Invisible String || PURINZ

03 • auditioning for the future

"Just remember to smile, because you've been looking awfully sour these past days." Eunbi said, handing over Chaewon's bag to the girl.

She sighed, nodding her head slowly. "I've just been overthinking everything. Or what if I'm underthinking it? I really want to make it."

The last time Kim Chaewon had any fun was at Aeri's place, which was also mixed with the feeling of torment because of a certain someone refusing to acknowledge her existence until the very end of the night.

However, that was a little more than a week ago, and she didn't have to think about it anymore. Because that would be overthinking, and Chaewon didn't overthink.

She just didn't know why Yunjin hated her.

"You'll be fine. And hey, if not, you're stuck with us a little longer. How bad could that be?" Yujin grinned from the futon in the smaller girl's room.

Exhaling a small chuckle, Chaewon nodded. "Okay. Alright, okay, I'm leaving." She clapped her hands together, and sucked in a deep breath.

Yujin flashed her an encouraging smile, and so did Eunbi. The rest of the girls were away to practise, so Chaewon was grateful they stuck around for a bit longer.

"Love you, I'll be seeing you." She quickly said before bolting out the door.

—x—

It was still early in the morning, even when Chaewon arrived at the all-too-familiar HYBE building. She leaned back in her seat in the waiting room, along with about a hundred other girls. She tried not to look around too much, because she was bound to see someone prettier and more alluring than herself. The last thing she needed was to have her entire self-image crushed to a pulp.

It took a little more than fifteen minutes for Sakura to join her, in which the number of girls had already dwindled by a fair few. Some seemed to be immediate rejects, which scared Chaewon quite a bit.

"I think we've got a chance, Chae, really! Some of these people are just here to be able to say they made it to the auditions." Sakura hummed, crossing her arms.

Chaewon brushed her hand through her hair, exhaling a sigh out of nervousness. "I hope so. And I hope we'll both get in. I don't want to think about not having you around," She mumbled, taking her friend's hand in her own.

The other smiled shyly, brushing her thumb over the back of Chaewon's hand. "I hope so too. You always get me good birthday presents." She chuckled.

Half an hour passed, and Yunjin showed up with Eunchae. They sat in the far corner after waving hello to the two of them. It was only fair: right now, they were all trying to be the best and get in.

Time moved slowly, and the line even slower. Everyone got five minutes on the dot: people came in, did their thing, and either looked really disappointed or very pleased with themselves. Chaewon prayed she'd come out looking like the latter.

She was pretty sure her heart stopped working when her name was called. None of the others she knew had been called yet: she was the first, and probably the most terrified. She didn't know what the future would bring, or if these were the right choices to make. The fear of the unknown is what ate away at her: she was leaving her comfortable past to step into something new, and something challenging.

Who knows what the future will bring? She would be meeting new people, doing new things, and keeping up with old friends. She wouldn't have her IZ*ONE members around anymore– it was already hard adjusting to the fact that some of the members had already moved on. She didn't know if any of this would work out the way she longed for.