“You two, hold hands properly this time! If you mess up, we start over!” The manager’s voice boomed. Ha-neul wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and peeked at Tae-oh, who tried to act cool but awkwardly offered his hand.
Why does my heart race for something so silly? Ha-neul wondered. It’s just holding hands for a rehearsal!
They stared at each other for ages. When Ha-neul finally reached out, Tae-oh jerked his hand away. “Not like that!” he protested in a hushed voice. Her cheeks flamed. “Then show me how!”
The staff chuckled nearby. To them, it was hilarious; to Ha-neul and Tae-oh, it was torture.
Tae-oh cleared his throat and slid his hand towards hers. “Interlock your fingers with mine,” he whispered. Ha-neul did, and—woosh!—memories flashed of another life: Tae-oh from their past, gently holding her hand as if they’d been together for years. She barely registered the manager yelling, “Focus! Both of you!”
Startled, they let go instantly. Ha-neul turned crimson, Tae-oh tried to look unaffected.
During break, Su-jin waltzed over, grinning. “Something’s going on between you two, right? The way you hold hands… obvious!” Ha-neul denied it so fast, Tae-oh glared at Su-jin, but she just teased, “Next time, maybe a kiss on the cheek mission?” Then she ran off.
Both Ha-neul and Tae-oh groaned. They glanced at their hands again, suddenly serious.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out: “Ha-neul! Tae-oh! What are you doing?”
Startled, they spun around. Another trainee—one who knew way too much about the two—had arrived.