They had staked out the Four Seasons Hotel for hours in the hope of catching sight of their pop music idol. And maybe talking with him. Or maybe getting swept off their feet by him.
They were the true Beliebers. And at 4:43 p.m. on Tuesday, their faith that they might encounter Justin Bieber was rewarded.
Two long black sport utility vehicles sped out of the hotel entrance onto Boylston Street. Dozens of screaming fans chased them down at the Charles Street stop light, where a Duck Boat had hemmed in the SUVs. The throng engulfed the two vehicles in a sea of fervent squeals and outstretched arms bearing smart phones. Finally, a window opened, and Bieber peered out, waved a finger, and may or may not have said something. Then a security man waved everyone off the road, and the SUVs sped off.
The Beliebers sprawled on the sidewalk, staring in disbelief at their phones.
“Oh my God,’’ breathed Emily Marin, 16, as she watched the video she had made. Marin had made the trip from Fort Kent, Maine, with her friend Libby Lapointe, also 16. They had left at 1:30 a.m. and spent more than two hours outside the hotel. “Oh, I can’t believe that happened!’’
Another fan, a young man kneeling to catch his breath, cried out “I’ve been waiting since 8 a.m.!’’
Earlier Tuesday, more than 100 fans had staked out the Four Seasons, bolstered by reports that Bieber was spotted Monday night having a meal at a Japanese restaurant on Tremont Street, and later having a drink at The Tam bar. The pop star, in town for two concerts at the TD Garden, was also seen strolling around Boston without socks or shoes, feeding squirrels in the Public Gardens.
Just after 1 p.m., squeals erupted as the metal door of the Four Seasons garage on Hadassah Way creaked open, followed by screams as a car approached. Dozens of fans ran to the entrance.
“What’s happening?’’ someone shouted. “Do we know?’’
Then the car rolled by, a white van with a huge American eagle decal that obscured the back window. The screams died.
“It’s just some guy,’’ said Jordyn Hamilton, 21, a Boston College student and one of the fans laying siege outside the hotel.
Hamilton didn’t have tickets for Tuesday night’s show, but she claimed to have a hot tip about a bar that Bieber was planning to hit post-concert. She wasn’t revealing the name.
Meanwhile, another wave of excited voices rippled through the crowd. Margarita Vial, 18, of Chile, in Boston to take English courses, rushed to look at the garage door, then relaxed. Just another false alarm. Some fans drifted away from the garage entrance to stake out the main entrance of the hotel.
Karine Kanj, 16, of Saugus, had worked out a code with her fellow high-school-age friends.
“If you see him, yell ‘pineapple,’’’ Kanj said.
In his Patriots hat and gloomy demeanor, Jeremy LeBlanc, 21, stood out from most of the crowd. That’s because LeBlanc, of Bouctouche, New Brunswick, listens to country, not Justin Bieber. He was here with five friends, all young women and all big Bieberites, who had come to visit him in Boston from Bouctouche.
Though not a fan of his music, LeBlanc said he’d have no trouble joining Bieber at a bar. “I’d probably party with the guy,’’ he said.
As 3 p.m. approached, security guards made a cordon and pushed back the crowd. A large bus had pulled up, and when the driver waved, it set off new rounds of screams. But a couple of people got on the bus and it drove off. No Bieber to be seen.
As the afternoon wore on, curious passers-by stopped to wonder about the cause of the ruckus.
Amy Coleman, 32, a yoga instructor in the Boston area, is more likely to listen to Old Crow Medicine Show than Justin Bieber, though she’s heard at least one of the pop star’s latest hits, “Sorry.’’
She considered the crowd, and pondered what she’d do if she met Bieber face to face.
“Uhhhh I would say, ‘I admire your work ethic.’?’’
A man in a New England Patriots jersey came by, selling Bieber T shirts for $20. Camera crews stood by. Disappointment replaced anticipation.
Then, suddenly: “Pineapple!’’
David Filipov can be reached at david.filipov@globe.com.
