Chapter 24

"Do you guys still have plans on going back? I swear to God, you're really missing out." Haejin said in front of the camera. She's currently talking to her co-members via video call.

"My flight will be later afternoon," Yui said.

"My flight's tomorrow." Xiurong answered.

Meanwhile Eunji, Soeun and Junghee, went to their respective provinces for vacation.

"I'll be back before you know it." Eunji said, laughing.

"Me too." Soeun and Junghee said.

"Fine. Just be here a week before the retreat, okay? There will be some drills and training." Haejin said.

"Retreat? What retreat?" Eunji asked.

"Wait, you guys aren't informed? Crap." Haejin said.

"Wait, what the hell even is happening there?" Eunji asked.

"So uhm, on the 4th of February until the 8th, we will go on a retreat together with our sunbaes and hoobaes. We're all grouped into six." Haejin explains.

"Continue.."

"Eunji-unnie and Xiurong, you belong to Group C. My brother is your team leader." Haejin answered.

"Haejin-unnie! Who are our groupmates?" Xiurong asked.

"Here, wait... uhm, J-Min, Yesung, Taeyeon, Jonghyun, Krystal, Sehun, Yeri, Johnny, Mark, Sohyun and Chasung sunbaenims and hoobaenims." Haejin sighed.

"That Sohyun girl will be in our group? You've got to be kidding me." Eunji said, shaking her head.

Haejin sighed, "At least try to be nice to her, unnie. Or if you really don't want to, try to have zero interactions with her."

"That would be rude, though." Junghee commented.

Eunji sighed, "True, though. But I can't promise that I would be really nice towards her, Haejin-ah." She said.

Haejin nodded, "I understand. The president will understand you too."

Eunji raised a brow, "What?"

"He knows about her attitude." Haejin said, sighing.

"EHHHHHH?!" / "JINJJA?!"

Haejin nodded.

"Woah, I can't believe this." Soeun said exasperatedly.

"Even if he knows, still, you have to be nice towards her." Haejin said.

"Says the one who really want to beat the hell out of her." Eunji snickers.

Haejin rolled her eyes, "Unnie!"

They all laughed.

Haejun sighed, "Anyways, Soeun, you're in Group D. Yunho-oppa is your leader. Yui and Junghee, you're in Group F. Your leader is Donghae-oppa. I'll just send you guys the list f the teams in our chat." She said.

"Alright, alright."

****

2 Days later...

Haejin struggles to pull her luggage inside the door. She's back in their dorm, as well as the members.

"Yah, you didn't really come here? Even for once? Everything's so dusty!" Eunji said, her fingers scanning wiping the surface of the center table.

"Well, we've been away for three weeks." Haejin answered. "And to answer your question, no I didn't. Do you think Mark-oppa and Jaemin would allow me?"  She raised a brow.

"Point taken."

"Anyways, the drill would start tomorrow." Haejin said.

"What? But you said that the retreat would be in February?" Yui asked.

Junghee tapped Yui's shoulder, "Unnie.... it's already February next week."

****

"Hey." Jaemin sat beside Haejin.

Haejin looked at him, "Oh hey."

They're inside the stadium in which the drills would take place.

"Won't you warm up?" Jaemin asked.

"I already stretched earlier." Haejin answered, giving him a weka smile.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked.

"I don't even know... I just don't feel like training." Haejin answered.

"Well, you can just sit on your area and rest. The president wouldn't mind." Jaemin suggests, slowly pulling her up.

Haejin sighed, "I know, but I don't want to be a burden to them. Especially Leeteuk-oppa." She said, looking away.

"But you are not a burden, love." Jaemin said, convincing her.

"Please just let me play this time?" Haejin asked.

"I would let you, but if you feel weak, you could always go to our area and rest there for a while, okay?" Jaemin asked.

"Okay." She replied.

He hugged her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Go now, I love you."

"I love you too."

****

The drills start with stretching and running— things that Haejin couldn't do well because of asthma and her disease.

"The running will be in relay. 3 lapses, back and forth." Leeteuk starts as he scans his group mates' faces one by one. "Haejin-ah, you don't have to do this if you can't."

Haejin's head perked up, "I can do it, Teuk-oppa." She said.

Chenle looked at her worriedly. He went towards her and tapped her shoulder, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"I can do this, Chenle." With that, she started running.

I can do this! I promised myself that I will participate in all activities! I will not fail this time!

"You can do this, Lee Haejin." She whispered while running.

The finish line banner came into her view.

l can do this! l'm already near!

Once she had passed the banner, she bent down and touched the floor. 1 lap.

"You can stop if you can't run already." Leeteuk said.

"I can do this!" Haejin said as she started running.

She could clearly hear her group mates and her GA co-members cheering for her even if they are not in the same group.

"HAEJIN-UNNIE!!!! HWAITING!!!!!" Junghee shouted at the top of her lungs, Yui nudged her.

"HAEJIN-AH, YOU CAN DO IT!" Eunji shouted and jumped.

Haejin smiled, but she noticed the glare of Sohyun at Eunji. She must be irritated with unnie's voice.

2 laps.

"HAEJIN-AH, YOU'RE ALMOST THROUGH!" Haejun heard Mark scream.

What the heck, Minhyung-oppa? You're even the leader of your group and your cheering for a member of another group.

"HAEJIN-AH, YOU CAN DO IT!" A familiar voice shouted.

Haejin immediayely smiled when she heard the voice.

Of course, I can do this, Jaemin-ah.

3 laps.

She immediately sat down when she finished running. She was catching her breath.

Her vision was rotating, and it was slowly turning black. She couldn't feel her legs, she can't breathe properly.

"Haejin-ah, pull yourself together." She almost closed her eyes but she felt a light tap on her cheek. It was Chanyeol.

"Stand up. Here, take my hand." He extended his arm in front of her.

Haejin reached for it and stood up, although her legs were shaking.

"Sit there for a while, okay? I'll just go there and help Teuk-hyung." Chanyeol smiled at her.

He handed her a bottle of water and she smiled.

Wendy sat beside her, "Hey, you did well." She smiled.

Haejin drank from her water and smiled, "Thank you, unnie."

"Look at him cheering for you." Wendy said, looking at Group E's area.

Haejin looked at their area and saw Jaemin clapping and smiling at her.

She smiled back.

"You okay?" Wendy asked.

"Yes, unnie. I'm fine."