Hidden Love

Prologue

I sit nervously and impatiently outside the studio room dedicated to auditions to find new dancers for an upcoming tour by the world's leading musical artist, BTS. My best friend, Sunghoon, had stumbled across the advert for auditions when he was looking for a position as a dancer for an idol agency. BigHit, the agency for BTS, were looking for twelve new dancers for the upcoming Permission To Dance tour that will be held in Korea for three days, and then in America for another three.

To be completely honest with you, I have no idea why Sunghoon had even suggested to me to do the audition. In fact, I don't even know why I'm sitting here in the corridor waiting for my name to be called.

I don't know much about BTS, but I know they're the most professional men you'll probably come across in this generation, meaning they're going to be looking for the best dancers Korea has to offer. I, however, have only been doing my dancing career for about a year and a half and I lack the experience of dancing for an idol on a tour. Nevertheless, I am in need of a job and I don't have anything to lose if I don't pass this audition.

"(Your full name)."

The sound of my own name terrifies me when the deep rumbling tone of a staff member's voice comes booming through the corridor by the double white doors leading into the studio room where my possible future awaits. Not only had I nearly jumped out of my own skin, but so do the other countless dancers looming in the corridor waiting for their time to audition.

Standing up from my seat rapidly, I take a deep breath when the staff member's eyes lock onto my own before sidestepping to open one of the studio room's doors to signal my inevitable fate.

Stay calm and pretend this is practice.

Scurrying over to the open door for me, I throw a nervous bow towards the staff member in a silent show of my gratitude while passing by him and stepping into the vast studio room with [almost] blinding studio lights. A full recording system had been set in place, facing the floor-to-ceiling mirror only to tell me I won't be able to look at the mirror now behind me.  I knew they would be recording this audition, it said that on the application form when I was reading through it, but I didn't realize there would be a mini recording studio facing me. I had imagined it would be a small camera that would be unnoticeable unless you looked hard for it. 

My eyes scan the room at the number of bodies standing or sitting like statues at their designated workstations. I could only calm my nerves with a silent deep breath and hope that I don't mess up any of the steps that I had worked my blood, sweat and tears over.

"당신의 이름을 말하십시오."

The recording system had taken my attention so drastically that I hadn't even noticed the long table near the far side wall with nine bodies sitting behind it; my breathing catches in my throat when I immediately recognise seven of the nine bodies - BTS. Immediately my breathing catches in my throat and my nerves step up their game of invading my entire body; my voice disappears completely, but it mattered not whether it was there - I have no idea what was just said to me.

Even though I've been living in Korea for about a year and a half, my studying of the Korean language slacked when finding a job in my industry had become my priority. I've not studied it in about three months.

"한국어하세요?"

Finally, my eyes find who the voice is coming from and it's one of the directors of the tour (I am assuming) sitting next to Kim Namjoon. All nine pairs of eyes are staring at me as though they can see the ethereal being of my soul. Biting my lip, my eyes make solid contact with the youngest out of the band who is giving me nothing but a stern and unreadable expression.

I gulp just at the sight of his intense gaze.

His eyes scan my body from my face down to my feet and back up to my face again before leaning to his right to whisper something to Park Jimin. Jimin's stare is just as intense as Jeon Jungkook's and I have a feeling that they're judging whether I'd be a suitable candidate since I can't speak fluent Korean.

"Do you speak English?" Namjoon's voice calmly calls over to me making my line of sight shift from Jungkook's ongoing intense gaze to Namjoon's softer look.

A noticeable sigh of relief leaves my body now that I can understand what is being said to me.

"Yes," I whisper breathlessly.

"Alright," Namjoon mumbles and I notice that both of the directors are jotting something down on a piece of paper in front of them, "do you have your piece ready for us?"

Without saying a word, I nod calmly before receiving a nod back from Namjoon, "whenever you're ready."

Turning to face the camera, I take the moment to settle more of my nerves by taking a deep and steady breath in with my eyes closing. When I go to release my breath, I open my eyes and look straight at the staff member next to the sound system before signalling with a nod that I'm ready for the music to be played.

The song sounds through the music system and I could feel the bass within my body through the otherwise silent air of the room. Allowing myself to feel the music, I begin my dance routine and just as I had hoped, I'd completely forgotten that I was at an audition for the biggest boy band in the world. My surroundings had been completely shut out and the only thing I could focus on was my body and the music.

Everything was going perfect until I had caught the back of my heel on my right foot with my left foot making me stumble into the next move that should have been an elegant transition. Nevertheless, I pursue my dance routine with a quick reminder that this is not a practice and I cannot restart my routine.

Despite my quick recovery, I once again trip over my feet and I stumble into another transition instead of having it flow fluidly like I practised hours on. I mentally curse at myself that I've messed up two steps and they could cost me a place in the upcoming tour.

Nevertheless, I finish my routine just as the last beat of the song comes through the speakers. An overwhelming silence fills the room and I find myself centring my focus back on the reality that the reason the silence is overwhelming is because of the number of bodies silently watching me without a single expression to be read on their faces.

However, three claps can be heard to my left and I snap my head in the direction of where the sound is coming from. It's none other than Jimin beaming at me with a huge smile on his face, although, Jungkook is watching Jimin expressionless from the corner of his eyes. From the habit that I've picked up on since moving to Korea, I bow toward Jimin at a 90° angle only to straighten up and see that Jungkook's eyebrows have risen in surprise.

"Thank you for your audition," Namjoon speaks, gaining my attention, "we will be in contact with you by the end of the week to let you know of our decision."

I nod at this information, "고맙습니다."

As if his eyebrows weren't already high enough on his forehead, Jungkook's eyebrows raise higher at my attempt at formal Korean.

With nothing else left to say, I turn my back on the nine men and head straight for the studio doors that get opened by the same staff member that let me in.

Here's to the end of the week.