A Distraction // Bangchan

Chapter Three

The next day was a whirlwind of meetings, emails, and deadlines for Lauren. She sat at her desk in her home office, the familiar buzz of her work filling the room. The space was cozy but efficient—papers neatly organized, her laptop humming in front of her, a mug of half-finished coffee at her side. Outside, the city moved at its usual pace, but Lauren barely noticed as she dove into her tasks, focused on keeping up with the fast-paced nature of her job.

Her phone lay face down on the desk beside her, mostly ignored. She hadn't really thought much about hearing from Chan. After all, he was an idol, busy with his own life, schedules, and commitments. Sure, they had shared a nice moment at the café, but she wasn't the type to get too caught up in daydreams. There was work to be done, and Lauren was good at staying focused when she needed to.

But, in the back of her mind, the thought of him lingered.

It was late afternoon when her phone buzzed. At first, she didn't pay much attention, assuming it was just another work email or notification. But then it buzzed again. Curious, Lauren reached for it, glancing at the screen—and froze when she saw the unknown number and message lighting up her phone.

Her heart skipped a beat. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked her phone and opened the message.

Hey, it's Chan. I hope I'm not interrupting you. Just wanted to say hi. :)

The casual tone, paired with the smiley face, made her smile despite herself. It was simple, friendly, and yet, seeing his name pop up on her phone made her chest tighten in a way she hadn't expected. For a moment, she wondered if she should play it cool, not respond right away, but she quickly shook off the thought. She didn't want to overthink this.

She typed back quickly, keeping her tone light.

Lauren: Hey! No interruption. Just swamped with work, as usual. How's your day going?

She hit send and quickly saved his number, feeling a strange mix of excitement and nerves. Her focus, which had been laser-sharp just moments ago, was now completely derailed as she stared at her phone, waiting for a reply. It didn't take long. Her phone buzzed again, and she felt her heart flutter as she opened the new message.

Chan: Busy too. Lots of practice today. But I was thinking about our conversation yesterday... had to check in. How's the project coming along?

Lauren smiled at the fact that he remembered her work, even though they had only spoken briefly about it. There was something sweet about how he'd circled back to ask, like he was genuinely interested. She leaned back in her chair, letting her fingers hover over the screen for a moment before she replied.

Lauren: It's coming along... slowly. It's one of those days where everything feels like it's taking twice as long as it should haha. You must be exhausted from practice.

A few seconds passed before his reply came in.

Chan: Yeah, it's been a long day. But I don't mind. Keeps me busy, and it's fun most of the time. Plus, it's a good distraction 😅

Lauren tilted her head, curious about that last part. Distraction? She wondered what he meant by that. She responded with a smile tugging at her lips.

Lauren: Distraction from what?

There was a longer pause this time. For a second, she wondered if maybe she had pushed too far, but then the familiar buzz of her phone snapped her out of that thought.

Chan: Distraction from thinking about things I probably shouldn't be thinking about when I'm supposed to be focused on work. Like... texting someone while I should be practicing. ;)