In a spacious room full of people trying their luck to fulfill their dreams through the audition that was about to take, a lone girl sat nervously at a corner. Her eyes were distant and her minds running in a mile. She kept on tapping her feet and fidgeting with the handkerchief she was holding. Cold beads of sweat started forming on her forehead and gone dry from all the nervousness she was feeling.

She even almost jumped out of her seat when a man entered the room and talked in front of them.

“We’re going to start in a few minutes now. Please wait for your turn and come inside once your number is called.” The man announced.

At that point, the girl’s heart was pounding crazily in her chest but she kept her cool and watched as the first girl was called and she walked towards the man then following him in another room where the judges are.

She let out a long sigh and placed her hand to her chest, trying to keep her erratic heart to beat slowly.

“Okay. Stop worrying, stop worrying. They will like you, Haruna. Just do your thing.” She kept this mantra in repeat to convince herself to just relax but even so, her heartbeat won’t slow down.

Haruna stood from her sit and started practicing her dance routine just like the others in the room. She was actually auditioning to become a back up dancer for a movie. Ever since she was young, she had dreamt to become a dancer and auditioning became her frontline action to fulfill this dream.

She looked around her and saw how graceful the other hopefuls were. She felt intimidated all of a sudden but she pushed all those thoughts away and concentrated on her movements for now.

Not long after, her number was called and she gingerly walked towards the audition room. Before she opened the door, she took a deep breath and proceeded inside.

Once she got in, she saw a long table in front of her and about five people was sitting behind it and was looking at the resume which she thinks was hers.

“Good morning, I am the Head of Talent Department, Kashiwagi Yuuma and together with me is the Producer of R King Agency and Heads of the different departments here. To start with, please introduce yourself.” The guy from the left told her.

“Y-Yes…Uhm, my name is Ono, Haruna, eighteen years old, living at Aiche Prefecture. I’ve always wanted to become a dancer and so I am in front of you today to show you what I can do. Y-Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!”  She deeply bowed after and raised her head to see the producer, who was in the middle, nodded in recognition to her introduction.

“Very well. You may begin, Ms. Ono.”

“H-Hai!”

Haruna then placed her bag to the floor and turned her back to the judges. When the music starts, she turned in one fluid motion and does her choreography with ease. She turned and moved her body to the beat, ignoring the forming sweat on her forehead and let it slide to the side of her face. She kept her movement with all the grace she could muster and smiled constantly at the audience in front of her. One thing she learned from her dance lessons is always keep a smile on your face no matter how tired or nervous you are.

Once she was finished, she looked at the producer and the heads of the department expectantly but they only smiled and told her to wait in the other room for the results.

She was breathing heavily but she managed to say her thanks and scurried back to the waiting room. She felt great about her performance and a bit optimistic too that she could pass the second round of the audition. But needless to say, she still waited patiently at the room and watched as the numbers of the hopeful dancers who wasn't called yet dwindle.

It took three hours for the audition to finish and once it was over, a staff member entered the room and posted a single paper in front of them. It contains the numbers of the dancers who passed the audition and will go to the next round of elimination on the next day. Once the guy who posted the paper left the room, all the girls flocked over it and started searching for their number.

Haruna fought her way in the crowd and it didn’t help that she has a short stature. Frowning, she decided to let everybody see it first before her and once they’ve dispersed, she made her way once again to the piece of paper and quickly scanned the paper for her number.

“Hmm, 24…24….” She muttered as she looked at the paper.

“Eh? Chotto! Where’s my number?” She looked back again and again but the number 24 wasn’t in sight. Feeling dejected, she grabbed her things and went out of the building.

“Geez, this is my 29th audition. Just one more and then, hello to my 30th failure!” She sarcastically said and let out a huge depressed sigh.

“Wow. Your 30th fail already?”

“I said 29th!” Haruna defended and looked back at the one who suddenly talked. She then came face to face to a smiling face of a girl. Haruna couldn’t shake the feeling that she saw her before.

“Do I know you?” She asked, still glaring at the girl.

“I don’t think so. My name’s Mami Sasazaki, by the way. I auditioned too for the movie.” She said and held out her hand for Haruna to shake.

“Aah! Now I remember. I think I saw you in there. My name’s Haruna Ono.” Haruna smiled back and shook Mami’s outstretched hand.

“Don’t get me wrong about what I said earlier. I just thought you’re awesome. This was my 36th failed audition.” Mami then let out a laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world. Haruna’s jaw dropped at what she said and couldn’t believe that this girl could still laugh at her own fate.

“Uwa-! How can you still laugh in times like this?! You should be depressed already!”  Haruna yelled at her but Mami only shrugged.

“Well, I did before but I’m still 16 years old. There will be a time for me to shine.” She smiled enthusiastically.

“Wow. You must be an M.” Haruna whispered but Mami only shrugged on her comment.

“All I can do right now is just try and try.”

“Then let’s do it together!” Another voice cut through their conversation and came out of nowhere.

“Who are you?” Mami asked roughly to the girl.

“The name’s Tomomi. Tomomi Ogawa, 16 years old and it’s my 49th failed audition today! Yoroshiku!”

 “EEH??! 49th?! What the hell?” Mami let out as she looked incredulously to the girl in front of her.

“Well yeah. It’s sad but no worries. There will be time for us. Besides we’re still young!”

“For you to say.” Haruna muttered under her breathe but the girl didn’t hear her.

“Anyway, do you guys want to form a crew or something? We might help each other from our goal.” Tomomi suggested as she looked excitedly to them.

“Well…I don’t know…” Mami placed her hand to her chin and looked at Tomomi like she’s a rare specimen, weighing the pros and cons of teaming up with the girl, and then her eyes landed to Haruna.

“How about you? Do you want to team up?” She asked Haruna.

Haruna looked at the two for a long time and weighed her options too. Although she was a bit hesitant to team up especially to some random person who she just met at the street, she couldn’t help thinking that maybe, the plan might work.

“Hmm…I guess…” Tomomi looked expectantly at her and gave Haruna her brightest smile which Haruna found impossible to refuse.

“…S..sure…Why not?” She said and once the words left , Tomomi jumped in joy and held Haruna and Mami’s hand together.

“Great!”

“Hey! Hey! I didn’t agree to be part of your crew yet!” Mami complained but the girl seems lost to her happiness.

“We’ll meet then at a coffee shop and talk about our strategies to become the famous dance unit!” She continued chattering before she looked at her clock.

“Oops. Time for my cake. See you guys tomorrow!” And just like that, she was gone with the wind.

“What just happened?” Mami asked in confusion.

“Err...I think we just got punked. Or not?” Haruna muttered like she was not even there when all of that happened. Mami shrugged again and look at the stunned look of Haruna.

“I guess we have a meeting then tomorrow.” Mami said after a moment of silence and smiled at her.

“See you then, Haruna. Oh and nice meeting you.” She said and waved her hand goodbye to her.

“Y-yeah. You too.” Haruna said before waving her hand to her too.

It took a moment for Haruna to recollect what happened and when what she have agreed on sank into her, she felt like a cold water splashed onto her.

“Wait, what?!”