The crowd went quiet the moment Dayo dropped the mic.

No music, no claps, just pure silence.

Everyone expected him to wait for the judges' comments, but instead, he turned and walked off the stage without a word.

At first, people thought it was part of the act. But when the lights stayed dim and the host looked lost, murmurs began spreading around the arena.

"What happened?"

"Did he forget the ending?"

"Why is he walking off?"

The whispers grew louder. Some people stood to see better. Others just stared at the stage in confusion.

The host quickly rushed forward, holding up a hand. "Everyone, please calm down! Please let the judges speak."

The noise slowly dropped. The judges leaned toward their microphones. You could feel the tension — nobody understood what had just happened.

One of the female judges took the mic. Her eyes looked a bit red. "The performance you just witnessed was beautiful," she said softly. "Truly emotional. Even I'm still shaking."

The crowd clapped lightly, waiting for her to continue.

"But…" she paused, taking a breath, "as you all know, every round has a theme. This week's theme is summer. Each contestant was asked to perform a song that fits that theme. Unfortunately, Dayo's song — as powerful as it was — did not follow the theme. Because of that, he cannot qualify for this round."

There was a second of total silence.

Then the arena erupted.

"No!" someone shouted from the stands.

"That's not fair!" another yelled.

"He sang from the heart!"

"You can't disqualify him for that!"

"That's BS"

"Did you not hear what he sang about?"

"Yeah, he just sang a tribute to the soldiers who lost their life."

"Ugh, i smell something fishy

The crowd grew louder, chanting his name. "JD! JD! JD!"

The host tried to calm them down again. "Please, everyone, please! Let's allow the judges to finish!"

The same judge's voice broke slightly as she spoke again. "Trust me, even I feel it. His song touched all of us. You can see I'm crying. But rules are rules — and they're not meant to be broken. Every contestant must follow them, no matter how good their song is."

Booing started from the back rows. Some fans began leaving the arena angrily, shaking their heads.

Others stayed, still shouting Dayo's name, protesting.

You could feel the emotion in the air. Nobody wanted to believe what they had just heard.

***

In the upper VIP section, Michael Malo sat quietly, watching the chaos below.

He had no expression on his face.

One couldn't tell what was going on in his mind as he appeared.

calm.

The crowd's noise echoed in his ears, but he didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on the empty stage.

"This is what happens when you walk alone," he muttered to himself, his voice low and cold.

Still, something about it unsettled him. Dayo hadn't begged. He hadn't looked scared. He had walked away on his own — almost like he was free.

And that, more than anything, irritated him.

Michael's jaw tightened slightly. "You think you can just walk away from my game, kid?" he whispered. "You'll learn."

He stood up, straightened his suit, and left his seat before the next contestant even came on.

---

Backstage, Dayo sat alone for a few minutes before the door burst open.

"Dayo!"

Min-Jae ran in first, followed by Emily, Maya, and Misha. Their faces said it all — worried, emotional, confused.

"Bro, what was that?" Min-Jae asked, out of breath. "You just walked out! Everyone's talking!"

Emily's eyes were already wet. "You were perfect. That song— it was beautiful! How could they disqualify you for that?"

Dayo smiled faintly, his voice low. "It's okay. Really. I already knew what would happen."

Maya shook her head. "You knew? Then why—"

"Because it felt right," Dayo said simply. "I didn't want to fake a smile or sing something that didn't mean anything. I needed to sing that song."

The girls looked at him silently. Misha wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Min-Jae clenched his jaw. "Still, it's messed up. You don't deserve this."

Dayo gave a tired smile. "It's fine. I'm leaving tonight anyway."

They all froze. "Leaving?" Emily said quietly. "What do you mean?"

"I already packed my things," he said, picking up his small bag from beside the chair. "I've made up my mind."

Maya covered her mouth. "You're serious?"

He nodded. "Yeah. This is the best time. The rest of you still have a chance to win. Don't waste it."

The girls started crying again. Emily tried to speak but couldn't. Misha stepped forward and hugged him tightly. Maya joined in, her voice shaky. "You're not supposed to go out like this."

He chuckled lightly. "Why are you crying? You're all here in the U.S. The only person who should be crying is Min-Jae — he's the one all the way back in Korea."

That made them laugh through their tears. Even Min-Jae let out a small laugh, shaking his head.

"Promise me something," Dayo said. "Don't let them control you. No matter what happens, just sing from your heart."

They all nodded silently.

He hugged each of them one more time, held on for a moment longer, then stepped back. "I'll be fine," he said softly. "Trust me."

***

He was walking down the corridor toward the exit when he saw Frank leaning against the wall, his usual smirk already waiting for him.

"Leaving so soon?" Frank asked. "Guess you couldn't handle the pressure after all."

Dayo stopped and looked at him. His voice was calm. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Frank shrugged. "I get it fine. You had a shot, but you blew it. Michael was giving you a chance. People would kill for that."

Dayo gave a small, dry laugh. "Yeah? Then maybe you should take it. Looks like you already have."

Frank's eyes narrowed. "You think you're better than me, huh?"

Dayo looked at him for a second, then shook his head. "No. I just think I'm not scared like you."

Frank scoffed but didn't respond.

Dayo adjusted his bag and walked past him. His steps were steady, his expression quiet.

As he reached the door, he paused and took one last look at the hallway — the lights, the noise fading behind him, the faint echo of fans still chanting his name outside.

He smiled faintly and whispered, "Thank you."

Then he pushed the door open and walked out into the night.

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