The filming lights shut off, shrouding the beach in complete darkness.

Seyoung felt her heart racing as Wooyoung carefully entwined his fingers in hers in the sand.

Around them the crew were starting to clean up, busy packing equipment neatly back into bags.  

He tugged at her hand and whispered, "Let's go."

As they walked hand in hand into the blackness toward the low tide she waited to hear her manager shouting her name.  But the only sound was the waves in the distance and her heart pouring in her ears.

"It was a really nice day today." He said.

"I had so much fun." She smiled, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. 

"Was I too obvious?" He asked in a low voice.

She remembers their conversation from a few nights ago. As she stared up at the ceiling of her dark bedroom and cradled her phone carefully by her ear while he told her how much he cared for her.  "I don't just want this to be pretend anymore" he told her. 

In that moment she was filled with more joy and more fear than ever before in her life.  Everything is different now, different and terrifying.  But it feels so familiar, familiar and comforting.

"Maybe a little obvious." She says and he stops walking.  She tugs his arm playfully and smiles, "I don't really mind, though." 

It was so dark out on the beach, when he turned to face her she could barely make out the details of his face.  But she could see his eyes darting back to where the crew was loading up the production vans.

"When can I see you next?" He asked quickly.

Before she could answer she heard her manager's voice echo across the beach, "Someone find Seyoung. She has a schedule in 5 hours." 

She flashed a small apology smile at Wooyoung before squeezing his hand and quickly rushing up the beach.  "Oppa! I'm coming! I was stretching my legs before the long car ride!" she called.

Seyoung walked slowly through the crew still bustling around the cars. feeling giddy and somehow regretful.  Today was a wonderful day, but it's a shame to end it like this.  Especially now that everything is different. It's real now and she doesn't want to leave his side.  Not yet.

She shuffled closer to where her manager was waiting with the engine running at the front of the line of production vans.  Suddenly, a hand reached out from between the cars and yanked her inside the gap.

She was about to scream when she saw the hand belonged to Wooyoung. Before she could think or say anything she was leaning against the bumper of the van and his lips were on hers. 

His lips were warm and soft and his hand was pressed against her face.  She could feel the cool metal of the chain on his couple bracelet brushing her neck. 

She couldn't tell which of the two of them was shaking more when he pulled away from her.  His voice was as unsteady as the day they met when he whispered, "I just had to."

Seyoung tried to open to say something. Say anything.  Was she even smiling right now?  Did she look as glassy-eyed and gleeful as she felt?

But he was already backing away in the other direction. "Go. Go! Don't get in trouble!" 

She had to sit on the bumper a little while to wait for her knees to stop trembling.

--

A little while later on the car ride home, she could see her manager's sleepy eyes in the rearview mirror.  But Seyoung felt wide awake.

The glow of her cell phone screen filled the backseat as it buzzed next to her. 

A message from Wooyoung.  Her heart was jumping again.

"When can I see you next?'

Her eyes glanced to the front seat again as her manager yawned loudly.  They would be home in 30 minutes.  He would drop her in the parking garage and drive off to get some sleep.

She quickly typed back with a nervous energy

"What are you doing for the next 5 hours?"