𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚'𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 4
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The performance was over.
Everyone waited anxiously for the result - how it had gone, whether good or bad.
But the real question, as always, was: Who would stay with I-LAND, and who would have to return to Ground?
The tension was palpable; everyone knew tears would soon flow.
When the result was announced, the surprise was great - mixed with sadness.
Hana immediately hid behind Heeseung. She didn't want anyone to see her cry.
Many knew her as the girl with the radiant smile-and that was precisely the image she wanted to preserve.
Heeseung discreetly protected her, holding her hand and gently squeezing it to give her strength.
Hana hurt most for Sunoo and Jungwon.
Jungwon had always encouraged her-and Sunoo now had to return to Ground.
After a difficult goodbye, only emptiness and silence remained.
But then the next phase began: Who will come from Ground to I-LAND?
When Hana emerged from her hiding place, Jake was the first to see her. He ran to her and immediately pulled her into a hug.
He was simply happy to see her again-and Hana smiled, albeit exhausted.
Soon after, the new missions were announced:
Butterfly & Save Me (BTS)
Rainism (Rain)
Warrior's Descendant (H.O.T)
As Hana and Jake stared at the screen at the same time, he put his arm loosely around her shoulder and playfully pulled her toward him.
Hana knew immediately which song she wanted: Butterfly by BTS - her favorite.
This time she wanted to showcase her vocals, and the song was made for her.
But she wasn't sure if the others would choose it.
She waited patiently until everyone had made their choices.
At the end, she said quietly but firmly:
"I'd like to sing Butterfly, if that's okay."
Thus, the team was formed: Hana, Heeseung, and Geonu.
They sat down together, divided up the parts, and immediately began rehearsing.
After half an hour, the others took a break - only Hana stayed behind to continue practicing alone. Suddenly the door opened: Jungwon came in, snacks in hand.
"Here, I thought you needed some energy," he said, smiling shyly.
"Thanks, that's really nice of you," Hana replied, visibly pleased.
"Where are the others?" he asked curiously.
"They're taking a break. I wanted to keep going," she explained briefly.
Jungwon sat down next to her, but Hana immediately noticed that something was bothering him.
"Okay, what's wrong?" she asked gently.
Jungwon hesitated briefly, then blurted out:
"I'm afraid I'm not good enough. After the results, I feel like I'm back in the basement. You're so talented..."
Hana put down the snack, looked directly at him, and spoke calmly:
"First of all, you're very talented. Second, I'm not perfect either. I make mistakes-and that's exactly why I practice, to learn from them. And third, you have to believe in yourself. Life is never just easy or just hard-it's both."
Jungwon said nothing more, but simply pulled her into a silent hug.
"Thank you," he finally whispered.
Hana just smiled and patted him reassuringly on the back.
Then they continued training together.
The next day, Hana looked for Sunghoon. She finally found him training alone.
"Hey, are you training alone? Where are the others?"
"They're taking a break. I wanted to get started," he explained.
"And you? Why are you here?" he asked curiously.
"I actually wanted to ask you something... but never mind. Can you help me with my training a bit?"
"Of course," Sunghoon nodded without hesitation.
Hana gave him a few tips, but deep down, she wanted to ask him how he was really doing.
But the moment didn't feel right, so she left it at that.
The day of the performance arrived.
Everyone was nervous-the tension was almost palpable.
Hana sat between Heeseung and Geonu while they went over the parts again.
She noticed that Heeseung was unusually nervous-he was usually calm and collected.
That's when she had an idea. She leaned toward him and spoke in a childlike voice:
"Is our Heeseung nervous? You don't need to be-you're the coolest!"
Heeseung immediately burst out laughing and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Thanks. I feel better now," he grinned.
Hana turned to Geonu:
"And you, are you nervous?"
"No, I'm fine," he answered calmly.
"Very good. Then we can do this together," Hana said determinedly.
She placed her hands on their shoulders and smiled broadly.
Then the moment had come - they took the stage.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰
