A Distraction // Bangchan

Chapter Forty-One

A few days after Lauren's night out with Felix, she found herself settling back into her routine. She was keeping things casual with Daniel, getting small texts here and there, and continuing to focus on herself. It had been a month and a half now since her and Chan had broken up and she finally felt like she could wake up and not immediately feel like crying. She of course still thought about Chan, but the constant nausea in her stomach was subsiding.

Back at the Stray Kid's dorm, Felix was hanging out with Han, lounging around the living room, half-watching TV, half-chatting about random things.

Chan had just returned back to the dorm after a heavy workout at the gym.

"Hey man," Felix and Han nodded from the couch.

"Hey guys," Chan forced a smile, although they knew better. As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Felix, still a little distracted by his thoughts of Lauren, let something slip without realizing it.

"Yeah, the other night was fun. Lauren and I went to karaoke, and she's actually been doing pretty well," Felix said, his voice casual. He took a sip of his drink, not thinking much of it. "She even went on a date recently."

The words hung in the air for a moment before Felix realized what he'd said. He froze, his eyes widening in horror as the realization hit him.

Chan, who had been idly flipping through his phone, suddenly stiffened. He looked up, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Felix, his jaw clenched. "She what?"

Felix immediately felt a surge of guilt and regret. He hadn't meant to say anything in front of Chan. He had been caught up in the conversation with Han and hadn't even thought about how mentioning Lauren's date would affect him. But now it was too late.

"I—uh, I didn't mean to say that," Felix stammered, his face flushing with embarrassment. "It just... slipped out."

Chan's face darkened, and he set his phone down, the tension between them palpable. "She went on a date?" he asked, his voice quiet but strained, like he was trying to keep his emotions in check.

Felix winced, kicking himself internally. He hadn't wanted to add to Chan's pain, but now he had no choice but to come clean. "Yeah," he said, his voice softer now. "I think she's just... trying to figure things out for herself."

Chan's expression hardened, but there was something vulnerable in his eyes that Felix hadn't seen in a long time. He looked hurt, like the news had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. "With who?" Chan asked, his tone tense.

Felix hesitated, not wanting to make things worse. "Just some guy she met when we were out with friends." He tried to keep it as casual as possible, not wanting to worry him.

Chan's eyes flickered with something—hurt, jealousy, regret? Felix couldn't tell, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Felix sighed, feeling a deep pang of guilt for putting Chan in this position. He had seen how much Chan missed Lauren, how much he regretted the way things had ended between them, but he had also seen how hard Lauren was trying to move on. And now, both of them were stuck in this complicated mess.

"Look, Chan," Felix said gently, "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but she's trying to heal. She's trying to live her life again. It doesn't mean she's over you. It's just... part of her process."

Chan didn't respond immediately, his jaw tight as he stared down at his hands. Felix could see the conflict in his eyes—the struggle between wanting to let her go and the pain of knowing she was moving forward without him. He gave a small glance to Han, who had the same worried look as him.