"Major A Team, please get ready. You'll be going outside next for rehearsal, right after Minor A Team."
A female staff member knocked lightly before opening the dressing room door, letting Llana and the others know it was their turn. Perfect timing—they had just finished getting ready and were about to head out.
"Ne~."
Llana and the rest nodded, thanking the staff, and stepped into the corridor. From down the hall, they could already hear the faint sounds of Minor A Team rehearsing.
"They're performing JYP's 'Mama' ?"
Chaeyoung asked, softly humming along as they walked.
As soon as they arrived, several production staff approached them, efficiently clipping headset microphones onto each member and fitting their IEMs.
"Mic check on stage later," one staff member reminded them.
"Understood. Thank you," Llana replied.
"I can't hear the lyrics at all… it's completely unclear," Jihyo commented at the Minor A teams ongoing rehearsal leaning toward Llana.
Llana glanced at Minyoung, Natty, and Mina, nodding in agreement. The Minor A Team's vocals were indeed barely audible, and their dancing looked really weak. But who were they to judge? It was just a rehearsal, anyway. Maybe they were just saving their energy and would deliver a banger later on.
"They're dancing, but it's not strong enough. They lack energy," Momo added.
"Nayeon-unnie and the rest are there," Jihyo pointed at Nayeon and the rest of her team, "let's go there?" She suggested, and the others agreed, following her as she led them toward the Major B Team.
"Finished with your rehearsal?" Momo called as they approached.
Nayeon turned to face them. "Yeah, we just finished." Her eyes widened for a moment as she took in Major A Team's outfits. "Wow… your outfits are amazing."
They were clad in fitted black ensembles with gold detailing. The sleeveless cropped tops sat neatly above the waist, featuring high collars and rows of small gold buttons with horizontal trims across the front, giving the look a structured, uniform-like feel. A large hood could shadow almost half of their faces, adding a sense of mystery and authority. The high-waisted black shorts were secured with a matching belt, while gold-lined side panels echoed the design of the tops. Knee-high black lace-up boots completed the ensemble, giving them a commanding presence.
They looked elegant, formidable, and regal—like queens ready to take the stage.
"Llana!" shouted Sana, bouncing over with excitement. She leaned in close, burying her face lightly against Llana's neck as she hugged her, careful not to mess up her outfit. Her fingers brushed gently across Llana's cheek.
'She smells really nice,' Sana thought, smiling to herself as she subtly breathed in Llana's scent.
"Sana-unnie, everyone, hello."
Llana stiffened slightly as she greeted them. She still wasn't used to Sana's clinginess, but she didn't pull away.
Pulling away might hurt Sana's feelings, and she didn't want that to happen.
Her left hand instinctively settled on Sana's waist, giving it a light, awkward pat, while her other hand lifted in a small wave toward the rest.
"Oi. Let Llana go."
Momo's voice cut in as she grabbed Sana by the collar and pulled her away from Llana. Sana didn't resist, allowing herself to be dragged back with a small, amused smile.
"Uwa~ is Momoring jealous? Come on~" Sana teased, spreading her arms wide open, ready to hug Momo instead.
Momo immediately stepped back, replying in dismissive tone, "Don't bother me."
"Eh…?"
Sana froze mid-motion, her arms still hanging open. Slowly, her lips formed a pout.
"You guys are dressed up so nicely… it's not even the big night yet."
Jeongyeon's lips twitched as she looked the group up and down.
'Wow… they really went all out. They're making us look like backup dancers,' she thought, instinctively glancing down at her own outfit.
Just earlier, she had been completely satisfied with what they were wearing—white cropped turtlenecks paired with fitted black latex leather pants that hugged their figures perfectly. They looked hot and sexy.
But now, standing in front of Llana's group, who looked like they were about to perform on a full-scale concert stage, their outfits suddenly felt plain.
"Wah, JYPE is giving unfair treatment," Jeongyeon pouted.
The others looked at her in surprise. They hadn't expected her to be so outspoken.
"Yah! Watch your mouth," Nayeon warned, shooting her a glare that clearly told her to stop.
They knew Jeongyeon wasn't being serious, but that didn't make it safe. They didn't know how the company might react, and Nayeon worried it could affect their chances of debut. Jeongyeon was being too impulsive this time. It would have been fine if it were just among themselves, but they were being recorded, and JYPE staff were literally in front of them holding a camera.
"What do you mean?" Jihyo spoke up, her brows lifting slightly, her tone calm but firm. "If there's any difference, it's the distinction between Major and Minor teams."
She gestured toward their outfits.
"We requested these from the stylists. We're in the Major team, so we're allowed to suggest what we want to wear for the performance. Isn't it the same for you? Your outfit is from Miss A, right?"
"If you were in the Minor group, you wouldn't even get to choose what you wear. You might even have to use your own clothes."
In truth, their outfits weren't from the company at all. They were provided by Llana. However, she had already asked them to keep it a secret, so they could only used the company as a cover.
Jihyo speaking up wasn't just about correcting Jeongyeon's baseless comment. It was about preventing unnecessary misunderstandings. She needed to make it clear that this wasn't "special treatment," not just to protect their team, but also Jeongyeon and the company.
Llana nodded to herself, a small smile forming as she glanced at Jihyo.
Jihyo didn't say it outright, but the others understood her message well.
Sometimes, they didn't have the freedom to speak carelessly. They didn't have real value yet in the eyes of the company.
That was why they always had to be mindful of their words. Even something small, even a joke, could lead to unintended consequences.
Jihyo truly had the qualities of a leader. She was mature and thoughtful.
Jeongyeon let out a nervous laugh, quickly raising both hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay… I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously."
"Major A Team, please get ready. You're up next."
The announcement suddenly echoed through the speakers, cutting through the tension. Taking it as their cue, they exchanged quick goodbyes before Llana and her group turned and made their way toward the stage.
"Major A Team, mic check."
Llana adjusted her headset mic and in-ear monitors, tapping them lightly. "Testing… one, two, three… Laaaa~ Llaaaana~ Lllanaa~."
Her voice came clearly through the main speakers, but in her IEMs, it was faint—almost nonexistent.
She spoke lightly, "I can't hear myself…"
She tried again, stretching the notes. "Laaaa~ Llaaana~ Lllanaa~… okay, that's better. Thank you."
Jihyo sang a few scales, carefully listening through her IEM. "There's a slight delay," she said, tapping the earpiece.
"Adjusting latency. Try again," the sound engineer replied.
Jihyo nodded and sang once more. This time, her voice came through clean and steady. She gave a small thumbs-up.
While the others adjusted their monitor mixes and mic levels, Llana stepped offstage to talk to the director in charge of lights and staging, explaining every detail of how she wanted the performance to look.
When she returned to the stage, everything was ready.
This time, she wasn't planning to hide what they were going to perform—unlike their first performance. The moment the music started, everyone froze, completely caught off guard.
Somi's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open.
"Daebak! This is insane."
Before they knew it, it was already time for their performance.
The staff called them over and guided them to the waiting area. It was a 100-square-meter room designed like a living room. Four benches were placed at the center, against the wall, with large paintings hanging behind them. Opposite was a big TV screen displaying the venue, which was almost filled with people.
The sight caught them off guard.
A wave of nervousness quietly settled over the groups. This was the largest audience they had ever faced, far bigger than during their first performance.
Not long after, JYP stepped onto the stage and began addressing the audience, explaining the voting mechanics they would be following.
Major A Team would perform first—which meant them.
Almost instinctively, they rose to their feet and moved backstage, preparing themselves.
"The stage will go dark later, and your greeting will play. Once it does, head straight onto the stage and move to your starting positions. After that, the music will begin immediately. Understood?" a staff member instructed.
"Yes, thank you!"
Llana nodded along with the others, offering a polite smile. Then, she began shaking out her hands and feet, doing a few light jumps to shake off the nervous energy that was starting to surface.
Llana let out a breath before extending her left hand forward. "Okay, like usual."
The others immediately understood, stacking their hands on top of hers.
"We're a team. Whatever happens, we move as one. Support each other and watch out for one another."
She continued, "Let's give our hundred percent and stand there with confidence. We're in this together."
"FIGHTING!"
Moments later, their pre-recorded greeting video began to play—their cue.
On the big screen:
"Hello, everyone! I'm Momo."
"I'm Jihyo."
"I'm Chaeyoung."
"And I'm Llana."
The audience erupted into loud cheers, their screams echoing across the venue even before the performance began.
"We are the Major A Team!"
"We hope everyone enjoys our performance today. We will be performing…"