between the spolight - purinz ✧

only for us.

chaewon's pov —

the days after christmas faded into memory as yunjin and i returned to seoul, leaving the secluded peace of the cabin behind. promotions for you & me and my mini album had wrapped up, meaning we wouldn't be performing them again anytime soon. but new year was fast approaching, and the final schedule of the year promised to be anything but quiet. we'd been paired with aespa for a special collaboration stage. it was supposed to be exciting—our first performance with them.

but backstage, i noticed something new that unsettled me: yunjin and giselle's easy, familiar dynamic. their laughter, the way they whispered to each other between takes—at first, i brushed it off. but the more i saw it, the more it grated on me.

on the last day of rehearsals, i caught up with yunjin as she was packing her things, watching her with a hint of frustration that i struggled to hide.

"you and giselle are pretty close, huh?" i asked, forcing a smile.

yunjin raised her brow, sensing the edge in my voice. "she's fun," she replied, as if it were obvious. "we clicked right away." her tone was casual, but she couldn't hide the knowing glint in her eyes.

"right," i muttered, looking away, hoping she didn't notice the jealousy creeping into my voice.

she set down her bag and stepped closer to me, lowering her voice. "chaewon, it's you i'm coming home to. you know that, don't you?"

her words and the brief, lingering touch of her fingers on my arm should have been enough. but the spark of jealousy had already taken hold, and i could only nod, feeling foolish.

that night, i poured my frustration out to sakura. she listened patiently, nodding along as i vented.

"i know i'm being ridiculous," i admitted, pacing the empty practice room. "but seeing her with giselle... it's like i'm invisible."

sakura shook her head. "you're not being ridiculous. but trust her. you and yunjin have something real, and she wouldn't risk that."

i took a deep breath, feeling a little calmer. "thanks, sakura. it just helps hearing it from you."

the night of the performance arrived, and i told myself to push everything else aside. the stage was where yunjin and i could be in sync, even if we had to hide what we felt. but as we took our places for the opening number, i felt a spark of determination, the jealousy still simmering beneath the surface. tonight, i'd show everyone—especially giselle—how much yunjin meant to me.

the performance unfolded like a high-stakes game, every move charged. when it came time for yunjin and me to share a moment at center stage, i locked eyes with her, channeling all the heat and tension of the past days into that single look. yunjin's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but then she matched my intensity, her hand brushing mine in a barely-there touch that sent a shiver down my spine.

as we moved through the performance, i could feel yunjin responding to me, our chemistry unmistakable. i sensed giselle's gaze on us, but i didn't care. i wanted everyone to feel what we had, to see the connection that ran deeper than any stage presence.

when we finally finished, i was breathless, my pulse pounding as the applause rang out. in the chaos of backstage congratulations, i grabbed yunjin's hand and pulled her aside, my heart racing as i pressed her against the wall.

"that's what you do to me," i whispered, a defiant edge in my voice, unable to hide my jealousy any longer.

yunjin's eyes darkened with surprise and amusement, and she slipped her hand around my waist, pulling me close enough that her breath brushed against my neck. "i noticed," she murmured, her lips grazing my ear. "and for the record, i loved it."

i smiled, feeling that familiar, thrilling electricity between us. even if no one else could know, in that moment, it was clear—our connection was undeniable, and nothing and no one could touch what we had.