between the spolight - purinz ✧

frost and flame.

chaewon's pov —

the announcement hit like a tidal wave. when mew revealed that i was the one behind the silhouette, it was everything i had imagined—buzzing fans, excitement flooding social media, and endless speculation about what my debut would bring. people were already talking about an album, even though nothing had been revealed yet, and the hype was overwhelming.

but the excitement didn't last long for me. knowing i had to practice again with yunjin—a cold wall i couldn't get past—kept my stomach in knots.

today was different, though. when i walked into the practice room, yunjin was already there, stretching as usual, her expression distant like it always was. i hesitated at the door, wondering if she was going to ignore me again. but to my surprise, she actually acknowledged my presence.

"hey," she said flatly, barely glancing up from her stretch.

i blinked, caught off guard. yunjin had never greeted me before. not like this. "uh, hey," i managed to reply, feeling weirdly unsettled by the small change in her attitude.

there was a tension between us, not the good kind. ever since the fans started to want to see us together since we were both under mew, the pressure to have some kind of chemistry was suffocating. but in real life, there was nothing but cold silence and the occasional icy glance from her.

we got straight into practice. the choreography was demanding—close, intimate movements that required us to be almost in sync. the worst part was the way our bodies had to move together, almost like a push and pull, a seduction. it was uncomfortable, and with yunjin's cold gaze following my every move, it felt worse.

as we ran through the routine for the first time, i could feel her eyes on me, sharp and critical. every time i missed a beat or hesitated, she'd give me that same, disapproving look.

"you're too stiff," she muttered, stepping back after the first round. "you need to relax more."

i bit my lip, feeling my frustration rise. "i'm trying," i replied, trying not to sound defensive. "it's hard to be relaxed when the dance is like this."

yunjin crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. "it's not about the dance. it's about the energy. if you're holding back, the audience will feel that."

i nodded, not wanting to argue, but it was hard to take in her criticism without feeling like she wanted me to fail. the way she delivered everything, so cold and detached, made me second-guess myself constantly.

we went through the routine again. every time our hands touched, i felt the awkwardness between us—her movements were so fluid, so natural, and mine felt forced in comparison. halfway through, i stumbled over a step, my foot catching on the floor.

yunjin stopped immediately, her frustration evident. "again," she said, her tone flat but firm.

"i'm sorry," i muttered, rubbing the back of my neck as i reset for the next run.

the third time through, it felt a little better. i was starting to get into the rhythm, letting the music flow through me instead of worrying about yunjin's reaction. but when the time came for our final move—a close, almost intimate spin where i was supposed to lean into her, meeting her gaze—i hesitated.

yunjin stepped back, crossing her arms again. "chaewon, if you can't get this, it's going to ruin the performance."

her words stung, but i swallowed the frustration. "i know," i said quietly. "i'm working on it."

she didn't respond, just stared at me for a second longer before walking over to grab her water bottle. the silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable. for a moment, i thought she was going to leave the room entirely.

but instead, she turned back to me, her expression still cold but her voice a little softer than before. "you're doing better than last week," she said. "but it's not enough. not yet."

i blinked, surprised by the almost-compliment. yunjin never gave praise, not even the faintest kind. "thanks," i said, though it came out more awkward than i intended.

she shrugged, like she didn't care. "just don't let it get in your head. the choreography is what it is. the rest is up to you."

we finished the practice session in relative silence, both of us going through the motions without much more conversation. every now and then, i caught her watching me, her eyes following my movements, but she didn't say much beyond her usual critiques. still, there was something different in her tone today. it wasn't quite as sharp as usual.

when we wrapped up, yunjin grabbed her stuff, not looking at me as she headed toward the door. but just before she left, she paused for a moment, her back still turned. "you're improving. don't get too comfortable." she marked another pause before facing me. "and... congrats on your debut. i guess."

and with that, she was gone. i didn't even have time to answer her.

i stood there for a moment, processing what just happened. the tension between us was still there, but something about today felt... different. maybe it was the slight shift in her tone, or maybe it was the fact that she had greeted me at all. or the fact she said i was improving. and she congratulated me. WAIT... huh yunjin congratulated me. i wanted to jump to the ceiling. what the fuck happened ?