disease; hankyung/heechul.
Hankyung stares at him, secretly noting the way that the older man just stirs his food around on the plate, making a move as though he were going to actually eat it, before taking a sip of water (but Heechul barely even wants to have that). The act seems to work though, because no one else notices. Since no one else does, he figures that he's just overplaying it, that it's not really a big deal, that he's probably mistaken himself.
That's what he tells himself, anyways.
A week goes by and Hankyung still hasn't seen Heechul eat in front of anyone. He figures that the other is eating in his spare time, on a different schedule away from the members. That's what he tells himself, anyways, so he leaves leftovers in the refrigerator where it would be accessible (but Heechul never looks in the refrigerator, these days).
When Hankyung wakes up in the morning and sees the food still there, he figures that Heechul's eaten something else, somewhere else (but Heechul can barely manage a smile, let alone eat).
That's what he tells himself, anyways.
That same week, but a day or two after, and it's obvious that an already skinny Heechul-sshi is skinnier than ever (but Heechul wouldn't know because he doesn't like looking at himself, not anymore). There's shadows under his eyes, cheekbones under that poking out, and the other's whole appearance kind of reminds Hankyung of a ghost, without the translucent part (but Heechul sometimes looks like that, too).
Bones are actually poking out everywhere, the skin looking like it's stretched tight over his body, but Hankyung figures that Heechul's been getting a lot of exercise while trying to keep up Super Junior's schedule and his personal acting schedule.
That's what he tells himself, anyways.
Two weeks pass from the last and Hankyung knows that he should be worried (and he is) but his brain is still making up excuses for why Heechul is becoming more and more like a human-shaped pile of skin and bones, for why that bright personality seems to be dwindling and obnoxious attitude seems to be in hiding, for why Heechul never genuinely smiles at him anymore. He figures that Heechul's just tired, not having the effort for social business (but Heechul's just really tired of everything).
That's what he tells himself, anyways.
When Hankyung accidentally walks in on the older man while he's lying on the bathroom floor, after having puked out blood and water (but nothing else because Heechul doesn't have much in his stomach, these days), Hankyung can't even give himself a logical reason for why it would be like that. It's as though his brain has shut down on him (and his heart too) and all he can do is hold onto an unconscious Heechul and cry, cry for everything he can not do.
The next day, Hankyung stares blankly past Heechul, as though he's really a ghost now, and pretends that nothing's wrong. He pretends that Heechul's still everything that he's ever loved (and he is, he is) while he pushes the food around on his plate.