Chapter Text
“It was the company’s decision, Yuqi. I’m not lying.” They usually didn’t let work interfere with their relationship. It was different this time.
“You’re full of shit, Soyeon. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Yuqi had never thought Soyeon would be capable of lying straight to her face. She was always such an honest person, to her own detriment even. Yuqi loved that about her. Had loved that about her.
“I don’t know, maybe! You think I’m a liar, so it makes us even, right?” Soyeon spat back.
“I don’t think you’re a liar. But I literally know for a fact you’re lying to me right now. So cut it out!” Yuqi raised her voice and hoped she got through to Soyeon that she wasn’t playing around. And she knew the truth at the end of the day. She just needed Soyeon to admit it.
“Okay. Fine.” Soyeon flatly admitted. It was less satisfying than she had imagined. It almost felt the opposite. Soyeon's voice calmed but there was still a fire behind her eyes. No trace of regret.
“It was my decision, ultimately. But I promise at first, I had resisted when they told me they didn’t want your song as the title.”
“Oh, well, if at first you fought it, then that’s okay.” Yuqi unashamedly mocked, sarcasm dripping.
“But I realised that they were right. We need to put our best foot forward, Yuqi. I didn’t want to take any risks.” Best foot forward. How could she? How could she do that to her? Maybe Soyeon had never believed in her.
“So if your song’s our ‘best foot’, what does that make my song? An old shoe? Some shit nobody would listen to? Some shit you couldn’t bear to represent?” Hurt propelled every word out of Yuqi’s mouth at lightning speed.
“I never fucking said any of that, Yuqi! I like your song.” Soyeon’s voice came out strong but it was too late. Nothing could convince Yuqi that Soyeon ever respected her as a songwriter or producer now.
“Well, clearly not enough! Not enough to stop you from demoting it to a b-side!”
“B-sides are just as important, Yuqi.” Soyeon's voice carried a subtle warning. Yuqi would ignore it. She had lost control of the wheel.
“They’re nothing! They don’t matter! No one gives a fuck about them and you know it!”
“Watch your mouth, Yuqi. Are you saying none of our b-sides mattered? None of my b-sides are good enough?!”
“Maybe I do feel that way!”
“How can you say that?” Something was changing. In the atmosphere, in Soyeon’s expression, in Yuqi's anger. A shift.
“Well you know, back in the day when you didn’t used to obsess over charts, maybe I thought differently.” She didn’t even mean it. But she knew it would hurt like she needed it to. Maybe then Soyeon would feel the way Yuqi was feeling right now. Her face showed the expression she was hoping for.
“Fuck you, Yuqi. I was always just doing what was best for us!” She defended herself. Somehow the control had moved hands in this conversation. Yuqi's rage overtook Soyeon’s stubbornness, or her need to fight. It took over everything.
“And somehow you ruined us in the process.” She delivered the final blow and watched all the fight leave Soyeon’s body.
“We’re done.” Soyeon simply turned and walked away.
“You think I don’t know that?” Yuqi called after her, the rage still present, still everything.