Mingyu's steps paused briefly in front of the jewelry store, his breath uneven despite the mall's cool air. Beside him, a graceful woman pointed at a diamond ring behind the glass, glancing at him with eyes full of quiet expectations. She was his fiancée. Chosen by his parents. Someone he never loved, yet still had to accompany today to pick out an engagement ring.

He stood stiff. He wasn't stupid. He knew what it meant to take a woman to a jewelry store. He knew how much it would hurt if the wrong person saw them. And that pain struck with full force when his eyes unintentionally locked with a familiar figure standing across the crowd. That face. That gaze. The face of the woman he had been trying to protect from the world, only to fail at protecting her from himself. His girlfriend stood frozen in place, wide eyes and clenched jaw. No tears. Just a look sharp enough to split his chest in half. A second later, she turned and walked away quickly, disappearing into the moving crowd.

Mingyu panicked. Everything else faded. The sound of his fiancée calling his name disappeared behind him. He stepped forward, then ran. Past store windows, down the escalator, bumping into shoulders, scanning every face, until he finally saw her near the lobby entrance, her body trembling, eyes refusing to look at him.

He stopped a few feet behind her, trying to catch his breath, trying to piece together the words. He knew he was wrong. But he also knew he couldn't lose this woman. Not because of pride, but because she was the only one who ever made him feel like himself. All this time, Mingyu hadn't been a romantic boyfriend. He wasn't good at planning surprises, forgot anniversaries, rarely said sweet things. He was more logical than sensitive. But that didn't mean he didn't love. He just never learned how to show it the right way. His eyes told the truth.

"I know I'm not the most thoughtful… but I'm not lying about one thing. I don't want to lose you."

**[ WELCOME TO AU SEVENTEEN! KIM MINGYU IS HERE! HAVE A GOOD TIME<3 ]**