I Love You 3000 (Y.Jw)

Chapter 28

Taki had been eliminated just a few days into the rehearsals, and now that there were five days left Sunoo had chosen Sunghoon to replace Taki... very much to Sunghoon's dismay and agony. We had once again lost the sort of sane Sunghoon we usually had as he reluctantly was learning the choreography from us. Struggling his way through it, and letting out screams once in a while, as his sanity slowly left his body.

We all desperately tried to adjust Sunghoon to the concept, but he would continue to do the moves fiercely, same thing did Heeseung once in a while, but he was getting better at it. However one move they both did fiercely made everyone laugh at the sight and the two boys immediately got embarrassed.

"Aish, have you two never been soft in your life?" I complained loudly whilst hugging my pillow tightly as we were rehearsing that part, the one with the pillows.

"It looks like they never have," Jungwon replied to me making me shake my head at the two.

"You need to smile from here, like Taki said," Jake pointed out to them as he patted his chest.

"Ah, Taki," I cooed as I sat down on the floor with a pout.

"We all miss him," Sunoo assured as he walked over and just patted my head softly before going over to Heeseung and Sunghoon to explain how to do it softly instead of what they were doing right now.

I sighed and flopped down on the floor and placed the pillow under my head, immediately making Jake screech out and run over and crouch down in front of me with a wide smile.

"What are you doing?" he questioned with a small laugh as he hovered his face right above mine.

"Sleeping," I muttered as I closed my eyes.

"Doesn't sound so," he commented still giggling at me.

"Hmmm... well you see, I can have conversations in my sleep," I pointed out to him with a small smirk, still keeping my eyes closed.

"Really?" he questioned and I opened just one eye to see his wide smile looking down on me.

"Mhm... but I'm better at it if everyone is just silent," I muttered closing my eye once again.

"But the others aren't gonna be silent either," he commented and I sighed rolling over onto my other side to make him stop and let me sleep.

"Just lay down if it's what you want," I muttered making a happy giggle escape his mouth before he laid down with his head beside mine, but his legs facing the opposite way off mine.

"You're very tired lately, aren't you?" Jake spoke up and I hummed in reply, "why?"

"Thinking too much," I shrugged as I rolled over on my back and opened my eyes again and stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression.

"Bad or good?" he questioned for clarification.

"I don't know to be honest," I admitted with a small shrug.

"Should we go outside?" he questioned me and I turned my head over to look at him, "I reckon it'll be a good idea for you to talk about it."

"Okay," I nodded and we both stood up, abandoning our pillows before walking out on the outside balcony and sat down, the same place I had sat with both Taki and Niki just two weeks ago, to cheer them up myself.

"So... tell me," he spoke up as I sat down in the chair and pulled my legs up to sit cross legged.

"Can I first ask why you wanted to know?" I questioned him in curiosity.

"Because we're both foreigners, not been here for too long and I thought that I, out of anyone here could somewhat relate to you," he casually shrugged at me, "and I saw how you were helping both Taki and Niki so much two weeks ago. But it seems that no one has really thought about you being a bit down, so if you want to, tell me what's on your mind."

"I just... lately I've been thinking if I should be here," I admitted to him and looked down at my hands in embarrassment, but he just stayed silent, encouraging me to go on, and I fiddled some more with my hands, "I know I made it this far because I was good enough and because people want me to be here. But until now I feel that I've been good at hiding my thoughts. But I just have a lot filling in my head. I want to do this, I want to debut. It just feels wrong in a way that I'm trying to get into a co-ed group, where I'll be the only girl."

"I don't think it's wrong," he shook his head at me, not agreeing with me one bit, "it's something that will make the group stand out more and something that will add a little extra to everything, something that no other group ever will have."

"I just... I feel it's wrong and I feel that I should be back home right now," I muttered silently.

"Why?" he questioned with a small frown as he cocked his head to the side, looking even more like a puppy than he already were.

"My dad is sick, and... when you were all at training camp, the reason I wasn't there was because my dad... had tested positive with Covid, which could end up fatal for him. So when I took the conscious decision to be here I knew that I would get the message late if he were to pass while I'm here. I'm scared that I'm missing his funeral if I'm here," I explained and he silently nodded as he looked at me with softened eyes.

"What does your dad think of you being here?" he questioned in a soft tone.

"He's so proud," I chuckled at the thought as I pulled on a string on my left sleeve and began playing with it, "he was sending me messages everyday for two weeks before the entry test where he just wrote all these encouraging messages and how he believed in me. He really wants me to complete this."

"I... can not tell you what to do, but from what I hear I can tell you what your dad will think is the right thing, perhaps," he pointed out and I nodded.

"I know," I sighed, "I'm just scared of making a mistake that I'll regret later on."

"Well... I was always taught that in our lives we often make mistakes and do things we regret. But I guarantee you, if your dad is just half as stubborn as you he would do everything in his will to stay alive until you see each other once again," he pointed out and I nodded, "as for now I think the decision is up to you. Just know everyone in I-land supports you no matter your decision, we all care so much about you and will always be there for you. As for now I will go back to practice, I'll let you stay if you need some time alone to think, and if you don't, then you can come along. Please get some sleep, lay off studying for a while, you've improved a lot."

I silently nodded as he stood up and left to go inside again. I sighed deeply as I heard the door close, meaning Jake had went inside again. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them as I looked out to the forest, sitting in my own thoughts for a long time. As if I was pondering on what life to choose.