It’s another Inkigayo stage. Dance a little, smile a little, then retreat backstage, get changed and head on home. They’ve done this plenty of times, and tonight should be no different.

But it is.

Normally they’d have a dressing room to themselves, but this time management has decided to slip Jennie in with them. And normally Seungwan would not mind at all. Because Jennie’s hilarious and snarky and really, really fun.

But tonight is different. The past few weeks have been different.

There might as well be a wall of literal ice separating Joohyun and her.

Joohyun always has to win. And Joohyun will do anything to win.

She’s gotten better at hiding weaknesses these past years. But Seungwan has some pretty obvious chinks in her armour if you know where to look. And Joohyun knows exactly where to aim.

The moment they enter the room, Joohyun peels away from the girls and glues herself to Jennie’s side. Seungwan doesn’t know if Jennie is oblivious to the tension or just politely ignoring it. The others aren’t as subtle.

Seulgi sits on the counter, sipping her melon milk and staring at her phone with a little too much intensity. Her legs aren’t swinging back and forth, and that’s the biggest giveaway that she’s tense.

Sooyoung props her elbows against the table and then sticks her head into her overly large handbag. She doesn’t reappear and Seungwan swears she can hear faint barking. She assumes that Sooyoung is FaceTiming her family to see what Haetnim’s getting up to.

Yeri doesn’t even try. She says something vague about a phone call and heading back to the dorm later, before disappearing.

Seungwan sits down in her ridiculous racing shirt and her strange skirt belt and tries to keep her eyes to herself. Joohyun’s exposed back is magnetic and Seungwan does not have the soft control to not stare.

Hyper-aware that Joohyun is right behind her, Seungwan pretends to massage her neck. She wraps fingers around , digs her thumb and forefinger into the sensitive flesh beneath her jaw and allows the pain to distract her from leopard print and flawless skin.

She gazes at the mirror and regrets it instantly. Her chair’s position gives her a perfect reflected view of Joohyun and Jennie. Joohyun gently guides Jennie’s hands into very familiar gestures and Seungwan’s nails break flesh.

That choreography is theirs.

Her’s and Joohyun’s and Seulgi’s and Yerim’s and Sooyoung’s. Other people can learn it. Other people can copy it. Other people can do it. But Joohyun isn’t supposed to be the one teaching.

Seungwan knows that she has always been terribly possessive of what she considers to be hers. She’s not proud of it. But her flaws are a part of her being, and she’ll be damned before she gives anything up.

In the mirror, Joohyun is a gleam of teeth and flashing eyes. Her hands are on Jennie, but her eyes are on Seungwan.

‘Wannie, you’re bleeding!’

Seungwan breaks away from Joohyun’s gaze and turns towards a frantic sounding Seulgi.

‘Mhhh?’

‘Your neck is bleeding!

Seungwan blinks. She wipes at her neck and her fingers come away bloody. She waves her hand dismissively. ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s just a scratch.’

‘Doesn’t it hurt?’

Seungwan turns back towards the mirror.

‘Just for now.’Joohyun’s eyes flicker towards her and she crosses them out with a smear of red.