The next three months also came in a blur, summer was about to begin and school was almost over. It has been 6 months of training.

Hana and I were desperately trying to juggle our school life with training and spent almost all of our free time studying and practicing. But that wasn't just the only problem.

Lately during practice, I've been feeling incredibly weaker and tired throughout my training. It's not like I never am though, but this was different. I suffered a loss of appetite even when my mom cooked my favourite dishes and was always in pain throughout the day. I always got fell down during training and I easily bled and bruised.

My mother booked an appointment with the doctor, but he simply said it was the product of lack of sleep and told me to sleep earlier.

"You don't say?" I thought.

"Wow, thank you doctor. I didn't know of this till now. I think you just cured me. Surely, there's no valid reason why I would be staying up late at my age right?"

My sarcasm brought a glare from the doctor and a scolding by my mother.

In the end, I simply dismissed it as an effect from training as it was excessive and exhausting.

Throughout the 3 months, I developed my voice even further and my dancing skills have improved a lot. Jackson told me I was a natural and often helped me out on difficult steps. It was great having him around, as he helped stop the kids from bullying me and knew how to cheer me up with his jokes.

Whenever I asked him about his family however, he would always grow quiet and look off as he thought of them. His parents were in Hong Kong and he was alone in Korea. The guy came alone, but he learned to fit in through his humour and jokes. It's what made him likable and prevented him from getting teased often.

The first time I introduced him to my parents, my mother spoke to him in Cantonese in greeting. The moment he heard her words, he burst out crying which surprised my parents, Hana, Micheal and I. After calming down, he told us it was the first time he heard anyone speak Cantonese to him in over a year. My mother had reminded him of his own and the feeling of homesickness overwhelmed him.

"It was like my own mother was greeting me home" he said.

When learning of his situation, my mother had no hesitation to tell him that he could visit them anytime.

"You don't need to be alone, I will be your mother in Korea for when your own mother is in Hong Kong"

It was the same for Tzuyu when Hana introduced our family to her and she cried when eating a dish that was similar to what her mother made in Taiwan. My mother invited her to stop by any time and she would cook for her.

"So... I guess you have five kids now?" Micheal joked, which earned a laugh around the dinner table and made Tzuyu smile through her tears.

Despite it all, the obstacles that I faced during training, the pain, exhaustion, and exertion taught me my limits and my weaknesses. But it was all in improving oneself that was key for everyone. I learned my weaknesses and my strengths, and I improved on what I needed to debut as an idol.

What I didn't know was that I was about to face my biggest obstacle yet.

---