TRY . jinlia

023

[ CHOI LIA'S ]

Pinaglaruan ko ang mga daliri ko habang kinakagat ang pang-ibabang labi ko. I stared at the number on my lap. Nineteen. Number nineteen! Anim na performers nalang ay ako na ang magpeperform! The heck!

Tinignan ko ang stage na may malalaking speakers sa taas. Isang set ng drums, iba't-ibang klase ng gitara, piano, at limang stand ng mic. I can't listen properly to the students performing because of my heart. Sa sobrang bilis no'n ay pwede na yata akong atakihin sa puso. Lumunok ako nang matapos na ang pang-thirteen na perform. Fuck, lima nalang!

I glanced at the whole theater room, marami rin ang nag auditions pero hindi 'yon lalampas sa isang daan. Nadaanan ng mga mata ko ang kinauupuan ni Yeji. Her eyes were staring intently at the current performer in the stage while looking so confident.

Kinagat ko ang labi ko at umiwas na ng tingin. My phone was beeping continuously in my pocket pero kanina ko pa 'yon hindi pinapansin. It's probably Sojin and Aecha asking for updates pero ayaw kong sagutin 'yon dahil lalo akong kinakabahan.

Bawal kasi ang hindi mag-aaudition dito sa venue. It's just between us performers and the judges. I played with my fingers as I stare into nothingness, namamanhid na dahil sa kaba. Dumagdag pa ang hindi ko pagkakita sa mukha ni Ryujin bago pumunta dito.

I stayed like that for minutes. Hanggang sa hindi ko namamalayang tinatawag na ang numero ko. Natauhan lang ako nang kalabitin ako ng katabi ko.

"H-Ha?" I asked the junior student who poked me.

"Ikaw na po. Kanina ka pa po tinatawag," mahinang sabi niya habang ako nama'y pinamulahan ng pisngi bago dahan-dahang tumayo.

I made my way to the stage as I feel the stares of different students on me. Tahimik sila dahilan para kumalabog ng mas mabilis at mas malakas ang puso ko sa dibdib. Halos maihi ako sa kaba nang tumama na sa'kin ang spotlight pagkatapos kong marating ang stage.

I smiled shyly as I made my way through the piano. I've been practicing a song that I was into the past few days. Buti nalang at natutunan ko agad kung pa'no tugtugin 'yon sa piano kundi patay na.

"Mic test," tatlong beses kong inulit 'yon sa mic nang makaupo na ako sa harap ng piano at no'n. I looked at the judges and saw them signal me to start. I pressed my lips together before taking a deep breath at maya-maya'y nagsimula na ako.

"Wonder what I'll do when the cops through
And the whiskey's run out
'Cause I've been lookin' at you
Since half past two
Wanna take this downtown?"

"I don't gotta know if you're taken
I'll just let ya know bedroom's vacant
No one's gotta know, just us and the moon 'til the sun starts wakin'"

I sang as my fingers pressed the right keys in the piano. Mabilis pa rin ang tibok ng puso ko pero simula nang magsimula akong kumanta'y dahan-dahan iyong kumalma.

"As long as we keep this lowkey
You ain't even gotta love me
Us in a king size, keep it a secret
Say I'm your queen I, don't wanna leave this
Lowkey..."

Inangat ko ang tingin ko at isa-isang pinadaanan ang mga nanonood. My eyes went to the last row of the seats in the back of the theater then I saw three familiar silhouettes. I smiled before confidently finished the song. I stood up after finishing before taking a bow. I heard multiple handclaps after that. Ang malakas ay galing sa pinakalikod na parte ng theater room.