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4.1

"I'm going to die."

Any sudden movement and he was sure the ground beneath him would vanish instantly. With the nerves kicking in, he attempted to put up a front as he uttered the quick sentence to the girl. 

Yeona stood there patiently, watching Taeyong shake his head furiously, not wanting to move from his spot. "Taeyong, you're not going to die. I'm standing here with you perfectly fine."

"Yea, until the ground cracks open and swallows us whole." He held onto the icy cold rails, trying to keep himself balanced.

"Are you afraid of falling?" Yeona asked, eyes turning soft seeing his anxious state. She glided closer to the boy and held out her hand, "You can hold on to me, I won't let you fall."

Still clinging onto the metal rail, Taeyong couldn't bring himself to it as he stared at her hand. He didn't think she could read him at all.

At first he felt the thrill of stepping onto the rink for the first time, excitement rushing through his body even before arriving. Until he actually got there, fear crept over him and he struggled to get rid of the feeling.

It was just an ice rink, not a bottomless lava pit.

Glancing back at Yeona, he was met with a comforting look, one that was full of trust. She wasn't going to let him get hurt and fall. So he took a deep breath, taking her hand and slowly started skating towards her, one foot at a time.

Yeona grew a smile across her face, "See, you're doing just fine! Now let's start with taking small glides."

Taking his hand, she dragged him across the rink slowly, dodging fellow skaters as they passed by. She giggles quietly, seeing him focused, wearing a timid smile as his confidence grows.

She was not expecting this side of him but she couldn't help but admit she loved it.

Taeyong and Yeona were still on winter break, they've been hanging out together ever since the wedding, which happened to be almost every single day. Hangouts would vary between brunch dates or movie nights. Though Jeno would tag along every now and then, which they both didn't mind at all. 

The word 'date' wasn't a specific term they used whenever they planned meetups, especially if Jeno was joining them. 

Overall they still enjoyed each other's company.

It was nightfall in Seoul and the two decided to try something different and go ice skating, something Taeyong hadn't done before but was excited to try– or so they thought. Clearly he was a little hesitant getting on the ice, unlike Yeona who naturally enjoyed the sport since she was a kid. 

Along with her help, Taeyong got the rhythm in his feet, keeping a decent pace for the two of them.

"Wow, you're a pro already." Yeona joked teasingly, watching Taeyong give his full attention to his skates and ice below him.

"This isn't so bad, I think I can keep myself balanced now." He forced himself to look at her, trying to prove his point.

"So then, is it okay if I let go of your hand?" She asked, slowly wiggling her hand out of his. But Taeyong quickly grabbed it back, gently gripping her hand again.

"Just because I'm steady doesn't mean you can let go of my hand," He said and pointed towards other people skating around the rink, "Other people are holding hands too, so there's no reason for us not to."

"But... most of them are either parents with their child or couples." She stated.

"So then what category do you want us to fall under?" He raised an eyebrow knowingly, wanting to hint her at the obvious choice.