You found out about December 10 the same way everyone else did — scrolling, half-paying attention, Netflix autoplaying something you didn’t mean to start.

A new band. A documentary. Seven boys who didn’t know yet how much their lives were about to change.

They didn’t even have songs out. Just one cover. A few clips. Names you learned faster than you expected. Faces you could already tell apart. You watched the episodes more than once, not because anything dramatic happened, but because it felt like catching something right at the beginning.

You lived in England. Close enough that it didn’t feel impossible. Close enough that when people online joked about “imagine seeing them in public right now,” you actually imagined it.

You didn’t think it would happen like this.

You were cutting through a shopping centre in London, phone in hand, headphones on, when you noticed the noise first. Not screaming. Just… confusion. Laughter. A group of boys standing too close together, blocking part of the walkway, arguing about where they were supposed to go.

You slowed without meaning to.

There were seven of them.

Josh was easy to spot — taller, quieter, already half-aware that people were looking. Danny was talking with his hands, loud enough that you could hear him even with music playing. Cruz stood like he belonged there. Hendrik hovered close, watching everything. John smiled apologetically at someone they were in the way of. Nicolas stuck near the middle, eyes wide, taking it all in.

And Sean — Sean was laughing, head tipped back, completely unbothered.

Your brain caught up before your feet did.

They looked exactly like they had on screen. And also not at all. No cameras. No setup. Just seven teenage boys in hoodies and trainers, trying to figure out where to eat.

They hadn’t noticed you yet.

You stood there for a second too long, heart doing something stupid in your chest. This was ridiculous. They were real people. You didn’t know them. You didn’t want to be weird.

But this was the earliest it would ever be. Before songs. Before crowds. Before security and distance.

So you took a breath and stepped forward.

“Hey,” you said, voice steadier than you felt. “Sorry — I don’t want to interrupt, but… you’re December 10, right?”

The conversation stopped.

Not in a bad way. Just surprised.

Josh blinked. Danny grinned immediately. John nodded. Nicolas looked relieved that someone else had spoken first. Cruz lifted his chin slightly, like, yeah. Hendrik watched your face, gauging intent.

Sean tilted his head, eyes flicking over you — curious, not guarded.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “We are.”

You told them you’d watched the show. That you liked the cover. That you thought they were really good. You kept it simple. Honest. No big speech.

They relaxed almost instantly.

“Mad,” Danny said. “We’ve done literally nothing yet.”

Sean laughed. “Give it a week.”

You asked for a photo, already expecting an awkward no.

Instead, they shuffled closer together, bumping shoulders, trying to fit into frame. Sean leaned in slightly, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

When it was over, you thanked them and stepped back, ready to let them go.

Sean didn’t move right away.

He glanced at the others, then back at you, grin still there but softer now.

“Wait,” he said before you could step away. “You actually liked it, right?”