Idol-ized Lovers || Choi Soobin [Rewritten]

09

"Ah, you mean Beomgyu?" he asked. You quickly nodded. "Alright. Beomgyu really raps well, right?" he added. You nodded again, this time with a bit more enthusiasm. "Amazing rapping skills," you said, grabbing onto your soup like it was your shield. "So... since when have you been following us?" he asked, another casual question—yet it felt like an interrogation.

"A few years!" you lied, pretending to sound breezy. Soobin simply smiled and nodded. Then came the curveball. "Well, Ms. [Your Name], I wonder why you're lying to me?" You choked. Literally. The soup caught in your throat as you coughed violently. Soobin reached forward and offered you water.

You took it, drank quickly, and tried to regain your composure, your heart hammering in your chest.

"Um... I—" you stuttered. "It's okay if you lied," he said calmly, his expression soft. "I just want to know why." His patience, his kindness... it made you want to be honest. So you gave in. "Well... my niece, Ho Yeon. She's a huge fan. When she found out about the fan-date thing, she got excited." Soobin listened closely, nodding.

"She couldn't apply for herself, so she put in my name. I ended up winning, and she begged me to go. So..." You trailed off. The rest was self-explanatory  "Got it," he said with a small smile, like he'd been expecting that all along. You blinked. "Wait—how did you know?" He leaned back slightly. "I knew the moment we met." Your eyes widened.

"Most fans freak out the second they see us. You didn't," he said plainly. "They usually come with a hundred questions about our personal lives. You didn't. They can't stop gushing about how much they love us. You... didn't." You sighed, realizing just how poorly you had played the part. "I'm sorry," you whispered. "No," he said gently. "You don't have to be. I liked that." You froze. Did he just say—

"You were the first person who asked me how my day was," he said, his voice quieter now. "Thanks for that. It meant a lot." You smiled back, stunned. "I just wish you hadn't lied," he added, and the guilt returned. "I'm sorry," you said again, softly. You stood up, unsure what to do next—but before you could step away, he reached out and gently took your hand.

"Wait, Ms. [Your Name]." You turned, heart skipping. "There's no need to keep pretending. I know the truth now. But... thank you for being honest." You tried to pull your hand back. "Then this should be over. Right?" He didn't let go.

"Don't you wonder why I asked for a second date even after knowing you lied?" he asked. You blinked. "To catch me red-handed?" He chuckled. "No. I asked because I wanted to see you again. Because I wanted to get to know you." You stared at him, baffled. "Are we being filmed? Is this, like, a prank show or something?"

That made him laugh. "Come on! I'm being serious." He stepped closer, still holding your hands, and your heart went into overdrive. "Mr. Soobin... what are you doing?" you whispered, nearly breathless. "Soobin. Just Soobin," he corrected softly. "I want you to call me that." You couldn't even form a response. Everything inside you was short-circuiting.

"I want another date with you," he said, smiling like it was the most normal thing in the world. You blinked rapidly. "What?" You asked. "Please," he added, eyes shining. You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. "Okay, next Sunday it is!" he grinned, deciding for you. All you could do was nod—half stunned, half embarrassed.

"I'll leave now," you muttered, desperate to escape before your brain exploded. As you turned away, he called out casually, "Oh, and by the way..." You paused. "That song I sang just now? It wasn't Cat & Dog, it was Run Away." You froze. "And Beomgyu's not the maknae—it's Huening Kai. Also... I'm the rapper and Yeonjun is too." The words sank in slowly... and your face burned. "Alright, byeeee!" you blurted and ran.

You could already hear him laughing behind you.