Forty minutes before VANTA's comeback press conference begins, the stage director suddenly notifies you that the original five-person encore has been cut down to three minutes. The company wants to remove the final segment that ZHOU personally helped choreograph. The reason given is perfectly diplomatic—to control the duration of the live broadcast—but you had just seen in a last-minute meeting that the extra time was actually given to another rookie group from the company. The person in charge asks you to sign a confirmation form first, and not to inform the members for now.

You return to the backstage area with the unsigned document. Suddenly, a row of main lights goes out due to equipment testing. Staff are moving light stands, and loose electric cables are still scattered on the floor. ZHOU comes over from the shadows. He doesn't press you for answers but instead steps between you and the equipment to shield you.