⌗ 𝗜-𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦ᝰ₀₀
❍𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜-𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗⊹ ˑ ִ ֗

the whole group of i-landers stood in the practice room, eyes watching the producers.

"Are we still waiting on someone?" Rain questioned as he lifted his eyes from his clipboard.

At that moment, Iseul's figure had opened the practice room door in haste.

"So sorry!" She apologized to the producers as she scurried over to Yingying who had her lips pursed to restrain herself from laughing.

Rain and Sung-Deok couldn't help but share a little chuckle at the young girl.

The mid-evaluation had began and the vocal duo's, Geonu and Heeseung as well as Seon and Jaebeom performed first.

Everyone was relieved when the pair's received compliments.

Next, was the dance performers and yingying had to calm herself mentally before beginning.

the trio begun dancing, hoping to live up to the expectations the producers set for them. Yingying did her best, keeping her moves strong. When it came to the free choreographed part, she tried even harder because it had been what K and herself choreographed.

Luckily enough, when they had finished, the free choreograph section had been their favourite.

"You choreographed this part, correct?" Sung-Deok asked, directing his question to K.

The boy was quick to deny, "This had been both Yingying and I."

"Oh, my apologies Yingying," the male said to the girl.

"Two amazing choreographers we have here," Rain complimented the two.

everyone continued their practices and yingying had decided to go off on her own.

The girl was dancing her part as usual. Choreographing half of the freestyle section alongside K, you would believe that she would be fairly confident in her part but at this moment, the chinese girl couldn't feel more stressed.

Everything had been going fine for Yingying up until a certain part in the choreo during the second song where she had to kove to the front and do a spin.

Majority of the time, the former ballerina did it perfectly but maybe it was the stress of the coming performing or the extreme lack of sleep, but no matter how many times she did it, she would either land unevenly or completely miss the landing and fall to her knees, causing dark bruises.

"Come on!" Yingying slapped the floor in frustration as she fell for what felt like the 100th time.

She attempted to stand up but it was as if all the previous leg and feet pain she would usually feel during ballet practice kicked back in and she fell back down.

When she didn't have the energy to push herself back up, Yingying began to panic. Not because she couldn't get up but because she couldn't continue to practice.

No matter how desperately Yingying wanted to get back up, she couldn't and she began to panic.

"Come on," she said in a more breathy voice, no longer angry but scared.

Her breathing intensified and it had got to the point where Yingying had to clutch her shirt because she felt like she was suffocating.

"Yingying, I brought you so-" Iseul's cheery voice entered to small practice room only to suddenly stop at the sight of Yingying's trembling figure leaning on the mirror.

"Eonnie!" The young girl shouted in panic, only alerting the hyperventilating girl and making her jump.

Iseul knelt in front of Yingying and she herself was sent in a panic. All the calming techniques she had been taught during her hospital days had gone completely out the window.

"Yingying eonnie...Eonnie," she mumbled for older girl again and again.

The young girl was rendered back to a scared, clueless little girl who wanted to help but had forgotten how to.

"Help, get help," Iseul reminded herself before getting to her feet in a rush and running out the door.

"Oppa! Help!" She called out for someone.

The boys that were in the surrounding area heard the youngest trainee's call and all rushed over to her.

"What's wrong, Iseul?" Youngbin questioned.

Iseul pointed in the room and although she was a stuttering mess, she had finally formed a sentence, "Yingying's having a panic attack!"

K, being the oldest, had gone in first.

The others, giving the pair some space, stayed by the door.

Youngbin and EJ were carefully hugging Iseul who was watching her eonnie with the utmost attention.

"Yingying, it's me K," the japanese boy started, "I need you to slow your breathing okay?"

Everyone watched as K began a breathing exercise with Yingying who seemed to already be calming down.

It had taken the oldest boy a few minutes but he had eventually been able to place a gentle hand on the girls shoulder and hold her until she stopped shaking.

The pain in Yingyings chest had eased, still a dull feeling left in its place but now she was able to loft her head and look around.

Even though K had been the one in front of her, she immediately looked towards the group of boys staring.

Her eyes fell on Iseul, panicked eyes meeting another set of panicked eyes.

Both girls weren't in the calmest state but like usual, they were able to tell what the other was thinking.

"Do you all mind going upstairs or somewhere else?" Iseul whispered to the boys.

No one questioned the young girls order, just nodding and deciding to let the chinese trainee have some space.

"What happened?" K asked Yingying in a soft tone.

Glancing at Iseul, who gave her a supportive smile, Yingying explained everything that happened with a shaky breath.

K had given his whole attention to the girl. He comforted her as if she was his own younger sister and after he was able to get her relatively calm, he instructed her to go have a shower and get some rest.

Yingying wanted to argue but K insisted, using his older status to get her to listen.

So with a huff, she did as he said, Iseul deciding to follow along. Where Yingying went, Iseul was close behind. The chinese girl knew what Iseul was doing. The young trainee was worried for her eonnie but didn't want to show it so she just followed her and did what she did best, talking about everything and anything to distract her.

Yingying was grateful for this but she had eventually told the girl that she was okay and was going to go for that nap K told her to have.

So with a warm hug from Iseul, the girl left.

Laying down her head, the female trainee just stared at at the wall with a blank face and head.

A few minutes passed and the girl was still not asleep and just when she was about to give up, a knock on the door alerted her.

"I'm coming in," a voice called out and the door slowly creaked open.

Yingying sat up from the warmth of the blankets and a smile found its way on her lips when it was none other than the former ice skater ( again?! ).

"Oh sunghoon, hey," she greeted the boy who closed the door and walked over to her with something in his hand.

the boy gave a smile and sat on the side of her bed and stuck out his hand. In his hand was a small banana milk bottle.

"for you," he shyly stated.

yingying grinned as she took it, "how did you know banana was my favourite?"

"you're always drinking one during practice," sunghoon explained before he let out an embarrassed yet amused laugh, "and um...iseul told me."

the chinese girl nodded with as she took a sip of her milk.

"This was definitely what I needed," Yingying said as she leaned back on the headboard.

Sunghoon looked at the girl and when she met his eyes, she immediately spoke up, "I'd really appreciate it if we didn't talk about what happened today please?" Yingying wasn't in the mood to talk about what happened and from the boys look on his face, she knew he was going to ask.

"Okay, I won't," he nodded in understanding before he tilted his hair in interest, "although there is something I want to ask."

"Shoot away"

"How do you dance with asthma?" He asked curiously making the girl laugh, "it's a genuine question okay!"

"Not without lots of difficulty but I got uses to it while I did Ballet," Yingying answered, "if I push myself too hard it gets really hard to sing and dance sometimes though."

Yingying had reached under her pillow and in her hand was her inhaler. Showing it to Sunghoon, the boy noticed some words on it.

"It i-isnt easy being wheezy" he read in his very korean accent making the girl giggle.

"One of my brothers drew this on my inhaler before I left for korea," she explained as she gently held the inhaler, "he's the reason I'm here in the first place. So I owe it to him to make it big."

Sunghoon was going to question the girl again but he stopped himself, knowing she probably wouldn't want to talk about that either.

Looking at the clock on the wall, "are you going to bed anytime soon?"

"Probably not, I couldn't get to sleep even before you got here, " Yingying stated honestly.

Next thing the girl knew, the boy had made himself comfortable on the edge of her bed, laying on his side, head propped up on his hand as he sipped his own strawberry milk.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a little smirk.

"Well I have no more practicing to do," he shrugged, "so I'll keep you company."

The girl didn't argue, knowing she would rather spend her time doing something rather than staring at the ceiling,with to her own thoughts.

So the two spent the next few hours chatting away, taling about anything and everything. Sunghoon even got to here Yingying's very strong Aussie accent making him laugh.

Meanwhile, a figure was peaking through the door.

"My plans always work," Iseul hummed quietly before turning on her heel and skipping away.