A/N: English, Korean, Chinese, Thai

“Let’s just go back to the dorm,” Jinyoung says, looking around at GOT7, sans JB. “I think we all need a rest.” BTOB and Beast, whom they’ve been having awkward chitchat with for the past while as they waited for their missing members, agree.

“But practice,” Youngjae protests.

“Don’t worry. We’ve been working hard– we deserve half a day off.”

Mark looks at the mother of the group with haunted eyes and a small but grateful smile. He stands, slowly, with Jackson’s arm around him.

“JB?” he asks.

“Here,” the leader announces, swinging through the door.

Pen asks, “Jewel?” JB nods.

Mark sighs, and sags a little in Jackson’s hold. Everyone pretends they don’t notice.

***

Unsurprisingly, you fell asleep in the taxi after insisting that no, you were not okay with commandeering Beast’s van and letting the other members fend for themselves. After bickering a little with Gikwang and pulling rank a little with Minhyuk, Yoseob carries you from the taxi, into Cube, and up to the practice room. As he’s setting you down gently on a yoga mat, helpfully laid out by Gikwang, you turn and curl into his hand.

A half hour later, you wake to find yourself face-to-face with a slightly rosy Yoseob, who has laid down next to you with his hand stuck under your head. Gikwang and the rest of the members are engaged in furious conversation in the far corner. A slow blink later, you jackknife into a sitting position.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean,” you begin, but Yoseob stops you with a shy smile.

“I didn’t mind,” he reassures you, opening and closing his fingers to get the feeling back. “Do you feel better?”

“Gwenchana?” Doojoon asks, coming over. “We were worried about you.”

You shake your head. “I’m fine. Thank you– I’m sorry about running out.” Smiling slightly, you hop up, only wincing a little at the spikes driving up through your ruined soles. “I’m just going to pop out to the bathroom.” You grab your shoes and slip out before they can call your name.

You look like a mess. The mirror betrays the way the bags under your eyes look like dark bruises on your pale, drawn face. Grimacing, you stick your hands under the tap and hiss as the water stings on your wounds. Looking around, you spot a shower. Here goes.

You walk gingerly back to the room after you’ve cleaned your feet. It had taken longer than you would have preferred getting all the grime out of the cuts in your feet, and you had to bite back some yelps when the water hit some of the more ravaged areas. Putting your shoes back on had been a nightmare.

Inside, Beast have started their practice. Sitting down at the side and leaning on the yoga mats, you check your phone, wincing as your hands are chafed by your pockets.

From: 巨人Kevin Wu (吳亦凡)

Ah, I see. Be careful! I don’t want to come back and find you injured again. Have fun :)

            Oops, you think. Sorry...

From: The Kid

Okay, take care of yourself, noona! We miss you.

From: Bambi

You’re so cheesy, 寶貝. Schedule is busy but we’re thinking of you~

From: Soo oppa

It’s a good song...

These texts, so sweet and so oblivious, have tears welling in your eyes. You miss the boys with a sudden, overwhelming intensity. Damn it. Instead of replying, you check the rest of your texts and leave that for a time when you’re not emotionally unstable.

From: Wiwi

I go to the bathroom for just a few minutes... What happened? Are you okay?

From: Wiwi

Seriously, are you okay? Nobody seems to know??!

From: Wiwi

So JB came back and told us you’re going back to Cube, but that you wrecked your hands and feet (again). Please disinfect and wrap them, Jewel. I know you won’t want to, but please do it.

From: Pen

I’ve got him. We need to talk.

Sighing, you respond to Wiwat first.

To: Wiwat

I’m okay. I’ll get some first aid as soon as I have it. Sorry I made you worry.

Instead of replying to the others, you look at the messages and throw your phone onto the mats behind you. You’re in too much turmoil to respond without them knowing something’s up, and you’re not ready for Pen to tell you you screwed up yet.

But then again, he’s never coddled you like that.

“Jewel,” Pen calls from the doorway, quietly. You sigh, having expected it. “Can we talk?”

You hesitate a little, then nod. “I’ll come outside.” He waits for you to get up, but comes over and gives you his arm to hold for support. In your periphery, Yoseob makes a mistake, looking at you in concern.

The two of you step into the hallway and close the door.

“How is he?” you ask reluctantly.

“He’s... questioning.” Peniel sighs. “It was too much, too fast, Jewel.”

You look down and scuff at the floor a little bit. It hurts. “I know. I was greedy.”

“And you slipped up with the nicknames, too. He’s feeling overwhelmed. I would give it some time before you try to see him again.”

“I- okay.”

After a brief but fierce hug, he insists he needs to practice, and you let him go with a token protest. Familiarity hurts today, and Pen, whether consciously or not, knows it.

Looking inside the room, you feel absurd, out of place, an intruder. Laughing only a little under your breath at your audacity, you realize how much trouble you just put everyone through. “.”

Sighing, you wave at them in the mirror– only Gikwang sees. He turns around, but you’re already gone.

To: Cube

I’ll start next week– I need to take some time off to recover.

From: Cube

Araso. I heard from the boys’ manager.

Yoseob rushes to the door, but gets a text.

To: Yoseob

I think I’ve intruded enough for today.

He curses. With a look from Doojoon, the group gets back to practice.

***

“Jin Ae-ya,” Chaeyoung calls as you walk into the dorm. “Where do you go all the time?”

Not in the mood for her idiocy, you murmur just loud enough for her to hear. “I wonder what GOT7 thinks of the real me?”

Ignoring her gasp, you enter your room and flop on the bed.

Your phone buzzes.

From:  JYP

Will you drop by today? I’d like to go over the terms with you.

Ugh. You’d almost forgotten about saying yes to JYP.

To: JYP

I’ll be over in an hour.