SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS

Dk | Broken Ribs Part II

As they walked off stage, the adrenaline began to fade, and the pain intensified. Seungkwan caught up with him, concern written all over his face. "DK, you did amazing, but are you really alright?"

"I'm fine," DK insisted, but he could see the skepticism in Seungkwan's eyes.

"Let's get you checked out again," Seungcheol said, stepping in. "You need to be honest with us, DK."

Before he could respond, the rest of the members gathered around, clearly worried about him.

"Guys, really, I just need to rest," DK said, his voice wavering slightly. "I promise I'll go see the doctor again after this."

"Promise us you'll be honest next time," Hoshi added, his eyes serious. "We care about you more than the concert."

DK nodded, the weight of their concern settling in. He knew he couldn't keep lying to them. "I promise," he finally said, feeling the support of his team around him. As they made their way out of the venue, he realized that while the pain was real, so was the strength of their bond. Together, they would face whatever came next.

As they piled into the van, the atmosphere was a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion. The energy from the concert still buzzed in the air, but for DK, each small movement sent jabs of pain through his torso. He settled into his seat, hoping to remain inconspicuous.

The van pulled away from the venue, and DK stayed silent, his gaze fixed out the window. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt the tightness in his chest growing more intense with every bump in the road.

"Great job tonight, everyone!" Woozi said, breaking the silence. The others echoed their agreement, cheers and laughter filling the space.

"Yeah, it was amazing! The carats were so hyped!" Mingyu added, excitement evident in his voice.

"DK, you really killed it out there!" Seungkwan said, turning to him with a smile. "How did you feel?"

"Uh, really good!" DK replied, forcing a smile. The words felt heavy in his mouth. He didn't want to worry them; he had already lied once about how he felt, and he didn't want to ruin the night.

But as the van hit another bump, a sharp pain shot through his side, and he winced, biting his lip to suppress any sound. He could see Seungkwan glancing at him, brow furrowed in concern.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Seungkwan asked again, his voice softer now.

"Yeah, just... tired," DK said, keeping his tone casual. "It was a long day."

"Long day? You were fantastic!" Hoshi chimed in. "You really gave it your all. But don't push yourself too hard."

DK nodded, trying to focus on their conversation. He couldn't let them see the truth. If only he had brought more pain relievers. He had hoped the one he took before the concert would last, but now, the discomfort was overwhelming.

As the van continued down the darkened streets, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself. The sound of his members' laughter faded into the background, and all he could feel was the tightening pain.

"DK!" Minghao suddenly called out, his voice slicing through DK's haze. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine," DK managed to say, though his voice was barely above a whisper. "Really, just a little tired from the show."

Minghao exchanged a worried look with the others. "You know we're here for you, right? If something's wrong, you can tell us."

"Yeah, man," Mingyu added, concern evident. "You don't have to pretend with us."