Fate | Jakehoon

chapter 5: a still moment in time

Preparing for their second mini album, Border: Carnival, has its ups and downs, especially at the beginning, but ultimately concludes on a positive note. With Sunghoon and the members' encouragement and support, Jake begins to embrace a healthier attitude towards food. Gone are the days when he sustains himself with way too little food and as many cups of coffee as he can drink in 24 hours. He makes sure to keep his promise to Sunghoon, for his own good. He is beyond grateful and lucky to have a best friend like Sunghoon, that will be honest with him when things get out of control.

In the last week of April, promotions start, and once again, Jake and the members find themselves performing in front of empty seats. Having debuted during a pandemic, they are accustomed to it by now. Yet, the absence of the fans cheering for them on music shows is a constant reminder of the unprecedented times the world is going through, where safety measures take priority over.

Squeezed in between promotions is also filming for their variety show, EN O'Clock. However, that is considered fun and entertaining content for the fans, which supposedly isn't that draining. Still, it requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm that they can't always provide. Each time, the members try to give everything in their power to appeal as entertaining as possible. They mix up and mingle in different groups for games, so they won't be with their closest friends every time. Maybe they come off as awkward at the beginning, since they are not all best friends, but they do their best. Naturally, they have gotten a lot closer since their debut days, but it is an ongoing process.

The months have gone by in a flash, and Jake is soon met with preparations for their third comeback but first full album, Dimension: Dilemma, knocking right at their door. It has been a busy and intense summer, with non-stop recording and practicing but it is worth it. The album is going to come out great, and Jake really likes the new songs, especially 'Go big or go home'. He feels like it could resonate with a lot of people.

Everything is going well and on track when it happens. It starts with a small cough, but then the fever sets, and so, Jake tests positive for covid, at the end of August, right before their scheduled album release month. A day later, the rest of the members, except for Sunoo, follow in his footsteps and start showing similar symptoms, which means two weeks of quarantine and a delayed comeback. They are given separate rooms at a hotel and are forbidden to leave. In some way, it feels like their first actual break since their debut, except they are feeling under the weather.

It is past the middle of the day, heading into the evening. Which one? Jake doesn't know because every day feels the same and he has lost count of how many he has left.

Today though, he wakes up with a migraine, which doesn't go away, so at least he has something to distinguish it from the others. Besides that, he is bored out of his mind. Apparently, staying isolated and in eerie silence in a hotel room, for 14 days, isn't that enjoyable. A part of him misses the dorm's chaos.

Jake is lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling, in hopes his migraine will magically disappear after so many hours but it is pointless. He has to accept that it is here to stay. He grabs his phone from the nightstand and opens FaceTime, clicking on the first person that appears on the list and the last one he had talked to, but there is no response. He moves on to the second, this time succeeding.

"Ni-Ki!" Jake cries out as soon as the younger answers but his screen is black.

"Jake hyung, I'm kinda busy right now." Ni-Ki replies, and Jake can hear noises in the background. Game noises, to be more specific.

"You're playing video games, again." Jake states, mostly for himself.

He should've imagined it already because it seems like every time Jake is calling him during this quarantine, he is playing video games. Nevertheless, he is pleased that Ni-Ki is feeling better.