Kpop Sickfics and Hurtfics Part 2

Shadows in Starlight (Eric)

The dorm was eerily quiet as Eric pushed the door open, stepping into the living room. His gaze immediately landed on his hyungs, huddled in a circle on the couch. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt the moment they noticed him. For a fleeting second, their eyes met his, but they quickly turned away, whispers muffled under an air of tension that hung thick in the room.

Eric hesitated. Something had been off for days now, but he couldn't figure out what. The usual warmth of his hyungs—the teasing, the easy camaraderie—was gone. Now, all he got were curt responses, cold stares, and a palpable sense of distance. He frowned, his chest tightening with a mix of confusion and hurt. Still, he chose to stay silent, quietly making his way to his room.

The members' behavior had begun to shift earlier that week when a conversation between two company stylists had reached unintended ears.

"It's cruel," one stylist murmured while organizing costumes. "Dancing a two-minute song over twenty times with only thirty-second breaks? That mission on Starlight Boys was inhumane."

The other stylist gasped, lowering her voice. "I heard it was Eric's idea! Can you believe that? He should know better, especially since he's been through it himself."

"I know. Disappointing, isn't it? He's always seemed so considerate."

Their words weren't meant to be heard, but Younghoon and Kevin, walking past on their way to practice, had stopped in their tracks. The revelation hit hard, and as they shared the information with the rest of the group later that day, disbelief turned to anger. Eric—their maknae, who had always been so empathetic—had allegedly proposed such a gruelling task. For idols who had experienced the gruelling struggles of being trainees themselves, it felt like a betrayal.

Eric remained oblivious to the storm brewing among his hyungs. Days turned into weeks, and the distance only grew. He noticed the way Sangyeon's voice grew clipped when addressing him or how Kevin no longer sought him out for casual chats. Even Sunwoo, who was usually his closest ally, had started avoiding him.

The strain was unbearable. Every moment in the dorm felt suffocating, every practice filled with tension. Eric, unsure of what he had done to earn their ire, felt his confidence and happiness begin to crumble. He tried to approach Jacob one evening, hoping the ever-kind older member might shed some light on the situation.

"Hyung," Eric began hesitantly. "Did... I do something wrong?"

Jacob's face hardened briefly before softening into something unreadable. "Maybe you should think about it," he replied before walking away.

Eric stood frozen, the words hitting him like a blow to the chest.

After nearly two weeks of this treatment, Eric couldn't take it anymore. His emotions finally spilled over after practice one night. While the other members returned to the dorm, he stayed behind, waiting for the manager to finish a call.

"Hyung," Eric said quietly when the manager entered the office. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed his turmoil. "Can I talk to you?"

The manager gestured for him to sit. "Of course, Eric. What's wrong?"

Eric hesitated, his hands twisting nervously in his lap. "I think... I think I need a break. Maybe a hiatus or even leave the group."

The manager blinked in surprise. "What? Why? Eric, you're one of the most hardworking members. Why would you want to step back?"

Eric's shoulders slumped. "The others... I don't know what I did, but they've been ignoring me. Avoiding me. I thought we were close, but now..." He trailed off, his voice cracking. "It's like they hate me."