One step at a time

Chapter Twelve - Freaking Out

Sitting on a bench outside of the SM building, my friends were waiting. Hyo Rin was sat in the middle with her face in her hands, and Chan Hee and So Hyun were comforting her. I immediately knew something was wrong. I took my headphones out and walked up to her. Chan Hee moved away and left a space on the bench next to her. I sat down, wrapping my arms around her.
"I messed up... My only chance and I messed it up" she hiccuped, still crying.
"No honey you didn't, don't think like that, they loved you" Chan Hee assured her. She was the only one who had seen her audition.
"They sure looked that way after I finished" Hyo Rin replied sarcastically.
"Hyo Rin... What happened?" I asked her, trying to use the most gentle tone I could.
"I slipped when I started dancing and then I was thrown off completely." She sulked.
"But your singing was good." Chan Hee again assured her.
"Yeah, if I could sing the right words" she threw her hands up in despair and slammed them on her knees as she lowered her head. I didn't know what to say to cheer her up, there was no possible way to make her happier in this moment right now. All she had ever wanted was to be an idol and perform on stage, and inspire millions of young girls, just as she had been inspired. But this dream was ripped away from her all because of stupid nerves that caused her to forget the words, that caused her to slip, because she had the talent, I had seen her with the talent, but sadly the assessors hadn't.
"We have to go back in there and let you have another chance, we can't let this happen." I say to her.
"No Seo Young there's no way, the auditions are over, I've had my chance. I'm just going to go." She struggled out of our arms wrapped around her and got up to go.
"You still have a chance" So Hyun said to her.
"Yeah, I guess I do" she said, although she sounded like she didn't believe it.

"Are you sure they're all gone?" A voice asked from the front side of the SM building, which was blocked from our view.
"Yeah, pretty sure. If not there can only be a few... What harm can they do?" A familiar deep voice replied.
"A few!?! What harm can they do?! What if they're saesangs? They're going to probably strip us, and it may be summer but I don't want to be outside naked!" The higher pitched voice said in an excited tone.
At that moment two males turned the corner and laid eyes on us.
"Shit. I knew this would happen what did I tell you!" The shorter one looked expectantly at the taller one, however the taller one had his eyes on us. I knew who he was immediately. It was Chanyeol. This would probably be the only thing that could cheer Hyo Rin up. She was facing away from them, so I gestured my head towards them. She turned around, confused at why Chan Hee also had her mouth hanging open. When she laid eyes on him she stepped backwards, until she had fallen back down onto the bench. Chan Hee and Hyo Rin remained speechless, while So Hyun just looked at the pair.

Chanyeol smiled. "Sneakers, fancy seeing you here" it's my turn to be speechless.
"Chanyeol, why are you engaging. They could still be saesangs." The smaller one says from behind him. He has his hands on Chanyeol's arm and is peeking out from behind it, kind of cute in a childish way.
"Baekhyun, I know this one." He points at me "kind of... But if they're her friends then they're fine"
"You don't know me." I tell him. "I just met you on a street"
"Seo Young... It's... It's really him" Hyo Rin nudges me.
"Of course, but you've already seen him in real life when you went to their concerts" I tell her.
"But not.. This close." She gets up and approaches him. Baekhyun puts his hands up in defence.
"Baekhyun why are you being such an idiot?" Chanyeol laughs.
"I'm just not taking any chances." He responds, arms still up.
Chanyeol smiles at her. "Hello I'm Park Chanyeol, but I assume you already know that." He holds his hand out to shake hers. She reaches out and takes it.
"I'm Park Hyo Rin" she mumbles.
"Did you audition for SM?" He asks her.
I flinch, she didn't need to be reminded.
"Yeah... I did, but I don't think I did well." She looks up at him.
"Don't worry about it, I didn't think I did well at first, but look at me now" he laughs again, flashing a smile.
It seemed to have lifted her spirits as she turns away from us and back to us, a gawking Chan Hee, a smiling So Hyun, and me shaking my head.

Baekhyun lowers his arms finally. "And I'm Byun Baekhyun, I'm not normally like this I swear, I just want to be pre cautious" he puts his hand behind his head and smiles awkwardly. We all just laugh.
"So you all auditioned for SM?" Baekhyun asks.
I nod. "Yep, all of us. We're all hoping to get in, maybe we'll be in a girl group that over takes EXO's popularity" I say and stick my tongue out at them. They're both taken aback. "Wow Sneakers, you've got ambitions" Chanyeol laughs. Baekhyun joins in.
"I have a name you know, it's Kim Seo Young, and this is Lee Chan Hee and Yo So Hyun." I point at them both.
"Well I guess we might be seeing you soon" Baekhyun says to us. He waves and turns around. Chanyeol puts his arm around Baekhyun's shoulders. "ChanBaek is real" Hyo Rin and Chan Hee whisper, then they look at each other and giggle. Luckily "ChanBaek" haven't appeared to have heard.

Once they've left, all trace of Hyo Rin's sad atmosphere from before is gone. It's amazing that two people have that much power, to change her mood like that. I decided I was going to go straight home, and so did everyone else, so we walked out of the SM Ent grounds. As soon as we left Hyo Rin and Chan Hee started jumping and screeching.
"Guys! Calm! Yes you talked to them, yes that was real, and yes I am freaking out, but I have it under control" So Hyun tried to tell them. I just laughed. I let them enjoy the moment of releasing their feelings. Once they had finished the first burst, I bid them goodbye and walked to the bus stop.

Once I was home my mother came straight in to see me. When I had first told her about auditioning for SM she hadn't agreed with it, however she realised it was what I wanted to do, so she had supported me.
"How did it go?" She probed me.
"I don't know, well I guess. I mean I didn't mess up..." My mind went to Hyo Rin. I don't know how I would be able to help her when we got the news back from SM, after all I wasn't Chanyeol.
"I hope I did well"

***

We wish to see you for a second audition.

These nine words were on my mind the whole week before I was asked to go back for my second audition. Both Chan Hee and So Hyun had received the same message, however Hyo Rin wasn't as lucky. I don't know how it was possible that she didn't get through, but I did. She said that she didn't care, however we knew that wasn't the case. She tried to be happy for us, however we could see through her mask of happiness. I had told her I wasn't going to go for the second audition, however she made me.

The auditions ran the same as before, except this time there were less people. Hyo Rin had come along for support. They told us they were going to decide that day who had been accepted, as they didn't want to wait around to produce the next groups I assumed, and beginning training the new talent.

"I'm going to make this quick, these are the people who we have chosen to train under SM entertainment." the staff came out and read the list. Lee Chan Hee. Ye Ji Su. Yo So Hyun. And finally Kim Seo Young.