𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍│lee know centric

0.2: Background

The time for comeback season had finally found it's way back to the members of stray kids, and to no one's surprise, it was a hectic time for everyone involved, especially the publishers. Their last album was well received by the media and it seemed as if they were at the peak of their career, which made their new comeback one of the most highly anticipated events as of currently.

They were in the middle of the spotlight and under the media's watch almost all day, everyday. Even though it feels like it's always been this way, Lee Minho can easily remember a time when they weren't always this busy.

They weren't unpopular, but they were never this big of a deal, it almost scared him, he can still remember the shocked faces of their management team when they had topped the charts so quickly due to their unexpected rise in popularity, no one saw it coming.

K-pop had become a global phenomenon, and with the pandemic, many kids and adults were bored and stuck at home, and found them as a distraction from the whole ordeal.

It all started with their track God's Menu, which captivated the media. From the deep voice of Felix that contrasted with his softened appearance, to the groundbreaking choreography and the way that it was carried out, they slowly went from an average k-pop group, to their company's fastest rising stars- and their most popular one at that.

Their hard work was finally paying off, they felt appreciated from the reactions from the public and they made their families proud, they wouldn't have it any other way. But as they would soon come to find out, that with this newfound success, came the fact that the one thing they enjoyed most of all would soon be characterized by it's ability to transform everyone into a ticking time bomb.

The process was known for it's ability to leave everyone both physically and mentally exhausted, from the packed schedules and borderline repetitive days, to the full scale petty arguments that create tension within the midst, at a time where their ability to work together was supposed to be at it's best, paired with the anxiety of awaiting the upcoming release- despite knowing that it would always be well received, even if it's only by a small amount of people.

It's exhausting, but at some point, it was somewhat enjoyable for them without having to depend solely on eachother to lift the spirit. However, as time passes, things change.

Change is a big part of being in the spotlight, you never know what to expect, but there's one thing that always stays the same;

The way that it all boils down to that one moment when they step onto the stage and are welcomed by the loud cheers of their fans, and they're reminded of why they chose to become idols.

As their gazes rest upon upon the ocean of lights that cover the entire crowd, it's as if all the stars of the galaxy have fallen from the sky.

There's nothing else in the world that feels better than the ability to perform at your best and be appreciated by every person that watches over you, at a place where nothing else other than the lights and the music really matter. These are their moments that they'd like to share with each other until the end of the line.

To him, as far as eternity goes- they never want to leave, because even through sore feet and dizzy spells, it covers them like a blanket and it grounds them through the disasters of what leads up to it, this is what keeps them going.

Idol life may be filled with struggles, but as long as they had eachother- they would be okay.

Nothing will ever break them.

Right?