Morning in school sometimes can get chaos. Especially if some of the students here are part of the showbiz world. This time the boys who whispered to each other, several of them walking back and forth on a certain classroom. Trying to see certain student-slash-celebrity. 

 

“You come to school today,” Gahyeon said the statement to her friend that’s been a while coming to school. 

 

“Fortunately. These weeks kinda hectic for prepare the comeback.” 

 

Well, she was rarely coming to school. Even when she comes she rarely came from the first period. Usually it was last period when she’s done with rehearsal while on comeback promotion. Sometimes she didn’t come at all. 

 

“How is it?” asked Gahyeon curiously. 

 

“The comeback preparation? Thrilling. I don’t expect it goes well since debut and seems like we are riding the hype of our hot debut.” 

 

Gahyeon monitored her since debut and those hella schedules of the group from year-end shows really hectic. Even when the winter holiday, they still work, and now they are on the pre-comeback phase. Gahyeon can see how tired and anxious they are but behind that there is a genuine hope to all of their work is worth in the end.

 

“People love you all since that Sixteen, the program. I’m glad that you come back right away after the debut success.”

 

After that they just talked about how hard school. Gahyeon told her friend need to catch up. She offered her notes, which gladly her friend took it. 

 

Before the bell rings. “You will be here until the last period?” 

 

“Yeah, why?” 

 

“Nothing, I’m just glad I will spend a day with you here.” 

 

She laughed, quite loud. “Just say you miss me so much.” 

 

Gahyeon felt her face blushing and then laughed. She won’t admit it to her, but yeah, she missed her so much. Gahyeon knew they won’t have time so much since her friend now in the showbiz. People love her so much, our friends love her so much, even the world loves her so much. 

 

There is a feeling that perhaps this school time is the only time to bond with her and it’s so a little time. After that who knows they will part away since Gahyeon is a nobody compared to her friend. Who knows she was going to forget her after graduation. 

 

And deep in her heart, something sparks. 

 

Time flies fast, Gahyeon was kinda sad about it. 

 

“Do you go to the academy after this?” 

 

“Yeah, for practice a new song actually,” answered Gahyeon. “You will go directly to the company?” 

 

“Yup, my manager gonna be here in minutes. After that gonna practice more.” 

 

“Let me walk with you till the school gate then.” 

 

But then people tried to gather around her. Some tried to ask her sign, others asked to took a selca, most of it tried to ask about the comeback song. Gahyeon just there waiting until the crowd slowly faded when her friend excused them about going to the company quickly. 

 

“Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, Dahyun, people want to know more about you. People love you that much,” said Gahyeon with a smile. 

 

“Yeah, but sometimes it can be overwhelmed.” 

 

“You have not used it. I bet after a while, you will be used to it.” 

 

“Enough about me. How about you? Have you go to the audition?”

 

Gahyeon still has the dream too, perform like Dahyun on stage. She had them on the academy, training to be in that stage, the same one as Dahyun’s. With those sparkling lights, with those fans scream of the fanchant, with those beautiful outfits, with those original songs. She dreamed of it. 

 

“I’m still not sure. Someone at the academy suggested me to take an audition on YG.” 

 

It’s one of the big companies in this idol industry. Somehow their characters are so bold, hard to reach, built from hip hop music. Someone like Gahyeon perhaps did not fit in that image. 

 

“I think you must try there,” said Dahyun while waving her hand at the crowd. 

 

“How is it?” 

 

Gahyeon remembered that Dahyun took an audition there too. 

 

“Just like what people said, too bad JYP contacted me first.” 

 

People around Gahyeon talked about how her friend took the audition at the three big companies. She passed all those auditions, she’s really talented. At some point Gahyeon kinda compared it with her, for such measurement. Dahyun wins in all sections. Her confidence, her boldness, her personality, her dancing, singing. 

 

All. 

 

“I will think about it,” said Gahyeon. 

 

Sometimes Gahyeon wondered what if she takes an audition at the same company as her friend works. She definitely can meet her every day there right? It will be nice. More time to spend with her even though she doubted it was going to happen.

 

After some minutes, they arrived at the school gate. Dahyun’s manager already waited for her. 

 

“Good luck on your practice,” said Dahyun. 

 

“Back to you.” 

 

And then they parted away to their own schedule. Gahyeon with the academy, Dahyun with the comeback preparation. 

 

In her direction to the academy, Gahyeon thought about it. The audition. 

 

Dahyun said she must try it. 

 

Perhaps she can try. 

 

===

 

When summer came, Gahyeon had a lot of time at the academy. She even took auditions after it, like what her friend suggested. One of them was YGE. She was nervous but it was still manageable, one thing for sure, she didn’t like the vibes there. It was like out of her league, she has sure failed the auditions. 

 

But it was wrong. 

 

She passed the audition. 

 

Gahyeon even met the representative of the company to talked about the trainee contract. She read carefully and intently, at some point it’s not really bad but not really good too. This affected what she heard of the rumors on the company itself. 

 

At the end of several meetings, she decided to decline the offer. She knew it was a bad move too, but she needed to be assured about her future. She knew this path of the idol thing kinda gamble, but she needed to calculated too. Not because it’s one of a big company, she must accept the offer. If Gahyeon didn’t see it, what’s the point. 

 

“You’re not signing with YG?” Dahyun asked before the summer breaks end. 

 

“Seems like the news already spread like fire at the school.”

 

“Why?” 

 

“I just don’t feel it there. Plus it’s not really kind of my place. Too much pressure from all eyes there, not the kind one. It’s hard to describe.” 

 

Dahyun nodded, “I think I kinda know what’s your mean. I felt the same before.” 

 

“Did you feel it? I thought you will probably going there if JYP did not contact you first.” 

 

“Nope, I took an audition just to gain the confidence, my theory is if I take there I can be the ease at other auditions.” 

 

Gahyeon didn’t know about that, her friend never talked about how her auditions. We all talked about it through the gossips, She just confirmed it. But not beyond there. Her private life was limited to share, this one of it. Gahyeon felt honored to hear about it even just a little dust of it. 

 

Her feelings still there for her friend. 

 

But Gahyeon never stepped forward on it. 

 

“So what are you going to do?” 

 

Gahyeon already thought about this a lot. Thoughts of her future. She never told anybody, even her parents. They just knew about her want to be an idol, perform on stage. But recently Gahyeon thought about all possibilities. Like what she always did, calculated. 

 

For now, “I guess I will stick on the academy until graduate if before then I get chance I take it, if not I will just take a college.” I will try on JYP audition too before that , thought Gahyeon, She won’t tell her friend about that one. 

 

“I see, I respect that but I just want you to don’t give up on it.”

 

That means a lot from Dahyun, Gahyeon just smiled at her as a thankful gesture. She also didn’t want to give up, but she’s already on the edge of it. Probably tired, because not of all her efforts turn to be fruitful at the end. Well, yes she got that YG offer, but she’s not that desperate at all, maybe that’s also became a factor of it. 

 

All Gahyeon did it’s for fun after all. She tried to be close to her dream. Either it will happen or not, she didn’t care that much. She tried to be realistic sometimes and at this moment she kinda needed it. 

 

That Friday, she tried it, went to JYP audition, this supposed be the last audition for her. After this Gahyeon will focus to graduate and still come to the academy occasionally. Just for the last time she thought. 

 

But it seems like the universe agreed with her. 

 

She bombed at the audition. Surprisingly one of those who auditioned her is from Dahyun’s group. Criticism and bad words threw at her, it’s not like the first time she heard it, but this one sure kinda the worst. One of Dahyun’s group members didn’t say anything, perhaps she knew how the feelings after heard those words. She was the only one who said Gahyeon had potential but her words do not have power. 

 

At the end of the audition, Gahyeon just sat and cried outside the room. She got the answer. Her dream just shattered like that, she thought she would okay, but it still hurt her that much. 

 

And the worst of her day that Dahyun saw her cried. Apparently her member gave her info that someone from the school had an audition today. 

 

“I know it was you,” said Dahyun took a seat beside Gahyeon. 

 

“I’m done, this is the last one.”

 

“Well, we don’t know yet, perhaps it’s not here, but somewhere else.” 

 

But I want here , said Gahyeon on her mind but never say it out. Perhaps because of that it much more hurt than the other. 

 

“You don’t need to be here.” 

 

“I want to.” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“Just because.” 

 

Gahyeon didn’t know what to do or say after that. She felt ashamed that she cried in front of her friend-slash-idol. Gahyeon felt her friend shouldn’t need to care about her. Her friend needs to care about herself more too, she knew that being an idol is hard enough to catch up a rest and leisure time. 

 

“You know, I always wondered why were you not taking audition here? Is it because of me or a personal issue with this company? I’m glad you are here even though the result is not like what you expected.”

 

“Before I debut, something hit me to think and question myself, why I never bring you here to take an audition before? Imagine we could debut together.”

 

“I had it, now it sounds impossible,” Gahyeon suddenly responded to what Dahyun told. 

 

“I was thinking it gonna be nice if I join this company. Who knows I can see you occasionally here too.”

 

“Hey! Even you are not here, that doesn’t mean I can’t see you. As long as we have free time, We can hang out somewhere. Eat some delicious or something.” 

 

“Will you do that?” 

 

“I will, even if I can’t I will try some ways.” 

 

That was nice to listen from her. Gahyeon felt her heart warmed a little bit by listened that. Perhaps the best thing ever happened at the moment. Though that does not make her better, it mostly sad and more upset at the