★ _ T W E N T Y - T W O _ ★

The next morning...

The dorm was buzzing with noise before the sun was even fully up.

Styling noona was already knocking on the door. The smell of breakfast drifted in from the kitchen. Hair dryers, outfit racks, and loud music from Seungmin’s phone filled the air.

Y/n yawned as she slowly sat up, her body still slightly sore but her heart full. She glanced beside her—Felix was still asleep, his face nuzzled against her pillow like a peaceful cat.

She smiled.

"Time to work," she whispered, leaning over to kiss his temple. "Wake up, sleepy fairy."

Felix groaned in protest, his arm shooting out to pull her back down.

> “Five more minutes,” he mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep. “You’re warm…”

> “And you’ve got a performance in two hours,” she replied, patting his back. “Get moving.”

---

In the living room...

The rest of the members were already up—well, almost all of them.

Han was lying on the couch like a ragdoll, eyes barely open, arms dramatically flopped out.

Y/n was in manager mode, clipboard in hand, already checking off wardrobe and mic arrangements.

Suddenly, Han groaned and rolled onto his side, laying his head right in Y/n’s lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

> “Oppa—what are you doing?” she asked, trying to hide her smile.

“Dying,” he murmured. “Let me die here in peace. Your lap is soft. You smell like coffee. Just let me exist.”

Y/n blinked, stunned—but gently pat his hair anyway.

“You have five minutes. Then I’m kicking you off.”

From the hallway, Felix walked out, freshly showered and now fully dressed.

He stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the scene: Han, snuggled into Y/n’s lap like a spoiled cat. And her, smiling down at him like she wasn’t just in his arms hours ago.

Felix’s eyebrow twitched.

He sauntered over with a too-sweet grin and casually leaned against the wall.

“Comfortable, Han?” he asked.

Han opened one eye lazily.

“Very.”

Felix walked over and bent down until he was nose-to-nose with him.

“Move.”

Han blinked. “Jealous?”

“Not even pretending I’m not.”

Y/n sighed, gently nudging Han.

“Come on, oppa. Don’t start a war before breakfast.”

---

Backstage later…

Felix still hadn’t let go of her hand once since they left the dorm.

“You’re mine,” he whispered when no one was listening. “You spoil the others too much.”

“I’m their manager,” she teased.

“You're mine first.”

The backstage area buzzed with chaos as stylists darted between racks, sound techs yelled out last-minute mic checks, and members of Stray Kids scrambled to get ready in time for their live performance.

Y/n stood in the middle of it all, a clipboard in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other, directing staff with her usual calm—though the puffiness under her eyes hinted at the very little sleep she got the night before.

“Hyunjin oppa, jacket now. Jeongin oppa, your earpiece is still not in. Felix—Felix where are—"

A pair of arms suddenly snaked around her waist from behind, pulling her back into a warm, familiar chest.

“Right here,” Felix murmured into her ear.

Y/n jolted slightly and looked around in panic, trying to push him away without making a scene.

“Lix! There are literally cameras and stylists everywhere—”

“So?” he grinned, shameless. “You're cute when you're in manager mode.”

He leaned down, pretending to help fix her lanyard, and instead pressed a soft kiss just below her ear. Y/n froze.

“You’re evil,” she whispered, cheeks flaming.

“You love it,” he teased, pulling away with that smug little smirk that made her weak in the knees.

---

“WE HAVE TEN MINUTES!” Y/n announced, raising her voice over the room's madness.

Chan jogged past her while sipping coffee.

“Y/n, you're a saint,” he called out. “But also, I think Minho's shirt is missing. Again.”

“Hyung took mine!” Jeongin yelled from the corner, half-dressed and holding someone else’s pants.

“No I didn’t!” Minho snapped. “I took Han’s!”

“Why do I own three identical shirts?” Han questioned the universe loudly.

Meanwhile, Felix stood off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching Y/n manage the chaos with a lovesick expression. She was stressed, yes—but the way her brows furrowed in focus, the way her voice dropped when talking to nervous staff—it made his heart flutter.

“Yah, stop staring,” Seungmin muttered, smirking as he passed Felix. “You’re drooling.”

“Can you blame me?” Felix shot back with a grin.

---

Once everyone was finally dressed and lined up for the final pre-show group selfie, Y/n held up her phone.

“Okay, quick picture before you guys kill each other,” she said.

“Y/n, you’re getting in this one,” Chan ordered, pulling her by the arm.

“I’m your manager, not a member—!”

“You’re the glue holding this circus together,” Minho smirked.

Felix immediately slid beside her, draping his arm around her shoulder as naturally as breathing. When she looked up at him, he winked. The shutter clicked.

But instead of breaking away after the photo, Felix stayed close, whispering into her ear again.

“Smile for me like that after the show, too.”

“Why?” she asked, already feeling her heart rate spike.

> “Because the second we get back, I’m kidnapping you,” he grinned. “No manager duties. Just you and me.”

---

The boys cheered, rushed off to the stage, and Y/n stood behind the curtain, watching them perform. She looked at the photo she had just taken:

The whole group beaming. Felix’s hand wrapped around her shoulder, his forehead slightly leaning into hers.

She saved it quickly, heart thudding.

"He’s going to be the death of me," she muttered.

Behind her, a voice chimed in from the walkie:

“Y/n, your boys are on in 3… 2… 1.”

And just like that, the music blasted through the speakers, and Stray Kids lit up the stage.

To be continued

GUYS VOTEEEE★