CHAPTER 3
Audition Day
January 10th, 2022
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡan6ebZaDcN
The live auditions were being held at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts in Seoul. Girls from all over the world practiced out in the lobby or backstage while the judges got ready in the auditorium. Both CEO’s were there, Assistant Director Taejin, their music director who will be the one helping the girls produce music known as “Crystal J,” along with special mentors who will be there for the whole show.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoh8HRSHzI
Rap Mentor: G-Dragon (BIG BANG)
Vocal Mentor: Taeyeon (Girls Generation)
Dance Mentor: Taemin (SHINee)
Special Counselor Mentor: IU (Soloist)
Visual Mentor: Irene (Red Velvet)
Female Youth Representative: Wonyoung (IVE)
Male Youth Representative: Huening Kai (TXT)
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ126WcVjEFK
One girl opens the door to the lobby and gasps, “wow! Look Eunbi!” Her Australian accent thick with her Korean, “so many people! I wonder what they are going to perform!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR3f5OwTVZ
Her friend sighs, “Minyoung, you’re lucky I am doing this with you, also surprised they let you through even when you’re a year older than the age limit.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8vDTZsBkk
Minyoung huffs, “what have I told you about using my Korean name? Use my English name! It sounds cooler.” Eunbi laughs, “whatever Reese, we need to go and get our numbers.” They walk over to a table, pinning their numbers to their clothes. Reese looks over and laughs, “man your luck must suck because with 200 of us, your placement is number 15!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3MSzfLOqG
Eunbi pouts seeing Reese’s at number 139, “that’s so not fair!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFKcBhRD1G
“Actually...” one of the other contestants walks up with a frown. She had a bright smile with dark black hair, “it’s going backwards.” She goofily pretends to cry pointing at her depressing 190.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2cGPujRMq
“Well....DAMMIT!” Reese groans looking over at Eunbi who happily was taking photos of herself.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFxWUHUuyv
The stranger brings out her hand, “I am Xun! Nice to meet you!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGifJlLjr6
Reese furrows her brows, “huh...Wait repeat that again.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9GrbWGcJM
“Xun” giggles and says it again, “c’mon grandma it’s not that hard! X-U-N!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxwcDI6BVS
Reese makes an ‘O’ shape with her mouth before gasping, “are you Chinese? That is so freaking cool!” Xun makes a fake sexy grin before playfully putting her sunglasses on, “I know. I am pretty swag.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq9Eo4Ae3O
Eunbi ends up shaking hands with Xun as well, “Reese here is from Australia!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzPCHty6A1
That made Xun raise an eyebrow, “an Aussie, eh? I saw one on the other side, but she didn’t seem as friendly.” The short girl shudders, “not gonna lie she kind of gave me the creeps.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggaivNQPob
Eunbi crosses her arms, “if that girl you speak of even tries to say anything, I will beat her ass.” Reese looks over patting Eunbi’s arm, “woah woah, I am sure she won’t! Let's all just mind our business and do our best!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF182Tb0k8J
Xun smirks, ‘hey! Eunbi, you can hold her, and I will beat her face! Sounds like a great plan! What do you think Reese?!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hqZjrHnEr
“You should talk to us more properly.” Eunbi raises her head, “in case you didn’t know, Reese got in being a 2002 liner.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDZNCesoco
“Bro...” Xun gasps, “so...you’re like what? 40?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaPyoMa9J4
“40?!” Reese stomps, “no! I will be turning 20 in December-”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5uJgUq7tX
“So, 21 in Korea basically so she is old.” Eunbi nods.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuTTcXRCkq
Reese flares her nostrils, “whatever! You’re only a year younger so chill!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGYR5HK7W8
Xun watched intensely at them. She moved to Korea at the age of 11. She was born in 2005 and would turn 18 (17) in November. She didn’t have friends in school, so she always covered her pain by being a class clown. It stuck with her after it calmed down, so she was always just a happy girl.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkNRFF6yxH
Xun fiddled with the strings of her sweatpants, I wonder if I could be friends with them, she thought and then snapped her fingers loud, “hey! What are you guys going to do for your audition?” Reese gives Xun a fist bump, “I am going to be doing the raps to TWICE’s ‘The Feels!’”
Eunbi sighs, “Reese is a good rapper though sometimes she gets so into it, you’d think she is going to punch a wall or something!” Reese pushes her, “I do not!” She looks at Xun, “what about you? You going to do some type of standup comedy thing?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBQ2IVT7QI
Ouch. Even though Reese didn’t mean anything by it, that made Xun wince, “actually...I am going to be doing a ballet dance routine.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXG56aS6Ggc
“Oh wow.” Eunbi blinks a few times, “you’re a ballet dancer?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn68jmnCzhE
Xun nods with a big smile, “yep! I have been dancing since I was seven!” She looks over at Reese, “also...how did you even manage to get in while being a 2002 liner?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky6tZkToY2
“Do you not even know who Reese is?” Eunbi makes jazz hands, “she’s the hidden ace of the upcoming 5th generation! She has been in the industry since she was 9 years old and trained for 10 years!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU0dfWQo0S
Reese blushes, “stop! It’s not that serious, there are a few who have also trained that long.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeftKswAeyR
“Yeah!” Xun opens her mouth in shop, “only a few! You’re up there with the older idols like G-Dragon and Super Junior!” She looks over and sees the rude girl from earlier before leaning in and whispering, “guys look the other way, bully at 3:00.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdL6Iu8nyK
Eunbi grabs Reese and pretends that they are looking at photos on their phone while Xun casually tries fixing her slick black ponytail.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCn5eYzuUp
Don’t come over, don’t come over, don’t come over-
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46q7u6ezSm
“Look who we have here ladies.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTfrclGaw6
SHIT! Xun tries to look at her shoes.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrJBtVZYBj
Before Xun could walk away, Reese yanks her arm and whispers harshly, “you didn’t tell me it was her!” Xun pales, “wait...you know her?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3Zyo01kgA
“Yes!” Reese groans and pulls Eunbi over who was trying to flirt with one of the guys handing out placement stickers.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeGhTgi7Ir
“Hello Minyoung.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2ps0q0t9B
Reese sighs and looks at her, “hello Soyoung.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuJhqJCGOv
Soyoung trained with Reese at Starship where they both went head-to-head to get a spot in WJSN. She was cruel and came from a rich family. Noone knew that Soyoung was the reason Reese got kicked out by spreading rumors she was taking part in child pornography with the assistant director.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUG6t132Qr
Eunbi glares at Soyoung, clearly knowing everything that happened...and more.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rH4DsppIv
Soyoung gives an evil grin with her caked-on makeup almost making her face look plastic, “and you have your little bird.”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8G6WwyFeo
Xun looked between the two not sure what to do before saying quietly, “I think I am gonna leave, find me in the fourth roo-”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VW1u9JeDH
“Oh no you don’t.” Soyoung pops out a hip, “any friend of Reese’s is a friend of mine, right?” She roughly puts an arm around Eunbi’s shoulder making her pull away. Looking over at Xun, “what’s your name? I saw you earlier.” Soyoung was examining Xun’s outfit before taking her wrist and looking at the bracelet, “this is cute, where did you get it?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPCMfCmoFC
“U-Uh...w-well...oh...” Xun stutters.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxISmkJlGCi
Soyoung pulls it off holding it batting her eyelashes, “think of this as my greeting gift! Here’s to being new friends!” She waves it in front of Xun’s face, “thanks love!”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HNRtqduhE
“Wait! My grandma gave that to me-” Xun tries to grab it, but Soyoung holds her in place with her long talon like nails on her shoulder leaning in, “c’mon...you wouldn’t wanna make a scene, right?”
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirqdxrtny1
Reese and Eunbi were too scared to speak, feeling bad for the poor girl.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXh9ede2gB
Xun’s eyes filled with tears making Soyoung have a fake pitiful smile, “aw don’t get too sad! I am sure you can get another one from your dead grandma!” She pulls away leaving Xun in complete silence.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08hmPwGQHZ
Eunbi scrambles over, now seeing the once happy girl, sad and now finding an admiration for her shoes, “hey...are you okay?” Reese goes to place a hand on Xun’s shoulder but the girl jerks away, “I want some time alone please.” Her voice was barely audible, and she walked away.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vcTuKfXiv
…
ns18.191.156.36da2
