raspberries and mocha | heejake ✔

34

Heeseung knew it was coming—the sharp, familiar ache blooming behind his eyes like a knife slowly twisting deeper into his skull. It started as a dull throb earlier that day, a minor annoyance he'd thought would go away. But now, it hit with full force, knocking the breath right out of him. Each pulse of pain felt like his brain was being squeezed between two vices. His chest tightened as nausea rolled through him, making his knees go weak.

He was halfway across the restaurant, weaving between tables, when it struck again—this time worse than the day before. His head felt like it was splitting open, as if someone was hammering directly behind his eyes, relentless and cruel. The noise of the restaurant swirled together—voices, the clinking of glasses, the hum of the coffee machine—every sound was too sharp, too loud, slicing into his mind like shards of glass.

He winced, his legs faltering mid-step. His palms flew up to clutch his head as if that would stop the relentless pounding. It didn't. The pain only worsened, spreading through his temples, down the back of his neck, like molten lava pouring through his veins.

Heeseung gasped quietly, his vision swimming in and out of focus. Black spots danced at the edges of his sight, and everything seemed to blur, tilting dangerously as he fought to keep his balance.

It was no use.

He could feel himself swaying, like a tower seconds from crumbling. The nausea hit harder, and the cold sweat on his skin chilled him to the bone. He knew he had to sit down, or he'd collapse right here, in the middle of the restaurant.

Before he could take another step, his knees buckled beneath him, and his body instinctively lurched forward. He reached out blindly, clutching at the first thing within reach.

Jay.

Heeseung grabbed onto Jay's arms, his fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as if his life depended on it. His legs gave out entirely, leaving him to sag against Jay like dead weight. His head throbbed violently, every heartbeat a reminder of how close he was to passing out.

Jay, having just rounded the corner with a tray in hand, was taken completely off guard. "Yo—Heeseung!" he yelped, dropping the tray with a loud clatter as he caught his friend's collapsing form.

Heeseung clung to Jay's arm with all the strength he had left, his breath coming out in shallow, ragged bursts. His whole body trembled as the agony swirled through him, relentless. It felt like someone was driving a screwdriver directly through his skull. Even breathing hurt.

"Dude, what the hell—are you having the same thing as yesterday?" Jay's voice was sharp with concern, and his hands tightened around Heeseung's waist to keep him upright. Heeseung could only groan, his head falling forward onto Jay's shoulder.

He tried to nod, but even the slightest movement made the pain flare so intensely it was like fireworks exploding behind his eyes. He felt the world spinning faster now, dragging him closer to the edge.

Jay stared at him in disbelief for a beat, then grinned smugly, because of course, this was Jay. "Oh man, you're really hanging onto me this time, huh? Look at that—I must be pretty special." He gave Heeseung a playful shake. "Normally, I'm the one chasing after your ass to rant about myself."

Heeseung's brows furrowed, but his face contorted in agony instead of annoyance. He wanted to punch Jay's smug face, but the pain was so overwhelming that it barely left room for any other emotion.

He couldn't deal with Jay's inflated ego right now. Not now. Not when his brain felt like it was being crushed from all sides.

With a frustrated groan, Heeseung shoved himself away from Jay, prying his hands free from the fabric of his friend's shirt. His limbs felt heavy, sluggish, but he forced himself to stand—if only for a second.

Big mistake.

The moment Jay's hands left him, the room tilted violently, like the ground had dropped out from under him.

His vision blurred, and the restaurant's dim lights swirled together in dizzying patterns, making his stomach lurch. For a second, he thought he could steady himself—just one more step, and he'd be fine. But his body betrayed him. His legs gave out completely, and he crumpled to the floor.

The pain in his head exploded—a sharp, blinding agony that left him gasping for air. His surroundings faded rapidly, the world slipping away into a swirling void of black.

The last thing he saw before everything went dark was Jay's panicked expression hovering above him, wide-eyed and desperate.

"Heeseung! Hey—stay with me, man—HEESEUNG!"

Jay's voice echoed in the distance, growing fainter and more distorted with every passing second. It was like listening to someone call your name from the other side of a tunnel—too far away to reach.

Then, everything went silent.

The world dissolved into nothingness. Heeseung fell into the dark, with no way of knowing when—or if—he'd find his way back.