And so, my dear friends...
The time has come.
With the power vested in me by... well...
Me.
I shall now wield the most overpowered ability known to storytellers everywhere...
✨TIME SKIP!✨
Yes, people.
We're doing a time skip.
The holiday episodes will be saved for the side stories.
Now then...
Let us begin.
On a crisp morning at the island, one by one, the trainees began arriving after their holiday break.
What surprised them, however, was the sight that greeted them.
The cameras were already rolling.
"Wait... filming already started?"
Several trainees looked around in confusion.
First day back, and production had wasted absolutely no time.
Each trainee who arrived was quietly directed to wait in front of the now-familiar Jenga Tower, the very place where their LEAVEN journey had begun.
Slowly but surely, the once-empty area filled with familiar faces.
The atmosphere grew louder with every arrival.
Laughter echoed across the courtyard.
Friends reunited.
Inside jokes resumed as if no time had passed at all.
"Yooo, Kayden!"
Seven waved enthusiastically the moment he spotted him.
"How were the holidays?"
Truth be told, Seven recognized Kayden from a mile away.
Not because of his clothes.
Not because of his height.
But because of that permanently smug grin plastered across his face.
The man looked like he woke up every morning thinking,
"Damn... I'm handsome."
And to make matters worse...
He wasn't wrong.
"Mostly spent it with my babies."
Kayden immediately pulled out his phone.
On the screen was a photo of three very spoiled-looking pets.
A delightfully chubby yellow cat.
An alarmingly skinny white cat.
And an energetic puppy that looked incapable of sitting still for more than three seconds.
"I named them Jiwoo, Kartein, and Pluton."
Kayden smiled proudly.
"Oh."
"And I crushed a few heads too."
The entire courtyard...
Paused.
Several nearby trainees instinctively turned toward him.
"...What?"
A beat later, they realized who had spoken.
"...Oh."
"It's Kayden."
They immediately returned to their own conversations as though nothing had happened.
Seven pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Dude."
"You seriously need to stop saying stuff like that without context."
For those wondering...
Kayden wasn't secretly a serial killer.
He was simply a martial arts fanatic.
Scratch that.
A martial arts monster.
If there was a martial art out there...
Chances were he'd trained in it.
And if he'd trained in it...
Chances were he held an absurdly high rank.
When Kayden said he "crushed a few heads," he was referring to several sparring sessions that looked less like practice...
...and more like televised boss fights.
The kind where spectators instinctively winced every time somebody got kicked.
Sure...
A few unfortunate souls probably left with concussions.
But thankfully, nobody was suing him.
Quite the opposite, actually.
For reasons science has yet to explain...
Many of the people who sparred with Kayden willingly kept coming back for more.
Some even developed an almost concerning level of admiration.
Or...
Something bordering on a very specific fetish.
We're not unpacking that today.
Kayden, meanwhile, remained blissfully unaware.
As far as he was concerned...
People wanted to fight.
He liked fighting.
Everyone was happy.
Ignorance truly was bliss.
Anyway.
Moving on.
"What about you?" Kayden asked.
"What'd you do over the holidays?"
Seven counted on his fingers.
"Binged Pokémon."
"Played Pokémon GO."
"Did my five-hundred-and-fortieth run of Pokémon Sapphire using only a Poochyena."
"Visited my grandma."
"Ate enough food on Christmas Eve to hibernate."
"And got laid on New Year's Eve."
"You know..."
"The usual."
Kayden stared at him.
"...Dude."
"You do realize there are cameras recording us, right?"
"You can't just casually announce that to global television."
Seven froze.
"...Shit."
His eyes slowly drifted toward the nearest camera.
Sure enough...
It was pointed directly at them.
The cameraman silently raised a thumb.
One of the producers, standing just behind him, gave Seven an almost imperceptible hand signal.
"Don't worry."
"We got you."
Seven visibly relaxed.
"...Love you guys."
The producer simply grinned.
The cameras kept rolling.
Business as usual.
****
While Seven and Kayden happily caught up, Seven noticed the third member of their little trio finally making his way toward them.
"Dude..."
Seven frowned.
"You look like shit."
"What happened?"
Benimaru walked over with noticeable dark circles beneath his eyes.
His smile was genuine...
But it was also painfully tired.
"I'm okay."
"I just... had a lot to deal with over the break."
His voice was quiet, carrying a weariness neither Seven nor Kayden had ever heard before.
Kayden gently rested a hand on Benimaru's shoulder.
"Shit..."
"Stay strong, man."
"It'll get better."
Benimaru nodded with another small smile.
"Thanks, guys."
"I really hope it does."
Seven and Kayden exchanged a brief glance.
No words were spoken.
None were needed.
They silently agreed not to pry.
Whatever had happened...
Benimaru would talk about it when he was ready.
Until then...
They would simply be there for him.
Sometimes, that was enough.
Even the camera crew seemed to understand.
The producers quietly signaled the cameramen to film elsewhere, tactfully giving the three friends a moment of privacy.
On the other side of the gathering, Jeremiah spotted Toma walking toward him.
"I got you something."
Toma held out a neatly folded paper bag.
Jeremiah gasped dramatically.
"A present?"
"For moi?"
"Don't mind if I do."
He accepted it with theatrical enthusiasm and immediately peeked inside.
The moment he opened the bag, the rich aroma of freshly fried pastry escaped into the air.
Jeremiah's eyes lit up.
"...That smells divine."
Without hesitation, he grabbed one and popped it into his mouth.
The next second...
He looked like he'd just starred in one of those over-the-top anime food reactions.
Pure bliss.
"Oh my God..."
"These are amazing!"
He reached for another before he'd even finished chewing.
"What are these?"
"They're called fritule," Toma explained with a happy smile.
"They're one of my favorite pastries."
"They're usually flavored with citrus zest and a little rum."
Jeremiah froze.
His eyes sparkled.
"...That's why I love them."
"There's booze in them."
Toma laughed.
"It cooks out."
Jeremiah was already reaching for a third one.
"I choose to believe otherwise."
The two continued chatting, the paper bag noticeably growing lighter by the minute.
Elsewhere, the twins finally arrived.
The moment Mikko spotted Zen, a grin spread across his face.
"Yo, Olaf."
"How was your favorite season?"
He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Did you sing Let It Go?"
Without warning...
Zen grabbed Mikko by the collar and pulled him closer.
Mikko blinked.
Then...
The impossible happened.
Zen...
The famously selective mute...
Spoke.
"As a matter of fact..."
"...I did."
It was barely above a whisper.
But Mikko heard every word.
His eyes grew comically wide.
"Holy shit..."
"Snowflake..."
"Did you just speak to me?"
Zen simply stared at him.
One eyebrow slowly lifted.
The look practically screamed,
"Brother... you're being extra."
Amazing...
How one expression could contain an entire paragraph.
To Mikko, however...
It was the greatest gift imaginable.
He let out an excited yell before wrapping Zen in a giant bear hug.
Then promptly lifted him off the ground and spun him in circles.
"ZEN SPOKE TO ME!"
His triumphant announcement echoed across the courtyard.
Several trainees immediately turned toward them.
"Wait..."
"Seriously?"
"No way."
"Aww..."
"I guess Christmas came a little late for someone."
"I wanna hear Zen talk too."
"I'm so jelly right meow."
Eventually, Mikko set the dizzy twin back on the ground.
Zen leaned in once more.
"...Happy?"
Another whisper.
Another miracle.
Mikko's smile somehow became even brighter.
"You have absolutely no idea..."
"...Snowflake."
Months ago, Mikko had jokingly declared that one day Zen would speak to him.
Everyone laughed.
Now...
Here they were.
And Mikko looked like he'd just received the greatest Christmas present of his life.
While Mikko happily chatted with Zen, Yen found himself greeted by Johnny.
"Sup, dude."
"How was home?"
Johnny asked.
Yen smiled fondly.
"I never realized how much I missed it until I got there."
Johnny nodded knowingly.
"My parents wouldn't stop talking about me during every family gathering."
Yen laughed.
"Huh."
"Looks like we had the exact same experience."
Let's be honest.
Family gatherings are basically elaborate competitions disguised as polite conversation.
Everyone is trying to outdo everyone else.
Aunties compare careers.
Uncles compare salaries.
Cousins compare achievements.
Grandparents compare grandchildren.
It's a battlefield.
Just one fought with smiles and casseroles.
For years, both Yen's and Johnny's parents had quietly sat through those gatherings while listening to the subtle...
And not-so-subtle...
Comparisons from other relatives.
The kind disguised as concern.
"How's your son doing these days?"
"Still figuring things out?"
"Bless his heart."
Now...
For the first time in a very long while...
They had something no one else could easily dismiss.
How often could a parent casually brag that their son was competing on a globally broadcast survival show?
Not very often.
And you better believe...
They made the most of it.
****
And finally, after what felt like an eternity of anticipation, one of the producers raised a hand, signaling for everyone to settle down.
Almost immediately, the chatter faded.
Silence washed over the gathering.
Then, the doors of the Jenga Tower opened.
Out walked the ever radiant, effortlessly dazzling, undeniably iconic host of LEAVEN.
Cat.
She strode forward with the confidence of someone born for the spotlight, every step carrying effortless elegance. She was serving from head to toe and, as always, left absolutely no crumbs.
The trainees erupted into cheers.
"Werk, MAMA!" Jeremiah hollered, finger-snapping and clapping dramatically above his head.
Cat laughed before striking one final pose at center stage, earning another wave of applause.
"Thank you, everyone." She smiled warmly. "It's wonderful to see all of you again."
Then her smile softened.
"...Well..."
She glanced across the assembled trainees.
"I'd say it's wonderful to see... most of you again."
The celebration faltered.
Confused looks spread across the crowd.
"...Wait."
Someone frowned.
"Fahad isn't here."
Another trainee instinctively looked around.
"Now that you mention it... Taylor and Lemon aren't either."
More heads began turning.
One by one, the realization spread through the group.
They were missing people.
Across the crowd, Liam's eyes swept desperately from face to face.
Fahad.
Taylor.
Lemon.
Nothing.
His stomach dropped.
During their time at LEAVEN, the three had practically attached themselves to him.
They followed him everywhere.
Teased him relentlessly.
Called him "Angy" whenever he wore his trademark permanent scowl.
It drove him insane.
...Or at least, that's what he always claimed.
Being the walking definition of a tsundere, Liam would sooner fight a bear than openly admit he'd grown attached to them.
Yet now...
Standing in the middle of the crowd...
The empty spaces where they should have been hurt far more than he expected.
We said we'd fight until the end...
His jaw tightened.
His fists slowly clenched.
The familiar pressure began building inside his chest.
Liam had come a long way learning to manage his intermittent explosive disorder.
He really had.
But moments like this...
Moments involving people he'd quietly let into his heart...
Those were the hardest.
He took one slow breath.
Then another.
Just as the emotions threatened to boil over...
"...You okay?"
A calm voice spoke beside him.
Liam turned.
Louie.
His expression remained carefully neutral.
Not overly sympathetic.
Not pitying.
Just...
Present.
Louie knew Liam hated being looked at with pity.
So he simply stood beside him.
Liam let out a long breath before answering honestly.
"I'm not..."
He unclenched one hand.
"...but I will be."
His fingers opened.
Closed.
Then opened again.
"I have to."
The final words were barely louder than a whisper.
Louie simply gave a small nod.
He didn't offer empty reassurance.
Didn't tell Liam everything would magically be okay.
Sometimes...
Just having someone quietly stand beside you was enough.
Seeing that everyone had finally noticed the missing faces, murmurs rippled through the trainees.
Cat allowed the realization to settle before speaking again.
"By now," she began gently, "I'm sure all of you have noticed that several of your fellow trainees are absent today."
The crowd grew even quieter.
"During the holiday break, most of our trainees returned home."
She paused.
"They were reunited with their families... their friends... and, perhaps most importantly, with themselves."
Her voice remained calm.
"Being away from the competition gave them the opportunity to reflect on where they are in life."
"Some realized that LEAVEN was a meaningful chapter..."
"...but not the final destination of their journey."
A few trainees lowered their heads.
"Others encountered unexpected circumstances beyond their control."
"They wanted to return..."
"...but life simply wouldn't allow it."
The words landed heavily.
"And for some..."
Cat smiled softly.
"They discovered that their dreams could still be achieved through different paths."
"So they made the difficult decision to step away from the competition."
She placed a hand over her heart.
"They didn't quit their dreams."
"They simply chose another road toward them."
Silence lingered over the island.
Only moments ago, laughter had echoed through the gathering.
Now...
It felt as though someone had gently poured cold water over everyone's excitement.
The reality finally settled in.
Not everyone who starts a journey gets to finish it together.
Sometimes...
The bravest thing a person can do...
Is choose a different path.
****
As Cat's gaze swept across the trainees once more, her eyes suddenly settled on someone near the middle of the group.
A gentle smile spread across her face.
"...Benimaru."
The mention of his name made everyone instinctively look his way.
Cat held his gaze.
"I have to admit..." she began softly, "...I'm surprised to see you here today."
Benimaru straightened slightly.
"You've gone through something no one should ever have to experience."
Her voice carried no pity.
Only genuine compassion.
"I won't pretend to understand the pain you've endured."
She smiled warmly.
"But I want you to know..."
"...I'm truly happy to see you back."
The entire gathering fell silent.
The cameras quietly zoomed in.
Benimaru lowered his head.
The corners of his eyes burned.
He blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears where they belonged.
One escaped anyway.
He quickly wiped it away, forcing a trembling smile onto his face as he rocked slightly on his feet, trying to steady himself.
"I..."
His voice cracked.
He swallowed.
"...I'm happy to be back, Cat."
He inhaled deeply before continuing.
"It was... hard."
Another shaky breath.
"I lost my sister to cancer during the holiday break."
Silence.
Complete silence.
"She was my biggest cheerleader."
A bittersweet smile tugged at his lips.
"She was actually the one who convinced me to audition for LEAVEN."
His fingers tightened together.
"At first... I only joined because of her."
He looked around the island that had slowly become his second home.
"But somewhere along the way..."
"...this dream became mine too."
His voice trembled again.
"When I went home for the holidays..."
"...her condition got worse."
His eyes glistened.
"And eventually..."
"...she lost her battle."
He bit his lip, struggling to keep himself together.
"She fought so hard."
A tear finally rolled down his cheek.
"She really..."
"...really did."
He laughed weakly through the tears before shaking his head.
"Ah..."
"...fuck cancer."
"Hell yeah, dude."
Seven was already beside him, one arm firmly wrapped around his shoulders.
"Fuck cancer."
Kayden silently stepped in from Benimaru's other side, resting a comforting hand against his back.
"Amen to that."
Jeremiah's usually playful expression had vanished completely.
His voice carried both sympathy...
...and anger.
He knew exactly what it felt like to lose someone to cancer.
No jokes.
No theatrics.
Just understanding.
For a long moment...
No one spoke.
The only sounds were Benimaru's shaky breaths as he slowly gathered himself again.
After several deep breaths, he looked back up.
"We laid her to rest..."
He smiled through tear-filled eyes.
"And after that..."
"...I honestly thought I couldn't come back."
He shook his head.
"I kept asking myself..."
"'Without my sister..."
"...what's the point anymore?'"
His voice softened.
"But..."
"My family..."
"They helped me through my grief."
"They reminded me that LEAVEN stopped being just her dream a long time ago."
He chuckled quietly.
"It became mine too."
A warmer smile finally appeared.
"And honestly..."
"...if my sister saw me quit now..."
"...she'd probably come back just to bonk me on the head."
Laughter rippled gently through the trainees.
Small.
Emotional.
Exactly what Benimaru needed.
"So..."
He looked up toward the sky.
"I'm here."
"I'm chasing this dream..."
"...for me."
His hand rested over his heart.
"And for my sister..."
"...who's probably watching from heaven right now."
His smile grew brighter despite the tears.
"I just know she's cheering louder than anyone else."
"So..."
"I'm doing this..."
"...for the both of us."
Cat smiled proudly, her own eyes shimmering.
"I think..."
"...your sister would be incredibly proud to see you standing here today."
That was all it took.
Seven suddenly threw both arms around Benimaru.
Kayden immediately joined the hug.
The three nearly toppled over together.
Except...
The two comforting him were now crying even harder.
"I'm telling you, dude..."
Kayden sniffled loudly.
"Your sister's gotta be smiling right now."
Seven wiped his face with absolutely zero dignity.
"Beni..."
"Your sister's gonna be watching how amazing her big brother becomes."
Benimaru laughed through his tears.
"...Thank you."
He hugged them both tighter.
"I know she is."
He looked upward one last time.
"I'm sure she's up there..."
"...being her loud, chaotic self..."
"...and cheering all of us on."
For just a brief moment...
The weight of grief remained.
But standing beside it...
Was love.
And somehow...
Love made the burden just a little lighter.