Holiday special collection

🌕 Chuseok Special: Break out of the whirlpool of Ganggangsullae

The earth vibrated under my sneakers with a heavy, primal bass note. In the outer courtyard of the old palace, where towering stone walls rose up, countless people had gathered beneath the dazzling full moon of Chuseok. They were making a giant human ring and holding hands to dance Ganggangsullae, the traditional full-moon circle dance of Chuseok. Torches lined along the grass cast long, yellow-amber shadows rippling across the entire courtyard, and that light was reflected 그대로 in Hyunjin’s dark eyes.

"Come here, quick."

Hyunjin gently tugged my wrist and said with a playful smile on his lips. With black hair falling slightly over his eyes and an oversized black jacket slung carelessly over his shoulders, he looked especially natural and ruggedly charming tonight.

"You can’t come to the Chuseok festival and skip Ganggangsullae. They say if you don’t dance, your luck runs out."

"Hyunjin, there are too many people."

My voice was slightly drowned out by the voices of the singing people and the deep, rhythmic beat of the traditional drums, and I burst out laughing.

"I’m definitely going to trip over my feet, fall, and bring the whole line down."

"Then I’ll just catch you."

He answered smoothly, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

Before I could even protest, we were swept into the wave of moving people. With our hands tightly clasped, the giant human ring began to turn under the golden moonlight. As traditional lead singers called out the hypnotic lyrics of ancient folk songs, the pace began slowly, with graceful, swaying movements. But as the rhythm quickened, the energy in the courtyard surged as if exploding. The circle moved faster and faster, and a whirl of laughter, swirling skirts, and hurried footsteps swept through it.

As the procession pushed forward, I stumbled a little as my feet caught. In that instant, a firm, unshaking hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me back out of the tangled human chain.

"Whoa, sorry, I guess I was too fast."

Hyunjin murmured in my ear.

He didn’t let go of my hand. Instead, he led me away from the bright torches and shouting crowd, guiding me onto a quiet, narrow stone path lined on both sides with ancient bamboo groves. The noise of the festival faded away into a muffled murmur, and in its place came the soft rustle of leaves in the cool autumn wind.

We finally stopped in the shade of a cozy annex of the old palace, lit only by silver moonlight. I leaned against the cold stone wall, catching my breath. My heart thudded hard against my ribs, still pounding from the fierce dance.

"Y-you... you’re really beautiful tonight."

He said. The smooth, easy charm he usually had was nowhere to be seen, replaced by sudden, awkward halting. He cleared his throat, then let his gaze drop to my lips for a split second before meeting my eyes again.

"I mean... the moon is bright, but that’s not it... you’re brighter."

A small, bold smile rose at the corners of my mouth. I stepped forward, closing the narrow gap between us completely. The toe of my boot lightly touched his. I reached out and gently straightened his jacket collar, my gaze locked firmly on his eyes.

"Is that so, Hyunjin? I thought nothing could make you look away from the festival."

Hyunjin froze. My sudden, bold move seemed to have caught him completely off guard. A bright, lovely blush rose up the back of his neck, quickly coloring his cheeks a deep red.

"I-I didn’t get distracted."

He stammered. His chest rose and fell with quick breaths as his voice dropped an octave lower.

"I’m just... focusing on what matters most."

He lowered his head just a little, and his hand, slowly slipping out of his pocket, hovered near my waist. It still didn’t touch my body directly, but our distance gradually closed until we were wrapped in each other’s warmth, sharing the same space and feeling the heat of his breath brushing lightly over my skin. The taut tension was intense, like an electric current running through the air, and a heavy, achingly sweet longing rose up, as if waves were pulling us together.

But we didn’t close that final step. We simply stood side by side in the quiet shadow of the palace, spellbound by the full moon and utterly lost in the breathtaking anticipation of each other.