Kpop Sickfics and Hurtfics Part 2

The Snaggle Tooth (Yuma)

dylanLK

It was a chilly evening after a long day of rehearsals and an awards show, and the members of &TEAM were winding down in their shared lounge backstage. The event had been a whirlwind of excitement, but Yuma’s mind couldn’t seem to shake a conversation that had unfolded earlier in the evening.

As he tried to unwind on the couch, his fingers idly played with the hem of his jacket, but his thoughts kept wandering back to a moment he couldn’t forget. Earlier, while they were waiting in the hallway behind the stage for the show to begin, Yuma had overheard a conversation that left him feeling small and uncertain.

It was from members of BOYNEXTDOOR.

Yuma had been standing near the entrance, waiting for the staff to give the go-ahead to take the stage, when he heard a few familiar voices.

“He’s cute, yeah, but have you seen his tooth?” a voice—probably Jaehyun—said, followed by some chuckles.

“Yeah, it’s like… sticking out. Kind of weird, don’t you think?” another voice—Sungho—added.

“It makes his smile so much stranger, honestly,” Yuma heard another voice say, and he realized it was one of the other members. “Kind of makes him look... different in a way that’s not cute.”

The words stung, more than he had expected them to. His "snaggle tooth"—the one that jutted out slightly—was something he’d always thought made him unique, even endearing. It was something he never really thought about, because his friends, and his fans, always told him it was cute. But hearing those words—he felt like something inside him shattered. Without even thinking, Yuma had hurried off, not staying long enough to hear the rest of their conversation.

He hadn't realized that he’d run off until he found himself standing in the bathroom, staring at his reflection. His snaggle tooth—the one thing he’d always loved about his smile—suddenly felt wrong. What if they were right? What if it really did make him look strange, like some people might think he was "ugly"? Was he just too self-absorbed to see how odd it looked? Did the other members see it the same way?

Maybe I need braces... Yuma thought to himself, a wave of self-consciousness crashing over him.

When the night ended and they gathered backstage to leave, his mind was in turmoil. The rest of the &TEAM members could sense that something was off. They noticed Yuma’s quiet demeanor and how he avoided eye contact.

“Yuma, you alright?” K asked gently as the group waited for their ride. He’d always been able to read the members like an open book.

Yuma nodded but didn’t meet K’s eyes. He gave a weak smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. Just tired,” Yuma replied, his voice a little off.

Nicholas furrowed his brow, sensing that something more was going on. “You sure? You don’t usually act like this after an award show.”

Fuma, ever the observant one, added, “Yeah, you’re usually so energetic, especially after all that performance time.”

But Yuma just shrugged, not offering any more than that. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t know how to explain the way his heart had dropped when he overheard the conversation. He didn’t want anyone to think he was being ridiculous. After all, it wasn’t a big deal, right? It was just a comment. But the thought gnawed at him, making his stomach churn.

“I’m fine, really,” Yuma repeated quietly.

EJ, who had been silent up until then, exchanged a glance with the others. He knew Yuma too well to believe his reassurance, and there was something in the younger member’s voice that didn’t sit right with him. The tension that hung in the air was palpable, and Yuma's usual lightheartedness had vanished.