Silent Cry (Lee Know FF)

Silent Cry

Lee Know POV

The spotlight blinds me, making me cover my eyes partially with my hand as I look toward the audience. My heart pounds with a mix of adrenaline and nerves, the familiar rush of performing live. The crowd is a sea of faces, illuminated by the flashing lights and swaying to the rhythm of our song. The energy is electric, but amidst the chaos, I notice her. She's wearing a green hoodie with a cat on the front, her dark hair flows around her face. Her soft, dark eyes are filled with tears, and it makes my heart ache to see a fan crying as we sing one of our more emotional songs... "Silent Cry."

In that moment, despite the thousands of cheering fans, she stands out. There's something about her sadness that resonates deeply within me, as if our souls are momentarily connected through the music and shared emotion. The raw vulnerability in her eyes mirrors my own hidden pain, the kind that fame and success can never truly erase. I feel a strange mix of sorrow and comfort, knowing that our music has touched her so deeply, yet wishing I could reach out and ease her sadness.

As the concert wraps up, Minho can't shake the image of the girl in the green hoodie from his mind. The adrenaline from the performance still courses through him, but her presence lingers like a sweet melody. Backstage, amidst the chaos and applause, he finds himself lost in thoughts of her, a curious spark igniting within him.

The other members of Stray Kids are buzzing with excitement, sharing high-fives and recounting their favorite moments from the night. Han is joking around with Felix, while Bang Chan and Changbin are discussing the crowd's energy. Minho, however, remains somewhat distant, his thoughts drifting back to the girl who caught his eye.

"Hey, Minho," Hyunjin nudges him, noticing his distraction. "You okay?"

Minho snaps back to reality and offers a small smile. "Yeah, just thinking about the performance..."

His mind still replaying the brief moment his eyes met the girls. He knows it's a long shot, but he can't help but hope their paths will cross again. The night ends with the members heading back to their hotel, but for Minho, the memory of the concert and the girl in the crowd remains vivid, a beautiful distraction from the whirlwind of their busy lives.

The next morning, the members gathered in Chan's hotel room, hungry and tired from last night's concert. They needed to decide who would pick up coffee and food.

"Alright, we need volunteers," Chan said, looking around at the members. "Who wants to get coffee and who wants to get food?"

"I'll get the coffee," Minho said, raising his hand.

"Me too," Han quickly added.

"Of course Minsung." Seungmin laughed.

Minho rolled his eyes at Seungmin.

"Great, Minho and Han will get the coffee," Chan confirmed. "Now, who wants to get the food?"

"I'll go," Jeongin said, standing up.

"I'll go with you," Felix said.

"Alright, Jeongin and Felix will get the food," Chan nodded. "Now, what should we eat?"

"How about tteokbokki?" Changbin suggested.

"We had tteokbokki yesterday. How about samgyeopsal?" Felix shook his head.

"Samgyeopsal sounds good," Hyunjin said. "It's filling and delicious."

"Okay, let's go with samgyeopsal," Jeongin agreed, looking at Felix. "Let's go."

While Minho and Han went to get the coffee, Jeongin and Felix went to get the samgyeopsal, and everyone was happy with the plan.

Han and Minho decided on a nearby cozy coffee shop. As soon as they entered, the fresh aroma of coffee filled the air, and they started talking about the recent concert and their future plans.

Just as Minho approaches the counter, he looks up and freezes. Behind the register, wearing an apron and a bright smile, is the girl from last night. His heart skips a beat, and he can't help but feel a rush of excitement. He glanced at her name tag and saw that it said "Mina."

"Hello, what can I get for you?" Mina asked in a cheerful and warm voice. Minho stammered momentarily, flustered. Han nudged him playfully, whispering, "Go on, Minho!"

Gathering his thoughts, Minho finally said, "Uh, we need five iced lattes, and two iced americanos please." As she prepared their drinks, Minho stole glances at her, trying to appear calm, but inside he was a bundle of nerves and anticipation.

Han, noticing their chemistry, asked playfully, "Do you work here often?" Mina laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, I work here full-time," she replied.

Minho's heart raced even faster at her words. They exchanged smiles and laughter for a few moments, with Han watching amusedly.

When she handed him the drinks, Minho felt that this encounter was fate. Perhaps this was a new beginning, and he hoped to see her again.

Later that week, Minho decided to visit the café again. He felt a bit nervous but wanted to talk to Mina once more. As soon as he entered the café, the familiar aroma of coffee enveloped him, and he spotted Mina behind the counter, smiling brightly.

After placing his order, Minho naturally started a conversation. This time, they talked about their favorite books and recent movies they had watched. Mina's warm and charming demeanor made Minho feel more at ease, and he found himself deeply engaged in the discussion, sharing his thoughts on a novel he had recently finished.

As the conversation flowed, Minho realized he wanted to keep in touch with her. When she turned to prepare his drink, he quickly wrote his number on a napkin. When he received his drink, he subtly slid the napkin across the counter, saying, "Check this out after your shift."

Mina looked a bit surprised but smiled and nodded. "Alright," she said, her eyes sparkling.

Minho smiles and bows before turning to leave the coffee shop. His mind was racing with thoughts of if she would reach out or not. He hoped that she would.

Lee Know (Minho)
Age 26

Jung Mina
Age 24