flutedrum | woosan ✓

33

When Wooyoung regained awareness, he was lying on...a hospital bed? He was surrounded by familiar faces. Seonghwa was leaning over him, panic etched across his features, his hands shaking slightly as he held Wooyoung's shoulders.

"Wooyoung, please, stay with me!" Seonghwa urged, his voice trembling. He looked into Wooyoung's eyes, desperation shining through his own.

Wooyoung blinked, confusion washing over him as he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory. Had he really passed out? It felt surreal, as if he'd drifted away from reality for a moment. The weight of everything—San's confession, the betrayal—had overwhelmed him so completely that he couldn't handle it.

"Did I...did I really pass out?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seonghwa nodded, concern still evident in his eyes. "Yeah. You just...collapsed. We were all really worried."

"Worried?" Wooyoung echoed, feeling the heaviness of that word. "Did you think I was...?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"No, no, we just didn't know what to do," Seonghwa reassured him. "But you're okay now. That's what matters."

Wooyoung blinked, the world slowly coming back into focus. He could feel the cool breeze of the air conditioning against his skin and the warmth of Seonghwa's hands on him. But the weight of what had just happened hung heavily in the air. The reality of the confrontation with San crashed back into him, and he felt the familiar sting of tears threatening to spill over again.

"Hyung..." Wooyoung croaked, struggling to push himself up, his voice weak. "I...I can't believe he did that."

"Shh, it's okay, you aren't the only one." Seonghwa said softly, brushing the hair away from Wooyoung's forehead. "You need to breathe. Just focus on me."

And Seonghwa was right. His face was puffy, probably from crying aswell. The only thing different about him and his members were that his members were in relationships. And then it clicked. Oh hell no. His members have gone through so much more than he had, and his weak ass had passed out? His members were in relationships. He couldn't have imagined how much that hurt.

Wooyoung's heart raced as the memories flooded back—the hurtful words, the betrayal, and the heartbreak. He shook his head slightly, trying to shake off the haze of unconsciousness. "I... I just wanted to see him. I wanted to talk, but..." His voice cracked, and he felt another wave of tears building.

"It's okay to feel hurt," Seonghwa said gently, his expression softening. "But you need to take care of yourself first. Just breathe."

With Seonghwa's guidance, Wooyoung focused on inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. Gradually, the tightness in his chest began to loosen. He looked around, spotting the rest of AURORA members gathered nearby, concern etched on their faces.

Mingi crouched beside him, worry clear in his eyes. "We thought we lost you, Wooyoung. What happened?"

"I...I don't know. I just—" Wooyoung stammered, struggling to find the words. "San told me everything about JWSM. I couldn't...I couldn't handle it."

Mingi stepped forward, his voice low and comforting. "It's a lot to take in, especially after everything. We're all here for you."

Wooyoung felt a surge of gratitude for his friends, but the ache in his heart remained. "What if he hates me now? What if this ruins everything?" He buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by the fear of losing San for good.

Seonghwa placed a hand on Wooyoung's back, rubbing it soothingly. "You need to talk to him again. Clear the air. You can't let this eat away at you."

"I don't know if I can," Wooyoung whispered, his voice muffled by his hands.

"Of course, you can. You're stronger than you think," Seonghwa replied firmly. "And you're not alone in this. We're all in this together."

"How did you react when Hongjoong hyung told you?" He asked, curiously. That made Seonghwa's expression stiffen and his face darken. Uh oh. He shouldn't have asked that.

"I'm sorry I-"

"No. It's okay." Seonghwa forced a smile and it was visible. "I'll tell you. When he first told me, I was fucking enraged. I loved him so much and I could literally tell he loved me more, but I would've never expected him to sabotage me like this." The eldest spoke, his voice breaking with every stop he made. "Not just me, all of us. But you know what stopped me from beating the shit out of him? Was that he actually cared about all of us. I could see in his eyes he wanted to get us out of the company. JWSM was great, but way more restrictive. We hated it. I hated myself for thinking it was normal, but it wasn't." He finally breathed.

"Did you forgive him?" He asked his eldest and most trusted hyung.
"Not fully." Seonghwa sighed. "I still need time for shit. I think you all do, too." He gestured at Mingi and Jongho, who only looked at each other before nodding.

Wooyoung looked up, meeting the supportive gazes of his friends. He felt a flicker of hope amidst the pain. Maybe he could confront his feelings, confront San again, and find a way to mend what had been broken.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the room, Wooyoung took a deep breath, his heart still heavy but now laced with determination. He had to fight for what mattered most—his love for San and the bond they shared, no matter how fragile it felt. But it was going to take time. He'd wait as long as it would take. And he knew San would, too.