As evening fell, Taehyung climbed into his car, holding a cup of coffee in one hand. His thoughts drifted back to the earlier moments of the day. He spotted her car leaving the parking lot, his eyes fixed on Y/n's Tesla as it pulled away.

*So, that’s yours? Nice color, babe,* he thought with a smirk, following her.

Navigating through the heavy traffic was no challenge for him—he had been a skilled driver since his university days. Taehyung brushed his hair back, pushing the strands that had fallen over his forehead out of the way. The setting sun cast a warm glow on his crisp white shirt, illuminating him with golden rays. As he drove, he remembered their earlier conversation.

"Y/n, I’ve been longing for your presence," Taehyung had unconsciously admitted.

"I have too, Taehyung. I thought it was over for us, but look at us now—here, together. And now, I’m the CEO of the company. I’m sorry for the past," Y/n had said, her voice soft with regret.

Taehyung gently placed a finger on her lips. "Don’t say that. I’ve already forgiven you, Lee Eun Y/n. Be my girlfriend again. Come to my place tonight—let’s spend some time together."

His eyes sparkled with hope as he gazed at her, waiting for her response.

Y/n fidgeted with his coat, her fingers trembling slightly as she gathered her thoughts. Then, to his surprise, she confessed, "Well, Tae… I love you. I want to marry you, if that’s okay with you."

Taehyung suddenly pulled away from the hug, a serious expression crossing his face. Y/n froze, the warmth between them replaced by a sudden chill in the air.

"Taehyung…?"

"Why did you propose to me first? I should have been the one to propose to you!" he exclaimed, stomping his foot like a child.

Y/n giggled, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as she hugged him tightly, as if there were no tomorrow.

"You have to promise me one thing before anything else," she said, her head resting on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Anything," Taehyung replied, his heart racing.

"No matter what my parents say, don’t be disappointed. And don’t leave me," she whispered.

Taehyung sighed, looking deeply into her eyes. "This time, nothing will separate us, Y/n-ah."

He kissed her forehead, his smile providing her with all the answers she needed.

"Well then, I’ll see you at your place later," Y/n said, pulling away and straightening her shirt and hair.

Taehyung smirked. "I’ll be waiting. See you at 7."

He watched her car make a U-turn toward her home. Sighing, he observed the traffic lights change, noticing people crossing the street, each chasing something they longed for.

As dusk gave way to night, Taehyung checked his watch and sighed again. "Time flies," he mumbled to himself as he parked at the penthouse and headed inside.

Once in the elevator, his phone rang just as the doors opened to his apartment with a soft *ding*.

"Jimin? What’s up? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"Can’t I call you, Taehyung? Get your butt over here, or I’ll smack you!" Jimin shouted through the phone.

Taehyung winced, switching the call to speaker and covering his ears from Jimin’s loud scolding. "Ugh! Jimin, stop being so dirty-minded! Take that energy and use it on a girl, not me! Anyway, I can’t come tonight. I have… an appointment."

Realizing he had said too much, Taehyung quickly shut his mouth.

"An appointment? At night? That’s new for you, Taehyung. You don’t even have a girlfriend!" Jimin teased, his tone full of curiosity.

Taehyung swallowed hard, his eyes widening. "Jimin, I’ll call you tomorrow. I have a surprise for you."

"Wait, what? Taehyung—!" Jimin’s voice trailed off as Taehyung hung up, chuckling at Jimin’s confusion.

He glanced at his watch. "It’s already 8. Damn."

Rushing to the bathroom, Taehyung took a quick shower. He emerged wearing a pink shirt and beige pants, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows and fixing his hair. He looked himself over in the mirror, pleased with the result.

"I need to buy something for her," he murmured to himself.

Slipping on his shoes, he grabbed his keys and headed downstairs. As usual, he twirled the keys around his finger, a habit he’d had for years. He got into his car and drove to the nearest mall. After parking in the basement, he made his way inside, scanning the area for a jewelry shop.

The mall wasn’t too crowded. As he walked, a young woman in her twenties approached him with a polite bow.

"How can I assist you, sir?" she asked with a smile.

Taehyung smiled back. "I’m looking for a ring."

"Of course, sir. Turn left and then right—you’ll find the shop there," she directed him.

He thanked her and followed the directions, soon finding a jewelry store with sleek glass doors. Advertisements featuring smiling celebrities adorned the entrance, drawing in customers. Taehyung pushed open the door, and the staff immediately stood up, stopping their casual conversations to greet him.

"Sir, may I help you?" a young man asked, approaching him.

"I need a ring," Taehyung replied, his eyes scanning the various designs on display.

"Is it for someone special, sir?" the staff member asked, noticing the nervous excitement on Taehyung’s face.

Taehyung smiled, his expression giving him away. "Yes."

The staff member grinned, understanding. He crouched down and retrieved a tray of rings from behind the counter. One particular design caught Taehyung’s eye—a simple but elegant silver band with a star-shaped diamond at its center.

"This one," Taehyung said, handing the box back to the staff member. "Please pack it."

"Of course, sir," the man replied, carefully packaging the ring.

Taehyung admired the design one last time, his mind flashing with thoughts of Y/n’s smile when she’d see it. "Is this a diamond?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. There’s a tag inside if you’d like to check the details."

Taehyung nodded, confirming the price. "How much?"

"It’s 2 million won, sir."

Taehyung paid quickly, eager to have the ring in hand. The staff member handed him the white paper bag with a smile, bowing as Taehyung left the shop.

Taehyung glanced at the bag in his hand, a smile playing on his lips. He couldn’t wait to surprise her tonight.