Chapter Text
Lee Minho would die for his members.
It’s something he always said. He didn’t often say it to their faces, but he’d think it to himself as he danced alongside them, when he heard one of them sing or rap, when one of them told a stupid joke and Minho laughed so much his chest hurt from trying to catch his breath. He’d whisper it under his breath on those nights when he was the last one awake before a break day, pleasantly exhausted and squished into a corner of the sofa by the sleeping members, the movie they’d been watching still playing.
I’d die for these boys. I’d give my last breath if it would help a single one of them breathe easier. I’d rip my heart from my own chest if I thought for a second that it might help them.
He’d never been faced with a situation that would have tested how much he meant what he said. Their line of work, while demanding and emotionally taxing, really wasn’t that dangerous. The members could cry or panic or isolate themselves, but given hugs or gentle, genuine words or professional therapy if they needed it, they would smile again. In turn, Minho would smile again.
He hated seeing any one of them upset. But he had never genuinely been afraid that he might lose one of them before.
Right now isn’t really an exception. It’s less of fear and more of a calm certainty, his mind giving him room to react before he becomes frozen by fear and what-ifs and oh god, oh god, that stage light is falling–
Felix stands right in its path, blissfully unaware of what’s happening mere feet above his head. He’s rapping his part, centre stage, as elegant as ever. In a short few seconds, if he doesn’t move, he’ll be crushed.
Minho knows he’s not going to move. He knows the choreography well enough.
Hyunjin is a lot closer to Felix than Minho is, but he doesn’t notice what’s happening, and Minho isn’t sure if he’d be able to react in time if Minho called out to them. The light is falling too fast. Minho himself noticed it too late.
So that leaves two options. Let Felix get hit and just hope for the best. Or take his place.
It doesn’t take a genius to guess what will happen next. Felix is right underneath it. He’ll be crushed. His neck could be snapped in an instant, and that would be it for him.
There’s a better chance of both of them getting out of this alive if Minho tries to get him out of the way himself. But it’s entirely possible that Minho ends up dying in the process.
The decision is one Minho never thought he would actually have to make. But it’s not a difficult decision. The instinctual part of him screams in protest as he starts moving.
Time seems to slow as Minho runs towards the danger. He drops his microphone to free his hands and throws himself towards Felix. He hears Felix’s singing cut off with a startled gasp as Minho shoves him as hard as he can, hears the horrible sound of the microphone hitting the ground amplified through the venue, sees Felix on the ground for just a moment before the stage light hits. And pain shoots through him as he falls to the ground. The audience screams. One of the members desperately calls his name. The music is abruptly cut off after a few seconds.
He’s afraid, he suddenly realises, as he lies beneath the heavy stagelight, feeling himself begin to fade out of consciousness. He’s scared of dying, and he’s scared of being without them. He’s scared of them being without him.
It takes all the strength he has left to open his eyes once more. Through his dim and blurry vision, he can see that someone is crouched in front of him and becomes aware of them gripping his hand as if feeling for a pulse.
Felix.
He feels a bit of relief at that. Felix is okay.
Felix is saying something, but Minho can’t register the words. He’s just happy he can go out knowing that Felix wouldn’t be dying.
His body relaxes, his eyes slip closed. The grip on his arm tightens. Minho hopes Felix will be able to understand that there’s nothing either of them can do.
They say when you’re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes, that you see your whole history before it’s over. But all Minho sees is Stray Kids. He sees them watching him as he helps them with dance during the survival show, crying when he was eliminated, smiling when he and Felix were brought back. He sees them performing their first show as an official group alongside him, watching their first performance after Woojin left. He sees them laughing, crying, talking and sitting there in silence.
He’ll miss them.
They’ll miss him.
But they have each other. They each have someone else they can turn to, and Minho doesn’t see that changing any time soon.
As much as he doesn’t want to leave, he’s done what he can. He’s played his part in protecting the group. It’s time to step aside and let the other members pick up where he’s leaving off.
They’ll be okay.
Everything will be okay.
Lee Minho lets himself rest.