"Hello, my name's Jeon Keiko and I'm twenty years old." I give a nice greeting as I bow and they smile. "Hello! It says here you'll be singing for us?"
"Yes, um... I've never really been to an audition before so is it okay if I sing something I wrote...?"
"Go ahead." I clench my jaw and put on the instrumental I made on my phone and sing to it as I close my eyes.
...
"Can you dance at all?"
"I can- Uh do you want me to dance something?"
"Yes please. You can plug your phone in if you'd like."
Yeah if I can fucking find the stereo station.
I think about walking around to find it but save myself the embarrassment. "I can't dance right now actually I'm sorry."
"Oh. That's okay."
Nope that was even more embarrassing.
"Well keep your phone charged for any updates and thank you for coming."
"Thank you." I bow to them before walking to the direction of the door and walking out cautiously. I see someone sort of in front of me to my right and walk to the left slightly. I assume I'm going the right direction and walk through a door. "Um... Excuse me?"
OH. IS THIS A ROOM?
"UH SORRY."
"Are you lost?"
"Yeah..."
"I'll show him out. We've already met."
"We... You took me to the cafe! ...Wait why are you here?" He chuckles and pats my shoulder gently. "I work here." I walk after him as he starts walking. "Oohh."
"Are you auditioning?"
"Yeah I just had my audition."
"Oh sweet! How did it go?!"
"Shit." He chuckles and I sigh. "It always goes better then you think it does."
"I doubt it. He asked if I could dance for him and I said I couldn't right now and before that I sang weirdly because I forgot to warm up."
"He probably didn't hear it." He pats my head gently and I smile as I smack it away which makes him lay an arm around my shoulders instead. "AGH." He chuckles and let's go of my shoulders. "You don't like hugs? That's fine~"
...I don't know...
I haven't been hugged in years.
I just stay quiet with internal confusion and we walk outside the building. "Do you need help going somewhere?"
"Um..."
Yes. But I don't want to have help. I just want to do it by myself.
"No I... I can ring my mum to pick me up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. It was nice meeting you, and hey we might be working together soon!" He chuckles and I smile. "I doubt it."
"See you later!" He walks off and I grab my phone as I sit down on the bench next to me. "Hey mum-"
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEeEeEn?!"
"I've just been busy."
"And let me guess you need picking up? After ignoring my phone calls all day?"
"I-I was busy mum! I'm an adult anyway!"
"Then get the train here like an aDuLt."
"Fine!!" I hang up and put my phone close to my face again as I look for a subway or train station near me but there are no rides going near my town. "Hey kid."
"Mm?"
"Do you need some help?"
"No I'm okay."
"Ate you sure?"
"...Actually do you know any cheap hotels near here?"
"You can stay at my place if you need somewhere to stay."
Red flag.
"No I'm good thanks."
"Oh come on. I'll give you free food and I have a double bed." He caresses my jaw so I grab his wrist and pull him down to me as I punch him in the throat at the same time. He falls to the ground and I get up officially fed up. My stomach grumbles and I look at my phone again when the guy snatches it from me and puts an arm around my neck. "If you resist I can call the police and tell them you assaulted me!!" My arms shake as I desperately try to pull of his arm from around my neck when a familiar voice I've been hearing a lot of lately speaks up. "Let go of him now or I'll ring the police and have you done for black mail. And assault." The guy let's go quickly. "Hey I was just trying to help him and he-" I elbow him in the stomach and take my phone back before kicking him in the stomach as well.
I don't even know if he's away from me now!! Dammit! This is why kickboxing stopped working out!!
"It's okay! Don't worry he's officially not going to hurt you anymore."
"He better not." I catch my breath back as the guy rubs my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Am I okay... What a fine question...
"I... Guess."
"That's a no."
"N-no it's a yes-"
"Do you need help?"
"...I need a hotel room but they all cost too much here... And if I bought a room tonight then I wouldn't be able to get a train tomorrow. And then I'd die on the streets."
"...That's a little dramatic."
"I jUsT bEaT a GuY uP bEcAuSe He TrIeD tO tAkE mE tO hIs HoUsE. AnYtHiNg Is PoSsIbLe."
"That's also true."
...
...
...
"I need that hug now." He smiles and hugs me into him so I rest my chin on his shoulder and close my eyes. "Does your mum nag you too?"
"All of the time."
"Mm..."
"Can she or your dad not come and pick you up?"
"I told her I was an adult and she said that if I'm an adult then I should get a hotel room like an adult too... That doesn't really work when I have barely any money left and I don't want to sleep in a random empty room."
"Why not get a train home?"
"There aren't any going to the town I'm in and the closest train station is a thirty minute wall away from my town."
"Oh. I'm sorry I cant help..."
"It's okay I'll..."
I'll... I guess I'll sleep on the streets and try not to get murdered or something worse. Great...
I start falling asleep on his shoulder and have the fright of my life when he moves out of the hug and I nearly fall over. But luckily he catches me again right before I do. I stand up quickly and he frowns even more. "Come inside and you can sit with me and my friends whilst we think of something."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Plus you've still got your audition number on you."
"O-oh yeah." He looks at how exhausted my expression is as I take off the number before he grabs my hand and takes me inside. "My members will be back with food in a minute so you're welcome to eat with us." I look at him a bit confused and he chuckles. "What's wrong?"
"Why are you being so nice? You're not gonna snatch me and kill me like the other guy are you?"
"NO no no I'm not trying to do anything like that, I just don't like the thought of you having to sit outside by yourself. Especially since that guy is there." He sits down on the floor next to me and I look at his face very closely. "You promise?"
"I swear on my family that I'm not trying to snatch you." My gaze softens a tiny bit before I lay down on my side and rest my head on one of his legs. "I'll save you some food." I shake my head and he pokes my dimple. "Yes." I smile a tiny bit as I fall asleep and just as I do his members walk inside all very confused.
-
"What's your name? Before you fall back to sleep."
"...Keiko..." I speak half asleep as I continue hugging something and someone pats my head. "Do you want to sleep at our dorm room for tonight?" I nod and sink into my shoulders as I fall back into a deep sleep.