CHAPTER ELEVEN
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A month had passed. It was not long after we had completed the first test. But now, we had to prepare for the next test. The Concept.
It mainly focused on the chemistry or relationships with the other contestants. But I didn’t have anyone I liked in particular… yet. It was while I was resting with the other boys. We had a few weeks, or more like the rest of the month, to vote who should stay in I-LAND and find out which ones go to GROUND. And that was not an easy decision.
Meanwhile, Jake was in the dorm room next door.
“Even if I get eliminated, I’ll still come back here.” said Seon.
“Don’t even think about going to GROUND!” scolded K.
“But what’s the point?” asked Heeseung, “I’ll get angry and do better if I do.”
“Yet, we don’t know who was the one who got that 95.” said Youngbin, boarded out and leaning on EJ’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I want to know who got that 95, too.” said Seon, “I know it’s not me, Taki, Maki, EJ, or some of the girls. If only we knew who got that high score, since we know everyone’s skills, and we can figure out which standards they used in evaluating us. I think we can find out that way.”
“But there has got to be some other way,” said Jungwon, “It’s not fair if we find that only the girls got the high score.”
“What’s wrong with that?” asked Jake, “I would still be happy for her, even if we lose.”
“This is serious, Jake,” said Jay, “I-LAND was a show that was originally for boys. We can’t just let the girls pass each and every single test.”
“Well, that’s on you,” Jake huffed, “If you think it’s just for boys, then why did Y/N and her girl groups come?”
Meanwhile, I was all alone in the bedroom. The eleven girls then entered and sat down with me.
“Y/N? Everything’s all right, yes?” said Holly.
“I’m fine,” I said, “But…not sure if Jake is.”
“Why what happened?” asked Erika.
“Well…it’s said that he got the lowest score in the first test. And he seemed pretty sad about it.”
“With a score like that, he’s bound to be devastated.” said Jax, rolling her chin on a pillow.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Jake were alone in the other bedroom. Until Sunghoon entered. He then cuddled up beside Jake.
“Y/N supposedly got the high score. I think most of us are very proud of her. I just overheard her talking on the phone with her mom or something. She seemed pretty excited, the woman on the other side of the phone.” said Sunghoon.
Jake frowned.
I knew that she was going to get the high score, he thought with a bit of resentment, I don’t blame her. But why did she get it and not any of the boys or girls?
“Come here,” said Daniel, “Give me a hug!”
“It’s okay,” said Jake, moving away from Daniel, “I’m fine, really.”
“Oh, no you’re not! Come here!” Daniel insisted as he pulled him close to his arms.
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Ni-Ki was in the living room, deep in thought. He thought of the time when he was given the first part of the signal song. And although he was a talented dancer at just fifteen, he struggled a lot, as if he was still in high school.
Hinata entered and spotted him.
“Something bothering you?” she asked in a sweet voice.
“Nothing is bothering me at all,” said Ni-Ki, “Although, my very first part of that song stressed me out a lot, and it’s no wonder my score is 72.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, really. I just needed to work harder on what I’m doing and, of course, be prepared for what is yet to come. I could use your help too…but the other boys have been saying they can help me. But I’d rather ask for help from someone different than just the boys.”
“Really?” said Hinata, with hopeful eyes.
“Yes, really.”
Hinata rejoiced and came back to our room.
The next day, I then saw Jake again. But he looked so sad and depressed. I couldn’t speak to him when his eyes were all down and his smile was frowning down. I just couldn’t. Something was bothering him. He kept looking at me as if I had done wrong to him. But I’d never!
“Did something happen?” I asked.
But Jake sighed.
“I am just disappointed, that’s all.” he said with a frown, “You got a good score and the girls got a good score and the rest of us are getting bad ones.”
“Jake,” I said, “Are you jealous of us?”
Jake shot his head up at me, “Of course not. I would never be jealous of my own best friend. Why would I?”
But he looks as though he is not thoroughly happy for me. And even if he tried to be, he still looks as though he is unhappy that I got a good score and he didn’t. I’m sorry, Jake.
“Well, then,” I said, “I didn’t mean to think that way.”
It was while we were getting ready for bed. That was when I had noticed Jake had been looking up to Sunghoon. Of course, we had been there since June. But for some reason…I was missing my home. I missed my mum, dad, Ireland…everything.
I then softly cried myself to sleep. It wasn’t because I wanted to quit, I was getting homesick. But surely enough they were able to capture it on camera, and that annoyed me so much.
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I then felt my tummy cramping again. I guessed it; my period came back. I then went to the bathroom to get a sanitary pad and laid back down in bed. Jake then sat next to me and patted my head.
“Did you get it again?” he asked softly.
“Well…” I stuttered, “Yeah…I did.”
He then pulled me in for a hug. I haven’t seen him this loving ever since the day I first met him. And although he was a year older than me, I felt this was the day I could make things right for him, so that he wouldn’t go to GROUND. But if he ever did go to GROUND, I would have to sneak him out of there. And that would be impossible.
I then got ready for the day. But I felt so tired. I decided that we weren’t going to have a dance lesson today. We were going to take a break and just hang out like we would always do back in Dream Life Entertainment.
When we were training for the first time, I didn’t know a thing about becoming an idol. I thought it was something we had to sign up for and BOOM!! You are an idol.
But nope on a rope.
You had to do training for singing, dancing, acting, and modeling. That is what it means to a certified “idol”. And what frustrates me the most is the constant dieting. I mean, yeah, we all are born in different shapes and sizes. But the fact that idols had to look “perfect”, it just didn’t satisfy me anymore. The songs did, but not the choice of appearance.
Back in Ireland, I never had to worry about all of that. I had to worry about my life, my family, and my friends. Everything else was considered petty and trivial. And that was how I liked to live my life.
But now that I was living in Korea, it has made my life much harder. Not that I was not a native to the country, but the way I had to change my lifestyle. I kept everything the same, but in public, I have to change it. And it was not fun.
When I was thirteen, I was eating with chopsticks. And I accidently stuck them in the air in my bowl of rice. I saw a few elderly people giving me a death stare. Luckily, I pretended to cry, since it meant burning incense for deceased loved ones. I said that my uncle died and I didn’t buy any incense to burn in his memory. And thankfully, everybody believed it.
That is why I had to keep my original lifestyle a secret from the public eye of Korea. I know I was sixteen and an Irish girl with Genovian history in my family. But honestly, I could see why most in Genovia actually despise it.
I then went outside and found a perfect spot for me to sit at. I felt peaceful and, if I say so myself, happy. I smiled as the winds blew through my face and hair. It was nostalgic, but hey, it could have been worse.
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CHAPTER EPILOGUE: THE NEXT TEST
“We have seen Galway Londoners’ performance and their covers on their old agency’s YouTube page.” said Wonderkid, “They are really good.”
“We should have just debuted them anyway.” said RAIN.
“I should have just invited them to HYBE Building to become idols there,” said Bang Si-hyuk, “However, they are already I-LANDers. And I can’t pull them out of here. We will need some help.”
“I could suggest someone.” said ZICO.
So far, we have seen the progress and improvement of the contestants of I-LAND. But there is a lot more to do. Could they have a chance to pass this next test…or will they risk their lives and go to GROUND? Vote now for the result.