You got a new message!

Joohyun frowned. She opened the notification only to find out that Sooyoung sent her a message.

Park Sooyoung: Study Discovers 7 Surprising Benefits of Holding Hands! Click the link here!

Park Sooyoung: Open it and I expect you to say thanks to me in a few days

Joohyun snorted when she reads the text.

Bae Joohyun: And why should I say thanks to you? What the hell is that even in the beginning?

Park Sooyoung: Jeez, old woman, you can’t read?

Bae Joohyun: You .

Bae Joohyun: Yes I can read. How the am I suppose to reply to you if I can’t read?

Park Sooyoung: Fair enough.

Park Sooyoung: Then why asking, goddammit.

Joohyun is this close to walking across to her room if she didn’t feel lazy and want to do nothing this afternoon.

Bae Joohyun: Why you sent that article to me?

Park Sooyoung: Oh, wow.

Somehow she can feel that Sooyoung scoffed at her the moment she read her reply and rolling her eyes.

Park Sooyoung: You need it to make Seungwan-unnie wants to hold hands with you.

Bae Joohyun: I don’t need an article just to holding hands with her.

Park Sooyoung: Oh, God, you’re so annoying.

Park Sooyoung: I still remember how you whined by the lack amount of holding hand with her when you drunk 2 days ago.

Park Sooyoung: Just read it first.

Joohyun snorted and clicked the link of the article. She was greeted by a picture of a pair of arms that holding themselves together.

Holding hands is an ordinary thing that we see and do every day.

Like I didn’t know about that, snorted Joohyun.

It can signify friendship, love, or marriage. Yet this tiny, commonplace behavior triggers chemical reactions in our minds that make us feel loved, happy, cared for, and respected.

Joohyun straightens her back. Okay, she got interested with this article.

Here are seven benefits of holding hands which you may not have realized existed:

1. Holding hands is a great stress reliever

Holding hands with your significant other decreases the level of a stress hormone called cortisol. Even the touch of a friend or a teammate can make us feel more content, connected, or better about ourselves. When we are stressed out, a light touch on our hand can help ease the strain, both physically and mentally. Our skin also gets more sensitive when cortisol is rushing through our bloodstream, so the touch of a helping hand will have a significantly larger impact. The largest concentration of nerve endings is actually contained inside the hands and fingertips. So, next time you’re having a really tough day, get together with your partner or a friend and ease the stressful day with them.

It’s getting nearer the time of their comebacks. This week has been hectic. Photoshoot, music video shooting, performance training. No day acquired them to go rest at their dorm. They even use the dorm just as a place for them to sleep for barely 4 hours. That’s how packed their schedule is.

It’s been difficult for them. They all worked so hard for this comeback. Yet they can’t shake off those uneasy feelings from their nerves. Especially Joohyun.

Their last comeback is, Joohyun doesn’t even know the right word for it. They’re not even winning at least one music show. Yes, they still breaking records, but the fact that not even a single win still battered her.

She goes to the balcony that evening. Leaning herself to the guardrail. Enjoying the night winds when her mind wandered everywhere while looking down to the night view of Seoul. She sighed, rubbing her hands together, trying to let go that kind of feelings. Yet, it keeps adding up.

She doesn’t even realize that the sliding door at her back is opened, revealing someone who will accompany her tonight.

“Unnie? What are you doing in here?”

Joohyun jumped a bit, before looking through her shoulder, finding Seungwan with her questioning gaze towards her. “Oh, Seungwan. Just enjoying tonight, I think.”

“Alone?” Seungwan asked, closing the door and took the spot beside Joohyun.

Joohyun shrugged, didn’t bother to answer her. She heard Seungwan sighed, before also leaning to the guardrail. She looked around the view in front of her.

“So, our comeback is in 2 weeks,” said the short-haired girl, trying to find a topic.

The point of Joohyun’s lips lifted up a bit. “Yeah.”

Seungwan looked at her. You can see from her expressions that she’s thrilled, her lips making a wide smile. “Are you excited, unnie?”

She didn’t wait for Joohyun to answer it. “I can’t wait to go back to the music show stage. Meeting other groups. Meeting our fans. Talking with them again,” she sighed feeling ecstatic, happiness can be heard clearly from her voice.

“I wondering if they catch my hints months ago in that show,” Seungwan chuckled, remembering how she and Seulgi teased the fans at the red carpet. “Do you think I tease them too much, unnie?”

Seungwan looked at her right when she noticed that Joohyun didn’t say a thing or two. Her happy expression quickly replaced with worried and concerned. “Joohyun-unnie? What’s wrong?”

Joohyun didn’t seem like catching her calls, so Seungwan reached out, holding her hand. It feels cold, disparate from her warm hand. “Unnie?”

Joohyun snapped out from her thoughts. “Yeah?”

Seungwan rubbed her soft palm with her finger, drawing circles. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Joohyun took a deep breath. “It’s just—It’s pretty dumb, actually.”

“Nothing is dumb enough if it makes you look distressed like this,” hushed Seungwan.

Joohyun froze, unconsciously holding her breath. She felt like she was just getting slapped pretty hard by her. She sighed, knowing she can’t escape her at this point. “I’m worried.”

 “From what?” asked Seungwan, curious.

“The comeback?”

Seungwan frowned. “Why are you scared from the comeback?”

“I don’t know,” she snapped suddenly, exasperate. “Maybe because there’s a lot at stake when we going to have a comeback in summer. Our title is a ‘Summer Queen’. Whether we will succeed or not from this album, considering from the last album we’re completely failed with it.”

“So, that’s the problem?”

Joohyun frowned, looking at Seungwan with perplexed expressions. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she shrugged, before continuing, “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“I legit just told you earlier and—”

“Say, unnie,” she cut her sentences, “what makes an album successful?”

Joohyun got a bit taken aback from her questions. “What?”

Seungwan looked at her straight in the eyes. “Because I can’t see how come our previous album didn’t succeed at all.”

“We didn’t even manage to win even one music show,” countered Joohyun.

“So?” asked Seungwan. Joohyun got perplexed by her reactions.

“So?”

“Yeah, so? If we didn’t win any music show at all, yet we did broke records at other fields, is it still counted as unsuccessful?”

Joohyun feels like a cat got her tongue. She can’t counter what Seungwan just said. She heard the girl in front of her sigh, still drawing small circles on her palm. Somehow, her emotions got reduced.

“You know what I scared the most, unnie?”

The brunette blinked. “What?”

Seungwan flashed a small, sad smile. “The moment where I sing not because I love and enjoy every moment of it, but because I’m scared whether this will be successful or not, just like what you felt right now.”

Joohyun inhaled a sharp breath. She just got slapped twice by Seungwan just from her words only. She can’t even debate with her.

“Unnie, the level of success is always different from everyone. Like what you and I just talked about earlier. I know you’re worried, will this song get accepted by anyone who heard it. But, as long as there is still someone who heard our song, I can’t see why it’s not successful.”

“But, what about us? I mean, we never know the future, right?”

Seungwan smiled softly at the brunette in front of her. She grasped her ‘baby hand’ tighter, trying to give her some strength. “Because we never know the future, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy what is in front of us right now, right?”

Joohyun let out her exhausted sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Seungwan.”

Seungwan smiled wider. “Anytime, unnie.”

“It’s just, it’s been too stressful for me lately,” she confessed. “Lots of thoughts suddenly invaded my brain, and I feel overwhelmed by it.”

“Well, anytime you feel like that, tell me, okay? Or anyone. Share it with us. Yes, you’re our leader but that doesn’t mean you need to bear all of this by yourself.”

Joohyun sighed. She grasped Seungwan’s hand tightly, trying to get her strength. She felt much better now. Especially from how Seungwan keeps drawing a circle at her hand.

“Okay?” Seungwan asked once again, trying to get a confirmation.

Joohyun smiled. “Okay.”

The short-haired girl grinned. “That’s my unnie. Let’s get inside, unnie. It’s getting pretty cold here.”

2. Holding hands boosts love & bonding

Oxytocin is the hormone behind this benefit. Oxytocin strengthens empathy and communication between partners in relationship, which is proven to be a contributing factor for long-lasting, happy relationships. Holding hands with your partner will improve your relationship and create a bond that will impact the quality of your relationship significantly. Couples who have happy relationships hold hands automatically, sometimes without even noticing, because of a habit developed by their nervous systems. Holding hands produces the oxytocin, which makes us feel happier and more loved.

They just finished their schedule for the day. All the members immediately scattered everywhere. Seulgi, Sooyoung, and Yerim immediately went to their respective rooms. Seungwan went to the kitchen to grab some water. And Joohyun went to the living room when she plopped herself onto the cozy sofa.

She opened her phone, trying to look at the updates from their fans. They just had their radio schedule tonight, and it has a live broadcast. And it's also open for the fans, so they can record and take photos from what they’re doing behind a transparent glass.

“What are you doing, unnie?” asked Seungwan as she settles herself beside the brunette.

“Just looking at the previews,” answered Joohyun. “Wow, it’s a lot.”

Seungwan laughed, “Of course it is. You don’t see the amount of camera in front of us?”

“Yes. Just didn’t expect to be this much.”

Joohyun leaned herself to the girl beside her. Unconsciously linking their arms and grabbing her palm. Seungwan also unconsciously drawing circles on her palm.

The brunette laughed. “You and those sunglasses seriously!”

She can hear Seungwan grinned proudly. “I look cool, didn’t I?”

Joohyun continues to laugh. “And that mini banana on your head. Seriously, what are you thinking while wearing that?”

“Oh, come on, unnie. It’s the look of the month! See how swag I am!”

Joohyun keeps laughing. “You mean, that moment when you ‘rap’? Yeah, right.”

“I’m gonna snatch that main rapper title from you, unnie. Just see.”

“You bet,” Joohyun teased Seungwan, stick out her tongue.

Seungwan looked at the phone that Joohyun held. “Oh, unnie, you look like a president here.”

“Where?” asked Joohyun, when she saw herself holding the black book (Joohyun aren’t sure whether it’s a book or not), her palm facing the front, and took a speech.

“Me as a President of South Korea,” said Seungwan with contrived tones like Joohyun.

“Stop it,” Joohyun cut the ‘speech’ while pushing Seungwan gently, “and I didn’t sound like that at all.”

Seungwan just shrugged. Her mocking smile plastered on her face. “Well, you never know. I’m the one who heard it.”

Joohyun frowned. “I also heard my own voice, you know?”

“Sometimes, unnie, what you heard is different from what people heard.”

Joohyun just rolled out her eyes from the antics of the main vocal. “Whatever you say. And seriously, what’s with your opening pose?”

“You know, unnie. I learned from this movie that we need to show up in front of people with a bang! to make it memorable,” Seungwan explained to her. Her eyes were full of excitement.

“And you learned it from?”

“Kung Fu Panda.”

Joohyun snorted. “Of course you learned it from there. Oh look, how shy you’re in here,” she said while pointing over the picture of Seulgi hugging Seungwan who was embarrassed from her opening pose. “I thought the Panda didn’t even feel slightly embarrassed while doing that.”

“I and Po are two different beings, unnie. I’m a human, he’s a panda. He didn’t exist, I exist.”

“Yeah right, whatever you say,” said Joohyun with a mocking tone, took her revenge from Seungwan who was sulked.

“You literally just took my own words there,” complained Seungwan.

“You never said it was yours in the beginning.”

“True enough,” shrugged Seungwan.

Joohyun looked at her and immediately remembered something. “Is it still hurt?”

Seungwan blinked her eyes, perplexed. “What?”

“Your head?”

“Oh,” Seungwan just realized what she meant. “It’s okay, unnie. It’s not even that hard when we hit each other’s head.”

Joohyun pouted. “But still—”

Seungwan chuckled. “I’m okay, unnie. Seriously.”

They heard some door clicking and saw that Sooyoung came out from her room. The tallest from the three looking at them with some are-you-serious expression. “You really need to sit together like that?”

“Like what?” Joohyun inquired, her eyebrow raised a bit.

Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “Leaning against each other and holding hands.”

Both of them immediately looked at their entangled hands and let them go, making some distance between both of them. Blushes creeping up on their cheeks.

Joohyun swears to herself that she caught Sooyoung muttered, “Whipped idiots,” before going to the bathroom.

3. Holding hands is great for your heart

Besides relieving stress, holding hands with your partner lowers your blood pressure, which is one of the major contributors to heart disease. When we’re clasping fingers with our loved ones, we’re not just easing stress and improving our relationships–we are providing a comfortable sensation that helps our heart. The power of a warm touch goes beyond the health benefits to the heart.

Joohyun is mad. No, scratch that.

She’s enraged.

How come she not when she just saw an article or some comments saying that this song is bad and just some mixed up of a bunch of a sound that they can’t hear.

Please, they need three years to get ready to be able to deliver this song. And this is the kind of comment that they got?

Huh, what a joke, Joohyun thought.

They don’t even know the hard work they need to go through. And those haters easily typing that kind of comment?

She heard some noisy voice behind her.

“Go to her.”

“Why me?

“Just go!”

Seungwan quietly grumbled when she is pushed by Sooyoung, but her annoyed expressions quickly changed to worried one when she saw how red Joohyun’s face is.

“Unnie? Something’s wrong?” asked Seungwan, carefully went to her side.

Joohyun harshly sighed. “Some annoying people just saying anything that comes out from their little head.”

She gave her phone to Seungwan, who looked at it with a furrowed face. She carefully read the articles and the comment.

“They don’t even know what we’ve been through, and they dare to say things like that,” Joohyun scoffed.

“Well, we can never expect people to love what we’ve been working hard for,” Seungwan muttered carefully, and immediately regret it when she saw Joohyun snapped so hard to look at her. Her face screams rage.

“Oh, so you defend them, now?”

Seungwan panicked. “That’s completely not what I mean, unnie. I mean—”

Her words got cut off when she saw how teary Joohyun’s eyes are. Her panic increased.

“Oh, God, unnie. I didn’t mean it like that!” clarified Seungwan, trying to calm down Joohyun.

Joohyun harshly wiped the tears. “Give me your hand.”

Seungwan blinked, perplexed. “Pardon?”

“Your hand! Give me your hand!”

Seungwan stretches out her hand, still confused at Joohyun’s demand. Joohyun quickly grabbed her hand tightly.

“Unnie? I still don’t understa—”

“Shut up.”

Seungwan quickly shut and gulped nervously. She doesn’t know what to do with the hand she currently holding right now except the usual things she does, drawing invisible circles there.

Joohyun shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Trying to calm down emotion and herself. She grabbed the short-haired hand tightly.

Seungwan just looked at her with pure confusion, until Joohyun open up her eyes and sighed deeply. “Are you okay now, unnie?”

“Much better,” she muttered with a smile. “Thanks for the support, Seungwan.”

Seungwan blinked. “I do nothing though,” she said while scratching her head, although she doesn’t feel the itch.

Joohyun smiled at her softly. “You did much. Now, let’s go back before the devil and the satan spawn wreck our dorm.”

4. Holding hands relieves pain

While enduring pain, humans have the natural reflex to tighten their muscles. The reflex to grasp our partner’s hand comes as second nature: It’s always easier to endure pain while holding hands with your soulmate.

It’s already late, yet two human beings still there inside the training room, working hard. Joohyun was practicing the choreography, trying to work the move better. And Seungwan is there, accompany her, already done with her voice training.

Seungwan checks the time on her phone. “Unnie, it’s already late. Let’s continue tomorrow, okay?”

“Not yet, Seungwan,” she answered, panting.

Seungwan sighed. “You already trained a full day, unnie. You and your body need to rest.”

“I will rest when I want to Seungwan,” said Joohyun with finality in her voice.

Seungwan sighed again. Joohyun always worked this hard, and this is the first time she watched her trained so hard. She barely even rest. She doesn’t even eat the dinner their manager bought yet. The ditched tteokbokki still there, untouched beside Seungwan.

She checked her phone, telling the members that they will return late until some high-pitched scream cut through the blasted song inside the training room.

“Aw!”

“Oh my God, unnie!” Seungwan gasped. She quickly turned off the music before going to the crouched Joohyun, holding her leg with pained expressions.

“Oh God. Unnie, what happened?”

Joohyun winced before answering her. “I think I just slipped.”

“Which one? Which part does it hurt?” asked Seungwan, scanning the brunette’s leg.

Joohyun pointed to her ankle. Seungwan touch it carefully, scared that it might hurt Joohyun.

“This part?”

“Aw! Yeah, that one. Be careful.”

“This is bad. We need to go to the doctor now.”

“No!”

Seungwan frowned. “Unnie, you’re injured. This need to be cured.”

Joohyun shook her head. “This is already late, Seungwan. I will just apply some cream and who knows, maybe this will be cured in an overnight.”

“You know this won’t be cured by themselves in an overnight,” Seungwan sighed.

Seungwan looked at Joohyun’s ankle, before looking at her straight in the eye, “We going to the doctor, unnie, whether you like it or not.”

Seungwan quickly took out her phone, calling someone. Joohyun went frantic, trying to stop her. “Seriously, Seungwan, it’s already late! I can—”

“Hello? Oppa? Yeah, it’s me. Look, can I ask you a favor? Can you please pick me up and Joohyun-unnie? Yeah, we’re here. To the doctor, oppa. Joohyun-unnie injured herself. Yes. Okay, we will wait outside,” Seungwan ended the call, before asking, “Can you walk, unnie?”

“Who did you just call?”

“Manager-oppa, of course.”

Joohyun sighed. “Seungwan, I can take care of this injury, okay?”

“To the doctor or no at all,” Seungwan said, finality in her voice. She looked at Joohyun with a hard stare, which Joohyun reciprocate with a deep sigh. “Can you walk a bit, unnie?”

“I think,” muttered Joohyun.

“Let me help you,” Seungwan said, put her arm around Joohyun’s waist, and she put her arm around Seungwan’s neck, trying to balance herself.

“Walk slowly, okay unnie? Take your time.”

They walked through the building slowly. Joohyun just realized how worse her injury is when she forced herself to walk only in one foot because her other foot is too in worse condition for her to forced it to walk.

“Still thinking to only use cream to cure it?” asked Seungwan sarcastically.

“No,” muttered Joohyun. Her face is red from embarrassment.

Seungwan sighed. “Seriously, unnie. Stop working hard on yourself. See what it did to you.”

“Sorry.”

Seungwan sighed once again. “I know you’re worried about our next comeback, but no need to go to this extent. Please think about you and your body first.”

Joohyun just shut , made her worried that her words interpreted differently by the leader. “Look, I didn’t mean to—”

“I understand, Seungwan. And yeah, I know,” Joohyun cut her speech, smile plastered on her face, made her smiled too.

The moment they stepped outside, their manager already waiting with a car. “Oh God, Joohyun, what happened?” asked him, worried about her condition.

“I slipped, oppa.”

“Quick, come inside. Before it gets worse.”

He drove the car like a mad man. Thank God the road is clear or else. Seungwan might pray for the three of them safely reached the doctor, not for Joohyun’s injury to be cured fast.

“So, what’s the problem?” asked the doctor the moment they reached the nearest clinic.

“My ankle—Aw!” Joohyun got cut when the doctor touched her injury.

“Hm, this is bad. Let me do something. It might be hurt, so please hold onto something.”

Joohyun immediately grasped Seungwan’s hand, making her startled. “Unnie, that’s my hand you hold there.”

She almost screamed when Joohyun grasped it tightly because the doctor was tending her injuries. She never knew how strong her grip is, until now. She literally can hear some crackle of bones from her palm.

Time seems to tick so slow for Seungwan. She can’t bear the pain of her palm any longer, before the sentences that came out from the doctor calming her down.

“Done. Please don’t do anything necessary for a week. Bed rest is the best option for this. Your leg needs some rest. Thank God it’s not as worse as I might think of it the first time I saw it.”

Joohyun frowned. “But I need to train my choreography.”

“Thanks, Doctor. I will make sure she stay in her bed and didn’t do anything necessary for a week,” Seungwan said with a smile.

Joohyun walked out from the doctor room with a pout. Seungwan, who still help her to walk, sighed. “I did that for you, unnie. You need to get better fast, not to get more injuries.”

Joohyun scanned the girl beside her. “Does it hurt?” she muttered suddenly.

“What?” asked Seungwan, confused.

“Your hand? Does it hurt?”

“Ah, not really,” answered Seungwan with a smile.

Liar. You need a cream to cure your hand, Seungwan, the smallest of the two thought.

“Thank you. For being there and lending your hand,” muttered Joohyun, a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

Seungwan grinned. “Anytime, unnie.”

5. Holding hands fights fear

Remember that horrible scene in the last horror movie you saw that made you want to jump out of your chair? Luckily, your darling was with you to hold your hand and make you feel safe. The human brain responds to sudden stimulation using adrenaline; this stimulation gets our blood pumping and releases high levels of cortisol throughout our body. During these moments, our natural reaction is to hold hands with someone we trust. It varies from person to person, but a large portion of women will instantly grab their partner’s hand. That’s the intuitive way to fight off nerves.

“Let’s watch this!”

Joohyun saw the title of the movie that Yerim just showed them. “It’s a horror movie?”

Yerim nodded. “It’s a horror movie. Where’s Seungwan-unnie?”

“Wait up!” yelled Seungwan from the kitchen. “One more minute until the popcorn is done!”

“Alright, food check. Sooyoung-unnie, the movie is ready?”

“And why should I be the one who prepares the movie?” grumbled Sooyoung.

“Let me prepare it!” volunteered Seulgi suddenly, with a cheerful tone.

Joohyun gulped. She hates horror movie so much. “Can we just watch another movie instead? Does that superhero movie already available? Let’s just watch that.”

“Unnie, don’t be a scaredy-cat now,” said Yerim, with an are-you-serious look towards Joohyun.

“Oh, I haven’t watched this one yet! Can we watch this instead?” intervened Seulgi, showing up the movie.

“What is it about, unnie?” asked Sooyoung, interested.

“I don’t know. But I think some clown who hunted kids.”

“Some clown who hunted kids—yah! It’s too much!” panicked Joohyun.

Yerim clapped her hands. “Alright! Let’s watch this instead!”

“You satan spawn—”

“Seungwan-unnie!”

“Popcorn coming through!” said Seungwan, bringing a big bowl full of popcorn. She plopped herself beside Joohyun who seated in the sofa, while the remaining three choose to sit on the floor.

“What will we watch?” asked Seungwan before looking at the title of the movie. “Horror movie? Unnie, are you fine with this?” asked Seungwan, concerned for Joohyun.

“Well, not real—”

“She’s fine. Now, let’s watch!” Yerim cut Joohyun’s protest and played the movie.

Joohyun grumbles quietly, before forcing herself to watch the damned movie and immediately regrets it.

The opening part is already scary enough for Joohyun to seek some safe places until she decided to get closer to the person beside her.

“Unnie?” asked Seungwan, perplexed. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. Just want to lean on something,” Joohyun muttered quietly.

Seungwan absentmindedly nodded and fixing the way she sat so Joohyun will feel comfortable.

The movie got scarier the more time passed. Joohyun literally hiding behind Seungwan right now, to protect herself from whatever is going on in the movie.

Some shocking scene finally showed up, making Joohyun shrieked and immediately holding Seungwan’s hand.

“It’s okay, unnie, it’s okay,” whispered Seungwan, trying to calm her down, softly rubbing the hand she currently holds.

And the rest of the movie continues, with Seungwan trying to calm down Joohyun every time the scary part shows up.

“Wow,” Yerim gasped. “What a choice of movie you got there, Seulgi-unnie.”

“Right?” said Seulgi. “I didn’t expect it would be like this, though.”

“And, what happened between both of you?”

Seulgi and Yerim immediately looked back after Sooyoung said it, looking at Joohyun who still safely tucked herself behind Seungwan, and Seungwan with her blank gaze, trying to absorb everything that just happened.

“Never,” said Joohyun while trying to catch her breath, “ever, watch that kind of movie again.”

Sooyoung scowled. “Such a scaredy-cat.”

6. Holding hands provides a sense of security

Simple hand holding is a source of safety and comfort for young children. Insecurity disappears when we have a hand to hold and allows us to more easily conquer obstacles.

It’s their comeback. They’re already in the studio since early morning, to prepare for their performances.

They already finished their recorded performances, and now waiting for the live one in the waiting room.

“Red Velvet next! Please prepare,” screamed the tv staff from outside of their room.

Joohyun immediately stands up and brought the girls together. She held out her hand and followed by the rest of them. “This is our first show after our comeback. Let’s do this.”

They chanted their famous cheers before going out on stage. The walk to the stage felt so long for Joohyun, as they prepare for their live performance.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but failed. Until someone touched her back.

“You okay, unnie?” asked Seungwan with worried on her tone and on her face.

Joohyun shook her head. “I don’t know. I—”

Seungwan quickly grabbed her hand, trying to soothe her while rubbing her hand and whispering some encouraging words to calm her down.

“It’s okay, unnie. You can do this. We can do this,” whispered Seungwan on her ear.

Joohyun closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath. “Breath slowly, everything’s going to be okay,” guided Seungwan.

Eventually, she started to calm down. She grasped her hand softly, trying to give Seungwan her gratefulness.

“Thank you,” Joohyun whispered.

Seungwan smiled softly. “Anytime, unnie. Shall we?”

7. Holding hands is just plain comfortable

Everybody loves comfort. The sensation of holding hands often provides a comfy feeling while taking a walk with your loved one. A great example is holding hands inside a jacket pocket to warm them up on those cold December nights when you decide to take a stroll in the snow with your partner. Even with gloves, we love to hold hands. It bonds us; it provides lovely sensations and gives us quality time with people we care about.

“Uh, unnie? What are you doing?”

Seungwan looked at Joohyun with confusion, pointing at their tangled hands.

“I just want to hold hands with you,” answered Joohyun nonchalantly.

Seungwan shrugged and letting her hand being held by Joohyun before someone called her. “I’m sorry, unnie. I need to go for a minute.”

Joohyun pouted. “You will back, right?”

Seungwan nodded. “Of course.”

She sighed. “Alright.”

“Um, unnie. My hand…”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry,” said Joohyun, untangling their hands.

Sooyoung took Seungwan spot beside Joohyun. “So, how is it?”

Joohyun raised her eyebrow. “What?”

She can feel that Sooyoung rolled her eyes. “The link that I gave you, unnie. Don’t act as you forget about it!”

“I didn’t say anything, though.”

“Like I care. So, how is it?”

“And why you want to know about it?”

Sooyoung shrugged. “’Cause I’m bored.”

Joohyun shook her head and went to the kitchen. “Whatever you say.”

She saw Seungwan’s back, looking at her phone in the kitchen. “Oh, Seungwan. Is it done already?” she asked while getting some water.

“7 surprising benefits of holding hands.”

Joohyun choked from her water the moment she heard that. Seungwan turned around and continues reading the damn article.

“First, holding hands is a great stress reliever. Second, holding hands boosts love and bonding. Third, holding hands is great for your heart. Fourth, holding hands relieves pain. Fifth, holding hands fights fear. Sixth, holding hands provides a sense of security. Seventh, holding hands is just plain comfortable.”

Joohyun’s face is as red as a tomato right now. Seungwan chuckled while looking at her.

“So, this is why you’ve been eager to hold my hands all this time?”

“W-well,” said Joohyun, still flustered. “If you don’t like it, we could—”

“Who said I don’t like it?”

Seungwan closes the gap between them and took Joohyun’s hand with hers. “Next time, unnie, if you want to hold hands with me, just say it.”

Joohyun pouted. “But, it’s not fun though.”

Seungwan laughed. “Alright, alright. Anything you like then, unnie.”

--

“Thank you.”

“Do you think a plain thank you is enough for this kind of result?”

“You —alright what do you want?”

“Buy me dinner and I’ll consider your feelings of gratitude to me.”

“You devil—alright.”