Mischief Managed (Stray Kids Oneshots)

A Little Extra Love | Yang Jeongin

The late afternoon sun filtered through the studio windows, casting a soft glow over the room. Jeongin sat at the corner of the practice space, his legs crossed as he scrolled through his phone, his brows furrowed in concentration. It had been a long day filled with rehearsals, and while the other members were winding down, you could see the lingering exhaustion in Jeongin's eyes. He was always the one to push through, putting others' needs ahead of his own, but tonight something was different. He seemed a little quieter than usual, his usual energetic self replaced with a rare silence.

You had noticed it early on during practice. While everyone was laughing and joking, Jeongin had been more withdrawn. A part of you knew he wasn't his usual bright self, but you weren't sure what exactly was bothering him. It wasn't like him to show vulnerability, especially around the group. He liked to keep things light, always a smile on his face, always trying to cheer everyone up.

You quietly made your way over to him, noticing how his fingers absentmindedly tapped against the phone screen. You hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to approach, but after a brief breath, you decided to just speak from your heart.

"Hey, Jeongin," you said gently, your voice cutting through the soft noise of the room. "You okay?"

He looked up at you, a faint, almost forced smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his voice soft, lacking the usual enthusiasm. He quickly looked back down at his phone, as if trying to busy himself with something—anything—to avoid further conversation.

You weren't fooled. You had spent enough time with him to know when something was off. His smile didn't reach his eyes, and his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if the weight of something was pulling him down.

"You sure?" you asked, sitting beside him on the couch, trying to keep your voice casual. "You seem a little... off today."

Jeongin's fingers stilled, and he finally looked at you again, this time with a small sigh. He leaned back into the cushions, running a hand through his hair as he stared up at the ceiling.

"It's nothing, really," he said, though you could tell he wasn't being entirely honest. "Just tired, I guess."

You nodded, but there was a hesitation in the air. He was tired, yes, but that wasn't what had been bothering him. You could see it in the way his eyes darted away whenever you tried to meet them. He wasn't the type to let his emotions show easily, but that didn't mean he didn't have them.

"Jeongin, you know you don't have to hide anything from me, right?" you said softly, leaning a little closer, offering him a reassuring smile. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me."

There was a long pause before he let out a deep breath, as if the act of letting go of whatever he'd been holding in took more energy than he was willing to give. When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper, and you had to strain to hear him.

"It's just... sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough," he admitted, his voice laced with vulnerability. "Like no matter how hard I try, it's never enough."

Your heart squeezed at his words, and for a moment, you didn't know what to say. It wasn't that you didn't want to comfort him—it was that you didn't understand how someone so talented, so kind, could feel this way.

"Jeongin..." you began, your voice filled with sincerity. "You are more than enough. You have always been enough."

He gave a small shake of his head, looking down at his hands as they rested on his lap. "I don't know. Sometimes it feels like I'm just... falling behind. Like everyone else is always a step ahead, and I'm stuck trying to catch up."

You could see the self-doubt in his eyes, and it hurt to know how deeply he was feeling it. Despite all the success he'd achieved, despite how much the other members appreciated him, it seemed like Jeongin was his own harshest critic.

"Listen to me, Jeongin," you said gently, taking his hand in yours. "You are not falling behind. You are exactly where you're meant to be. And the people around you? They see how amazing you are. They see how hard you work, how much you give of yourself. You might not always see it, but you are so important. To Stray Kids, and to me."

He looked at you, his eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and sadness, as if he couldn't fully comprehend how much you cared for him. He squeezed your hand gently, as if grounding himself in the comfort your touch provided.

"Thanks," he murmured quietly, his voice small. "I just... sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for the group. They all have their own strengths, and I'm just... I don't know."

"You're not 'just' anything," you said firmly. "You bring so much to the group. You're the heart. The energy. Your voice is beautiful, and the way you care about everyone around you? That's something no one else has. That's something special."

Jeongin's lips parted, as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. For a moment, the room was silent, save for the quiet hum of the studio and the occasional shuffle of the other members in the background.

"You know," you continued, your tone playful now, "you really are the cutest thing. You might not always see it, but it's true. It's kind of impossible not to love you."

He chuckled softly, the sound light and genuine, a welcome break from the tension that had been hanging between you. His shoulders relaxed, and the slight smile he had earlier began to creep back onto his face.

"I guess that's one way to cheer me up," he said, his usual teasing demeanor returning.

"You're welcome," you said with a smile, giving him a playful nudge. "But seriously, Jeongin. Don't ever doubt how amazing you are. Because you're exactly who you're meant to be, and that's more than enough."

He looked at you, his eyes softening, his heart lifting in a way he hadn't realized it could. "Thank you," he said quietly, his voice filled with sincerity.

You leaned your head against his shoulder, feeling the weight of the moment settle between you. You both knew that it wasn't going to be the last time he felt self-doubt, but you also knew that in moments like this, when he let his guard down, you'd be there to remind him of his worth.

And in that moment, as Jeongin leaned back, his eyes soft and his heart a little lighter, you realized how precious those quiet moments were. The ones where you could remind someone how much they mattered, just by being there, offering them a little extra love when they needed it most.

4o mini