Survival | I-LAND

27

Jia wasn't the only one with an internal struggle, in fact, K was also a mess on the inside. His emotions were all over the place with the recent conflict in his team, and now the guilt of how he talked to Niki was eating at him alive. He tried really hard to appear collected in front of the idol but it didn't really surprise him how his facade crumbled the second he came face to face with Jia.

"K... I was heading out, but I'm glad I bumped into you..." Jia led him over to the living room and sat down at the same spot she was at a few minutes ago while talking to Niki.

She studied him in silence for a second. K looked as handsome as ever but it was clear that he was tired, he looked paler than usual and had dark circles under his eyes.

"Talk to me K... How can I help you?"

"I don't know what's going on anymore, I just wanted our team to be the best, but I think I just made everyone hate me," it didn't take long before K broke down in tears. Jia immediately pulled him close to her, she didn't even say a word and just let him cry on her shoulder. "They trusted me, and yet all I've really done is fight with Niki and cause tension in the team!"

Her heart ached at the painful sound of his sobbing, but all she could do was hold him. "They don't hate you, they all know you were just trying to do what's best for the team," she wasn't really sure what came over her but she suddenly felt compelled to press her lips against his temple, "it's going to be okay," she whispered. Jia didn't really know what was going on with her, but she knew that something wasn't right by the way that her pulse quickened when she felt his breath tickle her shoulder. But the one thing she was sure about was that the last time she felt something like this was back when she was filming 'Method to Hate You' with Jaemin. That was the first time she had seen the boy since they were separated, and seeing how handsome he had become had really made her heart skip a beat.

But if she was reacting like this to K, then that can only mean one thing, she thought. 

She was falling in love with K.

Meanwhile, the trainee was having his own internal struggle.

The warmth of her body against his was the only thing that could comfort him, the feeling of her delicate fingers caressing his back, the pressure of her soft lips against his temple. Her presence helped soothe his mind, but it also set a fire in his heart and successfully drove him crazy. 

Crazy in love.

The argument he had with Niki slowly faded away and all he could think about was her gentle breathing against his neck. He knew that with the camera's recording everything in I-LAND, the audience would surely see the conflict that took place in his team and he would surely lose support. The thought of not being able to debut frightened him, but for some reason, the idea of being voted out of the contest and not being able to see Jia anymore was what really shook him to the core.