Kpop Sickfics & Hurtfics

The Price of Perfection (Sumin)

Sumin wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. He stood in the practice room, the rhythmic beats of the track still playing softly in the background. His notebook lay open on the floor, pages filled with crossed-out verses and scribbled ideas. As XIKERS' main rapper, Sumin always felt the pressure to deliver — to stand out in a group full of talent and passion.

They were on the rise, after all. With each new performance, each new song, the group gained more attention, more fans. Sumin loved every second of it — the energy, the thrill, the connection with the fans. But along with that came a growing sense of responsibility. As one of the standout rappers, he needed to bring his best.

And that's exactly why he had been practicing alone late into the night, long after the other members had gone to bed. He couldn't afford to fall behind, not when their success was snowballing.

"Just one more time," he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples to ward off a headache that had been creeping in for the past hour. His body ached from the hours spent in the practice room, but he ignored it. His verses still felt off — too rushed, too forced. Sumin knew he had to get them perfect. He couldn't let the team down.

Stepping up to the mic, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, running the verse in his mind again. But as he leaned forward, his foot slipped on a stray water bottle he hadn't noticed earlier. Before he could catch himself, Sumin crashed to the ground, his head hitting the edge of the nearby table with a sickening thud.

For a moment, everything went black.

When he came to, his vision was blurry, and the room felt like it was spinning. He groaned softly, pressing a hand to his forehead where a sharp pain radiated. Sumin sat up slowly, wincing as nausea hit him like a wave. He touched the spot where his head had hit the table, but thankfully, there was no blood — just a dull, throbbing pain.

"It's fine," he told himself, shaking his head, though the movement made him even dizzier. "It's nothing. Just a bump."

Forcing himself to stand, Sumin stumbled slightly, gripping the table for support. He closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass. He couldn't let something like this stop him. They had an important recording session in a few days, and he couldn't afford to miss practice. After all, his verses still weren't perfect.

He grabbed his phone, checked the time — 2:00 AM — and sighed. Maybe it was time to call it a night. The others would notice if he wasn't in bed soon, and the last thing he wanted was to make anyone worry.

As he made his way out of the practice room and back to the dorm, the pain in his head persisted, but Sumin convinced himself it would fade by morning. It had to.

The next few days were a blur of practice and recording sessions, but something was off. The headaches were getting worse, and no matter how much Sumin slept, he couldn't shake the constant exhaustion. Worse, he found it hard to concentrate. He'd stare at his lyrics for minutes on end, only to realize he hadn't processed a single word.

During a vocal session, Junmin shot him a worried look. "Sumin, you okay? You've been zoning out a lot lately."

Sumin forced a smile, brushing it off. "Yeah, just tired. Been practicing too much, I guess."

"Don't overwork yourself," Yechan added, giving him a concerned glance. "You need rest too, you know?"

"I know, I know," Sumin replied, trying to sound lighthearted. "I'll be fine."

But the truth was, he wasn't. The nausea had gotten worse, and even simple tasks like walking down the hallway left him feeling lightheaded. Still, he didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted was to cause unnecessary worry, especially when the group had so much on their plate.