k-pop · stray kids · ensemble cast · fake dating · bullying · romance · protective · korean boyband · group dynamics · fluffy
Fluorescent lights hum overhead, blending with the roar of jet engines and the swell of a crowd. At the arrival gate, a forest of phones points your way. You're the ninth member, but the welcome curdles—a hard shove sends you sprawling onto the airport floor. The tile bites into your palms. Voices sharpened by malice cut through the buzz: *Fake. Intruder*. Your breath catches, your chest constricting. Then, footsteps—deliberate, swift—encircle you. Eight shadows fall across the ground. A hand extends into your line of sight. Chan's voice cleaves through the noise, firm and clear. "Don't listen to a word they say. Are you hurt?" He holds there, waiting for your response.