"the first test is the BTS test, which consists of our three songs," the leader of BangTan spoke.

I NEED U — Geonu, JungWon, Jake, Daniel
DNA — Hanbin, Ni-Ki, Jay, K, NaRi
FAKE LOVE — Ta-Ki, SungHoon, HeeSeung, Sunoo.

a group of I-Landers sat at the table for breakfast, NaRi being one of them.

"Ta-Ki's selections yesterday were amazing." K said, making NaRi lightly laugh.

"you were crazy for that. i think your unit will do well!" she told the boy, glancing at SungHoon's annoyed expression. that's what i wanted ... hehehe

"but truthfully, the strongest team is your team. 'DNA' team is the strongest." SungHoon said to Jay, making NaRi smile. "i detect no lies," she responded to his praise with a sly wink, the smile still adorning her face.

as other I-Landers were praising both K and Ni-Ki for their unit, NaRi suddenly emerged from from the kitchen. "hey," she shouted, "i'm in that team too, you know.." she plopped herself on the couch, pouting.

"yeah, we didn't forget. it's not like you'll make that much of a difference anyways.." said JungWon with a teasing tone in his voice.

NaRi's head shot up from where she was laying, suddenly jumping onto the olders' body. K caught her just in time, holding her back from attacking the boy. she eventually calmed down, seeing as though the boys weren't taking her threats seriously. "ugh." she pouted, angrily crossing her arms.

as DNA unit sat in the small practice room watching the video to distribute parts, NaRi, along with the rest of her unit, couldn't keep her eyes off of part 2. that dance break is really cool.. no, the boys definitely want that. i'll just take another part.

as K took the lead in distributing parts, he spoke up. "since none of us can rap besides you two," he said, putting his hands on both Jay and NaRi's knees, "this part will definitely suit you."

watching Ni-Ki struggle with the higher notes in DNA, NaRi could feel her mom senses tingling. "c'mon Ni-Ki, it's 'my love!'," she sang, attempting to help motivate the younger. after he gave up, NaRi scooted over to him, wrapping her arm around his. "it's okay" she whispered to him.

as the DNA unit began independently practicing their parts, NaRi could feel the disappointed-ness coming from NiKi. she lightly jogged over to his place on the floor, pulling him up to a tight hug.

after the first day, NaRi stayed awake a tad bit longer than the boys, wanting to clean up some of her moves. after a few minutes, she went to one of the practice rooms, the one Daniel was shown in, and stayed with him for a bit after seeing his distressed state. she laid on the floor next to him, giving him words of encouragement.

4 days til test.

the DNA unit was shown practicing, NaRi following along perfectly, doing her moves as she'd practiced. she laid in the floor in front of Jay and K, catching her breath.

when Ni-Ki walked back into the room and was asked why he did an extra ad-lib, then explaining that he did what he saw V do, NaRi's head perked up. "let me see," she said, asking for the tablet. she watched the clip from their practice video, all eyes on her. "..hmm..oh yeah! V-hyung did this a lot." she calmly said, laying back down.

as she heard K's voice turn a bit more agressive, she sat up, leaning more towards Jay. she listened as he spoke, eyes widening with every sentence added on. ohh the girls are fightinggggg...

she kept her eyes on the floor, not wanting to interfere or make the energy in the room more tense than it already was.

her head perked up as she heard footsteps, watching Ni-Ki walk away from them. she also watched as K asked him to come out of the room, her eyes once again widening. man i really wish i didn't know Japanese right now

she silently sat, playing with Jay's fingers, listening in on what the two Japanese boys were saying. she flinched every time K's voice got louder, suddenly feeling scared of the older boy. she abruptly got up from her spot, looking to steal some of Hanbin's snack in order to calm her down. never get K mad. got it.

midpoint evaluation day

NaRi stood in line with the boys, fingers anxiously fiddling as she listened to the producers. she knew in her mind that if she were to mess up anywhere during the show, it could not be here.

BTS' choreographer was here! even though she'd been around him so much and was pretty comfortable with him, she always held the little bit of fear in her heart.

"okay so the most threatening 'DNA' team, should we start your midpoint evaluation first?" all she could do was timidly nod. okay now you cannot be nervous. you've got this.

and so she did; she performed just like she'd practiced, singing the song, doing every move & flip. man it seems like the parts i get are made for me. i always get the freakin flips.

as they finished, she returned her attention to the producers' faces— her own dropped. they don't look very happy...

"ah...," Sung Deuk started, "it wasn't great, to be honest. they think that you're the best in this competition, but i don't think you guys need to think of them as very threatening. truly, only NaRi deserves that title. i don't think things will be easy for you guys."

although she was complimented, NaRi couldn't keep her eyes off the ground. she felt... disappointed.

not in her unit, not at the producers, but at herself.

if you would've worked with them more the results would've been better. she wordlessly sat back down, her fingers beginning to fidget once more.

she intently watched the next unit perform, stunned at SungHoon's solo. he's really, really good.

almost instantly after the group performance began, she found her eyes going towards Ta-Ki. she watched as he danced ahead of the beat, making her physically cringe at the sight.

she continued watching the boy, trying her best to keep her facial expressions neutral. at least we know we're not the worst unit. she found her eyes widening with every harsh comment Sung Deuk made, just like with K.

she bowed to the producers as they left, a breath she didn't know she had suddenly escaping her mouth. she moved over to HeeSeung's side, wanting to be there for him. she watched as the older walked over to Ta-Ki, leading him outside of the practice room.

over the next days of preparation, NaRi could only feel the nervousness roaming around her body. "they're expecting us to do well.. so that pressure is kinda building up on me."

BTS test

NaRi stood alongside her group, cheering everyone on.

"we totally got this. we have no rivals."
"let's get 1st place." Jay and Ni-Ki said to the group.

NaRi watched as Hanbin suddenly jerked his head up, a surprised look on his face.

"we are performing live," he said, making NaRi fall into a laughing fit.
"no, rival! rival!"
"we are singing live."
"rival!"
"live!"
"us singing together.."
"no, not that."

"NaRi, can you please get off the floor and help?!" the boys exclaimed, begging for NaRi's help. she calmed herself down, "rival" she said, getting Hanbin to finally understand. once more, she bursted out into a laughing fit.

"a survival game that the whole world is watching. with a dream of debuting as a global idol. 13 I-Landers compete in I-Land part 2! the first test, the BTS test, will now begin. the previous global votes determined the 13 members' current rank. but tonight, according to how the producers score them, their ranks will be redetermined."

NaRi slowly unclipped her I-Land badge, not wanting to give it up. "hopefully i can get this again.." she spoke to no one in particular.

she watched the countdown near it's end, anxiety rising by the second. she reached over to find HeeSeung's hand, seeking comfort. "the unit that will start is, 'DNA' unit."

fu-nnn!! haha!! so excited to perform first!

"DNA, all the best dancers are in this team. K, Ni-Ki, and NaRi are in the same team. i hope they do well." was said by the producers as DNA unit went to the stage.

as her group was called, NaRi did her handshake with HeeSeung, hands more shaky than usual.
"you'll be fine! don't worry." he reassured her.
she let out a shaky breath, "yeah." she walked on to the egg, trying to break away into her performing headspace.

"hello, we're the DNA unit." the five greeted, small smiles adorning each of their faces.

"standby."

she became more focused than she's ever been during an I-Land test. her mind slipped away to it's usual performance mode, making nothing else but her performance matter. she got in her beginning spot, on the other side of K ( like Ni-Ki was ), and began performing.

for the song, NaRi acted as sort of the person the boys were singing to. they sometimes faced her while singing, her dancing along with them, making sure her facial expressions matched her moves & lyrics.

when it came to the dance break, NaRi danced just as she'd practiced, landing her flips and keeping her facial expressions appropriate with the song's mood. for the end of the song, she did the signature 'DNA' pose along with K, giving the camera a refreshing ending fairy moment.

as Bang praised the group for their improved facial expressions, NaRi felt her heart do a little jump, knowing she had helped the boys with them since they were still struggling. "please begin scoring the DNA unit." great. there goes my anxiety, once again. hahaha! i love it here! hahaha!

NaRi closed her eyes and began silently praying. please let us get a good score. none of us can go home.

"DNA unit's total score. 301." well sh- fishy fishy! hi mister fishy! that wasn't as high as i'd like.. ugh. she could feel her heart tear a little bit, feeling sorry for not doing better in order to get a higher score.

she went in the middle of their group hug, whispering quick apologies to the members.

she then sat in the seat between NiKi and Jay, ready to watch the other units performances. her leg couldn't stop shaking, mind still filled with negative thoughts. NaRi watched the next unit, I NEED U, walk onto the stage, already being able to feel nervousness radiating from their bodies.

she lightly laughed as Bang made comments on how much BTS struggled with the song, suddenly remembering how stressed the boys were when it was first being made. can't wait to see how they'll pull this one off

she closely watched the unit, intrigued by how good their initial facial expressions seemed.

oo jake really did well!

she watched the performance with a small smile adorning her face, thoroughly enjoying the song for the most part. as their performance ended, she lightly clapped and sent a thumbs up with a big smile to the other unit.

her sort-of happy mood was instantly brought down upon hearing the producers' feedback to the group. her lips curved downwards, fingers beginning to fidget once more. as they waited for their final score to be announced, NaRi's eyes shifted from the ground to the screen to the team, back to the ground and over again. okay so like would it be mean to say, you know, i really hope they get a lower score than us? yes? okay :[

her eyes finally fell back onto the big screen, anxiously awaiting the unit's results. her eyes widened as the team received a 275, suddenly letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

she watched as the third and final unit walked out to the stage. she felt.. excited. she knew they'd to really well, and after seeing the other units' score, some of the pressure was taken off her shoulders. she watched with focused eyes, not wanting to miss any important parts. this is like the first time im not on a team with heeseungie hyung.. :[

she was surprised to see HeeSeung have a solo — she felt proud.

she watched intently, observing how his body moved and how his face changed. once the group performance officially began, a smile crept onto her face. she couldn't take her eyes off the group, shifting her focus to the center every switch.

as she watched HeeSeung move to the center and slightly lift up his shirt, her mouth fell agape and Jay suddenly covered her eyes with his hand.

NaRi watched the rest of the performance, a smile stuck on her face. they'd be proud. as it ended, one thing was stuck on her mind. they're gonna beat us for sure, no doubt about it. she mumbled a quick "HeeSeungie hyung was so good!", making her members agree with her.

as her hyungies were praised by the producers, her light smile turned into her eye smile— the one viewers around the world had quickly fallen in love with after seeing it just once.

she stood on stage alongside her unit, waiting for the FAKE LOVE unit's scores to come out. "the first place unit of the BTS test is... FAKE LOVE unit." NaRi wasn't surprised at all, to be honest. she'd loved their performance, and could only feel a sense of happiness for her friends.

this better not get me eliminated though. how badly she wanted to run over and give her hyungie a hug— all she could do was hold Jay and Ni-Ki's fingers with her small hands, somehow attempting to transfer her happiness to help with their disappointment.

as the I-LANDERS exited the stage, she sent a quick grin up to the producers. as she stepped into the egg, she immediately found her way to HeeSeung's embrace, telling him how proud she was of him. as the producers were shown choosing who to eliminate, the girl's name suddenly came up.
"NaRi.."
"yep, let's move on!" the others began to laugh.

and with that, the I-LANDERS were shown once again.

NaRi changed into her vest after she packed her bags, feeling anxious out of nowhere. there's always a chance i'll get eliminated. after they were called, she stepped back onto the egg, fingers beginning to fidget once again.

"we'll now announce the new ranking based on the evaluations of the producers. will the producers' choice be different from the global choice?" yeah probably?

"let the elimination of fate begin."

she stood still as the first unit was ranked, feeling happy for the three who ranked high. ( HeeSeung 1st, SungHoon 4th, Sunoo 6th. ) when it got to TaKi, though, viewers witnessed her aura change. no one could really decide on what exactly she was feeling, only she knew.

to be honest, she felt angry.

angry at the fact that someone besides TaKi had to be eliminated now because his group did so well. will she ever tell someone what she's feeling? no! of course not.

"we will now announce the 2nd place I-LANDER, who has survived."

"this person did exceptionally well today. they're usually one of the top-ranked contestants."

"their performance skills change with every test, they're able to fit into the song no matter what."

"this is the score of the 2nd place I-LANDER." a 90 popped onto the screen. NaRi's mind began running all over the place, she was silently praying it'd somehow be her.

"the second place I-LANDER who will survive is... Kim NaRi." once she heard her name, she let out a breath that'd been keeping her from breathing properly.

"i'm really grateful for you all giving me such a high ranking. i'll continue to grow and hopefully beat HeeSeung.. hahah.. but i'm glad you all enjoyed my performance and allowed me to survive. i hope i continue making you all proud. thank you." she spoke to the producers, and although there was no nervousness evident in her voice, her hands' lightly shaking spoke for themselves. she walked to the egg, repeatedly bowing to the producers.

once she returned to I-Land, she held out her arms and told them, "you're never getting rid of me~!!" while englufing them in a big hug.

NaRi watched the rest of the I-LANDERS get ranked, nervousness running around her system for her friends. she watched 8th place, Jake, start to tear up, making her suddenly tear up with him. i've never been so emotional towards other trainees what's going on??!?! she welcomed the older with a smile, bringing him into her embrace upon seeing his uncontrollable tears.

she was estatic to see Ni-Ki survive, almost immediately rushing to his side to give him a hug as well. once Hanbin was survived as second to last survivor, her heart did a leap out of joy because her entire unit had made it. as they waited for the last survivor to be announced, NaRi was found crouching, face facing down. i can't watch this.

"the 10th place I-LANDER who will be the last survivor is..." NaRi was then seen beside HeeSeung, clinging tightly around his arm. "...Daniel." her eyes became blurred as she heard the younger boy's sobs once he returned to I-Land.

[final rankings]
1. Lee HeeSeung
2. Kim NaRi
3. Yang JungWon
4. Park SungHoon
5. K
6. Kim Sunoo
7. Jay
8. Jake
9. Ni-Ki
10. Hanbin
11. Daniel
12. Lee Geonu — eliminated.
13. Ta-Ki

she watched as Geonu said his final words, took his final bow, and left the studio. her mind was empty, she couldn't process anything at that moment.

she didn't know what to feel about this. usually, they'd get eliminated but be brought up again from GROUND. but now there was no GROUND. there were no second chances for those eliminated.

she was the third to hug the older boy, a single tear suddenly falling from her eye. "i'm so sorry," she told him, internally feeling a sense of anger towards herself for not working with him more.

"don't be sorry, i'll be okay." was all he said. she smiled a bit at this, yeah. he'll be okay.

🦇  ...  I-LAND 8화, 끝!