Eternal Sunshine ⤿ Na Jaemin

⤿ 5

AN: obv yall know abt the situation that recently occurred w one of the nct members so i will be changing akaris fiance :)
i will not be editing my previous books or chapters mentioning him but from here on now he will not be mentioned and instead replaced by doyoung (all plot details stay same)

⤿

Fighting with her parents first thing in the morning was always the worst way to start the day, but today, Dabi felt particularly cornered.

Her mother's sharp accusations pierced the quiet of the house, filling it with tension.

The word "irresponsible" rang through the air, cutting deep as they criticized her for allowing Yeongsu to attend a party when, in their eyes, she should have been playing the dutiful older sister and keeping him at home.

But Dabi wasn't having it. Yeongsu was fifteen, almost an adult in her mind. He didn't need her shadowing his every move.

Frustration bubbled inside her. Being the eldest always felt like carrying the weight of unspoken expectations. It was exhausting, especially when her siblings stayed silent, never once stepping in to defend her.

They let their parents' harsh words fly, standing on the sidelines while insults were hurled at Dabi like stones.

Her heart ached with the unfairness of it all, and the familiar sting of being blamed settled deep in her chest.

With a huff, she slammed the door shut behind her, the sound echoing through the hallway as her mother's voice grew louder, accusing her of being a bad example.

Her fists clenched as she stormed off to her car, her mother's shouts still ringing in her ears as she sped off toward Uni, the tension refusing to leave her shoulders.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Dabi moved through her classes like a ghost, her mind too wrapped up in the morning's argument to focus on anything else. Even her friends, usually quick to pull her into their jokes and conversations, sensed the dark cloud hovering over her and kept their distance.

Dabi could feel it too- the way her mood created a wall between herself and the world, isolating her in her own swirling thoughts.

She had done everything she could- every chore, every favour, every sacrifice- and yet, the words "useless" and "careless" still clung to her.

No matter how hard she tried, it never seemed to be enough.

It took every ounce of willpower not to bolt off campus, find some quiet corner of the world, and let the tears she'd been holding back fall freely.

But instead, she did what she always did best-plastered on a mask of calm and carried on, pretending everything was fine. It was exhausting, but it was the only way she knew how to cope.

Until she couldn't anymore.

When the grade for her assignment came back, her heart sank. She had poured herself into that project, giving every part of her already drained energy, only to see a barely passing grade staring back at her from the page. It felt like the final blow, shattering the walls she had worked so hard to keep standing.

Without thinking, Dabi fled. She pushed through the doors, the cool air outside doing little to ease the tightness in her chest.

She found a small, hidden corner, and there, away from prying eyes, she crumpled to the ground. She hugged her knees, her breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps as the weight of everything pressed down on her.