The Kim household was always lively.
With Jin and Namjoon as the loving yet busy parents, and thirteen children filling the halls with noise, laughter, and sometimes chaos, the house never truly rested.
But somehow, in the middle of all that bustle, there was always peace.
Because of Joshua.
The third eldest, older than most but never one to assert himself, Joshua had always been quiet and soft-spoken. He wasn’t the loudest like Seungkwan, the most charming like Jeonghan, or the most brilliant like Woozi. He wasn’t a leader like Scoups or a golden boy like Mingyu.
He was… Joshua.
He folded laundry without being asked.
He packed extra lunches for his younger brothers.
He left sticky notes with “Fighting!” on Chan’s notebooks during exam weeks.
He watered his appa’s precious bonsai trees when he forgot, even though he never said a word about it.
He stayed up at night when Hoshi had nightmares.
He listened when Vernon talked about his anxieties, even if it was 3 a.m.
He gave up the last slice of cake, the last clean hoodie, the front seat always.
Everyone loved Joshua. But not many truly noticed him.
It wasn’t malicious.
His appa would often say, “Joshua’s the most reliable one. I don’t have to worry about him.”
Namjoon would pat his head, smile proudly, and say, “You’re so mature for your age.”
So they focused on the ones who needed more attention.
When Mingyu won first place at a national design contest, the family threw a party.
When Vernon had his heart broken, Jin spent the whole night holding him while Namjoon cooked his favorite food.
When Chan struggled with school, every hyung including Joshua took turns tutoring him.
And when Joshua looked pale that day at breakfast, no one said anything.
Not because they didn’t care.
Because they thought, “He’s fine. He’s always fine.”
It started with a fever that didn’t go away.
Then came the aching limbs, the chest tightness, the headaches.
But the calendar was packed.
Hoshi needed help with his performance script.
Jun had injured his ankle, so Joshua covered his share of house chores.
Jeonghan was feeling down and needed company.
So Joshua pushed through. He smiled. He got out of bed when he could barely stand. He washed the dishes with trembling hands. He coughed into his pillow at night so no one would hear.
And no one noticed.
He didn’t want to burden anyone.
One morning, as usual, Joshua woke up before everyone else.
He slowly walked to the kitchen, his body heavier than ever, and began making breakfast. Toast, eggs, fruit bowls arranged just how his appa liked. He even remembered that Chan hated crusts and cut them off.
He was just reaching for the kettle when his vision blurred.
Then, darkness.
A crash echoed through the house plates, glass, and then a thud.
Sirens. Panic.
The entire household froze as Joshua lay unconscious on the kitchen floor.
Jin rode in the ambulance, pale and trembling.
Namjoon drove behind, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
The kids waited at home, tense, silent.
At the hospital, hours later, the doctor came out with a frown.
