Twenty. Sunghee only vaguely remembers being twenty. Not because it’s been that long of a time, as Sunghee is only twenty-four now, but because existing as an idol skews your perception of time a little bit. At twenty, Sunghee was already an idol for a little under a year, and there has been so many new experiences ever since, so much hard work and sleepless nights, that it genuinely feels like it all happened a decade ago. Sunghee has aged ten years in half as much time, or at least that’s how they feel most days, when they think back on their debut days and how innocent and small they had been back then. They like to believe they’ve matured too, a lot, in the way they relate to other people, in the way they feel about themselves, in the way they make themselves understood to others. Four years has been enough time for Sunghee to become a slightly different person, one who can handle this type of conversation more easily than they would’ve been able to back then.
Four years is also enough time for them to have realised that it’s okay for them to feel things for people, and for them to know the difference between the types of feelings. They are… still in the process of knowing what to do about that, to the point where Sunghee can’t help envying their friends who are much more comfortable handling those situations than they are. What would Jeonghwa do in their place? Or Jaeyoon? Jaeyeol? Every decision that has brought them close to someone has been a spur of the moment decision, an impulsive decision that, ultimately, Sunghee didn’t regret much, or at all even. Worst case scenario, they get a rejection, right? And Sunghee can’t hope to try to figure out what people are thinking before they say something, so.
“Twenty-four,” Sunghee says, taking a deep breath. They smile when Rioh mentions his birthday. Twenty. He’s so young. But isn’t Sunghee as well? “My birthday was in March. I guess our birthdays are close.” Sunghee considers asking for Rioh’s zodiac sign, but if they continue speaking they are going to lose the last nerve they have so Sunghee looks around, makes sure to check that they are truly alone before they turn to Rioh. “I hope I’m not reading this wrong.” Sunghee reaches out, taking hold of Rioh’s face. They pause for a moment, eyes scanning his face before pressing their lips together.
It’s short lived as the sound of the doors of the gym opening has Sunghee quickly letting go of Rioh and drawing back, head bent down as they pretend to check their watch when they are in fact just attempting at hiding the slight flush of their cheeks. The people who had come in walk past the weights room towards the treadmills in the next room, and it’s only when their voices are distant enough that Sunghee looks up. “I-.”
Honestly speaking, the predicament that Rioh’s fallen into is one that he never, ever expected to be involved in—especially at the gym of all places. Typically when he works out, he’s all alone; isolating himself from everyone else in an attempt to conceal his identity. Now that he decided to try and connect with a person he recognized, he’s treading into foreign waters whose tides aren’t relaxed, but rapid—causing a flurry of varied emotions to stir up inside of him. Over the last while, his sights have spent ample time admiring Sunghee’s physique, their conversation’s flowed in a rather easy fashion, and the other’s questions seemed to come from a place of true intrigue as opposed to just being simple niceties, and all of which are making the younger male feel curious; making him feel heard. Even though he’s enjoying himself, he’s slowly able to pick up on the blatantly obvious tension between them—one that seems to have grown massively in just a short amount of time. In truth, it’s giving him a little bit of whiplash, and he’s not sure if he likes how it feels... and what’s more is that he has no time to stop and think about it.
Just then, Sunghee breaks the brief silence with their answer, and at the revelation of their age, Rioh swallows; finding it almost unbelievable that someone who looks so youthful is a good bit older than he is. “O—Oh, that’s cool! I wonder if we’re both Pisces... but I’m technically a cusp, I think? Aquarius and Pisces or somethin’... a friend of mine looked up our charts once upon a time.” His ramblings continue to make it clear that he’s nervous, but that doesn’t seem to deter the elder of them at all. Instead, he’s interrupted by their sudden statement, and it’s then when his eyes grow wide—remaining open as his lips are kissed; those strong fingers clutching onto his chiseled jawline keeping him in place and creating more intimacy all at once. In that instant, he wonders if Sunghee can hear ( or feel ) his heart pummeling his chest—its rhythm relentless, erratic, and it only gets worse when the doors swing open and more people shuffle inside. It’s almost as if the world is standing perfectly still, and he has no idea if that’s a good thing given their location, their circumstance, and the overall randomness of it all.
Once the kiss is broken and they’re alone once more, he swallows again; biting his lower lip. “I, uh... don’t really know what to say...” He utters after Sunghee, honestly unsure how he should feel after that. They don’t know one another that well, but he can’t deny that it felt nice to be touched in such a manner “Which is rare for me, heh... w—what was that for?”
