Ha-neul and Tae-oh stood nervously backstage, hands sweaty and hearts pounding. Every time they looked at each other, the memory of the rehearsal—when a prop exploded—made them want to burst out laughing.
“Do you still remember the doll incident?” Tae-oh whispered with a mischievous grin.
Ha-neul bit her lip and shook her head. “Shh! If we laugh again, it’s over for us.”
Behind the curtain, Su-jin and Ji-min watched in suspense.
“Will they actually make it this time?”
“Well, they practiced a lot… unless Ha-neul cracks up first.”
The music signaled their entrance. The two gripped hands tightly and stepped onto the stage. Ha-neul’s heart did gymnastic flips while Tae-oh closed his eyes for a second, barely holding back a smile.
Right on cue, Tae-oh put on his most serious face. “From now on, you’re my destiny!”
Ha-neul almost lost it, bowing her head and biting back a laugh as snickers trickled from the audience.
After a brief pause, she replied line for line. “Destiny? Yeah right—I don’t buy it!”
Supposed to be a serious moment, but giggles kept bubbling up from the crowd. Ha-neul and Tae-oh locked eyes, and laughter threatened to explode at any second.
Su-jin waved cue cards from the side stage. “Don’t you dare laugh! Come on!”
Ha-neul took a deep breath. “Almost there… just hold it together…”
Suddenly, Tae-oh stumbled over a chair, nearly falling. Ha-neul caught him, and their faces ended up inches apart.
The audience went silent. Only their rapid heartbeats filled the air. Ha-neul felt a jolt of excitement from the closeness.
But that’s when someone tossed the stuffed prop onto stage—landing squarely on Ha-neul’s shoulder.
Both their expressions crumbled. They bit hard on their lips to keep from laughing, but their lips twitched dangerously.
The music played on, the next line approaching fast.
Gazing at each other, both wondered: Would they survive this round—without bursting into laughter?