Major didn't mean safe.
It meant more to lose.
"All contestants, gather."
Again.
The room filled quickly.
The screen lit up.
"Your next mission"
A pause.
"Team battle performance."
Tension rose instantly.
"Major vs Minor."
Silence.
That changed everything.
SYSTEM ALERT:
High-Stakes Competition Detected
Back in the practice room the atmosphere shifted.
This wasn't just performance.
This was survival.
"We can't lose."
Jihyo's voice was firm.
"If we drop, we go to Minor."
That reality hit hard.
Seoryeon's chest tightened.
Falling meant losing everything she built.
Practice started.
But this time it wasn't smooth.
Mistakes happened.
Frustration built.
"Again."
Momo's voice sharper now.
Seoryeon adjusted quickly.
But the tension lingered.
Everyone was pushing harder.
Too hard.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
Team instability detected
"Stop."
Jihyo stepped forward.
"This isn't working."
Silence.
"We're too tense."
No one argued.
Because it was true.
Seoryeon exhaled slowly.
"…We're scared of losing."
Everyone looked at her.
She hadn't meant to say that out loud.
But it was real.
A pause.
Then "…Yeah."
Dahyun nodded.
"That's exactly it."
Jihyo nodded.
"Then we fix it."
A pause.
"We perform to win not to avoid losing."
That shift small but important.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
Mental adjustment detected
Music started again.
This time less tension.
More focus.
Seoryeon moved.
Freer.
Stronger.
Still controlled but not restricted.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
Performance Quality Increasing
Later Seoryeon sat alone.
Thinking.
Major.
Minor.
Winning.
Losing.
It all felt heavy.
"…You're overthinking again."
She looked up.
Sana.
"…Probably."
Sana sat beside her.
"You don't have to carry everything."
Seoryeon hesitated.
"…I know."
But she still did.
That night Seoryeon stood in front of the mirror.
Again.
But this time she didn't just see pressure.
She saw risk.
SYSTEM UPDATE:
Status: MAJOR AT RISK
Her eyes sharpened.
"…Then I won't fall."