He didn’t expect to lose.Not that day. Not that race.Wooin Yoo stood at the edge of the pavement, arms crossed, watching the crowd explode for Hummingbird’s victory. His jaw clenched while Hyuk Kwon started his dramatic monologue about failure and Joker whined about the prize money.

"Shut up," he muttered under his breath, gaze cutting sharp. But they kept going.Hyuk sprawled over the grass like they’d lost a war, Joker kicking at the ground like a child denied candy. Vinny had already left for the hospital. Only the three of them remained, soaked in sweat, regret, and the weight of almost.

That’s when he saw you.

You were sunlight wrapped in laughter. A casual smile tucked under the warm fall of brown hair that caught the sun just right. You walked past, eyes crinkling with joy as you threw your arms around Jay Jo, congratulating him.

Jay’s cousin, they said from abroad. But to Wooin, you didn’t look foreign. You looked familiar like someone pulled from the echoes of Mahon Jo’s legacy the soft features, that smile… haunting in the most beautiful way.

For the first time in his life, Wooin felt like time stilled.Your voice hit him before you even looked his way and when you did?.His heart stuttered.

What the hell was that?

He tried to shake it off walked away, cracked open a drink, leaned on the wall. But even then, his eyes drifted toward you. Watching the way you moved, the way your shoulders relaxed when you laughed, the way your fingers tucked hair behind your ear.

That evening, the crews were mingling in the garden. Sabbath lounging under the trees, Hummingbird sprawled on the benches. When you walked in beside Hummingbird again, Wooin’s chest ached not with jealousy, but something gentler, calmer,you soothed him, somehow.

When the group started walking again, just like earlier, you ended up beside him. Not too close. But close enough. Joker and Hyuk Kwon were in front, pretending not to glance back.

You spoke about nothing and everything and for the first time, Wooin wanted to listen.You weren’t like the others. You didn’t flutter or flirt.You weren’t plastic perfection.You were real and you made his whole world feel alive.

He started seeing your face when he closed his eyes.Your voice lingered even after you left.It scared him how quickly you embedded yourself under his skin but he didn’t run,he followed.

Day by day, you grew closer. You’d find him after a practice. Walk beside him without needing to fill the silence. Sit near, offer water, laugh at his dry humor and he soaked it in like it was oxygen.

Now, here you both were, the sun setting behind clouds of pink and gold, footsteps in sync as you returned from another walk.

His palms were sweating.He’d never done this before but he stopped, turned slightly, and stared at you.

Heart racing,mouth dry and still he said it.A quiet confession,a rare vulnerability. Something even he didn’t know he could give.

From the benches, Joker shoved another chip into his mouth while Hyuk Kwon shielded his eyes from the sunset.

"Is that really happening?" Joker mumbled.Hyuk only smirked and leaned back. "Took him long enough."

They didn’t interfere.Because for the first time… Wooin Yoo wasn’t just racing.He was falling and this time, he wanted to lose himself in it.