BLOOM
The red light above the camera turned on.
That was when it became real.
This wasn't just an audition anymore.
This wasn't just for evaluators or producers.
South Korea was watching.
The hallway buzzed with unnatural silence—too many people trying not to panic. Camera crews moved between trainees, lenses lingering just long enough to catch shaking hands, whispered prayers, clenched jaws.
A massive LED screen hung at the far end of the corridor:
LIVE BROADCAST — FINAL GIRL GROUP PROJECT
NATIONAL VOTING OPEN
More than forty trainees stood under that screen.
Every move mattered.
Every mistake would be replayed.
Every expression could be edited into a villain—or a star.
Taziko Joanne
Joanne felt it first—the weight of the cameras.
She had trained for two years in obscurity, but now even the way she stood was being judged by millions. A cameraman followed her as she stretched.
"How do you feel right now?" a producer asked.
Joanne met the lens head-on.
"I'm ready."
Inside the evaluation room, she delivered a sharp rap performance, her gaze steady, posture unbreakable. She didn't smile. She didn't soften.
When she exited, the screen in the hallway refreshed.
LIVE RANKING (TEMPORARY)
#3 — Taziko Joanne
A ripple ran through the trainees.
Joanne exhaled once.
Bai Xui Xui
Susu sat quietly, hair spilling over her shoulders like a curtain she could hide behind. The camera caught her humming softly—an innocent moment that would later flood social media.
Who is she?
Her voice is insane.
She hasn't even dyed her hair once?
Inside the room, her voice bloomed—pure, emotional, steady under pressure. Even the evaluators forgot the cameras.
When she stepped out, the screen updated again.
#1 — Bai Xui Xui
Gasps.
Xui Xui froze.
She didn't smile. She didn't cry. She just bowed slightly to the screen, overwhelmed by numbers she couldn't see—thousands of votes pouring in from strangers.
Leah Vogel Kim
Leah hated the cameras.
They followed her anyway.
Tall, unreadable, distant—she didn't look nervous enough. Online comments began to scroll live on the broadcast.
She looks arrogant.
Who does she think she is?
But why can't I stop looking at her?
Leah entered the evaluation room without greeting anyone.
She danced first—clean, powerful, centered.
Then rap.
Then vocals.
The room went quiet.
Outside, the ranking screen lagged for a moment longer than usual.
Then—
#2 — Leah Vogel Kim
The hallway erupted.
Leah stared at the screen, unreadable. She didn't celebrate. She didn't react.
But somewhere in South Korea, her name was trending.
Park Mi Li
Mili's segment focused on grace.
The broadcast highlighted her lines, her musicality, her calm leadership in group rehearsals. Viewers began to comment:
She feels safe.
She's elegant.
She'd balance the group.
Her ranking appeared modest—but steady.
#6 — Park Mi Li
Just outside the cut.
Mi li nodded to herself.
Still fighting.
Kang So Ji
So ji's nerves were impossible to hide—and the cameras loved it.
"She's cute."
"She's trying so hard."
"She reminds me of my younger sister."
Her performance wasn't perfect—but it was honest.
When the rankings refreshed:
#8 — Kang So Ji
So ji's smile faltered.
But the voting was still open.
The Group Evaluation — Live
The worst part came next.
Randomly assigned groups. Limited time. Live cameras. Live audience reaction.
Mistakes were amplified. Leadership was exposed.
Leah's group struggled—no one spoke to her directly. She was edited as distant, cold.
But when the performance began, she took center naturally. Not forcefully. Inevitably.
Joanne watched from the side.
She doesn't need permission, Joanne realized. She's built for this.
The Votes
Hours later, the trainees stood beneath the screen again.
Sweaty. Exhausted. Silent.
Votes climbed in real time.
Names shifted.
Ranks flipped.
Hope rose and collapsed within seconds.
Then the final screen locked.
FINAL SCREENING — TOP 5
One by one, the names appeared.
Bai Xui Xui
Leah Vogel Kim
Taziko Joanne
Park Mi Li
Kang So Ji
Somewhere behind the cameras, eliminated trainees cried.
The five remaining girls stood frozen.
Not smiling.
Not celebrating.
Because they understood now.
This wasn't just survival.
It was the beginning of a life lived under constant watch—
where talent bloomed, and judgment never slept.