The Last Call | An Iz*One Journey

Chapter 23: Mafia in the Evening

Minju's POV

"Minju? Are you feeling better?" Hitomi's soft voice reached my ears, rousing me awake from one slumber to another lullaby. I rubbed my eye groggily with my uninjured arm, nodding my head in reply. "We're all about to have dinner together downstairs - would you like to join us?"

"That would be wonderful. I'll come down in a bit." I waved her away, as Hitomi made her way down to the communal area, most likely where the other members were too. The second floor of the cabin was basically empty without a single soul in sight. Pausing for a moment, I remembered how the five had ventured in search for the radio station, hoping to get in touch with the outside world for help.

Looking outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun had vanished from the horizon, beneath the mountains far and beyond. Without thought, a smile emerged from within me, amused at how much I had been sleeping as a result of my injury. It wasn't a serious wound in the first place - perhaps I was hibernating with the lack of food we were ingesting. Roasted wild game and bushes were not even sufficient for any of us - who had been so active with our packed schedules and henceforth developing high metabolisms. Now, it felt like a battle between eating enough and starving.

Downstairs, I noted that Hitomi and Nako still needed a little more time with dinner. They chased me away as soon as I offered to help, so I ended up finding Eunbi seated by the front porch of the cabin.

"Eunbi-unnie? Can I sit here?" I asked, referring to the spot just right beside her. She turned to acknowledge my presence, then invited me to join her on the wooden floor outside the cabin. As soon as I sat on the icy floor, she immediately draped her blanket around my back, sharing the warmth she held in her with me. It was hearty and soothing to have someone of a motherly-figure care for you. In times like this, it might just be what we needed - someone to look over us.

"I hope you're feeling better," Eunbi looked at my arm, making a long face as she was ridden with remorse, "I should have been more careful with Sakura."

"Please don't blame her... I'm sure it was just an impulse move. Sakura-unnie is just like that, right?"

She sighed. Her eyes searched amid the leaden skies in front of us, leached of any colour as night descended upon us. Tonight, the world above was an empty patch of darkness - adding to the cold and hostility of the open breeze. Eunbi did not say another word, likely in a long internal deliberation on how to deal with Sakura. She was an individual who stood strongly for the values she believed in, but that also contributed to her hardiness and reluctance to listen to others' opinions.

"Unnie..." I exhaled, confessing,

"I don't want to go back."

"EH? Wae?"

"I'm tired of being called a visual with no talent. I've tried my best to improve my singing, dancing and rapping... but everyone just thinks I'm terrible."

Eunbi grabbed my hand by the cheeks, turning my face to regard her. "You're kidding. Do you know how many Wiz*ones have commented on your improvement over the past two years?" She questioned me in an encouraging manner. "The fans who love you, will always acknowledge your efforts. And you have put in a lot of effort, Minju."

"..."

"Just focus on the fans who love us. They help us become better versions of ourselves. Because we know that they are cheering us on to."

"Arasso, unnie. Mianhae. I'm always making you worried."

"Gwaenchana... You'll always be my adorable Minju," she sang, pulling me into a headlock as she ruffled my hair, making a mess out of my already untidy mop of hair.