Chapter Text
The members of BTS are hardworking. They’re aware of it, and it’s something they pride themselves on. They always try to put 100% into whatever they’re doing, especially when they’re working. However, they didn’t get there easily. Back in their debut days, they were worked to the ground with packed schedules and practices- anything to promote them in any way, really. But they were continuously pushed into the habit of work, work, work. It was definitely hard at first, but they like to think it payed off.
It wasn’t until they started getting more recognition that they sort of realized that the pattern they were in wasn’t healthy. As they got more fans and more popularity, they were able to have a larger say in their work and scheduling. They were able to push for breaks, or vacations, or even decline interviews if they thought it’d be too problematic.
Things seemed to run smoothly after that; they were happy with their job and all the commitments in it, and they weren’t so overworked. It had seemed so long ago since their early years, when they were fighting to stay awake in the practice room. It’s not as if they forgot about it, but it was more of an out of sight out of mind type of thing. That is, until their junior group debuted.
They’ve met the younger group before, a group of five boys, they were really sweet, actually. All of them seemed to be a little intimidated by the older group, but the Bangtan members made sure to get it through to them that they were indeed not mean at all. They were actually really excited to have a younger group to dote on and tease whenever.
When they had heard that the junior group would be debuting soon under the name Tommorow X Together, or TXT, for short, they were unbelievably proud. It was a highly anticipated debut, and they tried to help out the pre-debut group as much as they could.
The debut was a success, and the group started to grow in popularity. The only downside to that was that the group’s schedule was absolutely swamped with interviews and practices and recordings. It wasn’t uncommon for a few BTS members to walk into a break room or lobby to find a couple TXT members knocked out on a couch or in a corner. They tried to avoid waking the juniors as much as possible, usually choosing to cover them with a jacket or hoodie and dimming the lights instead.
It wasn’t until one particular day that they really saw the extent to which the juniors were being pushed.
Hoseok walked down the hallway expecting it to be silent. It wasn’t exactly super late at night, but it was late enough that he expected most groups or trainees to have already gone home or to their dorm. What he wasn’t expecting, is one light still on at the end of the hall, and faint music able to be heard.
His brow furrowed as he made his way through. Who could be practicing at this hour? As he got closer he could hear the sound of someone panting- almost heaving- through the door. He carefully pulled the door open, only to find the source of the sound in the middle of the room. Yeonjun stood in the center of the room, hands on his legs, shakily trying to catch his breath. He looked like he was about to topple over at any second. In other words, he looked absolutely awful. He looked sickly, he was pale and sweating, and his knees looked like they were threatening to buckle any second. Hoseok also takes note of the youngest member, Kai, sitting in the floor against the wall, seemingly fast asleep. His eyes drift back to Yeonjun in the center, who doesn’t seem to notice him in the doorway.
Hoseok wastes no time in crossing the room in a few swift steps. “Hey, try to breathe buddy.” He concerningly rubs his hand on the youngers back in light circular motions, hoping it would help him take an easier breath. It doesn’t seem to help much, and he’s only proved with the fact when the juniors knees buckle inexorably, and his weight drops onto Hoseok, leaving him trying to keep the younger upright without holding him too tight.
“Hey, Yeonjun, let’s get you sitting down, yeah?” He says as he carefully guides the other a few steps over to one of the chairs against the wall. He gently coaxes him to a sitting position and guides him to lean forward, trying to get him to take deeper breaths, instead of the harsh shallow breathing he’s been doing.
“M’sry,” Yeonjun mumbles out between breaths.
Hoseok cards his hand through the other’s hair, “sh,” he hushes, “we’ll talk when you’re feeling better. Just breathe for now.”
It takes a few minutes, but eventually his breathing settles, and Hoseok is able to get a few moments of conversation out of him. It’s obvious he was working way too hard, and Hoseok doesn’t even know how long the juniors have been in the practice room.
He looks down at the boy who’s now slumped against him, head on his shoulder, and looking like he’s about to fall asleep at any moment. If he really looks at him though, he sees the pale and clamminess of his skin, breathing deep and heavy. He’s warm, and not just from overdoing it. Hoseok lightly touches the back of his hand against the younger’s forehead, Yeonjun subconsciously leaning into the cool touch, and it only confirms what he suspected, that the younger did indeed seem to have a mild fever.
He takes a look at the txt maknae in the corner. He doesn’t seem to be sick, which is a relief, but he definitely looks exhausted.
He sighs. “What am I gonna do with you guys,” he mutters to himself. His phone buzzes in his pocket.
Seokjin: I’m sending Taehyung down there to help you out with Yeonjun and Kai. Bring them up to our dorm. Soobin and Beomgyu are already here and Yoongi and Jimin are bringing Taehyun up right now.
Hoseok chuckles to himself. How in the world did his eldest hyung know he had found the two juniors?
His phone buzzed again.
Seokjin: Hyung instincts.