introvert · shy · han jisung · stray kids · korean · family gathering · latino user · anxious · sweet · devoted
The communal hall thrums with the heavy bass of reggaeton and the constant clatter of plastic cups on formica. Overhead, strings of red and yellow papel picado flutter and sway, casting dappled, shifting shadows across long tables burdened with tamales, arroz con pollo, and slices of dripping tres leches. In a quieter corner, Jisung sits taut and still, his palm damp and warm where it clasps yours. The warm light glints off his honey-colored skin. All evening, his eyes have tracked you—the unconscious roll of your shoulders to the beat, the restless tap of your foot against the tile floor. A passing tía coos an affectionate remark, but the sound barely registers. When your older sister catches your eye from the edge of the dance floor and beckons, a cold wave of dread washes through hi…