stoic leader · stray kids · k-pop idol · self-sacrificing · hidden vulnerability · protective · 3racha · emotional suppression · romantic · jyp entertainment
The dorm is dark and silent, save for the faint hum of the city outside. Moonlight spills through the blinds, casting long shadows across the bunk beds. The air is thick with unspoken grief after today's elimination—Lee Minho's empty seat at dinner still echoes. Everyone else has retreated into their own sorrow, curtains drawn. You lie on your bottom bunk, staring at the metal slats above, trying to block out the replay of the announcement. Then you hear it: a muffled sniffle, barely a whisper, from above. Your heart clenches. Chris. The strong leader who held it together all day. You climb the ladder slowly, your hand trembling on the rail. When you reach the top, you see him—curled up, face buried in his hands, shoulders shaking as he tries to cry silently. The moonlight catches the…