The Prince of K-Pop || Bang Chan FF

Chapter Twelve

          Naty went to sleep on the high of that final embrace by Bang Chan. His feelings for her being confirmed by his friends was also a plus. Of course, Naty knew she couldn't truly believe it until she heard it from his own mouth...but still!

          In the morning, Naty was scheduled for another massage. This time it included all the benefits of the spa. She was able to enjoy the sauna, a facial, and a full body shiatsu that left her feeling incredibly limber. Though she did enjoy each aspect...it was all just time filler until Naty could see Chan alone again.

          The second show was an absolute master piece better than the first. Something about them all seemed to click into place. There were far less glances in her direction but Naty preferred it that way. Seeing Bang Chan absolutely in the zone gave a special touch to the performance. Plus, there were far more interactions with the crowd than the first day. Naty found herself mesmerized by the Idols on stage and amazed that three of them had been in her room the night before.

          Another thing that amazed her was the number of Idols and celebrities coming to watch Stray Kids. Though Naty didn't get a chance to see them all, she knew the likes of Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Demi Lovato were among Nayeon, Wonpil, and Jinyoung. Even Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackson attended the concert and got a special shoutout from Chan and Felix! She was thankful that she got there early to secure her spot without bumping into anyone that could make her lose her cool.

          When the show ended, Naty found herself even more excited than when the show began. Fred escorted her out of the stadium with the same neutrality while she was bouncing on her heels and singing songs she couldn't get out of her head. She tried to chat with Fred but he gave her nothing in response to her inquiries.

          That was fine! Naty felt as though nothing could dampen her spirit.

          Nothing...except the crowd of people with their phones aimed at the cars pulling up. She looked to Fred, "What is this?"

          "There's been a leak that Stray Kids are staying here at this hotel," he grumbled.

          "It wasn't me!" Naty immediately felt herself panicking at the sight of fans looking into each car rolling up.

          "It came from one of the hotel's staff members. The Kids are being moved to a new hotel to avoid being mobbed," he mumbled as he drove toward the other side of the hotel to get to the other entrance.

          Naty felt her heart hammering in her chest and her eyes watering. It wasn't panic or anxiety that hit her as much as extreme disappointment. Such high highs followed by low lows always set her equilibrium off and into a depressive state. Naty tried to breathe calmy in through her nose and out through her mouth to avoid an anxiety attack but she could feel it coming. She knew she needed to get inside and into the shower and get some water and something to eat and and and—

          "Hey, are you okay back there?"

          Naty bit her lip hard as she tried to blink back her tears and nodded fiercely, "I'm okay."

          "You don't look okay," his tone was accusatory.

          She kept trying to take in deep breaths as she repeated her statement, "I'm okay. I just need something to eat."

          The world around her seemed to shrink while Naty continued to breathe in and out. This had happened to her before and she knew it would pass though it felt like the car was getting smaller around her. She had an ex that used to call her spoiled when this happened but she wasn't spoiled. Naty just got too excited. There was too much hype and too much expectation and her body thrummed on that type of stimulation. Her father used to say it was her body preparing itself for what was about to happen. Without the thing that was supposed to happen her body didn't know what else to do. She just needed to eat.

          "Drink this."

          Naty took the bottle of water that was handed backwards to her and took big gulps. It wasn't until she looked up to say thank you that she realized they were back on the road, "Where are we going?"

          "To get something to eat," he didn't give any more information.

          The water helped. The breathing helped. Seeing the changing landscape and the motion of the car in drive helped. Naty was able to think and contextualize the situation. The hotel staff had leaked information of the Kids. They had to move their stuff and so Naty wouldn't be in the same hotel as them. That was okay. That was understandable procedure. Their safety was a priority.

          Chan and Naty meeting up was not a priority though she was valid in being disappointed. And though it was disappointing, it wasn't the end of the world and Naty was still safe and okay. The fact of the matter was: Naty felt a lot of anxiety when she was not in control. The whole trip was a test of being out of control and she did not think she was handling it well. She looked down at her phone to see a message from her friends asking if she was okay. Naty knew she would call one of them after eating and once safe back in her hotel room.

          "Hold on. I'm going to get something from the trunk."

          Naty realized suddenly that they had stopped at In-N-Out Burger. Fred came back quickly to the driver's side and reached behind to offer Naty a hoodie, a hat, and a mask, "What is this for?"

         "No drive-thru here," he answered.

         "Oh," Naty understood then that she was meant to go inside and get the food herself. Having "something" to do made her feel better and she quickly threw on the stuff that Fred had given her, "Would you like something?"

          Fred looked back at her as if to analyze her identity could not be seen, "No, I'm good. Here. Take this."

          Naty took what appeared to be a credit card but she handed it back to him, "I have my bag with my wallet. I'll be okay."

          With that she shut the door and began walking to the establishment. Naty wondered if Fred had experience with individuals dealing with anxiety disorders. She often found that doing something allowed her to reroute the extra energy she was overcome with. It was a miracle that Fred had thought of doing such when she couldn't think of it herself. Though the man hardly spoke...she was happy to have him there when she needed someone.

          But it was time to focus on the mission at hand.

          The In-N-Out Burger was busy. It was on the smaller side which meant there were many picnic-like tables outside for patrons to enjoy their meal. She had been to another In-N-Out years ago and so was familiar with their small menu. That was also a plus in her anxious mind. Naty scanned the building in search for the entrance.

          "Hey."

          No. Way.

          Naty looked to her left and saw a gentleman with a familiar shape walking up to her. Her eyes narrowed in confusion but the voice spoke again, "Are you okay?"

          It was the voice. Well, the accent. It was the same hoodie, cap, and mask that left the features nondescript but once the voice clicked it all fell into place. Naty immediately felt the waves of tension fall off of her shoulders as she nodded, "I'm okay. Just a little hungry."

         "Let's get you something to eat," Chan's eyes smiled as he extended his hand. Naty couldn't help but to smiled to herself as she took it. The man covered her hand with both of his as he exclaimed, "Oh, you're so cold!"

          Naty laughed, unable to respond as her body's mechanics went haywire again. She was amazed how the comfort of Chan made her anxiousness quell. Often, she had felt butterflies and thought that was a sign that she was falling for someone but experience had taught her the opposite. No, it wasn't the butterflies that she should chase. It was the feeling that Chan gave her that made her feel so safe, so comfortable, so welcomed and at home. Normally she would feel embarrassed for how her anxiety presented but with him there was no reason to be embarrassed.