xxx.

                                    

                                          
at jinju's words, you stepped out of the room with the others into the hallway, where a staff member was waiting for you. he smiled kindly at you before beckoning you to follow him, where he led you down the hall to an elevator. as the two of you entered, the staff member pressed the button for the right floor, sending the elevator rocketing up.
                          
it's a shame it's not on the outside of the building... the view must be amazing going up. you thought as the elevator came to your stop a few seconds later. the staff member lead you down another hall before beckoning you into an open door.
                          
you entered, being almost immediately blinded by harsh lighting. wincing slightly as your eyes adjusted, you looked around. there was a whole crew of staff bustling around a set of cameras and microphones that surrounded a brightly lit area set up for interviews. a few staff were walking in between smaller rooms, bringing with them various equipment. you blinked slightly in confusion as the staff member that led you there directed you over to a chair.
                          
"please wait here until the staff are ready with your microphone," he said gently, doing a slight bow before joining the ranks of rushing staff. you sat there patiently like he said, observing. the interviewing area had white walls and two chairs much like director chairs you see in movies. you looked around at all the staff members and you caught a familiar face being bustled over by several staff checking her makeup and microphone. it was the younger judge from before.

                          
she caught your gaze and smiled brightly, and you smiled politely back. talking hurriedly to the staff surrounding her, she made her way over to you. "hi! i don't think we've been properly introduced yet, have we? i'm yuhara kishi, but everyone calls me yuki. ah, can you please get her a microphone?" she stopped her introduction to brush the arm of a passing staff, who nodded, walking off to presumably get a microphone.
                          
"anyway, in this interview i'm just going to ask you a couple of questions about your style, your goals, and only a bit about your personal life. is that okay?" yuki asked, using a very large amount of hand gestures. you nodded at her as the staff member came back, carrying one of those small microphones that clip onto clothes and another device in the other hand.
                          
a minute or so later, you had your microphone and were waiting by one of the cameras for any other instructions. you really had no idea what to do in these situations, so you found it best to stand in one place until someone told you otherwise, that way you wouldn't be a bother to anyone.
                          
"starting in two minutes," one of the people behind the camera that looked like the head of the operation said, making some of the staff move around faster, doing last minute preparations. yuki brushed past you, and you decided it would probably be a good idea to go sit down in one of the interview chairs like she was doing. she nodded at you and smiled, and you felt a small surge of confidence out of having done the right thing.
                          
"starting in three... two... one!" the same guy from before shouted, and the whole room went silent. it unnerved you a bit, but you tried not to let it show as the cameras focused on yuki as she introduced herself.
                          
"hello, everyone, i'm here again with our second contestant. would you please introduce yourself for our viewers?" she inclined her head at you.
                          
you put on one of your audience smiles as a couple of the cameras focused on you. "i'm jung nari. please take care of me," you ended with something you'd seen from idols introducing themselves on the rare occasion where you joined jin-ae to watch an awards show.
                          
yuki beamed at you. "ah, you're a natural at this," you both broke into laughter and you felt some of your anxiety float away. "so, what song have you chosen to audition with?"
                          
"i auditioned with Gashina by Sunmi, a song my sister and a good friend of mine recommended i'd do. it's because of them i decided to audition in the first place too, so i guess i owe them some thanks," you ended with a slight chuckle.
                          
"i guess you do. how did you get into music?"
                          
you adjusted your position in your seat before continuing. "my grandparents used to run a music shop, so i grew up surrounded by music and instruments. my grandfather taught me how to play piano, even if i didn't really appreciate it when i was little. when they died, my sister and i inherited it and we've been running it ever since."
                          
"oh, wow. so, you grew up in a very musical household?" yuki asked, her brown eyes bright.
                          
"ah, not really." you flicked a strand of hair away from your face absentmindedly. "my parents were doctors, so the only time i was around music was during the school holidays when i was left with my grandparents while my parents were out working."
                          
"nice, nice. so, have you set any kind of goal for yourself and your music with coming on this show?"
                          
you thought for a moment. "i guess to become the best version of myself i can? or maybe... to go through the show with no regrets, whether i win or lose."
                          
yuki grinned at you. "good, good. everyone stay tuned for nari's first public stage!" she said, all the cameras focusing on her as the director yelled out to tell the camera men to stop filming. you let out a sigh as several staff members came to you and removed the microphone.
                          
"hey, when you go back, can you send mo minjae up? hers is next. you were great today, by the way. best of luck to you for the rest of the show!" yuki excitedly said. you grinned back at her before slipping out the door to see another staff member who nodded before leading you back towards the elevator.