When you joined Stray Kids, everything shifted.

Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just… subtly.

I.N had been the maknae for years, the baby everyone doted on, teased, protected. And then you arrived—quieter, younger, smaller somehow—and suddenly the title slipped from his shoulders onto yours.

The others treated you like a little sister immediately. Bang Chan checked in on you constantly, Changbin made sure you ate, Hyunjin hovered without realizing it, Han filled silences with jokes so you wouldn’t feel pressured to speak, Lee Know pretended not to care while always standing a little closer than necessary, Felix smiled at you like sunshine, Seungmin defended you with sharp words when needed.

But Jeongin… Jeongin was different.

You were introverted, always had been. You didn’t speak unless you had something to say. On camera, you sometimes looked distant, serious—cold, according to the comments.

People judged you harshly.

She doesn’t fit the group. She should leave. Why is she even there?

You tried not to read them, but sometimes they found you anyway.

Every time they did, Jeongin noticed.

He never confronted you about it directly. He just… stayed. Sat next to you during breaks. Helped you with choreography even when you didn’t ask. Walked half a step behind you on stage entrances like he was making sure you wouldn’t get lost.

It was funny, really.

The former maknae acting like a parent.

Stays noticed too. Some started shipping you almost immediately, claiming you were secretly dating, secretly engaged, secretly everything. The rumors were so ridiculous they made you laugh—a rare, genuine laugh—and Jeongin laughed too, cheeks pink, waving it off.

When he’d been the maknae, the group had made “Maknae on Top.”

Now that you were the youngest, they decided to make one for you too.

Recording went smoothly. Vocals done. Laughing, teasing, proud looks from the older members.

All that was left was choreography.

The practice room was quiet except for music and the sound of shoes against the floor. You were focused, repeating your part over and over, counting steps in your head. Maybe too focused.

Your foot landed wrong.

It happened in a split second—your balance gone, your body tilting forward, the floor rushing up to meet you.

But it never did.

Strong arms caught you around the waist, steady hands gripping yours before you could fall. You gasped softly, startled, heart racing.

Jeongin.

He’d moved without thinking.

“You okay?” he asked immediately, voice gentle but serious, like he was holding something fragile.

You nodded, still a little shaken.

“I’ve got you,” he added quietly, not for the others—just for you.

Even if the world misunderstood you, you were never alone.