Mirae's P.O.V
The energy in the arena was electric, the deafening cheers of STAYs shaking the very walls as Stray Kids kicked off their concert. Backstage, I stood with Hyungwon, eyes fixed on the massive screen broadcasting the boys' performance in real time.
Chan, with his boundless energy, led the group into their first song, their synchronized moves and flawless vocals captivating everyone in the crowd. Hyunjin twirled effortlessly, his long hair whipping around as he danced with his usual grace, while Han, Lee Know and Changbin jumped around, hyping up the fans with their playful energy. Felix’s deep voice sent shivers through the audience, and Seungmin and Jeongin's vocals blended beautifully, making the moment feel almost magical.
Hyungwon nudged me, grinning. "Look at them. They’re literally setting the stage on fire."
I chuckled, my eyes glued to the screen. "Felix looks like he’s having the time of his life with that giant SKZOO puppet."
On stage, Felix had abandoned the choreography for a second to give his enormous BbokAri plush a tight hug, rubbing its head affectionately before spinning it around.
Hyungwon burst out laughing. "And there goes Lee Know, pretending not to care, but he’s totally about to jump in and steal it."
Sure enough, Lee Know side-eyed Felix before casually sauntering over, yanking the plushie from his arms. Felix gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if he’d just been betrayed.
"You traitor!" Felix shouted into his mic, making the crowd explode in laughter.
Hyungwon snorted. "Man, this concert is pure chaos. I love it."
I smiled, watching as the boys continued to dance and interact with the fans. Their joy was contagious, making my nerves temporarily fade into the background. But then, after a few more high-energy songs, the music faded, and the members gathered in the center of the stage, catching their breath.
Chan wiped sweat from his forehead, his dimples deepening as he grinned at the audience. "Alright, alright, let's take a little break before we all pass out."
The crowd responded with laughter and cheers, and the boys took turns greeting Stays, teasing each other, and answering questions fans had prepared on small banners.
I let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling nervous again. My moment is coming soon.
Hyungwon must have noticed because he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Rae-Rae, you got this. Just be yourself."
His words instantly calmed me, and I gave him a small, grateful smile.
Then, on stage, Chan suddenly raised his hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down. His wide smile remained, but there was a different emotion in his eyes—something softer, more vulnerable.
"Before we continue having fun," he said, "there’s someone I’d like to invite on stage."
Murmurs spread through the crowd, some fans gasping, others whispering in curiosity.
"Who could it be?"
"No way, is it...?"
Chan chuckled at their reactions. "Wait a second," he teased before turning around and walking toward the backstage area.
My breath caught as he approached, his eyes locking onto mine. He didn’t say anything, just reached out his hand.
I hesitated for a second, but then I heard Hyungwon’s voice behind me.
"Go now. I’ll be right behind you," he whispered with a smirk.
I looked at him, confused, but before I could ask what he meant, Chan gently took my hand, guiding me toward the stage.
The moment we stepped out, a wave of screams erupted from the crowd. The arena was filled with shocked gasps, some fans covering their mouths, others staring wide-eyed. I saw some of them clutching their banners, their expressions ranging from excitement to disbelief.
Panic bubbled in my chest. My heart raced as I kept my gaze low, afraid to look at the thousands of faces in front of me. What if they didn’t like me? What if—
Chan squeezed my hand.
I glanced up, finding him already looking at me with a reassuring smile.
When we reached the center of the stage, the rest of the members gathered around us. They didn’t say anything, but their presence made me feel safer.
Chan raised his mic again, his voice steady and full of emotion.
"For years, I struggled with hating myself. I faced a lot of problems, carried a lot of responsibilities, and honestly... I didn’t know how to breathe properly. The only thing that kept me going was music and my boys—Stray Kids. They’re my family, my brothers, the people who saved me."
I heard sniffles from the audience. Some fans were already crying, their love for Chan filling the room.
"But," Chan continued, his voice softer, "our lives were missing something. We were cautious, unsure of who to trust, just trying to survive in this world. And then..."
He turned to me.
My breath hitched.
"Then Mirae came into our lives."
The crowd gasped again.
"So many things happened after that," Chan said, chuckling lightly. "So many memories, so much laughter. And somewhere along the way, without even realizing it... I fell in love with her."
Tears welled up in my eyes. I stared at him, completely overwhelmed by his words. How did I get so lucky? To be loved by someone as wonderful as him?
The crowd had gone eerily silent, as if holding their breath. But when Chan suddenly grinned and said, "Why are you all crying? I’m happy, so don’t make me cry too," the arena erupted into cheers, laughter, and whistles.
Then, without warning, he handed me the mic.
I froze. My eyes went wide.
No. No, no, no, I wasn’t ready for this—
But when I finally gathered the courage to look up at the crowd, I saw something unexpected.
Smiles.
Some fans were still crying, but they were happy tears. Others were laughing, cheering, clapping. Their expressions weren’t filled with anger or hate. They were filled with warmth. Acceptance.
A tear slipped down my cheek, but this time, it wasn’t out of fear.
I brought the mic to my lips, my voice shaky at first.
"Hello... I’m Mirae," I said, bowing deeply. "Stray Kids’ ex-assistant and currently..." I took a deep breath, looking at Chan, who gave me an encouraging nod. "...Chan’s girlfriend."
The cheers were deafening.
I laughed through my tears, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. And before I could even process what was happening, Stray Kids surrounded me, wrapping me in a tight group hug.
Their warmth, their love, their acceptance—it was everything.
And for the first time, standing under the bright stage lights, holding the hand of the man I love, and being embraced by the people who had become my family…
I am not scared anymore.
---
The laughter of Stray Kids and the cheers of Stays filling the air like a melody I never wanted to end. Even after pulling apart from their hug, I remained on stage, standing among the boys as they continued interacting with the fans, their energy as vibrant as ever.
Hyunjin reached for the microphone first, a mischievous grin on his face as he read out a question from a banner held up by a Stay near the front row.
"If Stray Kids weren’t idols, what jobs do you think you'd be doing?" he read aloud, turning to the others with a smirk.
Felix snickered. "I think Han would be a full-time troublemaker."
"Excuse me?" Han gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "I am a man of many talents, thank you very much."
Changbin folded his arms. "Oh yeah? Then what would you be doing?"
Han hummed, pretending to think deeply. "Probably a comedian."
Lee Know scoffed. "No one would laugh at your jokes, though."
The audience roared with laughter as Han shot Lee Know an offended look.
"I'd laugh," I chimed in, raising a hand.
Han turned to me, placing a hand on his heart. "You are my only true friend, Mirae."
"Oh, please," Seungmin interjected, rolling his eyes. "If anyone here should be a comedian, it’s me. My humor is unmatched."
"You mean unmatched in how unfunny it is?" Jeongin teased, making the crowd erupt once more.
The Q&A continued with playful banter, each question bringing new waves of laughter. But then, a few fans started shouting something that caught my attention.
"MIRAE! TELL US SOMETHING EMBARRASSING ABOUT THE MEMBERS!"
My eyes widened as the boys all turned to me with warning expressions.
"Oh no," Lee Know muttered.
"Be careful what you say," Changbin warned, narrowing his eyes at me playfully.
I giggled, thinking back to all the little embarrassing things I had witnessed. "Alright, I won’t say anything too bad… But let's start with Hyunjin."
Hyunjin gasped, stepping back. "Wait—"
I held up a finger. "Did you guys know that Hyunjin talks to his SKZOO plushie before he sleeps? He even tells it goodnight like it’s his child."
Stays screamed in delight, and Hyunjin covered his face, laughing in embarrassment. "I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS."
Moving on, I turned to Seungmin. "And Seungmin? He once walked into a glass door at the JYPE building while looking at his phone."
Seungmin groaned while the fans howled in laughter. "It was a clean door, okay? It’s not my fault it was invisible."
Lee Know smirked. "That sounds like karma for all the times you’ve teased us."
I clapped my hands. "Speaking of Lee Know, I have one for him too!"
Lee Know immediately shook his head. "No, you don’t."
"Oh, but I do." I grinned. "There was a time he tried to order food. He wanted to order spaghetti carbonara, but he confidently asked for..." I paused, barely containing my laugh, "Spagooty cabaroni."
Lee Know covered his face, shaking with laughter as the others burst out laughing. "WHY WOULD YOU BRING THAT UP?!" then he looked to the fans, "I was testing if they would understand different accents," he declared, flipping his hair dramatically.
Hyunjin nearly fell out of his knees, clutching his stomach. "Different accents? Hyung, that's not an accent—that's a whole new language!"
Even Chan was shaking with laughter, trying to cover his mouth with his hand.
Lee Know sighed deeply, as if the whole situation bored him. "You guys just don't understand art. Spagooty cabaroni is... a rare Italian dish."
The fans laughed even harder, chanting, "Spagooty cabaroni! Spagooty cabaroni!"
Lee Know smirked, adjusting his mic as if he planned it all along. "That's right, everyone. Only the finest people know about it."
Han wiped tears from his eyes, shaking his head. "Lee Know... the master of confidence."
---
The teasing continued, with fans loving every second of it. But soon, the energy on stage shifted when Felix and Hyunjin grabbed the microphones again, announcing a dance challenge.
"We’re going to do a girl group dance covers," Felix declared excitedly. "Hyunjin and I will go first!"
The opening beats of BLACKPINK’s "Shut Down" played through the stadium, and Felix and Hyunjin immediately began executing the choreography with insane precision. The way they moved had everyone screaming, Stays waving their lightsticks in excitement.
Once their performance ended, it was Changbin, Han, and Chan’s turn. The moment TWICE’s "The Feels" started playing, the three of them dramatically flipped their imaginary long hair and executed the dance with exaggerated elegance. I was crying from laughter at how serious they looked while dancing to such a graceful song.
Then, Lee Know, Seungmin, and Jeongin took the stage next with NewJeans’ "Super Shy" and effortlessly pulled off the moves. Jeongin, in particular, looked like he was having the time of his life, while Lee Know made it look way too professional.
I was still laughing when suddenly, I felt someone grab my wrist.
"Your turn," Chan announced with a mischievous grin, pulling me to the center of the stage.
The fans cheered wildly, chanting my name, and my stomach twisted with nerves. "Wait—what? No, no, I can’t!"
"Yes, you can," Chan said, handing me a mic. "Dance to a Stray Kids song. Show them what you got."
I swallowed, my heart hammering. But then the music started. "God’s Menu."
Taking a deep breath, I let muscle memory take over. The moment I started moving, the cheers grew louder. My body flowed with the beat, each movement precise, each step powerful.
When the song ended, I turned to look at the members. Their jaws were on the floor.
"You—" Changbin pointed at me, blinking in shock. "We knew that you dance but... You never told us you could dance like that!"
Felix clapped excitedly. "That was amazing, Noona!"
I grinned, feeling pride swell in my chest. But before I could respond, the stage suddenly darkened. A different song started playing.
A song I knew.
I froze, my breath catching. "Paradise."
As the lights shifted, a familiar figure walked onto the stage, holding a microphone.
Hyungwon.
The fans screamed, recognizing him instantly. I turned to the boys, who looked just as surprised as I felt—except for one.
Chan stood beside me, smiling warmly. He met my eyes and then nodded toward Hyungwon, silently telling me to go.
I stared at him in disbelief, my heart swelling with emotions too strong to contain. Slowly, I turned back to Hyungwon, who lifted his mic with a smirk.
"You ready?" he asked.
I swallowed, feeling every nerve in my body come alive. Then, Chan stepped forward, handing me a mic and whispering, "Surprise."
My breath hitched, and I turned to him, seeing nothing but love in his eyes.
A lump formed in my throat, but I nodded. "Thank you."
As Hyungwon raised his eyebrow playfully, I exhaled deeply and brought the mic to my lips. The moment my voice rang through the speakers, the entire stadium fell silent.
Then, Hyungwon and I moved in sync, performing the choreography we had created together all those years ago.
The fans watched in awe. The boys cheered from the side. Cameras flashed everywhere.
And in that moment, as I danced and sang, I realized something.
This was my dream.
Not to be an idol, but to sing. To express myself. To be surrounded by the people I loved, sharing something so personal with the world.
As the final note rang out, I stood still, panting, overwhelmed by everything. Then, before I could stop myself, I ran straight into Chan’s arms.
He caught me effortlessly, holding me tight as the stadium erupted into cheers.
"I love you, Chan," I whispered against his ear. "I love you so much."
His arms tightened around me. "I love you too, Mirae. More than anything."
Eventually, Hyungwon and I bid farewell to the fans. I took a deep breath and spoke into the mic.
"Thank you for accepting me. Or at least, most of you," I said with a small laugh. "I promise, as long as I breathe, I’ll take care of your favorite group and your favorite leader."
I bowed deeply, and the fans erupted in cheers as Hyungwon and I walked offstage.
The moment we entered the waiting room, I turned to him and pulled him into the tightest hug.
"I love you so much, Woonie," I murmured. "Thank you for everything."
Hyungwon smiled, hugging me back. "You deserve this, Mirae. From the very beginning, you always did."
And for the first time in forever, I’m truly believing it.
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♡Happy Wednesdays♡
I hope you enjoy this long chapter.
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