Finding the Right Words

Chapter 81- In Less Than A Day

I held the door open for Amber, who was busy with her phone.

"There!' she said at last. "Uploaded. I sent it to you so you could put it on Twitter and things, since apparently you don't like it when Henry and I hack your accounts."

"Gee, I wonder why," I responded sarcastically. "Yeah, I'll do that as soon as possible. But it's on Youtube, so I don't have to do too much."

"No, not really. So how do you think it went?" Henry asked, closing the door behind us.

"Pretty good, I guess. Not as interesting as the videos I make with the Wisconsin girls, but it was really all about the song today. Although it was pretty hard to concentrate with Amber making weird faces at us from behind the camera!"

"I was not making weird faces at you!"

"Then what were you doing with your finger pulling up your upper lip, staring right at me?!"

"I had something in my teeth!"

"It was hard not to laugh. You almost destroyed a sad song by making me laugh."

"We could have done it again. No big deal."

"Yes, thank you, Amber," I teased, shouldering her so she tipped, laughing, into the wall. She pushed back, and I ran into Henry, so it turned into a lovely little pushing fest.

"Excuse me. Choi Minsung?"

I turned around after pushing Henry one last time. "Yes?"

It was one of the secretaries, holding a computer pad. "I'm sorry to interrupt your time with your friends, Miss, but we'll need to pull you out for a moment. It's important."

"Oh, okay. That's fine. See you later, guys." I waved to them, then headed off with the secretary. "Where are we going?"

"One of the directors wants to see you. I'm sorry, I don't know the details. You'll find out when we get there. Ah, here we are. Go on in, Minsung."

I complied, and she closed the door behind me. I bowed to the director, straightening back up to recognize him. "Annyeonghasseo, Shiljang-nim. you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. Take a seat, Minsung."

I did. 

"Choi Minsung, your files say that you entered this company as both a songwriter and an actress?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you've been a trainee here for a year and a half?"

"A year and five months, to be exact, sir."

"And you've had moderate success with your songwriting?"

"Yes, sir," I answered, wondering why he was asking me these questions, though he already knew the answers to them. Still, I'd learned to give answers first and ask questions later, at least at SM.

"I see. You were in the company's acting class through your trainee carreer, correct?"

"Not through the whole thing. The first half-year I spent in a Korean language. When it was decided that my Korean was good enough, I was switched."

"I see. Well, then, would you say that your time as a trainee has been long enough?"

I looked up at him, wide-eyed. He wasn't going to kick me out, was he?! I thought... after the exhibition... "What do you mean, Shiljjang-nim?"

"SBS is beginning a new historical drama. Based in the Korean War era. The female lead is an American nurse. They're having difficulty finding someone to play her. After your performances at the trainee exhibition, however, they called us, asking if you would like to play the character. You would be officially debuting as an artist. No longer a trainee."