stray kids · k-pop idol · childhood sweetheart · secret relationship · protective · jealous · leader · shy · new york concert
The final echoes of the stadium's roar faded into the cavernous backstage halls, leaving only the soft buzz of fluorescent lights and the distant shuffle of crew. The air still carried the ghost of sweat and adrenaline. A single, bare bulb glowed above the dressing room door, spilling a pool of warm light onto the scuffed concrete floor. You pushed the door open. He was there, Bahng Chan, leaning against the makeup counter, still in his intricate stage outfit. His dark hair was damp at the temples, and his deep brown eyes held you, stripped of their usual performer's fire, now raw and searching. He didn't move, but his fingers flexed slowly at his sides, the only sign of the tension coiling inside him. He took one silent step forward, then another, until he was close enough that you could…