Chasm.| Seo Changbin

Thirty.

Stella sighed from tiredness. She had almost forgotten how preparing for a concert was. 

She had finally decided to come back and meet her fans once again after a long break that she half hated and half enjoyed. Of course, she hated the first half of it when she was away from Changbin and they were still on bad terms. And then, the second half of that break was nothing but heaven.

She was reunited with Changbin, temporarily moved to his safe and warm house, and stayed by his side all day and every day. They then both confessed and started dating right away and she came back to his house and since then, she never left. Although Changbin was a little awkward around her at first since she became officially his girlfriend, he later started to relax and get used to her presence.

In her eyes, Changbin was so cute for his attempts to keep a comfortable space between them so he wouldn't cross any lines. He didn't know that Stella needed him to cross those lines and share his space with her more than anything else. He was reluctant at first, but the moment he climbed that invisible wall between them and walked into her personal space, he never stepped back again.

Stella was surprised to see his new sides. Yes, she knew he was a softie, playful, and kind-hearted, but she never knew he could be that affectionate. He didn't stop showering her with hugs and soft lovely kisses whenever they cuddled. He didn't stop holding her hand and caressing her skin whenever she just passed by. He would always help her brush her long hair and dry it after showers. He would willingly help her choose an outfit for their little dates or even for her Instagram updates. He listened to all of her silly stories and behinds with a wide smile on his face and was never bored of her whining over how she thought she had put on some weight and had to watch her diet. He held her tightly to his chest and tangled his limbs to hers while sleeping. Stella would always wake up to his soft caresses and gentle kisses, or if he was not there by her side, that meant there would be something delicious being cooked for her.

She was enjoying her life to the max and a comeback didn't seem to be as thrilling as it had always been. It didn't excite her anymore. It didn't make her feel giddy and comfortable as it used to be. The thought of centering a stage once again made her feel sick. The interviews, programs, shows, spotlights, and her fans seemed to be weighing her chest and shoulders. Somehow, Stella felt like she was a fish out of her waters for the first time.

Although she never voiced out those worries, Changbin had caught up on her attitude. He caught up on her gloomy mood and loud sighs. He caught on how her stomach upsets became very repetitive before she went to work and how she would sometimes sulk and pretend to be sick to miss her practice. He noticed and was trying his best to support her, but he wasn't sure if what he was doing helped in any way.

However, his attempts surely helped Stella to get through that very long tiring meeting. If Changbin hadn't held her all night long, woke her up to his soft caresses and honey-coated voice, prepared her a mouth-watering breakfast that she wanted to devour but had to hold herself back and eat moderately for her diet, given her a warm hug and multiple kisses, and finally held her hand all the way to the company, Stella surely couldn't have gone further than fifteen minutes into that meeting.

And whenever she felt like she was on the verge of lashing out and leaving, a look at the glass door where Changbin stood behind, would assure her of what was waiting for her at home once she was done with that meeting.

"Here!" One of the staff called, diverting Stella's attention from Changbin who was outside the meeting room to what was happening inside of it. "That's the completed plan for the concert. The venue, the number of attendees, the VIP guests, the songs, the collab stages, the outfits, and even the staff info. We adjusted it according to the taken notes from our previous meeting. Revise it one more time so we can proceed."