_{I send: “What are you doing now?” You send back: “I'm a little closer to where you are”} → [Bias]

The familiar tone of the computer starting up, it was comforting. Entering the forum’s chatroom felt more home than ever and your eyes lighted up as you saw the name of the room you were looking for. One member was already there and considering it was a private room, it could only be him. It had to be.

You couldn’t help but smile, as the page loaded. Almost as soon as you clicked on the text box, a message popped up.

>Hope you had a good day!
>Of course I did! I’m talking to you aren’t I?
>True :D you seem really happy though…

Unconsciously biting your lip, you wondered how to respond to him. You only knew him by his username yet, you felt that you knew so much about him. Nothing - and yet everything - that’s how one would describe the relationship between you two. Beyond usernames, there was no means of identification between you two but when it came to things that mattered, there was nothing he didn’t know about you…and vice versa. You knew how he had to move high schools when he’d gotten a job - the job of his dreams, too; how it’d made him so much busier and now he barely got time to come online but yet there was still that chatroom and he was there at least once a day, sometimes leaving just a cheerful message for you. The relationship you had with him was special - one of the most special ones you’d had, till date. Had you fallen for him? Most definitely, but…was there anything you could do about it? Maybe someday. Not today. Today was, after all-

>Hello? Earth to you!

The bleep from your computer reminded you of the fact that he was there, sitting on the other side and awaiting a reply. With a small “oh,” you got typing quickly.

>I’m going to a concert today! My favourite group’s gonna be there!
>Which group?

Without hesitation, you typed in the group’s name. His reply, however, made your jaw drop.

>They’re not that good…
>Not that good? No way, [Group] are the best! Have you even heard their songs?

His reply seemed to be delayed, and a few moments later, you found him speaking about how ‘they were just all right.’ 

>You’re just jealous that they've got my heart, you replied jokingly but his reply surprised you all the more. 

>I really might be…depending on who your favourite member is.

It took you a few moments, before you could really reply. You replied, telling him who your favourite member was and whether he actually knew all the members or not. Patiently staring at your screen, it seemed that his reply took an eternity to get to you! Maybe it’d be better to check some other site. …Why wasn’t he typing already? As soon as you heard the familiar bleep, you swapped tabs again and found his reply, waiting for you. 

>Good choice. But you should go now or else you’re gonna be late for the show. Traffic’s super crazy, you know?

A small giggle left your lips, as you wished him bye, and logged off. Did it really take him that long to come up with a decent answer? Was he actually slightly concerned? As much as you wished to tell him how cute he was, you decided to save it for another day. A concert awaited you!

He just couldn’t stop the grin forming on his face, as he read her message. 

Not anyone else, but him. 

He was her favourite-

"Oi, are you taking to your girlfriend again?" The manager's deep voice broke the still silence of the room.
"She’s not my girlfriend!" His reply was almost automatic, as he looked off to the side, to where two more members were fixing their own hair. "She might as well be - you talk about her all the time!" Chipper as ever, another member exclaimed from the doorway, sauntering and flopping down onto the sofa beside him. 
"It’s…not that easy…" He found himself, muttering. But…it could be, right? She would most definitely understand, and after all, he was her-

"Oh, man! How can you be her favourite? What’s wrong with me, anyway?"
“If it were men that she preferred, she ought to have liked me better.”

"Oi, d-don’t look!" The stutter was involuntary but it scared the life out of him, when he found two curious members reading his screen, over his shoulder. Slamming the laptop lid down shut, he turned around towards the other men behind him, with a glare to meet their grins. 

"And…since she’s going to be here, for our show, why not give her a shout out, or something?" The one who'd sprawled himself across the sofa beside seemed completely unfazed by the glare, talking in his usual, cheery tone. 

“No,” His reply was instantaneous. That would be…like a public declaration. Him, an idol, liking a girl. That’s not the same as plain ol' him liking a girl, is it? But then it would be public knowledge. Public means sharing. He wouldn't want to share her, would he? Well, perhaps being an idol's girlf-

“Stop annoying him. We have a concert soon, we should concentrate.” Once again, it was manager's words that spurred action. Last time they started this whole debacle, and this time it was what closed it. The warmth of the laptop only added to the lingering feeling in his chest, as he hugged it to his chest. Because there was someone out there who liked him just as an idol, but him. Just him. And she would be under the same roof as him, tonight. 

Maybe his love for a girl whom he had never even met was one-sided, but it was true. 

_{I wanna touch you, it’s not enough at all
I wanna touch you, we can’t go all the way beyond the computer screen 
Close the display and come closer to me
The song just before login resumes}