The hall dimmed as the giant screen behind the stage flashed with golden lights. The atmosphere of the venue became grim as tension gripped.
The nominees, now even more anxious than before, awaited the result with their hearts pounding.
Even Julian, who had been livelier since the beginning of the event, grew silent.
The suspense in the hall was unbearable. The camera lenses zoomed in on each nominee, their faces projected on the colossal screen above the stage.
Though an eerie silence engulfed the hall, Hiro's concerns were different.
Unlike the other nominees, he wasn't thinking about the award. He had considered a lot of factors before concluding. The fact that he was still a teenager, the fact that he was of Asian origin, and the fact that he hadn't been notified ahead of time pushed him to believe that he wasn't winning the award.
But he still couldn't help but doubt something.
