#james.

Starring : Seonghyeon × Y/N

Genre : idol AU | early-stage secret dating | soft tension

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It was always like this.

Two separate worlds that kept brushing against each other but never fully collided.

His: practice rooms, chaos, CORTIS members arguing like it was a sport.

Yours: comeback schedules, stage rehearsals, your group’s manager yelling about timing, makeup still half-done in the van mirror.

And yet—

Seonghyeon still found you in the cracks between everything.

It happened after a joint rehearsal stage.

The kind where idols from different groups shared the same building but were told, very clearly, don’t linger.

You were fixing your in-ear pack when you felt it.

That familiar presence.

No sound. No announcement.

Just Seonghyeon standing a few steps away like he didn’t want to exist too loudly in your space.

“You’re late,” you said under your breath, adjusting your hoodie.

“You’re still here,” he replied.

Fair.

That was his version of “I missed you.”

You shouldn’t have been talking.

Not here.

Not where staff passed every thirty seconds and cameras weren’t impossible.

But Seonghyeon stepped slightly closer anyway, lowering his voice.

“Did your performance go well?”

You nodded. “Yeah. Yours?”

A pause.

Then: “We didn’t mess up.”

You smiled a little. “That’s high praise coming from you.”

He almost reacted—almost.

But instead he just looked at you for a second too long.

Like he was memorizing you in a place he wasn’t supposed to.

That was the thing about this stage of whatever-you-were.

Nothing was said directly.

Nothing was confirmed.

But everything was understood.

The glances that lasted half a second too long.

The way he always ended up near you in group events without meaning to.

The way you started noticing his footsteps before you saw him.

Later, backstage got worse.

Too many people. Too much noise. Too many managers.

You were surrounded by your members, fixing your outfit, when someone from staff called your group forward.

And then—

A small collision.

Not dramatic.

Just Seonghyeon brushing past you in the narrow hallway.

Except his hand lightly touched your wrist for half a second.

Too quick for anyone to question.

Too deliberate for you to ignore.

Your breath caught slightly.

You didn’t look at him.

You couldn’t.

But you felt it when he passed.

And you knew—

I’m here.

That was his silent language.

After the stage, you weren’t supposed to meet.

But you did anyway.

Of course you did.

Outside the building, where security cameras didn’t feel as close and the night air made everything softer than it should’ve been.

Seonghyeon stood near the side exit, hoodie up, hands in pockets like he wasn’t waiting.

But he was.

“You’re going to get caught one day,” you said as you walked up to him.

“I know,” he replied.

No hesitation.

That made you laugh a little. “That’s not reassuring.”

He finally looked at you properly then.

“You looked tired on stage.”

Of course that’s what he noticed first.

You shrugged. “We had three rehearsals today.”

A pause.

Then, quieter: “You still smiled though.”

“I’m an idol,” you said automatically.

He nodded once. “Yeah.”

Another silence.

But this one felt heavier.

More real.

“I backed you up today,” he said suddenly.

You tilted your head slightly. “When?”

“At the side stage. When your mic cut slightly.”

You blinked.

“You fixed the timing,” he added.

Oh.

So that tiny adjustment you thought was staff help—

It was him.

You exhaled slowly. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” he said.

Then, after a beat:

“I just didn’t like the silence on your part.”

That hit differently.

Because it wasn’t about performance.

It was about you.

You stepped closer without thinking.

Bad idea.

Always a bad idea.

But Seonghyeon didn’t move away.

Instead, he lowered his voice.

“We shouldn’t—”

“I know,” you cut in softly.

That was the rule.

Always.

You both stood there for a moment longer than safe.

Then he did something small.

Subtle.

His hand brushed yours again—this time intentionally, but still hidden in the shadow of the wall.

Not holding.

Not claiming.

Just… there.

“We’re still figuring this out,” he said quietly.

You nodded. “Yeah.”

A pause.

Then you added, softer:

“But I like that you always show up anyway.”

His gaze flickered slightly.

“…I’ll always show up,” he said.

No dramatic promise.

No big confession.

Just Seonghyeon.

Simple.

Certain.

Behind you, staff voices got closer.

Reality pulling back in.

You stepped away first.

Professional masks back on. Distance restored.

But as you turned to leave, you felt it again—

That quiet presence behind you.

Still backing you up.

Even when no one was supposed to notice.

And somehow…

That made it worse.

In the best way.

id like to present exhibit A (NOT about aequa)

and then class if u could follow me to exhibits b and c (ABOUT AEQUA)

and let me not speak on exhibit E wherein diago becomes briefly speechless when aequa shows up in her outfit for the festival of pletuna