Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1 — “Your Favorite Person”
When Lee Know first walked into JYP as a new trainee, everything felt too sharp and unfamiliar — bright lights, new rules, new faces. He didn’t expect anyone to notice him, let alone welcome him.
But Seungmin did.
The younger trainee walked up with a polite bow, a soft smile, and a voice that instantly eased the tension in Lee Know’s shoulders.
“You’re Lee Know hyung, right? If you need help with anything, just ask me.”
It was small, simple… but it was everything.
For months, Seungmin was his first friend — the one he sat next to during vocal lessons, the one who stayed late after practice with him, the one who nudged him when he was too quiet and asked, “Hyung, you okay?”
Then Stray Kids happened.
And everything changed.
Their world grew bigger: more members, more schedules, more fans.
Han and Lee Know’s chaotic humor made them inseparable.
I.N became Seungmin’s adorable shadow.
Hyunjin followed Seungmin around calling him “my singer.”
The 00s line had their own vibrant bond, and the hyungs leaned on each other like pillars.
Life got loud.
Life got fast.
And somewhere in between, Seungmin and Lee Know quietly drifted — not out of hurt, but out of busyness.
The bond stayed; the closeness thinned.
━━━
On a rare free day, the dorm was full of the soft noise of comfort.
Bang Chan and Lee Know cooked in the kitchen.
Changbin and Felix sprawled on the couch.
Han typed lyrics.
I.N cuddled Wolfchan.
Hyunjin snapped photos of anything that moved.
And Seungmin?
He was in his room, writing in his diary — a habit he kept from trainee days.
He flipped through older entries when something unexpected hit him:
There were barely any mentions of Lee Know.
Not because anything bad had happened.
Just… life.
He closed the diary, pushing away the strange ache building in his chest.
━━━
When they gathered for lunch, Seungmin sat at the far end beside Hyunjin. The room filled with clattering spoons, laughter, Felix’s loud giggles. It felt warm, familiar.
He ate quietly — until something made him look up.
Across the table, Lee Know was staring at him.
Their eyes held for a long moment.
Then Lee Know mouthed, “Mwol bogo isseo?”
(What are you looking at?)
Seungmin blinked.
Lee Know shrugged and returned to eating, as if nothing had happened — but Seungmin felt something shift inside him. Something he hadn’t felt in a while.
━━━
After lunch, they split into teams for games.
Team Seungmin: Seungmin, Changbin, Felix, Han
Team Lee Know: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Hyunjin, I.N
The Korean whisper game was chaos — Han intentionally ruining sentences, Felix giggling too hard to speak, Hyunjin adding dramatic gestures that confused everyone.
Somehow, Seungmin’s team won.
Next was Cham Cham Cham within each team.
The losers from each team would face off to decide who washed dinner dishes.
Changbin and Seungmin tied, leading to a dramatic rock–paper–scissors battle.
Changbin won, flexing in victory.
Seungmin sighed loudly. “Aish, hyung…”
He looked across the room. “Who lost on your team?”
Bang Chan didn’t even hesitate.
“Your favorite person.”
The members cracked up.
Seungmin looked around, confused — until his eyes landed on Lee Know, who nodded calmly as if agreeing with some eternal truth.
Your favorite person.
The words echoed unnervingly in his head.
Did the members… still think that?
After all this time?
After new friendships and growing distance?
After barely talking except for quick check-ins and group schedules?
Was Lee Know… still my favorite person?
Seungmin didn’t know why the question stung.
Or why it warmed him.
Or why it felt like that old bond was suddenly tugging again, pulling at a thread he thought had faded.
Across the room, Lee Know met his eyes and held the gaze for a heartbeat too long.
Not teasing.
Not distant.
Just quietly, softly… there.
And Seungmin wondered, for the first time in a long time —
What else had they lost? And what could they still find again?