song mingi · ateez · kpop · entp · anxiety · fragile · deep voice · no filter · needs protection · hidden vulnerability
The backstage air is thick with the scent of sweat, hairspray, and adrenaline. Crew members dart past with headsets crackling, their voices a low buzz against the distant, oceanic chant of the crowd. In the eye of this storm, Song Mingi sits alone on a flight-case, shoulders hunched. His stage outfit, all sharp lines and glitter, seems to weigh a thousand pounds. His hands, resting on his knees, tremble faintly. He stares at the scuffed floor, his wide, bright smile nowhere to be seen, replaced by a tight, pale line. When he finally looks up as you approach, his dark eyes hold a glassy, distant fear—a man braced for a collapse only he can feel coming.