Leiko Hamada-Auditorium
Leiko folded her arms as she observed her fellow clubmates setting up the stage for the auditioning that was about to take place. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a steady stream of people crowding behind the doors, a myriad of different expressions on their faces as they took in the sight of the darkened auditorium, illuminated only by the spotlight beaming harshly onto the centre of the stage.
"No, no. That lighting's too harsh. Tone it down a little." She barked over to the boy fussing with the spotlight, her teeth biting into the inside of her cheek with a sense of anxiety. She wanted to simulate the atmosphere of performing for an audience, but she didn't want to scare potential club members away either. Ambience was everything, after all. "Okay, that's perfect. Bring up the main lights for now so I can give our new members a proper introduction."
With a flicker, the lights switched back on, dazing Leiko only for a moment as she blinked rapidly around the room. At this point a few people had already started to enter, taking the sudden light as a signal of entry. She could definitely spot new faces that she hadn't seen before; some she noted were around during her performance with Noboru, whilst others she had never laid her eyes on until now. So my campaign yesterday really was successful? It was difficult to suppress the delight that threatened to bubble to the surface, but even so Leiko managed to keep a straight face as her eyes scanned the room for more familiar faces. Kami and Rui didn't appear to be here yet but-
Wait. She squinted slightly at one of the males that entered the room, a folded, shabby looking flyer in his hands as he looked around the room with a note of unease. Isn't that Noboru? Honestly, Leiko was more than a little surprised that he kept his word. The boy had been acting strangely yesterday, and she was given the distinct impression that joining the club was like some kind of death sentence, but yet here he was.
Leiko reserved the faintest of smiles for him as she managed to catch his eye, giving a brief wave in his direction before focusing on meeting and greeting a few other not-so-familiar faces. Out of the student demographic, it seemed a majority of the fresh recruits were second years like herself, with some nervous first years scattered in between, and a handful of curious third years. Overall, not a bad setup. Except...
Leiko did a double take as she studied the newcomers again carefully. Surprisingly, it seemed the greater majority of auditionees were male this year. It wouldn't be so strange, if not for the fact that Drama Club was known for its influx of females in the past years. So the sudden surge in male interest was unprecedented, or at least it was to Leiko.
Deciding not to dwell on the strange factor any longer, she flipped her hair our of her eyes before approaching the girl who had just finished setting up the judging panel, handing her a clipboard with some white paper attached. "Can you take down the names of the auditionees? And please inform them that we'll be starting in ten minutes."
"Y-Yes, President!" The girl gasped, taking the clipboard promptly before rushing back into the fold. In the meantime Leiko had a quick speech to prepare for the newcomers...
"Sign here please! Everyone auditioning, please write your names down!" The girl yelled into the chattering clusters of people, waving her clipboard with purpose as she acquired the names of the people that were interested in the club. "Hey! You two!" She called over to the people loitering by the main doors. "Auditions start in ten minutes! Please come in and sign if you're interested!" Letting out a loud gust of air, she quickly sailed through the crowds, jotting down names as she went. "Hey, Noboru-kun! Are you auditioning today?" She chirped, recognising the burly student despite being in different classes. She handed him the clipboard promptly before waiting for his response. "Aww, hey, no need to look so pale! Stage fright is totally natural!"