A Distraction // Bangchan

Chapter Thirty

Later that morning, after her dreamy and reflective start to the day, Lauren was scrolling through her phone as she sipped on her coffee. She had spent the morning trying to distract herself from missing Chan, diving into work emails and cleaning up around the apartment, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him.

Just as she set her phone down to take another sip, a notification from Instagram popped up: Bang Chan has posted for the first time in a while.

Lauren's heart skipped a beat. She knew he had been preparing for the Fendi fashion show in Milan, and she had been eagerly waiting to see how it all went. She quickly opened Instagram, and there they were—pictures of Chan, standing effortlessly cool in his Fendi outfits.

He had posted a series of photos, each one more breathtaking than the last. The first image was a full-body shot of him standing against a sleek, minimalist backdrop. He was wearing a fitted black jacket, tailored pants, and leather boots, his expression cool and serious as he stared directly into the camera. The second shot was a close-up of his face, highlighting his sharp jawline, dark eyes, and the subtle tousle of his styled hair. In the third photo, he had a playful smirk on his lips, a more relaxed, behind-the-scenes vibe, giving off an effortless charm.

Lauren's eyes widened as she swiped through the photos. He looked incredible. Not just because of the designer clothes, but because of the confidence and ease he carried himself with. She felt an overwhelming sense of pride bubble up inside her—that's him, that's my boyfriend.

The likes on the post were skyrocketing—hundreds of thousands within minutes. And the comments were pouring in just as quickly. Lauren scrolled through them, her heart swelling with both pride and a little bit of possessiveness as she read the flood of compliments from fans all over the world.

"He looks so amazing! Fendi did him right!"
"How can one person be this perfect? 😍"
"The visuals are insane. How is he real?"
"That smirk in the last photo is killing me!"
"Chan serving looks! Milan is lucky to have him."

Lauren couldn't help but smile as she read through the comments, feeling that familiar flutter in her chest. She wasn't surprised by how much attention Chan was getting—he deserved every bit of it. But at the same time, she couldn't shake the tiny pang of longing that settled in her heart as she watched how the world reacted to him. He belonged to so many people—his fans, the industry—and sometimes it felt like she was just a small, hidden part of his world.

Still, she couldn't help but feel proud. She knew how much he had worked to get to this point, how hard he pushed himself to balance everything, and seeing him shine in moments like this made it all worth it.

As she scrolled through the post again, admiring the photos, she felt a sudden urge to send him a message. She wanted to tell him how amazing he looked, how proud she was of him, but she knew she had to be careful. She didn't want to risk anything slipping in public, even though the urge to comment on the post like everyone else was strong.

Instead, she opened their private messages and typed out a quick text.

Lauren: You look incredible in those Fendi pics 😍 I'm so proud of you

She hit send and set her phone down, her heart fluttering with excitement and pride. It was moments like this that reminded her of how much she cared for him—not just as her boyfriend, but as someone she admired deeply for his talent, his dedication, and the way he carried himself.

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with his reply.

Chan: You're too sweet 😘 Thanks, babe. I miss you like crazy, but I'm glad you liked the pics. This whole thing has been wild haha