Chapter Text
Lee's office gleamed with late afternoon sunlight, the polished surfaces reflecting Chaehyun's carefully composed expression as she entered without waiting to be called. She'd practiced this moment for hours—the exact tilt of her chin, the precise swagger in her step, the calculated indifference in her posture.
"You're early," Lee observed, not looking up from his computer screen.
"I have valuable information," Chaehyun replied, dropping into the chair across from him without invitation. "Thought you'd want it immediately."
That caught his attention. Lee's fingers stilled on the keyboard, his gaze sharpening as he studied her. "Something significant happened?"
Chaehyun leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Winter and Karina had a fight. About Ningning's parts."
Lee's expression remained neutral, though interest flickered in his eyes. "Details."
"Winter thinks she's being overloaded with Ningning's high notes," Chaehyun explained, examining her nails with practiced casualness. "Claims Karina is favoring Ningning by giving her easier parts for the showcase."
"And Karina's response?" Lee abandoned any pretense of working, giving Chaehyun his full attention.
"Told Winter to handle it or step aside." Chaehyun allowed a small, satisfied smile to cross her features. "Said something about 'commitment to the group' being non-negotiable."
Lee leaned back, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "How did Winter take that?"
"Stormed out of practice." Chaehyun shrugged, the movement deliberately nonchalant. "Slammed the door hard enough to crack the frame."
"Interesting." Lee made a note on his tablet. "And Ningning?"
"Caught in the middle." Chaehyun dropped her voice further. "She tried mediating, but her voice is still too weak to make much impact. Made her look pathetic, honestly."
Lee's smile sharpened with satisfaction. "And your position in all this?"
"Neutral, publicly," Chaehyun replied, her expression shifting to something more calculated. "But I've been privately sympathetic to Winter. Building trust through shared frustration."
"Excellent approach," Lee nodded approvingly. "And Giselle?"
Chaehyun hesitated—a deliberate pause they'd rehearsed. "That's the unexpected variable. She's siding with Winter, not Karina."
Lee's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Elaborate."
"She thinks Karina is being too rigid," Chaehyun explained, leaning forward as if sharing a valuable secret. "Called her a 'dictator' when she thought no one was listening."
"Fascinating." Lee tapped his pen against the desk, clearly processing this new information. "The Japanese trainee and the Korean vocalist aligning against the leader."
"Creates an opening," Chaehyun suggested, carefully planting the seed they'd prepared.
"For?" Lee prompted, though his expression indicated he'd already caught her meaning.
Chaehyun straightened, ambition radiating from her practiced posture. "For someone who bridges both sides. Someone with technical skill and diplomatic instinct."
"Someone like you," Lee concluded, satisfaction evident in his tone.
"I wouldn't presume," Chaehyun demurred, though her expression conveyed exactly that presumption.
Lee studied her with new appreciation. "You've integrated yourself more effectively than anticipated."
"I'm motivated," Chaehyun replied simply, letting genuine determination color her words—the only honest emotion she'd displayed since entering the office.
"Clearly." Lee made another note. "Continue cultivating Winter's trust. Her emotional volatility makes her a valuable pressure point."
"And Ningning?" Chaehyun asked, careful to keep her tone dismissive rather than concerned.
"A diminishing factor," Lee waved his hand dismissively. "Her recovery is progressing too slowly for showcase standards."
Chaehyun allowed herself a small, victorious smile—exactly as they'd anticipated. "So the five-member formation is temporary?"
"Let's call it... transitional," Lee replied, his smile not reaching his eyes. "The group's final composition will depend on multiple factors."
"Of course," Chaehyun nodded, rising from her chair with newfound confidence. "I should get back before they notice my absence."
Lee gestured toward the door, clearly pleased with her report. "Keep me informed of any further... fractures."
"Absolutely," Chaehyun promised, moving toward the exit with measured steps.
"And Chaehyun?" Lee called after her.
She paused, hand on the doorknob. "Yes?"
"Your dedication is noted," he stated, the words carrying clear implication of future reward. "Continue exceeding expectations."
Chaehyun bowed slightly, the perfect picture of ambitious gratitude. "That's all I've ever wanted."
She closed the door behind her with a soft click, maintaining her composed expression until she rounded the corner into an empty hallway. Only then did she allow her shoulders to sag, exhaling the breath she'd been partially holding throughout the entire performance.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Karina's message flashed across the screen: "Well?"
Chaehyun typed rapidly: "He bought everything. Exactly as predicted."
She pocketed the phone and straightened her posture again, mask sliding back into place as she navigated the company hallways. With each step, she balanced on the knife's edge between her past resentments and newfound alliances, between Lee's promised opportunity and aespa's offered inclusion.
The game had never been more dangerous—or more hers to control.
Chaehyun rounded the corner, colliding with someone exiting the recording studio. Sheet music scattered across the polished floor.
"Sorry!" Chaehyun dropped to her knees, gathering papers with hurried movements. "I wasn't watching—"
"My fault," the other woman replied, crouching beside her. "Always rushing between schedules."
Chaehyun glanced up, recognition freezing her mid-motion. Yeri—Red Velvet's maknae—knelt across from her, casually collecting her fallen notes.
"You're Kim Chaehyun, right?" Yeri asked, studying her with unexpected intensity. "The new aespa member?"
Chaehyun's carefully constructed masks faltered. She hadn't prepared for this encounter. "I—yes. Technically in training still."
Yeri smiled, though something knowing flickered in her eyes. "Congratulations. That's quite an achievement."
"Thank you," Chaehyun mumbled, handing over the last sheet of music. Their fingers brushed briefly—a contact that felt oddly significant.
Yeri didn't move to leave. Instead, she tilted her head, examining Chaehyun with unsettling perception. "You just came from Lee's office."
It wasn't a question. Chaehyun tensed, glancing around the empty hallway. "Routine update. Nothing special."
"Of course." Yeri's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I had many of those 'routine updates' when I first joined Red Velvet."
Something in her tone made Chaehyun look up sharply. "What do you mean?"
Yeri straightened, brushing imaginary dust from her knees. "Just that I recognize the expression. The one you're wearing right now."
"Which is?" Chaehyun challenged, rising to her feet.
"Someone playing a role they didn't audition for." Yeri's voice dropped, suddenly devoid of its casual lightness. "Someone caught between loyalty to a group and loyalty to opportunity."
Chaehyun's heart hammered against her ribs. "You don't know me."
"I know the position," Yeri countered, stepping closer. "The newest member. The replacement threat. The outsider trying to belong while management watches your every move."
The hallway seemed to shrink around them, the conversation shifting into something more significant than a casual encounter.
"Why are you telling me this?" Chaehyun demanded, voice barely above a whisper.
Yeri glanced toward Lee's office door, then back to Chaehyun. "Because no one warned me. And it nearly broke me."
Chaehyun swallowed hard, her carefully maintained composure cracking. "I'm handling it."
"I'm sure you are," Yeri replied, something like compassion softening her features. "Just remember that Lee's promises come with conditions that change daily. The group's loyalty, once earned, doesn't."
"Why should I trust you?" Chaehyun asked, genuine confusion breaking through her practiced indifference. "We've never even met."
Yeri's smile turned rueful. "Because some patterns in this company repeat so predictably that strangers can recognize each other's struggles."
She stepped back, professional brightness returning to her expression as two staff members rounded the corner. "Good luck with the showcase," she called, voice suddenly louder. "Looking forward to seeing the five-member formation!"
Chaehyun stood frozen, watching Yeri walk away with casual confidence that belied their intense exchange. Her phone vibrated again—Winter this time: "Where are you? Meeting in 10."
She typed a quick response, mind still reeling from Yeri's unexpected intervention. As she hurried toward the practice rooms, Chaehyun couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just experienced something significant—a connection to a pattern larger than herself, a recognition from someone who'd walked the exact path she now navigated.
For the first time since joining aespa's complicated dynamics, Chaehyun felt something unexpected: validation from an entirely unexpected source. Someone who'd survived what she now faced.
Her step quickened, newfound resolve strengthening her earlier determination. If Yeri had navigated these treacherous waters and emerged intact, perhaps her own balancing act wasn't as impossible as it sometimes seemed.
Chaehyun bypassed the elevators, opting for the emergency stairwell where cameras couldn't track her movements. She descended two flights, then stopped, bracing herself against the railing as Yeri's words collided with Karina's earlier revelations.
"The system, not just Lee," she muttered, connecting dots that suddenly aligned with perfect clarity.
Her phone rang—Karina again. Chaehyun answered immediately, voice low despite the empty stairwell.
"I just met Yeri," she blurted, skipping any greeting. "In the hallway outside Lee's office."
Silence stretched across the line before Karina responded, her tone carefully measured. "What did she say?"
"Nothing specific," Chaehyun descended another flight, keeping her voice hushed. "But she knew, Karina. She recognized exactly what position I'm in without me saying a word."
"That's..." Karina hesitated. "Interesting timing."
"It wasn't coincidence," Chaehyun pushed through the exit door, emerging into the side alley where trainees sometimes snuck breaks. "She mentioned patterns. Used almost the exact words you did earlier."
"Did she mention Irene?" Karina asked, something urgent underlying her casual tone.
"No, but—" Chaehyun froze mid-step, realization dawning. "You've been talking to them. To Red Velvet."
The silence confirmed her suspicion.
"It's bigger than just us, isn't it?" Chaehyun resumed walking, pace quickening as understanding expanded. "What you said about the system, about Lee just being its enforcer—that wasn't theoretical. You're actually coordinating across groups."
"Chaehyun," Karina's voice dropped to a warning whisper. "Not over the phone."
"Right. Sorry." Chaehyun ducked her head against the spring breeze, mind racing. "But I'm right, aren't I?"
"We'll discuss it when you get here," Karina replied, professional caution replacing her earlier openness. "How far out are you?"
"Ten minutes," Chaehyun calculated, turning toward their apartment building visible in the distance. "Lee bought everything, by the way. Completely believes Winter and you are at odds."
"Good," Karina's tone relaxed slightly. "Did he mention the showcase?"
"Called the five-member formation 'transitional,'" Chaehyun reported, dodging a group of tourists photographing the entertainment district. "Implied Ningning's position remains uncertain."
"As expected," Karina sighed. "Anything else?"
Chaehyun hesitated, weighing whether to share her growing suspicion. "Just... Yeri seemed to know things she shouldn't. About me specifically."
Another telling pause. "We'll talk when you get here."
The call ended abruptly. Chaehyun pocketed her phone, pace accelerating as she processed implications. The coincidence felt too precise—Yeri appearing exactly when she'd left Lee's office, offering cryptic solidarity that echoed Karina's earlier revelations.
Three blocks from the apartment, Chaehyun stopped at a crosswalk, sudden clarity striking her with force. She wasn't just joining aespa or countering Lee's manipulation. She was stepping into something much larger—a cross-generational resistance that had apparently been operating beneath the company's polished surface for years.
The pedestrian signal changed. Chaehyun surged forward, newfound purpose energizing her tired muscles. If Karina had connections to Red Velvet, who else might be involved? How far did this network extend?
She jogged the final block, taking the apartment stairs two at a time. Before she could knock, the door swung open, revealing Winter's impatient expression.
"Finally," Winter yanked her inside, checking the hallway before locking the door. "Did anyone follow you?"
"What? No," Chaehyun blinked, thrown by the paranoid question. "Why would someone—"
"Because," Giselle interrupted from the couch, "you just became much more interesting to the company."
The apartment hummed with unusual energy. Ningning sat cross-legged on the floor, laptop open before her, while Karina paced by the windows, phone pressed to her ear.
"What's happening?" Chaehyun demanded, dropping her bag by the door.
"Evolution," Winter replied cryptically, steering her toward the living room. "Your little performance with Lee accelerated the timeline."
Karina ended her call, turning to face the group with uncharacteristic intensity. "It's confirmed. Showcase format changed again. Five-member evaluation, with executive attendance."
"Lee's coming?" Giselle straightened, alarm flashing across her features.
"Not just Lee," Karina's expression hardened. "The entire board."
Chaehyun sank onto the nearest chair, implications crystallizing. "He's making it official. Using the showcase to formalize the five-member lineup."
"While still keeping Ningning's position precarious," Winter added, dropping beside Ningning on the floor. "Classic Lee move."
"But why accelerate?" Chaehyun looked between them, confusion evident. "If he thinks you're fighting, wouldn't he wait for more division?"
Karina and Ningning exchanged meaningful glances.
"Because," Ningning rasped, voice stronger than yesterday but still strained, "someone else is moving pieces on the board."
"Someone with significant influence," Karina added carefully.
Chaehyun leaned forward, connecting her earlier encounter with this new development. "Yeri?"
"Higher," Winter muttered, eyes fixed on her phone screen.
"Irene?" Chaehyun guessed, recalling Karina's specific question during their call.
Karina shook her head slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
Understanding struck with sudden clarity. "There's another level to this game that you haven't told me about."
"Yes," Karina acknowledged simply.
"And my meeting Yeri wasn't coincidence," Chaehyun pressed, certainty growing. "Someone arranged it."
"Not exactly arranged," Giselle qualified. "More like... anticipated."
Chaehyun stood, frustration fueling her movement. "I thought we agreed to transparency. No more secrets."
"It's not our secret to share," Karina replied, meeting her accusatory gaze without flinching. "Some alliances extend beyond our group."
"Alliances?" Chaehyun repeated, the word's significance expanding. "You mean other groups are involved in countering Lee?"
"Not just groups," Winter muttered, earning a sharp look from Karina.
Chaehyun froze, the full scope suddenly materializing before her. "You've connected with senior artists. Established ones with enough power to push back against management."
The room fell silent, confirmation in their collective hesitation.
"How far does this go?" Chaehyun demanded, both awed and alarmed by the implications.
Karina stepped forward, decision visibly forming in her expression. "Far enough that Lee's accelerating his timeline. Which means we need to accelerate ours."
She gestured for everyone to gather closer, voice dropping despite the privacy of their apartment.
"The showcase is no longer just about aespa's lineup," Karina stated, intensity radiating from her usually composed demeanor. "It's become the first public move in a much larger strategy."
"What strategy?" Chaehyun asked, both thrilled and terrified by the scope of what she'd stumbled into.
Karina's smile turned sharp with unexpected determination. "Changing the game completely. Not just for us, but for every group that follows."