To the fast-paced salsa music, people practiced the rhythm by stepping forward and back in time with the beat.
Standing beside Yoojin, Dongha mirrored the basic steps, and Yoojin soon followed along.
The footwork was simple—nothing to memorize—just forward and back, letting the rhythm guide her.
Maybe because it was Latin music, the unique pulse of the beat seemed to swirl around Yoojin each time she stepped.
So this is Latin dance…
When the music ended, everyone naturally stopped and stood in place.
The woman facing the class demonstrated the basic step once more without music.She was Hong—well-known in the salsa scene.
Hong looked around at the class and spoke in a firm, confident tone.
"Today's beginner lesson was the basic step. With just the basic, you can enjoy salsa anywhere."
She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Dongha—almost as if asking permission—before continuing.
"That's it for today's curriculum… but since we have Dongha here—a rare sight in a salsa class—shall we show you a CBL? With the Cross Body Lead, you can switch positions with your partner while doing the basic."
"Sure!" voices answered enthusiastically from all directions.
"Dongha, come on up!"
Called out so suddenly, Dongha shot Yoojin an awkward, helpless smile. Yoojin laughed as if enjoying the situation and nudged him forward with her chin.
Taller than everyone else by a full head, Dongha eased through the crowd and stood beside Hong.
As he appeared at the front, the women in the room turned noticeably pink. Their bodies were already warm from dancing—and seeing him sent their temperature shooting even higher.
CBL stood for Cross Body Lead: while doing the basic, the man gently drew the woman toward his center, guiding her across his line.
After explaining, Hong held out her palms; Dongha lifted his hands, and she lightly placed hers over them.
"This is called holding."
With the count, she stepped forward and back, guiding Dongha through the basic. Dongha matched her effortlessly—just walking forward and back—but a faint wave traveled through his torso each time he shifted. It was subtle, yet unmistakably Latin.
"One, two, three—pause. Five, six, seven—pause. Now the CBL. One, two, three—C! B! L!"
With her cue, Dongha turned smoothly on five-six-seven, switching positions with her as naturally as breathing.
The movement was small, but the effect was striking—Hong turning lightly as she followed his lead made the simplest footwork look polished and intentional.
The students' eyes sparkled with longing.
"You're all beginners, but with just the CBL, you can dance one whole song."
Hong restarted the song from earlier. Dongha and Hong moved in sync—basic, then CBL, each transition clean and fluid as they stayed inside their own pocket of space.
Dongha lowered his gaze slightly, concentrating on the rhythm as he led her. At some point, Hong's cheeks flushed, and she lifted her head, watching his face as they stepped.
When the music swelled toward the climax, Dongha suddenly stopped and turned back to the class. Only then did Hong realize how deeply she'd slipped into the moment.
I just danced one basic with him, and the lead already feels insane…
Fifteen years of dancing salsa, yet Hong couldn't help but laugh at herself.
When the nine-o'clock class ended, what looked like a wall slid open with a sharp shaaa, revealing the rest of the studio. It was a large divider that had been splitting the room.
Yoojin approached Dongha from behind.
"That was salsa?"
"Mm? You could call it that."
Tilting his head, Dongha let out a faintly mischievous smile before asking,
"Did you have fun?"
"It was exciting. But… I'm not sure if I'd call it fun yet?"
Yoojin pressed her lips together. Shouldn't she go home now? They'd technically fulfilled the "visit the studio together" promise.
From the other side of the divider, Daeho—who'd taught the earlier beginner class—walked over. He was around Dongha's height with a sharp, quick impression.
"Oh—Dongha."
"Yes, bro."
"Thanks again. We were short on studio space today. You have no idea how grateful I was that you let us use it."
At those words, the temperature of Dongha's expression dropped; not a hint of warmth remained.
"It's nothing."
"We're doing an hour of social dancing now. You wanna run a line dance in the middle?"
"I can."
"Thanks, man."
Then Daeho spotted Yoojin standing behind Dongha. His face lit up with playful surprise, and he even gave Yoojin a small wink.
"And who's this?"
"A friend."
Something sharp flickered in Dongha's eyes, and he stepped subtly to block Daeho's view, placing himself between them.
"Got it."Snickering knowingly, Daeho walked past.
Following Daeho with her gaze, Yoojin asked, "Social dance?"
"Yeah. After class, people dance freely for about an hour. Sometimes there's a line dance in the middle."
Yoojin stared in disbelief.
It was almost nine. Shouldn't people be home preparing for the next day?
"What? Don't they have work tomorrow? What are they all doing?"
Her old-soul side slipped out, and Dongha couldn't help but laugh.
"Yoojin, people work out after work to relieve stress. This is their workout."
"But… isn't salsa kind of… you know. Touchy? Like… a lot of skinship?"
He tilted his head.
"What are you talking about? In salsa you only hold hands. If the guy touches anything, it's the shoulder blade. That's it."
"Really?"
"It's not what you're imagining. You're fine."
Yoojin felt guilty for assuming the dance was something else. Meanwhile, Dongha's eyes glinted with mischief.
"There is bachata… but you don't need to know that yet. Though… dancing it with you would be nice."
As he drifted into thought, something important seemed to hit him.
"And Yoojin—
"You do know you still haven't danced with me yet, right? You're not going home until you do."
His firm tone made Yoojin flinch.
She'd danced salsa for maybe… ten minutes? Facing Dongha felt impossible.
Hadn't she called him 'teacher' earlier?
"You know I can't dance. Today was literally my first time."
Dongha broke into a bright smile and leaned in.
Startled, Yoojin tried to lean back—but he closed the distance effortlessly, whispering at her ear:
"Salsa is always led by the man.You just relax… and follow."
Yoojin inhaled sharply. His cool citrus-woody scent swept into her senses—so clean compared to Choi Hyun-oh's heavy musk from her previous life.
That woody freshness wrapped around her, waking every nerve in her body. Reeling from the sudden sensory shock, Yoojin stepped back.
Relax and follow… what does that even mean?
She replayed his words, while Dongha—now one step away—looked down at her, lost in some thought.
Then the studio lights went dark. The sharp white fluorescents clicked off, replaced by warm yellow lights as Latin music filled the room.
Softening immediately, Dongha said,
"I'm not dragging you out yet. Just watch first. You might change your mind."
His voice was low, but firm. Yoojin nodded without thinking.
The space had transformed into a dancing hall. People lined the edges of the floor, scanning potential partners. Others who hadn't taken the class slipped on dance shoes and joined the crowd. Yoojin spotted Cheol-o by the entrance—collecting admission fees.
The room filled fast—twenty people had quickly doubled.
Since it was the first song, no one had stepped onto the floor yet. Then men began approaching women—extending one hand politely, inviting them to dance.
Watching this, Dongha explained:
"A woman who dances salsa is a salsera. A man is a salsero.Usually the salsero asks, and the salsera accepts—it's good manners for the woman not to decline."
"Okay."
She nodded.
Paired off, the dancers took their place on the floor and began the basic step together—their two hands lightly joined.
Most salseros were eager beginners from class, awkwardly trying the CBL they'd memorized with their eyes earlier. Their clumsy but earnest steps looked a bit like kindergarteners learning ballet basics for the first time.
Yoojin couldn't help smiling.
The first song ended, and a gentle but upbeat Latin track began—sung by a warm-voiced, middle-aged man.
"Yoojin?"
"?"
Dongha was suddenly before her, hand extended.
"Let's dance."