Caught in the Moment {Quit}

Chapter 1: The Accidental Proposal

Zhang Hao stared at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his hair one last time. “Why am I doing this?” he muttered, feeling a mix of dread and confusion.

“Because you’re my best friend, and I need you!” Ricky insisted, bursting into the room with a dramatic flair. “Just act like me! How hard can it be?”

“Ricky, you do realize you’re asking me to pretend to be you on a blind date, right? What if I mess it up?” Hao said, nervously biting his lip.

“ Trust me! Just be weird, and he won’t want to see you again!” Ricky replied, waving his hand dismissively. He was practically bouncing on his feet. “You’re great at that!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence!” Hao shot back sarcastically.

As Ricky handed him a small pile of cash, Hao reluctantly accepted. “I guess I can do this,” he sighed, already picturing the strange antics he would have to pull off.

“Perfect! Just remember, you’re Shim Ricky tonight!” Ricky winked, already pushing Hao out the door.

---

Later, Hao found himself in an upscale restaurant, staring across the table at Hanbin, the handsome son of the university principal. Their meeting felt surreal; Hao had prepared himself to scare off his date, not to feel a strange connection.

“So, Ricky, tell me about yourself,” Hanbin said, leaning back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Uh, well, I love long walks on the beach… at night,” Hao blurted, trying to channel Ricky's charmingly awkward nature. He could feel the weight of Hanbin’s gaze, intense and curious. “And, um, I also have a pet goldfish named Gerald.”

“Gerald?” Hanbin echoed, raising an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting choice for a pet. Does he have any special talents?”

“Of course! He can swim in circles!” Hao exclaimed, pretending to demonstrate with his hands. “You should see him! He’s very talented. Goldfish are like the ninjas of the fish world!”

Hanbin chuckled, clearly entertained. “You’re definitely not like any other date I’ve had. Most people would have mentioned a dog or cat, but a goldfish?”

Hao smiled awkwardly, realizing this wasn’t going as planned. “Yeah, I guess I’m just… unique!”

As they continued to talk, Hao accidentally nudged the table, causing a cup to topple over and spill water everywhere. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” he said quickly, bending down to pick it up.

He then paused, glancing at the fallen cup and muttering, “I’m really sorry, Cup. You didn’t deserve this.”

Hanbin looked at him with a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Did you just apologize to a cup?”

“Yes! You know, cups have feelings too!” Hao said, trying to recover from his embarrassment.

Hanbin laughed. “You really are different, aren’t you?”

Trying to shift the tone back to light-heartedness, Hao joked, “Should we get a room?”

To his surprise, Hanbin nodded seriously. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Hao’s heart raced, his mind racing with confusion. Wth? He wants to do “it” with me? He laughed awkwardly, “Uh, just kidding! It was a joke!”

The playful banter continued, and as they talked, Hao inadvertently turned the date into a comedy act. He made strange sounds, discussed the merits of spaghetti as a secret communication method, and even pretended to have a conversation with a nearby potted plant.

Hanbin’s laughter echoed in the restaurant, drawing curious glances from other patrons. “You’re honestly a breath of fresh air. Most dates are so boring!” he said, genuinely enjoying himself.

Hao’s heart sank a little. He wasn’t supposed to make Hanbin like him! “Yeah, just trying to keep things exciting!” he replied, hoping to steer the conversation back to Ricky’s usual antics.

---

The date ended with Hanbin walking Hao to his car. After exchanging awkward goodbyes, Hanbin leaned against the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You know, I actually liked you, Ricky. I’d like to see you again.”

Hao’s heart dropped. This is not how it was supposed to go! He forced a smile, trying to hide his panic. “Um, yeah! I’ll just—uh, let you know!”

As soon as he got into his car, he pulled out his phone and called Ricky. “You will not believe what just happened!”

---

Meanwhile, Ricky was home, sitting nervously in his room, waiting for news. When his father walked in with a big grin, Ricky’s heart raced. “What’s up, Dad?”
“Guess what? "Hanbin’s father said that Hanbin liked his date with you!” Ricky’s dad exclaimed.

“Wait, what? Ricky mind: I didn’t go on the date!” Ricky panicked, realizing the implications. “What did you say?”

“Just that you had a great time. You’re going to be engaged soon!” his father said, full of excitement.

Ricky’s eyes widened in horror as he fumbled for his phone, dialing Hao’s number in a panic. “Hao! You messed up! You’re supposed to make him scared, not like you!”

Hao chuckled nervously. “Well, um, that might have been hard to do. I accidentally made a joke about getting a room, and now he wants to see me again!”

“Wait, what? You’re not even Ricky! You’re Hao!” Ricky shouted, his voice rising. “What did you do?!”

Hao’s mind raced. I’m not even supposed to be here! I just wanted to help Ricky!

“Uh, I think I really messed up this time…”

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