K-pop sickfics/hurtfics

Maki &team - overworked/nelgect

@Itsganna12 here's your request. Hope it was what you wanted, enjoy.
1100 words.

The buzzing lights of the studio reflected off the polished floor, but inside Maki's heart, the light felt distant. His hands, calloused from hours of practice, clutched his water bottle tightly as he sat in the corner of the rehearsal room. He could hear the other members laughing, talking, sharing moments of camaraderie. But he felt disconnected, as if an invisible wall separated him from everyone.

He wasn't sure when it had started, but Maki's insecurities had grown like a silent storm inside him. They were a well-oiled machine, &TEAM – each member bringing something unique to the group. And yet, Maki couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he didn't belong there, that maybe he wasn't good enough. Every time he watched one of his hyungs shine on stage, every time they received praise, a sharp pang of doubt would ripple through his chest.

"I need to do better. I have to do better," he thought, his eyes darting nervously as he joined the others for their next round of practice.

Maki pushed himself harder than anyone else, rehearsing until his muscles ached and his mind was a blur. He spent sleepless nights going over dance steps and vocal runs, rehearsing in front of the mirror, perfecting every detail, no matter how small. The others noticed the intensity of his practice sessions, but they thought it was just Maki being his usual perfectionist self. They didn't know that the pressure he put on himself wasn't just about doing his best – it was about proving that he was worthy of being there at all.

Weeks passed, and Maki's sense of isolation deepened. He watched his members bond over shared jokes and long conversations, but he stayed quiet, his energy spent on perfecting his craft. They didn't mean to neglect him. It wasn't intentional. But the more Maki pushed himself, the more the distance between them grew. His hyungs were caught up in their own worlds, their own struggles, and they didn't see how Maki was silently falling apart.

It was only when the exhaustion finally took its toll that the cracks began to show. Maki's voice grew strained, his movements sluggish. His eyes were sunken from lack of sleep, and his shoulders sagged with the weight of an invisible burden. But he didn't say a word. He didn't want to burden anyone. They had enough to deal with, after all.

One evening, after another long practice session, Maki quietly slipped into his room, shutting the door behind him. He had learned to keep his pain hidden behind a smile. He collapsed onto the bed, exhausted in every sense of the word. But sleep didn't come. Instead, tears welled up in his eyes, unbidden and raw. He felt so small, so insignificant. The isolation, the constant drive to improve, the feeling that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be enough – it all came crashing down.

It was then that the door to his room creaked open.

"Maki?" It was K, his voice soft and hesitant. "Are you okay?"

Maki wiped his eyes quickly, trying to compose himself. "I'm fine. Just tired."

K wasn't convinced. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Maki's face. There was something in the air – something heavy and off. K's brow furrowed in concern. He walked over to Maki, who was now sitting up on the bed, wiping away the remnants of his tears.

"Maki," K said again, sitting beside him. "You don't have to pretend with me."

Maki's heart clenched at the sincerity in K's voice. He swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. "I don't want to be a burden," he whispered, barely able to make the words come out. "I just... I feel like I'm not enough. Like I'm holding everyone back."

K's eyes softened, and he gently placed a hand on Maki's shoulder. "You're never a burden to us," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We're a team. We don't leave anyone behind."

Maki let out a shaky breath, the tears he had been holding back now spilling freely. "I'm just so tired, K. I keep pushing myself, but it never feels like enough. I don't know what else to do."

K's heart ached for him. He had seen the strain in Maki's eyes lately, but he hadn't realized the depth of it. The other members, too, had been so caught up in their own struggles that they hadn't noticed Maki's quiet pain. But now, seeing him like this, K couldn't ignore the guilt gnawing at his conscience. They had all failed him in one way or another.

"Maki," K said gently, pulling him into a hug. "You don't have to do this alone. We're here for you. We're a family. You don't have to prove anything to us. We see you. We see how hard you're working. And we love you for it."

Maki buried his face into K's shoulder, his body shaking with the weight of everything he had been carrying. The realization that he wasn't alone, that his hyungs cared for him just as much as he cared for them, broke through the wall of his defenses.

The rest of the group soon joined them, hearing the soft sobs through the door. They crowded into the room, each one of them silently apologizing with their presence. It was as if the tension that had been hanging in the air for months began to dissolve in that one moment of raw vulnerability.

"We've all been so busy," Sota said quietly, his voice full of regret. "We didn't see it, Maki. We should've been there for you. We're sorry."

"Yeah," said Fumi, his voice steady but filled with guilt. "We never meant to make you feel this way."

"I'm sorry too," added Han, his voice softer than usual. "You're not alone, Maki. We're a team. Always."

The weight that had been pressing on Maki's chest began to lift, not because everything was suddenly okay, but because he knew that he didn't have to carry it alone anymore. His hyungs were with him, standing by his side.

From that night on, things began to change. Maki stopped pushing himself so relentlessly. He still worked hard, still gave his all, but he allowed himself to rest. He let his hyungs in, opened up to them about his struggles, and slowly, the connection they had as a group grew stronger.

Maki realized that he didn't have to be perfect. He didn't have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was enough, just as he was.

Thanks for reading. Hope you like it.
If you have a story in mind don't hesitate. I take requests.