K-pop sickfics/hurtfics

Jaehyun boynextdoor - neglect

@Felixdeepend here is your request. Hope you like it.
1000 words.

Jaehyun had always prided himself on being the leader BOYNEXTDOOR could rely on. No matter how late practice ran, how tired or frustrated the members felt, he was always there to support them, cheering them on and offering a steadying hand. It didn't matter if he was overwhelmed — his role came first.
And he never let it show.

As the comeback drew closer, it seemed like the other members leaned on Jaehyun more than ever.

"Hyung, can you check my harmony here?" Riwoo asked late one night, holding out his phone. "I don't think I'm hitting it right."

Jaehyun looked up from the formation chart he was studying, a tired smile on his face. "Sure, let's hear it."

After running through the notes with Riwoo for nearly half an hour, Jaehyun barely had time to get back to his own tasks before Woobin knocked on his door.

"Hyung, I think my mic pack was loose earlier. Should I ask the staff to check it, or do you think it's fine?"

Jaehyun bit back the urge to tell him to handle it himself. Instead, he smiled and said, "Let's double-check with them tomorrow. Better safe than sorry."

Even Sungho, Jaehyun's hyung and most dependable member, came to him from time to time.

"Jaehyun-ah," Sungho said one night after practice, plopping down beside him on the dorm couch, "I feel like I'm lagging behind in the second verse choreo. Do I look stiff?"
"No, Hyung, you're fine," Jaehyun replied without missing a beat. "But if you want to tweak it, we can go through it tomorrow morning together."

"Alright, thanks," Sungho said, grinning. He didn't notice the faint tremor in Jaehyun's hands as the younger leader scribbled a note to remind himself.

It wasn't that the others were inconsiderate—they genuinely admired Jaehyun and trusted him to guide them. But as their requests piled up, they didn't realize how much weight he was carrying alone.

Amid helping the members, Jaehyun ignored his own needs.

He hadn't eaten a full meal in days, snatching bites here and there between practices and discussions. His sleep was sporadic at best—he often stayed up late to make sure everything was in order for the next day, and when he did try to sleep, his mind raced with worries about his members and the pressure to lead.
But no one noticed.

Jaehyun still smiled when they needed reassurance. He still clapped them on the back when they did well and gave them advice when they struggled. And if he stumbled during practice or swayed on his feet, they chalked it up to fatigue — they were all tired, after all.

It was a week before the comeback when it happened.

The group was running their choreography for the tenth time that day, tension high as they worked to perfect every detail. Jaehyun was pushing himself harder than ever, ignoring the dizziness creeping into his vision and the pounding in his head.

As they reached the final pose, Jaehyun stumbled.

At first, no one reacted — they thought it was a minor slip. But then he swayed, his legs buckling beneath him, and he collapsed onto the floor.

"Jaehyun!" Sungho was the first to reach him, panic written across his face. He cradled Jaehyun's head gently as the younger leader's chest heaved, his breaths shallow and uneven.

"Call the manager!" Riwoo shouted, his voice trembling.

Jaehyun's eyelids fluttered open, his vision blurred as he tried to speak. "I'm... fine," he mumbled, his words barely audible.

"No, you're not," Sungho said, his voice firm but shaking. "You're not fine."

When Jaehyun woke up hours later in the dorm, the first thing he saw was Sungho sitting beside him, arms crossed and a conflicted expression on his face.

"Hyung..." Jaehyun's voice was raspy, guilt creeping into his tone.

Sungho's lips pressed into a thin line. "You scared us, Jaehyun. You scared me." His voice wavered slightly, and Jaehyun saw the worry etched deep into his face.

"I'm sorry," Jaehyun whispered, looking away. "I didn't mean to..."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Sungho interrupted, his voice tinged with frustration and hurt. "I'm your hyung, Jaehyun. I'm here to take care of you, too. You didn't have to handle everything on your own."

Jaehyun hesitated, his throat tightening. "Because... you're all working so hard. I didn't want to burden you. I thought I could handle it."

"You thought wrong," Sungho said, his voice sharp before softening again. "Being a leader doesn't mean doing everything yourself. It means trusting us to share the load."

The door creaked open, and the other members filtered in, their expressions a mix of guilt and concern.

"Hyung, we're so sorry," Riwoo said, his voice shaking. "We didn't realize how much you were doing for us."

"You should've told us," Woobin added, looking down at his feet.

Jaehyun looked at them, his guilt overwhelming. "It's not your fault. I just... didn't want to let you down."

"You're not letting anyone down," Sungho said firmly. "But you will if you don't take care of yourself. We need you, Jaehyun, but we need you healthy."

From that day, the members began to notice all the little things Jaehyun had been doing for them.

"I'll check my harmonies myself," Riwoo said one night, shaking his head. "I didn't realize how much I was asking from him."

"I'll handle the mic pack stuff," Woobin added.

And Sungho, feeling a deep sense of responsibility as Jaehyun's hyung, took on the role of quietly looking after him. "Jaehyun-ah, come eat," he'd say, pushing a plate of food toward him during lunch. "No excuses."

At first, Jaehyun struggled to accept their help, guilt gnawing at him. But slowly, he began to realize that his members truly cared—they weren't just his responsibility; they were his family.

When the comeback finally arrived, Jaehyun stood on stage with his members, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. He wasn't carrying everything alone anymore, and the bond between them had grown stronger.

For Sungho, it was a bittersweet lesson. As Jaehyun's hyung, he had promised himself to protect the younger leader. He still felt the sting of guilt for not noticing sooner, but now, he vowed to always watch Jaehyun closely—to remind him that even leaders need someone to lean on.

Thanks for reading. If you have any story in mind don't hesitate. I take requests.