4. connection

4. connection

yumi's heart pounded in her chest as she stood in front of the long table where seventeen was seated. her hands trembled, and her palms were sweaty, but she couldn't take her eyes off them.

she couldn't breathe properly as she watched them laughing, signing albums, chatting with fans and offering bright smiles to every person who approached them.

her knees felt weak.

the fan in front of her received a quick signature from hoshi, exchanged a few words, and then moved on. it was yumi's turn.

as the fan before her stepped away, the staff member guiding the line smiled and nodded at her.

"next," they called.

she took a deep breath and stepped forward, holding her album tightly in her hands.

"hi!" she greeted, her voice shaking but still bright. "i'm yumi! i'm so happy to be here!" she smiled nervously as she approached the first member, who was jeonghan.

he looked up at her, flashing a warm, radiant smile.

"hi yumi!" he greeted her with an easygoing, charming tone. "how are you today?"

"i'm doing great, thank you so much for everything," she said.

she handed him the album, hoping it didn't shake too much as she placed it on the table.

jeonghan's smile grew wider as he signed her album. "we're happy you're here, yumi."

after a few moments, jeonghan handed the album back to her with a small, playful wink. "take care of yourself, okay?"

"thank you!" yumi exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

she stepped to the side, her heart racing faster now. she'd already met jeonghan, and yet, her hands were still shaking. she sat with a few members, they talked for a few seconds, and signed her album.

finally, her next stop was joshua.

she turned to towards him, her eyes locking on his gentle smile. something about the way he sat, the way he observed each fan, felt different from the others.

"hi yumi!" joshua greeted her with a warm voice, his eyes brightening when he saw her.

"hi joshua!" she felt like she was the only one in the room.

yumi tried to keep herself together as she placed the album on the table in front of him. joshua looked down at the album, his fingers hovered over the page for a moment as he studied it. yumi could see the thoughtfulness in his gaze. the way his eyes shifted from the album to her felt almost like he was seeing more than just a fan.

there was a pause—a brief moment of quiet connection—and then joshua began to write.

yumi couldn't help but feel the weight of his gaze, and yet it didn't make her feel self-conscious. it was comforting. different from the others.

"thank you so much for supporting us," joshua said softly. "you're amazing."

"of course! you all mean so much to me. i've been listening to you for years."

joshua looked up at her then, his eyes locking with hers. the air felt charged, like an unspoken understanding passed between them in that moment.

"really? since when?" he asked her.

"since your debut." she smiled.

"wow, thank you so much," he said, his voice quieter now, but sincere. "it means a lot to hear that."

yumi's heart skipped a beat. hearing those words from joshua made everything feel real. he wasn't just another idol. he was someone who genuinely cared, someone who made her feel heard.

joshua noticed the photo card hanging from her bag. he took a quick look and realized it was a photo card of him.

"so, does that mean i'm your bias?" he smirked.

"what? oh..." her cheeks turned red. she hadn't realized she still had joshua's photo card hanging from her bag.

"i think you're really pretty too." he winked.

yumi felt like she was about to pass out.

"your are my bias." she blushed. "and you have a beautiful voice. oh, you're also pretty. i mean, handsome. i mean... yeah..."

joshua laughed as he handed her the album he finished signing, and when he handed it back, their hands brushed slightly. yumi felt a warmth spread through her body, and she caught her breath. she looked up at him and smiled, unable to hide the glow in her face.

"thank you so much joshua, for everything." she smiled at him. "i'll keep supporting you forever."

joshua's smiled widened, and she noticed the warmth in his eyes.

"i believe you," he said softly. "we're really lucky to have fans like you."

yumi could hardly believe what had just happened. everything felt different with joshua. it wasn't the same quick exchange she had with the other members.

as she stepped away from the table, her legs felt a little weak. her heart was still pounding, and the adrenaline hadn't worn off. she had met them. all of them. but it was joshua's calm presence that lingered in her chest.

yumi made her way out of the room, holding her signed album in her hands. the sounds of the other fans faded away, and the smile on her face was undeniable.

for a moment, everything felt still. the world outside the event didn't matter.

it had been worth it. every album. every hour spent online. every penny she had spent. because in that brief exchange with joshua, something had clicked.

it felt right.

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