Rewrite the Rules

Rewrite the rules: Part 44

The air crackled on the Video call with Daisy's skepticism as she sliced through my narrative. "Okay, let me get this straight," she began, her voice laced with disbelief. "You're telling me you're dating this hot K-pop idol, but you actively tried to dissuade him from pursuing a relationship?"

I winced internally. Maybe downplaying my initial apprehension hadn't been the brightest idea. Samina, perched on the armrest of the sofa at her home, chimed in with a sly smile. "Hey, gotta cover her bases, right? Can't have him coming back later with the whole 'she never warned me' card."

Daisy wasn't buying it. "But seriously, Samina," she countered. "I saw that snippet from the club. Not once did I see him hold your hand, or even drape an arm casually around you on the couch. Most of the night, you were glued to Jungkook's side. And then there is the whole losing the phone."

A knot of unease tightened in my stomach. Maybe Daisy had a point. The night had been a whirlwind – flashing lights, pounding music, and a suffocating sense of being constantly on display. But amidst the chaos, I'd sworn there were stolen glances and hushed conversations with him, glimpses of a connection that went beyond the superficial.

"Come on, Daisy," I offered, my voice laced with a touch of defensiveness, "you know the drill. The more public we get, the more scrutiny we face. Thankfully, the paparazzi got their fill before I was spending time with Namjoon – we talked, we slow-danced."

Samina raised an eyebrow. "Sounds an awful lot like you're defending him, girl." She leaned forward, her concern etched on her face. "Honestly, this whole thing with the necklace – it feels like a love-bombing tactic, you know?"

My cheeks flushed. "Love-bombing? But he shut down any physical intimacy! If he was showering me with gifts to manipulate me, wouldn't..." I trailed off, the implication hanging heavy in the air.

Daisy's eyes widened comically. "Wait, what? Hold on a minute. He... he doesn't want to sleep with you?"

"That's exactly what he said," I confirmed, a bewildered huff escaping my lips.

Samina, ever the voice of reason, interjected. "Okay, so maybe love-bombing isn't quite it. Maybe he's just genuinely interested. When you do get time together, he treats you well?"

I sank deeper into the couch, replaying snippets of our time in my mind – the shy smiles exchanged across the crowded room, the way his gaze seemed to linger on me a beat too long during conversations. "Yeah," I admitted hesitantly. "When we have a chance to be alone, he's... romantic."

"And let's not forget," Samina added placatingly, "they just started dating. Maybe grand gestures are his way of navigating this crazy world he lives in."

Daisy wasn't fully convinced. She settled back, tapping her tablet thoughtfully. "I still don't know," she mumbled. "A necklace on basically date one? It's a bit..."

A chuckle bubbled up from my chest, tinged with nervousness. "Look, maybe it is a bit much," I conceded. "But hey, at least it's not another gaudy Tiffany bracelet like that CEO guy tried to shove on me during our first – and only – date. Thankfully, I returned that one."

The air hung heavy with unspoken worry as I recounted the whirlwind of the past week. Daisy, ever the pragmatist, furrowed her brow. "This whole announcement from Big Hit just throws everything into chaos," she muttered. "Senior idols dating? The media's going to have a field day."

A knot of apprehension tightened in my stomach. Daisy was right. The K-Pop world thrived on control, and this sudden shift felt like an earthquake, throwing everything off-balance. Samina said. "she's not wrong, Em. But you've handled the media before, haven't you?"

"Yeah, that's what he seemed to like about me," I admitted, a wry smile twisting my lips. The memory of past heartbreaks, the sting of media scrutiny, flickered at the edges of my mind.

Daisy's smile faded. "And we all know how that turned out," she said softly, her voice laced with a hint of past experience.

Taking a deep breath, I forced a light tone. "It's a calculated risk, you know? Like walking a tightrope. But hey, at least the view from the top is amazing, right?"

"The spotlight isn't always sunshine and rainbows, Em," Samina cautioned, her voice gentle but firm. "You've seen the darker side of fame firsthand."

"I know, I know," I sighed, the weight of their concern settling on my shoulders. "It's a gamble, but I'm willing to take it. Namjoon... he's been surprisingly open about things, considering the circumstances."

Daisy's skepticism cut through the air. "Open, huh? But this 'no sleeping together' rule? That's a bit unorthodox, wouldn't you say?"

A blush crept up my cheeks. "His explanation was that he wants to take things slow. Honestly, with him breaking K-Pop tradition left and right, who am I to argue?"

"Did he ghost you again now he's in LA?" Daisy asked.

"No and he is crazy busy. Tons of texts and a video over breakfast today." I said.

"Well, we'll see." Said Samina.

The call ended with a wave and a ghost of a smile on my end. Samina's playful jab about breaking norms lingered in the air, a spark of defiance igniting in my chest. Maybe, I thought, just maybe, this wouldn't be all calculated risks and media scrutiny. Maybe there was space, a sliver of possibility, for genuine connection amidst the whirlwind.

Pushing myself up from the couch, I wandered towards the window, the cityscape sprawling beneath the fading light. The world outside seemed to hum with a new energy, the promise of adventure tingling on my fingertips. Dating a K-Pop idol was uncharted territory, a world of unknowns. Yet, amidst the trepidation, a flicker of excitement danced in my eyes.

"Alright, world," I whispered, a newfound determination settling in my voice. "Let's see what this crazy ride has in store."