Page 46 of I'll Be the One

“Hey, Dad?” I begin.

“Hm?”

I open my mouth to reply when the garage opens, rumbling like thunder as the gate climbs slowly up. I look back to see that Mom’s BMW has pulled into our driveway. Even through her tinted windows, I can tell that she’s scowling. Probably at me.

“Never mind,” I say. “See you at dinner.”

Before Mom can get out of the car, I walk the other way to the front door.

Chapter Twenty

AFTER DINNER, DAD AND I SIT DOWN IN THE LIVINGroom to watch the first episode ofYou’re My Shining Staron SBC, one of our main Korean channels. My skin feels all tingly with excitement, since I know the show is being broadcast simultaneously here, at six p.m. on Saturday night, and at ten a.m. on Sunday in Korea. I wonder if my family back in Korea will see the show, and what they’ll think of my audition.

Dad and I cuddle up together on the sofa, and he clutches me tightly likehe’sthe one about to make his TV debut.

“Oh my gosh, this is really happening,” he says as he turns on the TV. “My daughter, woori Haneul-i...”

He trails off, and I crack up. Unlike Mom, Dad pretty much grew up in the States, so he rarely speaks Korean to me. He must be way more nervous than I thought if he’s calling me “our Haneul” in Korean.

“Ya,” Dad says, looking embarrassed. “Why aren’t youmore nervous? You’re the one who’s going to be on TV in two different countries!”

I shrug. “I am, but at this point I’ve pretty much accepted that it’s going to happen. And seeing myself on TV can’tpossiblybe worse than auditioning in the first place, right?”

“I guess so.”

At that moment, the TV screen momentarily goes black, before fading back in to a shot of Mr. Park sitting at a large mahogany table. It must have been prerecorded a while ago, because he’s sitting in his office back in Seoul. The walls of the room are covered with framed posters of the countless K-pop groups he’s nurtured from all the way back in the nineties.

“Welcome,” Mr. Park says, “toYou’re My Shining Star. Over the last few years, K-pop has become an international phenomenon, with groups like BTS and Blackpink performing sold-out concerts all over the world.”

As he talks, the show plays clips from various K-pop concerts in cities like London, Mexico City, Tokyo, and, of course, LA.

“After watching the rise and fall of countless K-pop competition survival shows in Korea, my colleagues and I decided it was time for a new type of competition to reflect the widening scope of the Korean music industry. Why should competitions be held in only Korea, when our audiences become more international every day? ThusYou’re My Shining Starwas born, the first major K-pop competition set exclusively outside of Korea. We’ve had an exciting few weeks in sunny Los Angeles,as you will soon see today. Come witness the astounding talent and heart-stopping drama our participants have in store for us. We welcome you toYou’re My Shining Star.”

The screen fades to black again, with loud trumpets blending into an obnoxiously happy K-pop song by Pixel, PTS Entertainment’s lead girl group. Bright pink bubbles and sky-blue clouds display the credits, interspersed with footage of our auditions and practices. Every time my face pops up, Dad yells, “THERE SHE IS! MY DAUGHTER!”

His reaction is so cute that I almost forget the fact that Mom isn’t here to watch the show with us. Ads for the premiere were plastered all over K-town, so Mom must know it’s airing tonight.

By the time the opening credits end, Dad must have noticed Mom’s absence too, because he says, “Hm, I wonder where your mom is.”

“I’m honestly not surprised she isn’t here,” I say, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. “She’s been pretty much ignoring me ever since I got into the competition.”

“Is that so?” Dad says, looking worried. He glances upstairs, where my parents’ room is. “I’ll be right back.”

Before I can dwell much on Dad’s absence, my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I look at the screen. It’s a group FaceTime request from Clarissa and Rebecca. I accept the call.

“OH MY GOD, SKYE, IT’S REAL. YOU’RE ACTUALLY ON TV!” Clarissa squeals as soon as I pick up. “And they have clips of you dancing with Henry! I can’t wait for that episode!”

I wince at the loudness of her voice, but I can’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

“Do you know when they’re going to show your audition?” Rebecca asks.

“No idea,” I say. “Since so many people auditioned, they’re dedicating the first two episodes to auditions. I might not even be in this one.”

My friends and I watch the show together, and I laugh at the dramatic zooms and instant replays they’ve added into the footage. These effects are pretty standard for Korean TV shows, but it’s so hilarious in a bizarre way to see the final footage after having personally experienced everything myself.

All the drama and exaggerated humor gets old pretty quickly, though, and I find myself laughing less and less, especially when the show starts making fun of people who I saw while I was standing in line. Sure, there are a lot of auditions where people absolutely kill it and are amazing, but there are just as many—if not more—auditions of people embarrassing themselves onstage.

I guess that’s the entertainment value of the show, though, because my friends never stop laughing. After a while, I find myself tuning out and wondering why Dad isn’t back yet.

---