PART 3 : Fate walks through the door

A few minutes passed in tense silence, broken only by the clinking of cups and the low hum of chatter around the café. Hyungwon sat stiffly in his chair, tugging at the strings of his hoodie, while his three friends watched the café door like hawks awaiting prey.

Then it happened.

Ding.

The bell above the door chimed, and everyone's heads turned.

It wasn't an old grandpa. It wasn't a tired ajumma.

It was a man, bulky, broad-shouldered, handsome enough to make half the café go quiet. Maybe early thirties, dressed in a sharp black suit that screamed money and authority. His presence was magnetic, commanding the space even though he was just walking in.

Hyungwon's jaw almost hit the table.

"Oh no," he whispered.

"Oh yes," Minhyuk hissed, grinning like a mad scientist. He signaled with both hands like a traffic officer. Go. Now. Go.

The man, Shin Hoseok, though none of them knew it yet, had a phone pressed to his ear. His brows were furrowed, voice low and firm, clearly caught in an exhausting conversation.

"Mom, please... not this again," Hoseok muttered.

"I told you, I don't have time for blind dates. I'm working day and night, I can't just...Dad, not you too. I'm not avoiding marriage, I'm just... busy. No, I don't hate the idea, I just..."

Hyungwon swallowed hard. His knees felt weak. But his friends were already chanting under their breath like devils on his shoulders.

"Do it... do it... hwaiting!"

Hyungwon wanted to kill them all.

Still, he stood up, legs wobbly as a newborn deer. He shuffled toward the tall man, face burning red, words tumbling in his throat.

"U-urm... s-sir..." His voice cracked.

"I... I urmmm..."

But Hoseok barely glanced at him, assuming the stranger just wanted to pass by. He shifted slightly, politely giving Hyungwon space, before focusing back on his call.

Hyungwon froze, awkwardly hovering beside him like a malfunctioning robot. His eyes darted back to the table. Minhyuk and the others were gesturing wildly, pumping fists, thumbs up, go go go!

Mortified beyond reason, Hyungwon acted on pure impulse.

In a flash, he reached out, snatched the man's phone right out of his hand and pressed it to his ear.

"WHO IS THIS?!" he blurted, voice higher than usual. The entire café turned to look. "I'm his girlfriend! And we're getting married soon, so stop pressuring him already!"

The other end of the line went silent for two beats. Then a shriek of joy nearly burst the speaker.

"Really?! Finally! My son is getting married?!" A woman's voice, trembling with happiness.

"What's your name, dear? Do you like kimchi jjigae? Oh, his father needs to hear this..."

Hyungwon's blood ran cold. Oh my god oh my god oh my god.

Before he could react further, he turned to the man himself. The man was staring at him, utterly dumbfounded, but also... mesmerized. Like the sight in front of him had stolen the air from his lungs. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful, not in meetings, not at galas, not anywhere, except maybe his mother.

Panicked, Hyungwon blurted, "Sir-will you marry me??"

The café gasped. Someone dropped their spoon. Minhyuk choked on his own spit.

And then...

"...Yes," the man said.

Time stopped.

Hyungwon's eyes widened in horror. He said WHAT?!

He thrust the phone back into the man's hand, bowed frantically, words spilling out in a rush. "I-I-I'm so sorry!!" And then, true to the punishment, he ran for his life.

Chairs scraped as he darted out the door, long legs carrying him down the street like a track star.

Back at the table, his three traitorous friends sat frozen for half a second.

"...Did that guy just say yes?" Jooheon finally asked, eyes wide.

"...He said yes," Changkyun confirmed, already replaying the footage he'd caught on his phone.

Minhyuk slammed the table, wheezing. "This is the best day of my life!"

Meanwhile, Hoseok was still standing in the middle of the café, phone pressed loosely to his ear, heart racing. His mother was squealing on the line, his father shouting congratulations, but all he could hear was his own voice echoing in his head.

Yes.

He had said yes.

And now, staring at the café door Hyungwon had bolted through, Hoseok realized one thing.

He wasn't about to let the most beautiful disaster he'd ever met get away that easily.

So, tucking his phone into his pocket, Shin Hoseok, the CEO everyone feared in the boardroom, took off running after the boy who'd just turned his entire life upside down.

Tbc ✨

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