The rehearsal room this morning was even louder than yesterday.
As soon as Sujin burst in, she yelled,
“Everyone, listen up! This time, the partners are REALLY changing!”
Jimin raised his hand and grinned mischievously.
“Watch, Sky and Taeo are going to end up together again. The universe ships them!”
Haneul sneaked a glance at Taeo. He gulped down water, avoiding her eyes.
“I heard it’s fully random this time!” Sujin grumbled.
The manager walked in, shaking a box of colored balls.
“No tricks! This time it’s actual fate. Don’t blame me if you hate it!”
Haneul ended up with a blue ball, Taeo with a yellow one. The result surprised everyone.
Haneul: “Oh, I got Sujin?”
Taeo: “Looks like I’m stuck with Jimin…”
Sujin winked and immediately linked arms with Haneul.
“Unni, just trust me today! Operation ‘Make Taeo Jealous’ is in full swing.”
Taeo, meanwhile, was dragged off by Jimin, but his eyes kept wandering back to Haneul.
As practice began, Sujin whispered in Haneul’s ear,
“Keep an eye on Taeo. We’ve got a bet going.”
Haneul shot her a look. “What bet?”
“Who snaps from jealousy first.”
Haneul could only roll her eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”
When rehearsal ended, Haneul found a tiny note under her bag. The handwriting was messy:
‘Can we meet on the rooftop tonight? —Taeo.’
She clutched the note tightly, trying to dodge Sujin’s mischievous gaze.
Suddenly, the manager popped back in and shouted,
“Tomorrow, you’ll do a SPECIAL mission! New teams of three! Get ready!”
The room erupted again. Haneul and Taeo exchanged anxious glances.
Sujin whispered like a spy,
“Don’t skip the rooftop, unni. I think Taeo’s finally planning to say something big.”
Haneul felt her heart pound as she squeezed the note.
What could possibly happen on the rooftop? The thought left her cheeks burning.