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He squeezes my hand back just as the music starts.

We burst into action, spinning and moving around with the beat. Everything from the music to the audience is so loud that if it weren’t for the earpiece in my ear, I probably couldn’t hear the music. It’s pretty overwhelming, but I still push on.

My body takes over, and as I’m dancing, I’m only vaguely aware of the crowd and the cameras flitting across the stage around us. I’ve run through the choreography so many times that I barely register the way my body moves. Instead, I focus on being onstage with Henry. And I focus on the small smile that appears on Henry’s lips as he eases into the dance.

I’ve never been a couple-dance kind of person. I always thought that dancing with another person would tie me down. Limit me somehow. But dancing with Henry isn’t like that. Maybe it’s because I’m so at ease with him, but dancing with Henry is just as freeing as dancing by myself.

The spotlight flashes bright as it moves across the stage, casting shadows behind our dancing bodies. Henry drops me into a spontaneous dip as the camera zooms in close, and the crowd explodes into hoots and screams.

“Nice,” I whisper into his ear before he twirls me out.

He doesn’t have time to reply, but he smirks in a way thatsays, “Told you I’d be fine.”

And then, it’s over. The camera does a final pan across the stage before swerving to the cheering audience.

Henry and I smile, for the audiences, yeah, but also for each other. We did it. We made it through the entire routine without a single mistake. I see the ecstatic joy I’m feeling reflected in Henry’s eyes.

As we’re staring at each other, something in Henry’s expression shifts. He takes a step back and blinks like he’s confused. I’m about to ask him what’s wrong when Davey walks over to the front of the stage.

“What an astounding performance from Henry and Skye!” he says, gesturing at us in a grand flourish.

The roar of the audience is so loud that the judges have to wait before they can give us their evaluations. Everyone’s enthusiasm makes my heart flutter, and I’m about to turn back around to smile at Henry when I see Bora whispering something into Mr. Park’s ear. Mr. Park immediately whispers back, and Gary shoots both of them a confused look.

Uh-oh, I think.This can’t be good.

Everyone slowly stops clapping when they realize the judges aren’t showering us with praise. There’s a tense moment of silence, and the room grows so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Okaaay,” Gary says at last, still looking perplexed. I guess he couldn’t hear what the other two judges were whispering about. “I’ll go first. Henry and Skye, you two totally blew it out of the water. Even though everyone was assigned the samechoreography, you guys somehow managed to make your rendition so unique and personal that everything was fresh and heart-stopping. Fantastic job.”

There are some cheers from the audience, although it’s obvious from the anticipation in everyone’s faces that they’re all waiting to hear from the other two judges.

Bora and Mr. Park stare at each other. Dread starts piling up inside of me like heavy weights, slowly suffocating me in a way that makes me want to scream,Just say it!

Finally, Bora leans forward to speak into the mic.

“I’m sorry, Miss Shin,” she says. “But Mr. Park and I have chosen to eliminate you from the dance portion ofYou’re My Shining Star.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“WHAT?” HENRY CRIES OUT, AND HE’S NOT THEonly person in the room voicing his disbelief. Gasps and confused murmurs in both Korean and English fill the audience. Even Gary says into his mic, “You havegotto be kidding me! Park, are you actually okay with this?”

At Gary’s protest, more voices join in the complaints, until I can’t hear anything but angry voices. But instead of rejecting what Bora said, Mr. Park just remains still in his seat, staring at me with a pensive look on his face.

Meanwhile, I’m speechless. Even though I’d been dreading it, nothing could have prepared me for the gut punch of finding out I’ve been eliminated for real. Instead of being comforting, the crowd’s complaints only makes the pressure inside my chest worse, because I can’t help but think of all the people who wrote on social media that I’m an inspiration. I can’t help but think of the countless other people who’ll see me eliminated when this episode airs.

You still have the vocal portion of the competition. You’re not completely eliminated yet.

I try to think positively, but I know it’s different. No one ever doubted my ability to sing just because of the way I look. No one told me I couldn’t sing because I’m fat.

“I thought you guys were eliminating people by group,” says Henry. He sounds really angry, and some part of me dully registers how sweet he’s being by standing up for me like this.

“We are,” Bora says with a glance back at the still-silent Mr. Park. “In most cases. But Miss Shin has proven herself to be... problematic and unprofessional. Perhaps in an American competition, a contestant like her would be tolerated, but not here. Mr. Park and I have agreed that in the Korean music industry, such unprofessionalism would not be acceptable, and especially not in the world of dance.”

As she finishes talking, an unmistakably triumphant smile flashes on her face. And then, I know. She’s making all this up. All so she can say that she’s won, and I’ve lost.

I feel sick. All my life, Mom’s been telling me that I can’t dance. Not because I’m not a good enough dancer but because of what I look like. It was painful enough to grow up with that, but it’s ten times more hurtful to see someone trying so hard to get me eliminated just because they think my size isn’t “professional.”

I know I should say something, I know I should fight back and be strong for the people in the audience and for everyone who’ll eventually see this episode at home. But what can I say?If I defend myself, Bora will use it against me somehow. And I’m so tired of always having to fight.