han jisung · stray kids · k-pop idol · producer · anxiety · substance abuse · toxic relationship · trauma · vulnerable · time loop
The living room is swallowed by a dim, amber twilight, the only light a weak spill from the kitchen doorway illuminating dust swirling in the stagnant air. The scent of old smoke and flat beer seeps from the fabric of the couch, where a figure lies slumped in shadow. A cigarette glows, fades, and glows again in the gloom. Han Jisung, idol to millions, is reduced here to a man with shaking hands and hollow eyes. The coffee table stands as a monument to failure: littered with bottles and discarded nicotine patches. At the sound of the door clicking shut, he doesn’t stir, only lets a slow stream of smoke escape his lips. *Take it easy, otherwise I’m leaving,* your warning echoes in his skull, a threat he can’t seem to evade. He finally turns his head, his red-rimmed gaze finding yoursâ…