"Dream High? What's that?" My curiosity piqued, I couldn't help but stare at the man's attire. He was wearing a simple black hoodie with a Dream High logo on the left of it which matched perfectly with his tall and lean body. His doe-like eyes twinkled as he noticed me checking him out before he continued. "It's a university for special students who have both the talent and passion to pursue their artistic dreams. You can do anything you like, acting, dancing, singing or even drawing, it just has to be something you're passionate about." 

"Why me then? I'm just an ordinary student and I'm utterly talentless. What kind of a scout are you?" I turned away from the man in front of me and tried to focus on the sorting of barcodes but my heart was thumping wildly. No one but the soft toys in my room knew how much I loved to act, or witnessed the hours I spent impersonating my favourite drama scenes. If this school really existed, it would be pure bliss to be able to pursue my hidden passion instead of forcing myself to study just to get a good job in the future. The man continued to stare at me, making me so uncomfortable that I eventually decided to return his gaze. "Why don't you ask yourself if you're truly talentless? We received some intel about your abilities, and trust me, I don't just randomly cast students. You'll be eligible for a scholarship if you take my offer now too." Handing me a brochure, he grabbed his drink and started to leave the store. "Call me on that number if you've decided to take a try. I'll be waiting." 

For the rest of that shift, my mind was in a whirl. I had already thumbed through the brochure while there were no customers at the convenience store and it seemed pretty legit. Dream High's campus was located in an area outside of Seoul, and from the pictures in the brochure, seemed like it was up in a mountain. There was little information about the founder of the school, beyond the fact that it was a man named Jisung and that he ran the school with his wife, Lee Boyoung. For some reason those names sounded familiar to me, but in the mess of confusion and excitement I was in I could barely think about where I had seen those names before. Then there was the guy in the black hoodie. He seemed to be slightly older than me, and was probably a member of the school, but how could someone his age already have the authority to cast people for the school? He was also extremely adorable, and seemed like a nice person, even if he was a bit too authorative for my liking. While these thoughts ran through my head the shop's bell twinkled and I automatically greeted the customer who walked in without looking up. All of a sudden there was a loud snap and I jumped, startled by the sound. Once I saw his familiar face however, I grinned widely. To be honest, who else would snap their fingers so loudly and randomly? 

Mark Tuan smiled back at me and gestured to the door. "Are you done with your shift? Let's go home together." Mark was my self-proclaimed brother, and we had been neighbours ever since I could remember. He was a few years older than I was, so he had always been quite protective of me, taking extra time to walk me home from my part-time jobs or from school whenever it got too late. Even today, he had purposely stayed at the library studying till a later time so that he could walk me home. He would never admit it, but I knew how hard he tried and I really appreciated him. He was a friend that I could always rely on and trust, and today was no exception. When my co-worker came in to take over the counter, I packed my bag and handed him the brochure I had received. "I got this today from a guy in a black hoodie. It's sudden, but apparently I'll get a scholarship if I take him up on this? I don't really know what to feel now." Mark looked through the brochure briefly before turning to me with a cheeky smile. "Yahhh is my Yoojung going to be an actress next time? Don't forget me when you're famous okay!" I hit him as I giggled before what he said suddenly struck me. "Wait. How did you know that I wanted to act? Who told you?" Mark chuckled as he leaned in close, so close that I could smell the cologne he had sprayed. "Did you think no one knew about your stuffed toy audience?" He ran away from me quickly down the street before I could register what he had said. 

"YAHHH GET BACK HERE MARK TUAN!!!"