“We’re almost there,” Hyung Eun, the manager accompanying her on this particular schedule, says as he makes a sharp turn into another narrow street of Seoul. “Get ready to get out quickly once I stop the car, Eunha-yah. No fans should be sticking around at this hour but we don’t need any rumors to start.”

 

Eunha nods, not bothering with a verbal answer. She has learnt over time and countless car rides that he —or any member of the staff— doesn’t expect her to answer either.

 

It’s interesting, she thinks, how becoming an idol has segregated her from human contact. There’s no time for decent conversations or for anything that isn’t related to her career or the group she’s a part of now. Everything about the entertainment business is so codified that there's no place left for the genuineness she has been seeking in vain.

 

Shouldn't you be happy? You have made it, is what the few people she talked to about her feelings of loneliness have said. Sometimes, she wanted to believe it could be enough — having just coworkers and nameless acquaintances she has trouble remembering in her life. It wasn't, though. It couldn't be enough, not when she wanted to simply be a human again.

 

“Come on,” the manager says after he stops the car in front of their destination and turns the ignition off. “He must already be waiting for you.”

 

Eunha rubs her eyes and nods again, hurriedly putting her cellphone and strawberry flavored lip balm in her old navy backpack before pushing the car door open.

 

A quick glance at the sky makes her figure it must be around five or six A.M., judging by the first rays of the sun that are peeking through the clouds.

 

A new day is starting, but not for her. Not when her day has never ended in the first place.

 

"What are you waiting for? Hurry and go!" Hyung Eun says and Eunha can hear the irritation in his voice. The ride from Daejeon —where all the girls performed at a music festival— to Seoul must have taken a toll on him. Long drives at night aren't pleasant for anyone but at least, she has managed to rest for two, maybe three hours. It isn’t much, but better than on most nights, and definitely better than her manager. Life definitely isn’t easy for anyone in the business.

 

"See you later, oppa," Eunha whispers softly, finally stepping out of the van and almost losing her footing in the process. She straightens up quickly, flexing her ankles a few times to ride off the numbness in her legs. A smile makes its way on her lips once she's certain that everything is fine with her body.

 

She can't afford to get hurt now, or ever. Too many people are counting on her and more than that, she can't afford an injury and the ultimate loss of deals and opportunities that it would bring. Her company is nowhere near established yet, she knows, despite Yeojachingu making all their wildest dreams —hitting Melon's roof, getting first place on TV shows multiple times, winning rookie awards left and right— possible.

 

As expected, there's no one in front of the building and Eunha lets out a sigh of relief, but doesn't dare remove her face mask yet. Cautiousness is another principle all idols should abide to, herself included. Better be safe than sorry, she remembers one of the make-up unnies saying once and she couldn't help but agree. An injury was bad but manageable, while a scandal was a nightmare to everyone in the industry.

 

Quickly shutting the door behind her, she stares at the van driving down the street, her manager probably in search of a decent area to park nearby. It's common practice, after all — managers sleeping in cars while waiting for their charges to be done with their schedules.

 

Once the car has disappeared from view, she takes a deep breath and rubs her hands together to calm herself down. Individual schedules are rare and she feels somewhat nervous; she misses Yerin's loud laugh and Yuna's constant singing. The fact that she's awaited at Big Hit Entertainment doesn't help her nerves either.

 

She hasn't been back here in years, and had no reason to ever come back after she had been dropped by the company for not meeting their standards. It feels weird to be back, even though she has managed to debut in another company and prove them wrong, prove that she is more than the naive country bumpkin they had seen her as forever ago.

 

She will have to get used to it. She doesn't have a choice since her company has decided it would be good for her to show off her dancing skills by making her participate in a dancing show for celebrities. Show a different side of you, she remembers her CEO telling her. Show what you can do, Jung Eunbi.

 

She promised she would, if only for her CEO and groupmates' sakes but still, she can't help but believe that being a part of "Partners in Dance" is the hardest thing she has ever been asked to do. It's one thing to be a contestant in a show full of more experienced sunbaenims; it's another thing to be the female part of a dancing couple.

 

Her experiences with the opposite are rare, her last one being a two-month relationship during her first grade of middle school. It had been silly and chaste at most, barely going further than timid kisses in front of her parents' house in Geumcheon-gu. Nothing she had experienced was as intimate, as intense, as dancing with a man.

 

This requires a chemistry to develop between the two of them and Eunha isn't convinced this is something that can happen in the little amount of time they will spend together.

 

Being a part of this show is a bad idea in her opinion, especially when her partner is one of the hottest idols right now, one starring in most girls' dirty fantasies.

 

Especially when her dorky, simple self is partnered with Bangtan Sonyeondan's Park Jimin.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

"Hello? Is anyone here?" she tentatively greets after opening the practice room door. The receptionist at the front desk had been expecting her arrival and had quickly offered Eunha to bring her to Jimin and their assigned choreographer.

 

Eunha had simply nodded, preferring to not disclose the fact that she could find the way to practice room eight by herself, and instead followed the tall woman through the maze of corridors. It had been a short walk, barely five minutes tops, but the awkwardness of it had made her relieved it hadn't been longer.

 

No one answers her greeting, and Eunha’s faced with an empty practice room. Good, I will have time to change before they arrive, she thinks, dropping her bag to the ground as she makes her way inside the middle-sized room.

 

She's in the midst of stripping, her hands grabbing the hem of her pale pink hoodie tightly as she pulls it upwards when she stops in her tracks, suddenly feeling eyes on her. Hurriedly getting her hoodie past her head, she clutches it to her tanktop-clad chest —fists strongly closed around cotton— as their eyes meet, hers wide with shock and his, full of mirth.

 

"Erm," Jimin says, nervously rubbing the back of his head but the amusement of the situation still clear in his eyes. His hair is back to black now, she notices, and she can't help but think that she likes this new look on him. "I'm sorry for startling you. I'm Jimin, Park Jimin," he continues, coming closer to her and extending his hand towards her.

 

Eunha stares at the hand in front of her, her inner mortification making her freeze in place. "Are you ever going to shake it?" Jimin teases, gesturing towards his hand with his chin. "It doesn't bite, I promise you."

 

A snort slips past her lips before she can’t stop it and she puts a hand over , her eyes widening again as embarrassment fills her. Talk about making an awful first impression, she thinks, cringing inwardly at the way their first meeting is going. “I’m so sorry, here,” she says after calming herself enough to drop her hand from her hoddie and grab his. She shakes it, quickly letting go before he realizes her palm is clammy. “I’m Yeojachingu’s Eunha. I promise to work hard, sunbaenim."

 

Jimin just hums, his head tilted to the side as he looks at her and Eunha feels her cheeks reddening again, feeling somewhat flustered by his lukewarm reaction. She hadn't expected big smiles and sunshine but this is downright awkward and she can't stand it.

 

"Is Hong songsaengnim going to arrive soon?" she asks, not really knowing what to do or say at this point and wishing this schedule could be done and over with already. If she hadn't be sure participating in this show was a bad idea before, she is now certain it is.

 

Surprisingly, Jimin's eyes widen slightly and he starts rubbing the back of his head again, making sure to avoid looking at her. "About that," he starts, his voice so soft Eunha has to step closer to him in order to hear him. "He's not going to come."

 

"What?" she simply says, his words not completely registering in her confused mind. Her hold on her hoodie loosens at the surprising news and she doesn't realize it has fallen to the ground before Jimin leans down to grab it, folding it neatly before putting it on the nearest bench. "Why have you done this? I don't understand." It makes no sense to hear that Hong songsaengnim is not going to join them, not when he's the one who has to teach them the choreography in the first place. What is she doing here if he's not coming?

 

"I might have called him and asked him to not come this morning," Jimin confesses, his voice getting stronger when he realizes that she's listening to what he has to say and doesn't plan on interrupting him. "I wanted for us to come up with our own routine. I mean, I'm sure that whatever dance hyung has come up with is really great, but by doing this, it's going to help with our chemistry, right? Ah well, maybe it was a bad idea, I can still call—"

 

"No, no," Eunha says, shaking her head as Jimin makes a move to take his phone out of his sweatpants pocket. "It's alright. Please, don't call him."

 

It's actually not a bad idea now that she thinks about it, and he makes some good points. She's perfectly aware that this is going to require more time practicing together, but she finds out that she doesn't mind as much as she thought she would. Indeed, Eunha doesn't mind taking one for the team and this —creating the choreography themselves, just the two of them— is all about that. Giving more of her time, more of her energy, more of herself is bound to get them better results and provide a hard-working, dedicated image the public is going to like.

 

A good reputation can bring you far, and everyone in the industry, herself included, is more than aware of it.

 

"Cool," Jimin says, flashing her a bright smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Eunha automatically smiles back, feeling a bit more at ease now. Not by much but enough to believe that maybe, this won't be as horrible as she made it out to be. "Let's get started, then? I have already thought of a few moves that I would like to show you and—"

 

"Can I get changed first?" Eunha asks, smiling shyly at him. It was cute how immersed he could get about subjects he was interested in. "I'm sorry but these," she gestures to the skinny jeans she's been wearing for hours now, "is getting quite uncomfortable."

 

Jimin blinks, almost as if she has spoken a foreign language and she's sure his cheeks have taken on a light pink shade. Cute, she thinks, doing her best to not giggle and embarrass him further. "Sure, sure, go ahead, I will—" he pauses, not sure of what to say before he nods to himself, "I will get lost, yeah. See you in five."

 

"But you can just tu—" Eunha tries to say, but he's already out of the door —jacket in one hand, phone in the other— before she even has time to tell him it would've been okay for him to stay and simply turn around.

 

Barely seconds after he’s exited the room, Eunha hears what sounds suspiciously like a head being banged repeatedly on a door and she can’t help but break into laughter.

 

All her stress about her participation to the show disappears just like this.

 

The tension that has been bothering her for hours leave her shoulders, and her legs shake just a little bit less, and now, she can’t help but be both grateful and relieved when she realizes that she’s not the only one being nervous about the whole situation.

 

Thank you, Jimin sunbae, for putting me at ease without even knowing it, she thinks, now almost excited for what's going to come their way.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

In the two weeks she spends training with Jimin, Eunha learns that he is without a doubt the best partner she could have ever asked for.

 

He’s funny, utterly charming, and truly one of the best dancer she has ever met.

 

After a few days of tentative partnership —full of timid dance moves and even more timid conversations—, the two of them have gotten over their initial awkwardness and have managed to come up with a three minute choreography in record time. Their daily practices, usually between five and seven A.M. if neither of them has a schedule away from Seoul, have proven to be quite effective, and their progress has surprised everyone, themselves included.

 

"Have you heard anything from Hong songsaengnim yet?" Eunha asks, rubbing off her forehead with a towel.

 

Jimin nods while he rummages through his backpack, flashing her a victorious grin as he takes a bottle out of it. "Yeah," he confirms, twisting the cap open and taking a sip of water. "He's going to come by tomorrow and watch our practice."

 

"Oh," Eunha simply says, suddenly nervous about meeting with him tomorrow morning. While dancing with Jimin has steadily gotten easier, having him hold her hand or her waist in front of someone is still a step she's struggling with. It's good practice, she supposes, especially since she's going to have to do it in front of a live audience of five hundred people in less than two weeks and she feels she's nowhere near ready right now.

 

"Are you nervous, Eunha-yah?" Jimin asks, looking straight at her as he puts the lid back on his bottle, and Eunha freezes, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

 

"Don't be," Jimin says, stepping closer to her and patting her on the head with a small smile on his face. Eunha swears her cheeks must be a deep shade of red by now, but if he has noticed, he doesn't comment on it and she's grateful for it. "We're going to show him how great we are together, okay?"

 

Eunha guesses he is right, though. They are great together and there's nothing to fear.

 

The choreographer had been the most amazed by their routine after all, and he had praised them a lot after he had seen it for the first time, less than a week ago. The dance, in his opinion, is rather impressive for beginners in ballroom dancing and he had particularly enjoyed how refreshing and modern their take on it is, not making any change to their routine and only helping them with their technique.

 

Eunha hums, smiling timidly at him and half-heartedly pumping one of her fist in the air. "Let's start practicing again then, Jimin sunbae!" she suggests, trying her best to be a decent partner to him and not ruin the good atmosphere between the two of them.

 

"About that," Jimin starts as he takes a few steps back and quickly crosses to room to get to the stereo. "Can you stop it? I mean, calling me sunbaenim. It's—" Jimin pauses, trying to find the right words while Eunha just stares at him, surprised to see him revert back to the reserved and nervous persona of their first days together. Park Jimin is intriguing, she realizes, and she finds it captivating. "It's uncomfortable for me. I never really got used to it and it makes it sound like there's distance between us, even though we started using informal speech now so..."

 

"Alright, sun—" she harshly bites down on her lower lip to stop herself, realizing what she was about to say. It hasn't been difficult to start talking informally to him, as he has done his best to make her feel comfortable around him but she has never dared to stop calling him sunbaenim. Using the honorific has been the perfect reminder of where she was standing compared to him, of what she shouldn't expect from him or start to desire — getting closer wasn't a bad thing considering their situation, but overstepping the boundaries could end up being a disastrous one.  They are colleagues, partners, nothing else and definitely nothing more.

 

It doesn't matter now, though. Not when he's asking her directly to drop it and she knows perfectly well she can't refuse, can't deny him because of that reason alone — his hierarchy level.

 

"Oppa," she tries out, almost grimacing as the word leaves a bitter taste—one of a story that can't be hers, not with this career— on her tongue. It's impossible for him to have heard her from where he stands, and she takes a deep breath, forcing it to come out, louder this time. "Alright, oppa."

 

The next words are out of before she can't stop them or even think about them. "Can I ask you something too, then?" She notices how his back suddenly stiffens, how his shoulders tense but it's too late to backtrack now, even if she wants to. "From now on," she starts, and she shouldn't, but she's going to do ask him nonetheless because she has lost, lost the first battle against her silly feelings. She might as well surrender this time and completely let herself go. "Call me Eunbi, please."

 

Jimin doesn't ask, doesn't even say anything, simply turns and looks at her with a small grin—the one he wears when he's really pleased, as she has learned over time—tugging on his lips.

 

And it's enough for her.

 

She feels liberated, and she swears that in that moment, at 6 A.M. on a Thursday morning, they have grown more closer than she ever thought they would be.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Her legs are shaking so much that Eunha wonders if she will able to stand on stage without collapsing, or worse, falling flat on her face. At the rate things are going, it will be a miracle if she can even dance.

 

Recording a show has never been so stressful before, and not even her debut stage had scared her as much as her participation on this show has.

 

The staff had asked her to exit the side of the stage to get ready about twenty minutes ago. If she's right, only a couple—actress Go Ara and Exo's Suho— is left before it's her turn and the nerves she has managed to conceal till now are rushing back full force, leaving her with sweaty palms and a racing heart.

 

A poke on her arm makes her jump in fright and she puts a hand over her chest, trying to calm herself down. She hadn’t even realized Jimin had joined her. "Come back to me, Eunbi~" There's only one person on set that calls her by her birth name and she automatically smiles, the situation even making her heart flutter.

 

"Are you alright?" he asks when she doesn't joke around with him like she usually does. He takes a second look at her with what she's sure looks like worry in his eyes. "You seem really out of it, partner."

 

"Eh, is it that bad?" she asks, slightly frowning at him. "I thought I looked stunning in that outfit," she even adds, looking down at her feet with a dejected look her on her face and wondering if he's seeing through her act.

 

When she peeks at him, the answer is obvious. Jimin seems to have lost all color in his face and she struggles to maintain a straight face. "Wait, no, that's not what I wanted to say. You look really pretty in that dress, Eunbi-yah," Jimin confesses, and as he takes a strand of her hair between his fingers, he smiles at her and adds, "I think light green suits your new hair well."

 

A little laugh escapes her and she buries her face between her hands, thankful for the bad lighting of the recording studio. The short haircut she's now sporting is an attempt at a refreshing concept for their summer comeback and she hasn't adjusted to it yet, despite finding it nice herself. "So, do you like it?"

 

"Yeah," Jimin answers immediately, and Eunha lowers her hands to look at him. He stares at her, his dark eyes searching hers and his fingers still playing with her hair. "It's very cute," he says, lowering his arm and smiling down at her as their eyes meet. "Very you."

 

"Oh," she whispers. Her heart beats so fast against her ribcage that she wonders if he's able to hear it, despite the deafening noise around them.

 

Jimin flashes her a small grin and starts bumping her shoulder lightly, not stopping until she pushes him back carefully, her nose scrunched up in annoyance but a small smile on her lips.

 

"I think the feathers on your skirt are the prettiest, though... and the pearls, we can't forget the pearls," Jimin jokes, stepping aside just in time to avoid her fist.

 

Eunha narrows her eyes at him but Jimin's grin just widens and she knows that she's doomed. Even if she had been mad at him in the first place, she wouldn't have been able to stay angry with that face staring at her so sweetly. There's just something about him that makes her go weak in the knees.

 

Jimin doesn't seem to know that, though. "Yah!" Eunha shouts, bating his hand away as he tries to poke her pouting lips. "Don't do that or I will bite you," she adds, only half-jokingly, and Jimin starts laughing, letting his hand drop to his side.

 

"I didn't know you were quite the feisty lady," he says and she resists the urge to go hide where he will never be able to find her. "Seems like I still have a lot to learn about you, Eunbi-yah."

 

"Oppa, do you think we—" she starts, but before she has time to continue, Jimin grabs her hand. His fingers feel a bit rough against the softness of her own, but the feeling is pleasant and she's left completely stunned and unable to speak another word.

 

Jimin simply leans down, close enough to whisper in her ear. "Do you hear me?" he asks, his voice sounding somewhat rushed, and she nods quickly. "You know we can do it, right?" he continues, talking so fast Eunha has to strain her ears to hear him. "So just trust me, okay? Whatever happens, just focus on me."

 

Before she even has time to ask what he’s talking about, staff members a few meters away gesture at them to get ready. Jimin squeezes her hand one last time before letting go.

 

"And now, here comes our next duo! Let's welcome Bangtan Sonyeondan's Park Jimin and Yeojachingu's Eunha!"

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

It has been a long time since she had been able to just stay at home and do nothing. Nights to themselves are a rare luxury and when they happen, Eunha is usually too tired to properly enjoy them.

 

Tonight, though, is different. She can't sleep, and she’s actually relieved that both Sojung and Yuna are still up too. It seems like forever since the three of them have been at home together for more than a few minutes and she's happy they can finally hang out together. She wishes Yewon, Eunbi, and Yerin could have joined them in the kitchen too, but she will have to wait for another time.

 

"What about you, Eunbi-yah?" Sojung suddenly asks, in what Eunha suspects is a way to switch the attention off of her.

 

"Unnie," Eunha says, her fingers closing tightly around the rim of her mug as it pains her to see Sojung so lost and insecure. She carefully considers her next words, not wanting to scare Sojung away. "Yuna’s right. You don’t have to feel responsible for all of us. We’re all grown ups as well. Our bodies are our responsibilities, not yours. You don’t have to feel that everything going wrong is your fault or your problem. It’s not.”

 

Sojung doesn't look up immediately, and Eunha is scared that she has said something she shouldn't. Then, her leader ends up raising her head, and while she isn't openly crying, her eyes are filled with tears. Eunha feels her heart swell with a strange mix of affection and pain.

 

“But if I don’t hold that responsibility then what do I even contribute to this group?” Sojung asks and the pain in her voice is so raw, so real, that Eunha is left speechless.

 

“I feel like if I can’t even be a perfect leader then I’m completely useless in this group. Being responsible for all of you and making sure you guys are doing fine is the least I can do. I’m not good at anything else," Sojung continues. Eunha just looks at her sadly, her grip around her mug tightening so much, she’s afraid it’ll shatter.

 

"Unnie, don't s—" Eunha chokes up, unable to continue. She knows she won't be able to reassure Sojung no matter what she says, and the look she shares with Yuna confirms that. There's nothing they can do, not now, not with just the two of them.

 

A sigh escapes her lips and she tries again, once she's certain she's back in control of herself. "Do you girls think it's okay to like someone?" She hadn't planned to talk about this, not if she could have avoided it, but when she thinks about it, this get-together might be the perfect occasion for her to grow even closer with her members. "It's not possible, right? Not with this career... but I can't stop thinking about it, about what could happen if—"

 

She pauses, looking down at her half-empty mug. My concerns are so silly compared to unnie's, she thinks, feeling almost ashamed of herself. The encouraging smile that Sojung flashes her way, though, chases away these thoughts as fast as they had come.

 

"Of course, it's okay," Sojung says, looking a little bit better now that she's not the subject of the conversation anymore. "You're a twenty year old girl, Eunbi-yah. Who doesn't have a crush when they are twenty? But, to be honest, I don't know what to tell you, the situation—"

 

"I think you should confess," Yuna interrupts, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "You should do it, Eunbi. You should, before it's too late." The way she says it makes something within Eunha ache and she wonders if her same age friend is having love troubles of her own.

 

"Confessing just means letting your heart empty itself. You're letting your feelings go, and it's not your choice anymore to see if they will be caught or if they will disappear into thin air, discarded as if they were nothing..." Yuna continues, her soft voice resonating so clearly in the otherwise silent room.

 

"If Jimin sunbaenim doesn't accept your feelings, then we will help you move on. If he does, then you will have time to worry about the next step to make then. You can't keep your feelings to yourself indefinitely, or you will break down, Eunbi."

 

Eunha doesn't even react at the mention of Jimin's name, not even surprised that Yuna— and probably all the other girls— can read her like an open book. Thinking she could ever hide from them had been an illusion and to be honest, having her secret out of the bag might be better for her and everyone else.

 

Eunha tentatively smiles when she finally looks up, her eyes meeting Sojung's. The care she sees in them only makes her smile wider, and she feels lighter than she has in weeks.

 

"I don't have his number, though," she ends up saying, making the other two girls laugh at her. "Seriously, I don't even know where he is right now!" Well, he’s probably in Thailand, if the schedule she had looked up on the internet is right, but she doesn't tell them that.

 

"That's because you have to let fate do her job, Eunbi-yah," Sojung tells her with fondness in her voice. "It's not the right time yet, so stay strong and be patient till then."

 

Eunha nods and makes a promise to herself right there and then — the next time she sees Jimin, and no matter what happens, she will make her move.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Confessing isn't easy, she finds out. It’s been four months since she and Jimin had last seen each other, and Eunha had thought confessing would be simple, that she could just blurt out her feelings quickly and hope for the best.

 

Except things don't go like this at all. Instead, she's left speechless when he enters Source Music's practice room and smiles at her with a familiarity that makes her heart clench.

 

Never, even in her wildest dreams, had she imagined that SBS would try to reunite them again on stage, especially after having canceled the show they participated in without even airing the pilot.

 

"Long time no see, Eunbi-yah," Jimin says, staring straight at her. "I'm glad to see you again, especially after last time." He lets out a small laugh and she just nods, rubbing her arms as goosebumps spread over her skin. Whether they’re from the December cold or Jimin's presence, Eunha doesn't know.

 

"Are you cold? Wait, let me—" Jimin drops his bag on the floor and removes his gloves and his long coat, putting them on the bench next to him before approaching her.

 

"Here," he says, taking his blue scarf off and wrapping it around her neck with the most utter care. A shiver goes through her as his cold fingers come in contact with her neck but she doesn't say anything, opting to simply smile at him.

 

"I missed you," she suddenly blurts out, burying her face into the wool scarf and avoiding his gaze once she realizes what she has said. "I mean, it felt weird not seeing you after spending so much time together and—"

 

Jimin only grins, though, and wraps an arm around her shoulders. "I missed you too," he whispers in her ear before letting go of her and taking a few steps back. "Anyway, you won't be cold for long," he says, changing the subject as if nothing had happened. "Hobeum hyung told me they are asking us to do a tango routine they have already prepared."

 

She blinks a few times, stunned by what has been asked of them. "Tango?" she just whispers, burying her shaking fingers in her sweatpants' pockets.

 

It's too much, she thinks, her mind already going on overdrive. Tango is nothing like the samba number they did months ago and she isn't sure she is going to be able to handle all the touching and the feelings that are bound to arise in her.

 

But she knows she has to, especially if she doesn’t want to watch Jimin dance with another girl.

 

"Yeah, tango. They must have thought it would drive the fans crazy," Jimin says, not noticing the color slowly draining from her face. "Who knows, maybe we will have to go all out, you with the flower in your hair and me with the shirt ed. That would be quite a sight to see, don't you think? My honey abs~" he jokes, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

 

"Oh God, no," she almost yells, slapping his arm playfully, "It sounds so tacky," she answers, grimacing at the thoughts of a sleazy-looking Jimin holding her in his arms. "Ah, you're going to make me scared of doing this!"

 

"Let's just check the choreo out, then?" he proposes, "Hyung told me he forwarded me the email with the video link that SBS sent them. Have you gotten it, too?"

 

"I haven't checked my emails in a while," Eunha confesses, biting her lower lip in embarrassment. Kakao Talk is the only application she frequently uses, and even that one isn't opened daily, her schedules often too demanding, too tiring. It’s one of the many prices to pay for being a successful idol, and she knows she can’t complain about it.

 

Jimin only chuckles and grabs her by the shoulder, bringing her so close to him she's drowning in a scent she has come to love — sugar with a hint of spice. "Let's watch it together, then," he says, fidgeting with his phone for a few minutes until a video player pops up on the screen. "Ready?" he asks her, pressing play when she nods.

 

They watch, huddled together, as the video processes and the professional dancers demonstrate the choreography. "It looks good," Jimin mutters under his breath and Eunha hums, agreeing with him. The dance is definitely not as bad as she thought it would be. "I was right about the flower," he adds, one of his fingers pointing to the rose the woman has in her hair.

 

Eunha giggles, hitting his arm softly and shaking her head. "Better the flower than the shirt," she teases, putting a hand over to stop herself from laughing out loud as he crosses his arms over his chest and starts pouting.

 

Not wanting to miss too much of the choreography, Eunha looks back at the screen between Jimin's hands again. In that moment, though, she wishes she hadn't.

 

The first part of the dance might have been rather simple and innocent enough, but the moves that are flashing in front of their eyes right now certainly aren't.

 

Eunha’s eyes are glued to the female dancer, to the way her hands trail down the chest of her partner, to her right leg wrapped around his waist as he makes her dip down, his hand running over her exposed thigh, and she swears her breath hitches in when their mouths—only separated by the rose that is now in the man's mouth— get so close that she is convinced their lips must have touched at some point.

 

Thankfully, the clip ends a few seconds later, leaving the two of them staring at the screen, eyes wide and mouths even wider.

 

"Do you mind if I use the laptop over there?" Jimin asks after what seems like hours. The strain in his voice in unmissable, and Eunha doesn’t dare to look at him, too afraid of what she’s going to find if she does.

 

It’s almost as if they’re back to square one, all awkward and unable to look each other in the eyes. She hates it, hates that invisible distance that seems to have settled between them.

 

“Sure,” she ends up saying, recoiling in surprise and almost losing her footing when he immediately walks away from her, as if he couldn’t wait to get away from her. It hurts, but there’s nothing she can do. “It doesn’t have a password,” she adds softly, rubbing her eyes harshly with the sleeve of her sweater. There’s no point in letting her emotions overcome her, she knows.

 

Eunha watches him from afar while he sets up the video, putting it on fullscreen and repeat. They are really doing this, she realizes, and she wonders if the fate Sojung has talked about is toying with her. If it is, then it’s definitely not funny and not exactly what she had wanted for herself.

 

The promise she made to herself hasn’t left her mind but she doesn’t think she can do it, not when his reaction to the choreography has been to put distance between them. He’s here, but then, he isn’t, feeling so out of reach that she doubts she can find the right words to make the Park Jimin she knows come back to her.

 

The practice goes well, though. They don’t lose time and get the first part of the choreography down in less than an hour. Eunha had thought they would take more time, if only to not reach that dreaded part but no, they rush through it so fast that she’s left unable to move when Jimin grabs her waist and bring her against him.

 

She doesn’t move, her body so tense it physically hurts her. She should do something, but she can’t, not when he looks at her like that and she feels herself burning, both from the intensity of his eyes and the weight of his hands on her.

 

“Eun—” Jimin starts but she shakes his head and steps back, breaking his hold on her.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just too—” she stutters.

 

He smiles encouragingly at her and she falls silent, lowering her head as guilt starts to eat at her. She doesn’t have time to act coy. She’s here to do her job after all, not fool around. The way she has reacted till now has been anything but professional and she needs to get her act together really fast.  “Let’s start again, I think I’m ready this time.”

 

Eunha takes her position again, closing her eyes to avoid meeting the eyes she knows are on her. It only makes the sensations of his hands on her, of his body against hers, so vivid and she swallows back the whimper that threatens to leave .

 

She wraps her leg around his waist blindly and lets him guide her as he dips her low only for him to bring back against him more closely afterwards.

 

“Eunbi,” he whispers and the breath that caresses her face makes her shiver. Her eyes open on their own, instantly meeting his. Jimin is looming over her, his plump lips so close to her.

 

She blinks, and his lips are on hers.

 

It’s so overwhelming, even better than all her imagination has managed to come up with during the past few months. Maybe because it’s her first kiss in forever, she supposes, but it doesn’t matter. Not when she’s this happy, the happiest she’s felt in a long time.

 

Jimin parts her lips softly, his own moving against hers in a delicate rhythm that blows her mind. The hold he still has on her is probably why she hasn’t fallen to the ground yet.

 

Their kiss ends as quickly as it started, but the tingle down her spine doesn’t stop. His hold on her hips loosens as his hands come up to grab her face instead and he brings their foreheads together, his eyes never leaving hers.

 

It’s the ideal time to confess, but she doesn’t.

 

She doesn’t, because Jimin does it first.

 

“Don’t be scared by what I’m going to say,” Jimin pleads with a soft voice, his fingers her cheek tenderly. “But I really like you, Eunbi-yah. I thought it was just a puppy crush because I’m not good with girls and you were so good to me, too good for me.”

 

Eunha shakes her head but Jimin only puts a finger to her lips before she can start talking. “It isn’t,” he continues, his smile widening the more he talks, mirroring her own. “When I saw you today, I knew I had to confess, but the video just mes—”

 

“I like you too,” she ends up blurting, a giggle escaping her when she sees the surprised expression on his face. “I’ve liked you for a while but I was nervous and wasn’t sure anything could happen with us being who we are. I promised myself I would confess today but it was so difficult.” She buries her face into his chest and lowers her leg to the ground, only for her arms to take their place around his waist.

 

Eunha feels so happy, so relieved that her feelings are shared. Of course, it’s only the start of something else, she knows, and dating between idols has always been a sensitive subject. She doesn’t want to worry about that, though, not now when whatever is happening between the two of them is just at its beginning stage.

 

They stay in that position for a few minutes longer, simply hugging and holding each other close, and it’s more than enough for her.

 

Jimin is the first one to talk, his chin resting on top of her head. “Your hair smells like strawberries. That’s awfully cute.”

 

She simply laughs and shrugs her shoulders before looking up to smile cheekily at him. “I am awfully cute.”

 

“That, you are. You’re in luck that I’m well-known to like cute things,” he says, and his exaggerated wink makes her burst into laughter again. “Well, cutie, can I kiss you again?”

 

Eunha presses her lips together, tilting her head to the side in thought. “Only if you can sweep me off my feet,” she teases, not expecting to be twirled around the room as soon as she’s done talking.

 

Hitting his chest in vain hope to be put back on the ground doesn’t work and Eunha is forced to yell, pleading with him to stop.

 

Jimin doesn’t obey, though and simply makes her stop yelling with a kiss. Or two. Or a dozen.

 

That’s also exactly how their dance practice ends up — with more laughter, more kisses, definitely more dancing, and with her officially being the girlfriend of a bulletproof schoolboy.