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Hyunseo Lee Doesn’t Do Feelings (Until She Does)

IVE Leeseo x Male reader

(7.9k words) I did this in one night cause for some odd reason it flowed to me so I ran this through Red bull. hope you guys enjoy.

Life changes fast. Faster than most people realize. It keeps moving no matter what happens, whether someone is ready for it or not. Time does not pause for heartbreak, fear, or hesitation. It simply continues forward, dragging the world with it.Ten years can reshape everything.Trends are born and buried within weeks. Opinions shift overnight. Society follows every new wave that rises across social media, chasing what is current while discarding what is not. Those who remain stuck in the past are often forgotten, left behind without a second glance.

And the eyes of society have become sharper than ever.

Judgment now comes easily, handed out by strangers who know nothing beyond a screen. Ordinary people can be picked apart for how they look, how they speak, what they believe. A single moment can become a label that follows them for years. So imagine what it must be like for someone whose life has always been watched. Someone expected to smile correctly, speak carefully, move gracefully, and remain flawless beneath thousands of eyes. One mistake. One rumor. One wrong step. And the foundation they spent years building can begin to crack.

Leeseo knew that better than most.

Trained to become an idol while still young, much of her life had been mapped out before she was old enough to understand it fully. There were rules to follow, boundaries not to cross, words she could say and words she could not. She was taught early that dreams could disappear just as quickly as they arrived, like dust caught in the wind. There were things taken from her along the way. Pieces of an ordinary youth traded for practice rooms, cameras, schedules, and expectations too heavy for someone so young. But she endured it all. Because she believed the sacrifices would mean something someday. Because she believed if she worked hard enough, stayed strong enough, and trusted herself enough, the future waiting for her would shine brighter than everything she had lost. And for a long time, it did.

Success had never come to her as easily as people assumed.From the outside, it looked effortless, bright lights, polished smiles, sold-out stages, and the kind of beauty people envied from behind their screens. But behind every graceful performance were years built on exhaustion, pressure, and surviving storms she had never asked for. There had been allegations. Rumors. Misunderstood moments twisted into headlines. Words thrown at her by people who had never met her, yet spoke as if they knew everything.

Every controversy, every whisper, every cruel comment became another step she was forced to climb. None of it was easy. None of it was gentle. And each experience, whether she wanted it or not, shaped the person she had become now at twenty years old. Older. Wiser. Far more tired than she should have been. Sometimes, Leeseo wished she could go back and scold her sixteen-year-old self, the girl who once begged to grow up faster. Because adulthood, she had learned, was not freedom wrapped in sunlight. It was responsibility. Loneliness. Compromise. It was smiling while exhausted. It was carrying expectations no one else could see. It was wanting things you could not have and pretending that did not hurt.

When she was younger, she thought becoming an adult meant finally being free to enjoy life however she wanted. And in some ways, that was true. If you were truly free at all. Leeseo knew now that she lived inside a bubble made from the very dream she once chased so desperately. A beautiful bubble, glittering from the outside but still a bubble nonetheless. It decided where she could go. Who she could meet. What she could say. What she had to hide.

And the cruelest part was that she had built it herself.She had always been a dreamer. A full-time dreamer, once upon a time. Her mind used to race with endless possibilities, with hope so large it could drown every fear. But lately, that engine inside her, the one that made her believe in tomorrow, felt broken. Out of service. Silent. As if it had quietly left one day and never planned on returning. She used to believe first times were sacred. Your first love. Your first kiss. Your first hand to hold. Your first hug that made your heart race.

To her, those moments were meant to be treasured forever.But outside her bubble, the world seemed to treat such things differently now. Love had become casual. Promises temporary. Bodies replaceable. Loyalty negotiable. People betrayed each other with the same ease they once said “I love you.” Commitment was laughed at. Sincerity was mistaken for weakness. And affection, something once precious, was traded around like currency.

Leeseo could only shake her head at it all. Maybe she was old-fashioned. Maybe she was naïve. Or maybe the world had simply forgotten how to love gently. Whatever the reason, one thought had slowly settled into her heart over the years: Love, in this generation, felt futile. It did not help that some of her fellow idols seemed to think the same way. To them, fans were little more than numbers. Fuel. A loyal crowd meant to lift them higher while remaining below, cheering from a distance as they rose further out of reach.

Leeseo knew this because she had seen it herself. And it disgusted her. She had once been a fan too, long before the stages, before the cameras, before people knew her name. She understood what it meant to admire someone, to save photos on your phone, to wait for comebacks, to find comfort in music made by people you may never meet. She would always be a fan of K-pop in some way. Which was exactly why the disrespect hurt so much. Because she knew fans did not love halfway. They gave time, money, energy, loyalty, and pieces of their hearts to people they believed in. To treat that devotion like something disposable felt cruel.

Yet she could never say any of this aloud. She had been trained too well. Smile politely. Answer carefully. Never cause trouble. Never reveal too much. So instead, she kept quiet and poured every unsaid thought into the pink diary she had owned since she was twelve years old. Its cover had faded over time, the corners softened by years of use. Inside it lived every version of her. The excited child, the exhausted trainee, the rising idol, the lonely young woman trying to understand herself. She wrote in it every night, especially on days when her chest felt too heavy with words she could not speak. One particular ent ry held a sentence she returned to often:

Love is old-fashioned for you, Hyunseo.

It was true. Love would always be old-fashioned to her. She had grown up watching her parents love each other quietly and faithfully. No grand performances. No games. No chasing attention. Just patience, respect, laughter in the kitchen, soft apologies, and hands that still reached for each other after all those years. That was love to her. Steady. Kind. Certain.She knew her standards because of them. She knew what kind of person she hoped for someday, someone who would not complete her, but walk beside her honestly. But sometimes, in the silence of her room, Leeseo wondered if love had simply never been meant for her. Because perhaps she had sacrificed it the moment she chose her dream. The only kind of love she had ever been openly allowed to receive was from fans. And she did love them for it. She loved them for the cheers, the letters, the patience, the way they stayed beside her through every era of her life.

But what if one day they didn’t? What if they became disappointed in her? What if they walked away? Then who would she be? People always told her the same thing, that she would not be Leeseo without her fans. It was meant as praise.But to her, it sounded like a warning. Because beneath all the applause and affection was the fear she never admitted aloud: If their love disappeared… would there be anything left of her at all?

Her favorite place to disappear was the university near their dorms. Not a café. Not a luxury store. Not some hidden celebrity lounge. A library. It was the one place where she was allowed to exist as herself, not Leeseo, not the polished idol people adored, but Hyunseo Lee. Just a young woman trying to understand life one quiet day at a time. Inside those walls, she had space that belonged only to her. Space where no cameras followed, no managers checked schedules, no strangers judged the angle of her smile. She could simply sit by the window, tuck her legs beneath her chair, and lose herself in the fictional worlds she loved so much. She adored action novels with reckless heroines and impossible stakes.But romance novels were her true weakness.The kind with accidental hand touches, stubborn leads who slowly fell in love, confessions under rain, and endings that promised warmth after hardship. There had been one afternoon when she read a scene so unbearably sweet that she squealed before she could stop herself. The librarian had immediately shushed her. And no, the librarian had not recognized her. Which somehow made it even better. For once, she was not famous. She was just another student being too loud in the library. A normal student. Well… almost normal. The reason she could come and go so freely without questions was simple: the head librarian happened to be her uncle. With a few favors, a spare access card, and his promise to keep her visits secret, the place had quietly become her sanctuary. And since most college students barely used the library unless exams were approaching, it often felt like her own private kingdom of books and silence.

That morning, autumn had wrapped the campus in soft gold. Leeseo walked toward the university gates while brown leaves scattered across the ground like crumpled paper. Each crunch beneath her boots made her giggle behind her mask, childish delight escaping in small bursts. Today, she looked nothing like an idol. No glamorous styling. No stage makeup. No expensive image to maintain. Just a girl dressed for the weather. A white cardigan hugged her shoulders over a flowery dress that swayed gently with each step. Black knee-high boots clicked against the pavement, and a pair of headphones rested around her neck, ready for whatever playlist matched her mood. Students passed by in waves around her. Some carried warm drinks with sleepy eyes and rushed steps. Some clutched folders and thesis papers like they were carrying the weight of the world. Others laughed with friends, talking excitedly about classes, professors, deadlines, and subjects she wished she had time to study herself. She watched them with quiet fascination. There was something beautiful about ordinary worries. Something precious about having the freedom to complain about homework instead of headlines. Though hidden behind her mask, a smile warmed her face. For a little while, she could pretend she belonged among them. And as the campus library came into view, tall and familiar beneath the autumn trees, Hyunseo Lee, not Leeseo, felt herself breathe easier.

Her seat was always on the second floor of the library, tucked beside the wide window overlooking the campus paths below. It had become her spot over time. From there, she could watch students hurry to class, couples share umbrellas, friends gossip on benches, and sleepy undergraduates drag themselves through morning lectures with coffee in hand. There was something strangely calming about observing lives so different from her own. It reminded her that the world was bigger than schedules, rehearsals, and cameras.

But today, something was off. The moment she reached her table, Leeseo noticed a sheet of paper resting neatly in the center. She blinked. That definitely had not been there yesterday. Then her eyes slowly lowered to the bottom half of it. Wet. Her tumbler sat innocently beside it, coated in condensation. Tiny beads of moisture had dripped down the metal surface and pooled onto the table, soaking nearly half the page.

“Oh no.”

She snatched the paper up in horror. The title read: Fluid Mechanics 101. Below it were equations, symbols, and formulas that looked less like schoolwork and more like an ancient curse. Numbers floated beside letters. Greek symbols glared at her. Fractions stacked like impossible architecture. She had no idea what any of it meant. But one thing was clear. It looked important. Very important. Leeseo’s stomach dropped.

“What do I do…?”

She glanced around wildly, already imagining an exhausted student crying over ruined notes, or worse, a furious professor hunting down whoever destroyed academic property. Then footsteps approached. Close. Steady. Getting closer. Her neck snapped toward the sound so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. A tall figure stopped beside the table. Panic exploded inside her chest. This was it. Her identity would be exposed not by scandal, not by paparazzi, but by accidentally drowning someone’s engineering homework. She shot to her feet immediately, bowing out of instinct and fear.

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to—”

You glanced at her, then at the soaked paper.

“...You’re the one who ruined it?”

Your voice held something strange. Not anger. Not disappointment. Something dangerously close to excitement. Leeseo froze. It felt like one of those moments when life suddenly went off script. Like when a barista casually asks, How’s your day? and someone answers, Terrible, actually, causing the poor employee’s soul to leave their body. That was exactly what this felt like. There was no possible way someone could sound happy about destroyed notes.

“Y-Yeah,” she admitted cautiously. “I did…”

Your eyes lit up.

“Yes!”

Leeseo flinched.

“Thank God,” you said, clutching the damp paper dramatically. “You are a lifesaver, miss.”

She stared.

“Now I don’t have to recite in class, and I can finally stop pretending my dog ate my notes.”

Her brain short-circuited.

“…What?”

You pointed at the page.

“Do you know how hard it is to fake understanding fluid mechanics? I’ve been nodding at equations for three weeks.”

Leeseo looked at the formulas again. Then back at you. Then at the formulas.

Then back at you.

“…So you’re not mad?”

“Mad?” you scoffed. “Miss, I’m considering buying you lunch.”

For the first time that morning, she laughed. A real laugh. Bright and sudden behind her mask. And just like that, the most stressful thirty seconds of her week became the funniest.

“By the way,” you said casually, slipping the ruined paper into your bag, “I haven’t seen you around this library before.”

Leeseo stiffened.

“I’m Y/N, by the way.” You offered a smile that reached your eyes. “What’s your name? And what course are you taking?”

Panic. Pure, immediate panic. A name was easy. A course was not. She hadn’t expected follow-up questions. Certainly not college-related ones. Sure, she had overheard her brother complain about university classes often enough, but if she named the same major and you happened to know anything about it, she’d be exposed within minutes. If she chose some random field, that was somehow worse, because she knew absolutely nothing about those too. It was a lose-lose situation. Leeseo swallowed hard behind her mask. Think. Think faster.

“I’m… Hyunseo,” she said first, relieved one truth had escaped her lips. Then came the lie.

“I uhh… major in education.”

You nodded.

So far so good. She panicked again and kept going.

“On… umm… kids.”

Silence. Her own soul left her body. On kids? What did that even mean?

“Yeah,” she added weakly. “Kids.”

She wanted the floor to split open and claim her. But to her surprise, your face brightened with understanding.

“Ah! So you’re going to be a teacher for children. That’s cool.”

Leeseo nearly collapsed from relief.

“That means you’re studying easy math and English, right?” you continued. “I’m jealous. Meanwhile I’m out here suffering through kinematics, machine design… and of course—” You held up the soaked page dramatically.

“Fluid mechanics.” You said it with the universal exhaustion of every overworked college student.

Leeseo, who understood none of those words beyond and and of, nodded solemnly like a wise scholar. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Very difficult.”

You sighed. “You get me.” She did not.

“Anyway,” you said, shifting your bag onto your shoulder, “about that lunch—”

“You don’t have to.”

The words came out sharper than either of you expected. You blinked. Your brows lifted slightly, the smallest sign of surprise crossing your face.

Leeseo straightened. “I mean…” she said, softer now but still firm, “you don’t have to do all this. I’m fine as it is.” She needed you to understand. Distance was safer. Politeness without closeness. Kindness without attachment. That bubble she lived in existed for a reason to keep disappointment outside where it belonged. Less drama. Less noise.Less chances to get hurt. Better that way. You studied her for a moment. Then grinned.

“Well, how about this?”

Leeseo already disliked the confidence in your tone.

“Since I’m running late today, I’ll bring drinks tomorrow and wait for you here.”

She opened her mouth. You kept going.

“Or,” you said thoughtfully, glancing at the table, “I’ll just leave one right here with a note.” You pointed dramatically at the wood surface. “Drink reserved for Hyunseo.”

Her eyes widened.

“See you tomorrow,” you said, stepping backward toward the stairs. “Thanks again.”

And just like that, you left. No hesitation. No room for protest. No respect at all for the speech she had just delivered. Leeseo stood frozen beside the table, blinking repeatedly behind her mask. There was no way. No way a man had just ignored her boundaries so cheerfully. No way she had made a perfectly clear point only for him to walk straight past it with a smile. She looked at the damp Fluid Mechanics paper still in her hand. Then toward the staircase where you had disappeared. Then back at the paper.

“…Ridiculous.”

Yet for some reason, the corner of her mouth kept trying to smile. All she could do was sigh. With her book tucked against her chest, Leeseo walked back to the members’ dorm, replaying the strange encounter in her mind over and over again. What a ridiculous day. What an unnecessarily charming, confusing, disruptive day. Her sanctuary had been invaded by a man with damp notes and too much confidence. By the time she reached the dorm, she had already made up her mind. She was not going back to that library for a long time. Absolutely not.

“Gaeul-unnie, thanks for letting me borrow your book,” Leeseo said the next evening, handing it back carefully. “I liked the concept of the red string theory.”

Gaeul looked at the book. Then at her. Then back at the book. “Huh?” she said. “You didn’t return it to the library?” Leeseo blinked.

“…Should I?”

“Yes?” Gaeul laughed. “It’s due tomorrow. I must’ve forgotten to tell you. Sorry, Leeseo-ya.”

Silence. Pure silence. Leeseo stared ahead as if her soul had left the room. There was no way. No way the universe was this petty. She had dramatically sworn never to return there, and now fate itself had handed her a late fee. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

She barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed your smug smile. Could she report you for stalking? No. Could she legally tase you? Probably not. Would it be satisfying? Absolutely. She rolled left. Then right. Then face-down. Then diagonally across the bed like a defeated starfish. Sleep never came.

So by the time she arrived on campus the next morning, she looked and felt utterly drained. Not even comeback promotions with full schedules had exhausted her this much. Yet here she was, cardigan wrapped around her, book in hand, silently praying you had forgotten your dramatic promise. The old library door creaked open. She scanned the room. No sign of you. Good. She approached the front desk and handed over the book with forced calmness. The librarian stamped the return card and slid it aside. Leeseo casually glanced around again. Still no sign of you. Good. And yet… Somewhere annoyingly deep inside her chest, there was the faintest sting of disappointment. She frowned at herself. Ridiculous.

“Um… excuse me, ma’am?” she asked suddenly.

The librarian looked up.

“Have you seen a guy come in here? Around five-seven… maybe five-eight?”

The librarian waited. Leeseo panicked and added, “Looks too mature, but also kind of like a golden retriever.”

The woman stared at her. “A golden retriever human?”

Leeseo wanted to evaporate on the spot. Why had she said that? Why was she describing a stranger’s vibe?

“N-Never mind,” she muttered quickly. “Sorry.”

Face warm with embarrassment, she hurried away. Her feet moved on autopilot toward her usual table upstairs. And then she stopped. There you were. Sleeping peacefully with your head resting on folded arms, sprawled over the table as though the library belonged to you. Beside you sat two iced lattes, both cold enough that condensation beaded down the cups. Waiting. For her. Sunlight streamed through the window and landed across your face so perfectly it looked staged, turning the scene annoyingly beautiful. Like some prince in a romance novel waiting for the heroine he absolutely did not deserve to resemble. Leeseo’s cheeks warmed instantly.

“Idiot…” she murmured.

A smile slipped onto her lips before she erased it just as quickly. Her eyes dropped to the drinks. One had a label written in marker: Supernova lover She almost scoffed. How cliché. And suspiciously informed. It was also the best drink from the campus café, a fact she knew well, because she bought it often. She stood there, uncertain. Should she wake you? Should she leave? Should she pretend she never saw this and run? But the sweating cups told their own story. You had been here a while. Waiting. Not knowing if she would come. Not knowing if she would ignore you. Not knowing if yesterday meant anything at all. Yet you stayed. That thought made something soft bloom in her chest. You should have left. You should have forgotten her. You should have lied. That would have been easier. That would have been normal. But no. You stayed. You kept your word. You waited for someone who gave you every reason not to. And in a world where romance felt cheapened, careless, and hollow, you held onto it like the last warm ember. Leeseo lowered herself quietly into the chair across from you. Then reached for the latte meant for her.

Still cold. Still sweet. Still waiting. Just like you.

“Hey… you awake?”

Her voice was soft as feathers, sweet as honey, gentle enough to slip into your dreams and pull you back to reality. Your eyes slowly opened. And there she was. Face glowing beneath the morning light, delicate and bright like something too precious to touch carelessly. Her hazel-brown eyes were kissed by sunlight streaming through the window, warm and golden at the edges. For a second, you simply stared. She was too beautiful to be described by ordinary words.

“Am I in heaven?” you murmured sleepily. “Because I’m looking at an angel in real time.”

“Guess you’re awake,” she replied flatly.

You laughed under your breath and stretched your arms, shaking off sleep as Leeseo sat across from you. She picked up the drink you bought and inspected it with suspicious seriousness.

“Milk latte. With sprinkles,” she noted. “Not my usual choice… but I’d like it.”

Then she looked at you directly. “So what’s your deal?”

Her expression remained unreadable, polished blankness perfected by years of idol training. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think she felt nothing at all.

You only chuckled. “Just wanted to be friends.” You took a sip of your drink.

“Yeah,” she said instantly. “With benefits, right?”

The silence that followed was somehow louder than the library itself. You blinked. Once. Twice. Then realization hit, and a laugh escaped you, warm, genuine, impossible to hold back.

“How in the world did you come to that conclusion?” you asked, grinning. “Like seriously, walk me through the process.”

Leeseo frowned. “I mean… everyone wants to get in bed more than they want real friendship. And the fact you’re a guy and I’m a girl—”

“Who says I’m part of the everyone you’re talking about?” You leaned back slightly, amused. That smug look on your face made her mouth open. Close. Open again. Then close once more. She hated that expression. It was the kind worn by people who thought they were different, until time exposed them like everyone else. Maybe if she pushed enough, your mask would fall too.

“Well, I just…” she started, frustrated. “I just know, okay? I’ve seen guys like you. They act friendly, wait until I’m vulnerable, then suddenly they want something else.”

You tilted your head. “That’s oddly specific.”

She stiffened. “You read that on Twitter or TikTok?” You spoke which caught her off guard.

“N-No!” The answer came too quickly.

You raised a brow. There it was. Leeseo looked away, annoyed with herself. You set your drink down and spoke more gently this time.

“Look, Hyunseo. Not everyone belongs to the everyone you’re describing.”

She glanced back at you.

“I get your point,” you continued. “You want to protect yourself. You want to move freely without being pressured into what society says you should do, feel, or become.” Your voice stayed calm, steady. “But the people you’re talking about? They’re one circle.” You tapped the table lightly. “There are other circles too.”

Leeseo went quiet. The words settled somewhere deeper than she wanted to admit. She had every reason to be defensive. She had watched the world cheapen connection, blur boundaries, turn affection into convenience. She wanted no part in it. So she built walls. Strong ones. Necessary ones. But now, sitting across from someone who had waited for her with cold coffee and no demands. she wondered if maybe she had mistaken the whole world for only one crowd.

You suddenly stood up, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “Well,” you said casually, “since I already gave you the drink I promised, I’ll be on my way now.”

Leeseo blinked. Things were moving far too fast. First, you challenged everything she had just said. Then you spoke like some annoyingly wise philosopher. And now you were leaving? Just like that? How dare you. Her chair scraped loudly against the floor as she stood so abruptly several students glanced over.

“Wait!”

You turned back. Leeseo marched a step closer, eyes narrowed.

“You can’t just leave me like this.”

“…Like what?”

“You started this.”

Her voice rose without permission. Around the room, heads slowly lifted from books. Wonderful.

“You said you were different,” she continued, “yet you’re acting exactly like them.”

“Hyunseo, that’s not—”

“If you’re going to be different, then don’t leave me like this!”

“Okay, now you’re making me sound like the villain.”

“How dare you shake up all my emotions and then just walk away an—mmph?!”

You clapped a hand gently over her mouth before she could finish. Not to be dramatic. But because the entire second floor now looked ready to witness a public breakup between two people who were not dating. Leeseo glared at you. Unfortunately for her, the glare looked more adorable than threatening.

“Come on,” you muttered.

By the time you reached outside campus grounds, you finally let go of her mouth. You exhaled deeply. Thank God no one had tried to intervene while you half-guided, half-carried an outraged tiny woman out of the library. Your relief lasted exactly one second.

Thwack.

Leeseo kicked your shin. “Jerk!”

“Ow!” You grabbed your leg. “Why are you so violent?”

“Why did you shut me up and drag me away?”

“Because you were making things weird.”

She opened her mouth to argue. Then paused. Then remembered exactly how she sounded.

Then turned bright red. And instead of admitting it, she chose violence again. Tiny fists repeatedly landed against your chest.

“Jerk! Pervert! Idiot! Douchebag! And all of the above!”

You barely felt it. It was less assault and more aggressive tapping.

You laughed. “You ran out of insults, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” she huffed. “But you get the point.”

“I really do.”

Eventually, her playful attack slowed to a stop. You straightened. “So,” you said, “I still want to be friends. My offer stands.”

Leeseo crossed her arms. “And what exactly do I gain from this?”

You gestured proudly to yourself. “Me, of course.”

“Pass.”

You gasped dramatically.“What? You went off script. That’s not what you were supposed to say. Time out.”You made a giant T-shape with your hands. That finally earned a laugh from her. Small. Bright. Real. It slipped out before she could stop it. And for someone who often laughed because cameras expected it, because manners required it, or because professionalism demanded it, this one was just hers. You smiled.

“You’re insufferable,” she muttered.

“Yet you laughed.”

She hated that you were right. Leeseo looked away, thinking. Friendship was risky. Connections came with strings. Expectations. Disappointment. Pain. She knew all of that. But you weren’t from her world. No cameras. No contracts. No hidden agenda she could see. Maybe this could be different. Maybe stepping outside her bubble, even a little, wouldn’t destroy her. Maybe for once, she wanted to be Hyunseo. Not Leeseo.

“…Fine,” she said at last. “I’ll see you again tomorrow. Same spot.”

You grinned immediately.

“But don’t be late,” she added. “Or I’ll leave early.”

“There’s a reason they call me the Bird Man.”

She frowned. “Why?”

You leaned in. “Because I have a Big Di—”

“Look at the time!” she blurted, spinning around instantly. “I have to go. Tomorrow, Y/N. Don’t piss me off.” She stuck her tongue out at you in what was clearly meant to be a threatening gesture. It failed completely. It only made her look cuter. You watched her walk away, boots clicking against the pavement. Then shook your head, smiling to yourself. How could God create someone so adorable while she was actively trying to be angry? That was a mystery you fully intended to study tomorrow.

As the days passed, something about Leeseo began to change. It was subtle at first. A smile she tried to hide when walking through the dorm door. The way she clutched her phone closer to her chest whenever someone walked by. The soft giggles coming from her room late at night. How she suddenly volunteered to “go for a walk” more often than usual. How her mood seemed lighter, brighter, like someone had quietly turned the sun back on inside her. Gaeul noticed first. And once Gaeul noticed something, it was only a matter of time before everyone else did too. So one evening, while Leeseo was out, Gaeul held an emergency member meeting. A very serious one. Without the person being discussed.

“She’s smiling at her phone,” Gaeul announced dramatically.

Rei gasped. Wonyoung leaned forward immediately. “No way.”

“She keeps sneaking into her room and closing the door,” Gaeul continued.

Rei clutched her chest. “Our baby is growing up…”

Wonyoung looked ready to cry tears of pride. Meanwhile, Yujin sat with crossed arms, unconvinced. To her, romance in their industry wasn’t cute. It was dangerous. Scandals, headlines, rumors, backlash, one mistake could become a wildfire. Liz worried for a different reason. She feared heartbreak more than headlines. Leeseo loved deeply, even when she tried not to. If someone hurt her, Liz wasn’t sure she’d recover easily. Still, all five members agreed on one thing: They needed answers.

They didn’t have to wait long. One rare afternoon off, Yujin called everyone into the living room.

Even Leeseo. Especially Leeseo. She entered with her phone in hand, barely paying attention, already giggling at another ridiculous reel you had sent her. Then another meme. Then another meme reel, this time its a clip of Ishowspeed saying “Kill that boy”. She didn’t even know she found this kind of humor funny. Apparently, she did now.

“Why are we meeting?” she asked absentmindedly, still typing.

Yujin sat forward. “We’re here for one purpose only.”

Leeseo finally looked up. “…What?”

“You.” Leeseo froze. The room suddenly felt smaller.

“You’ve been sneaking out lately,” Yujin continued. “Laughing at your phone alone. Smiling to yourself. Acting suspiciously happy.” Rei nodded solemnly. “Very suspicious.”

“And,” Yujin added, “it seems there’s a guy involved.”

Leeseo’s eyes widened, only slightly, but enough for everyone to notice. Being stared at by all five members at once made her feel strangely vulnerable. Like she was twelve again, caught doing something she couldn’t explain.Thankfully, Liz moved closer beside her.

“We’re not here to judge you,” Liz said gently. “Just be honest. We won’t stop you unless it’s something really bad.”

Leeseo swallowed. Then took a deep breath.

“I made a friend,” she said carefully. “At my library spot.”

Silence. Then Gaeul slowly turned to the others.

“She has a library spot?”

Wonyoung whispered, “That’s not the important part.”

Yujin stayed focused. “A guy?”

Leeseo looked down. “…Yeah.”

“Does he know who you are?”

Leeseo shook her head. Yujin inhaled slowly, the burden of leadership settling across her shoulders. As leader, protecting her members wasn’t optional. Even from personal choices. Especially from personal choices.

“Leeseo,” she said firmly, “you’re an adult now. You’re not a kid we constantly have to remind anymore. So be smart. Be mindful of who you trust. You don’t know if people have good intentions or if they’re using you—”

“I know what I’m doing!”

The words snapped out sharper than anyone expected. The room fell silent. Leeseo herself looked startled. It was rare, almost unheard of, for her to raise her voice. She was the sunshine of the group. The softest laugh. The youngest one everyone babied. To see her angry now felt like watching summer thunder for the first time. Her chest rose and fell quickly.

“I know what I’m doing,” she repeated, quieter this time. “You all keep talking like I’m still a child.”

No one spoke. Because beneath the frustration was something they all suddenly understood. Leeseo wasn’t angry about the boy. She was angry that no one realized she had already grown up. For Leeseo, it was exhausting. All her life, someone had always been there to tell her what not to do.

Don’t say this. Don’t wear that. Don’t trust too easily. Don’t speak too much. Don’t make mistakes. Don’t disappoint people. Don’t be careless. Don’t be yourself too loudly. Ever since she was twelve, the world had handed her a script and expected her to follow it perfectly. Again and again. Year after year. Everyone seemed to know what was best for her. Everyone knew what they needed from her. Very few ever asked what she needed. And now she was twenty. Two years past eighteen. A legal adult. Yet people still looked at her like someone who needed to be managed. She was tired. So tired. Couldn’t she choose herself just once?

“You guys don’t have to keep reminding me,” she said, voice trembling with frustration as she faced her members. “I know.”

They listened quietly.

“I know I need to be careful. I know I should be wary of strangers. I know I shouldn’t trust someone just because I met them randomly, or because they say nice things, or because they might be a fan.” Her eyes stung.

“I know all of that.” She took a breath.

“I understand the consequences of my actions.” Then softer

“So please… just this once.”

Her voice cracked. “Let me choose myself.”

No one stopped her when she stood. No one spoke when she walked to her room. The door shut behind her with more sadness than anger.

She didn’t care what the others were saying in the living room. Right now, she wanted to be alone. Or rather there was only one person she wanted around. She grabbed her phone and typed quickly. Hey, can we meet at the campus? At that tree near the benches? I know it’s a bit late but… please? Ten seconds didn’t even pass. Sure. Everything okay? Leeseo exhaled. Later. Send.

She slipped out of the dorm quietly, pulling on a hoodie and mask before heading into the night. The walk was calm. Cool air. Streetlights glowing. The city quieter than usual. And there you were already beneath the old campus tree, sitting casually on a bench in a sweater and shorts like someone who had never once worried about impressing anybody. Leeseo smiled despite herself. She sat beside you.

“So,” you said lightly, “what’s up?”

She looked at the stars first. Needed courage from somewhere. Then spoke. “I’m an idol.”

Silence. Her heart pounded instantly. There it was. The truth. No more student lie. No education major. No ordinary Hyunseo from the library. She was a singer. A dancer. A performer. She had lied to you. And now she couldn’t even bring herself to look at your face. Then

“Super idol de xiào róng, dōu méi nǐ de tián—”

She snapped toward you in disbelief.

“Not the meme song from IShowSpeed!” she cried. “I’m an idol! A K-pop idol! Jesus Christ!”

You blinked innocently. “What?”

Leeseo stared at you, completely stunned. This idiot had really responded to her life-changing confession with a viral meme song.

“Do you ever take anything seriously?”

“Nope.”

You leaned back against the bench. “That’s why life is fun.”

She frowned.

“I just let life flow and see where it takes me. Besides…” You turned toward her. “I don’t really care if you’re a K-pop idol, the president, an alien, or a demon.”

Leeseo blinked.

“You’re my friend.” Your voice softened.

“And you’re a good person. That’s enough for me.”

She couldn’t speak. No shock. No fangirling. No asking for favors. No scheming. No sudden change in behavior. Just… you. A regular college guy with nothing flashy about him. And somehow, that made you stand out more than anyone she had ever met. A laugh escaped her. Small at first. Then fuller. Warmer.

“I got worried for nothing,” she admitted.

You grinned. “Then stop worrying about everything.” You nudged her shoulder gently.

“And start doing what you want to do.”

Leeseo looked up at the stars again. For the first time in a long while, The future didn’t feel like a cage. Leeseo looked at you and slowly nodded. Just do what you want to do. Such a simple sentence. Yet that night, those words carved themselves deep into her heart. Something changed in her beneath that starlit sky. Something loosened. Something woke up. Something that had been buried under years of rules, fear, and expectations.

Why?

Because the very next day, as she stood waiting near the campus gate for you, she saw you first. And unfortunately she also saw the girl beside you. Laughing. Talking. Standing too close. Leeseo did not like that. Not one bit. The excited smile she wore all morning vanished instantly. Her expression cooled. Her eyes sharpened like a hawk spotting prey. And for reasons she refused to examine, she hated that girl more than what Trae Young did to the New York Knicks in 2021. To make matters worse, the campus speakers were softly playing Love U Like That. Almost mockingly.

‘Drunk in the rain,Really old habits,Really old baggage…’

Each lyric felt like it had climbed directly into her chest. She didn’t even realize she was already walking toward you. Fast. Purposeful. Dangerously cute. You and your friend stopped mid-conversation when she appeared. Her eyes threw daggers at you. You, meanwhile, only brightened.

“Hey, Hyunseo—”

‘Goddamn, okay,You’re so attractive,How did that happen?’

“Let’s go.” Before you could react, she grabbed your wrist and pulled. Firmly. Possessively. Your eyes widened. You had never heard that tone from her before. You were kind of into it. You like this.

“Yow, Hyunseo, slow down,” you laughed as she dragged you across campus. “My class doesn’t start for another—”

‘I’m wide awake,I don’t need coffee,I know you want me…’

“I don’t care.” She kept walking. Then muttered, cheeks already heating.

“I don’t like it when she’s with you.”

You nearly tripped. Could it be?

“I mean,” you said carefully, “she’s just my friend and—”

‘And me the same,You’re so attractive,How did that happen?’

“I know!” Leeseo snapped, spinning around to face you. “But can’t you see the way she was looking at you?” She pointed dramatically back toward the gate.

“Like what?” you asked, fighting a grin.

“Like she likes you, you big dummy!”

There it was. Pink cheeks. Flustered breathing. Eyes refusing to meet yours. Heart practically audible from where you stood. The song still drifted through the air like fate itself had taken over playlist duty. You stepped closer.

“So what?” you asked softly. “It’s not a big deal, right?”

“It is because I… I…”

You leaned down, lowering yourself to her height. Close enough to admire every detail she tried to hide. Her perfectly sculpted features. The warmth blooming across her cheeks. The way her lips parted slightly whenever she got nervous.

“I… I…”

You smiled gently. “You what?”

Her breath caught. “Tell me, Leeseo.”

‘I love you like that,Everything you do just turns me on…’

“I like you.”

Three words. Eight letters. One truth.

The world seemed to pause.

‘Six o’clock in the morning, babe,Want you more than yesterday…’

You opened your mouth, ready to tease her, praise her, make her suffer just a little for all the chaos she caused. But before a single word left you, she ran. Fast. Ridiculously fast. So fast you briefly wondered if she had secretly trained for national track events. You stood there laughing helplessly as she disappeared down the path, cardigan flying behind her. Meanwhile, Leeseo’s mind was in complete disaster mode.

Did I really say that?

Why did I say that?

Can I ever return to campus?

Should I fake my death?

Yet beneath the panic, beneath the embarrassment, beneath the racing thoughts, Was joy. Pure and terrifying joy. Was this really love? Was this what old-fashioned love felt like? Could she really love like this? Questions raced through her mind like bullet trains without brakes. But one answer stood above them all. For once, She chose herself. Sadly, happiness rarely stays unnoticed. Especially not when eyes are always watching.

From the bushes near the pathway, a camera shutter clicked. Once. Twice. Then several more times. The lens captured the exact moment you leaned down to Leeseo’s height, close enough to make the world assume intimacy. Close enough to create a story. The man behind the camera smirked. He rushed to his car, opened his laptop, and began typing the kind of article that could change lives before breakfast.

Meanwhile, completely unaware, Leeseo had launched herself onto her bed face-first, screaming into her pillow as loudly as she could. There was no way. No way she had just confessed. Her. The great Hyunseo Lee. The girl who overthought every feeling. The girl who analyzed every possibility. The girl who prided herself on composure. Confessing to a guy. In public. Never in a million years had she imagined herself doing something so reckless. She had expected you to confess first. That had been the script in her head. But everything about you made her thoughts scatter like sparks in the wind. You made her happy. Excited. Warm. Ridiculous. And now she had confessed and wanted the bed to swallow her whole. She groaned into the pillow again. Then her bedroom door opened. Liz peeked in.

“Everything okay?” Liz asked gently.

Leeseo lifted her face, cheeks still burning. “…I confessed.”

Liz gasped. Then immediately betrayed her.

“SHE CONFESSED! EVERYONE QUICK! LEESEO CONFESSED TO A GUY!”

“UNNIE!” Leeseo cried.

Within seconds, chaos arrived. Wonyoung entered in a bathrobe, hair full of shampoo. Rei walked in carrying breakfast and still eating. Yujin appeared looking like sleep itself had personally offended her. Gaeul calmly shut the door behind everyone like this was now an official meeting. Leeseo buried her face again.

“I… ran away.”

The room froze. “You what?” Yujin asked slowly.

“I didn’t hear his response.”

All five members groaned in unison. Because why would anyone run away from a confession they initiated? Yujin inhaled, clearly preparing a leadership lecture. But before she could begin, Rei gasped loudly. Everyone turned. She held up her phone. Trending on social media was an article from Dispatch. BREAKING: IVE Leeseo Seen With Mystery Man Presumed to Be Her Boyfriend on Campus

The attached image was from earlier. The angle made it look like you were kissing her. Wonyoung clutched her chest dramatically.

“Scandalous,” she said with teasing elegance.

“That’s nonsense!” Leeseo cried. “I didn’t kiss him—” She froze.

“…Yet.”

The room erupted. But beneath the teasing, everyone understood the danger. This was exactly what Yujin had feared. Exactly the kind of storm idols were forced to endure. Yujin softened.

“Leeseo… your fans…”

“It’s okay, unnie.”

Leeseo stood straighter. Calmer than anyone expected. “I chose this.”

Her voice was steady. “And I’ll stand by it.”

The room went quiet. Because this was not the old Leeseo. The old Leeseo would have cried. Panicked. Asked others to fix things for her. But now, She looked grown. Determined. Confident. Yujin smiled faintly.

“Leeseo, that’s great and all, but how do we—”

“WAIT!” Rei shouted again.

Another update had appeared. The previous article had been deleted. Replaced by a new headline:

BREAKING: DISPATCH WRITER EXPOSED FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE AFTER EVIDENCE SURFACES ONLINE

Everyone stared. Apparently, the journalist who wrote Leeseo’s scandal article had just been exposed through screenshots, messages, and photos posted online by an anonymous account named:

LatteSprinkleLover69

The scandal exploded instantly. Within minutes, the entire internet forgot Leeseo’s article ever existed. Her members celebrated in disbelief. But Leeseo only smiled quietly. Because there was only one person ridiculous enough to choose that username.

Golden hour painted the campus in warm amber light. Sunlight kissed the library windows and spilled across the second-floor floorboards. You sat at the familiar table, an empty sprinkle milk latte beside you, watching students pass outside. Peaceful. Calm. Then came footsteps you knew by heart already.

“You have a very unique username on Twitter.”

Leeseo’s voice. You turned. She surprised you by sitting beside you this time, not across. Close enough that your shoulders nearly touched. She smiled warmly, though her gaze kept drifting to your lips.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you said innocently.

She giggled. “I’m not going to ask how you found everything about that guy,” she said softly. “I just want to say…”

“Hm?”

You turned toward her. And her lips met yours. Soft. Quick. Warm like strawberry and sweetness. A tiny kiss that still managed to shake your whole chest. She pulled back immediately, cheeks red, giggling nervously.

“Thanks,” she whispered. “And… I hope you like me too.”

You smiled and flicked her forehead lightly. “Of course, you dummy.”

She pouted and slapped your shoulder. “Hey! That’s my line, dummy.”

“Nuh-uh,” you said proudly. “Since we’re a couple now, it’s our word.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What is this? Communism?”

You straightened dramatically. “Yes, comrade.”

Leeseo burst into laughter. So did you. And together, in the same library where it all began, your laughter filled the silence.Later that night, in her pink diary, Leeseo wrote one final entry:

Love is old-fashioned for me and you.Sincerely,Hyunseo and Y/N.

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