dreamscapes - yunjin

chapter 12: shifting dynamics.

yunjin's side —

the next few weeks flew by in a blur of rehearsals, writing sessions, and quiet late-night talks. yunjin and aerin had settled into a comfortable rhythm—meeting at the studio whenever their schedules allowed, their collaboration deepening as the days passed. the new song they'd been working on was slowly coming together, and both felt a sense of pride in how seamlessly their ideas meshed.

but something else was changing too, something subtle and unspoken between them. yunjin couldn't quite put her finger on it. the more time they spent together, the more she found herself looking forward to aerin's messages, to their brief touches, and the quiet moments in the studio where the only sounds were their shared breaths and the hum of the equipment.

yunjin had never questioned her attraction before. boys had always been at the center of her attention, whether it was harmless crushes on idols or the rare, fleeting relationships in her busy life. but now, there was aerin. and the way yunjin reacted to her—her presence, her smile, the way her fingers danced across her notebook as she wrote—was starting to confuse her. she'f always known she and aerin had chemistry creatively, but lately, it felt like something more, something that made her heart race in a way she hadn't expected.

one night, after another long session, yunjin found herself alone in the studio. the rest of the girls had already gone back to the dorm, and the quiet only made the thoughts swirling in her head louder. she leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the odd, nervous energy that had settled over her lately.

it's just because we're working so closely, she reasoned with herself. i'm probably overthinking it. but the way her heart skipped when aerin brushed her arm or leaned in to show her something on the laptop—it felt different.

the door to the studio creaked open, and aerin peeked her head in. "still here?" she asked, stepping inside with her usual easy smile.

yunjin sat up quickly, her heart giving that familiar flutter. "yeah, just finishing up some adjustments. what about you?"

"i left my notebook," aerin said, crossing the room to grab it from the desk where she'd left it earlier. as she reached for it, her fingers grazed yunjin's hand again, and this time, neither of them moved away. the touch lingered longer than either expected, and yunjin's breath hitched in her throat.

aerin noticed, her brow furrowing slightly as she withdrew her hand. "you okay?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.

yunjin swallowed, nodding quickly. "yeah, just... tired, i guess."

aerin didn't push, but something in her expression changed—like she sensed that yunjin wasn't telling her the full story. she stood there for a moment longer, the silence between them growing heavier with every passing second.

"i've been thinking about the lyrics," aerin said, finally breaking the tension. "i think we need to tweak that second verse. it's not quite... personal enough."

yunjin, grateful for the shift in conversation. "yeah? what are you thinking?"

aerin moved closer again, sitting down beside yunjin and flipping open her notebook. as she spoke, her shoulder brushed against yunjin's again, and this time, yunjin didn't even try to move away. instead, she found herself leaning in, just slightly, their closeness sending that familiar wave of warmth through her.

they worked through the verse together, their heads bent close, voices soft as they bounced ideas back and forth. but yunjin was only half-focused on the lyrics. the other half of her was entirely consumed by the proximity, by the way aerin's breath felt against her cheek, by the way their knees occasionally bumped under the desk.

and then it happened. without even realizing it, yunjin glanced up at aerin, their faces just inches apart. the world seemed to slow, the air between them thick with unspoken possibilities. for a split second, yunjin wondered what it would feel like to close the gap, to lean in just a little more.

but before she could act on the thought, aerin pulled back, her cheeks flushed slightly. "i, uh, should get going," she said, her voice just a little too quick, like she'd noticed the moment too and didn't know how to handle it. "it's late."

yunjin nodded, her throat suddenly dry. "yeah, me too. i'll see you tomorrow?"

aerin smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "yeah, tomorrow." and with that, she grabbed her notebook and headed for the door, leaving yunjin alone once again in the quiet studio.

as soon as the door closed, yunjin let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. she pressed her hands to her face, her mind racing. what is happening? she'd always been drawn to aerin's energy, her creativity—but this was different. she wasn't supposed to feel this way, not about a girl.

but no matter how much she tried to convince herself that it was nothing, that it was just the intensity of their collaboration, yunjin couldn't shake the growing realization that maybe, just maybe, her feelings for aerin were shifting in ways she wasn't ready to confront.

tomorrow. she would face it tomorrow. for now, all she could do was sit with the confusion, and the growing certainty that whatever was happening between them wasn't just about the music anymore.