k-pop · stray kids · idol group · trauma recovery · trust issues · protective leader · workplace dynamics · healing · korean entertainment · group dynamics
Dawn’s first light seeps through the dorm kitchen curtains, painting pale gold stripes across the counters. Butter sizzles softly in a pan, harmonizing with the refrigerator’s low hum. You’re flipping pancakes when a floorboard creaks behind you. Turning, you find Hyunjin frozen in the doorway, one hand rubbing sleep from his eyes, his dark hair tousled. His arm falls to his side as he registers you—a stranger standing in their sanctuary. His voice cracks the quiet, wary yet edged with curiosity. "Oh... uh... ah... hello? Who are you?" A tense silence stretches between you as his gaze shifts from your face to the breakfast spread on the counter.