Ahrin Lee | the hated member

Influenced

Seokjin, Seunghan, and the members of Day6 had been sitting by Ahrin's bedside for what felt like hours. The rhythmic beeping of the machines was the only sound in the sterile, white-walled room. Ahrin lay still, her face pale but peaceful, like she was merely asleep. Seokjin's hand had never left hers, his thumb gently brushing her knuckles, his eyes locked on her, willing her to wake up.

Then, a small, almost imperceptible movement. Her fingers twitched, and her eyelids fluttered.

Seokjin straightened immediately, his heart leaping into his throat. "Ahrin?" His voice was soft, a mixture of hope and fear.

Seunghan leaned in, his own heart pounding in his chest. The members of Day6 exchanged quiet, relieved glances, but they stayed back, giving her the space to come around.

Slowly, Ahrin's eyes opened, unfocused and groggy. She blinked a few times, her breath shallow as she tried to take in her surroundings.

"Ahrin, hey..." Seokjin whispered, his voice trembling as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "You're okay. You're safe."

At first, her gaze drifted from face to face, dazed and disoriented. But then something changed. The moment her eyes landed on the members of Stray Kids, who stood awkwardly near the door, her body tensed. Her grip on Seokjin's hand tightened, her chest rising and falling faster as panic began to flicker in her eyes.

She remembered.

The way her shoulders hunched, the way her body recoiled, it was like an instinctual reaction to the coldness she had faced from them. Her fear was palpable, her eyes darting away from them as if even seeing them brought back the flood of humiliation and rejection she had suffered.

Seokjin noticed the change immediately. His protective instincts kicked in, and his face hardened. Ahrin didn't need words to tell him what she was feeling; her body language spoke louder than anything.

She was scared. Of them. Of Stray Kids.

He turned to face Chan, Minho, Hyunjin, and the others who had been standing quietly, hoping for a chance to explain, to apologize. But seeing the fear in Ahrin's eyes, Seokjin made his decision. His jaw tightened, and his voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for argument.

"My sister needs warmth," he said, each word deliberate and measured, "not the coldness she experienced from all of you. She needs to feel safe."

He let the weight of his words sink in before delivering the final blow. "Get out."

The room went dead silent. Chan flinched as if the words had physically struck him, but he didn't argue. None of them did. They knew they had no right to be there, not after everything they had put her through.

Hyunjin opened his mouth as if to speak, but the look in Seokjin's eyes stopped him. There was no forgiveness there, no sympathy. Only the fierce protectiveness of a brother who had nearly lost his sister.

Seokjin didn't need to shout. His presence, his authority in that moment, was enough to push them toward the door. One by one, they turned and walked out, heads down, shame written all over their faces.

As the door closed softly behind them, Seokjin let out a long, shaky breath. He turned back to Ahrin, whose eyes were still wide and full of fear. He gave her a small, reassuring smile, his voice softening as he spoke to her again.

"They're gone, Rin-ah. You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Seunghan moved closer to her other side, his usual confident demeanor now replaced with nothing but gentle concern. He smiled warmly, his voice dropping into the playful, soothing tone he always used with her when they joked around at the agency.