Pains Of Stray Kids

Crimson Shadows P2

tw:

- fainting

- depression

- blood

i will not be posting felix centric chapters for a while as i have been doing many about him !! remember, this is only temporary, so feel free to request any chapters with him as the centric, and i'll make sure that i'll read all of them !

i will have to make a part three because of how long this chapter is ~

enjoy!

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"I just don't get it," I.N began, crunching the chip loudly. "He can't even remember the injury."

Chan, dressed casually in a black shirt and shorts, lounged across the couch, his arms folded. The stark contrast of his dark attire against I.N's sweaty grey tracksuit made the latter look even more disheveled. He looked over at I.N, finding his expression a mix of disbelief and confusion.

"I was shocked too," Chan replied, shaking his head. "You said how he mentioned that he came up to me and asked if I was doing fine, right?"

I.N nodded, folding his lips inwards, his eyes filled with intrigue.

"He never asked me that. In fact... he never told me... anything. Just walked into the kitchen, stared at me for a few seconds, then walked out and sat next to you. Weird, isn't it?"

"Honestly. And I thought I was the one going insane," the maknae scoffed, letting the tiny crumbs tumble back into the bag and shaking the remnants like a maraca.

Chan uncrossed his arms, leaning forward thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, what's been bothering you?"

At his question, I.N's gaze dropped to the empty packet in his hands. Scrunching it up tightly, he inhaled deeply, feeling the weight of the unspoken words pressing on his chest.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone, hyung."

"Of course," Chan replied. "Don't worry. This is between me and you."

Taking a moment to collect himself, I.N held his hands together tightly, fingers tangling. "Three weeks ago, I lost someone. My... best friend from college. We were pretty close. We'd hang out whenever we had some free time."

"Ah... it must be hard to cope, isn't it?" Chan's voice softened, his expression settling into a mask of empathy. "I can tell it's been bothering you a lot. Your body language's changed."

"Ah, really?" I.N scoffed. "It has been disturbing me. His name is Byeong-Ho."

"Does it... explain this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the funeral invitation. "Are you going there next week?"

I.N felt a surge of humiliation wash over him as he recognized the envelope. "Where did you get that?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Felix gave it to me. Said he found it in the dorm earlier in the morning."

The maknae turned away, feeling a mix of anger and disbelief bubbling within him. "He went through my stuff and lied about it, but can't remember doing so?" A deep frown creased his brow. The very idea of Felix sifting through his personal belongings ignited a fire in him.

"I.N, wait!" Chan exclaimed as I.N stood, his frustration radiating off him like heat from a flame. "Don't argue with Felix, alright? He's going through some stuff too. I'll talk to him so we can sort it out—"

"Stuff? Stuff like what?" I.N erupted, fists clenched tightly, his breath quickening. "Why do all of you care about him so much? What about me?"

Chan gasped, taken aback by the outburst. "I care for you more than him! That's my job as leader. Aren't you going to explain what caused you to faint back at the dance studio?"