COMFORT PLACE | bang chan.

[ 03 ] fancams

It's a month later when Kevin slams open my bedroom door. He's screaming my name as I lay on my bed and continue to flick through my notes.

"What?" I say without looking up.

"Well, maybe I don't want to tell you now."

"Okay," I murmur, highlighting a passage. "Make sure you shut the door on your way out this time."

"Why are you like this?"

"Charming and sweet?" I smirk up at him.

"Moody and mean."

"Okay," I say, rolling my eyes good-naturedly. I shuffle a bit to the side and pat the spot beside me for him. Kevin grins and basically jumps onto my bed, and all my sheets of paper fly everywhere. I huff, but Kevin doesn't look guilty at all. "What's up?"

"You know how I'm just an amazing younger brother," he starts, looking smug, "And how you love me and all that?"

"Debatable."

He ignores me. "Well, you're going to love me even more and you're going to say, 'holy shit,' in about two seconds."

"Get to the point," I snicker.

Kevin is grinning. His eyes are shining and he's basically buzzing with excitement when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. I lean back and wince when he shoves it into my face, adjusting to the sudden brightness of his phone screen.

Then, my jaw drops.

And my heart jumps to my throat.

"Holy shit."

"Hah, I knew it!" Kevin cackles, flopping back onto my bed and howling, "I'm amazing!"

"Wh—," the words fall from my tongue. Feeling speechless, I try to gather my thoughts, the memories of what had happened a month ago come flooding back into my senses from where I've locked them away as a nice distant memory.

"When, how, and why did you get tickets to a Stray Kids concert and fan meet?"

Kevin pulls himself back up into a sitting position, the grin still plastered proudly upon his lips. He holds up three fingers and points to each of them as he speaks.

"When? I got them last week! I'm surprised that you didn't know they were coming to Osaka! Aren't you like, a fan?"

I manage to give my brother a blank stare. "No, I'm not, Kevin," I tell him dryly, and I watch as he looks behind me and takes in the Stray Kids posters pasted all over my wall.

"Okay, maybe 'a fan' is an understatement," he mumbles, dramatically cupping his chin.

"I think so too," I say, huffing a small laugh.

I think back to a smiling Jisung and Felix giving me snacks, a hungry Changbin keen for pancakes and a sweet Chan with an arm wrapped protectively around me.

It'll be a lie if I said I didn't begin to look into them after the incident. I wasn't really a big Stay before it happened, only ever knowing them as another group in a sea of idols, but the kind smiles and concern that they casted my way did nothing but make me absolutely fall in love with them.

Not the image or idea of Stray Kids, but Stray Kids. The amazing group of boys who helped me when I was in danger. The group of boys who ate pancakes with me and joked around with me and made me happier than I've ever been in a long time.

And I absolutely miss them.

"How?" Kevin continues when I stay silent. "Well, I never would have been able to buy the tickets myself, so I managed to take some money from your account!"