between the spolight - purinz ✧

turning the tables.

yunjin's pov —

it was only a matter of time before the company summoned us in for a "discussion." as we walked into the meeting room, i could feel the tension thick in the air, the kind that left no room for misunderstanding. executives sat around the table, their faces set in stone, barely looking up as we entered. the company's director, a man who rarely spoke more than a few words, was the one to address us this time. that alone told me how serious they were about this.

"do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked, his tone flat but laced with unmistakable disappointment.

chaewon and i exchanged a quick glance, both of us bracing ourselves. we'd known backlash would come, but this—being treated like liabilities instead of valued artists—was something i hadn't expected to hit this hard.

"we took a calculated risk," chaewon said, her voice steady but low. "we believed our fans would support us. many of them do."

"many of them don't," he shot back, not giving her a chance to continue. "and this isn't just about the fans, yunjin, chaewon. your actions have put us—and yourselves—in a vulnerable position. there are rumors spreading like wildfire, and people are questioning your commitment. this is a distraction, one that could damage your careers and our reputation."

i bit my tongue, trying to hold back the words that wanted to come spilling out. "with all due respect," i managed, "we don't believe this backlash is natural. someone's spreading these rumors, and it feels... targeted."

the director's expression barely changed, but a flicker of something—skepticism, maybe?—crossed his eyes. "targeted? are you suggesting someone is intentionally sabotaging your careers?"

"it sounds unbelievable," i admitted, "but yes. we think someone's fueling this backlash."

silence filled the room as the executives exchanged unreadable glances. after what felt like an eternity, the director leaned forward, his gaze hard. "then prove it. because as it stands, you two are the only ones we see bringing negativity onto yourselves."

the message was clear: this was our last chance to redeem ourselves. and if we couldn't prove our suspicions, we'd be on our own, with no protection from the company. they'd already shown how easily they could distance themselves when they needed to.

as we left the room, chaewon gave me a reassuring squeeze, but i barely felt it. i knew what had to be done. if giselle wanted to destroy us, she'd made one critical mistake: she'd underestimated how far i'd go to protect what we had. i was done being a pawn in her game. this time, i was going to turn her own tactics against her.

over the next few days, i started to put my plan into motion. it was going to be risky, and there was a chance it would backfire, but i didn't have any other options. giselle wanted control, but she thrived on subtlety, keeping her hands clean. if i could manipulate her into slipping up, just once, i'd have what i needed to prove she was behind everything.

first, i needed to rebuild her trust in me. we hadn't spoken much since chaewon and i went public, and i knew she was smart enough to suspect i'd catch on eventually. so i had to make her believe i was reaching out out of desperation, that i was struggling with the weight of public scrutiny and looking for a friend. i sent her a message, phrasing it carefully.

📱 yunjin: hey. things are rough right now, and i feel like i don't have anyone to talk to. could we maybe meet up sometime? just to clear my head?"

it took her a few hours to respond, but when she did, the answer was exactly what i expected.

📱 giselle: of course, yunjin. i'm here for you.

that was step one. i wasn't naive enough to think she'd believe me completely, but she had an ego. and that ego would make her think she could manipulate me back into her confidence.

when we met, i kept my demeanor purposefully subdued. i made sure to sound worn-out, as if the criticism and isolation were finally getting to me. i dropped hints about how exhausted i was, how i'd started to doubt myself. it wasn't easy—i could feel my skin crawling as i let her get closer, pretending to let her slip past my defenses. but i knew i had to play this part to make her lower her guard.

at one point, i saw her phone lying on the table, unlocked for just a second as she checked her messages. a spark of an idea formed as i watched her, keeping my gaze deliberately away from the screen so she wouldn't suspect i was paying attention. if i could get hold of her phone, just for a minute, i could find the evidence i needed.

finally, as our conversation was wrapping up, i said, "i know i can trust you. thanks for hearing me out. and... i know it's a lot to ask, but could i maybe borrow your phone for a bit?" i let my expression show a little of the desperation i'd faked, like i needed her help more than i wanted to admit.

she hesitated, eyes narrowing for a moment. i could see the calculation going on in her head, weighing the risk against the satisfaction of feeling like she'd finally broken through my defenses. "just for a minute," she said, handing it to me with a look that told me she'd be watching.

i thanked her and made a show of checking something simple, making it seem like i wasn't digging through her phone at all. but in reality, i was moving fast, snapping screenshots of conversations i could find. i found snippets of messages to fan accounts, half-written posts that hinted at things she wanted spread without being traced back to her. it wasn't much, but it was enough—a trail of crumbs that led right back to her.

i sent myself proofs before returning the phone with a smile, thanking her again and pretending to leave with the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. but inside, i was steady, focused. i finally had what i needed.

that night, chaewon and i met back in our apartment, and i shared everything i'd found. together, we went through the screenshots, piecing together a timeline of her actions. she'd been spreading rumors, strategically reaching out to fan accounts, and even implying things about chaewon and me in messages to mutual industry contacts.

we were ready.

the next morning, we returned to the company and presented the evidence. the director's expression shifted as he read through the messages, his usual detached expression faltering as he saw the proof laid out in front of him. this wasn't just speculation anymore; it was concrete, undeniable.

they promised to take action, and i knew they would. giselle was too valuable for them to dismiss outright, but this would leave a stain on her reputation, one that would be hard to erase. she'd lose the subtle power she held over us, the influence she'd wielded from the shadows.

but most importantly, we'd won. as chaewon and i left the office, i felt the weight finally begin to lift, the heavy tension we'd carried replaced with a quiet, resilient strength. we'd fought for our story, our truth, and now we had control of it once again.

giselle had underestimated us, but she'd never make that mistake again.