Fate | Jakehoon

chapter 0: i-land

Sunghoon had expected I-LAND to be a fierce competition with intensive training, where everyone would only look out for themselves. He was mostly right, especially when it came to the 'training' part, and it was even more of a hell when it came to being filmed 24/7 with barely any privacy during bathroom breaks and nighttime. He was wrong when it came to the 'making friends' part because even though in the first part of the show they had to vote each other out to the ground, they still managed to form quite good relationships with each other. Naturally, some people were closer than others but that was bound to happen. You couldn't expect 23 boys that had never interacted prior to this competition, to be best friends in a survival show (nor in any other context to be honest).

Sunghoon had entered I-LAND with the added bonus of being able to call Jay a friend (although they had been forbidden to interact for a few months until their audition unit was formed), which was something he was very grateful for.

"The third debut member who placed third in the global voting is...Jake!" the presenter announces and Sunghoon's head immediately turns towards the black-haired boy.

One thing Sunghoon didn't expected during his time in I-LAND was finding another person similar to him. Somebody he can connect with in a way that he couldn't before with anyone. That person is Shim Jake.
When he first saw Jake at the I-LAND photoshoot, he thought the boy was really handsome. Fast forward two weeks later, Sunghoon found out that there was much more to Jake Shim than just his pretty face.

The first time Jake spoke to him and Jay, thanking them both for voting him into I-LAND, Sunghoon noticed a familiar voice that he couldn't really recognise in the moment. He would later find out that they had both met, by chance, in the BigHit building, months earlier.
The first mission when all the I-LAND trainees had to perform a song together was the beginning of his friendship with Jake. During those days of filming, Jake seemed to constantly appear by Sunghoon's side and initiate random conversations with him. They were both born in the same year (2002) with not even a month apart, they both had a dog, which they absolutely adored, and they were introverts.
Initially, Sunghoon was quite shocked at himself for opening up so fast to Jake but whenever they were together, the words just seemed to come out, without overthinking. It took Jay almost two months to befriend Sunghoon and the former was doing all the work. With Jake, it was different. It felt easy to talk about himself.

Looking at Jake now, his eyes swollen from crying, Sunghoon feels a sense of relief and happiness for his best friend's guaranteed debut. After all the good and bad moments, they had been through together, on and off camera, he can call Jake his best friend now. Some would say that it'd be too soon to call someone your best friend, after only knowing them for a few months but Sunghoon is sure.
Time doesn't matter...only how you feel does.

As he watches Jake take his rightful spot, Sunghoon rememberes the most meaningful moment in the show for him.

The night when all the remaining eleven trainees were asked by the staff to gather in the garden for a surprise. A big screen was waiting there for the boys, as they sat down on the wooden benches. A message that read "What do you want to say to your fellow i-landers?" appeared on the screen and Sunghoon recalled it being asked in one of his interviews. The staff had asked him to pick a random piece of paper from a bowl and he got Sunoo, but he was unaware of who got him.
The messages started with K, who had picked Ni-Ki, and it was then followed by Jake.

"Sunghoon, we have similar personalities, so we became friends very quickly, it was great. When I was having a hard time, you looked after me. Thank you so much for that. When you're having a hard time, I'll be there for you." and Sunghoon couldn't stop his tears from falling. He never cried in front of people and Jay was there to confirm it.
Maybe it was because of the pressure, of all the mixed emotions he felt at that uncertain moment in time, regarding his next step. Or maybe it was the comforting words that he needed to hear in order to go forward with no regrets. Maybe it was everything, hitting all at once.
However, Sunghoon was certain that from that day on, he would call Jake his best friend.