The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the floor as Soo Jeon made her way through the corridors of the ballet company. The familiar scent of wood floors and rosin filled the air, and the quiet echoes of dancers rehearsing in the adjacent studios brought a sense of routine. Normally, this place would calm her, allowing her to leave her worries at the door. But today, her mind was elsewhere.
As she approached the rehearsal room, Soo Jeon paused, gripping the door handle for a moment before entering. She couldn't shake the conversation she'd had with Min Jun that morning. Though his reassurances had been genuine, the underlying tension with his family and Ji-Eun lingered. Soo Jeon felt trapped between her desire to make their relationship work and the growing sense of dread that everything was spiraling out of control.
Inside the rehearsal room, her fellow dancers were warming up, chatting in low voices, but all Soo Jeon could hear was her own heartbeat. She joined them in stretching, trying to shake off her distractions, but her body felt stiff, her movements uncoordinated. Today, ballet wasn't providing the escape she so desperately needed.
"Are you okay, Soo Jeon?" Her friend Ji-Won asked, sitting beside her on the floor. Her concern was evident in her soft voice and the way she placed a gentle hand on Soo Jeon's shoulder.
Soo Jeon forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… tired, I guess."
Ji-Won didn't seem convinced but nodded slowly. "You've been working really hard lately. Maybe you need a break."
"I wish I could," Soo Jeon replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Before Ji-Won could say more, their instructor entered the room, calling the group to attention. Soo Jeon pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and stood, preparing to throw herself into the rehearsal.
But as the music started, and she moved through the familiar motions, her body refused to follow the rhythm. Her legs felt heavy, her steps clumsy. For the first time in a long while, Soo Jeon couldn't find the grace that had always come so naturally to her. Every leap, every pirouette felt forced, like she was fighting against herself.
The instructor's voice cut through the music. "Soo Jeon, focus! Your timing is off!"
She nodded quickly, but internally, she felt the weight of his words sink deeper. Her timing wasn't just off in the studio—it was off in her life. No matter how hard she tried to balance everything, something always felt out of place.
The rest of the rehearsal passed in a blur. By the time it was over, Soo Jeon's muscles ached, and her spirit felt drained. She stayed behind, watching the other dancers leave, her heart heavy with unspoken fears.
She glanced at her phone, tempted to call Min Jun, to hear his voice and find some comfort. But something held her back. She didn't want to burden him with her doubts—not now, not when he was already dealing with so much from his family.
As she sat on the studio floor, alone, her phone buzzed. Her heart skipped, hoping it was a message from Min Jun, but when she looked, it was from an unknown number.
She opened the message cautiously, and her heart sank as she read the words:
"We need to talk. It's about Min Jun."
Soo Jeon's stomach churned as she read the signature: Ji-Eun.
Her fingers trembled as she stared at the screen. She had no idea what Ji-Eun wanted, but nothing good could come from this. Part of her wanted to ignore the message, to pretend it didn't exist, but another part of her—one that had grown more anxious over time—knew she had to face whatever this was head-on.
With a deep breath, she texted back, "What do you want?"
The reply came almost instantly. "Meet me at the café near Min Jun's office in an hour. We need to clear some things up."
Soo Jeon closed her eyes, her mind racing. What did Ji-Eun want to clear up? She couldn't shake the feeling that this was another one of Ji-Eun's manipulations, another attempt to wedge herself between Soo Jeon and Min Jun. But if she didn't go, she'd always wonder what Ji-Eun had to say.
She stood up, grabbing her bag, her hands still shaking as she left the rehearsal room. Outside, the cool evening air hit her face, doing little to calm the storm brewing inside her. She made her way to the café, her steps hurried and her thoughts swirling.
When she arrived, she spotted Ji-Eun immediately. She was seated at a table near the window, her posture perfect, her gaze unreadable. Soo Jeon hesitated for a moment, then walked over, her heart pounding in her chest.
Ji-Eun looked up as she approached, offering a small, almost smug smile. "I wasn't sure you'd come."
Soo Jeon sat down, her expression guarded. "What do you want, Ji-Eun?"
Ji-Eun's smile faded slightly, but her confidence remained. "I think it's time we talked about Min Jun. You deserve to know the truth about what's going on."
Soo Jeon's eyes narrowed. "The truth? What truth?"
Ji-Eun leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I know you think you have a future with him. But you don't know Min Jun like I do. He may love you, but deep down, he knows that I'm the one who belongs by his side."
Soo Jeon felt her pulse quicken, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "That's not true. Min Jun has made it clear—he's with me, not you."
Ji-Eun's smile widened, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You think you've won, but this isn't over. His family, especially his mother—they want me. They don't want you. And trust me, Soo Jeon, they're going to make sure that you're out of the picture. Min Jun is torn between his love for you and his loyalty to his family. He won't be able to hold onto both for long."
Soo Jeon clenched her fists under the table, her body tense. "You're wrong. Min Jun and I… we're stronger than you think."
Ji-Eun leaned back, her smile fading. "We'll see about that. But don't say I didn't warn you."
The conversation left Soo Jeon feeling drained, her confidence shaken. As she walked away from the café, Ji-Eun's words echoed in her mind. She couldn't let Ji-Eun's manipulations get to her, but there was a gnawing fear that perhaps, in some small way, Ji-Eun was right.
Could Min Jun's family really come between them? And if they did… would he choose his family over her?