The Kpop Otaku's Dream 41 The First Audition

Weeks have since pa.s.sed and with it the new year has come and gone.

I spent the three days of Seollal (Lunar New Year; first day of the lunar calendar) with Irene's family.

More than just a holiday to mark the beginning of a new year, Seollal is truly a special occasion. Not only is it a time for paying respect to ancestors, but it is also an opportunity to catch up with family members. During Seollal, we wore hanbok (traditional clothes), performed ancestral rites, played folk games, ate traditional foods, listened to stories from the year and talked well into the night.

Since Irene had to be in Seoul early January to start training and move into the dorms, we spent most of our time practically joined at the hip. She is finding it tough to adjust to Seoul but I call her everyday.

My days haven't been idle either. Besides registration and orientation I've been hiring staff for DPH entertainment. After a year of acting, singing and dancing lessons. I finally feel like I'm ready to debut. I will be keeping the team relatively small to about 8-15 people.

Finding not only qualified but also trust worthy individuals has been a really difficult task but after much negotiating and interviewing, the team is all geared and ready to go.

Early in the morning, my phone rings non-stop. Stretching my arm from under the covers, I reach for the call b.u.t.ton and with my voice I answer, "h.e.l.lo?"

My eyes still adjusting to the light, not really asleep and not really awake.

A female voice suddenly exclaims "Dylan! I have good news!"

"Morning to you too noona"

The lady on the other end of the phone is my manager and vice president Yuri Kim. She's a former actress who had minor roles in TV dramas in the late 80s and 90s. She then became a stay at home mum and after her husband pa.s.sed recently, she has been trying to start working again. After meeting her for the first time, my first impression was that she takes really good care of herself, even though she's just turn 40, she still looks relatively young.

What surprised me most of all was her intelligence, will and confidence. She has been to various businesses but with 20 years blank in her resume, no one is willing to take a risk and she has been struggling to get by just her husbands life insurance and having to raise two kids.

When I asked her why I should hire her, she said that she needs this job like humans need air. This could be her last and only opportunity to be in the industry she loves.

Even though I don't really need a manager as I can just force production companies to hire me with my financial power, I want my achievements to be linked to my skill not my money. So why not take a gamble? I hired her then and there and she has been working all hours of the day to get the company going.

"I've got an audition for you lined up"

"Really? Seriously, its been literally only a couple of days how did you do it?"

She interrupts me," A friend I know is shooting a commercial. Bad news is that the audition at 8 am today. Get up Now, I'm coming to fetch you!"

Hurrying to get done, I have a quick shower and get dressed. The doorbell to my apartment rings and I head down. We then head to the salon to get my hair and make-up done. I must admit even though I don't need it I just went from a 11/10 to a 15/10. If people were complaining about too high beauty standards before, then I don't even know the outrage I will cause once my face is plastered all around the world.

Its snowing lightly as Yuri takes me to the audition. Surprisingly we are at the Toyota korean headquarters. I turn to Yuri and she notices my look. A j.a.panese company as my first employer, you can't be serious!

For those of you who haven't done there History the Anti-j.a.panese sentiment in Korea is humongous. This can be largely attributed to the j.a.panese invasion of Korea and subsequent rule in Korea from 1910-1945.

"Yuri-noona, Are you sure about this?" I ask

She looks at me and says, "At least here what the advertis.e.m.e.nt is about. I know it's not the best move to make and may also be risky but it could be big"

She convinces me, or rather my trust in her convinces me. Because she has just as much to lose as I do (relatively speaking, I mean I'll still be wealthy I just won't have a career).

The advertis.e.m.e.nt department staff leads us into the prepared studio. People were placing goods and arranging the background. The person in charge of the Marketing Department was in the middle of quite a heated discussion about the shooting arrangement with several of the production staff.

Yuri-noona suddenly shouts, "Oppa!"

And with that call the man who was just a second ago screaming at his staff suddenly turns around and smiles. "Yuri!" he says back and goes in for a hug.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuri-noona introdocus me," Oppa, this is Dylan Park. The kid I told you about. What do you think can you use him?"

He turns to me and reaches out his hand, "h.e.l.lo , I'm Director Cho"

I shake his hand, "Nice to meet you Director"

He looks me up and down and then thinks. Yuri-noona just signals for me to be patient.

After a long delay he opens his mouth and mumbles, "Maybe it could work." He looks at me and the goes, "Kid how's your English?"

"Pretty good" I answer

Yuri-noona laughs, "Stop being so humble, Oppa his as good as a native speaker, he nearly got a 398 on the CSAT. This boy is a little genius"

"Oh really now?" He questions. "Can you say "Smileu fora tomorro" "

Just looking quizzically I respond with an almost English like accent, "Smile for tomorrow"

"Good, Good. You got it."

"Got what?" I ask

He slings his arm around me "You're hired! Welcome aboard"

"Seriously, Just like that?"