between the spolight - purinz ✧

forced rhythm.

yunjin's pov —

another day, another practice. but today was different, and i hated it before it even began. the moment i walked into the practice room, i felt the tension building in the pit of my stomach. today wasn't about me perfecting my own routine or watching chaewon stumble through hers. today was about us, together, doing something i never wanted to do with her—a dance collab, for her upcoming song featuring myself.

i stared at the practice schedule, still irritated at how this had all come together. a sexy dance? with chaewon? seriously?

it was all part of the build-up to her debut, they said. part of the hype. her mini-album and title track reveal were right around the corner, and the company thought this would stir up even more interest. fans love when established artists and rookies do something bold together. but i wasn't a fan of this idea. not at all.

i glanced at her when she walked in, clearly not any happier about it than i was. her expression was tight, but she said nothing as she set her bag down. good. we didn't need to talk about it. it was obvious we both hated the idea of this routine, but we had no choice. hybe wanted the attention, and this was how they were going to get it.

we both stood in silence for a moment before the choreographer entered, all smiles, oblivious to the tension that was brewing. "okay, ladies, let's go through the routine one more time!" she said, far too cheerfully. i wanted to roll my eyes, but i held back.

the music started, and i forced myself to focus. the beat was slow, sultry, a kind of rhythm that demanded closeness, fluidity, chemistry. none of which i felt with chaewon.

the first few steps weren't so bad—just individual movements. but as the song progressed, we had to get closer, our bodies intertwining in ways that made my skin prickle with discomfort. i could feel her hesitations too, the way her body stiffened slightly every time we were supposed to touch or move in sync.

the part i hated the most came up soon: the moment where we had to lock eyes and circle each other, hands brushing just barely, like some kind of magnetic pull. i could sense her unease, mirroring mine, but we had to sell this routine like it was natural.

as we circled, her eyes locked with mine. it was all part of the choreography, but it felt like more. it was like she was challenging me, pushing back against all the tension that had been simmering between us for weeks. i didn't break the gaze, my jaw tight. i wasn't going to let her outshine me, not here, not anywhere.

"closer," the choreographer called out, clapping her hands. "you two need to be in each other's space more. it's supposed to feel intense!"

i bit back a sigh and moved in, my chest brushing against hers as we danced through the next sequence. chaewon's hands hovered just above my waist before settling there, following the routine, but i could tell she hated it as much as i did. every movement felt stiff, forced, like we were both just trying to get through it.

"yunjin, relax a little. this isn't supposed to look so... rigid," the choreographer said, and i caught chaewon smirking slightly out of the corner of my eye. it was the first real expression i'd seen on her face all day. it annoyed me.

"right," i muttered, taking a breath and forcing myself to ease into the routine. i wasn't going to let her get in my head, not today.

the next part of the dance had us pulling away, only to come back together, my hand sliding down her arm as she spun. her movements were sharp, and i could feel the frustration building in both of us as we struggled to make it look smooth.

as we moved through the final sequence, our bodies in sync but our minds clearly anywhere but the moment, i couldn't help but wonder how much worse this would get when we actually had to perform it live. the fans would love it, no doubt, but standing this close to chaewon for three minutes felt like an eternity.

the music finally faded, and we stepped apart, both of us avoiding each other's gaze. the choreographer seemed satisfied enough, clapping her hands together. "that's much better! keep working on the chemistry—you're getting there."

i nodded silently, wiping the sweat from my forehead. chaewon grabbed her water bottle, her movements quick, like she couldn't wait to get away from me.

good. the feeling was mutual.

"again tomorrow," the choreographer said as she packed up her things. "we're almost there."

as soon as she left, the room felt smaller, more suffocating. i turned toward the mirror, pretending to check my form, but i could feel chaewon's presence behind me. we hadn't spoken a word to each other all day, but the silence between us said enough.

this routine wasn't just about dancing. it was about proving something. and i wasn't going to lose.