Chapter 2

"Congratulations," is a word Terrence repeatedly heard from staff and brand owners he endorses. After attending a conference about the endorsement, the selection of the cast for his upcoming movie was scheduled.

 

 

"Randy, how much time is allotted for this audition?" he inquired of the assistant while pointing his finger at the scheduled plan book."

 

Just an hour sir," an assistant answered. 

 

The actor thought for a while in the allotted time how he would manage, before requesting the assistant to pick up his spare clothes.

On the other hand, Jirah passed near the TV station where Terrence works and he saw a piece of bulletin information. This is the content.

What: Movie Casting Audition

Where: At door 198, 2nd-floor building, JCI TV network.

When: June 23, 2021, @ 2 pm.

Who: Interested applicants wishing to audition must be in advance prior to its commencement.

She only had five minutes to go before the audition started. So, she left her groceries on the guard and quickly ran to the venue because she wanted to try acting. Well, of course, her first aim is to get closer to Terrence.

 

In the audition room, the director talked to Terrence about the choice of the new cast. He explained what kind of woman they needed in the movie.

 

"Rence, the second female lead actress we are going to choose, is a cool and combative type because her role will be the protector of the second male lead."

 

"Copy," Terrence said.

Only one word was answered by the actor to the director because he was not used to choosing actors. This was his principle from the beginning, because he did not want to say anything bad about those with him. Also, he is a quiet person when it comes to movie casting. For him, whatever he said was not really followed because he was just an actor.

The clock's hand pointed at 2 p.m. All the staff were preparing their tables and equipment that would be used for the audition. Auditionees, including Jirah, had arrived too. The director called the assigned clerk to call one auditionee at a time, following their sequence by number.

 

The Clerk walked over and stood in front of the applicants and said, "Listen, only one person can enter per session. The basis of our order will be the number placed on your seat. Remember, be careful when entering that room, because the staff are picky. If you make even a little mistake, you'll be fired right away. Do you understand?"

 

Together they said the word, "yes" to the clerk. 

And so the first woman was called and she stood up.

 

When number one entered the office, with the slightest nervousness, she felt something bad would happen to her. And her instinct was true. She accidentally broke the door's knob while forcibly closing it. The girl was terrified at what she had done to it, and yet, someone was talking behind her. 

 

"Enough of that, you already broke it. Just take the exit and leave," one staff member said. 

 

It was a surprising manner from a man of honor that an auditionee number one was dissuaded from going out of the office.

 

Here comes auditionee number two, who was endowed with beauty in appearance, but lacked confidence. She kept on shivering herself, seemed like she was anxious to be interviewed. Director Bobby asked her about the information and experience she had in the arts, but unfortunately, her stage fright had arisen in the middle of the interview. Then, the director told her, "Step back and follow your lead." Pointing to the clerk as a lead. 

 

She was confused and asked, "Sir? What do you mean?" 

 

The staff just laughed at her while she had no idea what they meant. Out of embarrassment, she went out the door crying.

 

The next to join the audition was a fat girl named Lenie, about 83kg in weight. Like those who entered the office before her, she was also rejected until the remaining auditionees, except the last one, successively failed. 

Jirah couldn't bear to see that her colleagues who had finished auditioning turned out to be dissatisfied, so she inquired about all of them.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Any idea what's going on inside that door?" she asked.    

Lenie, the fat girl, turned and answered, "Negative sissy, I hope you will pass for the role."    

 

"Oh! I hope so. Thanks," Jirah said. 

At that moment, Jirah soothed herself before entering the door. She adjusted her clothes, blew herself and stretched for a while to relieve the nervousness in her chest. It was her first time attending an audition, so she still didn’t know what she was going to do. 

As she entered the audition room, a man familiar with her sight suddenly stood up in his chair and looked at his watch, and said, "It's almost time." I don't have time for this. I have to go." 

Jirah ignored what the man said to her, but instead she just looked at his face. The actor noticed her angelic gaze, so he approached her and said, "Hello miss. Can you go home now? I don't have time for you. You don't fit the role we're looking for." 

 

Jirah awoke suddenly from her stare at the man, so she was able to answer, "Huh? Why? Mr.—" She even approached it.

 

The staff stopped her because the actor no longer wanted to be closed by his fans. She didn't let him go and she still followed him to the door where Terrence was standing. Terrence just stared at her and arrogantly spoke the words, "Miss, are you deaf? Or are you just naughty?"    

Instead of listening to what the actor said, she thickened her face, asking for a favor from the actor. 

 

"Idol, can we take a selfie?" Jirah asked. 

 

The actor just rolled his eyes and left Jirah alone inside the audition room. She just made an effort to go to the audition, because she thought that she might be the one to be chosen, but just like the previous auditionee, she was also sent home. However, even though the audition did not turn out very well, she still shuddered at the actor when their eyes met.

 

 

On Saturday afternoon, best friends Gwen and Jirah went shopping at a nearby mall. While they were shopping for clothes, Jirah noticed a pair of nightgowns, the color, and design of which matched her father's favorite to wear, so she picked them up from the clothes hanger. 

Eventually, Gwen grabbed her to select clothes from her hand. So, she first returned the selected garment to its place.

When she had finished choosing the dress that Gwen had brought, she looked at the nightgown again, but it was gone.    

Nearby, a man stood, wearing shades and a Nike brand hat, holding a nightgown she liked. She immediately went to the man she saw and asked, "Excuse me, is that yours?" she asked the man loudly and the man just nodded. 

 

"Ah! Because I took that before. I just put it back on the clothes hanger becaus—" 

 

Jirah explained, but the man did stop him from speaking and he just left her and went to another dress section.      

 

"Ugh! Da*mn sh*it, rude man. I hadn't even finished speaking, then he's gone right away. Bu ** shit! Hayst," Jirah said stiffly. 

 

Her friend Gwen calmed her down and said, "It looks like you just know him."

"I hope so, Bessy, but I don't!" said Jirah.

 

Gwen was worried about her friend's reaction to the man she met, so she thought of inviting her to the counter. 

"Forget it. Let's go to the counter," Gwen said. 

 

Jirah still couldn't forget what that stranger did, so she looked around, pretending to be looking for someone, but in fact, she wanted to see that man again. 

 

They walked to the cashier and lined up to pay. They were in the third row there, so not too far from the counter. The first and second people who lined up in front of them happily finished. So, when they were the next to punch items at the counter, a man suddenly stepped in front of them and told the cashier, "Miss, I'll go first, I have something urgent."

"Okay," the cashier replied. 

 

She recoiled at the sudden appearance of the man in front of her. She wanted to be angry with it, but when she saw the white nape of it, she was just dumbfounded.

Jirah was just stunned while watching him. And when the man was finished and gone right away, her mind also came back to the man’s sudden insertion, so she talked to the cashier. 

 

"Ah miss, can you tell me why that man got in? Look, we lined up here."  

 

Even before the cashier answered her question, she showed her a smile and replied softly, "Aaaah... maam, I'm sorry, but he is a billionaire's son. That's why, as you can see, I entertained him first," 

Jirah's blood rose at the cashier's answer, so she scolded her.

"Excuse me, Ms. Cashier, so, we low class don't have special treatment? This mall is weird. Who is your manager? Can I talk to him?" Jirah said arrogantly.

 

After a while, the mall manager came and interrupted the conversation. "Yes miss, I'm the manager of this mall. What's our problem?" the manager asked. 

Jirah's eyes twinkled at once, staring at the manager as if she didn't know what to say, so it was Gwen who stepped in to save Jirah from the interrogation.   

 

"Ah hehe, I'm sorry, it's just a simple misunderstanding. My friend has a brain defect." And she scolded her friend to just shut up and follow what she was saying. 

 

The young woman did not like what her friend called her before, so she replied again.

"Crazy? Hey, I'm not crazy," Jirah justified to the people.

 

Her companion changed the topic again to cut that issue. She thought that was disturbing for the other customers who were lined up, so they just continued paying at the counter.

"Ahm, please check the price, and then we will pay," Gwen requested the cashier. 

Jirah didn't speak anymore because Gwen pinched her hips as a sign to calm down. After they went to the counter, they left immediately and talked about their dinner.

 

At the small restaurant, friends ordered food. While eating, Gwen asked her friend.

"What's wrong with you, Jirah? Why were you so possessive at the mall a while ago?" 

"I don't know. It's just that I hate that man we met earlier, and I hate this day. Hays!" Jirah answered. 

Gwen usually opposed Jirah's feelings, but this time, she teased her friend in a humorous manner.

 

"Oops bessy, I think you like him (referring to a stranger)," teased Gwen to her friend. 

 

In great shock, she spat out the milk tea she was drinking and said, "What?" With facial expression. "Are you serious? I didn't even know him and then tsk... I don't have an interest in a billionaire's son. That is so fuc*ing rude! Duh!"

And she just rolled her eyes after saying those harsh words.

 

Simultaneously, Gwen pinched Jirah's hips for a second time. The young woman just reacted to the pinch, but later laughed with enthusiasm.

 

A second later, Jirah's phone rang.

"You're so beautiful in my eyes, my love," Gwen's phone call ringtone. She picked up the call and started to say, "Hello?"