Holding Hands?

[Senkusha]

So in the fifth episode of Fruits Baskets ("I've Been Fooling Myself") she and the Sohma cousins are holding hands.  But, in the plot of the anime in general, touching the opposite sex would invoke the animal transformation.  So, I'm a bit confused here.

[ZandraJoi]

You make an excellent point so I had to search:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FruitsBasket/comments/co9g9a/question_about_the_touching_rule/

They had examples of other times they were touched & didn't transform. I guess it's the Embrace.