When the two new members, Jooeun and Somyi, were confirmed to join their group, Chaeyeon didn't object. She was fine with the idea of new members, maybe even feeling a little hopeful since they could gain some more attention to their group. At this point, they needed whatever they could get, and as far as she knew, the girls were pretty and talented. Perhaps their overall group dynamic could even become more fun and lively, especially since she knew that Somyi in particular was quite...energetic. It was going to be fine, if not great. That was how it was supposed to be. However, as time passed, Chaeyeon realized that her initial beliefs about how she would react to the new members was wrong.

It turned out that Chaeyeon didn't like Jooeun.

She definitely didn't hate the older girl, per se, but there was just something about her that didn't sit well with Chaeyeon. Even though Jooeun carried her own weight with her singing ability and refreshing visuals, and gained more interest and fans for the group (as expected), Chaeyeon still couldn't adjust to her presence. There wasn't anything wrong with the girl's personality or behavior either. Jooeun mostly kept to herself, quiet and willing to remain in the background for as long as they'd let her. She was kind at heart and took care of the younger members, including Chaeyeon, although she was new herself. So it wasn't Jooeun on her own who troubled Chaeyeon.

Maybe it was the combination of Jooeun with Heehyun, the leader of their group and the person who had taken care of Chaeyeon even before they competed on Produce 101 together. Chaeyeon didn't miss any of it: the way Heehyun would glance at Jooeun to check how she's faring during performances and fansigns, the little pats on the back and whispers of encouragement to reassure her and calm her nerves, or the other small gestures she would take to make sure Jooeun feels comfortable and safe. Chaeyeon couldn't possibly miss any of them because these were, after all, all of the things Heehyun used to do for Chaeyeon, and for Chaeyeon alone.

Now, it was Jooeun who was receiving all of Heehyun's attention and subtle gestures of affection; she was the one being showered with the love in which Chaeyeon had long accustomed herself to. It would be childish to think that this sort of treatment had to be exclusive to her; she couldn't monopolize Heehyun's attention and affection. Nonetheless, her feelings were headed in that direction if they weren't there already. She could tell herself that this set-up was only temporary and Heehyun was only treating Jooeun like this because of her new member status. She could convince herself that Heehyun was only fulfilling her responsibilities as the leader of their group and that she didn't necessarily care for Jooeun more than she did for Chaeyeon, but Chaeyeon still couldn't help but feel a certain way when she would reach for Heehyun's hand only to find that it was already holding Jooeun's.

Late night recording for this show seemed to take an eternity, and for Chaeyeon, her observations of Heehyun's constant lingering by Jooeun's side just made it feel even longer. By the time they emerged from the studio, it was the moon amidst a backdrop of stars that greeted them. They didn't expect recording to take that long, or for the temperatures that evening to drop so low. Of course, the members of DIA were still in their short, flimsy stage outfits, so they were shivering, teeth chattering, as they waited outside for their managers to load everything into the van. They had brought some blankets as they usually did but there weren't enough for everyone this time, and a few of the members decided to give up the blankets to the other girls. Ultimately, it was Heehyun, Jooeun, and Chaeyeon who were left to brace the bitter chill of the night.

"Cold?" Chaeyeon heard Heehyun's voice next to her. She turned her head to respond with an affirmative, but her voice caught in as she witnessed Heehyun removing her jacket and placing it around Jooeun's shoulders. The two of them seemed to be in their own