Home run

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Only a few hours had passed since Amaia's panic attack and the change in her was nothing short of amazing. Doing her hair and make up had helped her tremendously put herself back in the showcase mindset. Plus, she could not feel more confident if she tried in her Beyoncé outfit.

"We look so good"

"I know right?" Amaia replied to Ling, admiring herself in the mirror. She was decked out in a leather top with a black corset and high boots, a red ribbon cleverly hidden behind her shoulder's pads. The black hat completed the look.

"If only I hadn't lost both my forearms trying to make that ponytail work" Audrey whined, making everyone laugh.

The producer entered their room and gestured for them to go on in 5 minutes.

"Ok girls. It's time. Leave everything behind and enjoy the moment. Put your everything on stage, we shouldn't be able to walk anymore at the end of the live. I'm talking FULL-OUT" Kirsten said, tapping everyone's shoulder and clapping after a final hug, energizing everyone. They hurried on the stage, catching a glimpse of the ongoing performance behind the curtain, and the audience sounded electric. Soaking up the positive energy, and after a final group hug, Amaia went into performance mode as they took to the stage. This was it.

As soon as the first notes of the Beyonce's mash-up rang out, the audience went wild. The white lighting was casting dramatic shadows and outlining their figures and hats, making them look like they were in a concert. The girls' performance was nothing short flawless. Lingyoncé was owning the stage, as usual, and the girls showcased an intensity surpassing even their previous performance, which was hard to believe.

From the sidelines, Bebe was speechless. Amaia had briefly texted her to thank her and reassure her she was fine again. But Bada had not expected her to be THIS fine. Jam Republic's girls were gorgeous. She half wanted to snatch Amaia away, half wanted to bow down to her. All of them looked snatched, clean lines, amazing facial expressions, sharp movements. Their musicality, as always, was unmatched. She had to consciously close her jaw when they started using red ribbons. Hats AND props ? For a live finale ?? It was a bold move and a testament to the confidence they had in themselves. She was simply overjoyed for them and so so relieved to see Amaia at her best, enjoying herself, a far cry from the anxiety she had experienced just hours earlier.

As they struck their final pose, Amaia felt herself being pulled back into reality, gasping in amazement at the deafening screams from the audience. They really had killed it. She spotted Bebe on the side as they made their way offstage, quickly doing a thumbs up wishing to wish them luck.

They ran to change into their other outfits for the end credits. Audrey almost cried again in frustration as she had to redo hair, Amaia came perilously close to ruined her pristine white outfit with the pink paint meant for drawing stripes on their shoulders, and Latrice nearly slipped on the feathers they had attached to their ankles. The backstage chaos was real, but somehow, they managed to return to the main set just in time to catch the end of Bebe's dance.

And they were murdering it as well. Amaia was so proud to see all the members looking their best. It certainly looked like another Bebe, oozing with confidence, and not just Bada. They managed to embody Rihanna's vibe perfectly and Amaia found herself swooning in sync with the audience.

There wasn't really time to realize what was happening, as they were called on stage for the last performance. Their ending credits performance was very different, more emotional and in line with the style they had been showing throughout the competition. They knew that the Korean audience might not be the most receptive to this style, as it was one they were not that familiar with, but as Kirsten said, it was more about making a statement about Jam Republic's core identity. And as the last notes rang, the applause was still thunderous, and Amaia could feel it ringing in her ears even after she left the stage.

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