A mechanical ticking began.
Eight narrow spotlights pierced the darkness, each revealing a dancer in black-and-silver asymmetrical techwear. Reflective panels caught the light whenever someone shifted. Behind them, a gigantic digital metronome swung across the LED wall.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
A shoulder twitched. A wrist rotated. Someone near the back snapped his head sideways. Each movement seemed triggered by the next tick, as though the dancers belonged to the same machine.
A processed whisper slipped through the speakers.
Keep up. Keep up.
The ticking accelerated.
Taeyong stood motionless at center while the other seven performed increasingly intricate popping sequences around him. Their isolations rippled outward, one movement activating the next.
Off—Beat.
The first drop struck.
All eight snapped into motion. At first, I thought someone had entered early. Another dancer seemed half a step behind.
I leaned forward.
