SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Woozi | Nightmares Part I

The soft glow of Woozi's studio lights was the only source of illumination in the quiet building. He had been bent over his keyboard for hours, headphones snug over his ears as he lost himself in composing. Piles of scribbled sheet music surrounded him like a protective wall, his creative process both beautiful and chaotic.

For the past week, this scene had become a routine. What wasn't routine, however, was the nightly visit from Seungcheol and Hoshi, who had apparently taken it upon themselves to drag him out of the studio each night.

The door creaked open, and Woozi didn't even bother looking up. "Don't you two have anything better to do than play babysitter?" he muttered, his fingers still flying over the keyboard.

Seungcheol sighed dramatically. "Woozi, it's 1AM again. How are you still functioning? You'll burn out at this rate."

Hoshi peeked into the room, leaning against the doorframe with a mischievous grin. "I told you he'd still be here," he said to Seungcheol before turning his attention back to Woozi. "How many times do we have to do this? We're staging a rescue mission. You're coming with us."

Woozi groaned, swiveling his chair around to face them. "I'm fine. I just need to finish this one section. It's almost perfect, I swear. Just give me-"

"Ten more minutes? That's what you said yesterday," Seungcheol interrupted, arms crossed. His tone was firm but affectionate. "And the day before that. And the day before that. You're not convincing anyone anymore."

"Seriously," Hoshi chimed in, his grin widening. "Do you know what happens when you don't sleep? Your brain turns to mush, and then all your songs will start sounding like nursery rhymes. Do you want Seventeen to release a lullaby album? Because I don't."

Woozi narrowed his eyes at Hoshi. "I'll have you know that a lullaby concept could be groundbreaking if done correctly."

Hoshi gasped, feigning shock. "He admits it! He's losing it already. Hyung, we need to act fast!"

"Don't even think about it," Woozi warned, recognizing the mischievous gleam in Hoshi's eyes.

Before he could protest further, Hoshi darted across the room and, with alarming ease, hoisted Woozi over his shoulder. Woozi squawked in indignation, his arms flailing. "Yah! Put me down, you idiot!"

"Kidnapping in progress," Hoshi announced proudly as he adjusted Woozi's weight like he was carrying a sack of rice.

Seungcheol chuckled, shaking his head as he followed them out. "You're the only person I know who can compose masterpieces and still get hauled out of the studio like a toddler. Impressive, really."

"I swear, if you don't put me down, I'm writing a diss track about you two," Woozi growled, his voice muffled by Hoshi's shoulder.

"Go ahead," Hoshi replied cheerfully, completely unbothered. "Make sure it's catchy so it'll stick in my head. Oh, and don't forget to give me a good rap verse!"

Seungcheol smirked as he held the door open for them. "Come on, Woozi. You'll thank us when you're actually sleeping in a bed tonight instead of that lumpy couch."

Woozi let out a defeated sigh, clearly outnumbered and outmaneuvered. "Fine. But next time, I'm locking the door."

"Challenge accepted," Hoshi said with a laugh, carrying Woozi down the hallway as the three of them disappeared into the quiet night.

Hoshi gently placed Woozi in the backseat of the car, making sure to buckle him in like a child. "There we go, safe and sound," he said with a satisfied grin as he plopped into the passenger seat next to Seungcheol.