Unforeseen

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Start

'Breathe'. I told myself, my heart pounding within my chest. 'Just relax. You've done this plenty of times in the mirror. What's the difference, right?' I tried to calm myself down before my number was called.

"Audition 138!" Yelled a short woman with a clipboard, standing in front of the door of the audition room. It felt like judgment day had finally come. I took another deep breath and followed her into the audition room.

An idol. Everyone's dream is to become an idol. I guess you could group me in with that Korean stereotype. I'm not ashamed of my dream. I've always had a passion for singing; I want my talent to be recognized. I would love to be put in a group with others that have the same passion and determination as me.

I entered the audition room, butterflies dancing in my stomach. "Introduce yourself." One of the male judges said while looking at his papers uninterested.

"Hello," I said with a respectful bow. "My name is Park Hyunae. I'm 19 years old and I'm from Hongdae, Seoul." I said this with confidence in my voice, hoping that despite my anxiety, my voice didn't give me away. "Sing for me." He said with only a glance at me over his papers. I sang a portion of the song "I" by Taeyeon. All three judges allowed me to enter the next round of auditions, dancing.

'I got this. I took several dance lessons in the past.' Once again, my number was called.

"138!" I sprung out of my seat. When I stepped into the room, I saw that I was not alone this time. There were ten of us total; all being taught the same dance at the same time. No one-on-one training. This was to see if I could keep up with a group. I left the audition once again feeling confident in my abilities.

"That's all for today. Thank you, everyone, for coming out to audition. You should be hearing from us within a month." Announced the host.

As the month dragged on, I waited and waited in anticipation for that call. When I started to lose hope my phone rang and I leaped to answer it. "Hello. Is this Park Hyunae?" The voice on the phone asked.

"Yes, this is she." My feet danced nervously. I couldn't standstill. His voice sounded so strict and professional.

"This is Lee Hoo Jin from SM Entertainment. I'm calling to tell you that you did not make the cut. Better luck next time." The call ended abruptly and my dreams were crushed.

~~~Six Months Later~~~

It's been half a year since my failed audition. I've started working with a lesser-known music company called Bighit Entertainment as a paid intern. What do I do, you might ask? Anything and everything. If they need help with their social media accounts, I'm there. If help is needed in the makeup and dress department, I'm there. I go anywhere I am needed.

Lately, a lot of the company's focus has been on their group Bangtan, also known as BTS. I haven't gotten to work with them yet. I've only listened to a couple of their songs. They seemed to have gained a lot of popularity. I got a call yesterday afternoon from my manager saying that he needs me to assist the Bangtan makeup team for performance.

My alarm woke me up at 5:30 am. I dressed in an all-black outfit. The skinny jeans emphasized my long thin legs and hugged my small round butt. I finished my look with minimal makeup and a red lip. "Nice." I thought out loud to myself. I looked at the clock, it read 6:40. "Crap. I'm running a little late." I quickly grabbed an apple to eat on the way there and dashed out the door.

I dashed to the subway station, not far from my apartment. I hopped the first train and prayed I wouldn't be too late. After a few stops, I changed lines and was on the last stretch before only a short jog was between me and my destination. I got off at my stop and sprinted up the stairs and down a few blocks.