STELLA SYNDROME. ✓

III. helio

III.
h e l i o

━━

JIMIN couldn't believe it. his worst fears had come to pass. jungkook had the stella syndrome, and there was nothing he could do about it.

except tell jungkook his feelings. which he would never do.

then his mind began to think logically. jungkook hadn't seemed generally sick, and he didn't say anything about abnormal things happening to him. he'd have no reason not to tell them if he was really feeling bad, so maybe he really was just having trouble sleeping. jimin sighed in relief. jungkook was safe, just a little tired; and his feelings for the younger were still secret.

for now.

━━

JUNGKOOK didn't like their practice today.

the instructor was especially overbearing, and instead of yelling and reprimanding them loudly, he would do worse—stand back, shake his head silently, and then give him a disappointed and pitying look. he loathed it when people did that, and it made his blood boil. why don't you tell me how much of a failure i am? i dare you.

this instructor was insufferable. "come on, jungkook. you're a little slow today," he clapped his hands to signal for the music to stop.

he sighed, anticipating the lecture. since he hadn't gotten a lick of rest, his body was still exhausted from working out yesterday, and jungkook was messing up a fair amount. "i didn't get any sleep," he mumbled, praying the other members didn't see through his facade. inwardly, he was terrified of what happened in the bathroom and as much as he tried to shake the feeling, he couldn't help but feel like it wasn't going to go away like he so hoped.

something paranormal was going on here. and he sure as hell was going to figure it out.

"again!" jungkook snapped back to the real world, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and got into position. don't you dare screw up, he told himself, determination coursing through his blood.

but despite his vast efforts, his head was still in the clouds, and he endured hours of relentless embarrassment.

━━

HIS eyes were glued to jungkook the entire day. he's just tired, jimin. calm down. but everything about him was making the blonde go crazy.

dinner was served in a quiet jitter. even seokjin and hoseok couldn't keep the conversation going, everyone only commenting on the food or the weather and whatnot. jungkook silently ate his meal, faint bags underneath his sparkling eyes that stared intently at his plate, not droopy with exhaustion but gleaming with thought. he was pondering something, and jimin allowed himself to fear that his earlier suspicion was right, but then shook his head at his own stupidity. you told yourself to calm down! sheesh.

fortunately, no one was paying attention to him, so he could gaze at jungkook as much and as long as he wished. still, he only let his eyes peer through his hair, so if the boy caught him, he could quickly glance away and the so he wouldn't question it.

jimin sat at the table, pressing his lips together roughly as he watched the brunette swirl his cup absentmindedly, the liquid almost spilling onto yoongi when he walked by. "hey, watch it," the elder muttered, sounding more confused than annoyed. "you're super out of it today, kook."

the youngest just rolled his eyes. "i'm just tired." jimin shifted in his seat—he's entering the moody stage. whenever jungkook was tired, he would be drowsy in the morning, spaced-out in the afternoon, and moody at night. jimin blinked while staring when the boy abruptly scooted his chair back and stood. "i'm gonna head to bed early to see if i can catch up on my sleep."

"okay," namjoon replied, mouth opening to say more, but the singer had already bolted from the room and shut the door to his room. an odd silence blanketed the area, and jimin fiddled with his fork. "um, is he..." the leader began, but trailed off. "surely he's just exhausted from practice and not getting any rest last night, right?"

"of course," seokjin said, sturdy posture showing his confidence all except for the nervous fault in his demeanor. it wasn't that he suspected anything; it was just his motherly nature coming through. but everyone else looked normal, so jimin relaxed.

but jungkook wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep when the sun went down and the once-breathtaking stars now gleamed maliciously overhead.