Bound to Break

Chapter 1/1

Geonhak rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the blurriness in his vision. He'd been staring at this textbook for hours, reading the same paragraph over and over, yet not absorbing anything. He huffed, slapping his cheeks.

"All right Geonhak. You can do this. Come on." He huffed, slapping his cheeks. He pulled the textbook closer to him and gripped his pencil tighter. Murmuring the sentences under his breath, he stared determinedly at the pages. As the hands on the clock traveled, however, the more the words seemed to swim in front of his eyes. And he was feeling... more and more drowsy....

"GEONHAK-AH!"

Geonhak startled awake, slapping away the hands that shook him and the papers on his desk along with it.

"Wha–What??" He slurred, confused. He rubbed his eyes and looked up to meet Seoho's gaze.

"Leedo-ya, you're going to be late for class! Why didn't you go to bed?" Seoho asked, his concern poorly masked for the younger member.

"What do you mean, why didn't I go to bed..." Just then Geonhak woke completely, taking in his surroundings. He swore, eyes wide as he looked up at his hyung. "Hyung, what time is it?"

"It's almost 7:30 in the morn-"

Geonhak swore again, stumbling past the vocalist and throwing open his closet doors. He frantically rummaged through his clothes, grabbing random items and running to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

"Geon-" Seoho was cut off by the slam of the bathroom door. "-hak..." He buried his face in his hands, letting out a low groan. Ever since Geonhak had decided to go back to school and pursue his education alongside all the stresses of being an idol, the other members had not failed to notice how increasingly obvious it was that he was overwhelmed.

Between regularly pulling all-nighters to study or practice, having his entire day filled with school and idol activities, homework, and maybe squeezing in basic self care, Geonhak hadn't had a moment to rest for months. The members had all tried to bring it up at some point, telling him he needed to take care of himself. But it was all in vain as he insisted it was what he wanted. It's not like they could force him to stop - he was an adult, after all. And by some miracle, he was still performing well at work.

So, they did the best they could. When they saw he skipped meals, they tried to make him eat something. When he was irritable, they did their best to be understanding. When they found him awake late into the night, they gently urged him to sleep. But they weren't miracle workers, and nothing they could do would reduce the immense stress he put on himself by any measurable means.

Running a hand through his hair, Seoho sighed. Might as well get started on helping Youngjo make breakfast - Geonhak should get something on his stomach before he leaves.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Geonhak was panicking. Today was a very important day - today was the final for one of his hardest classes. He had to be there, and he had to ace it. It was the whole reason he had been studying the night before anyways. Why, today of all days, did he have to be late?

Without giving a second's thought to how he looked, and hands shaking with anxious anticipation, Geonhak pulled a hoodie over his head and quickly splashed some water on his face. Soap was too slow - he'd have to wash later. He grabbed his backpack and ran downstairs, nearly tripping on the bottom step.

"Geonhak-ah, come eat!" Youngjo called from the kitchen, where the rest of Oneus were eating breakfast.

"Too late!" Geonhak responded as he stuffed his feet into his sneakers.

"No it's not!" Youngjo said, rushing in from the kitchen. He had a paper plate with eggs over toast and gave it to the younger member. "Please eat something. Your brain and body need energy, okay?"