The Shadow Of A Trainee | Bang Chan ?

Mirae's P.O.V

The room buzzed with energy as Stray Kids and ITZY threw themselves into practice. Everyone was tense but determined—our big awards performance was just days away, and every move had to be perfect. I sat off to the side, watching Jeongin as he showed Lia a step she couldn't quite get. She looked frustrated, but Jeongin's warm smile never wavered, guiding her through it patiently, again and again.

I couldn't help but smile. It was so Jeongin—always patient, always kind. Seeing him like this, happy and confident, made my heart swell. I thought back to when I first started working with Stray Kids. I was just "the assistant," someone to keep her head down and blend in with the background. Everyone had been polite but distant, Chan especially. He had even warned the guys to keep their distance. Jeongin, though, hadn't listened. He'd come over with that easy smile, chatting with me as if we'd known each other forever.

I remembered when Jeongin, shy and a little embarrassed, coming up to my room to ask for advice. He had a crush on Lia, he'd said, I remember that his cheeks were so pink. I had to hide my smile as he nervously asked how he should act around her. It felt special, that he trusted me. Looking at him now, I could see just how much this moment mattered to him.

But my smile faltered when my gaze drifted to Chan. I'd felt a tug in my chest since we arrived at practice, something I couldn't quite shake. I'd watched him greet Ryujin, his face lighting up as she threw her arms around him. He had laughed, eyes crinkling with that warm smile of his, and it felt like a cold shadow passed over me. It wasn't jealousy—at least, that's what I told myself. Chan was just being Chan, that warm, caring person everyone loved. So why did it hurt?

With a sigh, I looked down at my shoes, willing myself to forget it. I didn't understand these feelings, and I didn't want to. Instead, I focused on the tasks ahead, cleaning up after practice, making sure everyone had what they needed, getting back to the dorms. Just do your job, I told myself. Get through the day.

The door to the practice room creaked open, but I barely noticed. Probably a staff member or another dancer. Whatever it was, it didn't involve me. I kept my head down, too caught up in my thoughts to pay attention.

But then the noise in the room shifted. Laughter and excitement filled the air, loud and unexpected. I heard people rushing toward the door, voices overlapping in a chaotic blend of happy sounds. I still didn't look up—until I heard a name I hadn't heard in so long, spoken in a voice that made me freeze.

"Rae?"

My head snapped up, and there he was. Hyungwon, standing in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the door frame. It was like a scene from a dream, a memory I'd held close but never expected to see again. My heart caught in my throat, and without thinking, I stood, eyes filling with tears. "Hyungwon?" I barely recognized my own voice, choked with disbelief.

I didn't think; I just ran. My legs carried me forward, closing the distance in seconds. And he was running, too. In one swift motion, I threw myself into his arms, and he held me tightly, like he'd never let go. For the first time in what felt like ages, I felt whole, like the missing pieces of me had finally fallen into place.

Hyungwon was here—the one who knew me better than anyone else. He knew about my past, my dreams, my doubts, all the little things that made me, me. He knew I used to be a trainee, knew all my secret hopes and fears. I felt his arms tighten around me, and I closed my eyes, whispering into his shoulder, "I missed you so much." My voice cracked, and I held him even tighter, afraid that if I let go, he'd disappear again.

Hyungwon laughed, a deep, warm sound that wrapped around me like a familiar melody. He lifted me off the ground, spinning me in a circle, and I laughed—a laugh so pure, so unfiltered, that I barely recognized it as my own. I hadn't known I could feel this light, this free, until I saw him standing there.

In that moment, everything else faded away—the pressure of the job, the confusion with Chan, the weight of everything I'd carried alone. Here in Hyungwon's arms, I felt seen. I felt loved.

______________________

A/N: 

Hyungwon? Another character joining in?

Hope you're enjoying the story. Don't forget to vote please.

<3 <3 <3