Kpop Sickfics & Hurtfics

A Concert of Courage (DK)

DK had always been known as the sunshine of Seventeen. Whether on stage or off, his radiant energy was contagious, pulling the group through even the hardest of times. His laughter would ring out during rehearsals, his voice reaching each corner of the practice room with unwavering joy. But beneath that brightness, something darker had begun to take root-anxiety.

In the lead-up to their next major concert, Seventeen was in overdrive. Endless rehearsals, media promotions, and fan engagements pushed them to their limits, but for DK, it wasn't just the physical toll that weighed on him. Something had shifted.

The anxiety, something he had dealt with on and off for years, now seemed to cling to him more than ever. At first, it started small-a lingering unease, tightness in his chest during vocal warm-ups, a faint tremor in his hands before group meetings. But as the date of the concert neared, it morphed into something harder to hide. Stomach cramps would hit him unexpectedly, nausea rising in his throat at the mere thought of performing in front of tens of thousands of fans. His body was betraying him, and the mental strain was becoming unbearable.

DK brushed it off at first, as he always did. He smiled through it, cracked jokes with the members, and sang with every ounce of energy he could muster. But with each passing day, his symptoms worsened.

It was during one particularly gruelling practice session, three days before the concert, that things reached a tipping point.

The group was in the middle of rehearsing their choreography for the opening number, a high-energy, intense performance. DK had barely managed to keep up, his usually effortless moves feeling heavy and sluggish. His stomach twisted in knots as they ran through the steps again and again. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to ignore the churning nausea that had become his constant companion.

"DK, you good?" It was Mingyu, always perceptive, especially when something was off with his members. DK forced a smile, nodding.

"Yeah, just a little tired," DK said, his voice a bit weaker than usual. Mingyu narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. They were all tired.

After another hour of practice, S.Coups called for a break, sensing the group's exhaustion. DK staggered to the side of the room, his legs shaking beneath him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the nausea that had worsened throughout the day. It wasn't just the physical exhaustion-it was the weight of expectation, the fear of failing, the anxiety of not living up to the image of Seventeen's ever-cheerful main vocalist.

He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and praying that the queasiness would pass. But when he opened them again, he saw Jeonghan and Joshua approaching, their faces etched with concern.

"You sure you're okay?" Jeonghan asked, placing a gentle hand on DK's shoulder. Joshua stood beside him, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos that DK felt bubbling beneath his skin.

DK hesitated, his usual instinct to brush it off ready on the tip of his tongue. But the look in their eyes, the way they lingered near him, made it harder to lie. His breath hitched as a wave of dizziness passed through him.

"I'm... just stressed, I think," DK finally admitted, his voice low. "The concert, all the practice... it's starting to get to me."

Jeonghan frowned. "You've been more than stressed lately, DK. You look pale. Have you been eating properly?"

DK winced. He hadn't. The constant nausea had made it nearly impossible to keep food down, but he couldn't let them know that. "I'm fine. Just a little run down. I'll be okay."

Joshua exchanged a glance with Jeonghan before crouching down to meet DK's eye level. "It's not just physical, is it?"

DK looked away, guilt gnawing at him. Of course they knew. He wasn't the only one who struggled with anxiety, after all. Seungkwan had been open about his own mental health journey, and they'd all had moments where the pressure of being idols caught up with them. But DK had always prided himself on being the positive one, the one who kept everyone's spirits up, even when things were tough. Admitting that he was struggling felt like failing them.