My eyes closed tightly as I belted out the final note of my song, hanging on the sustained intonation of the piano, spreading my arms, my heart feeling like I was coming to the end of a marathon. Once I finished that last note, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes to look at the three people sitting behind a long table. It was the head of the theater department, the director of the play, and a student assistant. Although I had felt nervous throughout the entire audition, that nervousness couldn’t hold a candle to the nerves I felt now that I was done and they were summing me up in their heads.

“Thank you,” said the director with a smile. He was a small man with thinning hair, a professor in the theater department from what Jisoo had told me. “We definitely appreciate you coming in.”

“I know I’m not in the theater department,” I said. “But I’m still willing to work hard.”

“Thank you,” said the department head, an old gruff man with big glasses and a bald head. I could tell that my time with them was done. I smiled and bowed my head in appreciation, something that Jisoo had told me to do, and I picked up my folder of papers from a chair, and walked toward the door.

I was beginning to feel a sense of relief as I left the room. I had given it my best and I knew that I hadn’t made any mistakes. Auditioning really wasn’t as bad as I had made it out to be. And the rush I felt once it was all over was exhilarating. It was a feeling I could certainly get used to.

Out in the hallway, sitting on a long bench, there were other students in line to audition. They looked up to me as I closed the door behind me, each of them with a hopeful look on their face, as though I were going to say something like, “they’re all in a good mood and you have nothing to worry about!” I smiled confidently and looked down the line of people until my eyes met with Lisa’s. She was waiting for me down the hall, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. She smirked at me and blew me a kiss.

I trotted down the hallway happily, not breaking eye contact with her. Lisa was beaming and I could tell she was excited for me.

“Well?” she asked eagerly as I approached her. I leaned forward and kissed her in a sh