between the spolight - purinz ✧

breaking the silence.

chaewon's pov —

i sat in the practice room alone, stretching out my muscles after a grueling session. the room felt eerily quiet without yunjin's sharp critiques or the blare of music, and for once, i welcomed the silence. we had just wrapped up another rehearsal for "you & me," and things between us were as icy as ever. her curt directions, her distant stares—it was all wearing me down.

as i reached for my water bottle, i heard muffled voices outside the room. the door was slightly ajar, and i couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two staff members passing by. i wasn't one to eavesdrop, but the mention of my name caught my attention.

"she's good, right? chaewon's definitely got what it takes to be the next big thing."

"yeah, i mean, yunjin's great, but she's been in the spotlight for a while now. it's only a matter of time before chaewon replaces her."

my heart sank. replace yunjin? is that what people were saying? i felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. i had never wanted to be pitted against her like this, but it seemed like everyone was already making those comparisons. no wonder yunjin had been so distant, so cold. maybe she thought i was here to take her place.

i clenched my fists, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling. but it stuck with me, lingering like a bad aftertaste. i didn't want to replace anyone, least of all yunjin. i just wanted to make my own mark.

after the staff members moved on, i sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the floor. the tension between yunjin and me suddenly made more sense. she probably saw me as a threat, and if people were already talking about me replacing her, it was no wonder she hated me.

i knew i couldn't leave things like this. the air between us was already suffocating during rehearsals, and if we had any hope of making this collaboration work, we needed to talk. i had to clear the air, even if it meant confronting yunjin directly.

before i could second-guess myself, i grabbed my things and headed toward her dorm. my heart pounded in my chest the whole way, and i rehearsed what i wanted to say over and over in my head. but by the time i stood outside her door, all the words felt jumbled, and my palms were slick with nervous sweat.

i hesitated for a moment, raising my hand to knock but pausing just before my knuckles hit the door. what if she slammed the door in my face? what if this only made things worse?

but i couldn't let it go. not now.

i knocked.

a few moments later, the door swung open, and yunjin stood there, her face a mixture of surprise and mild annoyance. she didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to speak.

"uh... can we talk?" i managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

she stared at me for a second, then stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in. her room was neat, organized, a reflection of the discipline she always carried with her. i stood awkwardly near the entrance, not quite sure how to start this conversation.

"what is it?" she asked, her voice as cool as ever.

i took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "i overheard some staff talking earlier," i began, my eyes flickering nervously to hers. "they said something about me... replacing you."

her face remained unreadable, but i saw a slight flicker in her eyes, like she wasn't as surprised as i thought she'd be.

"i don't want that," i continued quickly. "i don't want to replace you, yunjin. i just want to make my debut and—"

"it doesn't matter what you want," she cut in, her voice sharp. "this industry is built on competition. people are always looking for the next big thing. it's not about what you or i want, chaewon. it's about what the company wants. what the fans want."

i felt a pang of frustration rise up in me. "but i don't see it that way! i admire you, yunjin. you've achieved so much, and i would never want to step on your success to make my own. i just—i just want us to work together, not against each other."

yunjin's expression softened, but only slightly. she crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "that's easy for you to say. you're the new face. you've got all this excitement and hype behind you. but trust me, that fades. and when it does, people will move on, just like they're starting to do with me."

"that's not true," i said, stepping closer. "you still have so many fans who love you. and this collaboration—it's supposed to be a good thing, right? for both of us."

she let out a bitter laugh. "maybe for you. but for me, it's just another reminder that my time is running out."

the words hung in the air, heavy and raw. i hadn't realized how deep her fears ran, how much the pressure of staying on top had weighed her down. suddenly, all her coldness, all the tension between us—it all made sense.

"yunjin, i'm not here to take anything from you," i said softly. "i just want to make something great. together."

she looked at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine, as if trying to decide whether she could trust me. finally, she sighed, rubbing her temples.

"i don't hate you, chaewon," she said, her voice quieter now. "it's not personal. it's just... hard to see someone coming up the way you are. i've been where you are, and i know how quickly things can change."

i nodded, understanding dawning on me. "then maybe we can make this work, without all the tension. we're in this together, right?"

yunjin didn't answer right away, but eventually, she gave a small, reluctant nod. "we'll see," she muttered, but it was enough for me to feel like we'd taken a small step forward.

as i left her dorm that night, the weight on my chest felt a little lighter. there was still a long way to go, and things between us were far from resolved, but at least we had started talking.

and maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to make this collaboration something more than just another competition.