but i still want you (priv.)

byun jihye

when kaito mentioned his smile and how jihye probably fell for it, she fell silent, looking away from kaito. "checkmate." she said, unsure how to get herself out of that situation. kaito did have a beautiful smile, any girl would fall for him, including jihye. it's one of those contagious smiles, it takes a lot of willpower to not smile after seeing his. but, that's not the only reason jihye's taken a liking for kaito. his smile was just a bonus.

jihye laughed at hana and xiao, seeing how they're completely differing in their opinions. xiao sees them as cute, hana doesn't want to admit it. when kaito mentioned xiao having to kiss hana in order to actually be cute, jihye's expression changed to curious. does that mean her and kaito weren't seen as cute before yesterday? was she missing something? shaking it off, she decided it was better to act as if nothing was bothering her, rather than starting an unneeded argument. seeing xiao's response to being 'teased' about needing to kiss hana, jihye stepped up, but still with a smile. "hey, stop pressuring the poor boy, there's no rush. and even if you two haven't kissed yet, you two still look cute together." yes, xiao was older than her, but it was like her mama bear instinct came into play, so she really didn't think about how to phrase it.

jihye checked the time on a nearby clock hanging on the wall. she was upset that their time together was coming to a close, but she also knew practicing was most important. not only to her, but to the group that's depending on her to not negatively impact their performance. there was still a good amount of time left before everyone had to be back practicing, but she was distracted by the sounds of nearby conversations. it was probably groups heading back to their respective practice rooms, but jihye couldn't make out which group it was. chances are, it was a group none of her three friends were in, which was good. jihye didn't want to leave her friends just yet.

liu yixiao

xiao looked at his friends, his cheeks turning red from the reactions he was seeing. he wanted to say that him and hana did look cute together, but nobody would believe him until he kissed her? well, he certainly did want to kiss her, but not right here in front of their friends. he wasn't trying to be cheesy, but that would be their first kiss together. he really liked hana a lot, so he didn't want to do something like hiding away in a hallway or room to kiss her, not to throw shade at kaito and jihye.

kaito began talking about xiao being better than him, which made xiao laugh. he was about to make up an excuse about why he hasn't kissed hana yet, until jihye spoke up. she was standing up for him, which made him ease up some more. she was seeing where he was coming from, and maybe she had the same thought. "yeah, don't worry about me. and kaito, running away isn't quite my style." he subtly teased his friend back with a smile. he knew he was going to get it later from his older friend, but he also knew kaito wouldn't take it as seriously as any of his other friends. if he said that to one of his other friends, he would never hear the end of it.

xiao looked at his friends, then down at his hands that were still holding hana's. and for the first time since he arrived, xiao actually wanted to say he hated this show. if he met these three at any other place, they'd all be able to freely hang out and talk as much as they'd like. but now, their time together has turned limited, hiding away from the cameras and other trainees who may spill the beans for their own personal gain. this place was brutal, but it's what made their friendship more powerful. if they can withstand lucky ten, they can withstand anything. debuts, comebacks, tours, all of that would mean that they couldn't see each other as much, but it wouldn't stand a chance against their growing bond, strengthening due to the tough conditions they're being thrown into now.

byun jihye

(we can timeskip, that's fine! i'll just go ahead and skip since i really don't know where i was heading with that last post o.o )

after the four split after lunch, jihye was as focused as ever in practices and training. she ate breakfast every day like kaito asked her and she hasn't felt any bit sick or fatigued during any practices. her group focused a lot on the dance, but didn't slack at all on the vocals. jihye did her most to help out her group, working to help improve the accuracy or certain dance moves or notes, which really helped the overall performance. in vocal training, the instructor praised them a lot, which raised the overall group confidence. jihye was ready for the live performance.

on the day of filming, jihye was in her own world. nothing seemed to bother her at all, she was mainly zoned out the entire time. everything was fine, she just didn't want to focus too much on the schedule, or else she'd start worrying. her group went with a black and dark purple theme, all mix-matching outfits but also coordinating perfectly. while jihye's personality and charisma fitted the concept perfectly, you wouldn't expect it at all. there's something about her that makes you think she would only do well in lighter concepts, but it does provide a good surprise to see her do so well in a different setting. speaking of which, while they were getting ready for filming to start, jihye tried to search for her friends. she spotted what seemed to be them a few times here and there, but couldn't get away from her group to say hello. she really wanted to tell hana, xiao, and kaito good luck, even though she knows they'll do well.

when filming started, jihye sat in the viewing room with the other participants, glad she wasn't going first. everything was the same as before, but the only difference is that the live audience's votes would be revealed in front of every group, not only the performing group. it was a lot of pressure, since nobody wanted to be the one with the least votes in their group, but jihye had confidence in herself. she wanted her group to succeed, but she also had that selfish determination everyone around her developed.

liu yixiao

practices went great for xiao and his group. he led his group through the choreography easily and they all led each other through the vocal aspect. xiao was a rapper, but he did have a minor vocal line, which was his main worry. he's been practicing his vocals for years, but they really aren't up to where he'd like to be. but his group trusts him enough to sing and they've been constantly encouraging him during practices, which has helped immensely. the trainer did say he needed to work more, which was expected, but that didn't bring down xiao's spirits. he was doing his best for this concept, mainly because he knows how important this is for hana. he can't mess up on this performance. he does have the least amount of lines, hopefully he makes up for that by being in the front for majority of the performance.

to say the least, xiao was feeling decent about the performance when the day finally came. his group was good, but he just couldn't stop worrying about not messing up. no matter what, xiao knows he'll be fine. for the performance, his group went with a "boyish" look, wearing denim and pastel colors. xiao himself was in denim jeans, a white shirt, and a pastel blue light jacket. his hair was even done so it was parted down the middle, exposing his forehead, which probably hasn't seen the sun in about a year. he was really showing a different side this week, and hopefully hana was right and the audience will absolutely love it.

the staff placed xiao's group somewhat in the middle of the group of boys, making them the pastel dot in a larger group of variety. honestly, they did look like little boys compared to the other male competitors, not that it bothered xiao, that's exactly what his group was going for. when everyone was seated, xiao immediately spotted hana across the room. he was surprised to see her look so different, but he actually kind of liked it. it was a change, and a good change. xiao was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the mention of votes would be announced in front of everyone. that just raised the stakes for everybody. being the last ranked in your team and having that be read out in front of everyone? that'd be one of the worst things to happen to anyone at this point. who even thinks of that? everything was perfect last week, why change it?

byun jihye

(it's fine, but do get some rest!)

AND OMG NO JOKE I WAS LITERALLY ABOUT TO USE YOU AND I AS JIHYE'S SONG AND ANOTHER ONE OF PENTAGON'S SONGS FOR XIAO BUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED A DARKER CONCEPT I KNEW THAT'S WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND... INTELLECTUAL)

jihye hated performing last. sure, she had an advantage, but that also put more pressure to perform better than everyone else, knowing the bar they already set. even though jihye wasn't typically nervous, this only intimidated her more than anything. but her confidence in her group was high, she knew they would pull off a good performance. being last, they all knew that they'd be the ones that the audience will remember most, and with their performance, they knew they'd be talked about.

jihye watched hana's performance in complete shock over the concept switch. the trainees seemed to like it as well, seeing how they were always making positive sounds and remarks any time they did something. jihye knew hana would be able to pull it off, but that well? that was incredible for hana. knowing that she can go from adorable to fierce this quick, jihye will surely have to tell hana that she can literally do any concept she can think of and will pull it off. kaito's performance came next, and jihye was entranced. she thought their outfits were interesting, which did make her laugh. but she was really impressed by how well he did. the style of song suited him well, he definitely one of the ones who stood out most, and even she could hear all of the fans cheer for him whenever it was his turn for a solo. kaito had a lot of influence in this show already, jihye probably couldn't stand a chance against him. after kaito came xiao, who surprised jihye the most. as soon as they came up on the screen, her whole group began talking about how cute and different they looked compared to everyone else. he had mentioned a cute concept before, but jihye, like the others, never really expected him to be like this, bright smiles and throwing heart signs every time he could.. he honestly reminded jihye of a child, which made her smile and laugh throughout the whole performance, genuinely enjoying the fun performance. now, she could see why female viewers liked cute boy concepts so much.

soon enough, her group was called to prepare to perform. at that time, jihye practically tuned everything out, focusing only on her performance. she followed the rest of her group, holding hands with another girl so they wouldn't get separated in the midst of busy tech workers and directing staff. after everything was set up and they were ready for her group, they stepped out on stage, greeting the audience before they got set. at this point, jihye knew the song by heart, forwards and reverse, double speed and negative speed. all she wanted to do now is perform well, wanting her high notes to leave a good impression on the audience. the performance went by fast, which was good for jihye. exhausted, she was escorted back to the viewing room after everything was settled, nervous to see the results of the voting.

liu yixiao

xiao sat with his group as he watched each group perform, happily discussing each performance with them. he was one of the lucky ones, having a good cooperative group to work with. he's heard of who was a pain to work with, and apparently kaito had a few of them in his group, he'll have to apologize for that later. xiao later spotted hana as her group was called to perform. for only wearing black, she looked extremely good. he would say she should wear only black often, but he didn't want her to look like she's going to a funeral all the time. plus, she looked even better in every color anyway, she could wear anything and it'd still look good.

watching hana's performance first, xiao was completely invested in her performance, even loudly cheering for her whenever he saw her. but he wasn't out of place, the whole group of trainees seemed to be very vocal and cheered for every group, so him cheering for hana was anything but suspicious. if anything, he fit in perfectly. xiao watched kaito's performance next, completely hyped up, while hyping up his friend. the song was addictive, and kaito fit in perfectly well. as planned, xiao was definitely going to compliment kaito on his performance later.

when xiao was called, he walked right past kaito and his group. seeing them up close, they didn't look like they got along at all. they were quiet and looked very intimidating. yeah, xiao's really going to have to apologize to kaito later. hearing his friend tell him good luck, xiao smiled. he didn't want to be loud and tell him thank you in front of his whole group, so xiao gave him a subtle pat on the back, telepathically telling him thanks. getting ready with his group, xiao took only deep breaths, encouraging his group as much as possible. it didn't take long for them to start performing, the song becoming a second nature to xiao. the song itself wasn't exactly cute like everyone was thinking, but during practices, the group decided to make it as cute as possible, adding in hearts and all the cute boy stuff they could think of, all while keeping the choreography and formations the same. by the end of the performance, xiao was tired, unsure if he'd be able to send another heart or anything ever again. but, he did hear a good response from the fans, which made it worth it.

walking back, xiao quickly found his seat just in time to watch jihye perform. her group looked intense, just like she hinted. xiao was also surprised to see their actual performance, not expecting jihye to do anything like that. was there a side to jihye that the other three didn't know about? (side note: yes xiao, yes.) either way, it was good. throughout the performance, he could hear the boys around him talk about each individual girl, saying how cool they looked or how pretty they were. because of this, xiao could help but look towards kaito to see his reaction to jihye's performance, since he's probably worried about her more than himself, knowing them. after all the performances were done, xiao stayed still in his chair, awaiting the second part of the night; live vote count. this wouldn't be the final vote tally since viewers could still vote for the next few hours, but this just gives an idea if a person would be improving or dropping spots. they couldn't tell how many spots, since all the votes weren't counted, and they obviously wanted to make eliminations a secret.

byun jihye

(like, i was literally watching the critical beauty dance practice and was definitely thinking about using that until i saw onf and then i switched, and right when you mentioned a darker concept i was like "maybe i should have another option just in case", out of EVERY song out there, we chose the same ones and the same group, that's impressive.

also, we can definitely timeskip! i feel like more things can happen that way, rather than going through the same things over and over. i was also going to suggest letting the boys win (bc let's face it, the boys generally always win even though i always want the girls to win... i'm still mad about mixnine sorry) and the girls can debut in their own groups. plus it'd be fun to have them all start sneaking out and spending days and nights out with each other instead of always having to be stuck in their dorms or practicing all the time.)

as soon as she could see her score, she froze. that many voted for her? and seeing how the girl in first place didn't do too well here, she'd surely drop. that makes jihye a good candidate for first place, if second or third didn't do too well either. it was crazy to imagine jihye being so popular among the viewers. she's never seen herself as someone who's had all the attention on her, and to actually be the person people are talking about, in a good way, was a crazy concept for her. even crazier than her last -performance's concept. but there she was, most likely going to be ranked higher than before, and all she could do is smile. jihye honestly wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't, not when the cameras are on. to distract herself, jihye listened for kaito's score, wanting to celebrate as soon as she heard how well he did. first place was his, she just knew it.

when filming was over, jihye stayed back for a little bit and talked to her friends from her company. it was like the first time she's talked to them in a while, but they instantly connected like they haven't missed a beat (that's NOT an intended pun). together, the five of them walked to the dorms, staying together one last time before they all split into their respective rooms. once in hers, jihye instantly got changed and took off her makeup, happy to finally have a clean face after hours of having that heavy makeup applied. she didn't mind makeup, but stage makeup had to be the worst. so much had to be applied in order to not make anyone look like a sheet of paper under those lights, and it only made jihye's face heavier instead of prettier.

once she was ready for a long awaited good night's rest, she was tackled by hana, who jihye was happiest to see. "lee hana!" she squealed back, instantly giving her a big hug back. "i told you it would be intense, did i not?" she laughed, her cheeks instantly becoming red at the mention of everyone talking about her. "you might have head everyone talk about me, but what about you? they were practically yelling for you! you should've seen the room, they were more interested with you than me." she said, complimenting hana on her performance. hana did basically have the best performances of the night, if not one of the best. nobody would shut up about how cool they looked, or how cool their props were. if only jihye had the creativity to think of stuff like that, imagine the possibilities. "you did so good! your spot in the top ten is definitely confirmed now, if it wasn't before."

liu yixiao

hearing his group called, xiao smiled with the result he had. he wasn't ranked first in his group, but he did have enough votes to tell him he moved up. all xiao wanted was to be in the top ten, and even if he was in ten, that'd be goo enough for him at this point. he noticed all of his friends did really well too voting wise. they'd hopefully all be moving up, which was a dream come true. imagine how powerful they'd be if they were all in the top ten. two couples from the top ten, the influence is huge. once he was finished hearing everything he needed to hear, xiao practically turned his ears off, taking a small moment to completely rest, even going as far as closing his eyes. he didn't completely get up until one of his groupmates started shaking him, signalling the end of the night.

happily, xiao walked back to the dorms, instantly changing and washing his face among the other boys. mainly, xiao just used some soap and water to wash his face, so it was really surprising to see some boys have ten step face cleaning routines that they kept with almost every time the went to sleep. they were really keen on keeping their faces flawless, which was fine by xiao. soap and water did the trick for him, but he knows that other skin types require more care than others.

finally done taking care of his face, xiao stepped away, getting ready to get into his bed until he spotted kaito. xiao looked at his friend with a smile, obviously in a good mood. "i don't know, you tell me." he joked, giving kaito a bold wink before jumping up so he was sitting on his bed, legs dangling over the ladder. "i'm just kidding, it's pretty cool. first place is my bunkmate, not many people can say that, but i can!" xiao mentioned, leading forward to look at kaito. when he mentioned girls liking his cute appearance, xiao shook his head. "i don't think i'll ever be this cute again, even if hana asked me to. being cute takes up so much energy, did you know that?" he said, acting like he was more exhausted than he already was. today's events really wore xiao out, but after hearing about votes, his mood went up, giving him energy he never knew he was saving.

byun jihye

(a vacation, that does sound really fun, i can already see them all doing stuff and say it "isn't a date" but totally ends up as a date... hana and xiao with no schedule, together for three weeks? GET THAT KISS GIRL

that finale idea sounds so stressful... i love it.

"seven years of training and for the first time it feels like i'm actually going to debut" I'M EMOTIONAL IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES)

scoffing, jihye looked at hana. "eighth? definitely not. i'd say at least fifth or sixth." she said, stretching her arms across her body. sitting down, jihye nodded as hana spoke. "you do have a talent for predicting. if being an idol somehow magically doesn't work out, you can always become a psychic." throughout the last few weeks, hana has been able to predict some very interesting things, it wouldn't be any surprise if hana decided to take on psychic readings as a side job. and how cool would that be?

when hana mentioned kaito, jihye couldn't help but smile like an idiot. "practically dating? we only said we like each other." she tried to make a good excuse, but she knew it was bad. and that was also a lie, and jihye should've known that confessing to each other isn't the only thing they've done. but, a clearly embarrassed and red-cheeked jihye did try her best to save herself, go she does deserve some credit. "if that's the case, then you and xiao are practically dating as well." she added later, trying to bring the topic off of herself. "but anyways, of course we'd all do well, we're all extremely talented and all the talented people are obviously in the top ten."

liu yixiao

xiao listened to kaito, sitting lower on the ladder so he could see his friend better. "well, it's better seeing different performances rather than the same cuter performances, even though i literally have no room to talk about cute concepts anymore." he said, realizing halfway that he had, in fact, participated in one of those cuter concepts he was indirectly throwing shade towards. "but it seems like jihye's group became a fan favorite quick." xiao added, wrapping his feet around the ladder posts to help make sure he wouldn't fall.

hearing about kaito talking about him and jihye being a couple, xiao smiled towards him proudly. and hearing kaito talk so fondly about debuting make him even prouder. "you've earned it, kaito. you've earned everything you're getting here. first place, love and attention from the country and probably the whole world, basically a girlfriend, and some pretty amazing friends, if i do say so myself." xiao explained, cheekily smiling at his comment towards the end. he was right, kaito has earned everything he's getting here, but ultimately it isn't enough. by now, he should be a world famous superstar, touring the world, having millions of fans. but here he is, sitting in a bunk at a competition show, fighting for his own debut. even though he is first, his debut still isn't certain, since the girls eventually will be their main competition. as far as xiao is concerned, he will work hard for kaito, ensuring that the viewers know that the boys will be the better vote, as much as he likes hana and wants her to debut.

byun jihye

(kaito, hana, jihye, and xiao: pls help us we just want to be cute and happy

us: well... after we put you through one of the most stressful events that could determine the success or failure of your career, it's all good tho)

jihye smiled at hana's comment about her and xiao confessing wrong. yep, jihye couldn't dig herself out of this one. "okay, maybe kaito and i are a bit closer to actually dating, but i can guarantee xiao's going to ask you out first. he seems like he's wanted to ask you for a while. i bet he’s going to take you out in the city, or somewhere really pretty and ask you. maybe by the river. he seems like the type of guy to ask a girl out by the river. not that i’d know, though.” jihye predicted, giving hana a slight nudge. xiao did seem like a very bold, but traditional type. he’s never kissed hana or made any type of advancing moves on her, he probably doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

then, hana mentioned the finale. they’d all likely make the top thirty, and now top ten was a huge possibility. all four of them need this debut, how would the boys react if the girls won, and how would the girls react if the boys win? surely that wouldn’t get in the way of their friendship, definitely. “well, i’ll be sad for the boys if they don’t win, but i know it’s all up to the viewers to decide. either way, i know xiao and kaito will be happy if we win and we’ll surely be happy for them if they win. no matter what, if we all make top ten, our companies will have to do something with us. they can’t just keep us as trainees when they know how popular we are with the public.” jihye tried her best to explain, hoping she made a little bit of sense.

liu yixiao

xiao's ears started to burn after hearing kaito's compliments. but once his company was mentioned, xiao's smile turned to a small grin, being reminded of the chaos happening within his own company. for xiao, lucky ten served as a safe zone for him, keeping him away from all the drama between the new trainees, furious old trainees, and anyone in between. they were all hopeful for debut, but when new, talented, and more visually appealing boys were being introduced, this made the older trainees feel threatened, as if they're being replaced. it wasn't the first time they heard of this happening, but they hope it wouldn't happen to them. "i'm just glad to have this opportunity. i can show my company i deserve to debut, i met you, hana, jihye, life's been pretty good to be here, other than the stress of coming up with outstanding performances each week." xiao said, looking down at the floor while kaito began talking. "you know what, that is pretty crazy. by now, you'd be debuted already and have the whole world screaming for you, but you're here with all of us. although i know you'd probably say you'd rather be here." as much as everyone loved the idea of being world famous, xiao knew kaito would say he'd rather be here with him, hana, and jihye. mainly jihye, but xiao wasn't going to say that just yet.

xiao got up and leaned on the ladder, since it really wasn't the most comfortable thing to sit on. by then, kaito mentioned still being friends after debut. did xiao really have to make a promise like that? he would do anything to make sure they were still friends after everything involving lucky ten was over. "of course we'll all be friends. i couldn't imagine not being friends with all of you after all this ends, and nobody can really stop us." after kaito mentioned how he'd openly support his group, xiao nodded in agreement. "and i'll do the same for you. it sucks we can't say anything about the girls since fans do get really possessive, but maybe if they mention them in interviews, i guess that'd be appropriate." xiao shrugged, hating the thought of not being able to openly support his potential girlfriend in her own group. he wished fans would be more open to the thought of celebrities dating (boy so do i), but that's just the price they have to pay. maybe as they get older their fans would be more open, but that's years down the line, and nobody can predict what can happen that far down the line.

byun jihye

(they just want to be happy but we're just like, hmm... nah

when will we let them live lol)

jihye laughed at hana's comment, shrugging her shoulders. "i didn't talk to xiao at all about it, but maybe i should tell him you said it was a perfect place." she grinned happily. "anyways, if i'm right, i'll have to take over your psychic business." honestly, jihye was probably never going to let go of the idea of hana possibly being a psychic. hana did say she only predicted the obvious, but it was fun to still joke around about it. as soon as hana mentioned kaito, though, jihye knew the tables have turned. "wait a minute, i never said anything about him, you're the psychic here. but if i had to predict, it'd be somewhere pretty. maybe on a scenic trail or something. those always have the best views." wait, was she really fantasizing about kaito asking her out? it wasn't weird, but it was different for jihye who've never found enough interest in someone to actually sit and think about their future, like when he'd ask her out. kaito really was special.

sighing, jihye leaned back onto the bed, enjoying the feeling of actually being able to lay down for a good night's sleep for the first time in weeks. "if they won't debut us, they'll surely be crazy." with as well as these girls are doing, these companies better know that they have stars on their hands and they'd be losing a lot of opportunities by delaying their debut, yet again. especially when it comes to hana. her future is basically already set, debut and all. but jihye? it all comes down to how much this show can bring in, as greedy as it sounds. "ah, it feels good to be able to actually lay down and get some actual rest. i feel like i haven't slept in weeks." throughout practicing, jihye has spent a total of five hours asleep. she can normally function really well with little to no sleep, but even the most restless people have to sleep sometime.

liu yixiao

xiao nodded, eyes gradually widening in surprise. "really? they're that smart? i mean, i would assume they'd figure some stuff out, but really?" he questioned, doubting the fans' ways of knowing about secret relationships. if they can find that stuff out, what else can they do? "but it's good the don't say anything, that'd be really bad. i can't imagine how bad i'd feel if fans ruined my girlfriend's career after finding out who i'm dating... if i was dating anyone currently." he felt the need to specify, mainly because he knew kaito would try to put his to cents in about him and hana.

when kaito started talking about what happened during lunch, xiao was surprised, again. "did you kiss her again, or did she kiss you?" he asked. it was a bit weird of him to ask for that kind of specifics, but once it left xiao's mouth, there was no going back. "speaking of which, when are you going to ask her out? well, you two are practically already unofficially dating, but when are you going to ask her?" xiao knew it wasn't his place to ask, but he just wanted to see where he was at in this relationship, since it already seems like jihye is already falling head over heels for kaito. for instance: the hand holding, leaning on him at lunch? she was all over him, but in a cute way. he's never seen her act so clingy, not even with her company mates.

as expected, kaito asked xiao about him and hana. sitting back down on the ladder, xiao sighed. "well, we're basically on the same level as you two, but minus the whole kissing parts. she's also been really bold about showing affection, too. the first time she held my hand, she had to apologize. now she just does it because she can, whenever she wants. but i just don't want to cross any boundaries, you know?" talking about hana, xiao's cheeks lit up like red christmas lights, growing hot quickly. he was so incredibly happy with how things are going with hana, but he can't help but think his doubts are holding him back. she she think that they need to have their first kiss soon, since kaito and jihye already did? no, that wasn't it, this isn't a competition. maybe it's because they're still new to each other. the longer xiao and hana get to talk, the more daring he'll be, and soon he'll be his old, fun-loving self.

byun jihye

(that's okay! i was just about to ask when we should timeskip but that question was answered lol)

after hana went up to sleep, jihye said goodnight and tried to sleep herself. well, she didn't try, she basically fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. the next day, she woke up just like any other day. got ready, eaten breakfast, everything was going great. all up until she got the message to go to the lobby. what was going on? were they in trouble? was there something different going on? were they going somewhere? everyone was being called, so it was affecting all trainees. sighing, jihye followed the rest of the girls, unsure what she was in for.

when she got into the lobby, jihye immediately flocked to hana, standing beside her silently. although jihye did want to ask why they were here, but chances are everyone else knew just as much as her. at this point, her best option would to be quiet and wait. lucky for her, she didn't have to wait long. she was waiting to be scolded for breaking some rules or for doing something wrong, but she heard the exact opposite. a break? or more specifically, a three week vacation? to be honest, jihye did need a break, even if she didn't feel like she needed one.

soon after, all the trainees were sent off and everyone went their separate ways. jihye had no clue what to do. she's on her own for three weeks, what should she do? go home and see her family? wait, she isn't alone. she has kaito, hana, and xiao. turning to where she thought hana was, jihye frowned, seeing nobody there. instead, she felt somebody grab her hand. startled, jihye turned around, instantly relaxing as soon as she noticed it was kaito.

she listened to his proposition, leaning in to hear better. he wanted to go to jeju? and then to japan? in other words, he wanted to do everything they talked about when they first met. to be honest, it did seem like a good idea. three weeks alone with kaito, exploring where they both grew up? not going to lie, that sounds like the cutest but longest date idea ever. "are you serious? that sounds awesome, of course i'm in!" she said happily, a smile forming on her face. "how soon do you plan to leave?" she asked, quickly growing in excitement at the idea of showing kaito all around her home, and him showing her around his. her question was probably stupid, considering they may want everyone out of the building before tomorrow, but she just wanted to know more about his plans.

liu yixiao

listening to kaito's words, xiao nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. he was right. everything xiao does with hana is all on their own accord. there's no specified right or wrong time do kiss her, ask her out, or anything like that. they were the ones to judge when was the right time, and xiao really shouldn't worry at all. and most importantly, he should be himself. sighing, xiao began to scale the ladder, seeing that kaito was getting ready to sleep. "you're absolutely right, a-about everything. thank you kaito, i'll leave you alone so you can get some sleep, goodnight." he said, getting settled in his own bed, instantly feeling exhausted. after about ten minutes of being stuck in thought, xiao drifted off to sleep.

xiao woke up fairly early, which is very unusual. normally, others woke him up but he was one of the early birds today. to his surprise, he felt great. he got ready quickly, allowing him to get breakfast before everyone else raided the area, which was amazing. being able to have the most selection is an underappreciated gift. as soon as he finished breakfast, he decided to get a little bit more rest in a lounge chair, since he did have the spare time.

xiao woke up a bit later, being shaken by one of the trainees from his own company, jinhee. he told xiao that they were being called to the lobby for an important announcement. springing up out of his chair, xiao made his way to the lobby, curious and still a bit sleepy. he went to find kaito, but had no luck. instead, he stood with the three other newday trainees, whom he hasn't spoken to in a while, despite the fact they were the only ones he knew before he met kaito. when the staff informed them about their break, xiao sighed in relief. three week break isn't exactly what he had in mind as a gift for doing so well, but he was going to take it happily.

xiao immediately thought about what to do during the break. should him, hana, jihye, and kaito go do something? or, would jihye and kaito want to go on their own? as soon as he could, xiao looked around, trying to spot hana in the midst of all the scattering trainees. he must've been looking in the completely wrong way because he felt a delicate tap on his shoulder and he instantly knew it was hana. turning around, xiao smiled at her, staying quiet so she could talk.

"well, i was thinking about asking a certain someone to spend the break with me, but it looks like they found me before i found them." he said smoothly, gently grabbing hana's hand and taking her away from the main group of conversing trainees so they could hear each other better. "so, i guess we're stuck with each other for three weeks, then. did you have anything in particular you wanted to do? any places you wanted to go? we'll do as much as we can, in the three weeks, of course." xiao offered. to be honest, xiao didn't have any preference in activities, as long as hana went with him. they could spend hours fishing with literally no results and he'd still have the time of his life, just because hana was with him. and whatever hana wanted to do, xiao would make sure they could do as much as possible.

byun jihye

as soon as he mentioned leaving as soon as possible, jihye nodded, thinking about bus times and the fees for the boat ride. getting there wold be the most expensive part of their jeju adventure, considering jihye would find many things there to do and visit for free, aside from food, shopping, and the optional lodging, depending on what kaito wants to do. her family's house was fit for seven people, but since jihye and her older siblings all moved out or don't live there anymore, it's only her parents and little brothers. they could easily stay there, but it'd probably be very uncomfortable since her parents have never met kaito and like hana said, him and jihye are "practically dating."

"that sounds good. and don't worry about paying for any busses or the boat or anything, i can get it since you're getting the plane tickets." she told him with a smile, knowing that they shouldn't take too much time here. the longer they stay here, the less time they have anywhere else. it's not like they were in a rush, but anyone would rather be out in the city or travelling, rather than spend their time stuck in the same building they've been in for weeks.

once everything was sorted out, jihye let kaito go back to his dorm to pack and she went to do the same. luckily for her, jihye was a master at packing and could manage to pack all of her things, with space to spare. jihye wasn't really a high maintenance type either, so she didn't need ten thousand facial products or a huge bag of makeup. although, since they weren't going to be practicing today like she expected earlier, jihye changed into a better choice of clothing, instead of staying in her practice clothes. once she was finished packing, jihye made her way down back to the lobby, right where kaito told her they'd meet.

liu yixiao

(ok listen i know his hair is changing colors like a chameleon but bear with me here, for some reason it's hard finding gifs that fit without looking distorted but i found a few similar ones that work so i'm set for like, a while)

xiao used to have hundreds of things he wanted to do, but as soon as hana asked him what he wanted to do, his mind forgot everything. ever since he arrived in seoul to train, that's all he's done. he's had a few instances of going out to arcades or karaoke places, but those are all typical things anyone can find all over the world. "well, you've been here longer than i have, and i'm technically a newer resident. so what do you recommend we do?"

to be honest, xiao loved using the "i'm new here, what's there to do around here?" card. he wasn't using it out of deception, but rather as a way to see what other people found enjoyable. if he asks hana what is fun in south korea, she's not going to show him something she doesn't like, right? of course. she'll most likely show him something fun that she enjoys and thinks he'll enjoy it as well. xiao saw it as a good way to get to know her, without having to ask all those interrogational questions. also, he was basically new here. being stuck travelling from his own dorm to the studio to practice, he wouldn't consider that as any type of city experience.

if anything, this is exactly how xiao would want to see the country. three weeks alone with the girl he likes, exploring and making their own memories from everyday places. memories that only they will know. all this time, xiao has never gotten as much time alone with hana as he thinks. and most likely, these three weeks will be the last time any of them spend time as "normal" people, rather than idols. a completely free schedule, no plans, managers, or anyone overlooking everything they do. it's a completely free vacation, minus the price.

byun jihye

(it's okay! i do that all the time!)

when jihye saw kaito approaching, she couldn’t help but smile. their three week adventure was finally beginning, and no, it wasn’t a dream. as soon as they were ready to go, jihye walked outside with kaito right beside her. “there’s one over here that should take us directly to the main terminal, and the busses there can take us to the boat to jeju. if we don’t get lost, we can get onto the bus that arrives at the coast right at lunchtime. then, it’ll take a couple of hours to wait and then then we can take the boat to jeju.” jihye explained, going through the steps of what she always did with her family whenever they visited seoul. it was a simple process, but very time consuming. on the way, they can either talk the whole way or have the stereotypical “sleeping on their shoulders” scenario happen.

suddenly, a thought came to her mind while she was thinking of what to do in jeju. many things regular tourists do require a lot of walking. what if kaito doesn’t want to do a lot of strenuous activity?this is a break from the stress that is constant practices and body strain, so would he rather do more relaxing things? “just so i don’t get the wrong ideas for things to do, is there anything you don’t want to do? like, hiking, for example?” one of the main tourist-ish things to do in jeju is to hike to the mountain summit, which has the best view of the island. obviously, since it’s the highest peak and overlooks everything. if they have time, jihye would love to spend a day alone with kaito, exploring the mountain all the way to the top, but if he didn’t want to do anything that strenuous, jihye did have other ideas.

mainly, jihye wanted to show kaito some various scenic and oceanic sites that have some of the prettiest views on the island. in jeju city, jihye wanted to take him on a small trail a little bit west of the airport. it was a fairly small walking path, but it was close to the coastline and led to a very open spot that had perfect views of both the sunset and the mountain. there was also the entire city to explore. dongmun market was one of her favorite places to go as a kid, so that’s definitely on the list. outside of jeju, there’s also the cheonjiyeon waterfalls, which is one of jihye’s main destinations to go to. the falls are absolutely gorgeous, and they say the walk to and from the area at sunset is extremely romantic. but if kaito asks, jihye “somehow” never knew about it. but the falls are on the complete other side of the island, so maybe she can convince kaito to stay over there for a couple of days. but above all, since jihye would be around for the last time in who knows how long, jshe wanted to see her family. well, her parents and younger brothers. her older siblings both moved away for school, so they weren’t around anymore. but again, she’ll have to bring that up to kaito. it’s awkward meeting the family of a friend, or a soon-to-be girlfriend. although, jihye’s parents were very open to meeting new people, regardless if they have a romantic interest in their kids or not. at the end of the day, if kaito doesn’t feel comfortable meeting jihye’s family yet, he doesn’t have to.

when they got to the bus stop, jihye immediately checked the time for the next arriving bus. conveniently, the next bus should be arriving shortly, “we made it at the right time, it looks like.” she said, looking up at kaito. seeing him outside of the main building, outside of practice and performing, he almost looked like a completely different person.in a good way, not a bad way. he looked so laid back and definitely like he came straight out of an aesthetic tumblr page. boyfriend material? most definitely. it’s easy to see why girls and boys all around the world voted him in first, he’s got the talent, looks, personality, everything about him just screams “i’m the one you all should pay attention to.”

liu yixiao

hearing about how the whole trip would be a surprise, xiao widened his eyes. a surprise? that only made xiao more eager to get this trip started. he gave hana a nod and smile to show he understood what she was saying and they later separated. on his walk to his dorm, xiao thought all about what kaito told him the night before. he should be able to tell when the right time to ask out, or even kiss with hana would be. nobody else is there to tell him what to do, so now it is his time to take initiative. while they’re on this trip together, xiao made the plan to ask her to be his girlfriend. since the activities were a surprise, he now has to make a sudden impulse decision and tell when the right time is. but if she was thinking the same thing as him, she’d take him to some very scenic or beautiful places, or even places that mean a lot to her. those are the best places to ask someone out. they’ll have a special place in her heart and xiao wanted to make the place even more special, allowing that place to be a beautiful memory for only them.

when he arrived at his dorm, he instantly grabbed everything he needed and packed them neatly together. in the midst of his packing, xiao noticed kaito was already gone. he’s got plans of his own and if he’s smart, he’ll take advantage of this break and spend all that time with jihye, which is probably what he had in mind. being a foreigner in the city was tough, especially when you don’t know many people aside from the ones you train with. travelling becomes boring when you travel alone, so there was no doubt in xiao’s mind that he asked jihye to stay with him, wherever they went. shaking his head, xiao grabbed all of the things he needed and headed out, looking back twice to make sure he remembered everything, even though he was fully packed the first time.

when he reached the lobby, he immediately went to hana’s side, smiling with excitement. “are you ready to go? we have the whole day, and three weeks ahead of us.” by now, it was clear to see he was extremely excited about this break. it was mainly because he’d be spending it with hana, but if she asks, he’s just happy to be exploring the country with her as his guide.

since xiao had no clue what hana had in mind, he was just a mere follower and had to wait for her to tell him where to go. otherwise, he’d look like a complete idiot trying to figure out where to go while she knows the entire time. it’d be more embarrassing if he was trying to go in the complete opposite direction. but maybe she’d find it cute if he kept trying to help, but ends up not helping at all. after all, he’s still just a foreigner who doesn’t know any better. it’s like he’s a little kid again, trying to navigate their house by themselves for the first time, only he isn’t a baby and the house has now turned into a whole country.