When You Feel It Too

Aches and Echoes

IM ACTUALLY SO EXCITED TO WRITE THIS :D

****THIS BOOK IS IN WOOYOUNG'S POV****

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I woke up with a pain in my ankle.

Not the usual ache from over-dancing or twisting it in a rehearsal-this one felt different.

Sharp.

Like someone had grabbed my foot and twisted it just enough to make my muscles cry out.

I sat up in bed, grimacing as I rubbed the sore spot, trying to massage it away.

The cool morning light filtered through my curtains, but the dull throb in my ankle made everything feel heavier, like I was already carrying the weight of the day before it even started.

I ignored it. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

I'd always had random aches and pains, like my body was rebelling against me.

Small bruises on my legs, a scratch on my arm I couldn't remember getting-things that never made sense.

It's just stress, I told myself.

My mind was always in a thousand places at once, trying to juggle practice, auditions, life... maybe I was just worn out.

But that pain in my ankle wasn't going away. It throbbed again, and I winced, still rubbing it absentmindedly as I checked my phone.

11:32 AM.

I was already late. Great.

I shot up from the bed, ignoring the ache and rushing to get ready for rehearsal.

I was supposed to meet the team in an hour, and no way was I going to show up late-again.

My manager would have my head.

I shoved my feet into my sneakers, not giving the pain a second thought.

As I stood up and took a step, the ache grew sharper.

I let out a quick hiss of breath but forced myself forward.

I wasn't about to be late just because my body had decided to act up this time.

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Rehearsal was the usual blur of sweat, bright lights, and deafening music.

We were working on a new routine-fast-paced, heavy on the jumps and spins.

Perfect for me.

Dancing was my escape.

But today, with every leap and turn, my ankle felt like it was being pulled apart from the inside.

I tried to ignore it, but it was impossible.

Finally, in the middle of a complicated spin, I lost my footing and staggered, crashing into the floor with an ungraceful thud.

A loud gasp echoed from the dancers around me, and I immediately regretted pushing myself so hard.

I should've stopped when I first felt that twinge in my ankle, but stubbornness always got the best of me.

"WooYoung! Are you okay?"

I glanced up at the worried faces around me, including Hongjoong, who was already rushing over.

"I'm fine," I muttered, biting my lip and trying to push myself up.

But the pain hit again, harder this time, and I winced, sinking back onto the floor.

I tried to laugh it off, but my breath hitched in my throat. Something wasn't right.

"Let's get you to the hospital, WooYoung." Hongjoong was firm, his voice cutting through my foggy thoughts.

He wasn't taking "no" for an answer.

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The waiting room at the hospital smelled like antiseptic and too-strong coffee.

It was the last place I wanted to be, especially on a day when my ankle felt like it was screaming at me from the inside out.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, tapping my foot against the floor, but that only made the pain worse.

Great.

Now I was looking like a mess.

The bruises on my legs from practice and the tired circles under my eyes weren't helping my image.

I glanced at the clock.

It had only been ten minutes since I walked in, but the wait felt like hours.

Maybe I'd be better off just leaving and hoping the pain went away on its own.

But something nagged at me, a strange sense of unease creeping over me. It wasn't just my body acting up today.

Something felt... off.

I sighed and leaned back, running a hand through my hair, when a sudden jolt of pain struck my foot-right at the exact moment I felt the muscle in my ankle contract.

I froze.

What the hell?

I glanced around the room, confused.

There was no way anyone was near me to make this happen.

But the sharp pain... it wasn't mine.

Not entirely.

It felt like it was coming from somewhere else, somewhere I couldn't reach.

I tried to shake it off, but the sensation lingered, tugging at me.

I rubbed my foot, trying to make sense of what was happening.

That's when I heard a voice, followed by a laugh that made my heart skip a beat.

"Are you kidding me? My foot's killing me now."

I turned my head in the direction of the voice, and my breath caught in my throat.

A guy stood at the entrance of the ER, limping, his hand clutching his foot like he was in as much pain as I was.

He was tall, with light, messy hair that looked like it had been styled in the most effortless way possible, and those eyes... there was something about them.

It was like I'd seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it.

As he stepped closer, the pain in my foot flared again, and I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped my lips.

This was insane.

He turned, clearly irritated, his eyes scanning the room, and then they locked onto mine. For a split second, time seemed to slow down.

The ache in my foot hit me again, sharper this time, and I could swear I felt it in my chest.

The same pain.

The same, strange pain.

I didn't know who he was. But somehow... I knew this was going to change everything.