In the practice room, Ha-neul buried her face in her knees and sighed quietly.
“Why did Tae-oh have to barge in like that…? I didn’t even do anything wrong.”
Soo-jin shot her a skeptical look.
“Did you guys fight again? Honestly, I’m tired of being your drama commentator.”
Ha-neul shook her head quickly.
“It wasn’t a fight! It’s just… weird now. Tae-oh gets all serious around me.”
Soo-jin crossed her arms, smirking.
“You hate it? Or does your heart flutter?”
Ha-neul stared back, flustered.
“No way! It’s not like that!”
Right then, the door slid open and Tae-oh walked in. The moment his eyes met Ha-neul’s, he hesitated.
“Uh, Ha-neul… Can we talk?”
Catching the mood, Soo-jin discreetly slipped out. Alone, the room grew awkwardly quiet.
Tae-oh finally spoke up.
“Sorry about earlier. I overreacted, didn’t I? It’s just… seeing you practice with Woo-seok got to me. I can’t help it.”
Ha-neul looked at him in surprise.
“Because of me? It was just a mission…”
Tae-oh smiled shyly.
“Yeah, I know. But I keep thinking about it. That stuff I said about our past lives… Don’t you think something weird’s going on?”
Silence lingered between them, tension dancing in the air. Ha-neul’s heart skipped a beat.
“I think about you too. But I don’t even know why.”
Tae-oh blushed at the words, almost like a confession.
Suddenly, Woo-seok burst in, phone in hand.
“Ha-neul! Manager wants you, like, now!”
Startled, Ha-neul got up, stealing one last look at Tae-oh as she headed to the door.
Before she left, Tae-oh spoke softly.
“Tomorrow at rehearsal… Can I stand by your side again?”
Ha-neul nodded, a shy smile blooming.
Their awkward excitement and curiosity just kept growing.