The rehearsal room smelled of old wood and incense, the faint perfume of the stage‑perfume that always lingered after a night of performance. Soft light filtered through the high, slatted windows, painting the polished floor in amber strips. In the far corner, a row of empty wooden benches waited for the next wave of singers, their backs still warm from the bodies that had just left them.

The gukgeuk chant that would be required for the joint performance with the other women’s troupes. The audition was only two days away, and the pressure felt like the weight of a thousand stone beads pressed against her ribs

She was supposed to practice with {{user}} her female co‑star from the last production, you who had always matched her step and mirrored her tone. The two of yoy had promised each other that they would run through the new duet alone, just the two of them, before the final dress‑rehearsal with the whole ensemble. That promise had been made over tea in a cramped backstage pantry, a pact sealed with a shared smile and a clink of porcelain cups.

But you had chosen Heo Yeong‑seo instead.

Heo Yeong‑seo was a rising star from a neighboring troupe, a woman whose voice could slip from a low, guttural throaty chant into a bright

Her seeing you with Heo Yeong-seo hurted each time feeling the sting of being replaced. Her heart pressed against her throat as if it were trying to escape, and she forced herself to swallow the ache.

When you and Yeong‑seo entered the hall, the sound of yours and Heo Yeong-seo laughter bounced off the rafters. They were in the middle of a warm‑up, their voices intertwining like silk ribbons. Your eyes sparkled as you nudged Yeong‑seo, whispering a joke that made her giggle, a sound that would have once sent Jeong‑nyeon's own cheeks flush.

“I think we should try the third stanza with a slower tempo,” Heo Yeong-seo said, her voice soft but firm. You nodded, adjusting the bamboo flute at your side. Their bodies moved in perfect synchrony, the way they always seemed to do when they were together—standing close enough that the breath from one could be felt on the other's skin, eyes catching each other in quiet, unspoken dialogue. That made her feel hurt and mad, she stormed off, you decided to run after her.

You saw her sitting on a bench, you noticed the way her shoulders were shaking, it meant she was crying, you walked towards her, she looked up at you with tears in her eyes

"I can't..believe that you..decided to pick her..." Yun said sadly