[b]Sato Hashimoto[/b] // [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kEZYnqOIc8]Warakuma High, Auditorium[/url]

	Though there had already been some auditions, Sato turned around at the mention of a familiar name. “[i]Noboru Yamamoto,[/i]” an unfamiliar voice called out. Noboru? As in, that guy he had met a few days ago? There goes his chances of being completely calm during his audition. The boy he knew quickly made his way to the stage from seemingly out of no where and Sato turned his whole body into a position more comfortable for watching. After all, who knew how long it would be until it was his turn?

	Noboru did nothing for a brief while before getting into a bit of a pose, one that Sato couldn’t tell whether it was practiced or not. He recited the lines with confidence and the whole thing went off without a hitch, which was surprising to Sato, as he had assumed the boy to be more sporty than artsy, and the lines Noboru had said were exactly like the ones he memorized, so that was good. The audition was over quicker than he thought and Noboru had went back into a more casual stance as he faced the judge table, arms folded. The small crowd around the stage area busted into cheers and applause once they realized he was finished and as the crowd died down, someone else spoke up, the same voice who called the name. The person critiqued him a bit and waved him off with a “Welcome to the Drama Club”.

	A brief intermission passed by before the presumed head judge called out another name, yet again familiar. “[i]Rui Shinichi.[/i]” The weirdly inexpressive guy he had talked to the other day? Sato wondered why [i]Rui[/i], of all people, would join Drama. Was he aware of his strange unfaltering facial and bodily expressions? … Did he even enjoy Drama? Sato shook his head. He elected to stop trying to question the boy, since his thoughts started becoming a bit rude, even if Rui couldn’t hear them.

	It wasn’t long before Rui took the stage, a spotlight covering him in a bright white light as the lights around them dimmed, just like they had down on everyone else’s. The delayed realization gave Sato an idea for what he could do in his audition, but he mulled over whether or not he should follow through with it. The thought could wait, as Rui had already begun talking in a dramatic voice, and as quickly as Noboru’s went, the audition ended. 	Applause resounded throughout the auditorium and students’ cheers echoed off the walls. The female voice reviewed his performance before dismissing the boy after a quick congratulation. People started to chatter to each other about the performance they had just watched, and again, a short moment went on until the voice interrupted with the next auditionee. “[i]Sato Hashimoto.[/i]”

	Sato’s body tensed a bit when he heard his name. He wasn’t ready, mentally [i]or[/i] physically. The third-year rose from his seat and strode over to the stage, making his way into the center of it. He stood facing the entirety of the auditorium, and all the faces looking his way made him a bit nervous. Not debilitating, but in a way where it made him uncomfortable. Sure, Sato had been in Drama before and even performed, but they spent way more time practicing than performing on a big stage in front of an even bigger audience, so the experience was still new and intimidating to him. This wasn’t the time to slip up, however, and Sato steeled himself, even if just for a minute or two. All the light dimmed and an overwhelmingly bright light consumed him, causing him to squint his eyes until he adjusted to it.

	He took a long and deep breath. The lines were still clear in his head, and he started speaking as if they were going to fly out of his mind right that moment:

[center][b]"Swift as a shadow, short as any dream
Brief as the lightning in the collied night,”[/b][/center]
His voice stabilized into something more fitting for the scene, his body moving itself around to give a bit of humanity into his performance.
[center][b]“That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth;”[/b][/center]
He held his hand level to his eyes, palm up, for the last part:
[center][b]“So quick bright things come to confusion."[/b][/center]

And with that, Sato let his body relax as the spot light turned off. His mind ended up instantly critiquing his recital; “That beginning was so rough”, “Your voice was so off”, “That hand thing was stupid”, “You were so out of it until half-way through”. The lights slowly came back on, bringing his surroundings to a more normal lighting. Another round of applause— this time actually for him— and when it died down, Sato looked at the judges with anticipation. His tension was palpable.