Requested by xKanzu and kinda inspired by WINNER's "Have A Good Day"
Gender-neutral
Angst and fluff
Warnings: none unless long chapters scare you
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It seemed to be like destiny had it in for you and Ryujin.
Both your group and ITZY had debuted at the same time and both groups shot into stardom at around the same time soon after debuting. While Ryujin and ITZY were praised for their all-rounders, your group was labelled future stars because of the performance videos from the pre-debut days. Since both you and Ryujin were rappers, the two of you ended up becoming rivals rather quickly, bolstered by the comments on every comeback.
While it was tiresome from time to time to see the comparisons, there was no getting away from it and you learned to embrace it. Ryujin did too and it was common for the two of you to comment on each others' latest performances on livestreams.
Through all of this, the rivalry only grew. Seeing Ryujin grow as an artist and performer made you work harder and it was the same for her. The two of you would cover the same songs, making different choreographies in hopes of one-uping the other's. The two of you would do dance covers and compare how well each other did. The two of you would even cover each others' songs to see who did it better.
This pattern went for months on end until the two of you finally met face to face. It was nearing the end of your group's promotion cycle when ITZY had their own comeback and you met Ryujin at one of the music shows. There weren't many words spoken, but you could see the fire in her eyes as she greeted you. She definitely wasn't going to back down and neither were you.
So for the next few months, the covers and competitiveness grew to a new level. More hours were spent in the practice room of your company as you worked hard to master the next dance move and perhaps show up Ryujin. You couldn't stop since you knew that Ryujin was doing the exact same thing. She even livestreamed one of those practice sessions, openly challenging you when a comment asking about the relationship between you and her came up.
"(y/n)'s good, but I'm better," she said smugly, "When this video comes out, you'll see for yourselves."
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"There's no way she did that!" One of your group members shouted in the living room of the dorm, loud enough to wake you up from your peaceful slumber after a long day of practice. "(y/n)! Come see this!"
While you didn't exactly want to get out of bed, there was a seed of curiosity planted in your mind that was spreading quickly. So you lazily rolled out of your comfortable bed and slowly made your way to where the commotion was happening.
There, a few of your group members were huddled around a laptop that sat on the coffee table. Their eyes shot up to you and they quickly waved you closer. Your head was still a little muddy from the sleep you were enjoying a few minutes ago, but you could make out Ryujin's face on the screen. It was a livestream, that much you could tell.
One of you members immediately started the clip without any context, though you didn't need it a few seconds in.
"I don't know. I think I'm a better rapper and dancer. Maybe their vocals are better, but I've never heard them and I'm sure none of you have either." Ryujin snacked on some spicy crisps she often had that you recognized from watching her past streams. She looked a little drowsy, but it might have just been because she looked like she was getting ready for bed. "Like did you see their 'Wannabe' cover? I don't know. I think they have the potential, but they aren't there yet."
The clip ended there and everyone was silent.
While things started lighthearted and the rivalry was friendly, it didn't seem like any punches were being held back now. Ryujin had called you out and it didn't sit well with you.
