Not Around

Chapter 7

It's been a couple of days since the clothes incident, and since then, Sunoo had taken it upon himself to accompany Y/N outside the shower rooms every morning after her workout. He was an early riser, always up before Jaebeom, and with that extra time on his hands, he figured it was a good way to check in on her.

At first, Y/N refused his offer, not wanting to burden him. She hated the thought of wasting someone else's time, especially for something as trivial as waiting. But Sunoo immediately brushed aside her concerns, his voice light and teasing as he assured her, "I'm making you wait for just as long anyway, so you're not burdening me."

He wasn't kidding when he said he'd make her wait, and despite her initial hesitation, Y/N found herself falling into the routine. Every morning, as she finished her shower, she would step out, only to find Sunoo already there, lounging casually by the entrance. He didn't hover; he didn't try to engage in unnecessary conversation. Instead, he'd just sit quietly, giving her the space she needed without pushing her. Then, as soon as Sunoo realizes she's done, he proceeds with his own shower routine.

Y/N didn't mind. In fact, she found herself appreciating it. During the time she waited, she would sit on the cold floor with her back against the wall, knees tucked to her chest as she hugged her towel and used clothes. The quiet was soothing, a moment to organize her thoughts and mentally run through everything she needed to do for the day. She would reflect on the past few days, sorting through her emotions, the little things that had been left unsaid, and the moments that had stuck with her.

She would sit by the entrance of the shower room, back against the cool wall, knees pulled up to her chest. She would hug her towel and used clothes, finding comfort in the quiet moments of stillness.

Today, as she sat there, Y/N found herself running through her practice yesterday. What did she do well? What could she improve? There were always little things, nuances, that she could tweak, but it was the way she applied them that mattered. Her mind wandered to the upcoming practice.

Should I warm up my vocals better today? she wondered. The high notes yesterday were a bit strained. I need to be more careful. Her thoughts drifted to the song they'd been rehearsing—Fire. The melody came easily to her, and she instinctively started humming the tune under her breath, allowing herself to focus on each note as it rolled off her tongue. Just a little more control, she reminded herself.

She pulled her knees closer, eyes unfocused as her mind shifted to something else—food. She wondered what was on the menu for today. Back at Ground, meals were simple and repetitive. Every day was the same: rice, vegetables, maybe some meat, but nothing special. She remembered how Ta-ki used to complain about the monotonous meals back then.

But here, in I-Land, things were different. There was a variety of food at every meal. Sometimes, there were options she'd never even seen before. What's for lunch today? she wondered. Maybe she'd get lucky and there'd be something new to try. It was one of the small things she enjoyed about being here, in this new place—how even the simplest things felt like a treat.

The food back at Ground had always been decent to Y/N, and honestly, she didn't have many complaints. It was a far cry from the days when she had nothing at all, and for that, she was grateful. But now, in I-Land, she had options—variety at every meal—and she couldn't help but take full advantage of it. With her goal to build muscle, she knew she needed to make smarter choices. Protein would be key, so she was determined to load up on it as much as possible during her time here.

Speaking of protein, one person came to mind. Sunghoon had started joining her for her early workouts, claiming it was because he wanted to be more productive. Y/N didn't know what his real reason was, but she assumed he was just being considerate. She didn't mind at all. It wasn't like she needed any protection, but his presence was always a comfort, even if she didn't understand the full extent of it. He was always there, offering a quiet kind of support without any pressure. That kind of care, whether spoken or unspoken, was something she wasn't used to—and it was starting to mean a lot to her.n