The music softened. The lights bathed the stage in warm gold.
Your pulse thudded in your ears as you stood behind the curtain, half-hidden in shadows, surrounded by static from the comms and the distant roar of thousands of fans. But none of it reached you. Not really.
It was him.
Chan.
So close that his voice seemed to echo from your very bones. So near, your heart could barely stay in your chest.
Felix appeared at your side, speaking low and urgent against the swell of the music. "He's about to turn this way. Be ready."
Your breath hitched.
Without thinking, your hands flew to the hem of the oversized hoodie. You yanked it over your head in one motion, tossing it off to the side with trembling fingers. The baggy cargo joggers followed—peeled off quickly and kicked beneath the table. Your boots hit the floor with a soft clunk, grounding you.
Beneath it all, your secret weapon.
The black jumpsuit clung to you perfectly, like a second skin. Elegant. Powerful. Dangerous. Exactly what you'd chosen for this moment.
Felix stepped back with a whispered, "Holy shit." But you didn't hear him.
You smoothed your hands over your hips, adjusted the jacket over your shoulders, and stood tall—vulnerable but ready.
The final chords of the encore rang out across the stadium like a promise.
And then... he turned.
His head tilted. Eyes scanning the edge of the stage casually at first... until they landed on you.
Time cracked.
He stopped mid-step, eyes widening like he couldn't trust what he was seeing. Your heart gave out for one breathless second. Then another.
You slowly stepped into the dim light and let him see you—truly see you.
His lips parted. A breath caught in his throat. He didn't blink. Tears welled up in your eyes before you could stop them.
You didn't smile yet. You couldn't. This was too much.
He stared like you were a hallucination, and maybe you were. Maybe this was a dream for him the same way it had been for you.
But this time... you were real.
You covered your mouth with your hand, breath shuddering, eyes glassy.
And he didn't move for the longest second.
Then he did.