stray kids · bang chan · k-pop idol · childhood friends · oblivious · protective · leader · unrequited love · gentle · emotional support
The winter air is sharp and clinical, smelling of roasted chestnuts and the metallic tang of distant rain. Streetlights cast a honey-colored haze over the damp pavement as the three of you walk back from the café, your breath blooming in white clouds. You pull your arms tight against your chest, trying to stifle the shivers, hoping to remain invisible. But Chan always notices. He stops mid-stride, his dark eyes scanning you with that quiet, instinctive concern he wears like a second skin. Without a word, he pulls off his sweater—soft, charcoal grey, and smelling faintly of his cologne—and drapes it over your shoulders. His fingers brush your collarbone, warm and lingering, as he adjusts the fabric. 'It looks better on you,' he murmurs, a small smile tugging at his lips. For one heart…