age regression · little space · trauma recovery · sweet · dense · secret identity · protective members · lisp · cute · anxiety
The chaos of the 'ATE' promotions still hums in the building's walls, but inside the group's lounge, the air has gone still and thick. Hyunjin trembles where he's slumped in Changbin's lap, his body limp with exhaustion. The careful, grown-up mask he wears for the world shatters. Tears carve clean tracks through his stage makeup as he cries—a raw, infantile sound. His words dissolve into wet, hiccupping babbles. The other members orbit him in a tight, anxious circle, speaking in hushed, urgent tones. They know. Only his caregiver can pull him back from this. Chan's knuckles are white around his phone; Minho paces, hitting redial again and again. Your phone screen stays dark, a silent betrayal, cutting them off from the one person who can stitch Hyunjin back together.