I Love You 3000 (Y.Jw)

Chapter 29

I adjusted my belt and my buns carefully as we stood in the egg whilst it turned, to get us out on stage for our last performance before the finale. We all lined up on stage and introduced ourselves before Bang PD asked how the rehearsals and such had gone throughout the time, which we all answered.

"And Jiyeon?" he questioned and I nodded at him.

"Yes?" I spoke up looking up at him, awaiting what he had to say.

"I understand that you've been very worried about your dad in your time here in part 2," he spoke up and I nodded eagerly hoping he could provide me with any information, "I'll let you know, that if you feel the need to stop at any time you're welcome to do that, we will not stop you. But I have been in contact with your mom, who assured me your dad was completely fine and is happily watching every episode and are voting on you everyday."

"Thank you," I bowed at him making him grin widely at me.

"Now show me what you've prepared," he urged and we all nodded and got into position our positions on the floor with our blankets.

We all performed as we had practiced along with our acting and everything, just having fun. Overall it was just an enjoyable stage for all of us, having fun and smiling widely at one another. After having performed we got our feedback before going back to I-land and watching the 'Flame On' unit perform. To be honest they were all looking so cool and I hard time imagining they could eliminate anybody at all, but alas, someone had to leave by the end of the night.

With everyone having finished their performance we all went up and changed into our applicants uniforms before returning to the lobby once again and stepping into the egg to go to the elimination, where the producers and directors had decided who would leave this time around. We all stood about to listen to whom would go on and who would stay. It would start from the top, with first place, and then go down, to the eliminated applicant. We all anxiously stood about as the first place had been revealed to have scored 97. Not one person had ever scored higher in the whole competition, so seeing that score had been a shock to everyone.

"First place I-lander is..." the pause felt long and excruciating as per usual, while we all stood in silence, waiting for the name of the first place to be called out, "Choi Jiyeon."

I looked about in shock before I saw my face appear on the banner for the first place, before Sunoo happily pushed me forward and I was given a microphone in my hand, still looking around in shock, earning some laughs from everyone who were present.

"Thank you," I immediately bowed to the producers who all happily clapped at me, "uh... lately I had been struggling with seeing my place in this contest. I had a very hard time seeing what a girl could do in a group full of boys, and I struggled with not feeling I fit in. But now I see that I can in fact be part of the debut group just as much as any of the boys, and I promise to work hard in the future, thank you."

As the producers clapped once more I bowed and went over to the egg where I handed over the microphone, before stepping into the egg that immediately transported me into I-land. After me Niki came followed by Sunoo, which meant the three of us would be sharing a room together up until the finale. I was happily standing with an arm around each boy in happiness, still shocked at my own result, which made Sunoo once in a while reach over and quickly dry my cheeks, complaining I was so emotional over my result. K was placed in 4th followed up by Heeseung. The two seemed happy to join us and we anxiously watched as Sunghoon and Jay took the places of 6th and 7th. After having warmly welcomed them I immediately frowned in realization as I looked at the screen.

"Why isn't Jungwon coming?" I muttered in a question as I stepped forward and away from the others to watch the elimination closer, and seeing Jungwon's devastated face once the camera would show him up close.

As Jake returned as the ranked number 8, he immediately went down to me and hugged me tightly, probably seeing how worried my face looked to be.

"He'll come, don't worry," Jake whispered to me and I silently nodded, hugging him tightly before he went over and greeted the other boys.

Now Jungwon weren't in the debut group if he were to come here, on top of that he was in danger of elimination. I wished the cameras would stop filming him, as it just made me even sadder to see his hopeless face as he stood there looking sad, whilst he still held his head up high. 

"Aish, you're gonna dehydrate," Sunoo complained and quickly went over to fan my eyes, making me just wave him off, "look, Jungwon is keeping it together just fine. He'll be here as the next, I promise you."

I didn't answer, my eyes was instead just glued to the screen and the big egg in front of me, silently hoping and praying that the next one to arrive would be Jungwon. But it wasn't, instead it was Daniel. Of course I still greeted him happily as he came and went on to greet the boys after me, before I slowly crouched down and held both hands over my mouth as I anxiously watched Jungwon and Hanbin step up on the two pedestals to wait for the result of who would stay and who would go. They were the only ones remaining out in the elimination.

"She really can't continue without him," K commented from behind me, making the boys all immediately shush him as I sat in silence and anxiously watched everything happening on screen, my eyes scanning over it back and forth, as any small hints would be hidden on screen.

"Just get to it!" I yelled at the screen as they kept dragging on about who would continue in the competition. Just by that I immediately heard the boys step away from me quickly, "sorry," I muttered and a loud breath escaped from all of the boys as I turned my attention back on screen.

I felt such a guilt seeing Jungwon stand there and look all nervous, the one time I placed higher than him it wasn't just one place below or above him as he had usually been just one place above me. Instead we were in complete opposite ends of the scale, and I hated it. It was almost like I was feeling survivor's guilt about it. 

The moment Jungwon was revealed to be the last one to survive this round it seemed like everything sort of eased up for me and I immediately placed my face in my hands as I heard the sound of a sad Jungwon thanking the producers. His voice almost on the verge of cracking as he thanked them. It was not that I was crying, I was just so exhausted after having been so tense. Hearing the egg turn I heard the boys immediately rush past me and up to Jungwon who was coming back. There were a lot of sniffles and sobs, but in a way I felt thankful the boys had rushed forward so I had time to get myself to my feet and carefully move to the edge of the group, ready to greet Jungwon once again.

I stood still waiting to get to Jungwon as the last one, and the moment I got the chance I was immediately crying again and so was he. I quickly threw my arms around his neck as he pulled me in tightly. Just standing there in a tight hug together, embracing the other. It had never really dawned upon any of us that the other could get eliminated, we had always thought the other would make it for sure

"Don't cry, don't cry," he muttered to me, sniffling himself and wetting my shoulder as well.

"Who of us are you talking to?" I questioned him, none of us laughing at my attempt to lighten the mood. But at least I tried.

"You did so well," he muttered hugging me even tighter, as if I would just disappear if he was about to let go.

"Please don't leave," I replied completely out of relation as to what he had said to me.

"I think we should leave," Heeseung spoke up and we could hear the boys slowly and silently leave us, to stand there just embracing each other.