---
We touched down at the airport around 5 p.m., and as we disembarked from the plane, we were startled by the sea of people surrounding us. Cameras and phones were pointed our way, capturing every moment.
"Eh, unnie? What the actual heck is happening?" I exclaimed, bewildered by the unexpected frenzy.
"No idea, Chae," Ji-ah replied, equally puzzled. We hurriedly tried to escape the chaos, but the crowd relentlessly pursued us. Just as we thought we were trapped, a voice from behind interjected,
"Excuse me, ladies. You can follow me through here." Relieved, we followed the voice to a nearby door, and as we entered, the commotion outside abruptly ceased. It was as if we had entered a different world—a place that resembled a hotel. The door closed behind us, and we turned around, finally able to see the face of our mysterious guide. To our astonishment, it was none other than the guy featured on Ji-ah's poster.
"Oh my gosh!" Ji-ah shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"You're Lee Felix!" I looked at her, utterly confused, as I had no idea who he was. Ji-ah noticed my perplexed expression and quickly explained,
"Stray Kids. You know, the group that Chan leads."
"Oh! That one," I replied, still unfamiliar with the group but vaguely aware of Chan. Felix stood before us, observing our conversation with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"Alright, whenever you're done, please go to your rooms and try not to attract too much attention," he instructed.
"Rooms? But our hotel is an hour away. We'd have to take a taxi," I said, growing increasingly bewildered.
"Don't worry about that. You'll be all over the news in less than an hour, so staying at a hotel wouldn't be a good idea," he assured us.
"All over the news?" Ji-ah exclaimed, excitement filling her voice.
"Well, you just arrived on our private jet, so it's to be expected," Felix explained, leaving me more confused than ever.
"Excuse me, Mr. Lee, may I please use the bathroom?" I politely interrupted.
"Of course. Also, may I ask your age?" Felix inquired.
"I'm 20, and unnie is 22," I replied calmly.
"In that case, shall we speak casually? Even though you're older than me, noona, we're the same age," he proposed.
"Oh, okay, sure," I chuckled, finding his use of honorifics amusing. As I headed towards the bathroom, I realized I had no idea where it was. I looked back at Felix, who gestured toward a hallway. I followed his indication, only to find myself in front of a men's restroom.
"Um, excuse me, um... Felix, there's only a men's bathroom here!" I called out.
"Ah, right. Well, you'll have to use that since all the members are guys. There hasn't been much need for a women's bathroom," he replied. With a gulp, I pushed the door open, relieved to find it surprisingly clean and well-maintained.
---
Ji-ah and I were escorted to our room, located adjacent to a door labelled "Stray Kids." Though our accommodations lacked a bed, we were provided with a blanket and two pillows to rest on the floor. The next morning, we woke up feeling extremely anxious. It was 9 a.m., and the concert was scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
"Chae, we can't afford to be late again!" Ji-ah screamed, jolting me from my sleep. Now, I was actually excited about attending the concert, especially after meeting Felix, who had proven to be incredibly kind. I sprang up from the floor and quickly changed into my concert attire, nothing too extravagant. As we stepped out of the room, we both agreed that we needed to find our way out of there.
"If you go that way, I'll go this way, and we'll text each other if we find an exit," I suggested. Ji-ah nodded in agreement, and we embarked on our separate paths, determined to discover a way out.
Jiaahh😳
Have you found it yet?
Cha Cha💃
No not yet. You?
Jiaahh😳
Nope, nothing😫
At this point, I'm more or less
just hoping to stumble upon Chan ❤️
Cha Cha💃
You're hopeless🥲
---
As I turned around the corner, I finally found the door.
Jiaahh😳
Found it! Left👌
Cha Cha💃
👍
---
And so, we braved our way through the airport once again, only to be bombarded by a swarm of people.
"Why are they so desperate to take photos of us?" I asked Ji-ah, although it seemed like she was secretly enjoying the attention.
"Remember what Felix said about the jet?
It's exclusively used by Stray Kids during their tours. We're the only ones who have flown in it, apart from them," she explained as we struggled to navigate through the crowd.
"Then why did that man let us fly in it?"
"Not sure, but I'm definitely not complaining!" Ji-ah replied with a wide grin. Eventually, we managed to hail a taxi, feeling utterly exhausted from the frenzy.
"Could you please take us here?" I requested, showing the driver the concert address.
"Oh, are you going to see Stray Kids? You must be big fans," the driver commented, then suddenly looked up and screamed,
"Oh my gosh, you're the girls all over the news!" His gaze fixed on Ji-ah. Ji-ah and I exchanged puzzled looks.
"It's all over the news. You two came out of Stray Kids' private jet, so everyone assumes you're dating one of them. Plus, you were spotted at the airport with Felix in two different locations," the driver explained excitedly. That revelation caused Ji-ah to pass out momentarily, but she quickly regained consciousness within ten minutes. By then, we were nearly at the concert venue.
"Oh, thank goodness you're awake."
"What's happening?" Ji-ah asked, still disoriented.
"We're almost at the Stray Kids concert."
"Oh, okay... Wait, I'm dating Chan!"
"Calm down, unnie. It's just a false rumour."
"Right!" As we arrived at the concert, we noticed a long line of people waiting. We exited the taxi and gathered our belongings.
"Chae-Yeong?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"My head is throbbing... like, really bad."
"Okay, just wait a minute. I'll find a doctor or someone to help you." I walked away from the line towards a nearby tent.
"Excuse me! My friend passed out on the way here, but she's awake now. However, she has an intense headache. Is there anything you can do to help?" I asked the staff, seeking assistance. A doctor followed me back to Ji-ah and examined her condition.
"Don't worry. Just drink some water and take this pain reliever. She should be fine. Good luck with Chan and Felix. You two are their firsts," the doctor said with a wink before leaving.
"Their firsts?" I muttered, burying my face in my hands.
---
After waiting in line for about 20 minutes, we finally reached the ticket counter. As we handed over our tickets, the staff stared at us and whispered among themselves.
"Aren't those the girls from the news?"
"Do you think we'll get better treatment if we're extra nice to them?"
"Chan and Felix are so handsome. I'm so jealous." We brushed off their comments and proceeded to our designated standing area. Remarkably, Ji-ah had secured front-row spots, so we eagerly made our way to the front. And then, we waited. After about an hour, the introductory music began, and the audience erupted in screams and cheers. Ji-ah shouted over the noise,
"Don't worry, I brought a light stick for you too!" as she handed one to me. Soon, Felix took the stage, his voice resonating with a captivating depth. He was undeniably stunning.
At the end of the song, the members engaged in some banter with the audience. They randomly passed around microphones for a brief conversation before handing one to someone in the crowd.
"Hello! What's your name, and where are you from?" one of the members asked passionately.
"M-my name is Lara, and I'm from Russia!" a girl in the audience responded.
"It's great to meet you, Lara!" another member exclaimed. The microphone made its way back onto the stage and was then flung into the air by Felix. Guess who caught it? That's right, me.
"Well, hello there again, Jeon Chae-Yeong!" Felix greeted me, causing the other members to exchange puzzled glances while the audience erupted in shouts and screams.
"Hello, Felix," I responded slowly, my mind still processing the situation. The microphone was passed to the only other member I recognized, Bang Chan. But just as Chan was about to speak, Felix leaned in and whispered something to him.
"Oh... okay! Well then, let's introduce ourselves! My name is Chan!" he announced. One by one, all the members introduced themselves.
Ji-ah was staring at me, and it seemed like everyone else in the audience was too.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jeon Chae-Yeong."
"Oh, we know!" Bang Chan replied.
"And the girl beside you is Ji-ah, right?" Changbin added.
"Yes, that's right," I answered curtly.
"Felix told us," Seungmin chimed in, realizing the conversation was turning
slightly awkward.
"I see... ," I responded, still feeling a bit perplexed. Deciding to break the tension, I handed the microphone back to the staff, sensing the burning gazes of the audience. The group performed a few more songs, some of which I recognized. Then, a new song started—one that I had heard before, as it was Ji-ah's favourite—called "God's Menu."
---
A/N
This chapter is a little longer as I didn't know where I should end it hehe. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!
Word count: 1510