Kpop Sickfics & Hurtfics

Noticing Too Late (Seongmin & Taeyoung)

Seongmin sat on the couch, sniffling and tugging the thick blanket tighter around himself. He'd caught a nasty cold after Cravity's latest round of promotions, and his nose was stuffy, his throat sore. But being the youngest, the group had practically surrounded him with care. He appreciated the attention, even though he insisted it wasn't necessary. He wasn't the only one feeling under the weather, after all.

Across the room, Taeyoung quietly watched the interactions from a distance, his head throbbing. He was feeling much worse than Seongmin but had learned to keep quiet about it. As the second-youngest, he didn't want to seem like he was trying to compete for attention. Taeyoung was never one to ask for help unless he was at his absolute breaking point, and right now, he wasn't sure where that point even was. His chest hurt, each breath shallow, but he didn't say a word.

"Seongmin, make sure you drink more water, okay?" Jungmo said, handing the maknae a cup.

Seongmin nodded, glancing over at Taeyoung. He had noticed that his fellow member wasn't looking well either, but every time he tried to mention it, the others seemed to brush it off. It wasn't intentional—everyone was just focused on Seongmin. He tried once again, his voice hoarse from the cold, "Hyungs, Taeyoung looks really pale too."

Allen glanced up from his spot on the couch, his eyes flickering over Taeyoung briefly. "Ah, Taeyoung is strong, right? He'll be fine."

Taeyoung gave a weak smile, forcing himself to stand even though his legs felt shaky. He could barely keep his balance as dizziness overtook him for a moment. He didn't like making a fuss and certainly didn't want to worry the others. So, he quietly excused himself and made his way to the practice room, determined to power through the day.

Three days later, Taeyoung was in agony.

His shortness of breath had worsened to the point where even simple stretches before practice made his chest burn. The nausea that had accompanied his sickness made eating nearly impossible, and his stomach rebelled against even small sips of water. But what hurt the most was how no one seemed to notice how much he was struggling.

Seongmin had been given time off to rest and recover, but Taeyoung was expected to keep up with the practice schedule, even though his condition was clearly deteriorating. Every practice left him feeling more disoriented, lightheaded, and on the verge of collapse.

Seongmin, despite being sidelined for most of the day, had noticed Taeyoung's condition growing worse. He had tried bringing it up to the choreographer multiple times, but each time his words fell on deaf ears. The team was behind schedule, and all focus was on getting things back on track. Taeyoung, despite being sick, was still in the room, so to everyone else, it seemed like he was fine.

But he wasn't.

It was during the third practice session of the day when Taeyoung felt like he couldn't keep going. His chest felt heavy, as if he had a weight pressing down on him. Each step made his legs tremble, and his vision swam with dark spots that he struggled to blink away.

Halfway through the choreography, he stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell. His heart was racing, pounding too fast for him to catch his breath. Every inhale felt like he was breathing through a straw, and the room felt far too warm, far too bright. The nausea in his gut twisted sharply, making him wince.

He couldn't go on. Not anymore.

He wavered on his feet before pushing through the haze of dizziness to approach Serim, their leader, who had been in the middle of demonstrating a move. "Hyung," Taeyoung rasped, "Can we... Can we take a break? I don't think I can keep going."

Serim was about to dismiss the idea, as they had already been behind schedule, but when he turned to respond, his words caught in his throat. Taeyoung looked terrible. His usually bright complexion was drained of all color, and his legs were visibly shaking. Before Serim could even react, Taeyoung's knees buckled, and he collapsed.