audition
an interview consisting of a practical demonstration of the candidate's suitability and skill

"My heart will go on and on..."

Ga Eul winced at the latest performer, whose whole audition had gone disastrously. She'd started off-key, become screechy in the higher register, and had a coughing fit in the second verse.

"That will be enough," Mrs. Kang, the production director, said sharply. "Next."

Jan Di strode on the stage, her face set in confidence. Ga Eul raised her fist slightly, cheering her on.

She began well. Overall, Ga Eul thought she had to practice raising the soft palate, but all of her notes were in tune, and she had a lot of power behind her voice. She proceeded onto the acting portion, where she recited a monologue perfectly, and returned to her seat beside Ga Eul with glowing eyes.

"Did I do okay?" she whispered.

"You did great!" Ga Eul reassured her.

"Next. So Yi Jeong."

Ga Eul's eyes shot open. "Y-Yi Jeong sunbae is... auditioning?!" she exclaimed.

"Of course," Jan Di said, looking at her strangely. "He's the best actor in the whole school."

"H-he is?!" Ga Eul said, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Jan Di nodded. "You've been friends since high school and you didn't know that?" she asked incredulously.

Ga Eul tried to think of a response, but the start of the song interrupted her train of thought. Her gaze snapped to the stage—to Yi Jeong—who was singing...

"Do you hear me?
I'm talking to you
Across the waters
Across the deep blue..."

She gasped. This song...

His eyes twinkled knowingly.

"Ya, Ga Eul-ah. Isn't this your favorite song?" Jan Di whispered.

Ga Eul didn't reply. His voice was warm and sweet and husky and she felt like she could listen to it for hours on end...

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend,
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again..."

"Pass," Mrs. Kang said abruptly. "Commence with acting."

Yi Jeong's expression turned serious. "Mrs. Kang, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to have a partner prompt instead of a recitation."

Mrs. Kang's eyebrows shot up. "You mean, ad lib?"

"Yes," Yi Jeong said. "Would you mind very much?"

"Choose your partner," Mrs. Kang said offhandedly, but her eyes betrayed interest.

Yi Jeong looked straight at Ga Eul, who gasped.

"Ga Eul Chu... Would you do me the great honor of being my partner?" he asked.

If Ga Eul's eyes got any larger, they would pop out of her skull. "Oh—but I'm not auditioning—I can't possibly—"

"Please?"

"I really don't think I'm qualified—"

"Please?"

Jan Di elbowed her in the ribs. "I know it's really sudden, but you might as well go up. You're good at acting. Besides, if you refuse now, you'll humiliate him."

"Are you... approving this? Even though he's forcing me?"

"No." Jan Di cracked her knuckles. "I'll just deal with him later."

Reluctantly, Ga Eul rose to her feet and ascended to the stage. Yi Jeong gave her an apologetic glance, but his body language was determined.

"Prompt, please, Mrs. Kang," he said.

Mrs. Kang cleared . "Go with whatever you will. I'm interested to see what you will come up with."

Yi Jeong's eyes widened. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting this. Come up with a whole plot, background, and characterization on the spot? And get Ga Eul to understand it too?

"You have sixty seconds for discussion," Mrs. Kang said. "Go."

Yi Jeong turned to Ga Eul. "Ga Eul, I'm sorry. I put you on the spot and now we've gotta—"

"No time for that now," Ga Eul said crisply. "Let's just get a story going." Her eyes glinted. "I think I might have an idea."

Jan Di was close to biting her nails with apprehension. She could scarcely believe that Ga Eul and Yi Jeong had to create an entire scenario in sixty seconds. It was impossible! Geez, it was hard enough to come up with a scenario in sixty minutes.

The other students were whispering about it too. There's no way this will go well. It'll crash and burn.

Before long, sixty seconds were up, and Ga Eul and Yi Jeong took opposite sides of the stage.

"Start!" Mrs. Kang barked.

Instantly, the mood changed. Ga Eul shuffled her feet, glancing nervously at Yi Jeong, who stared at her so heatedly that Jan Di almost forgot they were acting. Silence passed for a moment—two—and then Yi Jeong was striding toward Ga Eul, who quickly backed away. He picked up the pace; she stumbled over her feet, and he caught her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his tone cold.

"G-going—going outside," Ga Eul offered weakly.

Yi Jeong stepped forward. She backed into the piano.

"I thought you weren't supposed to go outside," Yi Jeong said softly.

"I—I just wanted to—" Ga Eul bit her lip. "Jun Hyuk—he was—he wanted to—"

Yi Jeong slammed a hand against the piano, trapping her. "Were you going to meet him?" he growled.

"I haven't—I just—"

"You're supposed to stay in the house!" Yi Jeong yelled. "Or do you want to die?!"

Something seemed to snap inside Ga Eul. She straightened, her face just a centimeter away from Yi Jeong's. "So what if I do?!" she cried. "I've been caged in this pit for ten years! Why wouldn't I want some fresh air?"

Jan Di's eyes widened. These lines seemed awfully familiar...

"Don't you understand?! You're in danger the moment you step outside!" Yi Jeong pulled her even closer, unfazed by her close proximity.

They're saying lines from the production! Jan Di realized. But both of them are supposed to say their lines sadly and quietly...

She glanced at Ga Eul. She must be Eun Ah, the heroine. Gifted in so many ways, said to be the most beautiful girl for miles around. Unfortunately, she is being tracked by an evil dark assassin...

"Why do you care, Jin Young?!" Ga Eul screamed.

...Who is Jin Young's brother. Thankfully, Jin Young is her guardian, and a powerful one at that. In truth, he has special powers, which Eun Ah knows he knows but he doesn't know she knows and thus tries to hide it from her...

"Fine!" Yi Jeong pushed himself away. "If you really wanna leave, just leave!"

Jan Di frowned. What? That line is completely different... He should've blurted "Because I love you!"

Ga Eul appeared to be thinking the same thing. The slightest hint of confusion flickered over her face before she came back to her senses.

The real improv had begun.

(A/N: Yeah. Kind of bad. Sorry... But, well, I dunno. I guess this is really unrealistic for an actual audition, but, this is fanfiction and I can do whatever I pleases in fanfiction. ^^

Sorry it took such a long time to get this chapter out. I hope the next one will come sooner.

By the way, mind leaving a quick comment? Suggestion? Etc?)