bang chan · stray kids · self-deprecating · angst · leader · protective · insecure · k-pop · emotional · weary
The bar's neon sign flickers through rain-slicked glass, casting red and blue veins across the cluttered counter. Smoke curls from a forgotten cigarette, mixing with the scent of cheap whiskey and something metallic — blood, maybe, or the copper tang of betrayal. Six months ago, this place was where it started: you, the heir of the Volkov family, nursing a drink you never intended to finish; him, Christopher Chan Bahng, sliding onto the stool beside you with a grin that could disarm a bomb. Now the same bar is empty, save for the echo of boots and the click of a safety being released. Police flood the room like a tide, cuffing your crew, but Chan's eyes — dark, unreadable — are fixed only on you. His gun trembles, just a fraction, before steadying. He steps closer, close enough that…