SuperM: Super Ones (KPOP Multiverse)

2. Crash and Burn

Minhyung could not remember the last time he felt this much overwhelming sentiment. All at once, seeing the matured face of his childhood ex-best friend attached to a now-older, taller man sent his mind into whiplash.

Several of the surrounding Stray Kids glanced at them, curious while readying the underground music lounge with its final touches. Minho's curious eyes peeking from where he stood decorating the wall did not go unnoticed, and Jeongin's side-glances while he passed by on the way to the backstage area were not very subtle. Han didn't even try hiding it, staring at them while he mindlessly swept the platform floor.

It took every ounce of Minhyung's body to not physically react in front of them, his leg twitching and mouth slightly agape. Minhyung was never one to reveal his emotional truths, but this one had to be especially hidden. Not only was it going to be utmostly incomprehensible to Normals, but Minhyung could not bring himself to reveal the one lie he had been keeping to himself for the past year and completely shatter the trust he had built.

Chan, the lounge owner, had always reassured Minhyung that if he ever had a problem with an upcoming opponent, that they would always take matters into their own hands to work something out. That promise from a long-time friend was definitely comforting during the time Minhyung was an upcoming artist in the underground community, but as he didn't want to ever back down from any competitor that displayed a challenge, he didn't think he'd ever take up the offer.

He still won't, because even though he wanted to sit this one out, there was no way he could explain why.

"He was the first one to respond to the ad," Felix told him last week while having a smoke on the escalator stairs of the abandoned train station, mildly discussing who Mark was going to battle against.

They sat idly at the very top, their backs facing the vast opening that revealed the sophisticated wasteland of District 9. Much of this part of the city was closed off due to vacancy, after it was destroyed by rampant raiders several years ago. But, despite the ghost town, the Stray Kids managed to single-handedly resurrect the life from this place by opening up a music lounge inside the underground train station. What was once an empty hall and rusty train tracks was now a small black stage on a bridge and a curtain divider in the back that held the backstage area and office entrance.

Below them was the open train tracks that dipped into the ground, which is where most people would hang around to rave and shove each other to the beat of the music. On the station platforms to the left and right were mostly empty aside from a pattern of lounge chairs and low tables, for those who would be concerned about keeping their limbs.

It was a Sunday, and no battles were scheduled for the next few days while they prepared for District 9's biggest celebration of the year. The first day of summer beated Christmas in this city, and if Minhyung wasn't NCity-born and binded to six hooligans at home, he probably wouldn't mind living here because of their summer enthusiasm.

"He responded, like, the day of, right?" Minhyung asked, laughing lightly, although there was nothing particularly humorous about it.

"Yeah, Chan literally put it up and minutes later - boom. Name, age, picture, credentials, everything, emailed straight to my inbox," Felix said. "Could've been waiting for the ad, for all I know."

Minhyung nodded, then nudged Felix lightly. "Guess the Stray Kids Lounge is getting real popular now, huh?"

Felix laughed. "Says you. You're literally our money-maker."

The smile on Felix's face tugged at Minhyung's heart, and a fowl feeling entered his chest, to which he quickly recognized as guilt. For the millionth time that week, he felt the need to finally voice what's been keeping him up all night. But like all the other times, he felt like this wasn't the right moment - although, the fact that he didn't even know when the right moment was supposed to be was even more frightening.