Haneul and Taeo found themselves paired up again for the re-drawn selfie mission. They settled into a quiet corner of the practice room, a little too aware of each other.
“This time, let’s take a legendary one,” Taeo said, grinning.
Haneul laughed. “Are we cursed or just meant to be? Lost count of how many selfies we’ve done.”
He shrugged. “Guess the universe ships us.”
They snapped a few silly poses, taking turns holding the phone. Then came the video mission. Taeo grew unexpectedly serious as he looked into the camera.
“Every time I take a selfie with Haneul, I start giggling… Truth? Standing next to you is scarier than any performance.”
Haneul’s face went red. It was her turn. She poked her cheek, then mumbled shyly, “Whenever I’m teamed up with you, Taeo, I actually look forward to the stage more. Feels like we have extra fun together.”
Silence fell. They exchanged a quick, awkward glance.
That’s when the door swung open and Wooseok popped his head in. “There you are! Director’s looking for you!”
The magic fizzled. Haneul scrambled to save the video. Taeo coughed, hiding his phone.
“Can we talk later?” Taeo asked softly.
Before Haneul could reply, Wooseok waved them over. “Come on! Move it or we’ll all get yelled at.”
With words still unspoken, they hurried out to the hall. Haneul’s heart was a jumble of nerves and excitement. When would she ever get to say what she really felt?
Across the hall, Jimin and Sujin were watching with mischief on their faces. “Missed their chance, again,” Sujin snickered.
Jimin smirked, “Let’s bet if they ever manage to finish one honest conversation.”