Burning Flame (K.Sn)

| 31 |

I had enjoyed staying in the yellow room for longer than the other rooms, we had had loads of fun in our room. So when we found out the elimination wouldn't take place right away, the three of us were all quite excited to say the least.

"Lin, can you help me button the shoulder?" Sunoo spoke up and I looked over at him, his vest standing open by his shoulder.

I nodded silently before walking over and quickly buttoning him up earning a small smile from him.

"You are quite beside yourself, aren't you?" K questioned in amusement as I walked back and continued to pack my bag.

"It's just that it is global votes," I shrugged, "they just make me more nervous."

"Because they were so low last time?" Sunoo questioned and I silently nodded at him, "ah, but Lin!" he loudly wined before walking over and shaking my shoulders, making a small smile appear on my lips, "you won't get eliminated, I'm sure of it."

"If not me, then who?" I questioned him softly, making his smile drop immediately as he just stared at me in confusion.

"Yah, don't think like that," he complained to me, "why are you suddenly so negative?"

"I'm not negative, I'm realistic," I softly corrected him and removed his hands from my shoulders, "I can't always be bubbly and positive."

"Well... if you're not getting eliminated then I am," he stated stubbornly making me let out a small laugh.

"Are you even hearing yourself right now?" I questioned in disbelief and he just nodded, "Sunoo, you don't want to be eliminated."

"I'd rather be eliminated than you be," he stated, "you've tried too many times, this is your turn to debut."

"You're cute," I patted his head softly making him just stare at me in shock, "but I might just have used up all my luck. So today is gonna be like it's gonna be," I shrugged at him, "if I don't debut, I don't debut."

"But what will you do then?" he questioned making me look over at K who glanced up at us with an unsure look as Sunoo plopped down beside my bag.

"I don't think you should tell him," K shook his head at me and I just hummed before looking down at Sunoo.

"Tell me what?" Sunoo frowned up at me and I let out a small sigh.

"If I don't debut now, I'll go back home and stop training," I carefully told him, making his eyes widen at me.

"No, no, no. You can't just stop, Lin you're literally already at the point where you could debut," he pointed out to me, "you can't just give up."

"Sunoo... I've trained for two years, I've had three chances to debut before this. If it isn't now, it's just not going to happen," I excused with a small shrug and zipped up my bag.

"So... you're just gonna leave?" he questioned and I nodded at him.

"Well... if I can travel out of the country, I don't exactly know how the pandemic has been going on whilst we were in here," I excused with a shrug, "but I count on being able to catch a plane home."

"Oh yeah... you're foreign too," he realized in a mutter.

"Too?" I questioned in amusement.

"Yeah... sorry... it's just... you're not only gonna stop training or go home, your home is actually in a completely other country," he excused with a small wave of the hand.

"Sunoo... are you sad now?" I questioned and he just nodded slightly as he looked down with a pout.

"I had hoped you could stay around for some time, to be honest," he admitted with a small laugh, "I guess I'm just pathetic."

"Hey..." I cooed at him before sitting down and wrapping an arm around him, "I promise to come and visit whenever I can afford it. Jay had me write down my phonenumber back in part one, ask him for it."

"But I just want... I want you to be... here," he sighed and I just hummed at him as he pouted down at the floor.

"You know... sometimes people or things are separated to meet at a better time in their lives. Maybe... we'll meet again when we're at a better place and... you know... then it'll be better," I pointed out to him and he just let out another huff before placing his head on my shoulder, making me reach over and ruffle his hair, "it'll be alright, I promise that."

The time that passed between that moment to the elimination seemed to pass by in a flash, before I knew it I stood left on the stage with Daniel and Taki, as we watched Niki in front of us as he continued to walk over to the egg. Looking back at us once before the egg had turned around.

"It's gonna be fine boys," I assured and patted both Daniel's and Taki's backs, making both of them hum.

"Placing 10th... Daniel."

I smiled warmly before pulling Daniel into a tight hug along with Taki, before we both watched him go forward.

"Noona," Taki whispered and I hummed before looking over at him with a soft smile, "I think I'll get eliminated.

"Not a chance," I shook my head at him and wrapped my arm around his shoulders, "not if it's up to me."

We both watched as Daniel said what he had to say before Taki and I was asked to step up on two pedestals, just to wait for an excruciating amount of time.

"Taki?" I whispered as we both waited, looking over at the younger boy with a small smile. He immediately turned his head to me, "it's gonna be alright."

He silently nodded at me before we both turned back to look at the monitor.

"The last surviving I-lander is... Lin."

My eyes widened at the monitor before I looked over at Taki in shock, he looked just as shocked as me.

"Survivor Lin, please share your thoughts."

I looked up to the producers in confusion, before looking back at Taki who just nodded at me. He was clearly on the verge of tears. I couldn't help it, I just rushed straight over to him and hugged him tightly, completely ignoring the microphone that was being forced into my hand by a staff member.

"Lin, please share your thoughts," Shihyuk spoke up and I just shook my head as Taki softly pushed me away and just nodded at me.

"I..." I slowly trailed off as I looked back up at the producers and they all gestured to my microphone, making me immediately raise it, "I... as grateful and happy I am for the amount of global votes I've recieved, I can't help but disagree. Taki has been working so hard and I'd rather not watch him go now. But... I'll give a promise to work even harder to debut, for Taki," I stated and smiled at Taki who just nodded at me.

"Survivor Lin, please move to I-Land."

I let out a small sigh and nodded before Taki, who once again just nodded before looking down.

"You'll debut, I'm sure of it," I assured him and he just nodded before I softly patted his back and continued over towards the egg.

As it began turning I let out a deep breath before immediately crouching down and grabbing onto my head.

"Pull yourself together," I muttered before standing up and rubbing my palms on my pants, before it had turned completely and I stepped out of the egg.

I was met with the sight of all the boys standing around in distress, comforting each other as I just slowly stepped down the stairs and just plopped down on one of the steps, staring out into the blue in shock.

"You know... it's alright," Sunoo assured and sat down beside me, laying his hand on my back as I just nodded.