With trembling hands, I picked up the beer glass resting on the table.
I swallowed a mouthful of cold beer, but my parched throat refused to be quenched.
My heart was pounding.
The heat pouring out from the center of the floor, the lively jazz music, and the waves of laughter from the crowd all crashed down on me at once.
I want to run.
A primal sense of rejection took over my entire body.
Eighteen years ago, I would've bolted without hesitation.
And I probably would've never come back.
But now, I couldn't do that.
I thought of my wife from 2019—and the past version of myself, overflowing with regret.
If you can't run, then enjoy it.
Who was it that said that again?
Right. If I couldn't avoid it anyway, the only option left was to collide head-on.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them.
And I decided.
Today, no matter what, I wouldn't run.
"Wow, look at that hyung. He's basically flying."
Jinwoo pointed toward one side of the floor, admiration in his voice.
Following his gaze, I saw a man who looked to be in his forties dancing with a partner in her early twenties.
He even pulled off a high-difficulty move called an Aerial—throwing his partner into the air and catching her smoothly.
"That's Jerry hyung. He's the best dancer in our club. He's over forty, but his stamina beats people in their twenties."
Ryan explained, his voice full of envy.
I stared blankly at the man named Jerry.
To be able to dance so passionately with younger people even past forty…
For some reason, he looked incredibly cool.
That was when—
The music ended, and the DJ grabbed the mic.
"Alright, everyone, attention! Now it's time for Enjoy Swing's beautiful tradition—'Talking with Seniors'! See those fresh-faced 26th class newbies over there? Seniors, don't hesitate—give our chicks some courage! One song per newbie, mandatory!"
Damn it.
I cursed under my breath.
The moment I wanted to avoid had finally arrived.
No sooner had the DJ finished speaking than seniors began swarming our table.
"Haetsal-nim, would you dance with me?"
"Suji-nim, may I have the honor?"
Pretty, young classmates like Haetsal and Suji were snatched away instantly.
Ryan and Jinwoo were also awkwardly pulled onto the floor.
In the blink of an eye, I was left alone at the table.
Well… this works out.
Relieved, I figured I'd just sit quietly and drink my beer.
That was when—
"Um… are you Sseok-hopil-nim?"
I looked up.
A woman stood in front of me, smiling.
She looked to be in her late twenties.
Stylish bob-cut hair, a dress perfect for dancing.
She wasn't strikingly beautiful, but her gentle eyes and refreshing smile were deeply attractive.
A name tag around her neck read: Staff.
I froze, stammering.
"Ah… y-yes. I'm Sseok-hopil…"
"Hi. I'm Sunny, one of the staff."
Just like her nickname, she smiled brightly, like sunshine.
"Would you like to dance one song with me? It's 'Talking with Seniors' time."
She held out her hand.
I alternated between staring at her hand and her face.
My mind went blank.
No. I'm not ready.
Waving my hands frantically, I desperately tried to refuse.
"Ah, I—I'm really bad at dancing. I just started today… I'll only step on your feet. Seriously."
"It's okay."
She didn't back down.
"I was like that at first too. This isn't a place only for people who dance well. We're just here to enjoy it together."
"But still… I'd be a burden—"
"It's not a burden. It's an honor. I get to dance first with a 26th class newbie."
Her gentle but firm words left me without an excuse.
I remembered my vow from a few minutes ago.
Damn it. Didn't expect the test to come this fast.
With a resigned sigh, I stood up.
"…Then, please take care of me."
With shaking hands, I took hers.
Her hand was warmer and firmer than I expected.
We moved to a quieter corner of the bustling floor.
A new song began.
Thankfully, it wasn't fast or flashy like Jerry's.
A familiar jazz standard—slow and romantic.
"Just do the basic steps. I'll adjust."
Sunny whispered softly, reassuring me.
We faced each other.
I awkwardly placed my hand on her waist. She rested her hand on my shoulder.
My heart felt like it might burst.
As the music started, I began stepping—rock step, triple step—just like I'd learned.
My body still moved stiffly, like a robot, and my steps tangled constantly.
But she accepted every mistake with astonishing gentleness.
When I lagged a beat, she slowed with me.
When I stumbled, she skillfully stabilized my balance.
She wasn't following my lead.
She was dancing with me.
Little by little, I began to relax.
"Yes, just like that. Don't try too hard—think of it as walking together with me."
Her soft voice brushed against my ear, loosening the tension in my shoulders.
I stopped staring at my feet.
Instead, I looked into her eyes.
Her gaze was focused entirely on me.
In that moment, I vaguely realized—
Swing dance was a conversation.
I carefully stepped while meeting her eyes.
Something strange happened.
The steps didn't tangle anymore.
It was as if her gaze was guiding me along an invisible path.
This was nothing like analyzing numbers on an HTS screen.
Not calculation, but sensation.
Not logic, but rhythm.
I was experiencing a kind of joy I'd forgotten—or maybe never had—in the past eighteen years.
We slowly circled the floor to the music.
At some point, I forgot I was dancing at all.
There was only my partner and the music surrounding us.
She was tall.
Even in flat shoes, she was nearly at my eye level—easily over 170 cm.
We didn't have to look up or down at each other.
Just face-to-face, at the same height.
That comfortable distance completely disarmed me.
Before I knew it, I was speaking.
"I… I've been curious. Have you been dancing for a long time?"
"Hmm… about two years, I think."
"Two years? Wow… I thought you'd been dancing for twenty."
At my clumsy compliment, she let out a soft laugh.
The mirror ball lights poured over her smiling face, her gentle eyes curving into crescents.
"No way. I still have a long way to go. You'll be like me soon too, Sseok-hopil-nim."
"Me?"
"Of course. Watching you in class earlier, your basics were good. You just have too much tension in your body."
Her encouragement made me lower my head shyly.
The music swelled, a mournful saxophone solo filling the air.
We stopped talking and focused on dancing again.
Gathering courage, I tried a Send Out—the move we'd learned earlier.
She understood my awkward lead perfectly, moving forward smoothly, then returning to me.
As she came back, my arms instinctively wrapped lightly around her waist.
Warmth—and the faint scent of shampoo—rose from her.
My heart thudded again.
This was a kind of flutter I'd never felt eighteen years ago.
Fresh. Pure. Heart-tickling.
It felt like forgotten cells inside me were waking up.
The music ended, the final trumpet note lingering.
Yet we stood frozen in that position for a moment.
The noise of the floor felt distant.
"..."
"Good job, Sseok-hopil-nim."
Sunny stepped back first, smiling shyly.
"Ah… yes. Thank you. Really…"
I could only stare at her, not knowing what to say.
Sunny flashed me one last bright smile and headed toward the bar where the other staff were gathered.
I watched her back without realizing it.
Tall—over 170 cm.A strong body honed by dance.And above all, that smile that put people at ease.
I repeated her nickname silently.
Sunny.
It fit her perfectly.
"Hey, Park Cheolmin. Wipe your drool. You're about to flood the floor."
Jinwoo, freshly returned from dancing, jabbed my side.
He was drenched in sweat but grinning from ear to ear.
"Did you see your face earlier? Totally spaced out. Fall for the staff noona?"
"What are you talking about?"
I pretended to be calm and returned to the table, but my heart was still racing and my face burning.
"I didn't fall or anything. She's just… really good at dancing."
"Right? She's one of our club's aces. You usually have to line up to dance with her. You hit the jackpot today."
Jinwoo snickered.
I ignored him and looked back at the floor.
Sunny was dancing again—this time with Jerry, the club's top dancer.
Compared to when she danced with me, her steps were freer, flashier.
She moved like a fish in water, soaring with the music.
Watching her, I felt a strange mix of envy and admiration.
Seeing her respond perfectly to Jerry's skilled lead made my chest ache.
The fact that I wasn't standing there with her felt unbearably disappointing.
I want to dance like that too.
For the first time, a pure desire for dance took root.
Just then, another woman—probably a senior—approached me shyly.
"Um… Sseok-hopil-nim, if it's okay, would you like to dance one song with me…?"
Without taking my eyes off Sunny, I replied unconsciously.
"Ah, sorry. I'm not quite ready yet… maybe next time."
She smiled awkwardly and walked away.
Watching this, Jinwoo clicked his tongue.
"Damn. You're seriously hooked. That noona's nice too, but you didn't even look."
I'd marked X's on my calendar, declaring a clean break from the past.
Yet my heart, as if mocking that resolve, was swaying helplessly before a new connection.
I couldn't hide the bitter—but inevitable—smile forming on my lips.
"Second step…"
I murmured quietly.
Somehow, I had a feeling—
That my second life might begin a new step through dance.
And perhaps… with her.