At the opposite end of the table from Kyulkyung sat Skye, blissfully unaware of what her roommate had just witnessed.  Kyulkyung watched as the redhead casually led the conversation, getting the members of I.O.I. to share about their own experiences over the past week.  The Chinese girl noticed Skye’s habit of listening intently to the other participants’ responses, thus gaining the ability to ask relevant follow-up questions and further building the discussion as a result.

Unfortunately, Kyulkyung’s observation of Skye’s behaviors was cut short as Nayoung leaned close and whispered to her.  “I saw you on your phone a few minutes ago, were you looking up the comments on Skye’s profile?” Nayoung inquired, earning a nod of affirmation from the younger girl.

“Was … was it bad?” Nayoung asked.

“Worse than even I expected,” Kyulkyung answered, shuddering at the overwhelmingly negative response to Skye’s reveal.

Nayoung thought for a moment, then continued, “Can you keep her company?  I think it’d be best if she was too busy to think about any of it.”

The leader’s words caused a moment of pause for Kyulkyung, but she was pleasantly surprised as an idea sprung to the forefront of her mind.  “I’m going to need to borrow your roommate,” Kyulkyung quietly announced to Nayoung.

A look of understanding blossomed on Nayoung’s features, nodding before she turned away to rejoin the discussion.  As she did so, Kyulkyung immediately pulled out her phone once more, hastily sending a few short messages of explanation to Miyeon.

She didn’t have to wait long, as the other girl quickly responded.  The pair formed a plan over a short conversation, and agreed to meet later in the night.  As Kyulkyung wished Miyeon farewell and promised to see her later, she put her phone away and looked back to the head of the table.  She smiled at Skye’s soft features framed in bright crimson locks, her sharp blue eyes giving way to tears of joy rather than sadness as she animatedly laughed along with Yoojung and Doyeon about some story from the Fantiago dorms.

Kyulkyung found those eyes staring into her own, and allowed herself to laugh as Skye pulled her back into the conversation.  With the knowledge of her later plans and the reassurance of seeing her treasured roommate happy, Kyulkyung was able to relax and simply enjoy the company of both old friends and new.  And for a few short hours, nothing else really mattered but those she cared for most.

Later That Night

The table for twelve now sat only six as the less energetic members of the group had already gradually excused themselves, leaving Skye at the mercy of the remaining five.  Yoojung and Doyeon now led the conversation, comparing their opinions of Seola and Luda from their ‘WJMK’ collaboration to Yeonjung’s own view on her members, while Kyulkyung and Somi were still busy recovering from laughing too hard at the previous story told by Skye to contribute.

As the conversation wound down, Skye got everyone’s attention once more and announced, “All right, it’s getting pretty late.  I think we should head back to our rooms and call it a night.”

The others reluctantly agreed, continuing to chat as they stood and began to make their way out of the dining hall.  Right before Skye reached the door, Kyulkyung pulled her aside. “Rather than heading back to our apartment, Miyeon invited us both to join her at the firepit from earlier.  Want to go?” Kyulkyung asked, earning an eager nod from Skye.

“Awesome, give me a second to let the others know and then we can head over there together,” Kyulkyung continued.  She walked over to the others, quickly bidding them farewell then heading back to Skye.

“Ready to go?” Kyulkyung asked.

“Definitely,” Skye responded.

The pair began their short journey, walking together under the beautiful night sky.  “How did your interview with Red Velvet go?” Kyulkyung asked, earning a deep sigh from Skye.

“It was … alright,” Skye replied.  “Some of the members were excited about the future, but others … not so much.”

Kyulkyung listened intently as Skye described her interactions with each of the five members, smiling brightly at Skye’s joyous reaction to Seulgi’s promise, but sharing the other girl’s concerns about Joy’s apathetic feelings towards her current situation.  Kyulkyung found herself at a loss for words, unable to offer a solution to Skye’s worries. Luckily, she wasn’t forced to, as the pair soon arrived at a familiar firepit where they were greeted by Miyeon’s warm smile.

“Hey you two, glad you could make it!” Miyeon exclaimed, waving to the pair as they emerged from the shadows, the light of the fire illuminated their own smiling faces as they joined her.  The two took their seats, the trio forming a semicircle in front of the fire as they each sat on their own individual seat with Skye flanked by Miyeon on her left and Kyulkyung on her right.

“How was your day?” Skye asked Miyeon, who shrugged in response.

“Pretty uneventful,” Miyeon replied.  “I visited Soyeon in the morning at one of the recording booths, where she was working on another remix of one of our songs for the convention.”

“I remember hearing about Soyeon producing a lot of (G)I-DLE’s songs,” Kyulkyung commented, sighing deeply as she continued.  “Reminds me of working with my own members to produce our own music.”

“It’s definitely interesting being involved in the preparation,” Miyeon agreed.  “And then afterwards I crashed Soojin and Shuhua’s date at a little café near the center of the island.”

Skye paused, tilting her head in confusion as she asked, “Are they … you know … together?”

“Nah, they're more akin to Shuhua being a high-maintenance cat and Soojin being her exasperated owner,” Miyeon casually responded, causing the other two to burst out into laughter at the image.

“What about you two?” Miyeon continued.  “What kept you busy today?”

“I spent most of it finishing up rehearsals with the other I.O.I. for our convention performance,” Kyulkyung answered.

“And I had the unfortunate task of interviewing them in preparation for said performance,” Skye joked, exclaiming in pain as her jest earned her a punch in the arm from Kyulkyung.

“Anyways, before that, I started my day by interviewing Red Velvet, and got to see Yoohyeon and Sakura sharing a meal together at the dining hall before making my way over to I.O.I.’s practice room,” Skye continued, her smile returning as she watched Miyeon’s face light up at the mention of their new friends.

Kyulkyung watched from the side as Skye’s bright smile dimmed slightly at the mention of the interview with Red Velvet.  She cast her mind back to the conversation the pair had shared on the way to the fire pit, thinking of her concerns about Joy’s answers.  She bit her tongue, wanting to bring the matter up, but not sure how best to.

Thankfully, she found herself not needing to, as Miyeon asked, “Did the interview not go well?  You seemed almost upset mentioning it.”

Skye grimaced at Miyeon’s question, sharing her wildly different experiences with each of the individual members.  As she finally got to explaining her interaction with Joy, Miyeon’s confused expression shifted to one of understanding.

“I can’t help but wonder if there are other people on the island like her ...” Kyulkyung quietly commented.  “Sick of the idol lifestyle and now just going through the motions.”

Skye nodded in agreement, adding, “I have noticed that some of the people I’ve interacted with have felt … kind of off?”

“I honestly don’t find that too surprising,” Miyeon declared, earning a very puzzled look from Skye.  “Think about it. Especially for some of the groups who have been around for a longer time, their entire livelihood is potentially at risk.  This isn’t an opportunity for them, it’s a nightmare.”

The trio fell quiet at the declaration, the crackling of the fire the only sound keeping the trio from descending into total silence.

“I guess I never viewed it that way,” Skye whispered, still clearly dumbfounded.

“If it’s any consolation, neither did I,” Kyulkyung added.  “If anything, I viewed this all as an escape from my former prison known as Pledis.”

The trio shared a bit of laughter at Kyulkyung’s joke, feeling the mood lighten as they did so.

“Alright, enough about this conversation.  Tell me what you saw between Yoohyeon and Sakura,” Miyeon insisted.

Skye was happy to do so, shifting the conversation towards a more relaxed and peaceful state that the trio would enjoy for the remaining hours of the evening.  Kyulkyung happily participated, enjoying being able to watch the reactions of her new friends as they each told stories of their past and got to know each other better.

Later in the night, when the embers of the fire had long since disappeared the trio sat illuminated only in moonlight, a deep yawn from Skye brought the trio back to reality.

“We should probably call it a night,” Kyulkyung declared, noting the late hour on her phone.  “I know I’ve been up for a while, and you must have been up for even longer considering you were gone before I got up and even had time to make us breakfast.”

Skye smiled at her roommate’s mention of her gift, nodding in agreement as she replied, “You’re right.  At least we have the weekend to look forward to!”

Kyulkyung stood, gesturing for her friends to follow her as she began to head back to the apartment building.  The remaining pair quickly caught up, and Miyeon immediately began teasing the Chinese girl.

“Am I going to be able to sleep in my own bed tonight, or are you and Nayoung going to need some ‘private time’ again?” the older girl joked, smiling and ducking behind Skye in mock horror as Kyulkyung turned and glared at her.

Skye rolled her eyes, her signature sly smirk appearing as she added, “Seriously, might want to make sure that the walls are soundproof before you visit again.”

Kyulkyung decided to not fight this losing battle, electing to turn and continue on the path instead.  She felt herself smiling, unable to hold it back after hearing the giggles of the other two behind her.

The trio soon arrived at the apartment building, quietly making their way inside in an attempt to not wake the other inhabitants who were likely already asleep.  One short elevator ride later, Kyulkyung and Skye gave Miyeon a goodbye hug and wished her farewell before getting off on their own floor.

They made their way inside their room, and Kyulkyung quickly claimed first rights to the bathroom as she began her bedtime ritual.  She soon exited the bathroom, asking Skye, “So what are your plans … for … tomorrow ...”

Her question trailed off as she was met by the sight of her roommate sitting on the bed, tears silently dripping down her cheeks as the light of her phone illuminated her face in the dark room.

Kyulkyung made her way over to her roommate, taking a seat and joining Skye on the bed.  “Do you want to talk about it?” Kyulkyung whispered.

Skye shook her head in refusal, unable to find the words to respond as another wave of tears shook her body.  Kyulkyung decided not to press any further, electing to instead simply wrap her arm around the redhead and pull her close.  The pair remained there together in the dark as Kyulkyung silently attempted to give Skye the opportunity to think through her emotions.  The idol refused to leave Skye’s side, doing her best to offer comfort to her new friend through her presence and touch.

Some time later, long after Skye’s cheeks had dried of their tears, the redhead turned and pulled away from Kyulkyung’s touch.  Kyulkyung stood, caught in indecision as she watched Skye pull the covers over her figure and seal herself off. The Chinese girl extended her hand, wanting to offer further words of comfort, but held her tongue and decided to allow the girl she still knew so little about to cope in her own way.

The Next Morning - Nayoung & Miyeon’s Room

Miyeon stood as she heard a knock on the door, walking over and opening the door to reveal the grimacing visage of Kyulkyung.  Her own smile immediately shifted to a look of confusion as she stepped aside, allowing the younger girl to enter the apartment.  “What’s wrong?” Miyeon asked as she closed the door behind them.

Kyulkyung took a seat on Nayoung’s bed, sighing deeply as she explained, “Skye decided to expose herself to the hate comments on her reveal … and I don’t think she’s taking it too well.”

Miyeon followed her, taking a seat on her own bed, and asking, “Well, what has she been doing?”

Kyulkyung proceeded to explain the events of the previous night and earlier in the morning, sharing of her attempt to comfort her roommate and the way that Skye had isolated herself in response.  Kyulkyung continued, telling Miyeon about her morning and how she awoke to her roommate’s empty bed.

“Every morning so far, she’s either woken me up or left a note,” Kyulkyung said sadly, concern apparent in her eyes as she spoke.

Miyeon tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her visage as she asked, “I mean, how did you deal with first being exposed to hate comments?”

Kyulkyung brushed her hair aside, smugly smiling as she confidently responded, “What do you mean?  Everybody loves me!”

“Are you kidding?  I still remember you moping around the I.O.I. dorms after reading the Produce comments,” Nayoung announced as she made her way out of the bathroom.

Miyeon laughed as Kyulkyung rolled her eyes and pretended to sulk as Nayoung took a seat next to her on the bed.  The Chinese girl explained the situation to Nayoung, whose own amused expression fell as Kyulkyung shared about Skye’s reaction.

“I reacted in a similar way,” Miyeon explained.  “It feels like everybody is inevitably going to have to deal with mean people on the internet, and I was lucky enough to have the support of my members to fall back on.”

“Do you think that’s why Skye is reacting the way she is?” Nayoung asked.  “She’s been alone for the entirety of her teenage years, so maybe her coping method is to isolate herself and attempt to process her emotions that way.”

Kyulkyung sighed, replying, “Even if her reaction makes sense, I don’t know if it’s the most healthy way for her to cope … I guess I’m just worried about her.”

Miyeon nodded, adding, “I think we all are.  Despite not knowing her for very long, it’s obvious that she’s had an impact on the people she’s met.”

Miyeon fell silent as the other two shifted the conversation to other topics, chatting about their plans for the day.  A single thought left unspoken lingered on the forefront of her mind: ‘Especially the impact she’s had on me …’

Later That Night - Red Velvet Practice Room

Later in the night, after dusk had fallen and most of the island was covered in darkness, a single illuminated room shone out from the practice hall.  The electric tones of ‘Russian Roulette’ bellowed out from the speakers lining the walls of the practice room as a single figure executed the motions of the choreography nearly flawlessly, years of muscle memory guiding her through the familiar motions.

As the song came to an end, the room fell silent save for the heavy breathing of the dancer.  She moved into position in expectation for the next song in the queue, but turned in confusion as several seconds passed and she still found herself in silence.  She was met by the smiling face of Irene, who stepped forward and handed her a bottle of water.

“Why are you here so late?” Irene asked as the other girl happily accepted the bottle and began to thirstily drink from it.  “You really should be enjoying your weekend, Seulgi.”

Seulgi set down the water bottle, flashing a tired smile to Irene as she responded, "Who’s to say I’m not?  I like the feeling of knowing that I’m prepared.”

Irene rolled her eyes, replying, “You say that as if you don’t already know every step of every dance we’ve ever performed.  You’re the best dancer among us, and one of the best on the island. Why do you still feel the need to push yourself this hard?”

Seulgi simply shrugged as she answered, “I’ve always been like this, you know that.”

Irene nodded in acknowledgement.  “Of course I do, I’ve known you for nearly a decade now.  However, you usually only ever push this hard when something new is introduced.  These are all old routines, so what’s causing you to want to work so hard now?” she inquired.

Seulgi’s expression shifted to one of determination as she responded, “I made a promise to that girl Skye when she was interviewing us that I would make sure she was able to see me on the stage again.  Our conversation made me realize that she’s likely not the only one who desperately wants to see me succeed, so I feel like I owe it to those people to give my best effort towards making them happy.”

Irene noted a hint of reservation in her friend’s answer, and pushed forward, insisting, “I believe you, but I don’t think that that’s the only reason why you’re so adamant about this.”

Seulgi paused for the slightest moment before responding, “I can’t get over this fear of having thrown my life away if I don’t debut again.  You know better than anyone else, I’ve been working to become an idol since 2007. The thought of having tasted success only for it to be taken away from me because I wasn’t good enough anymore isn’t one that I’d like to face …”

Irene offered a sympathetic nod, extending her arms for a hug.  Seulgi gladly obliged, embracing her close friend tightly as she whispered, “That’s why I need to work harder and longer than everyone else.  I’m not ready to walk away from the life I love.”

Irene hugged her back, holding her friend tight as she confided in her, “Believe me, I understand.  I honestly can’t help but feel like I’m running out of time, especially with being one of the oldest idols on the island.”

The pair silently held each other for a while longer, enjoying the feeling of stability that each had come to rely on from the other.  Memories of the journey they had shared by each other’s side returned to the forefront of their memory, ranging from the happiness of success to the dark times where they were the only thing keeping each other motivated.

Neither knew who was the first to pull away, but they found themselves staring into each other’s eyes as a torrent of emotions cascaded over both of them.  Their extended history left them with a mutual understanding of each other, and they relished in their very special bond that allowed them to communicate their feelings through unspoken factors.

Irene smiled at Seulgi, standing up on the tip of her toes to kiss the taller girl on the top of the head.  After pulling away, she reached over and grabbed Seulgi’s phone, starting up the music once more.

“I don’t think I can convince you to relax,” Irene admitted, turning to Seulgi and getting in position for the next song.  “But I know I can’t allow you to do this alone.”

Seulgi’s smile returned even larger than when it had left, and she quickly moved into position alongside Irene.  The pair immediately lost themselves in the familiar routine of practicing together, happily putting aside their concerns for a short while and simply enjoying the company of the one who mattered most.

The Next Morning - Soyeon & Jisun’s Room

Jisun slowly opened her eyes, grumbling in frustration as the bright sunlight shone through her window and forced her awake.  She turned over and pulled a pillow over her head in an attempt to return back to her slumber, but eventually decided to simply give in and get out of bed.  She sat up, looking over and seeing that her roommate’s bed was unsurprisingly empty.

Jisun let out a defeated sigh, feeling that she had missed another opportunity to befriend the other girl.  Despite her desire to get to know her roommate better, she had been unable to grow close with Soyeon due to the other idol almost never being in the apartment.  The leader of (G)I-DLE seemed to always be busy working on another project, leaving Jisun without an opportunity to become acquainted with her.

Jisun thought of those she did know on the island, feeling jealous at how well they got along with their roommates.  She had witnessed the camaraderie between Skye and Kyulkyung, and wished to have a similar bond with her own roommate.  Her mind immediately cast back to her time spent with Gyuri, and how much she had enjoyed how well they coexisted as like-minded individuals.

Her mind then shifted to Jiwon, her same age friend in fromis_9 and emotional foil in many ways during their time together.  However, Jisun’s hope of having her as a roommate had already been disregarded as Jiwon was quick to share her excitement at having Dahyun as her roommate.  Jisun had already heard all about how Jiwon was thrilled to be reunited with an old friend from her time at JYP and someone that had a similar energy to her own, and while Jisun was genuinely happy for her friend, moments such as this one still left a bitter taste in .

Another uneventful morning routine later, Jisun found herself laying on her bed once again.  She ended up browsing through her list of movies to watch, mindlessly scrolling through the dozens of recommendations that she hadn’t yet found the time for.

“Murder mystery … too early for that, fantasy … I’ve watched too many of those recently, romantic drama … romantic drama … romantic drama …” Jisun mumbled as she searched for another story to captivate her attention and take her mind off her frustrations.

She felt her annoyance growing at the seemingly endless number of love stories, eventually setting down her tablet and looking out the window.  She envisioned the other idols and the stories they had to tell, feeling sad at the thought that many of theirs were far more interesting than her own.  Jisun couldn't help but think of Skye once again, and how the tragedy of Skye's parents had impacted Jisun.

Jisun had obviously looked up Skye’s profile once they went live on Friday, and had seen the negative reaction of the public to her interview.  She had attempted to message Skye on Saturday, feeling concerned for her new friend and attempting to offer support, but was met only with a confirmation that the message had been read.

Jisun sighed, turning her gaze away from the window and picking up her tablet once again.  She started up one of her old favorites, a captivating classic known as “Love in the Limelight” about a pair of lovers from wildly different backgrounds and the challenges that interfered with their relationship.

As the screen shifted to black and the opening notes of the score began to fill the room, Jisun allowed herself to simply get lost in the movie.  All other thoughts faded to the back of her mind save for a single one: ‘What I wouldn’t give to have a story worth sharing, and someone to create that story with …’

Later That Night - Apex Gaming Room

Sohye leaned forward, eyes locked on the screen as her hands quickly moved from button to button on the controller.  Her character reacted accordingly, expertly navigating through the challenging level as hordes of enemies converged on her location.

“Look out!” she exclaimed, moving her character towards her partner’s location and activating her special move in an attempt to buy enough time for them to finish the mission.

“5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1,” the character on the screen counted down as she worked to complete the final task of the mission.  Sohye held her breath, desperately hoping that the action would be completed before the enemies closed the distance and ended their campaign once again.

“Victory!” the game announcer declared, confirming that the duo had achieved their goal and causing both to jump up out of their seats.

“Finally, we did it!” Sohye declared, finally exhaling as she hugged her partner in celebration.

“No … you are … NOTHING!” the villian on the TV declared from behind the pair as the cutscene played out and the heroes defeated him.

Sohye felt the other girl stiffen in the embrace at his words and quickly pull away.  Sohye tilted her head in confusion, asking, “What’s wrong Skye? I thought you’d be happier after being stuck on this level for the past hour.”

Sohye watched as Skye’s eyes darted to the TV for a brief moment, grimacing slightly before turning back to Sohye and attempting to smile reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing,” Skye insisted.  “I’m very happy that we’re finally over this level.”

Sohye raised her eyebrow in disbelief, asking, “Are you sure?  Did something he say make you think about the bad comments?”

Skye’s expression immediately fell as she sat back down, replying, “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Sohye offered a sad smile of her own, explaining, “Nayoung and Kyulkyung asked for help in the I.O.I. group chat, mentioning that you were having a hard time and asking for advice.”

Sohye joined Skye in sitting, gently patting her arm and continuing, “I don’t mean to assume anything about what you're going through, but if anyone might know what it’s like to be in your shoes, it would probably be me.  I can't promise that I'd have the perfect solution, but I’d be more than happy to talk about this with you and try to help you feel better.”

Sohye sat silently, allowing Skye a moment to consider her offer.  Eventually, Skye shook her head, responding, “I really don’t want to talk about it, to be honest.”

Sohye nodded in sympathetic understanding, deciding to pick up the controller and start up the next level.  “If you don’t want me to try and talk you through it, the least I can do is help you keep your mind off it,” Sohye explained, offering a warm smile to Skye.

Skye was happy to oblige, returning a grateful smile of her own before turning back to the TV and giving the game her undivided attention once more.

Sohye took a moment more to watch her new friend before turning and also giving the game her full attention.  Deep down, she was still concerned about her friend, and wanted to help, but knew this wasn’t the time. However, with the upcoming convention only five days away, Sohye worried that there would be no right time to talk to Skye before she was into the spotlight.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed experiencing the island from a few different perspectives.  I had a lot of fun doing so, thus I hope to defnitely do this more moving forwards.  Next chapter will be here soon, so I hope you'll stick around for more as we move closer to the start of the convention!

As always, I want to thank you so much for choosing to take the time to read my work.  Your comments, upvotes, and subscriptions never fail to fill me with joy, and I've really been enjoying the ability to offer my own perspective on the industry that means so much to me.  As always, please feel free to reach out with any comments, feedback, or requests!  You can either reach me here on AFF, or on Twitter (@tylercapistrano).  Once again, I hope you enjoyed, and thank you so much!  I'll see you soon!