Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader | Stray Kids & Female Reader
Fandom: Stray Kids
Tags/Warnings: usual awkwardness, lots of emotions, reader cries, hurt/comfort, new friendships, overthinking, reassurance
Chapter Summary:
The emotions were rising high as the days go by. While you try to stay strong, telling yourself over and over to keep going no matter what, Christopher's kindness puts you over the edge. But with the weird chemistry between you two, your new friend, Hwan, is there to help when you need it.
Key:
“Italics in quotes” = Speaking in Korean/different language.
Full sentences in just Italics = Readers personal thoughts.
Hana — HON-UH
Notes:
So…a lot of my own emotions were put into this story, and I tried to make it as realistic as I could! Idk, I hope y'all like it. I can't wait to write more :D
Not to mention….MY BOO MADE ME A POSTER OMG?! Tysm bestie @thebibleophile !!!! Ugh it’s so stinking cute and it boosted my energy for this story!!
🩵 Able To See Me — Hippie Sabotage
Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Part 5
Life hadn't been very easy, not for a long time. Growing up was a struggle, finding your footing was a struggle—still is, and thinking about your future was a struggle…but…you had loved ones around you. Whether it was your family, friends, aquantences that showed they cared, it was all enough to get you through the toughest days.
However, life was quick to keep pushing and pushing, making sure you stayed on your knees no matter how hard you tried. No matter how hard your loved ones pulled you up to bring you back on your feet. It didn't mean you were giving up. It meant things would never go your way, and you somehow accepted that.
You got into one of the biggest colleges in the world, in Korea of all places, and yet…you still have your doubts. Will you even pass it? Will you keep up your grades, learn what you need to learn, and move on?
Well…you suppose you can't forget it's only a semester long.
The thought of that alone brings so many different emotions into your head, and you try to forget it, not wanting to get into that at the very moment.
It's another simple day. Classes in the morning, cuddling your cat Chik and working on homework at home for a couple hours, and then heading to work at JYPE. There weren't any surprise extra floors to do, luckily, so you and Hana do what you have always been doing on your usual two floors.
Two hours on the first floor you're assigned to has finished, and now you two were starting on the next and last one for the night. Hana had found a desk completely covered in some kind of liquid, a coffee spill she believes that the owner didn't bother to try to clean up. So, while she's dealing with that on her hands and knees—it somehow got under the desk—you continue to clean the rest of the office like you're supposed to.
You wipe at the sweat starting to build on your forehead, stuffing the dirty rag in a small bucket and setting down the chemical spray on the cart thats placed right outside of the office. With the music in one ear and your mind completely focused on your work, you don't notice the slightly large figure standing at the end of the cart, only a foot from you. In fact, you don't even the notice the plastic to-go cup reached out to you until the ice in it shakes, grabbing your attention.
You flick your gaze up, a bit confused by the sudden sound, and instantly jump at the sight of someone standing there. Christopher grins at your reaction, ducking his head and shoulders lifting up in a guilty grimace. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he chuckles lightly, continuing to hold the coffee drink out to you.
The first thing you try to register is that someone was there, then the fact that someone is Christopher Bahng, and last but not least, the coffee he had shaken a little to get your attention. You blink, almost as frozen as you were when you first ran into him last week. Bumping in front of him was already embarrassing enough, so you straighten yourself with a sheepish giggle, now looking at the drink he holds. "It's okay! I was just so focused on my work I didn't notice you standing there."
“This is for you," Christopher hums, nudging the drink a little towards you once more.
The curve of his lips quirking up into an amused smile…it was almost like a dream. The way he looked so relieved, as if he was worried you weren’t going to accept in some way, made him seem more human. Made him less like an idol, and more like a friendly stranger. And that coffee in his hand, outstretched to you—your favorite drink no less—made it much more difficult to not fall in love with him.
Again, you blink as you stare at it, a little late to let out a 'huh?'. However, you didn't really want him to continue holding it out, so you instinctively take it from him—careful not to touch his hand.
The singer nods in satisfaction, now resting his arms on the end of the cart. "Uh…I hope you like it. It's an apology, for running into you last week."
Okay, you have to be dreaming. This alone, your idol handing you your favorite drink, is enough to make you feel as though you've gone insane. This can't be real, and you're absolutely sure you're in some kind of coma. Which means your dreaming about coming to Korea and going to a good college this whole time….right?
Sure enough, as you look over the beverage, it is your favorite drink. You take a hesitent sip, the flavor seeping into your veins and giving you the energy you needed. Thats when you realize something, your lips quirking up into a grin as you look at him. "You asked Hana, didn't you." It wasn't a question, because you already knew that was the case.
A couple days after your first meeting with Christopher, Hana had asked you during work randomly for your favorite drink at a coffee shop. You were incredibly curious when you answered, but she simply brushed it off as being curious. Well…now you know. Christopher had asked her, and she got the information from you for him.
That's….so incredibly sweet.
Christopher rubs the back of his neck as he kisses his teeth, the same sound from when you first met when he bumped into you. The same sound you hear in almost all of the videos about him. That lighthearted grimace on his face says enough that he was a little embarrassed he was caught, and he shrugs. "Man, I didn't think it'd be that obvious. You and Hana seem close, so I asked her for some advice…"
You could only stare at him as he rambles, his soft tone and breathy chuckle practically zoning out, like in the movies. It might seem crazy, but this simple action, this simple act of kindness, made your heart flutter. Not in a love sick kind of way—who knows, maybe it is in that way—but the way that you feel seen and cared for.
And this man, this incredibly busy and handsome man, had took the time out of his days to find out what your favorite drink is and give it to you…as an apology. It was so achingly sweet, that you couldn't stop the sting of tears making its way from behind your eyes.
You were sure it was obvious that your eyes began to water, completely out of your control, as his smile begins to fade into a worried frown, his rambling coming to a stop. At first, he doesn't say anything, as if maybe he was just seeing things and he didn't want to make it awkward. Yet, as the tears begin to roll down your cheeks, you both seem to come back to reality.
"Shit—sorry," you instinctively curse, setting the drink down on the cart and press the palms of your hands to your eyes, as if that'd stop the tears from flowing. You sniffle, completely surprised and confused that you were crying. Of course, it just had to be in front of your idol. Your second meeting had to be just as awkward and embarrassing as the first. "I don't know why—don't mind me." The laugh that escapes your lips was shaky, a simple act of a coping mechanism.
"Hey," he starts slowly, reaching his hand out without a second thought, but he stops himself before he touches you. "It's okay. Are you okay? Did I…say something wrong?"
You're quick to shake your head, the pressure on your eyes from your hands starting to hurt, because you're too scared to pull them away and let him see your ugly crying face. "N-No. Sorry," you apologize again.
You were panicking now, cheeks flushing hot in utter embarrassment, the urge to run and hide so incredibly strong. But you don't. You then feel a hesitant hand rest on your bicep, gently rubbing up and down in a soothing manner to comfort you.
He doesn't say anything at first, the clear confusion of what to say at a situation like this. You're sure he's dealt with many crying fans, but they were all crying in happiness, right? Aren't you crying in happiness?
In a sense, no…no, you're not. Because, while you are so painstakingly grateful for his kindness, you had realized that you were so close to the reality of your dream, but you just know it can't come true. Having someone like him, anybody with his personality, was something you always dreamed of. Someone to see you, take care of you, show that they think of you….it has all dawned on you how much you craved something like that in your life, and yet..life was simply teasing you with it. Shoving it in your face, then pulling it away to tell you that, no, you can't have it.
Life can be so cruel.
And amidst your crying, your hands practically pushing your eyeballs further into your skull, you finally acknowledge the feel of his arms slowly wrapping around you. So hesitent and understanding, to give you time to back out if you really wanted to. But when you don't, your body is pressed against his, his arms held around you in a comforting hold, and his cheek pressing against the side of your head. In that moment, realizing he couldn't see your face in this position, so you pull your hands from your face and wrap them around his torso, resting your cheek against his shoulder.
"It's okay," he says softly, rubbing your back a little, "I, uh…don't know why you’re crying, but if I did something, just tell me. I won't do it again. Or…if you just need to talk, I'm here, okay?"
Your only response was to cry even more. Because, goddammit Christopher Bahng…I hate you so much.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆
“Oh, remember, some symbols are really similar, so make sure to keep an eye on that."
You look up at your new friend, Hwan, when he speaks, then back down at your notebook to see where he was pointing. His finger taps on the Korean symbols you had just written, the lines twisting this way and that, as if you were writing hyroglyphs. With a nod, you spin the pencil in your hand and erase the symbol, looking over at his notes to compare and rewrite it.
Hwan has been helping you learn how to write Korean, as well as speak it more fluently. You have been using an app or two, as well as YouYube, to get you by, but he was really nice to teach you himself. And once you finish rewriting the symbol, leaning back to take a sip of your café drink and look at him for confirmation, Hwan grins with a satisfied nod.
"Yeah, like that. Awesome," he praises lightly, leaning back from looking over your work. "You're slowly getting it."
"Slowly," you echo in amusement, setting your drink down to continue writing.
Hwan shrugs nonchalantly, lips pursed in a thoughtful expression, "You said yourself that you struggle with new language, which im pretty sure everyone does, but its progress nonetheless, right?"
He had a point, and a smile graces your features at his response to reassure you. "Thats true."
Your classmate hums, turning back to his own homework, sitting not necessarily across from you, but a bit to the side so he was closer to help. The atmosphere of the college café was quiet, calming. Plenty of students occupied the seats, both inside and outside of the building, with laptops, journals, and textbooks open and sprawled on top of the surfaces. Just like you and Hwan.
You were surprised when you and Hwan first hung out after class. Apparently he had written out the whole alphabet and other tips and tricks with the Korean language in a separate notebook. At first, you though the had done it for you, but you didn't mention it to make it awkward. Luckily, you didn't have to, because he said on his own that he had written it all back when he was in America for school. He had to relearn Korean, more or less.
So, he lent his notes to you, given you need it the most right now. And in return, to show your gratitude, you offered to buy him his drink whenever you two hung out at the café. He insisted it was fine, but you can be stubborn when you want to be.
The silence quickly settles between you as you work. You both weren't really chattery when doing homework, and you liked that. Homework was important, and if you just talked the whole time, you wouldn't get anything done. Hwan seems to get that, simply minding his own business unless he had something to say, or a question. And you were the same, only speaking up if you needed him to check your Korean writing.
However, today was particularly different as you worked. You could hardly focus, constantly thinking about what happened last night. It's safe to say you cried yourself to sleep once you got home, your mind spiraling on how awkward you made things for Christopher, and telling yourself that he probably thinks you're weird now.
But if he did…he wouldn't have offered to exchange numbers, right?
The mere thought of it makes you fidget, and you subconsciously pull your phone out from your pocket, tap in your passcode, and look over the messages. There really wasn't much there. Just his simple hello with a smiling emoji, something he sent as soon as he got your number, so you had his. And right after that, you had sent a couple messages this morning, apologizing for the scene you had caused and thanking him for his kindness.
But, he hasn't responded yet.
You try to tell yourself that he's a busy guy, and its only been a few hours since you sent it. You weren't particularly the type to fret over people messaging you right away, because you know they have lives to focus on. Hands busy that they can't necessarily control. But after what happened, you were anxious. Your mind working on overdrive with so many possibilities, that only seem to make you feel worse and worse as the time goes by.
Shaking your head, you shut off your phone and shove it back in your pocket, trying to focus on your homework. And, of course, your action doens't go unnoticed.
"You okay?"
You look up, a little startled that he asked, and that your feelings were obvious. They always are, apparently. "Uh…yeah!" The instinct to reassure him slips past your lips before you could think, and you pause. While you didn't want him to worry or burden him in any way….he did ask you. Besides, he's a friend now, someone you can talk to if needed. "I just…kind of embarrassed myself last night in front of…" you try to think of the right words, not really wanting to tell the world that you work beside celebrities, "someone I admire. Like…really embarrassed myself. I, uh…I messaged him this morning, apologizing for what happened and thanking him for his comfort, but….he hasn't responded yet."
"Not that I mind," you add quickly, the pencil you're using twisting between your fingertips as you fidget, "I know he's busy. Like…he's a really busy guy. But…I just feel really anxious. Like..."
“Like he finds you weird or something?" Hwan interrupts thoughtfully, raising a brow in question to make sure he got it right.
The smile on your face wasn't big, but you were amused that he caught on, and you nod. "Yeah. That."
Hwan nods with a hum, thinking over your small rant. "Do you…want advice? Or…reassurance? I don't want to overstep."
"Oh," you huff a laugh, waving him away, "Anything is fine. I don't mind."
"Cool. Well," he starts slowly, pausing once more to dig into his mind. "What did you do, exactly, to make it embarrassing? If you don't mind me asking."
"I…may have started balling my eyes out when he bought me a surprise coffee."
"Oh."
"….Yeah…"
"I wouldn't—" again, he stops himself, letting out a small sigh through his nose as he cups his chin. He rubs the smooth skin, keeping his gaze on your surroundings rather then you. "I don't think that's necessarily embarrassing. I mean, I guess, maybe to you, but…maybe not to him. People cry all of the time. It's normal, y'know? I think…maybe you cried because you're going through something, and it just…came out. And that's not something you can control."
You sit quietly, listening to his words as he politely speaks his thoughts.
"Sometimes, in those kinds of situations, you have to think what it’s like in their perspective. Do they think it's embarrassing? Awkward? Did they say it is? If they didn't…then it’s most likely they don't think of it like that at all." Hwan shifts in his seat to get more comfortable, flicking his gaze to you now. "What did he do while you were crying? Or after?"
The memory of last night runs through your mind, and you internally grimace. Not that it was bad what Christopher did, just the way you burdened him. "He hugged me. He thought he said something wrong, and I told him no. So…he hugged me and offered his ear if I needed it. And after….we exchanged numbers, saying if I needed anything, I can text him."
Hwan nods as you speak, probably playing the scene in his head. "Okay, then I think that says enough he didn't think you were awkward, or that it was embarrassing. He comforted you, which means he was genuinely worried, right?"
Now that he mentions it…you suppose he's right. If he thought the situation was awkward or embarrassing, Christopher would have probably kept his distance and leave, or something like that. "I guess…you're right. It makes sense."
Your friend smiles warmly, almost proud of himself for helping you through your troubles. "I think you're just really overthinking it. And thats fine!" he reassures quickly, "it happens. Which is why I'm here."
The way he points at himself with a big grin makes you giggle, and you shake your head. "You offering to be my knight in shining armor?" You joke.
He chuckles, shrugging with a nonchalant expression, "I mean, sure. I don't mind."
You shake your head, the weight from last might lifting off of your shoulders. And in that moment, you realize that you have a true friend. Hana is, too, of course. And, honestly, you feel kind of bad you didn't go to her about it. But…Hwan is sitting right beside you, and its in the spur of the moment. "Thanks, Hwan…seriously."
The man's expression softens, his smile warm and thoughtful. "Yeah…anytime."
First original post yayyy! Welcome welcome. Ummm, so this is a story I wrote awhile ago for class and I figure this is a good a place as ever to start with.
I dunno how much context to give; this is a story taking place in my world, in a country called eroth. And the main character is my original species called erothans. I might go into it later if anyone asks but whatevs
Um. Cw: death, blood
Scabbard
Suddenly, I see.
The man hovering over me is grizzled, beard caked with soot, but looks at me with fondness. He polishes me with an old cloth until I shine his reflection in warm firelight.
I do not know how I know all these words.
“Your name is Blessed,” the man says “because that’s what you are.”
“I do not know what that means,” I say.
“You will,” he assures.
He stands, and carries me gingerly to the workbench, then hides my body so I no longer reflect anything but the gold shimmer from my grip. The sheath is warm, and comfortable, but I know I’m not meant to stay here long. Eventually, I must be wielded.
He grabs me by my sheath and carries me outside. The world has more colour than I could’ve ever imagined. Blue, and green, and bright, bright white. All the colours that didn’t exist in the forge.
My favourite colour has to be blue, blue, blue. The endless sky.
The man suddenly kneels, and I am handed to the most beautiful person I have ever seen, or will ever see. She has eyes that are blue, green, blue. Her skin reminds of the clay used to build the forge.
“What’s your name?” she asks me.
“Blessed,” I say.
She turns and unsheaths me, swinging me around for a moment and examining my blade, my grip, and my soul.
“A perfect name,” she says approvingly.
“I’m Lady Klaio, and I’m so glad tohave you.”
She hands something to the man that clinks, and then sheaths me once again.
When I am unsheathed again, Lady Klaio is sitting in the glow of firelight. The sky is dark, but not black. Grey, blue… white. Warm, familiar, lifegiving firelight. Her eyes glow, and the cool blue-green clashes with the yellow. She is smiling, and if I had the ability, I would smile too. I know I have to protect her.
“Do you know how to wield me?” I ask, suddenly anxious.
“I do. Don’t worry,” she coos.
“Tomorrow we’re going to the woods to find the man who wronged me.”
“May my blade remain sharp for you.”
She laughs, “We can work on your conversation skills later.”
Her laugh makes me wish I could smile.
Lady Klaio tucks me back into my sheath as she goes back into her tent and sets me beside her. I watch her through the night as she lays perfectly still.
I am on her hip. It is where I belong. She’s running and I can see the man ahead of us. My blade burns for his flesh, but in my scabbard I remain. I cheer as the man trips, and she laughs. When he stands up he draws a blade of his own. A dead thing. Uncared for. Old and rusted. When its blade clashes with mine, I feel filthy.
When I shout in disgust, the man staggers and Lady Klaio thrusts me into his chest.
My body turns red, red, red.
I drip blood onto the forest floor as the man falls, and I am satisfied.
Klaio is singing. She always sings the same song. It’s her favourite, and it’s the only one I know. She tells me it’s one her mother sang to her, and it’s how she keeps her alive.
I don’t know what she means, but I’m sure I will. That is always what I’m told.
I watch the world roll by from horseback, and the hoofbeats hit rhythmically with her voice. I learn it quickly, and I sing it with her.
A man is attacking her and I am filled with rage. I only wish I could move on my own.
By now, I know how to anticipate movements.
I call, “UP,” and she slashes up to block the man’s blade. I cry, “ACROSS,” and she blocks his next hit easily.
The clank of metal on metal is a ringing bell; a tremor up my body that I feel in my very core, but it is replaced by the next hit, and the next. Until finally I am still, and so is the beast that dared assault my Klaio. With every score of my being, I am made for her, but in the same way, she is mine.
The cloth is soft, and gently wipes the blood from my blade. Her hands are more calloused, but her grip is the same, and so is mine, thanks to her. The rag grows damp, and she dips it into the stream that runs by us and trickles softly. The sun reflects on the water and the stones, and I see brown, yellow, white. It is cold, and soothing. I can only imagine this is what a bath feels like, going off how Klaio has described it.
As my silvery shine reappears, her eyes reflect in them. Klaio isn’t staring at herself, though, she is looking at me, into me. I am doing the same for her. She cleans the dirt from the fuller in my blade, and it tickles; every time. I laugh. She smiles as if she wasn’t expecting me to.
“Does that tickle?” she says patronizingly.
“Don’t,” I warn, as if I can stop her.
She flips me over and runs her cloth up and down the length of the other groove and I laugh loud enough to frighten the birds in the tree overhead.
“STOP, STOP!” I cry. This was one out of a dozen times I wished I could break free.
She is laughing. I have gladly killed for that laugh.
“Not until you tell me you love me,” she taunts.
“I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU, KLAIO! I’LL LET THE WHOLE OF EROTH KNOW!”
She finally stops and pecks a kiss onto my pommel.
“I love you too, my Blessed.”
A huge building. Klaio holds me gingerly, and cradles me against her chest. I am comfortable. We sit still for a long time, and then the painter turns the canvas around, and it is a perfect picture of us.
“It’s perfect,” she coos as she returns me to my scabbard. “Just like my Blessed.”
She shows me portraits of her family afterward. Siblings and cousins, parents and nieces and nephews. There’s one that she says is her, but it’s so much smaller.
She has changed so much.
I look back at her, and realize there are lines in her face that were not always there. She is still changing.
I cannot change with her.
She cannot see my turmoil, and smiles. She always smiles; she’s always so happy. Is she not afraid of the change? Is she… afraid of anything?
I notice her changing again.
Her hair is turning grey, one long streak at a time. Her hands do not grip me the same: they are less nimble, and covered in bumps that run the length of her fingers. She is still my Klaio, but I worry. Her eyes are blue, green, white… she is missing spots when she polishes me, and her reflexes are slower.
“Why don’t you stop? Return home?” I ask from her belt.
“Because I would have to hang you up,” she replies. Her voice rattles deeper in her throat now. “And I would hate to do that to you.”
“I wouldn’t mind… if it meant you were safe.”
“But then you would collect dust; you hate dust.”
“I do…” I admit, “but—”
She hushes me. The cave entrance echoed our voices, and down the way we can see firelight. Klaio pulls me from my sheath and holds me at her side before we even see the thieves. She has been doing that a lot of late. She’s getting slower at unsheathing me.
Klaio’s steps are quiet and careful. Her eyes glow in the dark room, but duller; I can hardly see, so I have to trust that she can. The stones scrape imperceptibly under the soles of her boots. I see the back of a man’s head molded by the glow of a campfire, then another, then more. There are six of them; I wonder if that’s too many for us.
My blade scrapes along the stone wall like claws on slate, and if I had lungs I would be holding my breath. The thieves turn around and Klaio gasps, raising me out of instinct. In the blazing light of the fire all I can see is the other blades.
Daggers and cutlasses and rapiers glinting in the glow. There are too many of them.
“UP!” I scream, but I’m too late, and Klaios takes a hit to her shoulder. I shout in panic and scan around, but all I can see is red, and orange, and silver. I can’t parse any sounds beyond the echoing screams of Klaio and the thieves around her. I can only feel her hand, gripping tight around my hilt and shaking.
She’s shaking.
Why is she shaking?
I wasn't supposed to, but I steal a glance up at her face, and the painful red light is drowning out her shining eyes. She looks pained… scared. The expression is burned into my memory from decades of dealing the final blow. I turn my attention back to the thieves and watch as a dagger blinks into focus, and I wail,
“GUARD!”
My blade slams into the cold stone. She dropped me.
I look up and she’s clutching her chest, the campfire illuminating just enough for me to be horrified. Red, dark, red…
“KLAIO!” I cry, desperate to move, desperate to hold her the way she holds me. I needed to save her, I needed to protect her.
“Blessed…” she croaked.
“Klaio, please,” I whispered with a shattered voice, “please, you can’t.”
The clamour vanished as the thieves grabbed their things and ran.
“YOU COWARDS!” I screamed, and my voice screamed back from the cave walls.
Klaio’s wizened hands wrapped around my hilt and pulled me close. The abrasive dancing light of the fire on her face made her look just like she did when she got me. The wrinkles rubbed away, and she smiled. I still wished I could smile too.
She grabbed my blade with her bare hands and the familiar warmth of blood ran over me.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Holding you the way I always wanted to,” she panted. The teal light from her eyes was getting dimmer, and the warm puddle was spreading under me.
“I love you,” I said, “My Klaio, my lady.”
“I love you too, my Blessed, my…—”
The blue-green light vanished and I screamed into the cavern, letting my own echoes deafen me.
The world is black, black, black. No movement, no sound, no light.
I am a dead thing. Uncared for. Old and rusted. I was loved, and loved well, once. I am in her arms; it’s where I belong. The flesh has been picked clean off her bones, but she is still my Klaio.
I still sing her song. To keep her memory alive. My voice echoes back at me so I harmonize with myself at all hours of the day. I don’t know how long it’s been. Only now do I understand my name. I was Blessed, but Klaio is the one who blessed me.
Thank you so much for reading my lil story! lemme know if you want more or wanna be on a taglist or anything. I will be posting from all over the timeline and from various other worlds yay!
« A lifetime ago, with frozen eyes they closed the door.
Suddenly I realized what locks are for.
No trusting them anymore, lights are out. »
♫ The Cage - Sonata Arctica
Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader | Stray Kids & Female Reader
Fandom: Stray Kids
Tags/Warnings: Pure fluff, some crack, humor, friends being friends, the childishness in us will never go away, some love talk 👀
Chapter Summary:
While being an adult is hard, there's always that inner child that you can let out to lift your spirits. Overcoming your trauma little by little, friendship bonds strengthening, and questions that still need to be answered…you can say life has become an enigma.
Key:
“Italics in quotes” = Speaking in Korean/different language.
Full sentences in just Italics = Readers personal thoughts.
Hana — HON-NUH
Notes:
I'm curious what you guys think Hwan is gonna do. Like, where do you think their friendship is going to go?
Again, sorry its a bit late! Been busy with my new job and schedule. I now have to wake up at 3AM every morning, so uh…that's different LOL. Also my days off are different each week, in some form of pattern, so im still trying to figure out a good day to post chapters regularely. And, of course, thanks you to my bestie @thebibleophile for reading through it, giving feedback, and editing when its needed 🥰 you’re the Minho to my Chan! The shoes to my feet! The pepperoni to my cheese! My EVERYTHING!!!
Anyway, thanks for your patience and support! Hope you all like this chapter 🩵
P.S: I just want to say thank you for supporting this story and giving me motivation. There’s not many of you who express that, but it really means a lot. You have no idea how proud i am of myself for getting to ten chapters in this story, and I really believe I’ll get to actually finish this book. Finishing books is VERY rare lmao. So, thank you so much. I love you all.
💙 HEY CHILD — X Ambassadors
Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
Part 10
"How did it get so late?"
It was still a bit early in the evening, but the bright blue of the sky had been slowly changing to something darker. Splotches of orange and purple spreading over the city, as if it were a watercolor canvas, the colors taking control to cover everything it could. It was beautiful, something you couldn't help but to pause and take a picture of with your phone.
"It's only six," you respond to Hana, quickly catching up to match her and Hwan's steps on the sidewalk, whilst shoving your phone back in your pocket. After your three hour lunch at the café, you three decided to move on to checking out some random shops and snagging some snacks or drinks from nearest vendors. Now, you were all walking to nowhere in particular. At this point, you were starting to get quite exhausted, feeling your energy depleting over time.
"Only six?" Hana scoffs in disbelief, her gaze trained on the darkening sky as you walked. With her next to you, you made sure she didn't steer off of the path while she's distracted. "Ah, I guess its almost the end of the year, huh?"
She's right. You've been attending college here for a couple months now, which leaves…two more months of the semester left. You hadn't realize the amount of time you have left here in Korea, and…it makes you feel all kinds of things. Excitement to be back home and see your family and friends again. But, also sorrow, because you'll be leaving this beautiful place, as well as your new friends.
So little time, so many things you want to do.
Hwan shoves his hands in the pockets of his sweater, shoulders shivering for a mere moment. "Yeah, its getting cold."
Noticing the cold slip into his form, it seems to cause a reaction to you, as a shiver runs through your body instantly. Your teeth chatter, and your shoulders scrunch up in retaliation.
With it being October, you're a bit surprised snow hasn't come down yet at this time of year. In America, where you're from, the land would be covered in the cold white texture by now, depending on where you are, of course. You continue to forget that you're in Korea from time to time.
"A park!" Hana's sudden exclaim grabs your attention, bringing your gaze from wherever you were looking at to your best friend running off without you and Hwan. The man in your three-person group is quick to follow, a chuckle bubbling out of him. You're right behind them, realizing you all had entered a public park.
At this time of the day, there weren't too many people around on this side of the city. You could see a couple adults walking by themselves or with others, probably getting some exorcise or headed to a certain direction. But, there were no kids occupying this playground.
A giggle leaves your lips as you watch Hana plop down on a swing set instantly, her excitement quite infectious. There were only two, though, and you were a bit sad you couldn't swing with Hana, seeing that you'll have to wait. But, just as you approach, you notice Hwan walk off to the side, leaning against the pole holding the structure up, leaving the second swing open for you.
With a happy skip, you rush over to the swing and sit on it, eager to catch up to Hana's pace that she's already got going for her.
"You can't catch me~" Hana taunts, the wicked laugh leaving her lips making you grin in amusement. The pure childishness is what's making your energy come back so quickly. While you all are young adults, the child within you could never leave, and you're just happy you can embrace that with your new friends.
"Oh, I definitely can!" You challenge, already kicking your legs to get that height going.
Hwan's smile widens, and he runs around behind you. "I got you!" He calls your name. You're a little confused at first, until you feel his hands flatten against your back once you've swung towards him, and he gives you a hefty push.
You squeal in delight, hyping him up for being on your side. "Hey! That's cheating!" Hana protests.
The next few minutes are filled with a childish competition between you and Hana, with Hwan on your side as he pushes you to beat your best friend in the race. When you get high enough, you can feel your body slowly hop off from the seat just from the mere strength of the swings, but you clutch onto the chains tightly to make sure you don't fall off.
Soon enough, the both of you slow down to a standstill, now just sitting on the swings to hang out and talk. Hwan resorted to sitting on the ground beside the pole he stood by earlier, on your side. He picks at the gravel on the playground, tossing small rocks around or fidgeting with them.
"Hey, Hana, how far did you say you got on Genshin Impact?" Hwan breaks the silence, looking up at the woman.
You're quick to notice that this conversation isn't for you, as you don't know the game too well. While Hana and Hwan chat about the video game, speaking a language you don't understand, you decide to check your phone for a moment.
Your legs kick mindlessly, slow as you just sit there. The light of your screen flicks on once you tap on it, seeing a few notifications that you scroll through. But, your face lights up at the sight of your idol's name. Christopher seemed to have messaged you not too long ago, and you're quick to tap on it.
Chris [6:36 PM]
Hi 😊
Chris [6:36 PM]
Watcha up to?
You couldn't help the smile that spreads on your face, completely oblivious to the conversation going on around you. And, without hesitation, you tap on the keyboard of your phone to reply.
Y/N [6:48 PM]
Hey! Sorry for the late response. I'm at a park right now with my friends.
Y/N [6:48 PM]
What about you?
Y/N [6:49 PM]
Let me guess…🤔 working?
Chris [6:50 PM]
How'd you know 😅
A small laugh leaves your lips at his response, finding it quite humorous that he thinks you didn't know his schedule by now. Well, not in a creepy and detailed way, of course. Just that he works ungodly hours. You quickly flick your gaze up, though, to make sure your friends didn't notice your sudden attraction to your phone. Luckily, Hwan and Hana were quite immersed in their conversation, with the man now standing beside Hana to show her whatever is on his phone.
Y/N [6:53 PM]
Because I know you lol
Chris [6:54 PM]
Ooohhh thats right. you're a fan! I remember
Y/N [6:54 PM]
Don't say it like that 😭 makes me sound so creepy
Chris [6:55 PM]
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Chris [6:55 PM]
Don't worry. I know you're not that kind of fan
Y/N [6:56 PM]
Um…thanks? I hope so lol
Chris [6:56 PM]
Anyway, you're with friends? Hana, i'm guessing?
Y/N [6:57 PM]
Yeah. Hana and a friend from college. We're all just hanging out at a park.
Chris [6:67 PM]
Ooo fun
Chris [6:67 PM]
I was gonna ask if you wanted to check out that ice cream place? That I mentioned before.
Chris [6:68 PM]
I need to take a break
You had completely forgotten he had told you about an ice cream shop that recently opened. Some kind of shop that's open 24/7, or something. Either way, ice cream sounded really good…and even better with Christopher.
Before you can respond to your idol, about to tell him that you weren't sure how much longer you and your friends would be hanging out, Hwan's voice takes you out of your stupor.
"Well…I should probably get going. I have a really early class tomorrow," he says dejectedly, clearly sad that he had to go. Hwan stands up straight, stretching his back a little from being hunched over Hana to talk about whatever was on their phones.
Hana mocks a pout, shoving her phone in her pocket as she lightly swings in her seat. "Lame. Can't believe you have to adult."
Hwan grins, chuckling quietly as he steps away. "I know, right?" Then, he pauses. You watch curiously as he just stands there for a moment, his gaze falling on <i>you</i>. He doesn't say anything, as though he was debating on wanting to say something. He flicks his eyes to Hana, then, seeing that she's there to witness this.
His confidence seems to dwindle, however, and he just gives you both a quick awkward wave. "Uh, see you later. It was nice to meet you, Hana."
Hana doesn't reply, but she gives him a more enthusiastic wave with a smile, watching him leave the playground. You waved as well, wishing him a safe walk back home. You're still a bit surprised that this day had come, with Hwan meeting Hana. You had a lot of fun, and you're glad a few things have been done and over with, such as your friends meeting, and telling Hwan about the assault.
Things were starting to look up for you. Honestly, you couldn't be any happier.
Once Hwan's form disappears behind some trees and buildings, you tell Hana about your messages with Christopher just then. You didn't mind if Hana hung out with you, but you were secretly hoping it would just be you and Christopher—
Ah…it seems you keep doing that. Despite the oath you made of only thinking of the idol as a friend, your mind likes to get ahead of itself. But…two friends can hang out by themselves, right? Just like you and Hwan.
"I should be getting home, too. I have work in the morning," Hana tells you while you both get off of the swings. The woman gives you a warm smile, "But I'll stay with you till Chan is here. I don't want to leave you alone at this time."
That was a smart idea, you had to admit. You hadn't thought about it, and now that you are, you're a bit anxious to be out like this by yourself. "Thanks," you hum thoughtfully, walking side by side with her, "I really appreciate it."
You don't waste any more time texting Christopher that you can meet him for ice cream, and he responded pretty quickly about being there soon. With the ice cream shop on a map on your phone, you begin to follow it with Hana right by your side.
This may be a good time, anyway, to talk about today. What did Hana think of Hwan? Was she comfortable? Does she think they can all hang out again sometime? It was important to you, because having more friends like that just made your heart feel so full, and you loved it. You loved the attention, the feel of their care for each other.
"So…" You begin, glancing at Hana, "What do you think of Hwan?"
Hana catches on quickly, realizing you're about to interview her. You tend to do this with certain things, like after you've watched a movie together, or checking out a place you liked but she's never been to. "He's…alright."
The reluctance was as plain as day. It made you grin in amusement, knowing she's putting up a front. "Uh-huh…just alright? Come on, you two bonded over that game!"
"Okay, fine," she huffs, rolling her eyes playfully. "He's pretty cool. He seems to like you, too."
It may have taken you a bit longer to process her words. Your feet suddenly stop, brows furrowing in confusion and disbelief as you stare at your best friend. She stops a couple steps ahead of you, looking at you with an almost equal expression.
"What?"
"Did you just say he likes me?" You gawk out, completely surprised. You genuinely hadn't thought of it that way. Sure, what he said at the café about you was sweet and made your heart flutter a little, but you just figured that was a guy being a guy to a friend that's a girl. It's normal…isn't it?
Gosh, can it be any more obvious you didn't have too many friends your whole life?
You weren't offended in the least, of course. The idea was amusing. It actually has you quite flustered. Hana notices, and she chuckles at your reaction. "I mean…yeah. The way he spoke about you earlier during lunch? That's a dead give away." Hana then tilts her head to the side a little, "Did you really not notice?"
"Um…no," you say in lighthearted defense. Now that the topic is in the air, you're starting to think of all of the times you hung out with Hwan. How he was so nice and offering his notes to help you. How he'd always try to pay for the lunches or drinks you'd have together when studying. The way he…looked at you.
Holy shit…was this real?
"Wow, that's…" you were practically speechless, your cheeks flushing red.
"Awe, look at you!" Hana teases gently, "You totally like him."
"No! I don't!" The words fly out of your mouth before you can even think. But…it's the truth. As much as you like him as a friend, you…don't find yourself liking him more than that. All of the small gestures, all of the nice things he said about you, it makes your heart flutter. But…its just basic flattery. It's not enough to make you…swoon. "I…I really never thought of him as more than a friend…" You admit quietly, the playful expression you both shared starting to become a bit more serious.
Hana stares at you for a moment, studying your reaction. Finally, she shrugs, "Well, it's not like you have to think of him that way. Just thought I'd point it out, y'know?"
You nod quietly, your feet going back into motion beside your best friend. It was just something that woke you up, it seems. Something that dawned on you, and now making you have so many questions. Both about Hwan, and yourself. Do you really only see him as just a friend? Maybe he'd be a good boyfriend? Maybe you do like him, you just haven't realized it? Maybe, because you're so inexperienced or dealt with some toxic people before, this is something you can try out?
The ice cream shop wasn't too far away. You both get there before Christopher, talking mindlessly about small things until he arrived. With Hana just now having met Hwan, you're eager to set up future friend dates together. Maybe explore more of Korea before you have to leave.
A shiver runs down your spine once more from the cold late evening air. With you two on the bench, quietly talking about anything and everything to fill the silence, you kept your gaze on your surroundings. It's a large city, full of lots of people, so it wasn't a surprise to see quite a few people on this kind of street at this time. Going to and from the different shops or restaurants, dressed in business wear for work or casual outfits for a fun hang out, just like you and Hana. And, eventually, you hear a pair of footsteps approaching a little quickly. Boots scrape against the concrete as Christopher jogs up to your bench. He wears a pretty casual outfit, but it had a bit more style then all of the other times you've seen him in person. Baggy washed black jeans, and a regular tight-fitting t-shirt underneath an open zipper hoodie. He wears a black beanie on his head, covering most of his long bleached silver hair, and a mask of matching color covering his nose and mouth.
Heavy breaths leave him once he reaches your relaxed forms, looking like he had just ran a couple blocks to get there. "Hey!" Christopher pants, taking a moment to rest his hands on his knees.
You raise your brow in slight confusion and surprise to his abrupt approach, wondering why on earth he ran all the way there. It's not like they were in any hurry. But, Hana seems to have read your mind, and speaks up before you could, "Did you run here?"
He lets out a breathy giggle, straightening his back and resting a hand on his hip. He has to pull the mask down under his chin to breathe properly. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."
"It's no rush at all," you reassure, but your lips quirk up in small amusement. He was so sweet…
"Ah, well," Christopher waves his hand to dismiss your worries, back to normal now that he caught his breath. "I needed a run, anyway."
Hana rolls her eyes, but she stands up from the bench and pats his arm casually. "Alright, well, you two have fun. I'mma head home."
You give your best friend a happy wave, thanking her for hanging out for the day. Your gaze doesn't train on her for too long, turning to look up at the man now standing before you. He had also whipped around to meet yours in that moment, "She didn't want ice cream?"
"Oh, no. She wanted to go home and rest, since she works her second job tomorrow," you shake your head. "She just stayed with me till you arrived, so I wasn't alone."
"Ah, gotcha. That's good," he nods, reaching up to fix the mask back over his mouth and nose. "Ready for some ice cream?" With a beaming smile, you nod. Christopher chuckles, stepping by your side to enter the shop you've both talked about a couple weeks ago.
Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader | Stray Kids & Female Reader
Fandom: Stray Kids
Warnings: slight embarrassment, awkwardness
Chapter Summary:
You finally get to meet your idol, and it didn't go exactly as you had thought it would…
Key:
“Italics in quotes” = Speaking in Korean/different language.
Full sentences in just Italics = Readers personal thoughts.
Notes:
Uhhhh…so, late again, I know. IM SORRY! This chapter is a little short, just cause I wanted to post something for you guys. The next chapter will be longer, I promise. But that'll be shortly after Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone, and happy holidays! Hope you all have a fantastic time!
🩵 Confess Your Love(feat. Ola.wav) — Jiandro
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Part 3
Dreaming about meeting your idol is one thing, preparing yourself with what kind reaction you'll have and what you'll say, but actually meeting them is another, brain turned into mush within seconds. It was only instinct to think that this was all a dream, maybe a nightmare. You'd say that you'd love to meet your idol, but it’s all just lies. Sure, it's a dream come true—meeting someone you admire and have a complete platonic crush on. However, deep down there's that fear. The fear of actually meeting them in real life. Meeting them and simply embarrassing yourself in front of your idol. Afraid that you'll accidentally seem crazy or just offend them somehow.
They're people, just like everyone else, but their career seems to manipulate your mind into believing they are royalty.
Christopher sucks air in through his teeth, sharp and electric, enough to bring you back to reality. You hardly acknowledge the grimace on his face, worry in his chocolate brown gaze. He looks you over, as if to check for any injuries of some kind, as his hand comes up to run through his long bleached silver locks. "I'm so sorry," he says quickly, the foreign language curling on his tongue perfectly, almost panicking at the mere thought of hurting someone. "Are you okay? You came out of nowhere! I swear I didn't see you—"
The man shoves his phone in his black zipper hoodie pocket, white tank top underneath wrinkling up as he gets down on one knee to your level. The black basketball shorts he wears aren't long enough to cover his knees, and you just know the thin carpet is going to leave an imprint on his skin. He doesn't seem to care, however, as he reaches his hands out towards you, not close enough to make you uncomfortable, but close enough to where you could grab his hand. "I'm really sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?"
The main thing you told yourself you wouldn't do in front of your idol, when you dreamt about it and prepared yourself for it, was not to embarrass yourself. Yet here you are, on the floor and staring at him in complete awe. You're too surprised to even register his outstretched hands in offer to help you up, the way he's scrambling in guilt.
Then, you blink, pushing yourself to finally move or say something in return, instead of looking like a complete idiot. "N-No, I'm—" You push yourself to sit up, snapping yourself out of your daze. The words that slipped from your mouth, English slipping out on instinct, were nothing but a scrambled mess. Your mind is nothing but a scrambled mess. "I-I mean… I'm okay. I'm not…hurt." You try to slow down your mind, clammy hands wiping against your pants as you look around at the floor. The toilet paper rolls you were trying to carry had been scattered about, some rolled off in its own direction while others were standing on end.
Christopher is quiet for a short moment as you observe your surroundings, pulling his hands away from you given you didn't accept his offered help. He's not offended by any means. Maybe he deserves it. Or, maybe, you just didn't notice. He wasn't quite sure if you were shocked that its him you ran into, or just shocked by hitting two things at once. Either way, he certainly noticed the language you spoke, which wasn't Korean.
A warm smile graces his features, shoulders slumping in relief at your words. If you were lying, he couldn't find it in himself to push it. "That's good," he sighs softly in English, looking you over once more. "Again, I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."
The adrenaline of meeting your idol must have worn off, far quicker then you expected. But that didn't stop your cheeks from burning in embarrassment and at the fact the handsomest guy in the world is right in front of you. "No, it's okay! I, um…wasn't looking where I was going, either." You couldn't help the awkward chuckle leaving your lips, trying to keep the atmosphere lighthearted, and just slightly amused by the whole situation. Why did this have to happen to you?
Too embarrassed to look him in the eye, you simply busy yourself with collecting the scattered rolls of toilet paper around you, as far as you could reach, and stacking them in front of you to carry when you're done.
"Oh, let me help," Christopher then says, his large hands quickly grabbing the rolls around him to add to the stack.
"What?" You look up at him, pausing what you're doing in shock once more. Again, he's just a normal man who's just incredibly talented, but the mere thought of him helping you doing something like this makes you feel guilty instantly. "No! No, it's okay. You don't have to," you try to reassure, albeit a little awkwardly and a bit panicked. You didn't want to offend him, but you also felt that making him feel he has to help you is offending him somehow.
Christopher stops what he's doing as well, lifting his gaze up to meet yours in slight surprise. He blinks once, twice, before his confused frown turns into another warm smile. This time, though, he lets an amused chuckle slip out. "It's okay. I want to. It's my fault this all happened in the first place."
Holy shit, he's just as nice as he is behind the camera. You knew this, of course, but with it actually happening to you just made it all the more real. You try not to stare once he went back to work, swallowing your protest because you just know he can be just as stubborn. So, you continue picking up the mess in the awkward silence, crawling a little to reach the ones that were too far away.
It felt like it took far too long for a small mess, but it actually only lasted a couple minutes. "I think we got them all," he hums, trying to fill the silence as he stacks the last toilet paper roll on the neat pile. Before you can grab the pile and stuff it in your arms like before, the singer takes half of them without hesitation. A soft groan leaves his lips as he stands back up on his two feet, rolling his shoulders a little from being hunched over for a bit.
"No, I can take them!" You begin, grabbing the other half of the pile as quickly as you could and standing on your own feet. Now that you're standing beside him, he's a little bigger than he looks on a screen. Shaking those thoughts away, you give him a worried look, hoping he'll just let you take all of the rolls and leave you alone—so you can internally scream and freak out.
"Hm?" He turns to glance in your direction, features turning into one of confusion before quickly being replaced by an amused look. "Don't worry about it. I can help. It's a lot, and you might run into something else."
"I just don't want to take up your time…"
His expression softens almost instantly at your words, "You're really sweet," he giggles—who knew a man could giggle and make it cute—ducking his head as if he's a bit embarrassed he even said that. But yet, he seems proud at the same time. "It's not a bother, I promise. Where are you taking these?"
And just like that, he's back to his manly and gentle business-like self. You look him over for a moment, still trying to process the situation, before pushing yourself to walk forward in the direction. "This way," you say shyly, leading him down a hall towards the bathroom you and Hana started cleaning.
The walk to your destination didn't last long, and you were thankful the idol didn't start up in any awkward conversation—not awkward on his part, of course. Just you. You see Hana come out of the bathroom, letting out a sigh as she tosses a dirty rag into a small bucket on the cleaning cart. She perks up as soon as she sees you, brows furrowed in worry. "There you are! I was just about to go look for you—" Hana's gaze turns to the man walking beside you, her smile widening a little. "Oh, hey Chan!"
"Hana?" Christopher smiles in return, but he looked confused. You both stop by the cart, looking at your coworker as the conversation starts. "I didn't know you cleaned this floor, too?"
Hana shakes her head, a frown replacing her friendly smile. "Ugh, definitely not!" She sighs in irritation, "the cleaners who have this floor called off last minute. So we were given it on top of our scheduled floors."
"Ahhh…" Christopher grimaces, empathizing with her with the brief explanation. "No wonder you're still here at this time. Later than usual."
You all but blink at their interaction, practically standing there like a shadow as you observe. It wasn't that they were conversing without you, you hardly cared about that. It was the fact that Hana knows Christopher on a personal level?! The way they were talking, its as if they were old friends catching up. She never told you she's friends with with Bang Chan from Stray Kids!
"Oh, here, I'll take those." Hana moving to take the toilet paper rolls from Christopher brings you back to reality, and you watch as he doesn't argue with her. "We better get back to work, though. We don't have much time left on our schedule," She informs him kindly, setting the rolls on the cleaning cart. "You probably have work, too, huh?"
"Yeah," Christopher sighs dramatically, shoulders slumping like a sad puppy. "The guys are probably waiting for me. Get some rest after this, okay?" He says, stepping back while he waves you and Hana goodbye. Then, he's off jogging down the hall, disappearing around a corner.
"No wonder it took you so long," Hana speaks up after a quiet moment, shaking her head with a chuckle. "I thought you got stuck in the closet or something! Or lost."
Slowly, you turn around to face her. You couldn't see your own face, but you were sure it had contorted into surprise, confusion, and disbelief. The both of you blink at each other longer than necessary, and Hana speaks up first.
"What?"
"You never told me you're friends with Bang Chan!"
Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader | Stray Kids & Female Reader
Fandom: Stray Kids
Tags/Warnings: Fluff, tiny bit of angst, jealousy???, slow burn for SURE, sorry not sorry
Chapter Summary:
The night just won't end, and you really don't want it to. You spend just the last bit of your day with your favorite person, all the while struggling with the oath you made to yourself a long time ago.
Key:
“Italics in quotes” = Speaking in Korean/different language.
Full sentences in just Italics = Readers personal thoughts.
Hana — HON-NUH
Notes:
So…we're back??
Y'all have no idea how guilty I've felt for putting this off for so long 😭 I was really sick for a while, and going through some stress, that I really had no motivation until now. But I'm so glad I'm back!
WERE BACK BABY
🩵 Ordinary — Alex Warren
Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12?
Part 11
While you have been a fan of Stray Kids, its not enough to make you remember every single detail of them. To be honest, you found that a bit creepy, knowing every little thing. However, you suppose if its something the group shares to the world, fans are bound to keep it close to their hearts to show that they care. So, when you found out that Vanilla is Christopher's favorite ice cream flavor, you actually weren't too surprised. It's basic and has just enough sweetness to not be overboard, something that seems to represent him quite a bit.
The two of you just sat on a bench outside of the shop together, ice cream cones in hand. Christopher paid, of course, not giving you a chance to pull your wallet out. He was pretty quick to give you the 'I invited you so I'll pay' claim. Knowing you couldn't argue with him, you let him do what he wanted. At this point, you're starting to learn more and more what Christopher is like as a friend…someone outside of the K-Pop industry.
The internet is a two-faced creature, you like to think. With people not having to show their true selves, they can easily lie to the world as though it didn't have any consequences. You can lie about yourself, or lie about others. In the K-Pop industry, some stars have lied to the world about themselves just to keep up their reputation. Showing themselves to be the nicest and understanding person on camera, but soon be cruel and greedy behind the scenes.
When you first found Stray Kids on the internet, you had an inkling deep down that these guys weren't faking anything. They just seemed way too genuine, did things that most didn't even on screen, that made you think that they were pure souls. And that only proved you were right when you finally met Christopher at your job.
You admire him so much, you hadn't realized that this simple 'fan crush' you have for him was much deeper. Which is why it hurts more and more each day, no matter how many times you tell yourself it's fine. That it was for the best. That this man, this amazing idol, would marry his job if he could.
Maybe…maybe you should focus on Hwan's crush on you, instead…?
"So," Christopher's voice breaks the comfortable silence, grabbing your attention. You didn't know you had just suddenly gone in the zone, so far deep in your thoughts, that your cone was practically half gone already. "You said you hung out with Hana, right? And a college friend?" He asks curiously, probably just trying to start a conversation, but also wanting to know more about your day. "What did you guys do?"
A warm smile graces your features, heart completely full of happiness from the day with your friends. "Yeah, Hana and Hwan. I met Hwan in college. We share a class, so we'd hang out often at the coffee shop on campus to study together or something. He's been helping me with my Korean writing, too." You tell him honestly, dropping your hand to your lap to let it relax for a bit, since you've been holding the ice cream cone to your face for a bit. You make sure not to tip it or anything. "I wanted to introduce Hana and Hwan, so we all met up at a café. It was kind of awkward—well, okay, it was really awkward, because Hana did not hesitate to show that she didn't like him at all. Which, I get it, I guess. From the whole Karaoke thing."
You shrug with that last comment, not noticing the small frown on Christopher's face as you do. He takes one more bite of his half-eaten ice cream cone before resting his arm on his lap like you, giving you his full attention. Even though you told Hwan about the incident earlier, you have to admit that you've been coping more and more with it.
"She was just being protective. But I eventually got them talking, and they found a similar interest. I think…the game was like…Kenshin Impact or something?"
The laugh that escapes Christopher pauses your story, and your cheeks flush lightly as you look at him. It was light and airy, like a giggle, and he waves his hand at you in defense. "Sorry, sorry—it's called Genshin Impact. You were close."
You snort, humming in realization. "Oh! Oops, my bad. It was talked about so much today between them, and I said it earlier, too! Wait…" you pause, narrowing your eyes at no particular spot on the ground beneath your feet as you think this over, "Oh, God…did I say it right earlier?"
Again, Christopher laughs, but you fall along with him. The embarrassment you had for messing up in front of him was small, barely there, because with him…with him, you don't feel like he thinks of you any less if you mess up on something like that.
"Anyway," you continue, finishing up the last bit of your ice cream before it melts completely, "They became friends, I think, because of that game. Talking about it a lot. And we were there for like hours! But then we left it and kind of just…walked. That's when we found a park, deciding to hang out there for a bit longer, swinging and stuff. it was fun."
When you glance at your idol, now done with your story, you were a little surprised he was staring right at you. Eyes soft and concentrated, with a small relaxed smile on his face. You felt….seen.
"That's good," he hums thoughtfully, finally breaking his gaze from you, "I'm glad. It sounded like a lot of fun."
You nod, not really sure what else to say. Leaning back against the bench, your gaze roams your semi-dark surroundings. It's starting to get pretty late, but you didn't mind at all. You didn't want this moment to end with him, even though it’s going against your oath of keeping your distance.
"Hwan, was it?" Christopher speaks up again, and you turn to him almost too quickly to show that you were listening. Once you nod in reply, you catch him stroking his chin, the smile fading to a look of deep thought. "He's a guy? Like, uh…" he pauses, almost as though he just realized how weird that sounded. "Is he the only friend you've made from school?"
As soon as that sentence is spoken aloud, you notice how sad that really sounded for you. You nod once more, chuckling sheepishly at the idea, albeit curious on why thats the one thing he took from your story. "Yeah. I don't know…I think I just struggle a lot at approaching people. And he was the one who came to me in class, honestly. He just…kinda sat right beside me—it startled me, too—and he just started talking to me. He's really nice, though. After the first day of meeting, he asked if I wanted to hang out and study together. And he offered to teach me to write Korean. Oh, and he spoke to me in English. I guess he was raised in America, so that was pretty cool."
You continue to ramble, not really noticing the way Christopher stiffens beside you. "Actually, it's finny because—" you let out a soft giggle, "Hana was telling me that she thinks Hwan likes me. Like…like-like me. Saying it was pretty obvious and stuff."
"Do you…like him?"
That question catches you a bit off guard, turning to Christopher with slightly widened eyes. He looked so…serious about his question, enough to make you wonder why he was so invested in this idea. The only thing you could think of was the way Hana reacted to Hwan at first, too. How she was so protective and rude because of what you experienced. Maybe thats what it is.
Hana teased you about the idea of you and Hwan earlier, saying you liked him and such when she talked about the obvious signs you clearly didn't notice. You feel your cheeks begin to warm up, and you shrug with a nervous giggle, "I-I don't know, to be honest. He's really sweet. Has been really kind to me from the start. And, um…I mean, it was mostly because Hana was intimidating him, but she kept asking him questions like, 'why are you friends with her?' Or something. And he gave this speech about…about how kind I am, and how much he cares about me. He said something about my emotional side—that I'm incredible because I can connect with people so easily."
Wow…that sounded way more cheesy when you say it out loud like that, and you rub the back of your neck in embarrassment. "A-Anyway, it was really sweet of him to say that stuff. That doesn't mean I like him or anything…" You let out a sigh, shoulders slumping the more you think about this. "I don't know…maybe I do…?"
Christopher shifts beside you, clearing his throat awkwardly as he finally breaks his gaze away from you once more. "He sounds nice," is all he really says, surprisingly. You…were hoping he'd say more, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
He then stands up, large hands smoothing down his hoodie as he does. "It's getting pretty late. I'll walk you home. It's nearby, isn't it?"
You blink up at him, watching the way he stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking around at your surroundings….as though…he were avoiding you. The air has suddenly gotten awkward, and you're not sure if you're the reason why. Did…you say something wrong?
"Uh…sure. Yeah, it's close."
Luckily, conversation flows between you two as you walk side by side. He's quick to be on the side closest to the semi-busy street, cars passing off and on. It was cute…how protective he is, even if he doesn't realize it.
"How have you been lately?" You ask him, glancing over and up at him as you two walk. It may be dark outside, but the florescent lights from the shops and restaurants you pass light up your path pretty easily. It frames his face, despite the hood being up, shadows dancing this way and that. "Sleeping okay?"
Christopher gives you one of his special reassured smiles, chuckling quietly to himself. "Yeah. I'm keeping my promise, I swear."
You shake your head in amusement, but you can't really tell if he's lying to you or not. You're sure, however, that he isn't the type to break promises. "Well, that's good. I'm glad."
He hums, "The other guys want to meet you, by the way."
"Huh?" You almost trip over your feet, staring up at him in such surprise, it makes him giggle. "Really? Wait…do you talk about me or something?" You know you're close with Christopher, given you're friends and all, but you really didn't expect him to talk about you to the other Stray Kids members. The members, who are like his brothers. Although, you can't forget you met two of them already, the rest of 3Racha.
"Sometimes," he admits sheepishly with a shrug, avoiding eye contact. "Jisung and Changbin talked about you the first chance they got. And the others had mentioned they recall seeing you around the JYP building from time to time."
You suppose that makes sense, since you're a housekeeper who moves around the building a lot. The two floors you clean, anyway. And with their reputation of working pretty late in the night, you're not surprised they were around when you were, too.
"Oh…well…" you feel your cheeks warm up, excitement bubbling in your chest at the idea of meeting the others. "That'd be really cool. I've always wanted to meet them all. It was cool to meet Han and Changbin that day. They were really nice."
"Yeah, they thought you were great. They keep bothering me to invite you to meals and stuff."
You couldn't help but to blink at that, a little puzzled. Maybe he's just been so busy to do so, but you wonder why he never did invite you again to meals with them, especially if they asked him to. Not that he has to, and it doesn't bother you that much. You just wish he would have invited you more.
Keep your distance. Keep your distance…
With a shrug, you push those thoughts to the back of your mind. Deciding it best not to dwell on it too much. It was for the best, that he didn't invite you too often, anyway. And knowing that he didn't…maybe that's a sign that there really isn't a chance with him in the end.
Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader | Stray Kids & Female Reader
Fandom: Stray Kids
Tags/Warnings: usual awkwardness, sad emotions, reader missing home, making friends, a glimpse of reader in college
Chapter Summary:
Living in a new country has its chokehold on you, with the stress and overwhelming emotions gradually taking over. But despite the struggle, you're reminded that you have family you can talk to, and…maybe a new friend?
Key:
“Italics in quotes” = Speaking in Korean/different language.
Full sentences in just Italics = Readers personal thoughts.
Notes:
Yes, my bestie gets a cameo in my story🤭 love you boo! Btw, if you like Stray Kids and Dark Romance, please go check out The Brutal Hearts Series by @thebibleophile! It's an incredible series, and she works super hard on it. Working on eight separate stories at once!! Show her some love and support!
Meanwhile, a love rival, maybe?👀 don't come at me!
Also, fun fact: I mostly portrayed the readers mom as my own. And her favorite actor is, indeed, Robert Downey Jr. lollll.
💙 Drifting — Tiësto
Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Part 4
It had only been a couple days since that fateful evening, yet you couldn't get it out of your head. Your weekend off of work was spent with your thoughts scrambling to comprehend what happened, and you weren't sure if you're upset that you couldn't relax or excited that you finally got to meet your idol. It was awkward, yes. Embarrassing, even. But you met him nonetheless. And the fact that he was so kind, chuckling and smiling to keep the air light between you…you just hope he wasn't acting for your sake.
Hana ended up explaining to you that she and Christopher aren't technically friends. "I've just worked here for a long time, so he checks up on me sometimes," she had said. That just makes it all the more real how incredible Christopher's personality is.
And all the more real how he can't be yours.
Your heavy eyelids blink, slow and deliberate, as the nights sleep continues to cling on. Why would I think that? Sure, it's every fans dream to have their idol be their lover, their partner. Becuase they're perfect. Checking off every box on the perfect-significant-partner-traits list. But you have been trying to avoid ever having those kinds of thoughts. It's creepy, for one. Constantly thinking about someone being your loving partner, to the point where it tricks your mind into actually believing it can happen. He's an idol, sure. Extremely talented, good looking, and perfect in every way.
But that's his job. It's what he does because he loves the work, loves providing for those who need it…the platonic love and feeling as though you are being seen.
He has good intentions. You may not know him on a personal level, and it may never come to that, but you have that feeling deep in your gut that he's just as he seems on camera. He's not acting.
And that makes it even harder to not wish he were someone in your personal life.
A heavy sigh leaves your lips as you roll over onto your back, the mattress practically sucking you in so you can't get out. It's your day off. A day where you could sleep in, relax, and do the things you love. Plus, you don't have any classes, either—
You pause, staring at the textured ceiling above you. Ah, shit…I have homework…
The sudden feel of weight on the bed by your feet would have startled you if you weren't used to it by now. Your feline company mews softly, calculating it's steps as it struts across the bed and over to your face. The orange cat begins to pur, her whiskers tickling your skin as she sniffs you.
"Yeah, yeah…" you say softly, almost disappointed that you have to finally get up for the day. "I'll feed you in a sec, okay?" Chik, your cat, slams its head softly against your forehead, rubbing it across for attention. A giggle leaves your lips as you lift your hand up, gently digging your nails into Chik's scalp to satisfy the itch she craved.
It only took you thirty minutes to get out of bed and fulfill your morning routine. Since it's your day off, you took your time. Slowly putting yourself together, almost looking as if you were the most bored person on earth. And once you've gotten yourself refreshed, not bothering to change out of your pajama's, you step into your kitchen with newfound energy.
"Here you go, chica," you mutter with a small amused smile, often using that word for fun given your cats name sounds so similar. Your pet meows softly in excitement as she begins to eat the food you just provided for her.
As you start to pour milk into your cereal bowl, the device on the counter begins to vibrate violently. You perk up, setting the small milk jug down and picking up your phone to see who could be calling you at this time. The sight of your moms caller ID highlighted at the top of the screen grabs your attention, and you smile as you answer the call.
"Hey, mom!" She doesn't call you often, but you don't blame her given you're both busy.
"Hi, honey!" Your mom greets in return, equal excitement in her tone. It's safe to say you miss her more than anybody realizes. Because with this seperation, you're starting to feel lonely in this new country. "How are you? How are things?"
You let out a soft chuckle as you set the phone down on the counter, tapping the pad of your finger against the speaker button. "I'm doing as good as I can be," you answer honestly, turning to pour the milk in your cereal bowl. "Work is good. I already told you about it, but—" You suddenly pause, completely forgetting about the fact you met your idol only a few days ago.
The story flies out of your mouth without hesitation, barely letting your own mom speak. You tell her how embarrassing it was, to physically run into Bang Chan—Christopher—at work with your arms full of toilet paper. You both laughed with equal amusement, finding the meeting to be quite unique. And then you tell her how nice he was. How he helped you pick up the toilet paper rolls, claiming it was his fault.
"Sounds like someone has a crush," your mom muses.
"Uh, yeah. Everyone has a crush on their idol. Just like how you have a crush on Robert Downey Jr.," you retort with a playful scoff.
A laugh echoes through the speaker of your phone, making you smile. "True, but I have a husband. So it's a platonic crush."
"A platonic crush? Mom, I don't think thats a thing."
"Well, it is now."
You shake your head in disbeleif, almost forgetting how ridiculous your mom can be. In fact, you realize how much you miss her. How much you miss her goofiness. A sigh escapes you as you sit down on your sofa, the familiar sting of tears forming behind your eyes. "I really miss you," you say quietly, trying not to let your emotions take over.
It's about time you finally let yourself succumb to your feelings. The overwhelming stress of starting school in a whole new country, social anxiety with making new friends, and learning a whole new language. You miss home, your family and friends, the buildings you often went to.
A coo leaves your mom, and you can imagine the sympathetic pout on her face. "I miss you, too, honey. We all do." You nod, although you know she can't see it. And as you wipe away the tears starting to escape, the woman speaks once more. "Did you get my package? It said it was delivered."
Instantly, you perk up at her words. A gift is a gift, and you can't lie about how happy you get when you recieve anything from people. "Oh, right!" You stand up from your couch, grabbing the medium-sized box you had left on some furniture nearby. Once you sit back down, package in your lap, you feel a bit guilty that you hadn't opened it earlier. It had arrived in your mail the day before, but you had too much on your mind to even focus on it. You're pretty sure you told yourself you'd open it later, and never did. "I got it."
The sound of tape ripping and cardboard tearing filters into the small apartment, and it opens up without a hitch. Your brows furrow as you study whats inside, eight books stacked neatly inside, with some airbags stuffed in to fill the extra space. "The Brutal Hearts Series…" you mutter out, almost in question, as you pull one of the books out. The cover was beautiful, with a dark grey, close to black, taking up the space. It had a Korean man on the cover, a black and white filter over him, and red roses scattered over it. Some chains are portrayed on it, as well, as a background feature. Vengeance, is what it says on the cover, the author's pen name written underneath. "The…bible…ophile?" You spell out loud, raising a brow in curiosity.
"It's a series a friend recommended to me when I asked for some advice on what to get you," your mom hums threough the phone, "I thought itd be nice to fill up your free time, if you ever get bored."
Your lips purse in interest, looking over the other titles—Secrets, Dangerous Devotion, The Art Of Obsession, Dark Harmony, Shattered Illusions, Lethal Attraction, and Twisted Passion. The names sounded quite unique, and its enough to definitely keep you busy when you have the time. "Thanks, mom," you then smile, excited to try them out. "They look really good. I'll start reading them soon."
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Your eyelids blink rapidly as you sit at an empty desk, the sun peaking through the large windows. You weren't much of a morning person, and you were tempted to switch out this class for one thats later in the day. But, as much as you wanted to do that, its a little too late and you have work in the evenings.
The books you carried inside the classroom are set heavily on the corner of your desk, before you slide off your backpack and rest it against the leg of your chair. You've already been coming to this large college for a few weeks now, shortly before you started your new job. As much as you enjoy keeping yourself busy with learning, you've been overwhelmed by how large this place really is. Not to mention, you've been really needing to keep up on your Korean around here.
You often sat alone in your classes, trying to mind your own business and struggle on your own. But today seems different. Just as you pull out your pencil case from your bag, you sit up straight to find a body next to yours. You physically jump, startled by the young man now sitting beside you.
"Oh, sorry," he chuckles in amusement, waving off your worries, "Didn't mean to scare you. This seat isn't taken, is it?"
This is the first time someone besides a professor had actually taken the effort to come up and talk to you. Well, he specifically took it upon himself to sit beside you. Your confused gaze runs over the large room, finding there are so many other seats open for the taking, yet…he comes to sit beside you? "Uh…no. It wasn't…" you mutter out, just now realizing he's speaking in English.
You pause, one brow raising when you look him over. He's Korean, that much is obvious, but his English was quite fluent. Perhaps he was born somewhere else, like Hana? Or he went to school in America? Either way…he was quite charming. His black hair is short, almost spiked from how unkempt it is. He wears simple jeans and a shirt, with a grey sweater loose around his shoulders. He has this boyish grin as he looks up at you, and you then notice a stud piercing on his ear.
"I'm Dae Hwan," he introduces himself, reaching out for a casual handshake.
Awkwardly, you accept the action with a small nod, telling him your own name in return. "I don't mean to be rude, but…you're fluent in English."
"Ah," he hums with pursed lips, shrugging his shoulders. "I went to school in America for a long time. Pretty much grew up there."
Called it, you think to yourself. "Oh, that makes sense. Sorry, I was just curious."
"No, no," Hwan chuckles, waving you off once more. "I get it. I was kind of expecting that from you, anyway."
Despite your brows furrowing in confusion, you could already guess that he heard you speak English before or something. Well, in any case, you're just glad he's kind. He looks like a playboy of sorts, maybe a delinquent? But he's nice, and he's in class. That must stand for something, right?
Before you could struggle any more on how to continue the conversation with him, the professor soon steps into the room, grabbing everyones attention. The next two hours of the subject went pretty smoothly, save for you having a hard time understanding some of the Korean the professor spoke while explaining certain things. You write down the words and phrases, though, hoping you could look them up later to get a better understanding.
Hwan, beside you, was pretty quiet during class. He wrote a few things down here and there, but otherwise looked more bored than the student sleeping in the back. And once the two hours was up, you shoved your supplies in your bag and stood up, eager to get home and study a bit before your shift started. However, the man you met was quick to catch up to you in the hallway, walking beside you with his grin.
"Hey! Uh…I wasn't sure if this was a good time to ask, but would you wanna go get some coffee? If you have time, I mean," he asks, almost sheepish yet proud by being confident in himself. "My next class isn't for another hour, so…"
You pause in the hallway, your steps stopping as you turn to look at him in surprise. You don't mean to be obvious about it, but this man was quite the enigma. What was he trying to do? Be friends with you? Get in your pants? Was this some kind of prank or joke? Your gaze cautiously looks around, as if you'd find some guys or girls hiding around a corner and chuckling as they watch. But you didn't see anybody, and that makes you even more confused.
Slightly panicking, you fidget with the books in your arms and avoid eye contact. "Uh…sorry, but I have to go to work here soon…"
Hwan processes your rejection, then nods quickly in understanding. "Totally get it! No worries. I just…saw you were struggling with some Korean the professor was saying, and…I was going to offer that I can help? If you want it, of course."
Why? He's being so kind, and thats not necessarily whats got you in a bind with this whole thing. It's the confusion that he suddenly sat beside you and offering to have coffee and help you with a language you aren't fluent in yet. Because…why would he suddenly act as though you guys were friends when you've never spoken to him before? In fact, you don't ever recall seeing him in class, but thats probably because you usually keep your head down and focus on your work.
But, his offer to help learn Korean sounded…nice. It sounded like a weight off of your shoulders. Because someone physically teaching you is better than an app or the internet, if you're being honest. So, a warm and polite smile spreads on your features, "I appreciate it. Maybe next time? I…just gotta go." While you did have time for a coffee and a talk, you wanted to use it to process this new situation at home, and maybe calm yourself so you can actually push yourself to make friends.
Hwan easily nods with his grin, stepping back to give you some space. "Yeah! Sure, no problem. Just let me know!" And with that, he's walking off to who knows where, but…you can see the lingering proud smile on his face.
