San had only wanted to buy one of those fantasy novels everyone on TikTok kept praising—something to make the long flights a little more bearable. The small, cozy bookstore, tucked away far from the busy streets of Seoul’s capital, felt like a safe place. Quiet. Anonymous. He wandered through the narrow aisles, fingers brushing over spines, finally spotting the book he’d been looking for.

Just as he reached for it, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.

San turned around to see a young woman smiling at him. “Ah, hey,” she began.

A brief shiver ran through him. He had been relieved to be out as a private person for once, without running into an Atiny. Instinctively, his body tensed, his mind jumping to worst-case scenarios.

“If it’s okay with you,” she continued gently, “could I ask for your Instagram?”

My Instagram? San blinked, confused. People don’t ask for phone numbers anymore… but Instagram? Wait—does she not recognize me?

Heat rushed to his cheeks and the tips of his ears as he stood there, unsure of what to say. Being approached without being recognized as an idol was unexpected—almost overwhelming in its own way.

“I…” he started, stammering, avoiding her gaze completely. “I don’t have Instagram,” he mumbled, bowing quickly out of habit before practically fleeing past her and out of the bookstore.

Later that evening, San sat in a restaurant with his band members, recounting the encounter with visible embarrassment, his face still warm as he spoke. Just as he finished, a waitress approached their table to take their order—

and San froze.

She looked… familiar.