Silence.
Then a cameraman raised his hand sheepishly. "Sorry, that's probably me. I brought my intern. She's observing for school credit."
A young girl waved nervously from behind a equipment case.
Manager Park sighed. "Does she have clearance?"
"Yes, sir. All paperwork filed last week."
"Fine. Twenty-four people. Everyone accounted for." He took off his glasses. Folded them carefully. Put them in his pocket.
Then his expression softened.
"Before we leave, I want to say something. And I'm going to get emotional, so bear with me."
"Oh no," Doyun whispered. "He's going to cry."
"Shut up," Minjae whispered back.
"When we started this project a month ago," Manager Park continued, "I was terrified. Genuinely terrified. LUMEN was coming off a massive scandal. Public trust was at an all-time low. The company was considering disbandment. This reality show was a Hail Mary. A last-ditch effort to save something that felt already broken."
He looked at the five members.
