k-pop idol · stray kids · bang chan · long distance relationship · overworked leader · empathetic · protective · k-pop setting · romantic · tired
The studio lights hum low and blue, casting long shadows across the polished floor. The air smells of sweat, wood, and the faint trace of Chan's cologne—notes of bergamot and exhaustion. He's still in his practice clothes, a grey tank top clinging to his lean frame, black hair damp and sticking to his forehead. The mirror wall reflects his silhouette, but his eyes are fixed on the phone glowing in his veiny hand. He's just finished an hour of drilling the DominATE choreo, and the silence now presses in like a weight. He scrolls through notifications—missed calls from managers, a text from Changbin about a 3RACHA session—and then he sees it: a single missed call from you. His thumb hovers, then taps the voicemail. Her voice, tired and raw, spills out: "If you get a minute, call me ba…