Anxiety

Chapter 2

San looked around, memories of the night before coming back into his mind. He saw Hongjoong sleeping on the floor next to his bed. He gazed at his leader with gratitude as he slowly woke up.

"Are you okay?" Hongjoong asked in his cute morning voice. San nodded. "Thank you for last night."

"Don't worry about it. I'll always be here for you whenever you need help."

San was grateful to their leader. Although he did have anxiety, he didn't want anyone to know. Especially not his members. The only reason Hongjoong knew was because he had brought San to the appointment and was there when he was diagnosed. Hongjoong had agreed to keep it concealed and helped him whenever he had an attack.

The others were starting to suspect something was up with San and Hongjoong. For the past year they had been disappearing at random times and being out anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour at a time. They quietly wondered but didn't ask either of them anything.

They had all woken up before San and Hongjoong and were sitting in the living room talking.

"Do you think they are a thing?" Wooyoung asked, the jealousy in his voice clear.

"I doubt it," Seonghwa said. "Hongjoong is responsible. He wouldn't go off at random times to make out with San. Besides, they wouldn't hide something like that. I think it's something else."

"Are you sure?" Wooyoung asked.

"I think it might be a mental health thing," Mingi said. "He's definitely helped me with mine before. He's helped all of us."

They all nodded and left it at that. They were talking about Atiny when San and Hongjoong came out and they got ready to go.

They arrived at the practice room and started practicing. They stopped for a ten minute break and got right back into it. The day passed quickly and they went home. The next day was much the same as was every day that week and the next.

With the comeback rapidly approaching, everyone was stressed, and that did not help with San's anxiety at all. About a week before the comeback, in the middle of practicing the choreo, San tripped, fell, got up, and ran out of the room, Hongjoong and Wooyoung following him out.

San ran into a small closet and broke down, hyperventilating. Hongjoong arrived a few seconds later followed by Wooyoung. Hongjoong gently placed San in his lap and comforted him. Wooyoung stood there against the wall not knowing what to do.

"It'll be okay," Hongjoong said. "Just let it out."

"No," San said. "It's too much. I can't take it anymore."

"Tell me what's wrong," Hongjoong said, neither of them noticing Wooyoung standing there looking helpless and worried.

"Just everything," San said, still crying.

"Tell me, I'm here."

"The comeback and the stress are too much."

"Do you need a break?"

San nodded.

"I'll call for a day off tomorrow. Is that good for you?"

San nodded and lifted his head. "Thank you hyung, for putting up with me with everything."

Wooyoung tried to sneak out slowly but he accidentally kicked something causing both San and Hongjoong to turn towards him. San's eyes widened in fear and he curled up in a ball on the floor and lay still.

Wooyoung looked at him, confused, and then looked at Hongjoong. Hongjoong motioned him to go out so he waited outside. San still lay on the floor with his hands in a protective stance around his head.

A/N
Uh-oh. Wooyoung found out....