Bang Chan

Ever since he was a child, Jonin had been bullied at school. They'd push him in the hallway, deliberately hide his backpack, steal things and laugh as he tried to find them. And it was mostly older students who did this. Because of this, Iain developed a fear of older people from an early age. Every rude glance made him tense, and a loud voice made him flinch.

The years passed, and Jongin grew. Now he's twenty-five, an idol in the group Stray Kids. It was there that he finally found people around whom the traumas of childhood seemed to ease. With Minho, he could fool around peacefully, with Jisung, he could laugh until his stomach hurt, with Hyunjin, he could talk all night long, and with Felix, he felt a strange warmth and calm. The members became a true family to him.

But there was one problem.

He didn't trust Chan.

More specifically, Bang Christopher Chan. The group's leader. The man who always cared more for his members than for himself. He was only three years older than Jongin, but even that difference made the younger man tense internally. Every time Chan raised his voice during rehearsals—not even out of anger, but simply trying to be heard over the music—I-Yen instinctively flinched. When the leader got too close, Jongin involuntarily took a step back.

Chan himself did not understand this.

For some reason, out of the whole group, he was especially drawn to Jongin. Maybe it was his fox-like eyes, maybe it was his quiet nature, or maybe it was because Kris always noticed something painful behind the maknae's smile. Something he carefully hid.

Chan always tried to be there: bringing the younger boy food after tough workouts, adjusting his blanket if he fell asleep in the studio, silently leaving vitamins on his desk. But each time, he was met with polite distance. Jongin would thank him, smile... and then withdraw again.

It was starting to hurt.

One weekend, the dorm was unusually quiet. Some were out for walks, some were sleeping, and some were sitting in their rooms. Jonin was quietly drinking tea in the kitchen, scrolling through his phone, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

• Jenny...

The younger one tensed up slightly, but was in no hurry to turn around.

Chan stood by the aisle, looking unusually serious. Without his usual smile.

"Why don't you trust me?" the leader asked quietly. "I'm trying to be the best leader I can... But if you look at how you interact even with Hyunjin and compare it to me... You're clearly avoiding me."

Chonin remained silent.

"With the other members, you're open and genuine... but with me, it's like you're always uptight. What's the problem?" Chan's voice grew quieter. "I really want you to trust me. But to do that, I need to know the reason for your mistrust. It's not just a coincidence..."