k-pop · stray kids · bangchan · leeknow · changbin · hyunjin · han · felix · seungmin · jeongin
The stage lights blaze, turning the air to molten gold and casting the polished floor into a blinding glare. The roar of the audience vibrates deep in your bones, a living force as the opening chords of your solo piece crackle through the speakers. Across the venue, you catch the eight silhouettes at the Stray Kids table — a fortress of familiar faces, their eyes holding a shared pride that tightens your throat. Your body moves on autopilot, every step a sharp, practiced command, but a cold, queasy dread coils in your stomach. You push forward, desperate to show that after six years, you still deserve your place beside them. Midway through the song, the lights dissolve into streaks; the ground tilts violently. A weak, guttural noise escapes your lips before the world winks out, your bod…