{ 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 }
𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓, Seoul, SK Early January, 2023 w. 𝐘𝐎𝐎 𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐇
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝑆𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝐼'𝑚 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑧𝑦 ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑤 ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝐼'𝑚 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 …
Had someone told Mireu back in 2018 that he’d be going to dinner with Yoo Rioh, especially multiple times, he’d have laughed in their face. To say he had been a fan would be somewhat of an understatement. Ever since he’d began training to be an idol, those he’d looked up to when he was younger had, in a way, taken on a less shining quality in his mind—he realised just how human they were, with problems, flaws, weird habits and quirks. Yet, when he’d seen Catalyst’s debut, and his eyes fell on Rioh, he’d known he was a goner. He’d watched fancams, interviews, saved pictures of him to his phone, and kept up with what he was doing, just like Quantumphase’s fans kept up with Mireu. Initially, he’d felt embarrassed about it, but over time he’d been more and more vocal about it in public—he was a self-proclaimed fan of Rioh.
That was until they became friends.
You can’t exactly be a fan of someone you’re friends with, at least not in the same way. They lose that untouchable otherness that makes it possible to idolise them. Rioh went from being someone Mireu felt was so completely far away, to being someone that Mireu could message at any time of day, would lay awake facetiming until far too late at night, and who he’d blush when he thought about for too long. They’d been to dinner a few times over the last few months, and Mireu was gradually beginning to realise just how much he liked Rioh as a person, and not just as an idol. He’s no stranger to the feeling of attraction, but he’d been through enough messes in the past to know he’d never jump into anything again. Yet, it’s not the dread of something going wrong down the line that makes Mireu nervous every time he thinks about asking Rioh on a date, it’s that Rioh may reject him. He’s scared of the embarrassment, the disappointment, the realisation that he’ll have to face the knowledge that a man who seems altogether too perfect for him exists and doesn’t want him.
Which is why Mireu’s too careful with Rioh. He’s careful as he meets him outside the restaurant and hugs him, pulling him against his chest and holding onto him for a few seconds too long. He’s careful when he pulls out Rioh’s chair for him at their table, and pours water from the jug on the table into Rioh’s glass first. At least that’s what he keeps telling himself. “How’ve you been? Busy? Anything new to update me on?” He asks once they’ve ordered their food. He’s not asking to make small talk—he really wants to know about Rioh’s life, every single moment of every day; how he feels, what he thinks, what he hopes for. Things are still so new with them, though, and Mireu fears that in hoping for more, he could lose everything.
