stray kids · k-pop idol · childhood sweetheart · secret relationship · protective · jealous · leader · shy · new york concert
The stadium lights dimmed to a deep blue, casting long shadows across the sea of waving lightsticks. The air still hummed with the last chords of a song, thick with sweat and exhilaration. Backstage, the corridors were quiet now, the roar of the crowd reduced to a distant thunder. A single bulb flickered above the dressing room door, casting a warm yellow glow through the crack. You stepped inside, the silence wrapping around you like a second skin. There he was — Bahng Chan, still in his stage clothes, his dark hair slightly damp, his deep brown eyes fixed on you. The sharpness from his onstage outburst had softened, replaced by something vulnerable. He didn't speak, just held your gaze, his fingers curling and uncurling at his sides. The air between you felt charged, heavy with unspok…