Leo stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. What Ridley said to him made him feel happy, yet nervous at the same time. While all the boys snored and talked in their sleep, Leo sighed and let his mind wander. 

"I wonder what we'll do next.." he thought

----

Rovix rolled through the astronomy lab quietly, thinking and processing his thoughts and refreshing his memories over and over. He couldn't let his memories of his friend, Hyuk, go bad. 

Soon, Rovix finally stopped in front of a wall lined with monitors, and at the bottom of one monitor was a USB port. 

Rovix plugged in his USB wire into the port and the screen flashed on..

"MMMMM-y naa-me i-s Rovix" Rovix said out loud as he typed it onto the screen. The computer start to buzz, then started to talk back

"Hello, Rovix. How can I help you today?" the computer asked

"Se-eeeend Hyuk to spaaaaace"

----

"Hyung.. Have you seen Rovix at all lately?" Hyuk ran up to Ken and asked. "No.. I thought you got rid of him" Ken looked at him and said. "I would never do that!" Hyuk said in disbelief, grabbing Ravi's attention. 

"Never do what?" he turned around and asked

"It's nothing" Ken shook his head.

"He thinks I would get rid of Rovix. But I would never do such a thing!" Hyuk shouted

"Who's Rovix?" Ravi asked. 

"A friend o-of mine" Hyuk stuttered

"It's the robot thing.." Ken said to Ravi, who just nodded his head slowly. "You're not mad, hyung?" Hyuk asked. 

"Why would I be mad?" Ravi laughed

"Cause Rovix told on you and Hongbin the other night"

"That's more of Hongbin's problem.. I don't care all that much.." Ravi shrugged, which caught Leo's attention, who was following close behind them with N.

"Well, there are people here that do.. So I suggest you start caring" Leo said just loud enough for them to hear.. "Leo hyung... I'm sorry about the other day. I never got a chance to apologize to you. So I'm sorry" Ravi said sincerely and performed a 90 degree bow in front of Leo, to which he just cracked a small smile. "I accept your apology" he said. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Ravi smiled.

"You can start paying more attention, and helping me when I need it.. You're smart Ravi.. You really are" Leo said..

"Thanks hyung.. I'll try my absolute hardest" Ravi nodded and continued to walk ahead of Leo. Just then, Leo felt someone nudge his side. "I like bromances too. Leo-sshi! Let's have a bromance too!" N smiled to Leo, who just jabbed him in the ribs. 

----

"This... is what you'll all be living in during the next three days.." Ridley stopped at a door and announced to her class.

"What is it?" Hongbin asked

"One of the shortest space shuttle missions was only 108 minutes long.. Though it was not successful, it could happen to you.. So I want to gear you up for an average space shuttle mission with an average duration time of that mission. In here, you'll be living together in a small vessel, very similar in size to the real vessel. We test you in this because we need to check your mental stability" Ridley explained

"What does this have to do with our mental stability?" N asked

"Some of the brightest men and women in the world have gone crazy living in a small confined space like this one with five or more other people, with nothing but just enough food to last them and their other fellow astronauts for comfort. This vessel is very cold and very uncomfortable, which also contributes to deterioation of ones' mental state. This is simply to test your sanity"

"Sounds like fun. Sorta" Ken sighed

"What if something happens?" Ravi asked

"There will be no microphones so I will not be able to talk to you. But I'll be watching through cameras. So if anything does really happen, which I'm sure it won't, I'll be there in a split moment and we'll try again another day"

"How bad does the situation have to be for you to come in and help?" Hyuk asked

"... Let's not think about that right now, Hyuk" Ridley smiled and took out a set of keys to unlock the door, making the maknae swallow the lump in his throat.

"Here you are.." she said and lead the six boys into the small mock shuttle. "Now you guys get a slighlty larger space since there's six of you.. But the real shuttle will be smaller. That door over there is the restroom. I've made a reservation for us to go into the real shuttle to look around. They'll be doing an engine test while we're inside so it'll feel like an actual take-off" Ridley revealed the good news. The boys, included Ravi, beamed and gushed with excitement.

"Oh my gosh, this'll be so cool!" N shouted

"How did you manage to do that?" Ken asked. "Well I was planning on trying to book us a day, but they were all filled up until the end of the semester.. But the computers were tampered with by an external force inside the astronomy lab and when they got them up and running again, all the dates had to be reset and they managed to save a spot for us" Ridley explained. 

"That's gunna be so awesome. I can't wait" Leo smiled

"It will. But first let's get you through this, okay?" she said and started to leave. The boys said goodbye and sat down on the ground. "Three whole days" Hyuk said out loud

"You really think we can do this?" Hongbin asked

"I'm not sure.. Is there going to be a timer or something? I'll definitely lose track of time.." N looked around.

"Well, if they want to make this as real as possible, then no, we won't get a timer" Ken frowned

"Bummer" N muttered. 

Out of nowhere, a bell rang, startling all six of the boys.. "What the heck?" Hyuk shouted

"I think that means the timer has begun.." Leo said as he looked around at the others, hoping they were actually able to do this challenge.

----

2 hours

"I'm bored!" Hyuk sang loudly

"You're hopeless, Hyuk-ah" Ken laughed. "It's only been.. what? 2 and a half hours and you're already complaining??" 

"We should play a game" Hyuk sat up and sat with Ken and Ravi. "I'll pass" Ravi shook his head, making the maknae pout.. "What kind of game?" N asked from across the small room. "I don't know" Hyuk shrugged. 

"Then come back later when you have an actual game to play" Ken said and laid down on the ground. 

8 hours

All of the boys have fallen asleep except for Leo, who sat up and checked cupboards for food. When he finally found the food, all it was was an air-tight plastic bag labeled "ice cream"

"I like ice cream" Leo shrugged and opened the bag. In it was a crusty block of neopaliton "ice cream" 

"What the heck is this?" Leo asked out loud, examining the block of astronaut food. 

Finally, he bit down on it and it broke into his mouth. While he tried to decide whether or not to chew, the ice cream melted in his mouth. He smiled at the taste of chocolate in his mouth and took another bite

12 hours

"Aish, it's so quiet" Ken sprung up from his spot on the ground while the others continued to sleep. 

"I kinda like it" Leo smiled as he read a book he found in the cupboard. "You're not sleeping?" Ken asked

"I have insomnia.. And Ridley never gave me a chance to take my sleeping pills" he sighed and looked back down at the book.. "This book is in english.. Why would they do that?" 

"Wow, seriously? Who do they think we are?" Ken laughed. 

Leo gave up trying to read the foreign language and threw the book down. "I wonder if it's dark outside" Leo said out of nowhere

"You mean.. outSIDE outside?" Ken asked, to which Leo nodded. 

"I wonder what time it is.." Ken sighed. Leo looked down at Hongbin, who was sleeping beside him.. That's when he saw that he was wearing a watch. Leo grabbed Hongbin's arm and read his watch. "4:45am" Leo groaned. "I wonder if the others are doing this.."

"Others as in our roommates?" Ken asked

"Wow, you're full of questions.." Leo shook his head. 

"Well.. I talk a lot when I'm tired.. I'll try sleeping again. You should at least try" 

"Maybe I will.."

"Okay.. goodnight, hyung" Ken smiled and laid back down next to N. Leo yawned and laid down next to Hongbin. "So uncomfortable" Leo sighed out loud before closing his eyes and attempting to sleep. 

-----

20 hours

"Hey, hyung.. Come over here and look at this" Hyuk said to Ravi, who was across the small room. As Ravi made his way over to Hyuk, N pressed a button that made a table unfold out of the wall. Ravi wasn't quick enough and hit his head on it, making a loud thud noise

"KYAHH!" Ravi yelled out in pain while he held onto his forehead. N cringed and crawled into a corner. 

"Stop pressing random buttons!" Ravi screamed at N, who was curled up in the corner. "I'm sorry.. It's really small in here" N said, feeling like crying. Ravi took in a deep breath and finally calmed down. Hongbin knelt down to N and his hair. "Hyung.. Why are you so emotional?" Hongbin asked. "You're usually not like this.. I've never seen you cry"

"I-I d-don't know w- *sniffle* why I'm like thi-s" N sobbed. 

"It's probably the stress of being in such a small space. I think you might have a phobia of small places, hyung" Ken knelt down next to N as well. Leo only watched in agony as N sobbed loudly. 

Sure, N was a big part of their team now and very smart, but he stole Leo's job. He's also maybe one of the most annoying people Leo has ever met. 

But N was a human too, and right now, he needed someone to be there for him. Leo sighed and sat next to N, who placed his head on his shoulder. 

"I hope we can make it through this" Leo whispered as he held N's hand softly.

30 hours

"Hyung, I can't sleep" Hyuk spoke up to Hongbin, who was laying next to him, reading a book. "What do you want me to do about it?" he asked

"Tell me a story?" Hyuk smiled.

"How old are you again?" Hongbin joked, to which Hyuk let out a small giggle. "Come on, please? It helps me relax" 

Hongbin rolled his eyes. "Get Ken hyung to do it"

"But he's fast asleep!"

Hongbin sighed and closed his book.. "Do you have a story in mind?" he asked the maknae, who shook his head. 

"Then I'll tell you this story I read online.. It's from the Wizard of Oz"

"Okay" Hyuk yawned and laid his head down...

Just as Hongbin was about to start, Leo opened his eyes and looked around at his friends. With N's head still on his shoulder, he listened to Hongbin story quietly

"Once upon a time, there was this couple.. They were deeply, so deeply in love.. And they decided to run away together someday. But, the girls' father didn't approve of her daughter's love.. The boy was a lumberjack. A lumberjack is someone who cuts down trees and sells the wood for money. So the girls' father decided to go to a witch, and the witch put a spell on the boys' axe. One day, the boy was using his axe to chop down a tree. He put the axe down for a rest and just like that, the axe flew up and cut the boys arm off.. The boy didn't know what to do, so he went to his friend for help. His friend was a scientist, so the friend gave the boy a new arm made of metal so he could continue to chop trees to earn money to buy a house for him and his girlfriend. The boy thanked his friend and left with his new arm. When the girl found out about this, she was, at first shocked, but said she loved him no matter what. The boy said he'd love her as long as his heart still beated, because it would beat for only her. But the next time the boy used his axe, it flew into the air on its own and cut off his other arm, so the boy went back to his friend and got a second metal arm. As days passed, the axe continued to attack the boy according to the curse, cutting off his right leg, his left leg, and finally, right through his torso, straight for his heart. When the boy went to his friend for more help, the scientist was reluctant to fix him again, because the only way to save him, was to replace the rest of his body entirely of metal, and he would have to take out his heart. But the scientist did it, and the boy only ran on steam. He was literally, a tin man. After the scientist fixed the boy, the boy no longer had feelings, or emotions, for anything. All he would do all day was chop down trees, because it was the only thing he knew how to do. The girl loved him anyway, but the boy did not love her back.. Because.. he didn't know how to love anymore. His heart.. No longer would beat for her.. Because he had no heart left"

By this point in the story, Hyuk was asleep, and tears fell from Leo's eyes because of the sad story

"Soon enough, the girl realized that he wasn't the boy that loved her before and there was no bringing him back, so she left him to cut down trees. Seasons passed, years passed, and the tin man did nothing, but chop down trees, until one day, the tin man ran out of steam and fuel and stopped working. He froze, in one spot. He was like a toy, that stopped working after the batteries had worn out.. After years, frozen in one spot, the tin man was rescued by a young girl, her dog, a living scarecrow in need of a brain, and a lion in need of courage.. The group travels together to search for these things, along with a heart for the tin man" Hongbin finally ended the story and looked down at Hyuk, who was fast asleep.. "Hope it wasn't too sad" Hongbin said and Hyuk's hair. 

In the silence of the vessel, Hongbin could hear sniffling from behind the desk in the room. Hongbin crawled around the sleeping young men to find Leo wiping tears away from his face. "Hyung.. Are you okay?" Hongbin asked

"That story.. was so sad" Leo cried. Hongbin smiled an scooted next to Leo. "It is. I don't know why I told it. This whole.. test thing we're doing is really messing with my head.. I'm afraid if we all don't calm down, we'll end up hurting each other.."

"I've been feeling emotional too" Leo sniffled, wiping the last of his tears. "Well, you're a strong person, hyung.. Out of all of us, I think you could survive the best" Hongbin smiled and pet Leo's hair. "Thanks Hongbin.. That's mean a lot.. You should go back to sleep.." Leo smiled

"Only if you do too" Hongbin said as he started to scoot back next to Hyuk. "Deal" Leo nodded and scooted closer to N. "N?" Leo whispered. N tossed and turned. "... Hakyeon" Leo asked, finding it weird calling him by his real name since he hadn't for weeks. N opened his eyes slowly and looked up. "Leo.. I think I had a bad dream.. But I can't remember" N whispered, barely awake.. "You should just go back to sleep now, okay?" Leo said and held N's hand. N just nodded and fell asleep as soon as his head hit Leo's shoulder once again

37 hours

"Is there any food?" Ken asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah.. You have to do this thing called "getting off your lazy and look for it" Hyuk snapped. "Hyuk.. That's no way to talk to your hyungs" Hongbin said quietly. "Let the kid say what he wants" Ken brushed it off and stood up to look for more dried food in air-tight bags..

"Why eat the food? It's disgusting anyway" Ravi rolled his eyes. "Maybe cause it's the only food we have?" Ken said, not even looking at Ravi. "Whatever.." he muttered and examined the bolts in the walls. 

40 hours

"Oh my god! There's nothing to do in here! Noona I wanna come out now! I know you're watching us!" Hyuk stood up and started to shout..

"I think I'm gunna be sick" Ken said putting his hand over his mouth. Leo promptly grabbed the small trash can near the door and put it beneath Ken's mouth to vomit since he couldn't make it to the small bathroom.

"Yah! Why give us food that'll make us sick?" Hongbin asked angrily. 

"Maybe his hands are just dirty" N tried to join in on the conversation.. "No one asked for your opinion" Ravi snapped at N, who sat down on the ground and let his eyes water. 

"You think you're gunna be okay?" Leo asked Ken, who was as green as a granny smith apple.

"I'm gunna be okay.. I just need to get it out of my system is all" he choked. Leo cringed as Ken let out more of the contents in his stomach again into the trash can. 

48 hours

"It's been two days.." Hongbin said as he checked his watch. 

"I find it amazing that you can keep track of that" Hyuk smiled. 

"48 hours already?" N asked, to which Hongbin only nodded. 

"Maybe we will make it through this.." Ravi said without looking up from the book in his lap.

"I have faith" Hyuk raised his hand weakly and smiled.

"Don't waste your energy" Leo said as he dabbed Ken's forehead with a wet paper towel. "Is he still sleeping?" N asked

"Yes, so keep your voices down" Leo whispered and averted his attention back at Ken. "He looks so peaceful" Leo smiled. Hongbin walked over and kneeled down in front of Ken. "It's better that he's sleeping, that way he isn't in pain" Hongbin sighed sympathetically. 

55 hours

"Noona!" N cried out. "I don't wanna be in here anymore.. I give up" 

"If we all got individual scores.. N hyung would get 0 out of 100.." Ravi ridiculed N. "We'd all get 0 out of 100.. Don't single out hyung like that" Hyuk glared at Ravi. "All of us but Leo hyung" Ken sighed as he looked towards Leo. "No.. I agree with Hyuk" Leo sighed, accepting that he performed poorly. 

"We should all be like Leo hyung.. Shut up and wait for it all to be over in silence" Hongbin shook his head. "Why am I suddenly the perfect one?" Leo stood up to argue. "You have been from the beginning. Ridley noona has said so herself.." Hongbin shouted. 

"To your face?" Leo asked

Hongbin froze.. "Well... No" 

"Then how do know this? Where's your proof?"

"She said that you were going up one day" 

"You heard that conversation?"

".... Maybe.."

Leo rolled his eyes and turned his back on the rest of his group. "I'm not perfect.. None of us are.. We all have our weaknesses" Leo offered his words of wisdom. "What about strengths?" Ravi asked

"We have those too, of course"

"Everyone but me" Ravi looked down at the ground. "Don't say that hyung.." Hyuk frowned. "Why not? It's true!" Ravi shouted at the maknae

"To this day, I still wonder why you're even here" Leo said. 

"I didn't come here with this interest and drive that you all have.. I was forced to come here by my parents. I was sent here because my parents wanted me gone and they want nothing to do with me. Even now, they refuse to answer any of my calls! Do you know how that feels hyung? Do you know that feeling of hatred your parents have for you?"

"Your parents don't hate you, Wonshik" Leo said, trying to calm Ravi down

"You don't know my family life! You don't know anything. I wanna go home! I wanna see my mom!" Ravi started to cry and slid to the ground in a heap.

Hyuk and N sat by Ravi's sides and comforted him. "I want my mommy!" he sobbed, making N and Hyuk cry, and then soon, Hongbin, Ken, and even Leo.

"You guys. We can't be like this!" Ken wiped his tears silently. "We all failed" N cried and sniffled

"I wanna see my mommy too" Leo sobbed quietly

"Noona! Please let us out!" Hongbin begged as tears streamed down his face

But as the pleads from the six boys continued, no answer was given to them, and they remained in the vessel alone to cry.

60 hours

Everyone was sleeping quielty when a loud crash woke them all up. Screams were heard from the vessel as fire exstiguishers went off. "What's going on?" Ravi screamed. The boys looked around to see that the one window by the door had been broken and air from the building came inside. "Who broke the window?" Hyuk thought

The boys screamed and scrambled to their feet as sirens went off and the extinguishers continued to blow white air into the room. Soon the sirens stopped and the air stopped and the door opened. Ridley rushed in and picked up the boys one by one. "Come on.. We've been compromised" she said seriously.

----

"We were only 12 hours away?" Hongbin asked as the boys sat outside the building next to the fountain, enjoying the fresh air. 

"What exactly happened?" N asked. 

"A few of your roommates found where we were testing you and decided to pull a stupid prank and broke the window. If it would've been the read deal, you would've all been dead in under a minute. But it's fine. We caught them and they'll be getting their punishment soon" she explained

"Noona. We're sorry we couldn't.." Leo started

"It's okay.. There was nothing you could do.. Even the best astronauts with the best training in the world wouldn't have survived a broken window in their shuttle in the middle of space" she smiled

"So... How did.. we do?" Ken asked

"We'll need to try again another time.. I wanna tell you guys that you're ready, cause I know that's what you want to hear.. But you aren't"

All six boys looked down at the ground and sighed. "We're never gunna go up" Hyuk said

"Don't say that, Hyuk.. You just need more practice. Don't expect amazing results this quickly.. I'm sorry this test probably really messed with you heads.. Let's go off campus for a couple of hours so I can take you somewhere to get some real food" Ridley smiled and took the boys downtown.

Well this chapter took a little longer than I had hoped. Sorry there might by a chance that I won't update often cause I'm worried about 1: my college enrollment fees, and 2: KCON. I live near the capitol of CA and the tickets are totally expensive. So it's all money problems. I'm also trying really hard to look for a job and hopefully learn how to drive.. Wooooow, I'm way behind. At least I'm only 18, and not 30 c: Also, the story Hongbin told is a story about the tin man. I suggest you watch the video on youtube. It'll only take 20 minutes. But I must warn you.. Better have your tissues ready cause it's really sad! Okay, that is all! Stay tuned for the next chapter! BYYYYYE <3

Heartless: the story of the Tin Man ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdUmcwZn-A