Idol-ized Lovers || Choi Soobin [Rewritten]

06

You picked up Ho Yeon from daycare and headed home. She was still on cloud nine about the album, clutching it like a sacred relic. You, on the other hand, felt like shit. You'd fought with your only friend. Life was exhausting. And this—this was just another chapter in the ever-boring, occasionally-cruel saga of a commoner.

"Ho Yeon, finish your food," you said, annoyed at the barely-touched plate in front of her. "I'm full," she replied, eyes glued to the TV, where something TxT-related was playing, obviously. "You literally had five bites, Yeon-ah!"

"I ate a lot in daycare today," she added, as if that closed the case. You sighed. Fine. Her daycare lady didn't complain, so maybe she was telling the truth. You cleaned up and plopped down beside her on the couch, thumbing through your phone and nursing your post-Yoo Jin anger.

That's when your screen lit up with a text.

Unknown: Hey!
You stared at it. Fishy. But maybe not suspicious enough to ignore. You decided to play polite.

You: Do I know you?
The reply came instantly.

Unknown: I'm your date from yesterday.
Your heart skipped. Wait. Was this... Soobin?

You: What?

Unknown: Ms. [Your Name], this is Choi Soobin.
You blinked at the screen. Excuse me? Choi fucking Soobin?

You stared at the text, frozen. This had to be fake. Some scam. Some weird prank. Because K-pop idols don't randomly text women they met once on a fan date. Especially not you. You hovered for a moment. Then quickly hit Block.

You were a woman living alone in Seoul with a six-year-old. You couldn't afford to be naive. Blocking him felt... safe. Like shutting the only door through which a tiger might saunter in and eat you whole.

"Bedtime, Yeon-ah," you announced. She pouted. "Already?" You didn't answer. You grabbed the remote to turn off the TV, only to pause when you saw Soobin's face on screen—laughing in some variety show, eyes crinkling. You stared for a second. Then clicked the TV off before Ho Yeon could notice.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

You were half-asleep when the doorbell rang. Normally, you'd check the camera first. But your brain was still foggy and your feet moved before your logic did. You opened the door—and there he was. Choi. Fucking. Soobin. Your eyes widened. Your soul briefly left your body. You shut the door immediately. Did you just imagine that?

Your heart raced. You rubbed your eyes and peeked through the door camera this time. He was still there. And looking right into the lens.

"That's rude, Ms. [Your Name]," he said, as if you'd just turned away a neighbor asking for sugar. "It's really cold. Please let me in." You didn't even think. You opened the door and dragged him inside, panicked he'd be seen. "What the hell?! What are you doing here?" you whisper-yelled, locking the door behind you.

"Well, you blocked my only way to talk to you," he replied, casually, as if this explained everything. Your brain glitched. So... the text last night was real? You blinked. "Wait... that was actually you?" You asked, stunned beyond repair. "Obviously." Your face flushed with panic. "Okay—but why are you here? What was so urgent you had to show up at my house?"

He smiled like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Well, you passed round one. So now you move to round two." You stared at him. "What?" Your eyes wide enough to pop out the eyeballs. "The date," he clarified. You stared harder. "There are levels to this thing?!" His expression flickered with confusion. "What? You're not... happy? I thought you would be."

You froze. Right. He thinks you're a fan. You had to play along. You flashed him your best awkward smile. "No, no—I'm thrilled. Yay." You threw in some jazz hands for effect. It was pathetic. You were not an actress. Before Soobin could reply, you heard a familiar voice from the hallway.

"Imoyaaaaaaa!" Shit. You grabbed Soobin's wrist and dragged him to your room. "Stay in here. Don't make a sound. Please, I'm begging you," you whispered frantically, locking the door behind him just as Ho Yeon's footsteps approached.