Familiar Strangers - Bangchan x Reader

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The morning of the "VENOM" shoot started earlier than usual, but you didn't mind. The excitement in the air was palpable the second you stepped through the studio doors. It was the kind of cold, electric day that made everything feel a bit sharper — your focus, your hands, your sense of where you were and what you were doing.

Soo-Min was already inside the makeup room when you arrived, warming her hands with a takeout cup and scrolling through her phone.

"You're early," she said without looking up.

You dropped your makeup bag beside your seat and grinned. "Can't help it. Got something to show you."

That made her glance up. "What?"

You unzipped the side compartment of your tote bag and gently pulled out your sketchpad. The pages flipped quickly beneath your fingers until you reached the folded-back sheet you had spent hours finalizing last night — your custom outfit concept for the upcoming tour. It wasn't anything overly flashy — bold but clean, exaggerated shoulders, subtle mesh detailing, heavy belts — but it felt right. A little mix of fierce and modern.

Soo-Min leaned over your shoulder, eyes widening. "You designed this?"

"Mhm," you said, brushing your thumb across the pencil shading. "Was playing around last week after seeing your concepts for tour."

She whistled lowly. "Okay, wait, this is actually amazing. The line work, the cut of the sleeves, the asymmetry... I can already see it on stage. This is so much better than some of the samples we get from the agencies."

You felt your ears flush. "Really?"

"Really," she said with conviction, then looked up at you with a sly smile. "If this gets made, I'm stealing the credit."

"Over my dead body."

The two of you laughed just as Mina came in, then Jae and Ji-Eun, trailing in one after the other like sleepy dominoes. Everyone greeted each other with muffled "morning"s and busy hands, unpacking brushes and palettes and bottles of mist.

The shoot today was for "VENOM," and the concept couldn't be further from "Christmas EveL." Dark. Brooding. Creeping under your skin. Which made sense, considering the members would be dressed like they'd just escaped from an underground spider's lair.

Chan's station remained empty when you glanced up — he and the rest of the boys were probably still with wardrobe or rehearsing cues — but that gave you time to prep the brushes you'd need for his look later.

You were adjusting the angle of your ring light when someone practically appeared beside you.

"Hey, Y/n."

You turned to find Hyunjin grinning, his bleached hair swept back and tucked beneath a beanie, cheeks slightly flushed from the cold.

"Oh, hey," you said, wiping your fingers on a tissue. "You're not on my list today. Isn't Hana doing your face?"

"She is," he said, but there was a very specific glint in his eye — the same one he got when he wanted his way. "But I really want you to do it."

You blinked. "Why? The concept's different, and—"

"I don't care," he said smoothly. "You did Channie hyung's makeup for Christmas EveL and it was the best he's looked. I want that."

You snorted. "You've always been dramatic."