Notice Me - Choi Beomgyu

Nineteen

Early August, 2022

Anticipation filled Jian as she prepared to meet Beomgyu. She had suggested to grab lunch at a cozy café — a rather casual setting, yet the prospect of spending time alone with him outside work made her heart race.

Arriving at the café, she scanned the room nervously until her eyes landed on him, already seated and smiling warmly. His presence eased her nerves instantly, and she couldn't suppress her own grin as she approached him.

"Hi! It's great to see you," she greeted him warmly, a touch of relief in her voice as she settled into the chair he pulled out for her.

"Hello," he replied with a hint of enthusiasm, clearly happy to be there. "Please order what you'd like to have. I've heard the burgers are really delicious here."

She took a moment to collect herself, and ordered a toasty panini sandwich and a cup of iced americano. Gesturing that she was finished, she asked, "How have you been?"

"The concert was great. I really liked spending time in America and enjoying the lovely weather, while meeting so many MOAs after so long." he admitted, his eyes lighting up as he talked about his recent endeavours. "Felt unwell for a few days but it's all good now. How about you? How's work?"

She leaned forward, eager to share. "It's been crazy but exciting. The debut of Min Hee-jin-nim's girl group, New Jeans, has been spreading like wildfire throughout our department. Many of us feel amazed by Min PD's creativity-- so many groups out follow the formula when they debut, you've been through the same process so you know: introduce the name of the group, then the members, drop a few teasers here and there, then the highlight reel for the album, waiting for a few weeks before dropping the long-awaited debut. This way, the public is intrigued and also accustomed to the members, knowing who is who before they officially debut. But Min PD did it differently, and ADOR released their first music video for "Attention" with no concept photos or trailers released in advance. It's such an effective and clever way of introducing the group." She stopped suddenly, embarrassed. "I spoke too much, didn't I? I'm sorry. What do you think about New Jeans' debut?"

"No, not at all," he reassured her with a warm smile. "I find it fascinating to hear about the process from your perspective. It's refreshing to see how much thought goes into each step of a debut, especially from someone who's working behind the scenes of a production and possibly interacts with the ADOR team members who made it all happen."

Beomgyu secretly found her enthusiastic rambling endearing. As a performer, he was accustomed to focusing on his role on stage, he was merely singing and dancing, but he was not knowledgable of what goes on behind the scenes or during post production. 

"I feel like Min PD-nim and her team are a group of geniuses." Jian continued. "It's an interesting way of creating hype for their debut, and will definitely build on the interest that many people have in the group already. They knew they didn't need to release the names of the girls right away, people interested in them and their music would search for them online anyway and it definitely worked, because they're the hot topic right now, their names are literally trending everywhere."

Beomgyu nodded, and began to share his thoughts. "From an artist's perspective, it's very exciting. Hearing about New Jeans and their throwback to 90s and 2000s musical styles—it's intriguing. Their Y2K style definitely sets them apart. It must be thrilling to work on something that breaks away from the current trends and brings something fresh to the table. And the members really like it too. Soobin-hyung and Taehyun have been looping their song 'Hype Boy' non-stop during the past few days. When the song was released, I thought they were singing 'Hybe boy' which made me rather confused because it was the name of the company, you know. But turns out it was just my bad English."

Jian laughed in amusement.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly, shifting between shared interests and personal updates. She found herself enjoying his company more than she had anticipated, the ease of their banter and the way his laughter filled the air around them.

As they sipped their drinks and continued to chat, she couldn't help but notice the way his eyes lit up when he talked about his passions. It was moments like these that made her grateful for taking this chance, for stepping beyond the boundaries of friendship to explore what could be. Each moment spent together deepened their connection, and yet, beneath the surface, an unspoken tension lingered— an uncharted territory of emotions they were both hesitant to explore.

She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes softened when he talked about his dreams and people he loved, his family and friends, or how his laughter seemed to resonate deep within her. There was a comfort in his presence, a sense of familiarity that made her heart flutter with both excitement and fear. She found herself drawn to him in ways she hadn't expected, appreciating not just his talent and passion but the person he was beyond the stage. He, too, felt a magnetic pull towards her — an admiration for her dedication to her craft, her intelligence, and the genuine kindness that radiated from her. 

Yet, they both knew the importance of maintaining professionalism, of respecting the boundaries they had set as friends and colleagues. They had seen firsthand how relationships within the industry between people of the opposite sex could be scrutinised and misunderstood, and the thought of jeopardising their friendship — or worse, their entire careers — was too much of a risk.

He hesitated, wanting to reach out, to express the swirling thoughts and emotions that threatened to spill over. But he held back, fearing that crossing that line could irreparably change everything between them. 

"Well, this was really nice," she said softly, as they headed out the café together, breaking the silence as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, it was," he replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of warmth and hesitation. "I always enjoy our talks."

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Me too. It's nice to have someone who gets it, you know?"

He chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on her face. "Yeah, I do. I... I really enjoy spending time with you," he admitted, his voice slightly shaky. "You're a really good friend to be around with. It's nice to finally have a non-idol to hang out with."

Her breath caught in her throat, her own feelings mirrored in his words. "I like having an idol friend for once," she confessed softly, meeting his gaze with sincerity, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 

"Well, I should get going," she said finally, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

"Yeah, me too," he replied, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from hers.

As they exchanged a final, lingering look, a silent understanding passed between them. It was a moment filled with promise and uncertainty, an acknowledgment of the connection they shared and the delicate balance they sought to maintain.

"Take care. I'll see you soon." he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of longing.

"You too," she replied, her own voice tinged with unspoken regret.

With a nod and a fleeting smile, they parted ways.