Invisible Wounds

Ni-ki floated in the darkness, trapped in a realm between dreams and reality. His body felt weightless, his mind drifting through memories, fears, and emotions he couldn't escape.

And then, like a film playing before him, a screen flickered to life.

He saw his parents first.

His mother sat by the bedside, her hands clasped together in prayer. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her lips trembling as she whispered desperate pleas. His father sat beside her, his head bowed, his strong shoulders shaking. Ni-ki had never seen his father cry before.

It hurt.

He reached out, but his fingers passed through them like smoke. They couldn’t see him.

They didn’t know he was watching.

A choked sob left his throat.

⭐ ⭐⭐

The screen shifted.

His staff—the people who had cared for him behind the scenes—were still preparing his things as if he would walk through the door any second. His stylist carefully folded his stage outfits, her hands trembling. His manager stood nearby, rubbing his face in exhaustion.

They were waiting for him.

Hoping.

Praying.

But the sadness in their eyes told him everything.

They weren’t sure if he would come back.

⭐⭐

Then, the screen changed one last time.

His members.

Jungwon sat in the hospital hallway, his head in his hands, his small frame shaking. Jay stared at the floor, his jaw clenched, his fingers digging into his arms. Jake whispered something under his breath—prayers, maybe. Sunoo had his face buried in his arms, his shoulders rising and falling with every silent sob.

And Sunghoon—

Sunghoon sat frozen beside the hospital bed, Ni-ki’s limp hand clutched tightly in his own. His hoodie was stained with blood—Ni-ki’s blood. His eyes were hollow, his lips slightly parted in disbelief.

They were all crying.

They were all breaking.

And there, in the hospital bed, was Ni-ki.

Unmoving. Unresponsive.

The doctors said the virus had taken a toll on his lungs, that his body was too weak to fight anymore.

That there was no guarantee he would wake up.

Ni-ki watched the scene unfold, his heart aching in ways he couldn't describe.

He wanted to wake up.

He wanted to tell them he was still here.

But another thought held him back.

What if he woke up and they went back to ignoring him?

What if they still blamed him?

What if they forgot about him all over again?

The thought made him curl into himself. His chest heaved with silent sobs.

He was exhausted.

He was scared.

And a part of him wondered—was it better to stay asleep?

⭐⭐⭐

But then, something changed.

A warm pressure wrapped around his fingers, grounding him.

A voice, soft and trembling, broke through the darkness.

"Ni-ki… please."

The dream shattered.

Light flooded his vision.

His chest ached, his throat was dry, and his body felt impossibly heavy. But when he finally forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was Sunghoon.

Tears streamed down Sunghoon’s face as he clutched Ni-ki’s hand like it was the only thing tethering him to reality. His lips trembled, his breath uneven.

"Ni-ki…?" Sunghoon's voice cracked, his grip tightening. "Is this real? Are you really awake?"

Ni-ki tried to speak, but his throat burned. He swallowed painfully, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hyung…?"

Sunghoon let out a strangled sob. His free hand came up to cover his mouth, his entire body shaking.

"You're real," he choked out. "You're really here."

Ni-ki blinked slowly, taking in the warmth of Sunghoon’s touch, the sheer desperation in his voice.

The rest of the members weren’t here. They had gone out to get lunch.

For the first time in weeks, Ni-ki was alone with one of them.

And yet, Sunghoon’s touch was the gentlest it had ever been.

Maybe… just maybe…

He wasn’t alone anymore.

Sunghoon was still crying when the door creaked open.

The rest of the members walked in, their voices lighthearted as they carried plastic bags filled with lunch.

But the moment their eyes landed on Ni-ki—awake, breathing, conscious—their bodies froze.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Jungwon dropped the drinks he was holding. The plastic cups hit the floor, spilling their contents, but no one cared.

"Ni-ki…?" Jay's voice was barely above a whisper, his hands trembling at his sides.

Ni-ki blinked at them, his throat too dry to form words. He could only watch as their eyes widened, their faces shifting from shock to disbelief to something deeper—something raw.

Sunoo let out a choked sob. His hands clutched at his chest as if holding back the guilt that threatened to suffocate him. "You're awake…"

Jake's knees buckled, and he had to grab onto the nearest chair to steady himself. He exhaled a shaky breath, his face unreadable.

And then, just like that—

The tension shattered.

Jungwon was the first to move.

He rushed forward and collapsed at Ni-ki’s bedside, his hands gripping the sheets as he bowed his head. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Ni-ki, I’m so, so sorry."

Jay followed, placing a hand over Ni-ki’s before squeezing it tightly. His usual confidence was gone, replaced with red-rimmed eyes and a tremor in his voice. "We… we messed up. We messed up so badly."

Sunoo wiped at his tears furiously. "I should’ve noticed sooner," he said between hiccups. "I shouldn’t have ignored you—I shouldn’t have—"

Jake swallowed hard, his voice strained. "We hurt you. And we have no excuse for it."

Ni-ki listened to their words, to their regret, to the heaviness in their voices.

For weeks, he had wanted to hear this.

For weeks, he had begged—prayed—for them to see him again.

And now, with their apologies filling the air, their hands gripping his like they never wanted to let go…

His chest ached.

Not from sickness.

Not from exhaustion.

But from the pain of holding it all in for so long.

Tears welled up in his eyes. His lips trembled, and before he could stop himself—

He broke.

A sob tore from his throat, his body shaking with the force of it. The pain, the loneliness, the fear—it all came rushing out at once.

"I was so scared," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought… I thought you hated me."

"No!" Jungwon immediately lifted his head, his own tears falling freely. "We never hated you, Ni-ki. Never."

"But you ignored me," Ni-ki said, his voice cracking. "Every time I made a mistake, every time I tried to talk to you… it felt like I didn’t exist."

Guilt settled heavily on their shoulders.

Sunghoon, who had been silently crying beside him, finally spoke. "I pushed you too hard. I—" He inhaled sharply. "I hurt you. I didn’t mean to, but I did. And I will never forgive myself for that."

Ni-ki shook his head weakly. "I don’t… I don’t want to be scared of my own hyungs."

The words shattered them completely.

Jungwon clenched his fists. "You won’t be," he promised. "Not ever again."

One by one, they gathered around him, their hands reaching out, their voices soft with sincerity.

They couldn't take back the pain they had caused.

But they could make sure it never happened again.

And Ni-ki—despite everything—still wanted to believe in them.

So, with tears still running down his cheeks, he nodded.

And, just like that, they pulled him into a careful embrace—holding onto him like they never wanted to let go.

Because they wouldn't.

Not anymore.