𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵/ 𝗜-𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗

'INTO THE I-LAND' 3

Eventually, the practice was cut off by the sudden gathering. They went to one place and sat there. The atmosphere was getting heavy and awkward, making them refuse to talk.

Yuji was sitting beside Jungwon and sipping on her water bottle. She was clueless about what they want to talk about because all she knows is Youngbin was already fine after their conversation last night.

''tell us now'', Yuji surprisingly breaking the silence, she sounded a bit impatient, but it was her usual way of talking.

''I know that I am not that good and all, And I was ok with dancing in groups of two'' they all made their attention to Youngbin, who was talking, ''but heesung made us dance one by one. I understand you need to see us one by one; I felt horrible and was humiliated, and to be honest, I cried because of that.'' 

''We shouldn't be worrying right now. Were in a situation where, if we voted for someone to lead us, we should follow and trust that person'' Heesung returned ''were running out of time,e'' he added, lowering now his head.

''Heesung Hyung should be the center'' Daniel suddenly talked, ''but you're excellent, and you keep hanging out with only those who are good, so the team's balance is off. That's what I see personally'', Yuji tilted her head, looking at Daniel. But, of course, she didn't expect him to have some disagreement with Heesung when he adores him.

''I said this on the first day, I predicted this I said I didn't want to be the center, I knew it would result in this, so that is why I said that'' he carefully responded.

 ''it's not about completing the choreography, but it has to look good. I wanted to lead us in that way. but I didn't tell you in advance, but rather plan on my own and got ahead of myself'' he paused. ''I think it'd be best if I'm not the center. I mean it.''

''should we try voting at least once.'' seon suggested making them turned to him

''But, even back then, Ni-ki said he wanted to be the center'', K turned to Ni-ki and pointed him ''Frankly speaking, we don't even have to vote, what do you think?''

''if ni-ki is the center, he can lead the rest of us'' Youngbin agreed.

Yuji turned to Ni-Ki nonchalantly, ''your opinion matters the most. Are you okay with it?'' she asked him. ''honestly?'' Ni-ki nodded, and by that, he became the center.

After the decision, they all went to casual again, but Yuji remained silent. She glanced at Heesung, and no one was talking to him. He was just quietly watching them talk, but she just ignored that.

Yuji went upstairs together with the I-landers. They part ways as the others went to do their things. Yuji proceeded with her same routine, replaying the video over and over again.

''Yuji...'' Daniel called.

''hmmm?'' she hummed, asking attention on the iPad.

''are you mad at me?'' he asked. Jay turned to them.

She rolled her eyes, ''I'm not,'' she answered, although Daniel was unsatisfied with the answer because he thought of what happened earlier, and he was uncomfortable with that. Yuji stood up and went to him, ''I'm not mad, Daniel, go to sleep already,'' she reassured before passing him her blanket. He just nodded and smiled at her.

 Yuji went out to look for Heesung. She just wanted to say a few words to him because she was guilty about earlier. she went to search for him in each room, but he was nowhere to be seen, and she started to worry because he was probably alone somewhere

Yuji went downstairs and headed toward the lobby room only to see Heesung was there. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw heesung's reflection all alone there, and he seems to want that. So she decided not to interrupt him.

She backed away quietly when he collided with something in her back, causing her to fall on top of him.

'sunghoon?'

Yuji opened her eyes wide as she met Sunghoon's face winced in pain, she immediately shifted the overlap, when she heard Heesung's footsteps going in their way, she quickly pulled sunghoon's hand behind the wall. She sighed in relief as heesung no longer going their way.

it will be weird if he saw that; what is he doing here?

''owww'', she let go of his hands 

''oh ,sorry'', she whispered

''what were you doing?'' he asked, rubbing his hair with his fingers ''where is heesung?'' sunghoon asked, sitting on the floor with her with the wall supporting their backs

''he was there, I didn't go there because he wanted to be alone,'' she said 

''practicing?'' he asked again.

''no, he's just there,'' she answered in a small voice, hugging her knees ''Seon Hyung told me that he wanted to be alone, but seeing him like that... I don't know'' she continued.

Sunghoon breathed heavily, ''for us as a leader. He gave up his time practice to teach us'' he began ''I don't think he deserves that after all regarding the things he did'' he continued

the two began to talk about the things earlier without knowing heesung has been listening to them because of forgetting that they were too loud. He was happy that there are people here who still believe in him.

The following day she followed downstairs the others as they went to practice again. After a long practice, a sudden alarm goes off at I-LAND, ''PLEASE GO TO THE LOBBY.''

the voice instructed all of them to go to the lobby after that, they still have two days, 12 hours, and 13 minutes left for the primary performance. They all sat down when the countdown surprisingly stopped.

''What is going on?''

''the countdown stop.''

''IT STOPPED, THE TIMER STOPPED''

The gate moved to reveal the space on it, then the voice told them to go inside the gate, and they began to express positive reactions. As they went inside, not knowing what's going on, the gate moved, shifting to another room, in the main stage where they will perform.