Chapter 5

The next day, after the first class, Ersel and Van were walking along the hallway to have their lunch at the canteen when the former noticed a poster that was pinned to the bulletin board. Feeling curious about it, Ersel stopped to read it.

“Ersel, what is it?” Van asked after noticing that Ersel was reading the announcement on the poster.

“Look,” Ersel replied while looking directly at Van’s eyes and pointing at the poster.

The two friends read the announcement on the poster together. The announcement was about an audition for new members of the university chorale called the Soul Chorale that would take place at the school auditorium tomorrow from 5:00PM to 7:00PM.

“An audition, huh,” Van commented with his hand on his chain. “Are you going to join that club, Ersel?”

“Yes,” Ersel replied eagerly. “How about you, Van?”

“If you’re joining, then I’m joining too,” Van answered also eagerly.

“It’s settled, then!” Ersel exclaimed while offering a fist bump with Van, with the latter responding by bumping fists with the former.

“Yeah, it's settled!" Van exclaimed in a jolly manner. "By any chance, were you a member of a choir before?” Van asked curiously.

“Yes, I was,” Ersel replied with a nod while smiling innocently. “I was a member of the chorale back in high school. What about you, Van?”

Van nodded and, while smiling gently, replied, “I was.”

“Were you a bass?” Ersel asked curiously.

“Yes," Van responded while grinning. "What about you, man?"

“I was a tenor,” Ersel answered while grinning innocently. “But I can be a bass too. So, whenever there are not enough basses, I would be one.”

“That's interesting,” Van commented with a smirk. “So you can do both, huh?”

Ersel laughed and said, “I just happen to be able to do both.”

Van also laughed and said, "That's amazing, man!" Then Van looked at his wristwatch and said, “Let’s go, Ersel. Let’s eat.” At that moment, Van began to walk away.

“Okay. Wait for me,” Ersel said while following Van.

Unbeknownst to both Ersel and Van, Lino was hiding nearby and listening to their conversation. While watching Ersel and Van walk away, Lino himself also noticed the same poster that the two friends had just read.

[An audition for the university chorale, huh.] Lino thought while staring at the poster with a serious facial expression. [If Ersel’s joining, then I will join too. This way, I would get closer to him.] Lino thought decidedly and determinedly.

Back in high school, Lino was a member of a church choir as a bass. He had quit being a member after getting into college. One of his reasons for quitting was that he would want to have free weekends as he considered the possibility of college life being much more stressful and tiresome than high school life.

Lino then thought of the possibility that his real name would be revealed to Ersel during the audition. He frowned upon realizing it since he was not ready to reveal his identity to Ersel yet.

[No, I can’t let Ersel know about who I really am just yet.] Lino thought decidedly. [For now, I’ll just pretend that I’m someone else.]

Afterwards, Lino took his Android phone from his pocket and turned on his mobile data to check his messages in Messenger. He saw that his girlfriend Pia had sent a message to him via Messenger.

The message from Pia went like this: [Hi, babe! Have you eaten already?]

Lino replied: [Not yet.]

[Why not? Don’t forget to eat your lunch, babe! LOL.] Pia replied with a smiling and laughing emoji.

Lino chuckled upon reading Pia's message.

[Of course not. I’m hungry right now.] Lino replied with a smiling emoji.

[Okay, babe. I love you.] Pia replied with a heart emoji.

[I love you too.] Lino replied with a heart emoji as well.

After turning off his mobile data and putting the Android phone back into his pocket, Lino proceeded to go to the canteen and thought, [Anyway, the audition for the chorale will be tomorrow, and I'll make sure to not miss it!]

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The next day, Ersel and Van went straight to the auditorium after having their snacks. Aside from the two of them, there were about thirty other students who were there to audition for the university chorale.

There was a guy seated in the middle seat in the front row. He looked like he was in his late twenties. He was somewhat chubby, yet he has a gentle smile and kind eyes, making him have an aura of a good older brother to everyone around him. He was rather tall, with his height being one hundred seventy-five centimeters (about five feet and nine inches). He was holding a sheet of paper in his hands, which Ersel believed to be the list of the students who came to audition for the chorale.

[That guy must be the choirmaster.] Ersel thought upon seeing the kind-looking older guy.

While they were looking for a seat, Ersel spotted the tall and handsome brown-skinned guy who was staring at the former with a piercing glare two days ago, making the former gasp in astonishment. The mysterious guy was seated in the second seat from the left hand side in the second row.

[So he’s here too?] Ersel thought in astonishment. [Why did I have to meet him again here, of all places?]

“Ersel, what’s wrong?” Van asked after noticing that Ersel looked astonished.

“Huh? N-Nothing,” Ersel answered with his voice quivering.

“Really? Then why are you shaking like that?” Van asked anxiously while observing Ersel closely.

“Please don’t mind it,” Ersel answered with himself beginning to feel awkward. “Let’s sit over there,” Ersel said while pointing at the seats located to the far right hand side of the third row.

“Okay then,” Van replied with a grin before following behind Ersel.

“So, what are you going to sing?” Van asked as soon as they sat down.

“I’ll be singing ‘In Your Eyes’ by George Benson,” Ersel replied while grinning innocently. “What about you, Van?”

“Mine is ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ by Elvis Presley,” Van replied while smiling gently.

“That’s nice,” Ersel commented and smiled.

“Your audition piece is nice too,” Van replied while smiling back at Ersel gently. “I can’t wait to hear you sing.”

“Same here,” Ersel answered eagerly.

Then the guy who was seated in the middle of the front row went up the stage, and said out loud, “Good afternoon to you all! Thank you for coming and for expressing your interest to join the Soul Chorale. We will start the auditions now!”

While Ersel and Van were waiting for their turn to sing as each student auditioned one by one, Ersel felt the same chilling sensation he felt two days ago. He was sure that it was because the same handsome mysterious guy was staring intensely at the former.

[Here he goes again.] Ersel thought while watching the auditionees sing at the stage. [Please...stop staring at me like that.]

“The next one is...Lino Bryan Marciano!” the choirmaster called out while handling a piece of paper.

Ersel thought that the name sounded familiar, and to his amazement, he saw that the handsome mysterious guy who was staring at him just now had stood up and went up the stage.

[So his name is Lino.] Ersel thought while following the mysterious guy with the former's own gaze. [And his full name...I think I’ve heard it somewhere before.]

While Ersel was trying to remember the full name, he lost thought of it when the guy at the stage began talking.

“Hi, Lino! What are you going to sing?” the choirmaster inquired.

“I’ll be singing ‘Your Love’ by Alamid,” the handsome guy named Lino answered calmly with a serious facial expression.

“Okay. Please go ahead and sing it,” the choirmaster said excitedly.

Lino then clasped his hands together and began to sing “Your Love” by Alamid. Just as Ersel expected, the handsome guy has a low singing voice considering how deep his speaking voice was.

[He sings so well.] Ersel thought in admiration while listening to Lino sing in a heartfelt way. [His low, deep voice is also nice. It’s so soothing to the ears and calming my nerves.]

Ersel could feel that Lino was singing the song in such a heartfelt way that the former could feel himself crying while listening to the latter's deep voice

After the guy finished singing the first chorus of the song, the choirmaster looked satisfied.

“Alright! You pass!” the choirmaster exclaimed while smiling and pointing his index finger at Lino. “You’ll be a bass!”

Lino just nodded and smiled at the choirmaster before the former went down from the stage and went back to his seat.

As Lino went down from the stage, the choirmaster looked at the list and called the name of the next person to audition.

“The next one is...Ersel John Delgado!”