Llana turned the faucet on, leaned over the sink, and cupped her hands, splashing cold water onto her face repeatedly.
Trying to calm herself, she clenched her jaw tightly.
It seemed her new family wasn't as good as she had thought. Their moral bottom line was so low that they could even attempt to take someone's life without hesitation.
This was the first time she truly realized how far her brothers were willing to go for her.
It made her feel sick.
A wave of nausea rose in her chest, her stomach churning as if rejecting the thought itself. It wasn't just disgust.
It was fear.
Fear of how easily they could take a life.
Disgust at how lightly something so irreversible could be treated.
And yet, she knew.
They were only trying to protect her. They were afraid that she couldn't fight Minyoung, that she might fall, which was why they planned to do something extreme, killing her.
That truth only twisted her emotions further.
Llana didn't know what to feel.
Her grip on the sink tightened.
Llana had always hated people who took another person's life with their own hands.
She believed there was no justification for it.
But what if it was done to save someone else?
Would that make it right?
Would she… do the same?
Would she be willing to take someone's life to save the person she loved?
Her breath caught.
Maybe before, the answer would have been simple.
No.
Back then, she had nothing to lose. No one to protect. No one who could be taken away from her. Holding on to that belief had been easy.
But now…
Now, she had people.
People who would bleed for her. Kill for her.
People she didn't want to lose.
People she learned to love.
Llana closed the faucet then stare at her own reflection.
"Hypocrite."
She muttered as she stare at herself.
In the end, those supposed principles will be tested in a critical moment, proving whether they are real or just empty words.
She didn't expect that what would greet her this morning would be so overwhelming that it made her want to just call it a day. The week had only just started, and she already felt so drained.
*Riiing* *Riiing*
The sound cut through the quiet—soft, but enough to pull her attention. Llana always kept her ringtone and notifications low, audible without ever being jarring.
Llana let it ring for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on her reflection. Water still clung to her skin, slowly tracing down her jaw. She drew in a steady breath, grounding herself, before slipping her hand into her pocket and pulling out her phone.
Her gaze dropped to the screen.
Chaeyoung.
Without hesitation, she answered.
"Llana?" Chaeyoung's voice came through, gentle but laced with concern.
"Ne~ you're calling, unnie?" Llana replied softly, her tone light despite the lingering fatigue.
"I just wanted to ask where you are. We're all waiting for you."
Llana glanced at the time and froze.
9:37 a.m.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh no… I'm late. Sorry!"
A small laugh echoed from the other end.
"Hehe, it's okay. We'll wait for you. Ppalli."
"Ne. Five minutes—I'll be there."
She ended the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket, already moving. Her pace quickened as she left the restroom, footsteps hurried, almost restless.
Late again.
A faint crease formed between her brows. She just hoped no one would take it the wrong way and think she was doing it on purpose… acting important, making people wait.
_____
(Practice room )
"Is it just me? I can't believe that only one mission is left before this ends."
Jihyo sat on the floor, hugging her knees with her chin resting on top of them.
"I know, right… I still can't believe Minyoung is gone too. I really thought she would debut with us," Nayeon said as she sat cross-legged, her voice slow and tinged with sadness.
"Minyoung is such a pity…" Jeongyeon sighed, shaking her head slightly. There was regret in her voice. She might look unbothered and act cool, but deep inside, she was just as heartbroken.
Her friends had been eliminated one by one.
First Jiwon
She thought that was the most painful moment, but she never expected that just a week later, Minyoung would follow.
Maybe not debuting as 6mix was actually for the best.
Back then, like the others, she had been dissatisfied with the company for halting their debut.
But now, she was starting to understand why.
Yes, Minyoung and Jiwon were talented vocalists, but they lacked confidence and Will. That was what she noticed as the competition grew more intense. JYP was right. As much as she hated to admit it, they lacked the qualities a true star needed. Even Tzuyu had more confidence than them.
Jeongyeon glanced at Tzuyu, who was sitting across from her with a straight posture.
Tzuyu might not be as skilled as them, but she had made it this far, and she was constantly improving, just like PD-nim had said.
"Llana said she'll be here in five minutes,"
Chaeyoung said after finishing her call, sitting down beside them.
"That girl…" Jeongyeon shook her head, pretending to be annoyed. "Late again."
"Says the one who came late too," Tzuyu replied, her lips twitching as she gave Jeongyeon a slightly disgusting look. Leaning back on her hands, she tilted her chin up just enough to seem like she was looking down on her.
The others couldn't help but laugh.
"Yah! I was only ten minutes late!" Jeongyeon protested.
"Even if it's just one minutes, it's still late. Don't justify it," Tzuyu shot back.
"It's 'minute,' not 'minutes,'" Jeongyeon corrected, unable to argue further.
"I'm still learning Korean," Tzuyu replied lightly.
The others let the two go back and forth, watching like it was a show, amused smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, Momo remained quietly seated, her gaze fixed on the floor as if it held something completely lost in her own world.
Suddenly, the door burst open, making Nayeon nearly jumped out of her skin, whipping her head toward the entrance.
"Yah! You scared me!"
'Why does everyone keep barging in like that? First Jeongyeon, now Llana… At this rate, I'm going to develop a heart problem,' she grumbled internally.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Llana said, offering them an apologetic smile.
"It's nothing. We're always willing to wait for our baby Llana," Jihyo said warmly.
"Llana, sit here," Sana said cutely, patting the floor beside her. "We were waiting for you so we could start distributing the lyrics."
Llana smiled and carefully sat beside Sana. "Why didn't you start yet? You didn't have to wait for me."
"How could we? That would've been rude," Momo added. Her patience might be short—but when it came to Llana, she never minded waiting.
Jeongyeon looked around at them, her gaze moving from one person to another, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
"YAH!"
She suddenly shouted, startling Nayeon (again) and successfully grabbing everyone's attention.
Seeing all eyes on her, she continued, "Aren't you all being biased? I got scolded earlier for being late, but Llana gets a warm welcome?"
"You're all clearly showing favoritism."
She then pointed accusingly at Tzuyu, who was sitting there as if nothing had happened. "Especially you, Chou Tzuyu!"
"Really?" Llana let out a soft laugh, glancing at the others before her gaze settled on Tzuyu, as if silently asking, 'Is that true?'
Tzuyu simply gave a small shrug, not even sparing Jeongyeon a glance.
That indifference left Jeongyeon completely speechless. She looked like she might just collapse from sheer disbelief.
"You're not just lovable," Nayeon added, striking another blow to her wounded heart.
'just kill me!'
Jeongyeon slumped in defeat, thinking.