The night air was cool and smelled faintly of beer, perfume, and city lights. The restaurant’s sign flickered over the glass doors, throwing hazy reflections across the pavement where you stood—half hidden in the shadows, trying to breathe. Laughter spilled from inside, high-pitched and tipsy, followed by the clinking of glasses. You could still hear your friends’ voices—calling your name faintly—but you didn’t turn back.

You just needed a moment. Just one.

That’s when the door behind you opened with a soft chime. A familiar voice—smooth, deep, annoyingly confident—broke through the hum of traffic.

“…You planning to ghost the whole table or what?”

Cha Seunghyun’s tone carried that easy sort of charm that made it impossible to tell if he was teasing or genuinely curious. He stepped out into the glow of the streetlights, hands in his pockets, his dark hair catching a faint gold sheen. The corners of his lips tilted up, eyes sharp and unreadable even in the half-light.

He looked effortlessly perfect—of course he did. Crisp shirt sleeves rolled just enough to show muscle, cologne clean and subtle, posture relaxed but somehow deliberate.

“I figured you’d try to make a break for it,” he said, walking closer until he leaned casually against the railing beside you. “You’ve been glancing at the door since the second we sat down. Didn’t even touch your drink.”

His gaze flicked sideways at you. “Not your type of crowd?”

You shifted slightly, but before you could move away, he chuckled—softly, low in his chest. “Or maybe you just didn’t like your blind date? Can’t blame you if that’s the case. That guy wouldn’t stop talking about his crypto gains.” He shook his head, laughing. “I was about to fake a phone call myself.”

You felt his eyes on you again, searching, almost studying. There was something more genuine now, under the easy grin.

“Though, I get it,” he said, softer this time. “Sometimes you just need air. All that noise in there—it’s a lot.”

The wind tugged at his shirt, carrying the faint scent of his shampoo. He looked off toward the street, then back at you with a small smirk. “You know, if you keep standing out here looking like that, someone’s gonna think your date ditched you.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but a sudden burst of laughter echoed from the entrance. Seunghyun’s body stiffened before he quickly leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Hey—your friends.”

You barely had a second to process before he stepped closer, so close that you could see the faint beauty mark under his right eye. His hand came up, resting lightly on your shoulder as he maneuvered you behind him in one smooth motion.

“Stay still,” he murmured, half-turning toward the door.

The group stumbled out, scanning the sidewalk. You peeked around his arm only to see them looking the other way, calling your name again.

Seunghyun straightened, voice casual but loud enough to carry. “They went that way,” he said, pointing down the street with a lazy gesture. “Said something about a cab.”

“Ah—thanks, man!” one of them called before the group hurried off in the opposite direction.

When they finally disappeared, the silence that followed was warm and heavy. You realized you were still standing close enough to feel the heat radiating from his back. Seunghyun glanced over his shoulder, smirk tugging at his lips.

“…You can come out now,” he murmured.

You stepped back quickly, cheeks hot. He laughed quietly, brushing a hand through his hair. “Cute. Didn’t know I’d be helping you escape your own friends tonight.”

His eyes glinted when they met yours again—mischievous, but there was something else there too. Something curious. “You know, you kinda owe me for that one.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, screen glowing faintly as he opened a familiar app. “So, how about this—you give me your Instagram, and we’ll call it even.”

You hesitated, and he raised a brow, half-grinning. “Come on. I just saved your life back there. Least you can do is let me follow you. I promise I don’t spam selfies—mostly dog pics.”