SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Mingyu | Nightmare Part I

Hello joon_bean! I'm sorry that I made you wait, but I hope you'll like this!

Mingyu lay in bed, his sheets tangled around him like a web of unease. He closed his eyes, willing sleep to come, but all he could see were the haunting images from his nightmares-dark figures lurking, familiar voices twisted into screams. He took a deep breath, but it only made the memories more vivid.

The next morning, the other members gathered in the living room for breakfast. The sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the space, but Mingyu felt like a shadow. He forced a smile as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, hyung!" Seungkwan called from the table, his voice bright. "You look... um, well-rested?"

"Yeah! Totally," Mingyu replied, plastering a grin on his face. "Just had a great night's sleep."

"Really? You usually take forever to wake up," Joshua teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Not today!" Mingyu said too quickly, taking a sip of his coffee to mask his unease.

As they chatted, Mingyu's heart raced. He could feel the weight of the night pressing down on him, but he fought to keep the facade intact. The others exchanged stories about their dreams, laughter filling the room.

"Last night, I dreamt I was flying!" DK exclaimed. "It was amazing! I wish I could do that in real life!"

"Wow, that sounds incredible!" Mingyu said, trying to sound genuinely interested.

"Hey, what about you, Mingyu? Any wild dreams?" Woozi asked, glancing up from his phone.

Mingyu hesitated. "Um, nothing too crazy. Just... regular stuff." He chuckled nervously.

"Come on, you must have something!" Vernon urged. "You can't just be boring like that!"

"Yeah, it's not like you to have normal dreams," Hoshi chimed in.

Mingyu felt a knot form in his stomach. "I guess I just don't remember them," he said quickly, hoping to change the subject. "What's everyone's schedule today?"

The conversation shifted, but Mingyu remained on edge. As the day went on, he distracted himself with practice, throwing himself into the choreography. But as evening fell, he could already feel the dread creeping back in.

Later that night, as the members settled down, Mingyu lay awake in his darkened room, the walls feeling like they were closing in. He heard the soft murmur of laughter from the living room, but it felt so distant. He clenched his fists, trying to silence the pounding in his chest.

When he finally drifted off, the nightmares came rushing back. He woke up, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. The darkness felt heavier this time, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again.

The following morning, as he joined the others for breakfast, he caught their worried glances.

"Mingyu, you okay?" DK asked, concern etched on his face. "You look really tired."

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well," Mingyu said, forcing a laugh. "You know me, always staying up late!"

"But you've been saying that a lot lately," Joshua pointed out, his brow furrowed. "Is something going on?"

"I'm fine, really!" Mingyu insisted, his voice a little too sharp. "I just need more coffee."

The members exchanged looks, but Mingyu was determined to brush it off. He couldn't let them see how much he was struggling. He didn't want to be a burden. So he laughed a little louder, spoke a little faster, and buried the nightmares deeper within him.