PART 4 : The Chase

Hyungwon was punishing his own mouth with light taps as he sprinted down the street.

"Damn mouth," he muttered between breaths. Damn Minhyuk. Damn that stupid dare.

He could still hear the echo of his own words. "I'm his girlfriend! We're getting married soon!"

Why. Why had his brain betrayed him like that?

The worst part, he knew some café customers had snapped photos. He could already see the headlines on social media.

"Tall beauty proposes to random stranger, and runs away after YES!" He was going to be viral by dinner. Out of embarrassment, not fame.

"Bury me alive," Hyungwon whined, dodging a cyclist. "Bury me six feet...no, ten feet deep..."

He dashed across the street, nearly clipped by a car horn. His heart pounded, his long legs carrying him faster than he thought possible. He wanted to keep running forever, maybe to another country.

But then..

A hand clamped firmly around his arm.

Hyungwon yelped, stumbling to a stop. He spun around, wide-eyed. And froze.

It was him.

The stranger. The man from the café.

Shin Hoseok.

Up close, he was even more intimidating, tall, broad, sharp jawline, eyes like midnight steel. His suit had no business looking that good while sprinting. He wasn't even out of breath, while Hyungwon felt like he was dying on the spot.

Hyungwon's entire body went rigid. "...You."

"Yes, me," Hoseok said, voice low, steady, and annoyingly calm for someone who just chased him across traffic. His grip wasn't painful, but firm anchoring. "Do you always run away after asking someone to marry you?"

Hyungwon's face went nuclear red. "I-I didn't mean it! It was-ugh-it was a dare!"

"So?" Hoseok tilted his head, gaze flicking over Hyungwon's flustered expression. "You proposed. I said yes. That makes it binding."

Hyungwon's jaw dropped. "Binding?! This isn't a drama..."

"Isn't it?" Hoseok's lips curved faintly. "Because it feels like one."

Before Hyungwon could combust, three familiar voices echoed from down the street.

"Hyungwon-ahhh!" Minhyuk's voice rang out, loud and shameless. "Your husband caught you!"

Jooheon stumbled after them, laughing so hard he nearly dropped his phone. "Oh my god, this footage. I'm selling it to Dispatch."

Changkyun, of course, was recording steadily, panning like a professional cameraman.

"Episode title: The Fiancée Speedrun."

"Y-you guys!" Hyungwon sputtered, wishing the ground would open up. "STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

But the trio just circled like vultures, phones pointed, narrating the scene.

"Look at that grip, ladies and gentlemen," Minhyuk announced dramatically. "A love stronger than gravity."

"Wonnie's blushing," Jooheon added. "It's official."

"Destiny caught in 4K," Changkyun confirmed.

Hyungwon covered his burning face with one hand. "I hate you all."

Meanwhile, Hoseok hadn't let go. His eyes stayed on Hyungwon, searching, like he was trying to figure out what kind of miracle just fell into his lap.

Finally, he said softly, "You didn't have to save me back there. But... you did. You told my parents you're my girlfriend." His lips quirked. "Do you know how happy they sounded?"

Hyungwon peeked through his fingers, mortified. "I wasn't saving you. I was sabotaging myself."

Hoseok chuckled, deep and warm, and for the first time Hyungwon's racing heart had nothing to do with running.

The trio, of course, squealed behind them like fangirls at a concert.

Tbc ✨

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