Whispers Of False Promises » bangchan [indefinite hiatus]

episode 12: the offer

Returning to the JYPE headquarters after a week of sick leave, I arrived in the room where I, Hyeon-ju, and Hee-yeol worked, and upon seeing me, the two bounced off their seats. 

"Kaira!" Hyeon-ju sounded the happiest when she saw me, "You're back!" 

"You really had us worried for a moment there," Hee-yeol remarked, "You didn't even tell us where you were for a day." 

"I'm so sorry, guys," I sheepishly grinned, "I fainted and..." 

Muscular arms holding me up, black hair in my vision, a soothing voice, comforting words. 

"...And a guard took me back home," I lied through my teeth, because even though it seemed that Chan was the one who had carried me up to my apartment, it felt like a fever dream, a fantasy I couldn't get rid of. 

"Oh, God!" Hyeon-ju gasped, "I told you to go home early, didn't I?" 

"Sorry, mom," I chuckled, and she huffed, breaking into a smile very slowly. 

"Well, we weren't the only ones worrying for you," Hee-yeol spoke, sitting down on his seat. 

"Huh?" I didn't remember giving my parents the contact to this place. 

"Bang Chan," he said, "Came looking for you." 

"What?" 

"Yeah, he did. Thrice," Hyeon-ju remarked, "He was here yesterday, too." 

"I think he's got a crush on you," Hee-yeol chuckled. 

"N-No way," I brushed it off, or at least tried to, as I rolled my eyes and made a little 'pfft' sound, "Why-why would he like me?" 

"You gotta ask him that yourself," Hyeon-ju wiggled her eyebrows, "Maybe he wants to... date you?" 

"Are you s-serious right now?" I stammered, my insides begging me to believe what they were saying, but I knew that I was supposed to admire him from afar. I was just a Stay -- nothing more, nothing less.

A knock sounded on the door, and in a jiffy to avoid the allegations of Chan liking me, I swung open the door, only to be met by the topic of discussion. 

"Chan..." I breathed, and he had the biggest smile on his face, 

"Oh, you're back! How's your health now?" 

"I'm... okay," I spoke, completely breathless. 

"I'm pretty sure your friends have asked you to take care already," he looked past me at Hee-yeol and Hyeon-ju, waving at them, and I turned around to look at them, who were giving me a knowing look. 

I looked back at Chan, eyes perhaps wide, "Yeah, they have." 

He focused on me, "But I'll still tell you to take care as well. I know, I'm not the best person to be preaching this, but health should be your first priority, yeah?" 

"Yeah..." I cracked a little smile, and his face brightened up, "There, there's that smile." 

My smile only grew bigger as I felt my face heating up, and maybe he noticed that, for his dimples made an appearance, "I actually wanted some help from you." 

"Me?" the smile was gone, only the astonishment remained. 

"Yes! Would you like to feature in one of our new tracks?" 

---

"Kaira! Why didn't you agree?!" 

Chan was gone already, and Hyeon-ju and Hee-yeol were berating me endlessly for turning down his kind offer. I could barely breathe, honestly, after talking to him and absorbing the information that had been relentlessly spewed at me. 

Bang Chan wanted me to do some background vocals in the next Stray Kids song. How startling was that? 

"Kaira," Hyeon-ju was sighing, I reckoned, as I looked at her, "Bang Chan himself had come to you to ask for help, and offering an opportunity that could change your life. Why didn't you accept his offer?"

"Because..." ...it is something I've only ever dreamt about. 

"See, you don't have an answer," Hee-yeol spoke, "That means that you don't have anything to support your decision. You know what that means? Go and freaking accept his offer!" 

"I'm not ready!" I shrieked, panicking. 

"At this rate, you'll never be!" 

"Hee-yeol, let's be nice," Hyeon-ju gave him a side-eye, and then looked at me, "You do know that this might even be a chance you'll never get again, right?" 

I nodded. 

"So just accept it. He's most definitely a gentleman, I can tell." 

---

I hurriedly walked over to the spare studio on our floor, where 3RACHA were perhaps working. Standing before the door, I fixed my hair and practiced reciting what I wanted to tell him -- that yes, I wanted to work with him. I breathed in and out, and then, closing my eyes, I knocked on the door. 

It swung open to reveal Han Jisung, and he immediately gave me a gummy smile, "Hi, Kaira!"

"Hello," I smiled at him, still in disbelief that i was talking to the Han Jisung, "Is Bang Chan here?" 

"Yeah," came the said man's voice from the room, and he strutted over to the door to meet me. I could barely meet his eyes. 

"Hey, I'm so sorry for rejecting your offer, but I... I want to..." 

Chan tried to suppress his smile but failed, saying, "Relax, Kaira." 

I looked up at him, and his eyes twinkled as he spoke, 

"Welcome to the team." 

(a/n: ahhhndkodnwkndcnjke i once dreamt that i was working as a lyricist for Stray Kids (and mind you, I don't know Korean) 

[written during the hiatus -- 14 Nov, 2023] 

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