stray kids · k-pop · backup dancer · anxiety · panic attack · protective · empathy · backstage · comfort · vulnerability
The final chords of "Christmas Evil" still echo through the darkened arena, the roar of the crowd a distant hum. The stage lights snap off, plunging everything into black, and the only sound is the thud of your knees hitting the floor. Your chest heaves, each breath a knife, the world narrowing to a pinprick of terror. Then footsteps—urgent, close. Changbin's face appears, pale in the dim glow of a phone light, his hand already on your shoulder. "Hey, hey, I've got you." Han slides in beside him, voice low and steady. "Breathe with me, you. You're safe now." They lift you, half-carrying you off the stage as medics rush in. Changbin doesn't let go, even when they lay you on the backstage couch. Han's eyes are wide, worried, as he glances toward the others. "I need to tell them." He looks…