Kpop Sickfics and Hurtfics Part 2

The Ghost Beneath the Bed (Zhang Hao)

The dorm had fallen into its usual rhythm of quiet by midnight. The members of ZEROBASEONE had retreated to their rooms after an exhausting day of practice, eager to snatch a few precious hours of rest before another grueling day.

Everyone, except for Zhang Hao.

He lay in his bed, tossing and turning, his body shivering one moment and burning the next. A fever had begun to creep in during practice earlier that evening, but Zhang Hao had ignored it, chalking it up to fatigue. Now, the heat that pulsed through his veins felt unbearable, and his head spun with fragmented thoughts.

By 2 a.m., the fever had taken hold completely. Zhang Hao's world became a distorted blur of shadows and whispers. In his fevered state, the usual shapes in the dark corners of his room took on terrifying forms. Shadows on the walls stretched and twisted, and he convinced himself something sinister lurked under his bed.

"No, no, no..." Zhang Hao whimpered, his voice trembling as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. His eyes darted around the room, wide with panic, tears streaming down his face. As the fear took hold, his mind fed into the illusion. There was a ghost here. He was sure of it.

"不要过来！走开！(Don't come near me! Go away!)" he cried out in Chinese, his words frantic and slurred.

The dorm came alive as Zhang Hao's panicked shouting echoed through the quiet halls. Hanbin, ever the vigilant leader, was the first to leap out of bed. He bolted toward Zhang Hao's room, his heart pounding with worry. Behind him, Jiwoong and Taerae emerged from their rooms, closely followed by Gunwook and Gyuvin, who stumbled groggily, still half-asleep.

Ricky was the last to arrive, his senses sharpening as he heard Zhang Hao's distressed cries in Chinese. Fully awake now, he hurried into the room, his worry doubling at the fear laced in Zhang Hao's voice.

When they opened the door, the sight that met them froze them in their tracks. Zhang Hao sat on the edge of his bed, trembling violently. His face was flushed red, sweat dripping down his temples. His fever-glazed eyes darted toward the shadows under his bed, filled with sheer terror.

Hanbin stepped forward cautiously. "Zhang Hao, what's wrong?" he asked gently in Korean, crouching to meet his friend's line of sight.

But Zhang Hao didn't respond. His fevered mind was too muddled to process Hanbin's words. Instead, he shrank back, shaking his head and mumbling in Chinese, "鬼！那里有鬼！(A ghost! There's a ghost there!)"

Hanbin glanced at the others, his face a mask of helplessness. Jiwoong moved to Zhang Hao's side, carefully placing a hand on his back, only for Zhang Hao to flinch away. Seeing this, Ricky knelt beside the bed, switching to Chinese in a calm, steady voice.

"浩浩哥哥，别怕。我在这里，没有鬼。(Hao Hao gege, don't be scared. I'm here. There's no ghost.)"

Zhang Hao's frantic eyes snapped to Ricky, the familiar language piercing through the fog of his fever. He reached out, clutching Ricky's arm like a lifeline. "真的没有鬼吗？(Are you sure there's no ghost?)" Zhang Hao whispered, his voice trembling.

"真的，我检查过了。" Ricky stood and gently tugged Zhang Hao along with him. "来，咱们一起看看。(Come on, let's check together.)"

Ricky guided Zhang Hao around the room, turning on the lights and crouching down to peek under the bed. "看，什么都没有。(See? There's nothing there.)"

Zhang Hao clung to Ricky's arm the entire time, his trembling slowly subsiding as Ricky continued to speak softly to him. The other members watched, their concern evident, as Ricky's calm demeanor worked wonders. Hanbin, not wanting to stay idle, quickly tried to think of the basic Chinese Phrases he knew. Despite his limited pronunciation, he made the effort.

"Zhang Hao," Hanbin said in broken Chinese, "你很安全。(You are safe.) 我们都在这里。(We are all here.)"

Zhang Hao nodded weakly, his lips quivering. The simple, comforting words from his leader seemed to settle his nerves further.

As Ricky continued soothing Zhang Hao, the other members sprang into action. Jiwoong and Taerae dashed to the kitchen to prepare cold compresses, while Gunwook and Gyuvin searched the medicine cabinet for fever reducers. Yujin, the youngest, hurried to boil water for tea.

Matthew, half-asleep but deeply concerned, rummaged through their shared belongings until he found a small portable fan. He placed it beside Zhang Hao's bed, aiming it to cool him down. Meanwhile, Hanbin returned with a bowl of lukewarm water and a cloth to dab Zhang Hao's forehead.

Despite their efforts, Zhang Hao refused to let go of Ricky, gripping his arm tightly. Ricky didn't complain. Instead, he adjusted his position to sit more comfortably beside Zhang Hao, letting him lean against his shoulder.

"You're doing great," Ricky murmured in Chinese, gently patting Zhang Hao's head. "等下我们放点音乐，好不好？(How about we play some music soon?)"

Hanbin, overhearing, quickly opened a playlist. "He likes GOT7, right?" he asked, already searching for their songs. Within minutes, soothing tracks from GOT7 filled the room, their melodies anchoring Zhang Hao in reality.

As the hours dragged on, Zhang Hao's fever remained high but showed faint signs of breaking. Jiwoong and Taerae alternated between replacing the cold compresses on his forehead, while Gunwook kept a vigilant eye on the time, ensuring Zhang Hao took his fever reducer on schedule.

Ricky stayed by his side the entire time, occasionally murmuring soft reassurances in Chinese. The other members occasionally cracked light jokes, trying to keep the atmosphere relaxed.

By 4 a.m., Zhang Hao's breathing had evened out, and his trembling had subsided. The redness in his cheeks faded to a pale flush, and he began to drift off, still leaning against Ricky.

"谢谢你们。(Thank you, everyone.)," Zhang Hao mumbled sleepily, his voice hoarse but sincere. Ricky translated for the members.

"You scared us," Jiwoong replied softly in Korean, ruffling Zhang Hao's damp hair. "Don't ever try to handle something like this alone, okay?"

Zhang Hao nodded faintly, his eyelids fluttering shut as sleep finally claimed him.

When Zhang Hao woke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the steady hum of conversation in the living room. The fever had left him weak and groggy, but his mind was finally clear. Embarrassment quickly set in as he recalled the events of the night. He couldn't believe he had woken the entire dorm with his delirious cries.

Gathering his strength, he shuffled into the living room, where the members were sprawled on the couches, dark circles under their eyes but relieved smiles on their faces.

"I'm sorry for waking everyone," Zhang Hao croaked, bowing his head in shame.

"Don't apologize," Hanbin said firmly, stepping forward to place a hand on Zhang Hao's shoulder. "Your health is more important than anything else."

Jiwoong grinned, nudging Hanbin. "Besides, it's not every day we get to hear our leader butcher Chinese."

The group burst into laughter, the tension from the night melting away. Even Zhang Hao couldn't help but smile through his lingering embarrassment.

Ricky reached over, giving Zhang Hao's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Next time, tell us if you're feeling sick. We'll always be here for you."

Zhang Hao nodded, his eyes welling up with gratitude. For the first time in hours, he felt safe—not just from imaginary ghosts, but from the overwhelming weight of trying to manage everything alone.

That night, as the dorm lights dimmed once again, Zhang Hao fell asleep with a newfound sense of comfort. In the quiet of his room, he whispered to himself, "I really do have the best team."

Because when you're surrounded by people who care, even the darkest nights don't seem so scary.