I've always been a cute kid. When I was a younger, and even now, my cheeks were chubby, my eyes were little crescents, I had unruly hair, and I could never keep my shoes tied right. I was often called a puppy because of the way I’d look and run around trying to be friends with everyone. I’d always try to impress people with my silly dances and high-pitched singing. Well, that was all fine when you were six, but such behavior wasn’t acceptable once you reached the age of ten. While everyone wanted to play with their gaming systems and watch cartoons, I wanted to learn the dance to 2pm's new song. When all the boys wanted to look at older teen magazines with cute celebrities on the front, I wanted to read up about this new group called BigBang. When all the guys in my grade started obsessing over the hottest girl in class, I started obsessing over Taeyang and wanting to be just like him. I gradually found out as time went on just how different I was from everyone else. I had a passion for singing and dancing, a desire so strong to be a performer that I single-handedly convinced my parents to let me audition for-and eventually attend-a high school for the arts. I dreamed of being centerstage in front of hundreds of thousands of people and using my voice and body to bring them happiness.

However, a problem soon made itself apparent towards the end of my freshman year. My parents had assumed that I would tire of dance, or at least make it a side job. They thought that once my high school career was finished, I would enter into a University and get a “real job”. They underestimated just how much I wanted to be a performer. Throughout the beginning of my highschool career, we had fought endlessly over it. It was one thing after the next that would set us off into screaming matches, each trying to drown out the other. The worst one came at the end of my sophomore year when I announced that I would be auditioning for a trainee position at a lesser known entertainment company in Seoul. My father had practically blown his top in front of all of our family members at dinner. Our relationship had ended during that time. My mom was the more supportive of the two, but even she couldn’t save me from the events that would take place a week after the end of my sophomore year.

“You have two decisions Park Jimin. I have put up with this fantasy of yours for long enough. You owe me something in return for giving into this frivolousness you call a career. You can either pursue a real job and get a degree like most sensible men in this age do, or you can go off to this audition of yours. I will say this though. If you leave, you are to never return unless you've given up, or have something to show for your stupidity. I don’t even want you contacting me. That goes for any of your family members as well, no contact whatsoever. I don’t want you contacting us and asking for help if you get into a pinch. You choose this lifestyle, you suffer the consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

Jimin grabbed his suitcases and bags and put them into the car. While his mother had the decency to see him off, his father had only given him an ultimatum. He had a chance, a small one, to try to rekindle his relationship with his father. But his dream was more important. He couldn’t pass this audition up, not when his dance instructor was convinced that he would make it into Big Hit’s trainee program. He turned around to face his father, and gave him a hard look.

    “I've already made my decision. I just wish you could have been included in it.” Without another word, he hopped into the front seat of the car. His mother had hesitated to join him, but only for a moment. She gave a bittersweet smile to her husband, then drove off with Jimin to the airport. Before he went to board his flight, his mother gave him a kiss goodbye and prayed that someday he would return.

    My father had been harsh, but not entirely unfair. He gave me access to the rest of my inheritance and let me decide if I would spend it or not. I didn’t want to be a freeloader off my parents money, but I still had to finish high school. I used a small portion of the inheritance to pay for the rest of my education, but also got two jobs. I started out volunteering at a dance studio, then wound up being hired as a dance instructor for young children. The other job was at a convenience store. My first month in Seoul was spent attending a new school for the arts, saving up money and preparing for the audition coming up at BigHit. I lived in a cheap apartment complex-which my old dance instructor referred me to. The owner was really nice and understanding. She gave me a discount on the rent so my measly job could cover it and I could focus on the upcoming audition. At first, I was scared. I knew that this was my only chance. If I didn’t get this audition, I wouldn’t be able to return home. I could never give up on dance nor could I let my passion for singing fade, and there was no way I was returning home to go to university. I used this as motivation to work even harder. Some of the older, more experienced instructors at my studio helped me touch up my dance styles and let me use the practice room at night. I worked primarily on lengthening my range and improving the sound quality of my voice. I knew that perfection was the only way to impress the judges.

    When the day of the first part of the audition came, I was so nervous. Sitting in the waiting room was torture. There were over a hundred applicants, and then there was little ol’ me sitting in my chair. But while that may have been one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life, it was also the day that I met probably one of the greatest friends I could ever have. I remember it like it was yesterday.

 Jimin bit his lip for the twelfth time. He was sure to have teeth marks, but he couldn’t help it. Today was the start of the auditions. He was supposed to go in, talk to three representatives, and somehow convince them without showing any of his skills that he was worthy of auditioning for a trainee position. Jimin hated the interview the most. His audition for the Busan School of Arts was just like this. Sitting in a huge room of people who seemed to scrutinize and criticise him. The feeling was like being trapped in a room with no air. Forcing puffs of oxygen in and out was laboring. Steady breathing didn’t seem to calm his nerves at all. Jimin’s heart sped a mile a minute as a woman came from the door and announced that interviews would commence. She looked intimidating in her tight pencil skirt, purple dress shirt, and leather heels. Jimin was in the second group of interviewees. It would be a while before he went in for his fifteen minute interview. Turning to the lobby door, he spotted a head of short-cropped black hair and a rectangular smile. He almost jumped for joy. Almost.

    “Kim Taehyung!” Jimin shouted. People turned to him in annoyance, but that head of black hair had already heard him and was looking for the familiar pair of crescents and chubby cheeks. Upon spotting Jimin, Taehyung’s smile grew even bigger.

    “Oh thank God! Park Jimin!” Taehyung cried out as he practically tackled him into a wall. The surrounding people grumbled and moved to get away from them. Jimin laughed off the rest of his nerves at seeing a familiar face. They weren’t really great friends-as the people around them assumed they were-but they had competed in a lot of competitions together and participated in tons of performances. Taehyung had a killer voice and a dynamic personality that drew everyone to him-making him pretty good competition for the audition. No doubt the judges would catch onto his energetic and fun-loving personality, while at the same time being put off by his bluntness and quirkiness. While Jimin was glad that he knew at least one other person here, he was scared that his acquaintance would diminish his chances of landing a spot in BigHit’s trainee program.

  “Taehyung, I can’t believe you’re here too! What are you doing?” Jimin asked. Taehyung laughed and wrapped his arm around Jimin’s neck, pulling him into a side hug.

    “I’m up here with my aunt right now. My parents figured I’d have better luck in Seoul than I would in Daegu so they shipped me off here. I don’t mind though because they have all kinds of bars and clubs I can perform at on the weekends. I finished one of my performances at a well-known bar in downtown when a guy came up to me and asked if I was interested in working show business. I thought he was a phony but he gave me this card and told me about this audition. I called up the number on the card and sure enough he was right. They said I can skip the first part of the audition because I was scouted by a representative so I’m just here for some general introductions and questions.” Jimin’s heart fell a little. That meant that Taehyung had already passed the first part of the audition and would move straight into the dance and vocal tryouts. Seeing Jimin’s little crescents sag in disappointment, Taehyung pinched his cheeks and cooed at him.

    “Ah Jimin, don’t be like that! I’ve seen you in so many competitions and performances. I know you’ll get in no problem.” Jimin shrugged off his arm and sighed at Taehyung. It was easy for him to say, Taehyung was a natural born optimist. Jimin was the opposite. As if foreseeing his negative train of thought, Taehyung pulled Jim