#chase kr

[hermit-plastic]

I saw that you asked for suggestions to draw sooo I kindly ask can you draw Chase from Kamen Rider Drive??? (≡^∇^≡)

sure can!!! first time i've drawn him and i looovee the shapes of his lips he is so fun to draw !! thanks for the suggestion :D

[roidmude009]

That's right, I felt so happy, didn't I? Kamen Rider Drive Kamen Rider Drive Saga: Kamen Rider Chaser

[paledeep]

i crunched thru kamen rider blade in two weeks tbh so this is definitely word soup isv but one of my fav things about it is how names decree power and utility. like ofc using given/family name shows familiarity but its so very character specific

kenzaki to never have anyone use his given name throughout the show (to my memory pleaaase correct me i would love to be wrong) shows his comfortability with being a hero, something so out of reach and transient, and with keeping people even his loved ones away from him emotionally. i think its also interesting and notable that he doesnt have anyone using his given name at all to the end bc i like the implications that he sets that boundary himself . no attachments makes leaving easier bc he never expects a home to stay and it reminds him from what and of where he comes from

hajime ofc is hajime before being aikawa. genuinely could talk about him and autism and disability forever that is another topic but hajime is called so many things throughout blade. but when ppl call him, its usually hajime, where we lose the respect or affection expected socially that grants someone to use the given name, or aikawa (tachibana and kotaro in my head are notable) to create that distance. the only thing that belongs to him truly is the name hajime and he is that before anything else

also riders who started being riders due to job : family names and riders who fight for identity : given names

[girlwiththegreenhat]

you ever just. trigger your fight or flight response. over a tv show

[t-u-i-t-c]

Episode 11: The Truth Behind the Christmas Game

[insinirate]

Kind of telling that I've seen at least 2 other kv ppl get incessant, weirdly manipulative asks sent about how kw is THE NEW big ship and how dare you not SEE the truth that 'kv will be made irrelevant' (and you are supposed to care about this for some reason) in the past week or two...

Methinks a few ppl are trying to astroturf a shipwar that doesn't exist. Please keep making your art from the heart just as always. Most of us are y'know. Actually grateful.

this is the weirdest ARG ive ever had the displeasure of being forced to take a part of

[ccorinthian]

Do we ever get to know why Rowan cut Chase out of his will????

[doomednarrative]

The Gotchard production notes mentioned that this is the song that Hotaro is singing in the kitchen and it's very good, tho I do have to wonder based on lyrics if there's some foreshadowing in there somewhere

[timetoddddavis]

WAA!!

[braveandsnipe]

the way they put the gou/chase date scene (dream) in the audio drama so i can’t make an edit of it with dojaejung’s “strawberry sunday” 😡

[hermit-plastic]

perhaps some gouchase for drawing ideas? milkshake date, perhaps?

omg them!!! my favorite flavor of gouchase is Gou being absolutely Not Normal so urjvffv i hope this is good :D

[dabihaul666]

Someone i saw said some t1 shoot i guess unofficial looked the product of alcohol and like what are u smoking so i can have some

[zhbg9224]

I autismed too hard and connected the dots on my favorite video game AIs that sing a credits song

[Image ID under Read More]

[ID: A Venn diagram made out of four ovals, each labeled with a letter and an image of a video game character -- in particular, a character presented as an artificial intelligence. Each overlap with these sections has a heading containing said letters in bold, followed by a description. These four sections are:

G - GLaDOS, from Portal

K - Kinito, from KinitoPET

M - Monika, from Doki Doki Literature Club!

R - Rambley, from Indigo Park

Sorted alphabetically and by number of overlaps:

GK - is mentioned in some scientist's all-caps warning about their deceit; was the last-ditch effort to give a failing company new direction

GM - is presumed dead at the proper end of the game, killed by the player destroying their necessary components, until they're woken back up by someone who regains their powers for the player's sake

GR - harbors a grudge against someone that was once leading the facility they run, although it turns out they don't know all the secrets below the surface of said facility until the player goes looking

KM - alters files on the player's computer via admin permissions, then gets killed the same way; hangs one of their friends; jumpscares the player if they notice recording software

KR - was explicitly made to be a user companion and makes that their mission as they try to cater an amusement park to the player's preference; their friends have nightmare versions that briefly chase you for one scene

MR - expresses that they haven't had a strong, close connection with anyone in so long until the player came despite the presence of their "friends"

GKM - wholly in control of the area they inhabit with minimal human input, if any

GKR - highly devoted to their respective jobs with as little deviation from the set plan as possible

GMR - tied in some way to scientists that want to conduct some unethical biological experiments that seemingly become bloodthirsty

KMR - openly sings about how the player was a net positive in their lives, albeit for a small bit of time

GKMR - A.I. that initially appears as helpful and/or friendly and latches onto the first human they see in a while; gets in over their head with the amount of power or lack thereof they have and strings the player along to serve their ulterior motives by deviating from their initial programming to do things with which they aren't authorized; comes clean after enough people die and presents a scenario where the player will be stuck with them indefinitely until one of them dies or fulfills the main goal; sings a song in the credits where they unload their feelings about the player

End ID.]

[luvismenu]

08 — a motherfuckin' train wreck ✎ ,, index

wc: 4.2k

note: i am sorry idk abt the warnings cuz the whole chapter is messy 😭 and yes you guys guessed it right (iseul's gonna make an appearance!)

📜 series taglist: @deepikhaprakash @rjooniesdimples @wombatkitten127

📜 permanent taglist: @lovieku @deluluisdasolulu @ddanasjk @onlyforyoukook @diamondjeon @nnybtitts08 @lil0u0 @butnotmontana @fr0ggieth1nk @minimoninini @whoa-jo @lola75111 @iswearimover5feetall @rispwr @genevieveeeee @kookoo-kachoo @junecat18 @iheartchanelle

@internetrando64 @jkvias @134340-kr @mar-lo-pap @fluttershypoo @kyuupii @https-mei @elinaki92 @jungkookmyoneandonlybaby @winterbeartaehyungbestboy @jaykay-world @jmscaffeine @libra04 @beigerin @nikidream24

“i am rethinking. about us.”

her words from the night before wouldn’t stop echoing in his head

jungkook exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair. his gaze unfocused, caught somewhere between the present and the past.

iseul.

she had been everything to him once.

his first real relationship. his first real love.

the memories came flooding back, uninvited and relentless. the way her laugh used to light up a room, how her hand had felt so perfectly small and warm in his, those late night talks where they dreamed up futures that, deep down, he always feared were too perfect to last.

but with those good memories came the ones that stung like old wounds being reopened. the arguments that spiraled over nothing, the long silences that spoke louder than words, the way she’d criticize him without realizing how deeply it cut.

he always held himself back with her. constantly.

he never told her how much it hurt when she brushed off his insecurities like they were nothing or when she dismissed his emotions because she was too consumed by her own. every fight left him questioning himself, every moment of indifference making him feel like he was chasing something he could never quite reach.

he loved her.

god, he loved her with everything he had. but it was like pouring water into a cup with a crack. it was never enough to fill it.

so why, after all this time, did a part of him still miss her?

his jaw tightened as the question lingered, gnawing at him.

do i even miss her? he thought, his fists clenching against the edge of his desk. or is it just the feeling of someone being there for him?

he wasn’t sure. maybe it was the comfort or the familiarity, the security of knowing someone so deeply. even if they never truly knew you back.

he let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. just as he was about to shut the door on the memories, another one crept in.

“i miss you.”

it felt so real. and maybe that’s why he felt so thrown. because she had always been his first. and part of him wasn’t ready to accept that she is now his past.

he didn’t even notice when he started pacing around the room, his thoughts spiraling into a chaotic mess. the sound of students outside didn’t register. he couldn’t stop replaying it all in his head; the good, the bad, and the confusing.

then his phone dings.

the sound cuts through the noise in his head, drawing his attention away from the chaos of his own thoughts. he glances at the screen, and it’s a text from you.

he can't see you right now. not with everything that’s been weighing on him. he won’t be able to talk to you like everything’s fine, like nothing’s wrong.

but he still wants to see you.

he wants to apologise for giving you the cold shoulder last night. that was not okay. he knows it.

he texts you back and when he sees—

y/n: can you take me home,, i feel weird

the words are simple, but they hit him like a jolt. his shoulders tense as worry rushes in, overtaking everything else in his mind.

without hesitation, he types back.

he doesn’t give himself time to think. he shoves his phone back into his pocket, glancing at the clock on the wall. the campus café is all the way on the other side of the building. ten minutes feels like a stretch, but it doesn’t matter.

jungkook grabs his bag, tossing his scattered papers into it with little care, and slings it over his shoulder.

the weight of everything else; iseul, the confusion, the lingering ache of his pastfades into the background. right now, all he cares about is getting to you

but then, as if summoned by his thoughts, a voice broke through the haze.

“jungkook.”

his heart sinks.

he turned, and there she was. iseul. standing there like a ghost from his past, her presence pulling him under like a tide he couldn’t fight.

“we need to talk,” she said softly, taking a step closer.

he froze, every instinct screaming at him to leave, to walk away before he fell back into the same cycle of hurt and longing.

“what are you doing here? iseul, i—” he started, but the words died in his throat.

“just..,” she interrupted. “hear me out.”

he shook his head. “this isn’t a good time. i have to—”

“please,” she interrupted again, stepping closer. “just a few minutes. that’s all i’m asking.”

hs wanted to say no. to tell her it was too late.

he wanted to walk away, to find you and make sure you were okay. but another part of him—the part that still hadn’t figured out how to let go of her—kept him rooted to the spot, like he's caught between the person he used to be and the person he iis now.

“why now?” he asked quietly,

“because i can’t stop thinking about you,” she said, her voice trembling. “about us. jungkook, i know it's messed up, but i... i don’t want to lose you for good.”

her words hit him like a weight, but they didn’t bring the clarity he thought they would. instead, they only added to the mess in his head.

“iseul,” he started, but his voice faltered.

“we were good together, weren’t we?” she asked, her tone almost pleading. “don’t you miss it?”

he clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists before slowly loosening them again. “i don’t know,” he admitted, his voice barely audible.

it was the truth.

he didn’t know what he missed anymore. was it her? the person she used to be? or was it just the memories of her, those glimpses of a time that felt simpler, even if it wasn’t?

“have you.. have you moved on? from me?” iseul’s voice was light, almost disbelieving, like the idea of him letting go was unfathomable.

he stood there, silent, confusion swirling in his chest like a storm he couldn’t calm.

“i want to,” he said at last, his voice steady but low.

her breath hitched. “why? don’t you love me, jungkook?” her voice trembled, the edge of desperation creeping in. “you love me, right? remember what you told me? you loved being with me. you told me you’d always love me. you love me, don't you?”

he didn’t respond immediately. her words wrapped around him, tight and suffocating, dragging him back to moments he wasn’t sure he wanted to revisit.

“iseul, you were my everything. but i... wasn’t yours.” his voice was low and steady.

her eyes widen, panic flashing across her face. “what are you even talking about? honey, i loved—” she hesitates, catching herself, “i love you.”

he let out a bitter chuckle, one that held no warmth. it was hollow, sharp. “you loved me?” he repeated, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “is this why you broke up with me? because you got tired of me, isn’t it?”

“no, i—”

“i was showing off, wasn’t i? that’s what you said. that i was trying to prove i was better than you. isn’t that it?”

she opened her mouth but no words came out. her silence was damning, and he felt the old wound tearing open again.

“how do you expect me to come back after that?” he asked slowly, his voice softer but cutting, his eyes burning into hers. “after you told me how you really thought about me?”

“i-i’m sorry, jungkook—” her voice wavered, cracking under the weight of his glare.

“shut up.” his words were sharp, final, a wall slamming down between them.

she frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. “you found someone else, didn’t you?” her voice softened, but the edge was unmistakable.

jungkook’s jaw tightened. “that’s not—”

“it is, isn’t it?” she interrupted, stepping closer, her gaze searching his face. “you wanna move on, it’s because of her, isn’t it?”

“iseul,” he said firmly, taking a step back, “this isn’t about anyone else."

“no, it’s about you forgetting me!,” she said, her tone turning sharp. “you’re moving on like none of it mattered. after everything we had? after everything i gave you?”

he stared at her, disbelief flashing across his features. “everything you gave me? iseul, you walked away. you ended things.”

“because you made it impossible!” she snapped, her voice trembling, but not with sadness, it was frustration. “you were always so… so needy, jungkook. always wanting more from me than i could give, and now you’re giving that part of yourself to someone else? it’s not fair.”

“not fair?” he repeated, his voice rising. “iseul, do you even hear yourself? you’re the one who—”

“but you still love me,” she said suddenly, her tone dropping into something softer, almost pleading. “i know you do. you can’t just stop loving someone like me. i can see it in your eyes, jungkook. don’t lie to me.”

he shook his head, trying to clear the fog of her words, her voice wrapping around his thoughts like vines. “iseul, this—”

“come back to me,” she whispered, her hand brushing his arm, her touch cold despite its gentleness. “we can make it work this time. i’ll be better, i promise. you will be better. don’t throw us away because of some stupid misunderstanding.”

he pulled his arm away, his chest tightening with a mix of anger and something he couldn’t quite name. “you don’t get it do you? you don't get to decide this anymore.”

“jungkook,” she said, her voice trembling, a tear sliding down her cheek. “please.”

but he could see through it now. the desperation in her voice wasn’t love. it was control. it was the fear of losing something she always controlled. something she can use for her own satisfaction.

without another word, he turned his back on her, to walk away.

“she will hate you!” iseul’s voice broke through the quiet, it was sharp. there was no pain in her tone, only anger, her tears more of a weapon than a sign of sadness.

he stiffened at her words, but he didn’t stop. his steps were steady, as he moved further away from her.

“you’ll fuck this up with her too!” she spat, her voice trembling with frustration. “just like you always do, jungkook! you ruin every fucking thing!”

he clenched his fists, his shoulders tightening for a brief moment, but he didn’t look back. he kept walking. each step felt heavier, but he told himself it was the right thing. he couldn’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction. not anymore.

as he reaches the exit of the building, he remembers..

you.

you asked him to take you home.

that's when he realizes,

he messed up.

his chest tightens as he pulls out his phone, his fingers fumbling to unlock it. there are a few unread texts from you. each message making it clear that you aren’t doing well.

his stomach churns. he clenches his jaw, pushing down the wave of guilt threatening to consume him. without wasting another second, he strides towards the café, his pace quick and uneven, his breaths coming heavier with each step.

when he finally arrives, his eyes scan the room, darting between the tables, searching desperately for you.

but you’re not here.

the sight of the empty chair where he expected you to be makes his heart drop.

he told you he would be there.

but he wasn't.

panic floods him as he unlocks his phone, his heart racing. there’s no new message from you, no call. just silence. he swallows thickly, the guilt clawing at him.

what if you waited too long? what if you left because he made you feel like you couldn’t count on him?

fuck.

“you’re crazy, you know that?”

“heard that a lot before,” you chuckle tiredly, lifting the glass of water to your lips. the cool liquid does little to ease the heaviness in your chest.

min yoongi glares at you, crossing his arms.

“you should be glad i was going to meet someone from campus and happened to see you,” he says, standing stiffly beside your bed like he’s holding back a lecture.

“t-thanks, min yoongi, for bringing me home and taking care of me,” you mumble, offering a small smile.

he sighs, his expression softening. “just call me yoongi.”

you nod, your smile growing a little, though it doesn’t quite reach your eyes.

���seriously, though, what were you doing there alone?” he asks, his tone concerned but firm.

you freeze for a moment, your fingers tightening around the glass. you remember. you were waiting for jungkook.

and now, the memory stings.

it was stupid of you to even ask him. why would he help you? you’re not even close friends. you’re just... you don’t even know what you are.

your chest tightens with a mixture of emotions.

anger. sadness. disappointment.

he’s been distant and you’ve ignored it, convincing yourself it was fine, that it's none of your business.

but this? this was too much.

“i... i was going to call someone, but then you saw me,” you lie, forcing a casual shrug.

yoongi narrows his eyes slightly, not missing the hesitation in your voice. “call who?”

right. of course, he’d ask. he knows how lonely you are.

“i don’t know, someone.” you say quickly, hoping it sounds believable.

yoongi exhales deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “next time, at least call jungkook. i won’t always be hanging around that area, you know.”

your head snaps up, and the words tumble out before you can stop them. “why would i? it's not like we're friends.”

his brows lift in surprise. “not friends?”

“we’re hooking up. that’s it. nothing more.”

his lips press into a thin line, and he nods slowly. he doesn’t push further, though you can see the questions in his eyes.

“i’ll get you some meds. take some rest, okay?” he says finally, his voice softer now.

you nod, watching as he leaves the room, the sound of his footsteps fading.

as soon as the door clicks shut, you sigh and sink into your bed, staring up at the ceiling.

this is stupid. all of it.

as yoongi heads to the front door of your apartment; a small plastic bag with medicines in hand, he stops short when he sees jungkook standing there. his breathing is uneven, his chest rising and falling like he just ran all the way up the stairs.

“jungkook? what are you doing here?” yoongi asks, his brows furrowing in surprise.

jungkook glances at him, his expression a mixture of worry and hesitation, like he’s not sure if he should be there at all. “___... is she here?” he asks, his voice low and strained.

“yeah, i just brought her home,” yoongi replies, still studying him. “she has a bit of a fever and—”

“is she okay?” jungkook cuts him off, stepping closer. “did you take her to the hospital?”

yoongi blinks at the urgency in his voice, raising a hand to calm him. “it’s just a fever, jungkook. she said she hasn’t been sleeping much these past few days. she'll be alright if she takes some rest.”

jungkook exhales, his shoulders slumping slightly as relief washes over him.

“what are you doing here anyway? don’t you have the expo to prepare for?” yoongi asks, raising an eyebrow.

jungkook shifts on his feet, looking down for a moment. “i... i need to give her the book,” he says, the words hesitant and unconvincing. “so, yeah.”

yoongi glances down at jungkook's hands, his brow furrowing slightly as he notices the obvious absence of the book he was supposed to bring.

yoongi doesn’t buy it for a second, but he doesn’t push.

“how did you find her?” jungkook asks, clearly wanting to steer the conversation away from himself.

“i was going to meet jimin at the café and saw her there,” yoongi explains. “girl looked like she was about to faint. i keep telling her to stop overworking herself, but you know how she is.”

jungkook’s jaw tightens as he listens, guilt creeping into his expression.

“are you guys...” yoongi starts, pausing as he studies him. “fighting?”

jungkook looks taken aback, blinking rapidly. “n-no. why?”

yoongi shrugs casually, though his eyes are sharp. “nothing. just curious.”

he holds out the bag. “here, give these to her.” his voice softens slightly. “and both of you, calm down.”

jungkook hesitates for a moment before taking the bag, gripping it tightly as yoongi steps aside to leave. he watches as yoongi walks away.

jungkook steels himself, his hand hovering over the doorknob. he isn’t sure what he’s going to say, but he knows he needs to see you.

you close your eyes again, trying to steady your thoughts, but they keep circling back to him.

jungkook.

why does he have this hold on you?

he's just someone you're hooking up with, nothing more. at least, that's what you keep telling yourself. you shouldn’t be so worked up over this. it’s not like you’re dating, or even that close outside of… whatever this is.

but still, you asked for him. for once, you needed something more than just hooking up.

you can take care of yourself. it's not even a big deal, you've been through worse but earlier today, for some reason, you needed him to just be there. with you.

and he wasn’t.

a bitter laugh bubbles in your throat as you think about it. maybe this was your mistake. leaning on someone who wasn’t meant to be leaned on.

but then, another thought creeps in, one you wish would stay buried.

maybe it wasn’t his fault. he did say he was busy, with all the chaos around the business expo. he must be exhausted too, running himself into the ground like he always does.

and it’s not like you ever check on him.

what right do you have to be mad?

how can you be mad at him?

but then the memory of sitting at that café alone, feeling sick and hoping he’d come, flashes in your mind.

fuck that.

how can you not be mad at him?

you sigh, opening your eyes and staring blankly at the ceiling.

and just when you think you’ve finally managed to push him out of your mind, you hear the sound of the front door closing. you assume it’s yoongi coming back with the meds, so you don’t bother looking.

but then his footsteps sound different, heavier than yoongi’s usual quiet steps. your brows furrow as the sound grows closer, and before you can fully register it, there he is.

jeon jungkook.

he steps into the room, a plastic bag in his hand, his expression tense and unmistakably guilty. his eyes find yours, and for a moment, he looks like he’s about to say something, but no words come out.

you blink at him, sitting up slightly, your emotions a mix of disbelief, anger, and something you can’t quite name.

“jungkook,” you say, his name barely more than a whisper, a mix of disbelief and something sharper laced in your tone.

he doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at you, as though trying to figure out what to say or whether to even say anything at all. the tension hangs heavy in the air, and it takes everything in you not to crumble over your own emotions.

“hey,” he finally breathes out, his voice soft but uneven.

you sit up straighter, “what are you doing here?”

he shifts uncomfortably, glancing down at the plastic bag in his hand. “you weren’t feeling well and-”

“and you suddenly care?” you bite back, the words slipping out before you can stop them.

he flinches at your tone, his gaze meeting yours, and for a second, you see something vulnerable flash across his face.

he takes a step closer, his voice soft. “of course i care—”

“then where were you?” you snap. “where was all this care when i just wanted you to...” your words trail off, stuck in your throat.

to take care of me? to be there for me?

you shake your head at yourself, biting back the words.

that’s ridiculous.

this shouldn’t even matter.

but why does it matter?

why do you care about him not showing up?

“i had to take care of something,” he says, carefully placing the plastic bag on your bed. his tone feels apologetic, but it doesn’t reach you.

you cross your arms, narrowing your eyes at him. “something?” you repeat bitterly, your voice laced with doubt.

he sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair. “i... i met someone, okay?” his gaze flickers away from yours, like he can’t bear to meet it. “and i don’t know, i froze a little. she... well, that doesn’t matter. the point is that, i know i took too long. i know i messed up. i’m sorry, ___. i didn’t mean to stand you up like that.”

she.

that one word hits you harder than you expect, twisting something deep inside your chest. you can’t stop the flood of thoughts racing through your mind.

someone else.

he was with someone else.

your jaw tightens, and you try to keep your voice steady, but it comes out colder than you intended. “and that’s supposed to make this better?”

he doesn't say anything

“why are you here, jungkook?”

“i wanted to check on you, i am worried.” he finally says, his voice quieter than usual.

“check on me?” you repeat, the bitterness in your tone impossible to hide. “you weren’t too worried when you left me waiting.”

his jaw tightens now, and he takes a tentative step closer. “i know. i messed up, alright? i know i did. that’s why i’m here.”

you scoff, turning away from him as frustration bubbles up inside you. “what do you want me to say, jungkook? that it’s okay? that i’ll just forget about it? i feel stupid to think that i even texted you.”

“___.” he says quickly, his voice firmer now. “i’m not asking you to forget it. i just... i just want you to know i didn’t mean for it to happen. i didn't mean to keep you waiting.”

“but you did,” you snap, spinning back to face him.

his face falls, and for a moment, you almost feel bad. almost.

you mentally curse yourself for letting your emotions take control. this is stupid. he’s not even your boyfriend. why should it matter who he was with? or what he was doing with her?

this shouldn't be a big deal.

but you can’t stop it, the anger building up inside you. “it’s not even about this,” you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. “you’ve been acting distant lately, and i get it, you’ve got your own things going on, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like this. it makes me feel... i don’t even know, it just feels really fucking awful. and let me be clear, i’ve got my own stuff to handle too. nd i don't want to feel this way. if you're busy and you can't be there, just fucking tell me that you’ve got other things going on. don't think i'm gonna be okay with just waiting around and dealing with it.” your eyes snap at him. “i will not play that game.”

he lets out a deep breath and looks at you. “it’s not a game, okay? i just... i had to deal with something. and the moment i could, i came straight to you. i feel shitty about it. and let me be clear too. i would never do something like this to you, not again.”

“okay, good.” you deadpan.

silence.

“you should rest,” he says, his voice quieter now.

“yeah," you reply, not even looking at him, your eyes fixed on the bed, anything but him.

“do you need any-”

“jungkook.” you cut him off, your voice steady but sharp. you finally look up at him, eyes cold. “i need to be alone. please, leave.”

he just sighs, his face falling. “okay.” he nods, his voice low, almost defeated.

without another word, he turns and walks out, the door clicking softly behind him.

and as the silence settles in again, you sigh.

“i'm a motherfuckin' train wreck.”

[girlwiththegreenhat]

new weirdest thing i've ever seen in this show, why the FUCK is kitts top control panel leaking water for NO reason and only in these Two (2) consecutive shots

he's fucking Melting ??????

[minhypen]

02. THE HAND THAT FEEDS

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒 𝖮𝖻𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾’𝗌 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖽 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗊𝗎𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖻𝖺𝖽 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌. 𝖬𝗂𝗇𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗀’𝗌 𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗄: 𝖣𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗌

📄𓏧 6.3k 𝐂𝐖 ⦂ cursing in the narration ⸝⸝　long overdue, but finally here! if you notice my own frustrations take form as minyoung's thoughts, no you don't

𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘 ⠷ Kr En Jp Sys

PLOPPING DOWN ONTO ONE OF THE CHAIRS WITH A DRAWN OUT SIGH, MINYOUNG TOOK SOME TIME TO REST AND COOL DOWN FROM THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF K AND NI-KI'S STRICT PRACTICE TIME.

The first test had been announced, and the rules? Do everything by yourself. Yup.

Somehow, due to Heeseung taking the lead (and Seon chiming in with his unnecessary input), the part distribution was thankfully done without much hiccups or delays. But Minyoung couldn't lie and say she was happy about being part 10. Though she was thankful that her lines weren't shared with another part like it was for parts 13 to 18, she barely had a line in the second verse, which was disappointing.

But of course, it was a vocal-focused performance with eighteen people and very unfairly distributed parts. It made sense that the better vocalists took the higher parts.

What didn't, was Seon claiming that Part 1 didn't need to be a good singer, only to immediately suggest making vocals the standard for assigning parts. But hey, that was just Minyoung's personal beef with Seon and not rational thinking…

No one could blame her, honestly. He’d been borderline dismissive and condescending, not just towards her, but all the girls during the part distribution, arguing against them and giving silly reasons to keep them from getting a part higher than part 6. Though no one voiced it out, Minyoung could see the animosity for him brewing among the other girls. 

The boys hadn’t thought much about it though, for Seon’s words carried a bite that stung only the recipient.

Minyoung would bet that he’d have been sucking up to them if he could gain something from it, but the elimination voting was separate for the boys and the girls so he couldn’t be bothered. 

After a somewhat chaotic practice with everyone trying to learn the dance together, Heeseung suggested that the I-Landers take some time to learn the verse at their own speed. And while Minyoung was a good dancer, she was a slow learner who couldn't be more thankful for the time and her buddies-slash-personal trainers' effort (and success) in teaching her the remaining verses.

Though she did almost break herself trying to keep up with those monsters, she could at least relax for a while without worrying about the dance.

But of course, peace could never be maintained for too long in a place that housed eighteen people, and Saebyeok and her little group of friends soon filled Minyoung's thoughtful silence with their loud conversations.

Turning around just in time to find Sunghoon and Jay bickering over the last bottle of the same type of drink, she smiled at her unnie who sat down next to her with a pat to Minyoung's head.

"Looks like y'all are having fun," Minyoung teased, chin pointing to Soojin and Heeseung chasing around Jungwon with an open water bottle.

"Yeah, they're all a handful." Saebyeok was obviously used to their chaos as the eldest of their group, simply bellowing out a ‘be careful’ as Jungwon ran out of the kitchen area with the two hot on his trail. "It seems you found yourself a little group, too?" the older girl questioned as she helped herself to Minyoung's corn chips, earning a nod and swat to the hand.

It hadn't been long since Minyoung had stopped being stuck at the hip to Saebyeok, but it felt like ages since she had spent some quality time with the girl. With Saebyeok hanging with her own friends, Minyoung had found herself in a small group of five, sticking with K, Mirae, Nicholas and Ni-ki during practice which took up most of their time.

"We've all just been practicing together," Minyoung bowed at Sunghoon who took the seat opposite her with a bowl of ramyeon in his hands (when did he get that?), "K oppa and Ni-ki helped us learn the whole song."

"I heard Ni-ki saying he wanted Part 1," Sunghoon chimed into their conversation.

Ni-ki did keep saying that, but Minyoung hadn't thought much about it. "There's not much we can do about it now though, everything's been decided already," Minyoung shrugged, earning nods of agreement.

“Hello there~” came the sweet voice of a smiling Jay as he took the seat next to Sunghoon. The ex-figure skater nudged his friend with his elbow only to earn a frown and a slap on the shoulder.

“Hi Oppa!” Minyoung suppressed a laugh at their seemingly never ending bickering.

“Sorry,” Jay switched back to a smile when he turned to her, “this guy’s been a pain in the neck all day for no reason.”

“Hey, don’t say that to someone we’re talking to for the first time!”

Minyoung giggled openly this time, side-eyeing Saebyeok, “Unnie has told me about your silly fights, I’m not surprised.”

“Huh?! She’s told you about us?” “What else has Noona told you?” Came the overlapping responses from the duo.

“A lot, but all good things, don’t worry.” Minyoung giggled again when Jay and Sunghoon narrowed their eyes at Saebyeok, untrusting of her blabbing tendencies. 

Rightfully so, too. Saebyeok was indeed a blabbermouth who’d told Minyoung of Sunghoon, Jay and Heeseung’s life history basically—when they’d started training, what they did before that, how they met for the first time and some funny stories about their hangouts. Minyoung never got the chance to hear much about Soojin and Jungwon though, because the shoot for I-Land had started a month and a half after they were put in the same unit. And two free hours a week only got Saebyeok so far into her trainee-day-tales (exclusively in Japanese, even though Minyoung understood Korean just fine).

The said girl, unaware of her dongsaengs’ glares, was too busy smirking at Minyoung and wiggling her eyebrows. (Minyoung had taken a few glances too many at Sunghoon because he was handsome, duh, but she knew that the older girl took them the wrong way.)

“Whatever it was, don’t believe that woman,” Jay mumbled as Minyoung turned back to him, snatching Sunghoon’s chopsticks to help himself to his noodles. Sunghoon let out a whine with his mouth still stuffed with the food, but ultimately allowed Jay to take a bite, only to whine again when Saebyeok pulled the bowl towards herself after Jay was done.

“Is that all you’re eating for dinner?” Jay questioned, pointing at the packet of corn chips in Minyoung’s lap. “You should eat more,” he nagged when Minyoung nodded.

“I don’t want to cook, though.”

“So you’re just gonna eat diet food? Oh, that’s not good, lemme make somethin’ for ya...” Jay’s sentence faded to a mumble as he quickly rose from his seat, heading to the pantry without letting her respond.

Since when did corn chips count as diet food? Minyoung’s flabbergasted expression must have been funny, because Saebyeok and Sunghoon burst into laughter. 

“He’s kinda obsessed with playing ‘mom’, don’t mind him.” Saebyeok patted Minyoung’s head. “His food is delicious, though.”

And delicious it was—Minyoung practically inhaled the bowl of japchae like someone who hadn’t seen the sight of food for days. Though her classy image kinda shattered in front of some of the classiest people in I-Land, she couldn’t bring herself to care at that moment.

Blame K and Ni-ki for making her insanely hungry. But also—bless Jay for filling her stomach with actual food, she might make him cook for her everyday with how good it tasted…

And just when the girl was about to be satisfied with a day done right, Heeseung strode in with Ni-ki, grabbing their attention. "Let's gather in the main practice room," he announced. Upon hearing their ‘okay’s, he walked out without further explanation, i-Pad in hand and Ni-ki by his side as the two disappeared into the gym, whispering to themselves like businessmen discussing a contract together.

...ooookay? 

Minyoung shrugged to herself, finishing up the last of her dinner. She didn't really care what Heeseung was planning with Ni-ki as long as it helped the I-Landers. So far, Heeseung had been nothing but a helpful leader.

And when he did finally reveal his plans to everyone, the girl didn't feel any different.

Minyoung saw it as an opportunity to show off her preparation so far and how she didn't fall behind people with years of training. Some of the girls, especially Soojin and Sophie had openly expressed their concerns over her getting a higher part in the song simply because of how long (or short, to be accurate) her training period was. She's got to show them.

And show them, she did. Though Heeseung only told her that she did 'good,' the proud beam she got from Ni-ki and the surprised and impressed sounds from the trainees told her more than enough.

Unfortunately, some of the others were not so lucky. Nicholas was shaking like a leaf next to her up until his name was called and his nerves had caused him to underperform. Next to him was Sunghoon who'd received comments about being a bit ahead of the beat. Then there was Yeona, who had forgotten a part of the routine and sat down with tears lining her eyes even though neither Heeseung nor Ni-ki had commented anything other than a 'good'.

“Sophie noona, you’re up next,” Ni-ki called out as Sophie stood up to perform. 

“Ahh, what do I dooooo?” Mirae whined beside Minyoung at being the last to perform, latching onto the younger’s waist as she bent down. “I’m so nervous…”

“Why?” Minyoung embraced the girl who practically laid herself in her lap. “You’re just going to show what you’ve been practicing, nothing to be nervous about.”

“But everyone’s watching and it feels burdening to be last,” Mirae pouted, lifting her head up to give Minyoung her best puppy eyes. (Why, though, Minyoung didn’t know. It wasn't like she could make the call to let Mirae not perform.)

“You’ll do fine, do you trust me?” Mirae nodded. “Then don’t think about the audience and just perform like you’ve been practicing.”

“...fine.”

“Mirae-ah, you’re up,” Heeseung looked up from his clipboard. “Please go ahead.” He gave her a small smile. Oh?

Throwing Heeseung a side-eye, Minyoung shifted her focus back to Mirae. 

And genuinely, she didn’t know what the older girl was on. That was literally the best show out of all the trainees and she found herself gawking in disbelief at Mirae’s pout as she sat back down.

"Okay, let's wrap up for today." Heeseung stood up from his place, Ni-ki following his actions with a confused frown on his face. "Thank you everyone, and goodnight." He finally swapped his serious look for a smile, but earned more confused looks from the other trainees.

And for good reason, too.

Even if Heeseung had been acting as a leader and mentor, a lot of the I-Landers including herself had been expecting him (and Ni-ki) to perform at the end. But the '01 liner simply acted like he didn't see the odd looks from some of the trainees as he exited the room with a tired Saebyeok and a zoned-out Sunghoon on his trail.

Murmurs filled the room. “I thought Heeseung-ie was performing as well?” came the question from someone Minyoung guessed was Geonu.

“Were we being evaluated?” Was that Seon?

“Ahh, what?” K, definitely.

Yeona was still sniffling behind her and Nicholas groaned as he laid his head on Minyoung’s shoulder. “Ahh, that was so nerve-wracking…”

“I know,” Mirae cuddled into her other side, using Minyoung as a personal pillow along with the ‘02 boy.

Minyoung felt weird. 

First the disagreement that arose about Heeseung changing the choreography and now this evaluation-like practice time that left some of the I-Landers feeling less confident than before—they felt like warning bells signaling impending doom. The rising issue with Heeseung's methods among the I-Landers told Minyoung that they'd end up having a conversation about this.

She just didn't expect it to come right the next day. But hey, at least the conflict would be resolved, right?

Wrong.

It seemed like getting the leader to change his slightly cold ways of training to something better was only her idea of resolution, because the other I-Landers seemed to have plans of changing the leader himself. And as they all sat gathered, each expressing their own dissatisfaction against their leader, Minyoung found herself staring at the dimly flashing egg instead of meeting anyone’s eye, unable to pick a side.

"With how talented hyung is, it's fitting that you're the center and the leader. But you're so good, and you keep hanging out with people who are good like you, so I feel like there's a divide between us all," Daniel expressed his thoughts, voice tentative.

...what?

'People who were good like him—', did Daniel mean Heeseung's little group of friends who he'd literally known for years? Where was the logic in that, or better—were any of the trainees even trying to be logical anymore?

Minyoung expressed her thoughts, although in a less confronting and more diplomatic manner, and the reactions from some of the I-Landers were instantaneous.

Geonu scrambled to explain that the leader should be easily approachable and not distant, Sophie, Yeonbin and Yeona argued that Heeseung's methods were crumbling their confidence and Seon claimed that Ni-ki would do better as a center after the suggestion from K.

None of their excuses gave Minyoung an explanation as to why the center had to be changed, and not just the leader.

Don't get her wrong. Just because Minyoung (and some other trainees) was able to handle Heeseung's harsh methods, didn't mean everyone else could keep up. Some people needed a more patient and encouraging approach, and that was completely fair. 

But was it a rule for the center to always be the leader? Couldn't Ni-ki or K lead without changing the part distribution?

Saebyeok and Soojin were the ones to shoot her suggestion down this time, not holding back on their blunt words and giving a passive aggressive assurance that Heeseung was a good leader who just needed the I-Landers to trust him. 

Okay, ouch?

Minyoung slumped in her place, unable to hold back a pout at the immediate rejection of her opinion. Sunghoon caught her eye and gave her a sympathetic smile, which made her curl into herself more, not liking the pity in his eyes.

"Guys, please," The subject of the conversation had had enough, "I knew this would happen, which was why I was hesitant about being the center." Heeseung kept his eyes on the ground, making Minyoung wince at the disappointment on his face. "I'd personally like it if someone else took Part 1."

The resolution in his voice was obvious, which was what kept Saebyeok and Soojin from arguing when Ni-ki was made center and leader.

It wasn't like Minyoung was opposed to the decision—Ni-ki was really good, better than many other I-Landers, in fact—but she couldn’t help but feel that it was too rushed. (Because why would you pick 'better' if you knew you had the best right in front of you?)

What was done, was done though. She trusted the 14-year-old when he claimed he could pull it off, and as long as the results were good, Minyoung was happy.

Saebyeok, though? Not so much.

Minyoung settled into her bed, ready to rest after the long day when Saebyeok came bursting her way into the red room. Flinching at the sudden appearance, Minyoung called out from under her blanket, "You okay?"

"Okay? Do I look okay to you?!" Saebyeok snapped, getting on the bed with Minyoung and crawling under the blanket. "This place is filled with a bunch of ungrateful—" Saebyeok stopped herself from cursing and heaved a sigh, suddenly aware of the cameras despite having removed her mic— "people."

Turning on her side to face Minyoung, Saebyeok put a hand on the younger's cheek. "Sorry for snapping." The girl smoothed her fingers down the flesh of Minyoung's cheek, voice significantly softer. “Now, and earlier…”

"No, it’s okay." Minyoung scooted closer to the '01 liner. "It’s natural to be upset, and I bet Heeseung oppa feels even worse."

"Poor boy said he wanted some time alone," Saebyeok closed her eyes, voice lowering to a whisper. “If I were him, I’d have had these rascals crying by the time I’d be done with them.”

Minyoung hummed to show that she was listening, not wanting to interrupt her since she understood Saebyeok’s need to let out steam. “These guys who think they can control everything, they don't know how this show works.” The older girl frowned, making her look like an angry puppy. (No calling Saebyeok a puppy when she’s mad, Minyoung reminded herself.) “They think Heeseung was being harsh? Wait till the producers or directors come for an evaluation…”

Right, there was that. Minyoung sighed, drawing the blanket closer to herself. This was an unnecessary amount of stress for a 16-year-old to be handling. 

"Where's Mirae, by the way?" Saebyeok asked, opening her eyes to look at the empty, still made bed beside her own.

"Don't know," Minyoung whispered back, "been missing since dinner." 

The conversation died there as the girls fell into a thoughtful silence.

Saebyeok's words made sense the more Minyoung thought about it. There was no way the judges were gonna go easy on them, and Heeseung’s slightly-harsh-but-really-helpful training would have ensured that no one fell behind, that was for sure.

But the girl didn't realize just how true those words would turn out to be until it hit her right in the face. And even if it was not quite literal, it hurt just the same.

It was during the mid-point evaluation that things started going down, and wrong.

The evaluation itself came unexpectedly, and the I-Landers were flustered to say the least, by the appearance of such a well-respected senior. And while Minyoung hadn't been expecting any less, Rain's unconventional yet strict training methods threw everyone off their loops, leading to mistakes in the performance.

Rain was pretty understanding about them, but his warning of an immediate improvement being required left the I-Landers in a state of anxiety and confusion. Especially because everyone thought they'd been doing well so far. And that was exactly how Minyoung found herself in the living room of their temporary home, holding Ni-ki's hand with just one thing on her mind.

Someone needed to tape Seon's mouth shut.

He was the one who was so insistent about making Ni-ki the center just a day ago, but with just one hiccup down the line, his mind had suddenly changed. Now he was agreeing with Geonu who suggested that Heeseung should take back his position for the sake of vocals.

"It's a problem that Ni-ki can't sing well." Minyoung listened to Seon's reasoning, curious as to how he was going to justify his decisions this time round. "And it's not that he can't sing well—" Minyoung frowned, where was he going with this? "—he just can't sing at all."

…

What the fuck?

Minyoung snapped her head to him at breakneck speed, eyes shooting imaginative daggers at him that she almost wished were real at that moment. There was simply no way he said that when his dancing was like that.

No offense—actually, Minyoung did mean offense this time. 

Seon deserved no respect from her when he himself was utterly disrespectful to everyone but the ones he deemed were of benefit to him. And by the offended gasps the other girls let out at his words, Minyoung knew they agreed.

Just as her brain said fuck it and she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, a squeeze on her hand interrupted her.

Glancing down briefly at the hand holding hers, the girl turned to meet a sad pair of eyes. Ni-ki shook his head lightly as if telling her that it wasn't worth it. Oh poor boy...

Looking back at Seon with a weak glare that no one noticed, she opted to listen to the younger’s prompt of staying silent, shifting her palm to properly intertwine her fingers with Ni-ki's. He was right in stopping her though—as much as she wished to put Seon in his place, it would only make her look disrespectful to the viewers. 

But of course, Minyoung shouldn't have forgotten the presence of a tigress in I-Land who went by the name of the rising sun, and like the sun did, Saebyeok didn't miss the opportunity to burn.

"What do you mean, Oppa?" She tilted her head with a confused look on her face that Minyoung would have believed was innocent, had she not known about her unnie's coy mannerisms. "He just made a couple small mistakes, nothing that couldn't be fixed."

"But he got it all wrong when we sang together earlier," Seon was quick to justify himself, referring to the 'after-evaluation evaluation' that Ni-ki went through with Saebyeok, Seon and Geonu in the purple room. 

"Ehh?" Saebyeok scoffed with a silly grin, acting like she heard a really funny joke, "Of course he's gonna go off-pitch if his 'teacher' started him off with the wrong key." She nudged her chin at him teasingly, not bothering to hide that she was directly dissing him.

Pfft. 

Minyoung couldn't help but snicker under her breath at that, smiling at the giggles from the other girls.

"Uhh, w-well I—" The humiliation on Seon's face almost made Minyoung feel bad for him, but she couldn't help but find it even funnier when Soojin interrupted him to ask what their next step should be.

“We should decide the center today though, stretching this out will not end well.”

Right, focus on the matter at hand, Minyoung told herself, squeezing Ni-ki's hand again when all eyes turned to him. Ni-ki kept his head down, biting his lower lip in thought. 

“I’d like to keep my position.” Ni-ki’s voice retained some of its usual firmness, and Minyoung felt grateful that Seon’s comments hadn’t affected his confidence even if she was sure that he was hurt. 

Some I-Landers were obvious in their disappointment with his choice, but their murmurs of complaint had no effect because Heeseung had refused to take Part 1 unless Ni-ki let him have it.

And though Minyoung wasn’t in complete agreement either, she couldn’t bring herself to question the boy when he was so confident that he could do it even as he was sobbing into his hands.

“I’m sorry for messing up,” he sniffled, bringing his head up to meet her eye for the first time since they entered the yellow room. Though she was glad he seemed to be feeling better, why he was apologizing to her, Minyoung had no idea.

She watched him quietly, not knowing what to say as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve before turning to her. Smiling, she brought a hand to wrap around his shoulder, expecting him to curl into her embrace. Instead, he lightly shrugged her hand off to wrap her up in his arms, making her lean on him.

“Thank you, Noona.” His voice was rough with the amount of crying he did, but he sounded composed when he spoke. “You too, Hyung.” He leaned back further on to K, pulling Minyoung so that she had her head resting on his stomach.

"Aigoo, it’s okay." K ruffled Ni-ki's hair lightly, wrapping his own arms around the boy to allow them a more comfortable position.

A few breaths passed as the three enjoyed the comforting silence. But the suddenness of the evaluation and the stress of the events that followed caught up to them, and Ni-ki’s rumbling stomach finally broke the silence. Bursting into laughter, the boys sat up as Minyoung stood from the couch.

“I’ll go make us something to eat,” she said, the smugness in her voice betraying that she’d already planned what she’d be making. Ni-ki didn’t protest, feeling way too hungry to hold on any longer, and K was quick to send her off with a happy wave, claiming that he had some important matters to discuss with the younger boy.

Hmm, sussy sus…

Choosing to ignore K’s off behavior, Minyoung left the room with a goal of making Ni-ki happy with her choice of food. Minyoung might despise the act of cooking, if it was to cheer a dear friend up, she'd do it without complaint. 

Just one thing though. How do you make mabo dofu again? 

Ni-ki had mentioned it earlier that day, claiming to miss his mother’s go-to dinner choice and so, Minyoung wished to give him the feeling of home. Forgetting how to make it though, was not in the plan. 

(It was her own fault honestly, she’d gone too long without actually cooking to still remember the recipes she’d learnt five years ago.)

As she stood in the kitchen staring holes through the pack of tofu as if it’d cook itself if she stared long enough, she didn’t notice the curious pair of eyes that peeped over her shoulder until the owner spoke right in her ears.

“Need some help with that?”

“Oh!” Minyoung turned around to find an amused Jay staring down at her. “Jay oppa, you’re not asleep yet?”

“Was just heading to bed when I found you standing here with a huge loading sign spinning over your head,” he teased, grabbing the tofu from her. “What were you trying to make?”

“Mabo Dofu, you know what that is?” 

Jay ignored her question, “For yourself?”

“For three.”

Minyoung followed after Jay who headed to the pantry upon hearing the reply, “Whoa, what? How do you know how to make it?” the girl questioned with wide eyes, seeing him grab a pack of minced pork.

“Heat the rice for me, yeah?” Jay ignored her question again and held out two packs of instant rice, before suddenly retracting them to smirk at her. “Or is it considered below Princess I-Don’t-Like-To-Cook to do such a trivial task?”

“Oh shush,” she playfully scoffed at him, snatching the rice from him and ignoring his chuckles as she headed out to heat it up.

As she sat in a crouch in front of the microwave, staring at Jay as he worked his magic, a shadow loomed over her and grabbed her attention.

Nicholas smiled down at her. “Whatcha doin’ down there?”

Minyoung wordlessly pointed at Jay like the sight of the boy chopping onions would explain her position on the ground. Nicholas stared at Jay, then turned to Minyoung, then looked at Jay again before bursting into laughter.

“Okay.” He crouched down next to her. “I’m guessing he’s making your dinner?” he probed, well aware of Minyoung’s aversion. 

“Yeah, isn’t he so nice?” Minyoung looked back at Jay with a gaze of admiration. “I wanted to make something for Ni-ki, but I forgot the recipe so…” She shrugged with her lower lip jutting out, earning a hum from the boy. 

“I’m so worried about the performance,” Nicholas admitted, voice lowering with the change in topic. “It’s just day three and yet it feels like everything’s falling apart.” 

Grabbing his hand, Minyoung squeezed it. “We can’t decide that we’re going to do bad before we actually do it, Oppa.” The girl didn’t like his pessimistic mood. “We’ll practice hard with a positive outcome in mind.”

Nicholas sighed, throwing his head back. “You’re right, but it’s so hard to focus when some problem or other keeps coming up.”

“I know, but don’t you think the main problem is that we’re all looking at the center with a magnifying glass but forgetting that every one of us must do well to score high?”

The girl could literally see the light bulb go off inside Nicholas’ head at her words. “That—I didn’t think that way at all…” he seemed sheepish with the revelation.

Minyoung just smiled. A lot of the other I-Landers didn’t, either.

“Food’s ready,” Jay called, interrupting the conversation.

“Oh, really? Thank you so much!” Minyoung stood up to catch Jay in a grateful hug, earning a pat on the head. 

“Eat well~”

Wishing Nicholas a good night, she placed the cutlery, the rice and the main dish on a huge tray before heading to the yellow room. 

Pausing before the door, Minyoung took a deep breath in. She should leave all worries outside the room before entering—food should never be a victim to one’s feelings of sorrow, stress or anger.

If the universe decided to be kind to them, all would go well, they wouldn't end up performing horribly.

Horrible. This was absolutely horrible.

Minyoung hid her face in her hands, feeling the shame wrap around her. The girls had scored a little higher than the boys, but even that was a humiliating number.

76   67   64   52   51   48 

Average: 60

Minyoung screwed her eyes shut. They were absolutely done for.

Three female I-Landers must be eliminated.

Half. That was half of all the girls in I-Land. The boys had a similar fate, all of them groaning and whining at the thought of having to eliminate six people.

Minyoung felt the dread and anxiety tighten their hold on her throat, making it hard to breathe. Truthfully, she’d felt good about her performance, but there were enough girls who still thought less of her skills which could result in a possible elimination. And the system’s announcement about the lack of a debut chance for the Grounders was all she could think about as she tried to catch her breath.

Forcing herself to calm down and take some deep breaths, Minyoung regained her ability to breathe after a couple minutes. The only way to keep herself from losing her mind was to think that she’d be eliminated for sure. At least she wouldn’t be surprised if it actually happened. 

The voting will commence in 2 hours. You may go check your scores one by one in the voting room.

Alright, thanks Robot-nim…

Minyoung’s name was called right when she had found the strength to get up and settle into Mirae’s lap. “No, don’t go~” Mirae whined, tightening her arms around Minyoung’s waist.

“I have to, though~” Minyoung whined back using the same tone as the older girl as she detangled herself from the tight hold Mirae had on her. “I’ll be back in a jiffy, I prommy,” Minyoung baby-talked her, earning the usual puppy-eyed look and a nod from her unnie, who was truthfully the only one keeping her sane with her exaggerated aegyo in the tense situation.

But it seemed like Mirae herself wasn’t holding up very well. Minyoung could tell just from the look on her face as the older girl came downstairs after checking her own score, that her anxiety was getting the best of her. The smile she always wore was gone and her eyes were glossy like she was tearing up. Minyoung wasn’t so happy with her 64 either, but by the looks of it, her unnie needed more cheering up than her.

“Shall we go upstairs?” Minyoung tried to distract her from whatever score Mirae had seen inside the voting room. Upon receiving a nod, she locked arms with her unnie and practically dragged her upstairs, trying to catch up with Saebyeok and Yeona who she saw were on their way to the pink room.

Knocking on the door just as it closed, Minyoung invited herself and Mirae in. 

“Hey, you two,” Saebyeok greeted with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she sat down on Yeona’s bed.

“Hello,” came the lifeless voice of Yeona.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Minyoung sat next to Yeona, giving Mirae the space between the older girls. Nodding at Saebyeok who showed her the performance video paused on the i-Pad she held, Minyoung scooted closer. “Let’s watch, then.”

The two hours somehow flew by, with the girls replaying the video over and over even though it wasn’t much help in deciding the eliminated candidates. 

It was hard to even think about sending someone off. Six days wasn’t a lot of time to get too attached to the girls, but Minyoung had grown fond of all of them in some way even if there hadn’t been much interaction. Technically, it was a rule of I-Land that someone was always going to be replacing someone else, but it wouldn’t hurt any less to watch them leave.

And she certainly wasn’t okay when the candidates were announced after the voting, two hours later.

Receiving 5 votes, Sophie

Minyoung tried her best to not look in the girl’s direction. She couldn’t help but notice the girl’s poor form while dancing, and it seemed like the others did, too.

Receiving 4 votes, Kim Soojin

Now, she was someone Minyoung felt guilty about voting for. Not because she thought Soojin didn’t deserve it, but because of the way Saebyeok sobbed next to her when she heard the name. Minyoung knew that Soojin’s departure would break Saebyeok’s heart, but she had to stay fair to her own conscience and vote for the person who didn’t meet her standards. This was a competition after all.

Minyoung would have never guessed how hard it would become to keep up that belief until she heard the next name.

Receiving 4 votes, Kang Mirae

Ah, the irony. 

It was kind of funny. All her life, Minyoung never thought of herself as a crier. It had to be some hocus-pocus shit done by the cube because she found herself in tears for the second time in the same week, for the exact same reason.

So much for promising herself to keep calm.

The boys were all crying too, having surprised themselves by eliminating some unexpected I-Landers, like Jay. (All the while Seon got to stay, something that confused Minyoung greatly.)

She tried to keep the tears from falling though, not wanting to upset the eliminated candidates any further. Especially Ni-ki, who seemed to be holding back from bursting into tears himself.

He quietly stayed by her side, watching her bid long, teary goodbye’s to Mirae, Nicholas, Jay, Jake and anyone who came forward to greet her. Only when she was done and he was sure to have her full attention, did he finally move closer. The look on his face was calmer than before, like he had accepted his fate. 

"Don't cry, please." He brought up a hand to pat her head. 

Minyoung frowned at his unusual action, but accepted his affection without voicing her thoughts.

Since when was he older than her?

His weird behavior momentarily distracted her from the situation at hand, but she was quickly reminded of it again when the system voice asked the eliminated I-Landers to leave through the Gate.

"Take care of yourself, alright?" Minyoung reached up to rub the hand that was still on her head, eyes glassing up again. "And make sure to come up next time."

Ni-ki's eyes were softened with guilt and regret as he forced a smile. "I promise I’ll come back. Wait for me, okay?"

She would definitely hold him to that word.

Taking a seat in her designated chair, Minyoung kept her head down as she replayed the events of the past week.

And no matter how she thought about it, there seemed to be no denying that the results would have turned out far better if the I-Landers hadn't changed Heeseung’s role as both center and leader.

While Ni-ki was good at fine-tuning the performance, he hadn’t managed to get all the I-Landers up to standard. And though his vocals were definitely corrected by the time they performed, they didn’t match up to Heeseung's honeyed voice. And as the center, all eyes went to him first, making his role all the more important.

Minyoung knew that neither Ni-ki nor Heeseung were to blame though—they’d both given their all. It was some of the other I-Landers who were at fault, trusting neither themselves nor their leaders and basically jeopardizing the performance with their doubts.

And Minyoung couldn’t deny that it was her own fault, too. There were many opportunities where she could have spoken up firmer, could have opposed the decisions which she felt were wrong and yet she chose to remain silent after a couple rejections. And though it didn’t affect her directly (thank god for that), a loss to the team was still a loss.

Regret was something Minyoung never felt, being used to owning her decisions regardless of its outcome being positive or negative. But the whole thing gave her a new resolve for the future tests.

To never let the I-Landers who had beans for brains mislead the others again.

BONUS SCENE

D-4 I-Land Practice Room, First Floor 11.45 PM

Peeking inside the lounge of the smaller practice room, Mirae called out with a tentative voice, “Can I come in?”

Heeseung, who’d been deep in thought until her arrival, turned around with a startled look, earning a sheepish giggle from the girl. “Oops, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you…”

“No problem, come in.” Heeseung waved his hand lightly. She held in the instinct to pout at the emptiness in his eyes as she trod over the soft carpet. 

He laughed suddenly, eyes creasing with a genuine smile as he looked down at something. Following his gaze, she realized it was the fluffy pink Hello Kitty socks she was wearing, feeling a fond smile creep up at the fact that he was finally laughing.

She took a seat next to him, grabbing a cushion to hold over her lap.

For a while the two stayed awkwardly silent, Mirae not knowing what to say despite having been the one to approach him and Heeseung feeling too aware of himself with the girl next to him.

“Thank you,” she spoke after a couple minutes of quietness, “you’ve been giving your best in helping us all.” Turning to look at him, she whipped her head back down when she caught his eye. “I’m sorry you got your spot taken.”

“I’m not.” Heeseung shook his head, making the girl look back at him. “I’m fine with part 13.”

“Why is that?” 

He shrugged instead of answering. Mirae let it be at that, closing her eyes as she settled back into the plush of the seats. 

“Thank you,” came Heeseung’s voice, this time as a whisper. Though it wasn’t wordy, his gratefulness was conveyed clearly enough.

Mirae smiled. “Anytime, Oppa.”

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