noodle
and tell me why i have to be here again?

shortstack
at least you're getting fucking paid.

tree
this is the best thing i've ever come up with

minghao sat on an empty crate with a sigh. jeonghan had signed the boy up for theatre auditions without him knowing, and now minghao was stuck in a dimly lit auditorium with nothing to do but bicker with his friends over text until he was called up by the director.

when he first got the call about the audition taking place that night, he came up with the idea to bomb it on purpose. that was until he found out that the play that he was signed up for was 'aladdin'. it might not seem much to anybody else, and it was nothing more than a play to be performed in front of children, but this was a play that minghao had done countless times before, both the junior and regular versions of, and he had seen the movie probably a hundred times.

so now, given that there was no way for him to mess up considering he knew the lines as well as the back of his own hand, he only hoped that someone had a better delivery or tone than him, or that he would hopefully stutter across a line, or-

"xu minghao! center stage!"

well, fuck.

,,,

the boy walked off the stage paler than ever. not because he did a bad job, oh no. that's what he was hoping for. he actually did a perfect job.

the director's words, not his.

she glorified his short two minute long audition and even turned towards the others who auditioned for the same role as him and said "see? that's how it's supposed to be done."

he swore he saw one of the boys give him a death glare and mouth 'i will destroy you,' his way. he shuddered as he walked back to his place in the wings of the stage.

noodle
if i end up dead after this make sure everyone knows to blame jeonghan.

shortstack
sure thing my buddy

noodle
never say buddy again
i'm unconfortable

tree
wait why me?

noodle
YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SIGNED ME UP FOR THIS

shortstack
he does have a point there

tree
that doesn't mean you're gonna die

noodle
one of the guys who went before me said he was going to destroy me
i'm gonna die

tree
oh well

noodle
well nice to know someone is concerned

after a while, he started walking around and looking at everything backstage. his fingertips brushed a large grand piano that was pushed deep into the wings. he admired the large instrument for a while before continuing to move around. he fumbled with different props, adjusting his position so that the light shining from the stage could reach whatever was in his hands so he could see it properly.

he was about to walk back to his crate when he heard a voice call him. "minghao? is that yo- it is."

he turned around to see chan quietly running over to him. he instantly brightened up once seeing someone he recognized. "hey, what are you doing here? you auditioned?"

chan looked over to the stage and laughed. "as if. i'm too nervous to be on stage and recite lines like the back of my hand."

minghao looked at the boy in confusion before he remembered that he forgot to actually tell him why he was here. "oh! sorry, um, i'm director's assistant and stage manager," he said, smiling broadly that he got assigned those tasks.

"well, look at you," minghao said, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders. "all grown up with your jobs and everything."

"yeah, i'm already working at a café, but i always get picked for the same stuff here, so for every play i get paid about $65 every day i show up."

they continued to chat aimlessly before the director called everyone's attention.

"callbacks are sitting on the table! just letting you know, even if you're on the list, that doesn't mean that you're in, and even if you're under a certain part doesn't mean you'll be cast in that part for sure! also, you may even be in if you're not in callbacks. have a great day!"

everybody, as in, everybody except chan and minghao and a few others, rushed to the table to see if their name was anywhere on the sheet of paper. as some people groaned or cheered before moving away, the rest of the people who hadn't yet came down to the table started making their way down.

minghao crossed his fingers that he wasn't going to be on the list before looking down at the now flimsy sheet.

and, just his luck, right smack at the top of the list for aladdin was his name. he groaned loudly and chan looked at him, confused.

"why are you acting like this? you might be getting the lead."

"jeonghan signed me up for this, and i wanted to bomb it."

"well, if you get in against your will, at least you have me."

minghao shrugged and continued to look down the list. he looked at the list for jasmine and saw two girls he recognized from school, so it wouldn't be that bad if he was cast and one of them were as well.

he kept gazing across names and characters until he got to jafar, which made his eyes widen and him storm out of the theatre room, chan following behind.

right at the top of the list was the only person that could really suit this role if minghao was cast.

wen junhui.