Part 2: Gentle Rain

 

***

 

Despite how she did well from her emotional audition, Seohyun couldn't stop herself and feel anxious of the result. She doesn't know if the judges/music directors liked her performance because they just told her to wait outside for the result. The auditions will be over in fifteen minutes and they will deliberate who passes for another thirty minutes. So her patience will take at least an hour and it's not helping her anxiety.

 

"I hope they like my performance." She prayed, looking up on the ceiling. Suddenly, her phone vibrated under her pocket. She sighs and took to check who's calling her. "Unnie." She brightly answered her cousin.

 

[Where the heck are you? I've been looking around for you! ]

 

"I'm just across the bakery, Unnie." She informed still smiling. "Why don't you come here and join me?" She suggested.

 

[Huh?]

 

"That theatre you can see across the bakery." Seohyun get up and she went downstairs. She immediately spotted the smaller girl from the inside and waves her hands in the air. "I'm here, Unnie!" She tried to catch her attention.

 

Sunny who was also inside her friend's bakery didn't see it immediately but once she do, she grabs her friend's umbrella and use it as she crosses the pavement, not leaving her eyes to Seohyun without putting her phone down. As soon as they meet at the lobby. "Yah! How dare you leave without telling me?!" She scolded her.

 

"I just want to audition." Seohyun pouted.

 

"Audition? For what?" Sunny got confused.

 

"I auditioned to be their new pianist." said Seohyun in glee. "And they're going to select it later. I'm anxious if I will pass."

 

"What?! Seohyun you're only here for a week. Are you insane?" Sunny reminded the younger girl.

 

"I know. That's why I auditioned. I mean, their show will be this Sunday, which means I can be part of their show, right? Since I'm leaving Monday." grinned The young senior student.

 

"What the - that means you're spending your vacation to play for their show?"

 

"Exactly." Seohyun confirmed with a snap of a finger. "Well, that's if they let me pass." she however remembers, she doesn't know the result yet.

 

"Heol. So I should cancel your registration?"

 

"Can't you?"

 

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You better wait here and I'll comeback in a flash." she said and headed outside to tell her friend about the cancellation.

 

Seohyun is happy that her cousin doesn't disagree with her 'plan B'. She watches her from outside but later took the sofa on the side as it seems it will take for her to comeback.

 

"Well done." But just as she sat down, she heard a familiar voice, causing her to turn her head behind and find the same girl. "Can I take the seat?"

 

"Of-of course." She stammers as she gives her space on the sofa right away. For some unknown reasons, she's felt shy. But maybe because she watched her play the piano and listen to it. 'Why is she not taking the sunglass?' But for the nth time, she is bothered with her sunglass, which is quiet weird.

 

"You play the piano so well. I was impressed." Yoona flashes a friendly smile. "Not all can play that piece so well."

 

"T-Thank you." Seohyun replied shyly and smile back. But she couldn't have eye-contact with her. Nor she could actually see her entire face. "Um, do you mind if I ask you something?" And she can't hold that back.

 

"Hmm?" Yoona's eyebrows are rising.

 

"Why... are you wearing a sunglass? I mean, it's not even sunny. Well, yesterday it was... Now it's impossible the sun will show." Seohyun ended it with an awkward smile.

 

"A lot will really ask me that." Yoona replied, taking her sunglass down and once again smile. "There... are you happy now... Miss?"

 

Seohyun for the first time had a glimpse of the girl's eyes and they're just beautiful. But what notices her immediately, she wasn't looking straight towards her. She's focus on something behind her? She turned just to see nothing except the sofa and the vase on the coffee table and the walls. 'Wait, this is quiet... wrong.' She thought, turning her attention back to the doe-eyed. She was about to ask about it when she beats her.

 

"I figured you notice something." Yoona put her sunglass back, turning her head straight, facing the glass wall. "I'm just... blind... but I can feel where are you staring or what's something wrong in my surroundings."

 

Seohyun gasped. "Chincha?" As it never comes to her mind. But now that she told her, it make sense. Especially that she has a stick on her side, she just realizes.

 

"Im Yoona by the way. What's yours?" Yoona stretch her hand out, straight to the young girl next to her.

 

Reluctantly because she still couldn't believe it, Seohyun slowly took the deer's hand and gently held it. "Seohyun, short for Seo Joohyun." she introduces herself. "I'm sorry for asking about it." She felt guilty somehow that she asked out of curiosity.

 

"It's okay. I'm fine with it. By the way, good luck. I heard they will only choose one for pianist." Yoona stood up and was about to leave when she heard her voice.

 

"What do you do here?" Seohyun just quickly covered upon asking another question. But she's just really curious. And the fact that she's blind, she finds herself wanting to know more about her.

 

Yoona just shakes her head. "I better not share. Anyway, see you around." she waves her hand briefly and uses her stick, as she leaves.

 

Seohyun is watching in awe and at the same time, still curious. "That vase earlier though... how did she... catch it? And how did she know it's me? Wait... had she been stalking me? Wow." And that's something that really amazed her. "She's probably been working here." She guesses, since she looked like she had memorized everything in the musical. "Ugh, why am I bothered?" She shakes her head and sighs, watching the rain again, pouring. 'When are you going to stop?' she ask at the back of her head. Her smile reappears when she finally spotted Sunny, who shortly arrived.

 

"What took me long? That friend of mine had a lot of stories to share and I was immense by it." Sunny explained before the younger one could ask her.

 

"Aigoo, look who's talking." Seohyun mimics her cousin, shaking her head in the process. Then she leads her on the second floor without telling her.

 

 

***

 

 

It had been half an hour since they were ask to take the audience's seat and Seohyun hasn't speak a word. Sunny noticed it and she checks her cousin to see what's going on. "Hey, what's wrong?" Just to find her spacing out.

 

"Yes?!" Seohyun feels like she misses something important from her cousin. "Did you see something, Unnie?"

 

"I was just checking... what's up?" Sunny chuckled, amused at how lost the younger girl is.

 

Seohyun blinks ans blinks and sighs, realizing she spaced out. "I'm just thinking of someone." And it's still on her mind. Especially that she can see her at the side.

 

"Who?"

 

"The girl wearing sunglass." She replied and briefly pointed to their left.

 

Sunny turned to where her cousin has pointed and indeed, there's someone wearing a sunglass. "What about her?" She asks as she faces the younger girl again.

 

"Well, I just couldn't believe what I learned earlier when she doesn’t looked like she's blind." Seohyun said on her lower voice, so it's her cousin only that can hear her.

 

"Omo, she is?" Sunny is surprised and she once again looked at the sunglass girl. "No wonder she's wearing that and she hasn't taken it down has she?"

 

"I ask about it earlier and she took it down." Seohyun sighs. "I felt so bad because I wasn't aware of her disability."

 

"So you were thinking of that earlier?"

 

"Yes." She confirms with a cute pout.

 

"What do you plan?" Sunny raise her eyebrows. She's interested to know how will Seohyun make it up for the latter.

 

"Well, I already apologized but I want to give her something to complete it." Seohyun flashed a small smile. "Any suggestions?"

 

"I don't know. I have never done that if I felt bad foe someone." Sunny couldn't recommend.

 

"Okay, I'll just think of it later. For now, I think they're going to announce now." Seohyun shakes her cousin's arm a little and ask her to pay attention to the stage already, as the music director can now be seen taking the stage with a paper on his hand. And she held the older girl's hand as she braces herself.

 

Sunny giggles in amusement. But she holds her cousin's hand back but tightly this time. "Good luck, pretty hyun." she whispered in the process.

 

Seohyun flashes a fake smile to her cousin. 'I hope I get this. There's no way I'm spending my vacation in that bakery.' And prayed inside. She unconsciously glances to the sunglass girl and let out a sigh. 'I'll get back with you later.'

 

-

 

One by one, the Director is calling names on the stage, which means, they passed their auditions. Seohyun who hasn't heard her name is nervous and keeps on chanting for her own name to be called. But so far, she hasn't being called. Mostly are singers and supporting actresses being called first and the seats are getting empty each seconds passes.

 

When it's only her left uncalled, her hopes and prayers have vanished. Especially that the Director have left the stage.

 

"It looks like we have to leave just like others earlier." Sunny sadly told her cousin. "I'm sorry, Joohyun."

 

Seohyun feels like crying but she hold that back and put on a big smile. "Yes, let's go, Unnie." She stood up still chin up. But as she tried to move her legs, it's suddenly stuck to the ground and she almost shout because of it. She took her time to relax without glancing to the stage.

 

"Seohyun, are you alright?" Sunny turned to see her cousin, having these weird expressions on her face.

 

Sighing heavily, Seohyun once again flashes her big fake smile and finally can able to move her feet. She took her cousin's hand and walks with her towards the exit.

 

"Wait! Miss Seo?!" But just as they reached the door, they heard the Music Director's voice, stopping their tracks.

 

Just like an instinct, Seohyun turned and raise her eyebrows.

 

"You're in. It's an honest mistake. I forgot to mention." Awkwardly smiling, The Director informed.

 

Sunny's eyes went large as she looked at her cousin, who had a shock on her face as well. "You're in, cousin!" And she shakes her arm to bring her back to reality. "Yah! Seo Joohyun! You're going to play with them!" She cried and grabs her to hug her tightly.

 

Seohyun slowly but surely understood what's going on and her eyes have started to water. "I'm in... I passed... I'm in! I'm in! I'm iiiin!!!" She couldn't hide the joy and she spazz like she won a lottery. "I'm in, Lee Sunkyuuu!!!" That she had to shout it to the world.

 

"Please, kindly, take the stage too, Miss Seo." Informed the Director, happy to see the youngest of the group celebrating happily.

 

"Go! Go! Go!" Sunny chuckled while punching her cousin's chest. The latter is laughing as she hastily went to the stage while wiping her tears off. Sunny couldn't help and tear up as well. She gives her thumbs up once she got the paper that confirms her part of the show.

 

Seohyun has the biggest smile she has ever put on her face as she proudly shows her paper to Sunny. She felt like she's on top of the world. She never had never been in their school's club because her mother is strict about it. Now that she got it, it feels like she just won. She just won her dream of a life time.

 

Yoona sitting on the chair is smiling, loving the noises she can hear. And she can totally imagine how everyone are so happy to get the chance to perform this Sunday.

 

 

***

 

 

After getting the music sheet for the couple of performances she'll be in, Seohyun bid farewell to the Assistant Director together with the others that got in. It feels surreal but she's living it. It's only a week but she feels like she's going to stay for couple of months to prepare for her part.

 

While walking the hallway, she noticed the theatre’s entrance door is ajar and everyone is just passing on it. She, who is the last one to pass, stopped on her tracks and peek her head, checking if someone is inside so she can close it. But to her surprised, she spotted the girl with deer eyes, on the stage. "Why is she... cleaning?" Just to find out she's mopping the stage.

 

"Who's cleaning?" Suddenly, someone stand behind her to also have a peek inside.

 

Seohyun turns to see the Assistant Director, Miss Kwon Yuri. Who is also an Asian.

 

"Oh, you're talking about Miss Yoon." The older girl proceeds with an information. "She's one of the janitress here, you shouldn't be surprise."

 

"J-Janitress?" Seohyun exclaimed.

 

"Yeah... see you tomorrow again, Miss Seo." Yuri ruffles the younger girl's hair gently and casually leaves.

 

"She's a Janitress?" Another information is giving Seohyun some chills. She checks on her again and it's slowly making sense. "I thought... I thought she's one of the old performers?" She sure couldn't believe it. "Ugh, this is too absurd." Since she was in her audition and acted like she's one of the judges, no one would really think she's just a janitor in the theatre. "Well." Thinking leaving the door ajar, she just left it like that but for unknown reasons, she stopped and steps back a couple of times until she's back in front of the door. Then she thought of her plan earlier, which made her leave again and returned with a pack of bread. "This is enough." she whispers t herself. Slowly but surely, she walks in and lowered her head as she went up stage. As if she will see her, she bowed not too far from her.

 

"Who's there?" Yoona can somehow feel someone had entered the theatre. She stopped mopping the floor and faces where the noise came from. But as soon as she smell that familiar scent of an apple. She knew by then it's the same girl earlier. "Seohyun-ssi?" She beats her with it.

 

"Y-You know it's me?" Seohyun is surprised.

 

"You have this apple scent in you. It's the only smell I have smelled since I started working here." Yoona explaine