The door handle turned, the sound cutting through the moment.Mingyu and Yunjin were jolted back to reality. Their senses returned, but the heavy atmosphere between them lingered. The choreographer arrived, his footsteps breaking the silence.

Yunjin, her eyes slightly teary, quickly turned away and wiped her face, careful not to let anyone notice. Mingyu, aware of the tension, kept a sharp eye on their actions. What had just transpired between them felt completely out of line.

The choreographer broke the stillness. "How’s practice going? Why don’t you show me what you’ve worked on?"

Both Mingyu and Yunjin, professionals to the core, immediately began to dance. However, neither of them dared to look at the other. They kept their gaze averted, focusing on the routine rather than each other. The performance ended in silence.

Mingyu was about to speak, but before he could, Yunjin hurriedly left the room. She dashed to the restroom, grateful for the solitude. There, she let out a shaky breath.

"What the hell happened back there?" she muttered to herself, wiping away her tears. "Why was I about to do that? It’s not like I haven’t interacted with men before. Yunjin, what are you doing? You don’t know him. He’s just a senior. He has a girlfriend."

She paused, forcing herself to calm down. I don’t have any feelings for him. I’m at the beginning of my career—I can’t afford distractions. I’ve worked too hard to get here. I won’t let anything get in the way. Two years without dating, right? Focus, Yunjin. Focus.

After washing her face, Yunjin took a deep breath and steadied herself. Mingyu, in the hallway, was waiting for her to emerge. Just then, DK appeared.

“Mingyu, what are you doing here? Aren’t you and Yunjin supposed to be rehearsing for your special dance routine?” DK smiled. “By the way, we’re having so much fun in our practice room. The girls are adorable.”

Yunjin stepped out and noticed the two of them standing there. She bowed to both of them. Mingyu noticed her red eyes and felt a pang of sadness.

“Hello, Yunjin,” DK greeted her.

Yunjin offered a small smile. “Hello, sunbaenim.”

“Is everything going well with practice?” DK asked.

Yunjin nodded. “Yes, sunbaenim.”

DK, ever the enthusiast, continued. “By the way, Mingyu’s girlfriend is coming to the company today for lunch. The other groups are joining us too. You should join us!”

Yunjin hesitated. “Sorry, sunbaenim, I’m not hungry.”

Mingyu, aware of her attempt to avoid him, sighed inwardly.

DK, however, wasn’t having it. “No, no, no. You have to join us! Don’t worry, your group will be there too. You won’t feel left out.”

Yunjin sighed but agreed. “Okay.”

As Yunjin reluctantly prepared to join, she bowed to Mingyu. “Sorry, Mingyu sunbaenim. What happened today won’t happen again. I’ll do my best in this performance and won’t cause any trouble. I know how much Unnie loves you, and you two are a perfect couple. I promise this won’t happen again. Thank you.”

Mingyu bowed in return, a mixture of emotions flooding him. Yunjin bowed once more and left.

She entered the practice room, where the choreographer was waiting.

“Yunjin, what happened?” he asked, noticing her red eyes.

“Nothing,” she replied quickly. “Just felt a little nauseous for a moment.”

“Are you okay now?”

“Yeah,” Yunjin assured him, forcing a smile.

Mingyu entered just then, and the practice resumed. But Yunjin didn’t once look at him. She remained laser-focused on the dance, blocking everything else out.

When lunchtime arrived, the rehearsal ended. The group gathered for lunch, and Yunjin reconnected with her teammates, acting as if nothing had happened.

Isa appeared, dressed in a chic Prada outfit with a Dior purse. She kissed Mingyu on the cheek. “Hello, darling,” she said, and the group teased them gently. Mingyu, however, quickly noticed Yunjin’s reaction—she was smiling, but there was a hint of discomfort in her eyes as she watched them.

Isa greeted the Le Sserafim girls with a warm, “Hello, girls.”

The Le Sserafim members responded in kind. “Hello, Unnie.”

Isa noticed their sweat-drenched faces. “Oh my God, you’re all working hard, huh?”

“Yes, Unnie,” they replied. “We’re doing our best.”

Isa turned to Yunjin. “I heard you and Mingyu are paired for a small dance sequence. How’s it going?”

Yunjin nodded. “Yes, Unnie.”

Isa’s smile was tight. “I see. It’s the beginning of your career, Yunjin. Give it your best and be careful.” The words felt more like a warning than advice.

Yunjin smiled nervously. “Sure, Unnie.”

Hoshi, trying to lighten the mood, called out, “Alright, let’s eat.”

Yunjin sat next to Eunchae, while Mingyu sat beside Isa. Throughout the meal, Yunjin avoided looking at Mingyu, but he couldn’t stop glancing at her. He didn’t want to make things worse, but he was drawn to her presence.

Isa, eager to make conversation, turned to the girls. “So, what do you all do in your free time?”

Kazuha laughed. “We rarely have free time!”

Isa smiled. “Hmm. Yunjin, how do you spend your free time?”

Eunchae piped up, “Yunjin unnie loves reading. She always carries a book with her—like a bookworm!”

Isa raised an eyebrow. “Oh, Mingyu doesn’t like reading much.”

Yunjin merely nodded, not wanting to engage further.

Isa then asked, “What kind of movies do you watch?”

Yunjin answered quietly, “I enjoy psychological thrillers.”

Isa replied, “Mingyu and I don’t watch movies much.”

Yunjin simply said, “Hmm.”

As lunch concluded, the atmosphere shifted. Wonwoo and Minghao pulled Mingyu aside.

“Hey bro, is everything okay with Isa?” Wonwoo asked.

Mingyu, caught off guard, asked, “Why? What’s going on?”

Minghao joked, “It’s like you and Yunjin are hidden lovers, and Isa is your girlfriend.”

Mingyu turned serious.

Minghao laughed. “I’m just kidding, bro. Chill.”

Jun interrupted, holding up his phone. “Hey, let’s take a selfie!”

Yunjin stood beside Joshua, while Mingyu took a selfie with his girlfriend.

Isa smiled. “We should take another one without me. We can’t post the one with me because of the fans.”

Mingyu quickly moved to Yunjin’s side. She sensed his presence but didn’t acknowledge him, simply standing still.

The day moved on, and everyone went their separate ways. Mingyu and Isa headed to the practice hall, where Isa pulled him into a kiss. Mingyu tried to pull away, but she was persistent, and the kiss deepened.

Meanwhile, outside in the parking lot, Yunjin remembered she had left her phone in the practice room.

“Hey guys, I forgot my phone. Wait a minute, I’ll go get it.”

She walked up to the fourth floor, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

To be continued...