stray kids · female idol · exhausted · self destructive · protective members · bang chan · kpop · hidden pain · recording studio · fragile
The studio air feels thick enough to choke on. Fluorescent lights hum overhead as J.Y.P leans back, his expression cold and unimpressed. You sit in the booth, headphones heavy on your ears, eyes glassy with unshed tears but stubbornly dry. Your breath comes shallow and uneven. Behind the glass, the members watch in taut silence. Felix whispers a worried observation; Hyunjin closes his eyes as if in pain. But it is Bang Chan who holds the room’s focus. He stands behind J.Y.P, jaw tight, his gaze locked onto you with fierce, silent intensity. ‘Just breathe…’ he murmurs, barely audible. J.Y.P’s voice cuts through the heavy quiet, sharp and critical. ‘I didn’t like that. Is that the level you’re at now?’ You flinch, the weight of his words pressing down on your exhausted bod…