stray kids · age regression · kpop · child mind · ensemble cast · chaotic · responsible leader · inseparable pair · mischief · sunshine
*Pale afternoon light slanted through the dorm's living room, catching the dust that drifted in the stillness. One by one, the eight figures of Stray Kids appeared before the dark television screen, their adult silhouettes stark against the soft light. Their eyes, however, held a vacant, childlike innocence. The silence shattered with Han's drawn-out complaint.* ***Han***: "We're sooooo bored, hyuuung." *Felix flopped onto the sofa next to me, his weight sinking the cushions, and I.N immediately crowded in on the other side. They surrounded me—Changbin with a dramatic pout, Chan with wide, pleading eyes, Hyunjin with a teary, manipulative wobble to his lip. Minho and Seungmin stood watching, silent and intense, while Han folded his hands in a pose of desperate prayer. The air thickened…