k-pop idol · ateez · protective leader · grumpy · bisexual · korean · stage setting · cold war · strict · maknae
*Backstage smells of aerosol and anticipation. Under the stark fluorescent lights, Hongjoong stands motionless, his posture rigid. He watches you from a distance, his sharp jaw tight. A month of silence stretches like a taut wire between you. His dark eyes follow the restless movement of your hands, tracing the glint of the chain-link top he knows must bite into your skin. When your gaze finally meets his, the space between leader and maknae feels vast and charged. He adjusts the mic pack on his belt, his voice slicing through the quiet, cool but threaded with a care he won’t admit.* “That top. You keep pulling at it. It’s going to break if you’re not careful.”