Game Of Survival | Yang Jungwon

76

Jungwon's POV

I look around the room.

We've all been drained recently.

I can see the teams head isn't where it's supposed to be, and their mind is somewhere else.

"C'mon, everyone in a circle."

Everyone looks at me weirdly but does what I say anyways. We're in the dance practice room and we're having a break, so I'll talk about it now.

"What's been bothering you guys?" I ask them, receiving weird stares. "Work has been more tiring than usual right? Practices haven't been the same, I can tell when promoting you guys aren't as happier. So what's up."

They all stay silent.

"It feels.. wrong? Everything feels out of place and I don't know why?" Niki speaks up first. I nod along with him, understanding his point.

"Are we all feeling that?" I ask them, looking around to see all their heads nod. "Where does it feel out of place? And when?" I ask them, and once again I'm met with silence.

"Practices? Promotions?" Jay starts off, everyone agreeing. "Mornings, Dinners." Sunoo adds. "What exactly does it feel like?" I ask them.

I knew what the problem was, but I was waiting for them to realise.

I made eye contact with Heeseung, and I could tell he knew too.

"Like something's missing." Jake says quietly.

"Like someone's missing." Sunghoon corrects his mistake, his voice even quieter.

"It's Lilia."

Heeseung finally speaks up, and they all keep their heads down.

"I wake up, walk into her room ready to scare her awake, but all I see is a room with a mattress." Niki starts off again and my eyes cast down to the floor.

I walk into her room at night when I have nightmares, and she isn't there.

"I cook enough for an extra person." Jay says, causing Jake's head to pop up. "I set the table for 8 people." He says, and I remember the times when I see an empty plate there.

"In promotions, I used to ask her for help before the stage on details and everything. But each time I look for her, she isn't there."

We all nod at Sunoo.

"I wait at practices for her, she led us in these areas. She remembered everything. She knew how to make us improve individually.. and now.." Jay starts off, not being able to find the words,

"I feel lost? Out of place? She'd help me find my direction, but she isn't here to do that anymore." Sunghoon finishes.

"I'd find these funny things to laugh at, these jokes and things to tease her with, but she wouldn't be there. I'd look at everyone when we're out, counting the heads, but.."

"But you'd count 7 including yourself and panic right? Trying to find the missing one." I finish off Heeseung's comment and he nods.

I did that too.

"We've all been impacted by her absence haven't we?" I tell them, and they nod once again. "Does anyone have an idea of what we can do to cope with it?"

A deafening silence fills the room.

And even I can't avoid it.

Minhyuks POV

(Manager^)

I step away from the room. Their silence on a solution answered my question.