Confirmed Spot

The phone call before bedtime from Mrs. Kwan was not new to Raniko. She listened to her boss' instructions with an open-mind and made a mental note not to forget any single detail.

"... I want you to go to the auditions for the reality TV show of Tangent Cloud right now. I have made arrangements for you already and the producer, Mr. Liam, will accomodate you. Just bring an ID. Do you have any questions?"

Raniko was half listening to her boss upon learning the task at hand - go to the audition venue of TC's reality TV show. But what shall I do there? She wondered.

"Hello? Raniko? Are you still there?"

"Yes ma'am," was Raniko's automatic reply.

"Okay. Good luck." And the line ended abruptly.

Raniko raided her closet and started to get ready. For what? The vagueness of the errand was not new to her either. What she usually do was to be logical, analytical and prepared for anything. She smiled in spite of herself. This must be the most unusual and yet exciting request she had gotten because she was actually a fan of the popular idols Tangent Cloud. She inhaled deeply, trying to control the excitement that was building up inside her.

---

Just like what her boss had promised, Mr. Liam was waiting for her. He briefly glanced at her ID and turned his attention to her. He stared at her, sizing her up, and did not say any word. Karin felt uneasy but did not show it. She waited until Mr. Liam was done examining her.

"Alright. Follow me." Mr. Liam said and started to lead the way. His walk was brisk and Karin had to keep up. "You wait here for your turn," he said, stopping at an empty chair before going inside the door labeled 'Authorized Personnel Only'.

Raniko sat down, analyzing Mr. Liam's last words - wait here for your turn. She looked at her left and saw a long line of girls waiting for their turns. Most were quiet and looked tired and sleepy. She checked her watch - half past ten o'clock. She was pretty sure now of the task at hand - she will be auditioning for a part in the said show, the thought of which made her heart beat fast.

---

Mr. Liam was given a very clear instruction: Give a spot in the show to Ms. Raniko Torio.

When Mrs. Kwan called him that night, he knew something big was about to happen. He had informed her that there were 11 slots for the show, 3 of which were already given via raffle and 6 of which were already given furing the day to female interviewees. Which means that only 2 more slots were left.

He didn't know the reason for Mrs. Kwan's request nor did he want to know. His only concern was his TV show. He had invested a lot of money in this program and of course, he wanted it to be a success. He wanted all of the citizens of the nation, regardless of gender and age to be hooked on his show. And that was why he chose Tangent Orange to star his show because they have a certain level of charisma and humor, which made them popular all throughout the land. He could only hope that the chosen girls will also deliver something worthwhile to the audience.

I hope Mrs. Kwan was right about her request. He thought as he eyed Karin whose turn just came up. He did not despise the girl for Mrs. Kwan backing her up. He actually thought that she was a nice girl but he was afraid that her niceness could mean she was a boring person. Oh well, it will be up to the people to decide whether she'll stay in the house or not. At least, I put her in the show for Mrs. Kwan. That's what is important.

"What's your name?"

"Torio, Raniko."

"Age?"

"23..."

"Can you name all the members of TC?"

"Yes."

Mr. Liam saw Karin's smile and continued to probe on, "Are you a fan?"

"Yes."

"So Mrs. Kwan knows that you're a fan..."

"No. I don't think so. I'm really not sure why she sent me for an audition..."

Mr. Liam was surprised by the revelation. He can easily tell whether people are lying or not and by the looks of it, Raniko was telling the truth. And he bet she did not know that she will get the last spot in the show... Oh well, at least you are a fan. Living with the idols wouldn't be such a bad idea, isn't it?