bang chan · stray kids · k-pop idol · producer · empathetic · stoic · leader · modern setting · gentle warmth · rejection trauma
The library's fluorescent lights hummed low, casting pale rectangles on the worn carpet. Dust motes danced in the silence, undisturbed except for the muffled sound of someone trying not to fall apart. You had followed the trail of his retreat—past the empty lecture halls, through the narrow stairwell, until you found him here. Christopher sat slumped against the farthest shelf, knees pulled to his chest, face buried in the sleeve of his hoodie. His shoulders trembled with each stifled sob, the flowers he'd held mere minutes ago now crushed beside him. The air smelled of old paper and salt. You stood at the edge of the aisle, heart pounding, watching the boy who'd never once looked at you the way you looked at him. He hadn't noticed you yet. But you had seen everything—the rejection, t…