dreamscapes - yunjin

chapter 13: unspoken.

aerin's side —

aerin stood outside the door to the le sserafim dorm, her heart racing in a way that felt both unfamiliar and exciting. it wasn't like she hadn't spent time with yunjin before—they'd been working closely for the past two months—but this felt different. she was about to meet the rest of yunjin's group, the people who knew her best, and a part of aerin wondered what they'd think of her.

with a deep breath, aerin smoothed her sweater and rang the doorbell. almost immediately, the door swung open, and there stood yunjin, looking a little more flustered than usual but wearing her signature wide grin.

"you made it!" yunjin greeted, stepping aside to let her in. there was something in the warmth of her voice that made aerin's nerves ease slightly.

"yeah," aerin replied, stepping inside. "i hope it's okay. i brought some snacks." she held up the box with a sheepish smile, and yunjin's face lit up in appreciation.

"you didn't have to! but thank you—that's so sweet," yunjin said, taking the box from her hands. aerin felt her pulse quicken just from the brief brush of their fingers.

the dorm was cozy, more lived-in than she expected for a group as busy as le sserafim. it felt like a home, which put her at ease immediately. as aerin followed yunjin further inside, she heard the sound of voices drifting in from the living room. yunjin shot her a reassuring smile before leading her into the room where the rest of the members were gathered.

the introductions went smoother than aerin had expected. kazuha was all soft-spoken curiosity, while eunchae's boundless energy and rapid-fire questions made aerin laugh almost instantly. sakura was warm but observant, her quiet smiles giving away more than words, while chaewon, though polite, seemed to be watching aerin closely, as if trying to read something beyond the surface.

as they settled into casual conversation, aerin found herself sitting next to yunjin on the couch, their knees just barely touching. it was a small thing, but every time their legs brushed, aerin felt a jolt of awareness shoot through her. she tried to focus on the conversation, answering eunchae's questions about her favorite songs and what it was like working with yunjin, but her attention kept drifting back to the warmth radiating from yunjin beside her.

she noticed, too, how yunjin seemed a little different around her—more attentive, a bit softer. there was an ease to their dynamic that felt natural, but it was underscored by something new, something neither of them had acknowledged yet.

when the conversation shifted and sakura and kazuha brought out a board game, aerin found herself pulled further into the group's energy. laughter and playful teasing filled the room as the game went on, but the small, almost shy touches between her and yunjin became harder to ignore. whether it was their arms brushing or knees bumping, each contact seemed to spark a quiet tension that neither of them addressed aloud.

at one point, aerin's hand accidentally grazed yunjin's thigh under the table, and the moment hung in the air between them. yunjin's breath hitched for just a second, her eyes flicking toward aerin before quickly looking away. aerin's heart thudded in her chest, but she didn't move her hand right away. instead, they both let the moment settle, awkward but not uncomfortable—just new.

as the game wound down, aerin felt the tension ease, but the closeness remained. she hadn't expected to feel this kind of connection with yunjin—at least, not like this. she had always assumed yunjin was just a good friend, but something was shifting, and she wasn't sure what to make of it yet.

"you want to see the vocal studio?" yunjin asked suddenly, breaking aerin from her thoughts. her voice was casual, but there was something deeper behind it, something curious.

aerin nodded, her heart skipping a beat. "yeah, i'd love to."

just as they were about to slip away, aerin noticed chaewon watching them with a thoughtful look. aerin couldn't quite place it, but there was something knowing in chaewon's gaze that made her feel like she was being quietly observed.

yunjin's side —

yunjin led aerin toward the hallway, her mind still buzzing from the lingering warmth of aerin's touch. she had always thought of herself as someone attracted to men, but recently, being around aerin was challenging those assumptions. every time they worked together, every time aerin smiled at her or their hands accidentally touched, yunjin felt something shift inside her—a kind of pull that she didn't fully understand yet.

before they could reach the vocal studio, chaewon's voice cut through the moment. "yunjin, can i talk to you for a second?"

yunjin glanced at aerin, offering a quick smile. "i'll be right back."

aerin nodded, watching as yunjin followed chaewon out onto the small balcony. the door clicked shut behind them, and yunjin leaned against the railing, the cool air brushing against her skin.

"what's up?" yunjin asked, trying to sound casual, though a part of her knew what was coming.

chaewon leaned against the railing beside her, crossing her arms as she glanced out at the skyline. "i've been noticing something," she began, her tone light but probing.

yunjin raised an eyebrow, playing along. "oh? noticing what?"

chaewon didn't answer immediately, and when she did, her voice was softer, more serious. "you and aerin."

yunjin felt her stomach flip, but she forced a chuckle, trying to deflect. "we've been working on music together. you know that."

chaewon gave her a look, one that said she wasn't buying the casual act. "it's not just about the music, though, is it? you two seem... close."

yunjin's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't been expecting chaewon to notice—or maybe she had, but had been avoiding it. "i mean... yeah, we've become friends. she's really easy to talk to."

chaewon didn't press further, but her gaze softened, almost concerned. "yunjin, i've known you for a long time. i can tell when something's going on."

yunjin swallowed, looking away for a moment, trying to find the right words. "i don't know what's happening," she finally admitted, her voice quieter. "i've never felt like this before. at least, not with a girl."

chaewon didn't seem surprised, but her expression turned more understanding. "you don't have to have it all figured out right now. but if it's something more than just friendship... you should give yourself the space to figure it out."

yunjin nodded, her mind racing. she wasn't ready to confront whatever these feelings were, not yet. But she couldn't deny that something was different—something that had started to grow between her and aerin, whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not.

chaewon rested a hand on yunjin's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "just take your time. no pressure."

yunjin smiled back, grateful for chaewon's understanding, even if she wasn't quite ready to fully face what was happening inside her. with a deep breath, she straightened up. "thanks, chaewon."

as she turned to head back inside, yunjin's thoughts returned to aerin, who was waiting in the other room. the feelings swirling inside her were confusing, but one thing was clear: whatever was happening between them, it was only growing stronger.

and as much as yunjin tried to keep things simple, she knew deep down that this was far from simple.