YS

Being an idol came with its own set of complications. But the biggest one was the lack of privacy. Especially when it came to dating. Mingi never really cared about that, though. He’d never paid much attention to dating—at least, not until you came along. You debuted almost a year after ATEEZ as a solo artist under KQ Entertainment, and ever since, Mingi’s heart seemed to belong to you. He’d tried to bring it up in conversation. Tried to confess more times than he could count. But the words always got caught in his throat, or the moment slipped away before he could say them. “You just need to tell her,” Seonghwa would say, while Wooyoung pushed at his shoulders, trying to get him to step closer to you. But Mingi was too nervous. Too afraid that admitting how much he cared would change everything between you. So, for years, the two of you simply danced around it—lingering glances, quiet smiles, and feelings neither of you dared to name. But what happens one night when Mingi and his group go out for casual drinks, and with his courage buried somewhere beneath a few too many, he finds himself clicking on your contact? For once, he doesn’t overthink it. He simply texts you everything he’s been too afraid to say.