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The relationship between Kim So-hyun and Choo Young-woo is shaping up to be increasingly complicated in « Between Steps ». Just as their characters seemed to be finally growing closer thanks to their shared interest in robotics, the arrival of a new student threatens to upset this fragile balance. The stills released by ENA for the upcoming episode show a visibly jealous Kim So-hyun, leading up to a particularly emotional confrontation with Choo Young-woo.
This romantic drama by the late director Ahn Pan-seok—known for «Something in the Rain,» «One Spring Night,» and «The Midnight Romance in Hagwon»—continues his exploration of emotions, misunderstandings, and the challenges of finding one’s place in a relationship.
Kim So-hyun finds Choo Young-woo with another woman
In «Between Steps,» Choo Young-woo plays Park Min-jae, a former swimmer who lost his right leg due to an illness. Opposite him, Kim So-hyun plays Im Yoo-jin, a young woman trying to rebuild her future after losing her bearings.
Over the course of the episodes, their meeting profoundly influenced Yoo-jin’s decisions. Initially pursuing a degree in fashion design, she discovered robotics through Min-jae and decided to completely change her academic path to enroll in a mechanical engineering program.
After understanding the young woman’s motivations, Min-jae spoke to Professor Ahn Jae-hong (Lee Chang-hoon) about her potential. His efforts paid off, as Yoo-jin was finally accepted into the robotics lab. But this new chapter isn’t unfolding exactly as she had hoped.
Kim Se-jin (Im Jin-hyo), another student in the lab, enters their daily lives. A graduate of a prestigious university with a degree in electrical engineering, she has had a strained relationship with Yoo-jin ever since the entrance exams for the mechanical engineering program.
Their rivalry is sure to intensify now that they have to work in the same lab. And new stills from the drama suggest that their disagreements could quickly extend beyond the academic setting.
In the photos released by ENA, Min-jae and Se-jin are sitting side by side on a bench near a basketball court, eating ice cream. The two seem to be chatting casually in a relaxed atmosphere. A few steps away, Yoo-jin watches them with a reserved expression.
The young woman seems particularly upset by their budding bond. This situation foreshadows further misunderstandings, just as Yoo-jin and Min-jae were beginning to understand each other better.
A Painful Confrontation: Why Is Kim So-hyun Crying in Front of Choo Young-woo?
The tension won't end with this scene of jealousy. In another series of photos, Im Yoo-jin appears in tears in front of Park Min-jae, unable to hold back her emotions.
For his part, Choo Young-woo’s character maintains an attitude that’s hard to read and is holding two mysterious sheets of paper in his hands. Their contents have not yet been revealed, but their presence is all the more intriguing given that this confrontation takes place on Yoo-jin’s very first day at the lab.
The images highlight the contrast between the young woman’s distress and Min-jae’s apparent reserve. After all the effort she has put into adjusting to this new environment, Yoo-jin may discover that working alongside the man who inspired her does not necessarily mean growing closer to him romantically.
The production team also announced that this new dynamic would complicate their relationship: «The sizzling chemistry between Im Yoo-jin and Kim Se-jin will develop in an intense way. At the same time, we’ll see Park Min-jae and Im Yoo-jin drift apart, hurt even by the smallest things.»
She added, «Pay attention to the emotional changes in these two characters, who seem to grow closer before drifting apart again.»
These statements confirm that misunderstandings and emotional hurt will be at the heart of the next episode. The rivalry between Yoo-jin and Se-jin could thus become yet another obstacle to a relationship that is still struggling to find its balance. It remains to be seen what will actually bring Yoo-jin to tears, and whether Min-jae will realize just how much his attitude can affect her.
The next episode of «Between Steps» will air on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 10 p.m. (Korean time) on ENA and will be available on Disney+ everywhere except in Europe.
