What have they done to us || lee know angst ||

As you wake up in a cold sweat

The studio lights were dimmed, the echo of their music still lingering in the air. Lee Know wiped the sweat off his brow, his body aching from the intensity of the session. He had stayed later than the rest to practice the choreo for their new comeback, feeling the burden as the main dancer. He stood by the mirror, silently staring at his reflection watching the way his sweat ran down his face and dropped to the floor, his eyes were heavy with obvious exhaustion. His movements had been sharp, precise, but something felt off tonight. He couldn't quite place it—maybe it was the weight of everything on his mind.

But it was finally over now. The practice, the long hours. His manager had been patient, sitting on the couch of the practice room waiting for him to finish. Now, they just needed to get back to the dorms and rest, ready to face another grueling day tomorrow.

As Lee Know grabbed his duffle bag, his manager already at the door, gave him a tired but reassuring smile. "Let's head out. You need to rest," the manager said softly, trying to mask the concern in his voice. Lee Know nodded, exhaustion hitting him full force now that the adrenaline had worn off.

He was just about to follow his manager out when his phone buzzed. It was a message from Bang Chan, the leader always checking in, even late at night.

"How's practice? Don't overdo it."
Lee Know smiled tiredly, typing a quick reply: "Finished, coming now, you need to rest as well, get off your laptop hyung." he smirked at his phone before quickly averting his attention to catch up to his manager.

The two of them stepped out of the building and into the car, the streets outside glowing under the dim streetlights. The late hour made everything feel quieter, the world outside seeming to hum with a peaceful stillness. But inside the car, the silence was heavier. Lee Know closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of the day seep into his bones
But in that fleeting moment of calm, everything shattered.

There was a scream, his own? He didn't know, it sounded unrecognizable. A screech of tires, a blinding flash of headlights from his left, and then the sound of metal twisting and glass shattering. Lee Know's body was thrown to the right, his head colliding against the window next to him. The car spun out of control. The world seemed to collapse into a single point of agony, a suffocating darkness. His vision blurred, his breath ragged, and his body felt as if he had been thrown into a pit of fire. In a matter of seconds he suddenly felt nothing... it felt like his body was no longer his own.

A little while after that, back at the dorm, Bang Chan had just finished wrapping up some last-minute work. His mind was still spinning with the responsibilities of being the leader, making sure everything was in place for the next day. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten until he glanced at the clock and saw that it was past 3 AM.
He remembered that Lee know had still not gotten to the dorm, finding it weird, he picked up his phone to press on the dance leader's contact when suddenly his phone buzzed in his hand, the ringtone loud in the quiet dorm. He froze as he saw the caller ID. It was the hospital.
His stomach dropped.

"Hello?" Bang Chan's voice echoed through the silent dorm, putting on a calm voice, trying to mask the sudden panic rising in his chest.
"Is this Bang Chan? We are calling from Seoul General Hospital. You were one of his emergency contacts. We regret to inform you that Lee Minho was involved in a serious car accident earlier this night. He has sustained multiple injuries, and we are currently in the process of stabilizing him."
He felt his heart stop again, not even remembering when it started beating again. The blood drained from his face, and his mind could hardly keep up with the words the nurse was saying.

"His manager is also injured, but it is less severe. We advise you to come down to the hospital immediately."
The phone slipped from his hand as Bang Chan stood frozen, his legs feeling like jelly. He didn't even register the moment he fell into his chair. A deep, suffocating weight pressed on his chest as the words replayed over and over again in his mind.

Lee Know... car accident... serious injuries...

Bang Chan stood up again, hands trembling, his mind a blur. He needed to see him. He needed to know he was okay.
But a cold, horrible realization gnawed at him—What if he wasn't?

He grabbed his coat in a hurry, not even bothering to inform his other members who were sleeping peacefully in the other rooms, not knowing about anything that was happening. He didn't know if he should feel happy about it or dread the fact they had to know eventually. He basically threw himself in the car, not caring about if he would get fines for driving over the speed limit, only thinking about his beloved member, the dance leader of the group, HIS younger brother who was waiting for him at the hospital, or maybe he wasn't, whatever, he couldn't care less.

By the time Bang Chan arrived at the hospital, his mind had spiraled into a chaos of dark thoughts. The fluorescent lights above hummed eerily, casting long shadows along the sterile white walls. He made his way to the emergency ward, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

The nurse at the front desk looked up through her long brown hair, her face tired, but kind.
"Are you here for Lee Minho?" she asked softly, almost as though she already knew who he was.
Bang Chan could only nod. His throat was tight, his voice failing him.
"Room 302," she said, and without another word, Bang Chan hurried down the corridor.

His footsteps echoed in the hall as he reached the door, his pulse racing in his ears. He hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open.

There, on the hospital bed, was Lee Know. His normally bright eyes were closed, his face pale, and bandages were wrapped around his head and arms. The sight of him, vulnerable and broken, made Bang Chan's heart splinter in a thousand pieces.

The quiet beeping of machines was the only sound in the room, a constant reminder of the fragility of life.
Bang Chan stepped forward, his hands trembling as he stood right at the bed, next to his head. He reached out, brushing a lock of hair away from Lee Know's face then cupped his cheek. tears brewed in his eyes, he hated seeing his member look so helpless. The younger's skin was cool to the touch, his breathing shallow. He looked around for a chair and hesitatingly pulled his hand away from his member, pulling the chair towards himself quickly. He sat and observed his face and bandages. Somehow, even beaten up, Lee Know still looked beautiful.

"Minho..." Bang Chan whispered, his voice barely audible, "Please... please wake up and be okay."

He didn't know how long he sat there, but he never moved from Lee Know's side. Every so often, he would glance at the steady rhythm of the heart monitor, desperate for any sign of stability, any sign that Lee Know was still fighting.

Finally, after what felt like hours, there was the softest movement. Lee Know's eyelids fluttered, and for the briefest moment, Bang Chan thought he had imagined it. But then, the younger's voice cracked through the silence.
"...Channie hyung...?"

The sound of his name, so weak, so fragile, nearly broke Bang Chan's heart. He leaned closer, tears welling in his eyes as he gently gripped Lee Know's hand.
"I'm here, Minho. I'm here," Bang Chan choked out, his voice thick with emotion.

Lee Know's eyes opened fully now, barely able to focus, he looked around the room.. A blurry image but still able to realize he wasn't at the dorms, all he saw was a white room as his vision slowly came back a little bit, he found the room to be unsettling, he licked his lips, and with a weak voice muttered "Where..?"
Bang Chan quietly, making sure he wasn't too loud, whispered. "We're at the hospital.. It's okay, Just focus on getting rest. You're going to be okay."

They younger stayed silent, his body aching as the painkillers began wearing off. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, never leaving Lee Know's side, holding onto him like a lifeline. And in that moment, the weight of everything—the pain, the fear, the exhaustion—seemed to fade into the background, replaced only by the quiet relief of knowing that Lee Know was still here, still alive.

No matter what happened tomorrow, Bang Chan knew one thing for certain.

He wasn't going to let him go.