Mingyu stepped back from the hug awkwardly, clearing his throat. "I mean... nothing."

Yunjin forced a nervous smile. "Oh, okay."

The group dispersed, and everyone left the hotel in their cars.

In Mingyu’s car, the atmosphere was tense.
Isa crossed her arms and glanced at him, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Isn’t she pretty?”

Mingyu blinked, confused. “Who?”

Isa rolled her eyes. “I’m talking about the one you gave a genuine front hug to.”

Mingyu sighed. “Hey, it was just a friendly hug. They’re our juniors. I was only being courteous.”

“Courteous, huh?” Isa muttered, unimpressed.

Mingyu hummed in response, choosing not to escalate the conversation further.

Meanwhile, in another car, Yunjin sat silently, reflecting on what had happened earlier. She spoke softly to herself, “I’m pretty sure Mingyu sunbaenim said something like ‘amazing.’” After a moment, she shook her head and dismissed the thought, focusing instead on her group’s rising success.

---

Months passed, and Le Sserafim had cemented their place as one of Korea’s most popular girl groups. Though Mingyu had made a conscious effort to maintain his distance from Yunjin and her teammates, circumstances were about to pull them together once more.

A controversy involving a subsidiary company’s CEO had tarnished Hybe’s image. To mitigate the fallout, the entire organization decided to host a special collaborative stage performance featuring all Hybe artists.

During practice sessions, the choreographer paired Mingyu and Yunjin for a short dance routine, noting how well their chemistry would suit the performance’s concept.

Mingyu approached her with a polite smile. “Hello, Yunjin.”

Yunjin greeted him back, bowing slightly. “Hello, Mingyu sunbaenim.”

“How have you been?” Mingyu asked.

“I’m doing well. And you?”

“Good,” he replied with a small smile.

Yunjin hesitated before adding, “By the way, your girlfriend—Unnie—is really beautiful and sweet.”

Mingyu smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Breaking the tension, Yunjin said, “Shall we start rehearsing?”

“Of course,” Mingyu nodded.

They began dancing to Stay With Me, their movements perfectly synchronized. The intensity of the practice brought out the best in both of them. At one point, Mingyu lifted Yunjin by her waist, their eyes locking as time seemed to slow down.

As he gently lowered her to the floor, the gaze lingered. Mingyu’s hand slid to her chin, tilting her face upward. The space between them closed, their breaths mingling as their lips hovered inches apart.

To be continued...