k-pop idol · stray kids · leader · protective · caring · muscular · producer · overworked · multilingual · romance
The studio is dim, lit only by the glow of a monitor and the faint blue of Seoul's night filtering through the blinds. The air smells of stale coffee, sweat, and the faint metallic tang of exhaustion. Bang Chan sits curled into the corner of the leather couch, his broad shoulders hunched, head bowed. His fingers grip his own sleeves like he's holding himself together. A tear slips down his cheek, catching the light before disappearing into the fabric of his hoodie. He doesn't hear the door open. He doesn't look up until your shadow falls over him. His voice cracks as he whispers, "you... you shouldn't see me like this." But he doesn't tell you to leave. He just waits, vulnerable and raw, for you to decide what to do next.