Between Us, Always

Dylan's POV

The hospital room was quiet when they all rushed in, their faces a blur of concern. I could hear their footsteps even before they entered, my ears picking up the sound of the door swinging open. The first to step through was Jun—of course, it had to be him. His eyes were wide with worry, and I could feel the tension in the air before he even said a word.

"Dylan," Jun breathed, his voice tight. "What happened? Are you—"

I didn't give him the chance to finish. My head throbbed, my vision still a little blurry from the accident, but the last thing I wanted was to be bombarded with questions. Not now.

"Jun, it's fine," I managed to mutter, trying to sit up straighter on the hospital bed. "I'm fine. Really, it's just a bump on the head."

But Jun wasn't having it. His eyes flickered with frustration, and I could tell he was about to launch into a full-blown interrogation. "Just a bump on the head? You've been in an accident, Dylan! What the hell were you doing?"

Before I could even respond, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was Thame. His voice was calm, almost soothing as he spoke up, cutting off Jun's line of questioning.

"Hey, Jun, can you let him breathe for a second?" Thame's tone was soft but firm, his eyes locking with mine in a silent promise that he was there for me. "Dylan's been through enough. He'll tell us what happened when he's ready."

Jun's jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, I thought he was going to protest. But Thame's steady presence seemed to work, and Jun fell silent, looking away.

"Thanks, Thame," I muttered, grateful for the moment of peace. My chest tightened, not just from the pain in my head, but from the mess of emotions I was trying to sort through. The accident, the strange distance I'd been putting between myself and the others, and now... this.

I could feel the weight of their eyes on me. Thame, Per, and even Jun, though he remained quiet for now. They were all waiting. For what, exactly? For me to explain myself?

"I'm fine," I repeated, my voice a little shakier than I intended. "I just... I lost control of the bike. Got into a small crash. It's nothing serious, really."

Per didn't buy it for a second. "That's not the whole story, Dylan," he said softly, his eyes searching mine. "We know you, man. There's gotta be more to it."

I shifted uncomfortably, looking down at my hands, unsure of what to say. They were all here, looking at me like I was something broken, something they needed to fix. The truth was, I didn't know what was going on with me anymore. The distance, the silence—everything felt off. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to drag them into my mess.

"You don't need to worry about me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'll be fine. Really."

But even as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren't enough. I knew they wouldn't believe me. Not when they could see right through the cracks in my calm façade.

"Dylan," Jun said, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. "You're not alone in this. We're here for you."

The room was heavy with silence, punctuated only by the occasional beeping from the machines nearby. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but I kept my gaze focused on the white sheets of the hospital bed, unable to meet their questioning looks. Part of me wanted to pull them all in and tell them everything—the frustration, the confusion, the guilt I'd been carrying. But another part of me was terrified of what they'd think.

Jun shifted uncomfortably beside me, clearly not satisfied with my attempt to brush it off. I knew he cared, but I also knew his need to fix things, to get to the heart of the matter, often made it hard to let things slide. His mouth opened a couple of times, as though he was about to speak, but he stopped himself each time. Maybe he was waiting for me to give him a sign, a signal that I was ready to talk.

Per's presence was a quiet comfort in the corner of the room, his expression soft but concerned. I could tell he wanted to reach out, but he was letting me set the pace. It was always like that with him—calm, understanding, waiting for the moment when I'd let my guard down.

"I know this isn't easy, Dylan," Thame said after a long pause, his voice breaking the stillness. "But you don't have to pretend everything's fine. We're not going anywhere. You can tell us when you're ready."

The words hung in the air, an unspoken promise. I knew they meant well, but right now, it was all too much.

I forced a smile, even though it felt foreign on my face. "I'm fine. Really."

Thame didn't press any further. Instead, he exchanged a look with Jun, and then with Nano, before nodding slowly. But I could see it in their eyes—no one was convinced. They weren't going to let me off the hook so easily.

I swallowed hard, trying to push the lump in my throat down. This was what I hated the most. Being so damn vulnerable.

Just as the tension began to stretch thin, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, almost relieved for the distraction, and saw a message from my manager. It was a short and blunt note:

You're expected at the meeting in an hour. Do not be late.

I stared at the message, my heart sinking. The weight of everything—my injury, my distance from the group, the pressure of my career—suddenly felt like too much to carry. I was supposed to show up to a meeting, act like everything was fine, like none of this mattered.

I let out a small laugh, but it was bitter. "I have to go. There's a meeting in an hour."

I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince. The guys knew the meeting was coming, but this was different. This wasn't just about the work. It was about the façade.

"No, Dylan. You're staying here," Jun said, his voice firm but laced with concern. "You need to rest, and we're not going to let you just run off to some meeting. We let manager know."

I shook my head, trying to brush him off. "It's fine, Jun. I'll be okay. It's just... one more thing I have to do."

"Not like this, Dylan."

His words felt like a punch to the gut. I wasn't okay. I wasn't fine. But I wasn't sure what else to say.

"I'll stay," I said after a long silence, dropping my phone back onto the bed. "For now."