HIBISCUS | Bang Chan of Stray Kids

Track: Outro

"Stray kids everywhere all around the world."

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Track: Outro

     Constant. A state of an unchanging, continuous process proceeding in any situation. Specifically for Hwayoung's situation, Chan became a constant in her life. Since Christmas, Hwayoung was shown exactly what Chan meant when he promised to fight for her affection before he lost it again. From the miniscule thoughts to elaborate actions, Chan always seemed to excel in everything to make Hwayoung as deservingly loved as possible. It started off as simple good morning texts paired with cute or funny gifs which then turned into small gifts during his quick visits. Despite their participation with Kingdom: Legendary War, Chan always found time to visit her in person despite filming across the city. And on the days when he was unfortunately unable to see her, Chan flooded her messages with heart fluttering messages asking her how she had been, if she were taking care of herself, and encouraging her as she prepared for debut. Some days she was extra lucky and received an unfiltered selfie.

     As her debut creeped closer, Chan's flirtation increased. The small actions were now bigger and bolder as he started to visit her more often to secretly gift her snacks during her downtime. Chan definitely knew that Hwayoung's weakness was food, especially when put on a strict diet by the staff claiming it was a pre-debut protocol. But how strict could it be when Hwayoung had Chan to rely on to feed her whenever she was hungry. She eventually began to send him late night texts begging him to see her before she died of starvation. And he did everytime.

     Mindful of himself and the chopping block he was on, Chan never crossed the invisible line between them. Yes, he flirted with her and did things for her that he would not even think about doing for others. But he also made sure to never push past his limit such as pressuring her for an answer or initiating intimate skinship he deemed Hwayoung was not comfortable with. Even if she initiated it first, Chan made sure to ask if it was okay just for confirmation. Although he did not need to, Hwayoung appreciated his gesture. His attempts to make her comfortable paid off as Hwayoung began to let herself loosen up with him.

     Despite the familiarity of Chan and his presence in her life, a small part of Hwayoung prevented her from accepting him. It was no doubt that Chan made Hwayoung happy and she knew she wanted him in her life, but still something deep within her heart stopped her from taking his hand and never looking back. Whether it was the insecurity of her past relationships or the possibility that Chan was insincere about her managed to cloud her judgement. She knew she liked him, but she was scared of what the outcome of facing her feelings would entail. And when she brought up her dilemma to the members for their second opinions, each and every one of them held no sympathy for her as they scoffed and teased her. If anything, Stray Kids were more confident in Hwayoung and Chan's ending than they were. So with having this pleasant constant in her life, Hwayoung looked forward to the moment she awakened from her slumber just to be cheekily greeted by Chan.

     But, today was different. This specific day was different in more ways than one. Firstly, it was Hwayoung's debut today. After weeks of hard work, Hwayoung finally earned the approval of her debut. The outcome seemed promising as well. Whether it was because of her previous career or the exposure of the scandal, Hwayoung received a considerable amount of album presales for a soloist. Secondly, today was the eve of the first round of Kingdom: Legendary War. If MAMA Awards 2020 were not enough to fuel the excitement of fans, the announcement of the first round airing live definitely did, spiraling fandoms in their speculative debate of who was worthy to bear the crown and title of King. Lastly, today was the first day since Christmas that Chan did not message her. No text, no gif, nothing.