warnings ── profanity, mention of family problems, lyr has daddy issues and it hurts :(
"Well, well, well," Lyr's voice was amplified by the microphone, rich voice rippling through the stadium as screams and cheers rose up like a cloud. The crowd was already energized from the past few songs, and the crowd absolutely lost it when he performed Black Eye, the first song he debuted with. The Russian-Korean felt amazing too, veins pulsing with unchecked adrenaline as he smiled widely, eyes surveying the crowd──the crowd here for him, and only him.
It was still a dream to him, even if he's been debuted for almost five years now.
He wondered if he really deserved any of this──the fans, the love, the support──it almost felt like he got this by luck. He came from a rough background, and took his anger out on the world sometimes because of it. He knew how many people he had hurt, and it still lingered at the back of his mind as he sighed a shaky breath.
"Are we all having fun tonight?" Lyr questioned, squatting down as he held the mic to the packed crowd, laughing at the screams and cheers replying to his question. The talented rapper stood up, walking the length of the stage as he realized what he was actually doing.
He was performing in front of thousands of people, singing and dancing to songs he spent hours recording and mashing together like his life depended on it──and it did. It was the only thing he had left, other than his mother and grandmother: he was completely alone in this industry at the moment, trying to right the wrongs he didn't even create.
Lyr was proud of himself for finally stepping up, but he still couldn't help but hate his terrible father even more.
"I'm glad you all are having a decent time─I'm happy I'm doing this for you, if no one else," Lyr smiled again, pulling his white t-shirt that was sticking to him due to the sweat he was losing. He wasn't about to let the sore scabs of his heart ruin this moment. Lyrics were here, and they wanted their Lyr─he wasn't going to hold back from them, either.
The crowd replied with their usual chorus of screams, cheers, and cries, sending even more adrenaline to the rapper. Lyr's dewy skin was highlighted by the bright spotlights above him, and his brown eyes looked out above the crowded venue, a bout of pride swelling in his damp chest as he thought of what his grandmother would say at this moment.
"If you think I'm proud of you, know I am proud. Don't you ever doubt that."
"Ah, fuck, I'm getting emotional. Anyways─" Lyr laughed nervously, smiling even more when the crowd let out a ripple of sympathetic noises, causing Lyr to blush. He waved his hands vigorantly at the crowd, embarassed at the scene as he sighs heavily, biting back a Russian curse.
"Okay, okay─god, shut up. I don't want to dwell on anything depressing anymore, so let's just skip to the next song, yeah? What do you all want?" Lyr surveys the crowd, waiting for an answer before the front three rows scream Sputniik, the song Lyr made that went viral when he first debuted. He scoffed while laughing, recalling the fact that he sang that exact song just an hour earlier to open the concert.
"You all do realize I sang that song to open this goddamn concert, right?" Lyr asks blankly, and the crowd goes wild─whether it's because Lyr just cursed or because they know the answer to the Russian-Korean's question, no one will ever know.
"You all are─nevermind, I'm not going to say that word. I know how weird some of you all can be," Lyr jokes halfheartedly, earning a bowl of laughs from the excited crowd as he sighs, taking a sip of his water as he places it at the end of the stage.
He earns more screams from a specific section of the first row as he laughs, turning to the sound as he spreads his arms out.
"I haven't even done anything yet," He explains, and the squealing continues, just pulling an even heartier laugh out of the rapper.
"You're so hot!" A voice is heard above all the commotion, and Lyr hears this, eyes disappearing into shimmering cresents as he locks eyes with the lucky fan.
"Am I?" He gestures to himself as if playing dumb, and she shakes her head quickly, the rest crowd just screams, earning giggles from Lyr as he stands up. He then backs up from the edge of the stage, smile still shit-eating as he raises up his hands.
"Shit, I hope you all aren't too tired to dance to this again. Alright, alright: three, two, one─let's go!" The music starts up again, and the crowd loses it, voices coming together as the crowd sings the lyrics to the opening verse.
Lyr watches it happen, happiness flooding the man as he starts to rap the first voice, excitement coarsing through his muscles as the crowd finishes the chorus for him. The joy and thrill of the crowd is tangible, the feeling of enjoyment and freedom felt all throughout the arena. Lyr felt alive when performing for the fanbase he called Lyrics─invincible, unstoppable, and free of everything weighing him down. He could breathe again, and feel the great feeling he thought was forever stripped from him.
Lyr Dokyeom─Ivanov had finally tasted what freedom was like, and would crave it for the rest of his career.
For the rest of his life.
a/n ── FIRST CHAPTER LET'S GOOOOO i don't feel like doing the relationship chs yet because it takes SO FLIPPING LONG (it was like almost 3hrs for each relationship chapter in my nct dream added member thing) SO i'm going to procrastinate until i actually get the urge to do it myself 🤭 ANYWAYS i hope you enjoyed this & please please please give me your opinions on it!! i'll probably (maybe we'll see) write a cute chapter shipping him w laufey because WAGDFHWA LAUFEY MY QUEEN 🙏 also WHAT THE HECK why does dk look so GOOD in that pic like the lighting and his smile...i'm losing myself over this man yet again r u serious 😒
