Part 2 of the A Stranger In The Plane

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"Do you know what you'd like to do after our debut?", One of my co-trainees asked this morning on the practice room and it got me thinking even after when we were done.

What do I'd like to do?

I got my answer as we walked out of the Bighit building and I saw on the big screen displaying in the lobby showed the I-Land previews along with it's trainees.

I'd like to see him.

Jake Shim.

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Being a foreigner trainee has it's ups and downs. Apart from needing to know the cultures and learn the language, I was requested by the manager to keep in shape and practice my skills all the time. She said you never know when Bang Pd-nim would decide to put you in the spotlight before your debut.

On my first day as a trainee, I literally hide all the time from the attention of the mentors. I don't even talk to the other trainees for a few days and thankfully, they understood or else, I wouldn't survive until now. The thing is, all I can say, I'm glad I chose to be here.

Instead of listening to the people back home.

What makes it better since I got here, I'ved overcome my shyness. I can now freely interact to anyone without getting anxious.

The thing is, there's a big reason why I badly wanted to not be shy. It's because of him.

"Y/N! The I-Land is already starting. Come on!"

Preparing a food to eat for what we will be watching, I hastily picked up the bowl and the drinks when I heard Hana called for me from the living room. The others were already there, sitting on the couch, on the floor. They left a space for me in the center, knowing I really waited for this.

"Oh my god!", Tori, the taiwanese among us, screamed out in glee as the show started.

Jake walked in first with the other two boys, Sunoo and Youngbin in the stage where they all oohed and aahed in the whole premises. I smiled as I watched him, knowing that I met him in a plane of all places. Then one day, I was surprised to find out we were on the same company yet we never see each other anywhere in Bighit.

Afterwards, once all the 23 trainees had been introduced group by group, the performances begins with Seon. All of us together in front of the television, gasped on the way of voting to only keep 12 boys on the I-land and those who could not pass, will go to the ground.

"Wow. I really hope there wouldn't be a show for girls or we could be targeted", Chaerin commented in worry, making the rest of us nods to her.

"If that happens, I don't know how I will betray any of you", Hana joked to ease up the situation. "Maybe the first I will choose is Tori for being a mess in our shared room"

Tori retaliated by throwing a pillow on her face and flicked her tounge in Hana's direction like the little kid that she is. They will continue to this banter but Chaerin put a stop to it, liking for everyone to focus.

"If you didn't want to watch, go inside your rooms. I'm watching my favorite Heeseung here", She says, glaring at everyone who dares to talk again.

Indeed, no one did.

We were all scared of her sometimes as she is the future leader. She is the older and the longest trainees from all of us, you see

Throughout the show, We have mixed reactions in all the things that had happened. From Hanbin being the first to not pass, the trainees not having idea at first if they will all vote for Seon and the rest. Chaerin, a fan of Heeseung since she saw him before training with the TXT boys, clapped gleefully on his time of performing 'Boss' by NCT.

At last, the group I'm waiting for the most gets up on the stage. This is the moment where Tori, Chaerin and Hana looked at my way, all wearing a smirk. They know all too well how I had been longing to see the person wearing a brown flannel shirt and I won't ever deny that yes, I liked him.

"Do you think I could see him again?", I asked as I kept my eyes on him the whole time he performs 'Crown' and in the ending pose, I did see the smile he has thrown on me freely that time we met.

Glancing away from the screen for a second, Hana looked back at me and answers. "Who knows"

"I think maybe after he got out of I-Land, you can meet him if we're able to talk to them", Tori added.

And right then, right there as the three got quiet shifting back to the screen, I knew it might be too impossible to meet him again. What with him being famous now and all.

Plus, Could he even remember the tounge tied girl he talked to a year ago?

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The camera clicks and whirs as the assistant of the photographer signals for us to do different poses; we even changes outfit a lot; then for the photo they will used on our debut album, the part we loved the most because we looked badass in all-black outfit and our bleached hair shine through the takes of pictures.

We were really supposed to go home after that, being told to rest for tommorow. Not anymore when we heard some of the staffs murmuring about the next group they'll be working for and my heart jumped up at the mention that it's them.

This my chance.

"Umn.. Manager Lee?", I asks quietly, already dressed on my normal clothes when I approached her.

"Yes, Y/N?", The manager of ours turned to me, smiling. My co-members were still on the dressing room, they already encouraged me to do this no matter what.

"I want to stay here. Is it okay?" She looks over at me, curious as to why I will want to stay here in this cramped studio but I don't want to say the reason why.

"Is there something you still haven't done?" I shook my head.

"Then what?"

"I--", I stopped myself, suddenly finding it hard to explain why I needed to stay. If I say I want to see Jake, for sure, she will make me go home as it's prohibited for girls and boys to interact who were idols.

"Oh, wait. Do you want to see the I-Land boys?"

Because of this question, Everyone in the room looked at our direction. The photographer fixing the angle of the lighting, the stylists changing the outfits from girls and for boys and Manager Lee who looked suspicious of me. Only the noises of the equipments is what I could hear but it doesn't matter even if all of them were looking.

What matters the most is seeing the person who have made my time on my first flight enjoyable.

"It's just.. Manager..", I trailed off, searching for the acceptable words so that I could stay. "Please let me stay here in a short time"

She was silent for a moment, making me think she wouldn't say yes but at the last minute, She looked back at me and narrowed her eyes.

"Are you a fan of them?"

"Yes", I answer faster than I could.

"Then go at the lobby. You will see them there"

I was shocked at first, not believing my luck yet before she could think of changing her mind, I'm already at the door, rushing along the hallway. I have no idea what I will say to him, to be honest. Nevertheless, the belief of not getting a chance with someone like him-- so friendly and happy guy-- had led me to break all the rules in my head.

Before; going for a guy like this, It's a social suicide for me, not wanting to embarass myself for the sake of someone. I prioritised my image and my own dignity. Now what? I ignored my former beliefs in order to see that face I only saw in the screen lately.

Panting, once I reached the floor of the lobby, I did not give myself time to rest as I looked around, searching for him immediately. Many people were roaming around, going on their ways to their business here. They all ignored me or hadn't noticed as suddenly a group of guys stepped inside and the guards all run to stop their fans from following them.

Finally, I spotted him chatting happily with Sunghoon and Jay in the back of their group, looking handsome as the day I last saw him waving at me. He looks slightly younger on his new haircut, almost as if his aging backwards.

Watching him, I hide myself behind a pillar feeling a sudden bout of shyness. Wait? Why is it coming back? Why am I like this again?

But before I can completely hide myself from him, my heart lurches when his eyes looked away from his friends and find it making contant on mine.

His eyes widens. There were so many things I'd like to say to him, some words I couldn't say because of not seeing him for almost a year. Now that he's here, slowly stopping and being called by his friends, I find myself speechless and think this was a mistake.

With that on my mind, I turned to walk away, to returnd back to my waiting friends in our dressing room then I heard it, his familiar warm voice calling for my name.

"Y/N! Stop!"

And I did.

Turning my head on his direction, I smiled at the sight of him running towards me and become a blushing mess as soon as he pulled me into an embrace.

"I'd never thought I see you again" He whispered, and I closed my eyes, hugging him in return.