eclipsed | sim jaeyun

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The weekend passed quickly, and by Monday, I was back in my usual routine.

At school, Yunjin and Giselle were glued to their phones during lunch, gossiping about something I wasn't clued in on.

"What's going on?" I asked, poking at my lunch.

Yunjin looked up, eyes wide with excitement. "Have you seen the lineup for the winter festival this year? There's a dance competition, and first prize is tickets to Jeju for spring break!"

"Jeju again?" I asked with a laugh.

"Exactly!" Giselle chimed in. "A second chance to make unforgettable memories, Haeri. Besides, you dance. You should totally join."

"Me? No way," I said quickly, shaking my head.

"Oh, come on," Yunjin whined. "You've been dancing since we were kids. You'd crush it."

I rolled my eyes, but Giselle wasn't giving up. "It's not like you have anything to lose. Plus, it's a good distraction." She raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"From what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"From Jake," she said bluntly, causing Yunjin to snicker.

"I'm not distracted by him," I argued, even though it wasn't entirely true.

"Prove it," Yunjin challenged. "Sign up for the competition."

---

By the end of the day, I had grudgingly agreed to audition for the winter festival, mostly because Yunjin and Giselle wouldn't leave me alone about it.

On the way home, I thought about how different things were from just a few months ago. Back then, my life felt neatly compartmentalized: school, family, friends. But lately, everything felt intertwined in ways I wasn't sure I could handle.

When I got home, I was greeted by Niki lounging on the couch, his textbook open but ignored as he scrolled through his phone.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" I teased, setting my bag down.

"Shouldn't you?" he shot back without looking up.

I rolled my eyes and sat next to him. "What are you even looking at?"

"Basketball highlights. Jungwon's trying to drag me to a game this weekend, so I figured I'd at least know what's going on."

"Are you going?"

"Probably," he said, shrugging. "You should come too. Jungwon would love it."

I hesitated. Jungwon had been busy lately, and I knew he appreciated when we made time for family things. "Maybe," I said noncommittally.

---

That evening, after finishing my homework, I found myself scrolling through dance routines on YouTube for inspiration. The auditions were in two weeks, and while I wasn't fully committed yet, I didn't want to embarrass myself if I went through with it.

"Still awake?" Jungwon's voice startled me.

I glanced at my door, where he was leaning against the frame, arms crossed. "Yeah, just... planning something for school."

"What kind of planning?" he asked, stepping inside.

"Yunjin and Giselle convinced me to join the winter festival dance competition," I admitted.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Didn't know you were still into dancing."

"I guess I missed it," I said with a small shrug. "Besides, it's just for fun."

"Fun," he echoed, his tone skeptical. "Is this about impressing someone?"

I shot him a look. "No. Not everything is about someone, Jungwon."

"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Just don't overdo it. You've got enough on your plate."

---

The next two weeks flew by in a blur of school, practice, and carefully avoiding any meaningful conversations about Jake. I threw myself into the dance rehearsals with Yunjin and Giselle, even roping Minjeong into auditioning with us.

By the time the day of the auditions arrived, I felt more nervous than I had in years.

"You'll be fine," Yunjin said as we waited backstage. "You're a natural."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered.

When it was finally our turn, I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage. The lights were blinding, and the murmurs of the audience faded into white noise.

"Spicy" by Aespa started, and for the next three minutes, nothing else mattered. My body moved instinctively, each step and turn a reminder of why I loved dancing in the first place.

When we finished, the applause was loud enough to make my heart swell.

"You killed it," Minjeong said as we walked off stage, her grin wide.

"Thank you," I said, unable to hide my smile.

---

Later that night, after everyone had gone home, I finally allowed myself to check my phone. There was a text from Jake waiting for me.

jake🧍

jake🧍
hey
how was your day?

I hesitated for a moment before typing back.

haeriii
busy
i had a dance audition today

jake🧍
didn't know you danced

haeriii
there's a lot you don't know about me

The dots appeared again, and this time, his response made my heart skip.

jake🧍
maybe I should change that.

I stared at the screen, unsure of how to respond. For now, I decided to let his words hang in the air, like a thread waiting to be pulled.

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