[A/N] the timeline / events do not correlate with real life! happy reading!!
+x+
The dorm was quiet as you laid in Yeonjun's bed. Nothing but the muted sounds of your phone, playing TXT's just-dropped album.
The members had gone out to eat today, recording videos for the TALK X TODAY series.
They asked if you wanted to come along, but hiding from the camera the entire time would be difficult. The medications were also taking full effect on you.
Your eyelids felt heavy, slowly pulling you into a light slumber. Until your phone began to ring.
"Hello?"
"Are you feeling okay?" Beomgyu asked through the phone.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"I was just worried. You've been off lately."
"I'm all good. Don't you worry." You quickly hung up the phone call before Beomgyu could get another word in.
Drifting back into dreamland.
+x+
Beomgyu looked confusingly at his phone when the other line went dead.
He's felt uneasy at you being left alone at the dorm and managed to escape his hyungs to check up on you.
"Who were you on the phone with?" Soobin suddenly appears, carrying three bottles of soda.
"Oh just.. Hyunjin." Beomgyu stutters and fumbles around with his phone.
Soobin gives him a face disbelief.
"You need to stop, Beomgyu."
"Stop what?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You need to stop before our careers and friendships go into a downward spiral.." Soobin couldn't finish his train of thought as Yeonjun approaches them with the rest of their meals.
+x+
a few weeks later
You sat backstage watching the monitor as the boys loitered around the stage, waiting for the recording to begin.
It was now TXT's third week of promoting, and the first week for their PUMA stage.
It's felt like some time since you've managed to have an in-depth, serious conversation with Yeonjun, but that was no one's fault.
Comeback season took up most of his time.
Yeonjun sat on stage, wafting up the smoke from the smoke machine.
The members followed him one by one, making your heart warm and uwu with cuteness.
they're just a bunch of babies.
"Y/N!" You heard the boys' manager call you.
Eyes glued to the monitor, you hurriedly walked in the direction of the voice.
Instead, your body bumps into another figure.
"I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Y/N?"
You finally remove your eyes from the monitor that showcased the boys.
"Felix.."
His once blonde hair was now a silver undercut with glitter along his head.
"It's been a while."
"It has."
You nearly forgot that Stray Kids were preparing for a comeback of their own.
"I-" You both start and chuckle.
"You go first." You said softly.
"I'm sorry.. For how I reacted and what I said the last time I saw you. It wasn't fair of me to put you in that situation. I'm more than happy that you got accepted to a company you admired so much."
A gentle smile forms on your face. Felix was your best friend for 3 years and the first to make you feel at home when you first moved.
Though you've avoided contacting him, the feeling of doing so was nostalgic.
"Y/N!" You hear your name called again.
"Thank you. I'll be right back.. we should catch up," You smile and rub Felix's arm.
He returns the warm smile and nods his head gently.
Felix was caught off guard, not expecting to see you at all, let alone at a music show.
It was reassuring.
Apparently Jeongin and Bangchan have been in contact with you, but both parties refuse to tell him much. "Give her space", "Don't worry too much", they'd say.
Sitting in the spot you occupied previously, he connected the dots as he watched the monitor.
You came out on stage with a handheld camera, recording the boys fooling around on stage. Smiling and messing around with each other, you seem to fit with them naturally.
A part of him envied the scene, wishing it had been you with Stray Kids, just like the old times.
But he knew he had to repress whatever feelings still lingered. There was an opportunity to reconnect with you and he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers.
+x+
It'd been the late afternoon by the time recordings were done for the day.
Having woken up at the crack of dawn, the boys passed out on the car ride back home. A ping from your phone echoes in the silent car.
After reading the first message, you look over at the sleeping Yeonjun, head pressed back into the car seat.
The boys would probably be asleep for the rest of the day..
+x+
later
"Hello, Stranger." You teased as Felix approached you.
"Is that a song reference?"
"Maaaaybe." He chuckled at your humor.
The aura of the cafe was nostalgic; memories of sneaking in to get meals with the boys before fans could catch you, grabbing a quick snack with your fellow trainees before practice.
You missed it.
Felix ordered your go-to items and paid before you could get a word in, resulting in you playfully punching his shoulder.
However, you immediately caught yourself. Felix's confession replayed in your mind, and you didn't want to send any wrong signals.
"How has life in Korea been for you?" Felix asks after you take your seats in the far corner of the cafe.
"Overall, it's good! BigHit's been keeping me busy; training, classes, you know,"
"Do I know?" Felix lightly chuckled.
"Maybe." He rolled his eyes this time.
"Okay well, I finally met the other trainees and they strangely know a lot about me?"
"Like.. stalker info?"
"No no! Like my old dance team, JYPE rankings ? and my connection to Stray Kids."
"That makes sense though, you're pretty popular even as a trainee. Remember how you were an extra in one of our music videos?"
"Ugh don't remind me."
Felix laughed, "a lot can happen in 4 years. I don't know why JYP didn't debut you sooner."
"That's a great question isn't it?"
"But you! What about you? You released a whole album."
"Ah I can't say I'm not tired, but I'm really happy about it,"
"We kept your name on some songs by the way."
"Stop that! You guys make 99% of the songs and I just breathe." You shame him before drinking your latte.
"Y/N?" A voice called out to you.
Three girls sat at a table a few feet away from you, wearing masks so you couldn't identify them right away.
"Oh my gosh it is you!" You immediately recognized the voice, moving away from the table, diverting the potential attention to Felix.
Lia, Ryujin, and Chaeryeong all embraced you in hug, nearly squeezing the pastries out of you.
It'd been about a year since you've last seen your best friends, your fellow trainees.
Communication was always limited to text messages and occasional calls, so seeing them seemed foreign. Especially since you've transferred.
"Your hair isn't pink anymore!"
"You're still our little maknae though!"
"How are you? What are you doing here?"
Words bombarded you as you tried to collect your thoughts.
"I was in the area and a friend wanted to catch up, so here I am."
"We need to catch up!
They held your hands and smiled so widely that your heart nearly broke.
Too many memories and feelings of nostalgia hit you all at once, worsening your already doubtful and confused mind.
i left all of this?
why?
+x+
Yeonjun stretched his arms over his head as he sat up from his bed.
where is she?
He thought you would have joined him for a nap since you were up early as well.
Strangely enough, he hasn't had that dream in some time. And honestly? It scared him.
Neither of you knew exactly what that dream symbolized: just that it had something to do with your bond.
Yeonjun reassured himself that after promotions were finished, he'd confess to the counselor and figure out what's happening.
Although he was as relieved that you were finally rolling on a schedule on your own, he couldn't shake off this feeling.
Beomgyu has been awkward around him since the day they went out to eat. You have been less 'clingy' and a bit distant.
Though he hasn't seen anything happen between the two of you, he still worried.
Maybe you were moving out of that honeymoon phase, maybe you've just been busy, maybe it was just all in his head.
Whatever it was, he decided to forget it and release his frustrations at the gym.
+x+
[A/N]
the chapters have gotten so much longer since the start of the book !!
as always thank you for reading and supporting! ~venus