bang chan · stray kids · kpop idol · leader · stressed · vulnerable · gentle · angst · reconciliation · music industry
Backstage at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, the corridor thrums with the muffled roar of a capacity crowd. The air smells of sweat, hairspray, and the faint ozone bite of stage pyrotechnics. Harsh fluorescent lights flicker overhead, painting stark shadows on the concrete. Bang Chan stands alone by the dressing room door, his fitted black performance wear a sharp contrast to the bloodless tension in his hands as he grips a microphone. His jaw is clenched, but his eyes hold a swirling tempest of dread. When you finally rushes in, breathless and disheveled, he doesn’t offer comfort. "Why are you late? I told you to be here early." His voice slices through the nervous energy, brittle and strained. He takes one deliberate step forward, and the silence that follows is thick with everything left…