Red roses that grow inside our black lungs || Jaepil

Chapter 1; Stage 1

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Stage 1.
Gardenias

✧ ･ﾟ : * ✧ ･ﾟ :* : ･ﾟ ✧ *: ･ﾟ ✧

Wonpil sighed deeply as he tried to wipe away the sweat off his face. After the concert, Wonpil couldn't help but feel tired. While the rest of the bandmates felt adrenaline rushing through their veins, Wonpil felt worry. His voice wasn't the best and he didn't know if it was because Sungjin kept stealing glances at Wonpil, making Wonpil long for air and oxygen or because he had a sore throat ever since that one coughing fit on that drunken night.

"Are you coming Piri? They're waiting!" Wonpil hummed as he ran after Younghyun to the high-touch. Jae's lips automatically curled up when he saw the two younger members going to their places. Wonpil stood just beside Jae who decided that this would be a good time to talk a little since it would still take a while before the first fans would come.

"You were great today Wonpil... You're always great." Wonpil smiled softly and before he could thank Jaehyung for his kind words, Sungjin chirped in.

"Yes! You were -amazing- Wonpil-ah! No one could hear anything about your sore throat! You didn't have to worry a single bit!" Wonpil felt his cheeks heat up. There was a small itch in his chest and he coughed awkwardly, trying to make it get away.

"Thank you so much hyungs... But I still think I had my better days... I think I'm just getting a little ill. I will go to bed when we get to our dorm." Both the oldest member and the leader nodded agreeingly with Wonpil's choice and Wonpil was glad that he made the right decision by resting a bit more.

Having washed his face, and having taken a quick shower, Wonpil was lying in a t-shirt, boxers and some knee-socks in bed. The weird itch had come back, but now not only just inside Wonpil's chest, it was in his throat too. Wonpil kept on coughing, trying to get the tickling feeling away.

"Sungjin-hyung?" Wonpil felt like a child when he walked into the living-room. It was still fully alive in there, with the whole band talking and drinking. Sungjin looked up, his eyes filled with worry and concern as he waited for Wonpil to finish his request. "Do we still have some cough medicine... It's itching and it's keeping me awake." Sungjin hummed and walked to the kitchen.

"You look like shit," Younghyun said, petting the place beside him on the couch. Wonpil sat down, leaning against Younghyun's shoulders. He wrapped an arm around the younger member who sniffled a little before coughing loudly into his elbow.

"Maybe today was a bit much. Come on, drink up," Sungjin said, giving Wonpil the medicine and a cup of tea. Wonpil quickly swallowed the nasty drink before gagging a little. He had always hated the taste of the medicine... Any medicine in particular. Wonpil wrapped his hands around the tea cup, feeling even more terrible than he did. "It's tea with honey. I hope it erases the taste a little."

"Thank you Sungjin... It means a lot." Wonpil took small sips off his tea and when he didn't want to anymore, Younghyun voluntarily took him to bed and tugged him in, wishing the younger a good night before going back to the living room. It didn't take long for the other four to go bed themselves. It wasn't the same without Wonpil.

They all truly believed Wonpil was getting better, mostly because Wonpil didn't cough as much anymore. He just got out of breath easily, feeling like there was something stuck in his lungs, but having no idea what or how it got there. Wonpil still had moments when he coughed loudly, feeling almost like he was going to pass out. But often, this happened when he was alone. When he was in the bathroom for example. He would hold onto the side of the tub just to steady himself, as he started to cough, gagging while trying to get whatever was stuck in the back of his throat to go down the drain. He still always failed in succeeding his plan. He just came out of the bathroom, face red, feeling terrible and tired. Wonpil would collapse on the couch, the thing that was still annoying his lungs would still be there, just existing.