between the spolight - purinz ✧

in sync.

chaewon's pov —

the next day, i walked into the practice room with my heart beating just a little slower than it had the day before. after the conversation with yunjin, things felt... different. not better, exactly, but different. we hadn't solved anything, not really, but at least i wasn't stepping into practice with the weight of unspoken tension hanging over me.

yunjin was already there when i arrived, stretching in front of the mirror. she didn't look up when i walked in, and for a moment, i wondered if anything had changed at all. i dropped my bag by the wall, quickly adjusting my shoes, feeling the familiar nerves creep in. the choreography for "you & me" wasn't easy, and with the dance requiring such close proximity, it felt like every rehearsal was a test.

i was still replaying our conversation in my head when yunjin finally spoke.

"you ready to start?" her voice was neutral, but not cold. i looked up, a little surprised that she'd spoken first.

"yeah," i nodded, forcing myself to relax. "let's do it."

we took our positions, the music starting low in the background as we got into the first pose. it was a seductive, slow burn of a song, the choreography demanding smooth, sensual movements that required us to move in sync. that was the hardest part—finding that chemistry, that connection on stage, when there was still so much unresolved between us.

the first few run-throughs were rough. we kept missing cues, our timing just a fraction off. yunjin was as sharp as ever with her corrections, but she didn't push as hard as she usually did. i wasn't sure if it was because of our talk or because she was holding back for some other reason. either way, the cold edge was still there, but it was... softer, somehow.

after the third time we restarted the routine, i finally spoke up, not able to stand the awkwardness any longer.

"yunjin," i said, keeping my voice steady, "i know things between us are... complicated, but we need to find some kind of rhythm. this isn't working."

she stopped mid-stretch, turning to face me, her expression unreadable. "what do you mean?"

"i mean, we're not connecting. not in the dance, not... anywhere. the fans are going to expect something powerful from this collab. we can't deliver that if we're constantly on edge with each other."

she was quiet for a moment, her gaze dropping to the floor. i could see her thinking, weighing her words before speaking. when she finally looked up, her face was still guarded, but there was a flicker of something else there—something almost vulnerable.

"i know," she said, surprising me. "you think i don't know that? this whole thing is a mess, but we don't have a choice. the company wants this collab, the fans are hyped for it, and we just have to make it work."

i nodded, feeling a little lighter hearing her admit that. "but we can't keep going like this. if we're going to pull this off, we need to at least... try. i don't want to fail, and i know you don't either."

she let out a breath, running a hand through her hair. "yeah, you're right. i just... i don't know how to turn off everything that's been going on in my head. this industry... it's all about staying on top, and i guess i've been scared that... i don't know."

i stepped closer, feeling a pang of sympathy. "that you're being replaced?"

yunjin's jaw clenched, but she didn't deny it. instead, she just gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. i realized then how much pressure she'd been under, and that maybe, just maybe, i wasn't the only one struggling.

yunjin's pov —

without thinking, chaewon reached out and pulled me into a hug. i froze. for a second, i didn't know how to react—this wasn't what i expected, not from her, not after everything that had been sitting between us for so long.

i felt my body tense up, stiff in her arms. i wasn't used to this. i hadn't been hugged like this in... i couldn't even remember how long. It was quick, instinctive on her part, but the warmth of it caught me off guard. i should've pulled away, kept the distance between us, but i didn't. instead, i stood there, rigid, unable to move.

a thousand thoughts raced through my head—was this real? was she actually trying to close the gap between us, or was it just another empty gesture? i'd kept myself guarded for so long, wary of letting anyone get too close. and yet, there was something about the way she held me, not too tight, not forcing anything, that made me hesitate.

"i'm not here to take your place," she whispered, her voice so quiet i almost didn't catch it. "i just want to stand beside you. i think we can do something amazing together, but we have to trust each other. at least a little."

i didn't know what to say. trust? Did i even know how to do that anymore? my mind screamed at me to push her away, to keep the walls up, but my body betrayed me. slowly, almost against my will, i felt myself relax—just a little—into the hug. it wasn't much, but it was enough. enough to let her know that maybe i wasn't completely shutting her out.

when she finally let go, i took a step back, unsure of what to do with the sudden space between us. maybe, for the first time, i didn't have to carry all of this on my own.

"okay," i said, my voice coming out quieter than i'd intended. "let's try."

it wasn't much, but it was a start.

chaewon's pov —

i hadn't planned to do it, hadn't even thought about it, really. the hug. it just happened, like instinct. i wondered if i'd made a mistake. maybe i'd crossed a line. but i hoped that this small gesture would say what words couldn't. she didn't hug me back, not exactly, but she relaxed. barely. it was small, but enough to let me know that maybe she wasn't pushing me away this time. maybe she was letting me in, even if just a little. after this, she wasn't wearing her usual armor and somehow, that small shift in her expression felt like a victory, like we were breaking through the tension that had been weighing us down for so long.

the next few run-throughs went smoother. the movements flowed a little easier, and while the tension between us didn't completely disappear, it felt manageable. there was a new energy between us. i could feel yunjin's presence next to me, not as an opponent, but as a partner. for the first time, we were dancing together. we were working together. it felt like we could actually do this—like we could pull off this performance.

by the end of practice, we were both exhausted, sweat dripping down our faces as we collapsed against the wall. yunjin sat beside me, silent but not as distant as before.

"we're getting there," i said, trying to catch my breath. "that wasn't terrible."

a small, tired smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "yeah, it wasn't."

as we sat there, the silence between us felt different. not quite comfortable, but not hostile either. maybe we'd never be friends, but at least we were starting to understand each other. and for now, that was enough.

with the debut looming and the pressure mounting, we both knew this was only the beginning. but for the first time, it didn't feel impossible.

"same time tomorrow?" yunjin asked as she stood up, stretching her arms over her head.

i nodded. "yeah, see you then."

as i left the practice room, i couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. we still had a long way to go, but at least we were moving in the right direction. and maybe, just maybe, we'd figure this out together.