It is quite literally impossible to pursue a friendship with the opposite sex without at ALL contemplating the potential for a romance to form in the future. That is simply thinking ahead for a reasonable possibility. It isn’t superficial, it is human. Don’t stress it. You can compartmentalize your thoughts. Focus on the friendship aspect. Then start humoring the romantic aspect when you feel it’s necessary. That’s not disingenuous, in fact it’s more genuine than most people choose to be.