(A/N: Korean / English / Chinese / Japanese)

1998 – Han River

Soomi was sitting on the bench by Han river, alone at night, shedding tears.

“Mom really has left me,” she thought before sobbing again. She was still grieving over her death and she was in Korea. She has never been to Korea and she just listened to her mother’s stories about Seoul. She was staying over at her aunt’s as her aunt wanted to give her mother’s belongings. She let out another sobbed and cried again.

“Stop crying, Song Soomi.” She said wiping her tears. She drew a deep breath and calmed down. She’s going to catch a cold, for sure. She looked at the sky, smiling at the stars.

“Are you watching me? Please look after me from there.” She whispered. She stared at the black river feeling calm and she managed a smile.

“That song is sung out, this bell is rung out~” she sang softly. She felt better when singing. It felt like her mother was there, right beside her, singing along with her.

“He was the light that I’d bless~” her voice getting louder.

“He took my last chance of happiness~~” she tapped her foot according to the beat in her head.

“So God give me strength, God give me strength~”

“I can’t hold onto him, God give me strength~”

“When the phone doesn’t ring, and I’m lost in imagining~~”

“Everything that kind of love is worth, as I tumble back down to the Earth,” she stopped and wiped the tears that slipped from her eyes.

“Excuse me, haksaeng (student),” she heard a man said. She felt panicked but she turned around to look at the man in suit.

“I see that you can sing.” He said. Soomi understood the word ‘sing’ and she wondered if she has disturbed the man by her singing.

“I’m from YG Entertainment and I’m asking you to consider auditioning at our company.” He said giving her a card.

YG Entertainment

Talent agency

She looked up at the man and he gave a smile at her.

“I hope you try out the audition.” He said and excused himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A week later

Soomi has been taking care of her voice and her aunt even help her chose the song that went well with her voice. She has stopped crying and she felt better.

She was neither forgetting her Mom nor was she moving on, she was realizing her mother’s dream.

“Are you sure? You go alone?” Her aunt asked in broken English. She smiled and nodded.

“I’m sorry I have to work,” she said again and Soomi just smiled.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Soomi said slowly in Korean.

“Okay, take care and hwaiting!” her aunt pumped her fist and Soomi did the same. After she left for work, Soomi chose her best outfit. After that, she drank a glass of honey with lemon and locked the house. She hummed to her song and hailed a cab.

“Where are you going?” the driver asked her.

“To…err…” she searched for the card in her bag and she realized she had left it on the coffee table. She smacked her forehead and looked at the taxi driver. She bit her lips trying to remember the name of the company. There’s a Y…but what’s next?

“Audition…err…Y…YB?” she tested her luck.

“Ah, okay.” The taxi driver said and drove to ‘YB’ building. Soomi smiled and hummed the song.

JYP building

“We’re here.” Soomi thanked and paid the driver. There were many girls and boys around her age waiting in a line. She went to the counter and was glad that the receptionist can talk in English. After filling the form, she lined up as well.

She took a few deep breaths and muttered encouraging words to herself. The girl in front of her looked behind her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

“Ne,” Soomi replied softly. The girl gave her a mocking look and flipped her hair.

“Only untalented persons will get nervous.” She said. Soomi understood what she said and clenched her fist. ‘Relax’, she said in her mind. The cocky girl in front of her snickered and later, Soomi went into a room together with the stuck-up girl and eight other girls.

The stuck-up girl hit the high notes perfectly and two of the three judges were impressed by her vocal. Soomi realized it was the same song as she wanted to sing. She gulped.

“Next, Song Soomi.” the judge said and she stepped in front. She took a deep breath and forgot about everything except her mother. She sang with her heart out with the thought of her mother in her mind. This time, all three judges smiled and applauded for her.

After two minutes of discussing, they announced who will be heading to the second audition. Soomi closed her eyes, wishing that her name will be announced.

“Pak Jimin, Hyun Byeol, and Song Soomi.” She slowly opened her eyes, can’t believe that she had passed. “Congratulations, I hope to see you again next week.” The judge said.

Soomi has happily shared the news to her family who has returned to San Francisco without her, since she wanted to audition and stuff, and they congratulated her. They were happy that Soomi can smile and wished her all the best.

Soomi had passed the second audition but in the final audition, she was cut off. She sighed. She should’ve seen this coming. There are others who are more talented than her. She hung her head low and made her way out from JYP building.

“Excuse me, haksaeng.” A man in suit called her and ran to catch up with her. “You just auditioned in JYP right?” she nodded. “This was the final audition, am I right?” she nodded again. Her Korean has getting better and she can understand easily but to converse in Korean is a little hard thing for her to do now.

“You didn’t make it, right?” he asked and Soomi sighed. The man chuckled slightly. “Sing the song you sang in your audition here.” He said.

“Now?” Soomi asked, her eyes widened at such request. The man nodded and Soomi looked around. She took a deep breath and sang earning attentions from people who were walking past them. Some stopped to listen which made her face turned red but upon seeing the man’s smile, she got her confidence and sang her heart out. When she was finished, the people who were listening applauded before going their own way and Soomi smiled.

“I’m from SM Entertainment and you’re accepted as a trainee.” He said.

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Sorry for not updating earlier, I got caught up with school and stuff. =='

I changed the label to SM and I hope you don’t mind. Do tell me if you want to add anything.