The moment Doyun's group returned backstage, the excitement that had carried them through the performance slowly began to fade. Reality returned.
The competition was not over, not even close. One group had performed before them, they had performed second, and that still left dozens of contestants. Dozens. And every single one wanted the same thing: to survive, to advance, to debut.
The realization made the earlier relief weaken slightly because no matter how well they had performed, they still had no idea where they stood. Not yet.
"Let's sit over there." C90 pointed toward a corner where several groups were already gathering. The five of them moved together. Nobody wanted to separate today. The tension was too high.
Back on stage, Namsoon was already introducing the third group. The performance began immediately.
