced, seemed like a natural leader—a role Jungwon felt he could never truly fill.

As if that wasn’t enough, fans began to voice their opinions. Comments online were harsh and unforgiving, criticizing him for being too young, too introverted, too inexperienced. Some insisted that Heeseung should have been the leader instead of him. Jungwon tried to ignore the comments, but they stuck with him, replaying in his mind over and over again.

Jungwon kept everything bottled up inside, never letting the others see how much the pressure was weighing on him. After all, a leader had to be strong. But at night, when the dorm was silent and everyone else was asleep, the walls he built around himself would start to crack. He would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, replaying every mistake he had made that day, feeling the pressure of leadership crush him.

It all came to a head one night, when Jungwon overheard a conversation that would shatter the last bit of confidence he had left.

He had gotten up to get a glass of water, the dorm quiet except for the soft murmur of voices coming from the living room. He recognized the voices of his members—Jay, Sunghoon, and Jake—and hesitated. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but something in their tones stopped him from moving away.

"I don’t know if Jungwon’s cut out for this," Jay said, his voice calm but uncertain.

"Yeah," Sunghoon agreed quietly. "He’s so quiet. I feel like he doesn’t even want to be the leader."

Jake’s voice joined in, thoughtful but critical. "Heeseung hyung would’ve been a better choice. No offense to Jungwon, but…”

Jungwon didn’t stay to hear the rest. He turned and walked back to his room, his heart pounding. The glass of water was forgotten as the words replayed in his mind, each one like a knife to his heart. He collapsed onto his bed, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. He had always known he wasn’t as confident or experienced as the others, but hearing it from his own members—hearing that they doubted him—was too much to bear.

The following days were a blur. Jungwon went through the motions of rehearsals and schedules, but his heart wasn’t in it. The joy of their debut had been replaced by a deep sense of inadequacy. He was failing his members, failing the fans, failing himself.