CONNECT |Enhypen's 8th member|

Chapter Twelve: Decisions

As the test finished, Daisy's detailed eyes caught sight of K's heavy breathing.

When they re-entered the building, she jogged upstairs without saying a word. The boys wondered where she went until she returned a few minutes later with ramen, a water bottle, and a wet washcloth.

"K oppa," she called, walking over to his seat before handing him the food and drink. She placed the wash cloth on the back of his neck, taking off his jacket and taking off her hair tie to put his hair up instead. "Your condition isn't good, please take it easy."

He nodded, quietly thanking her. The voice then announced that they would vote in one hour for their picks to leave the I-Land. Daisy sighed, unconsciously connecting her hand with Heeseung's who was nearby. The older boy gave her hand a light squeeze, hoping to both comfort her and find comfort.

Ten minutes later, she was alone in the dance room, stretching her muscles. She often became sore after performances, and wanted to prevent any injuries. Although she remained silent, her mind ran wild with thoughts of who she would choose and her relationships with her fellow I-Landers.

"This is so cruel," she complained to no one.

Jungwon walked in at that moment, sitting next to her. "Hey," he greeted, stretching as well. She noticed that he was rather flexible, and asked why. "I used to study taekwondo."

"Oh, really? I had no idea."

A comfortable silence resumed, both exhausted and concerned. "Jungwon," she quietly started, laying on the ground. She patted the spot next to her, and he joined her, resting his head on her arm.

"You're really talented. I'm pretty sure you'll debut." He went to object to her words, but she placed her hand over his mouth so she could continue. "You've got a good heart, a great voice, and amazing dance skills. You're handsome too, which always helps."

Jungwon flushed, but remained quiet per her instruction. "You'll debut," she declared. "But I don't want you to lose your youth in the process. Make time to play and have fun, okay?"

"You say that as if you're so much older than me," he lightly laughed, finally able to speak. She shrugged, staring at the ceiling.

"I've been through a lot of stuff that ages a person faster than they should. I don't want that to happen to you, or Niki or Daniel or any of the younger kids. So if I debut beside you or anyone younger than me, I'll make sure to take good care of you guys. I'll be a reliable Noona."

"네," Jungwon assured, wrapping an arm around her waist and laying his head on her chest. "Do you have younger siblings?"

He was surprised when she shook her head. The way she took care of others so often made him assume she did. "I always wanted siblings, but I'm an only child. I liked playing with my friends' siblings, though. And I babysat a lot too." Jungwon hummed in understanding.

"You'll be a good mom one day."

She laughed at that, one of her hands going to play with his hair. "I hope so."

It was a peaceful bonding moment for the two, one they'd cherish for a long time.

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"The three eliminated by the I-Landers are: Youngbin, Kyungmin, and Jaebeom. The three eliminated by the producers are: EJ, Seon, and Geonu."

Daisy's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. She thought Geonu was rather talented. His vocals especially were incredibly stable and nice to listen to. However, she also felt relief that none of the people she'd grown closest to were eliminated.

Looking around, she noticed how heartbroken many of her fellow trainees were, and felt a pang of guilt for not being as upset as they were. "Seon-ssi," she awkwardly said, giving him a hug. They'd never really talked and she honestly wasn't his biggest fan, but she wasn't heartless and he was very obviously devastated.

"I knew it was coming," he cried, sniffling. Daisy didn't have much to say, so she merely patted his back before handing him off to Heeseung. She made her way to all the eliminated members, offering them hugs and small words of encouragement.

"I'm genuinely surprised this happened," she whispered in Geonu's ear. "I'm sure you'll come back, so don't give up just yet. Okay?" He weakly nodded, wiping his tears and apologizing for wetting her clothes. She assured him it was fine, giving him one last hug before letting him join the others who were leaving.

It felt empty with only six people left in the room. They were told they'd have three days of rest while the Grounders prepared their performance. Daisy glanced over at Jay, Sunghoon, and Jake, smiling slightly at the thought of relaxing with them.

"Come on," she said, dragging all three boys upstairs with her and shoving clothes into their arms. "Go shower, then come back to me."

"Daisy..." Jay trailed, still dejected. She frowned, smushing his cheeks together almost aggressively and making the other two boys break into a small smile.

"I will be damned if I let my favorite boys go around sad and mopey for the next three days."

Jay sighed, giving up as she pecked his smushed lips. "Alright, jagi." She smiled in victory, giving Sunghoon a kiss before turning to Jake and freezing momentarily.

"What should I do? Do I kiss him too? Is it too soon?"

Jake noticed her predicament and chuckled, pecking her cheek instead before going to a different bathroom. She flushed a bit at his boldness, smiling as she seemed to have improve their moods at least a bit.

•
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•

After all four had showered, they gathered in her room as she asked. "Let's take a nap," she suggested, brushing her hair. Sunghoon grabbed the brush from her hands, beginning to do it for her.

"I am tired," Jake realized with a yawn. Jay nodded in agreement, already going to lay down. When Sunghoon finished, she braided her hair. It had grown a couple inches since her the in the show, and she pondered whether she should cut it when they left.

Instinctively, she made her way between Sunghoon and Jay, only to realize the flaw in her plan when she noticed Jake awkwardly standing at the edge of the bed. "New idea," she declared, hopping off the bed and dragging Jake to what was usually her spot. She hopped on top of him, pulling the other two closer so they had their arms around her waist.

"It's a bit cramped," Sunghoon admitted. She whined, unsure of what else to do. Jake bit his lip before getting off the bed.

"It's fine, I'll go sleep in my room," he offered with a small smile. Daisy shook her head, grabbing his wrist.

"I want all of you," she mumbled. Sunghoon and Jay exchanged a glance before sighing.

"Both of you come here," Sunghoon called. He laid down, spooning Jay. Daisy cuddled into Jay, and Jake lay behind her, spooning her as well. She sighed in content.

"Hoonie?" she quietly voiced. He was the only one who wasn't directly cuddling with her, though his hand was petting her head.

"It's okay," he replied. "I'll make the other two switch with me next time."

And thus, the four fell asleep.