SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS

Woozi | Overworked Part II

As the time for their dance practice approached, Woozi felt even worse than before. His limbs felt heavy, and his head swam with exhaustion. Yet, he pushed through, determined to keep up with the routine.

When the members gathered in the studio, the energy was high, but Woozi found it difficult to match their enthusiasm. As they began to practice, his movements were sluggish, and he struggled to keep up.

"Hey, Woozi hyung," DK called out during a break, concern etched on his face. "Are you sure you're okay? You look really tired."

"I'm fine," Woozi replied curtly, brushing them off as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Seriously," Hoshi chimed in, watching him closely. "You should take a rest. You're not yourself today."

"I said I'm fine!" Woozi snapped, the edge in his voice cutting through the air.

The members exchanged worried glances, but Mingyu stepped forward, placing a hand on Woozi's shoulder. "You need to sit out for a bit. We don't want you to push yourself too hard hyung."

"I don't need to sit out!" Woozi pushed Mingyu's hand away, anger flaring up again. "I can do this!"

"Woozi, stop!" Jeonghan interjected, moving to stand beside Mingyu. "You're not in a state to practice. It's okay to take a break. We want you to be okay."

"I don't want to take a break!" Woozi shouted, his frustration spilling over. "I just want to practice! Why can't you just let me do what I want?"

Before anyone could respond, Woozi turned sharply and stormed out of the studio, the door slamming behind him. The members stood in stunned silence, the weight of the situation settling heavily among them.

Woozi dashed into his studio, his heart racing with regret and anger. Once inside, he collapsed onto the floor, feeling the tears well up in his eyes. "What am I doing?" he shouted, the sound echoing against the walls. "Why can't I just get it right?"

He pounded his fists against the floor, frustration boiling over. "This is so stupid!" he cried out, feeling the sting of tears escaping. "Why can't I make it work? Why can't I be good enough?"

The weight of his emotions crashed over him, and he buried his face in his hands, allowing the tears to flow freely. "I'm just so tired," he sobbed, the release feeling both painful and necessary.

As Woozi sat on the floor, tears streaming down his face, guilt wrapped around him like a vice. He couldn't shake the feeling of anger he had unleashed on his members, especially after they had only been trying to help. "Why did I have to shout?" he whispered to himself, the weight of his emotions pressing down harder. "Why can't I just do enough?"

Just then, the door creaked open, and Seungcheol stepped inside. "Woozi?" he called softly, concern lacing his voice. When there was no response, he moved further into the room, taking in the sight of his dongsaeng curled up on the floor. "Hey, talk to me. What's going on?"

Woozi didn't lift his head or turn to face him. Instead, he stayed silent, trying to compose himself but feeling more lost by the second.

Seungcheol sighed and settled down next to him on the floor, giving him space but still close enough to show he was there. "I know you're feeling overwhelmed. We all get like that sometimes. It's okay to feel frustrated."

"I shouldn't have yelled to all of you," Woozi finally muttered, his voice muffled. "You were all just trying to help."

"Yeah, we were," Seungcheol replied gently. "But you're human, Woozi. You're allowed to feel tired and angry. That doesn't mean you don't care about us or the music."