Dean looked down at his feet as he sat on a chair, pressing his fingers on his knees. His tight-fitting jeans show off his long legs. He tucked his black, sloppy shirt into his pants and wrapped a few bracelets around his wrist. He curled a few bangs and pushed his hair back.He glanced at the people talking around him. Many people were running from one end to another. Some people were calling out the next contestant's name. The lights were like a sunset. There was warmth around, even with the AC. Most likely, it was his nervousness. He sips a few more gulps of water."Woh, man. You sure are nervous." He heard a voice on his right. He glanced at the man sitting next to him. There was a flirty smile and pride in his eyes. He had an aura that nobody could reject. Dean gave his attention back to the water and continued drinking."Ignoring, aren't we?" The man probably doesn't understand the signals. Dean sighs, licking excess water from his lips, and the bottle."Bro, you are knocking on the wrong door," Dean said as he closed his eyes, recalling his lines and the expression he wanted to give.This test is like a surprise; they need to talk about the random things given by the crew. They might even need to act with props. It's more like, you need to be prepared for everything."This might finally be the right door for me." Smiling, he extends his hand. "Sebastian," he said as he looked at Dean."Dean," he said as he accepted and shook hands."You are quiet." Sebastian paused for a few seconds, his gaze fixed on Dean's. Dean, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows. "Quite good-looking, or, I must say, gorgeous." He finishes with a grin.Dean widens his eyes. This man is trying, no! He's hitting on Dean. "Yo! man. Back off. You've been barking up the wrong tree."Dean quickly stood up and turned around to go. Sebastian, on the other hand, was holding his arm."You're next," Sabastian said, pointing at the staff and looking for his face."Dean Rayden." She calls, and Dean raises his hand."Please, follow me." Dean threw a glare at Sabastian and followed the lady."Now I have to do everything I can to be the second man," Sabastian said to himself as he walked towards the C.R. to preen himself.Dean steps inside the studio, and three people-the judge and two people handling the camera-are there. The director is sitting behind the monitors with two more people whom Dean cannot see.He quickly greets them, standing at the center of the setting with white curtains in the background. Dean looks around, unsure of what to do next."Introduce yourself." He heard an instruction as he quickly nodded his head. He closed his eyes; just for these events, his hidden inner Dean was needed. He had the confidence and the aura, which brought great envy and hatred upon himself.Dean locks eyes with the camera lens. "Hello, my name is Dean Rayden. I am a kindergarten teacher. I love my kids very much. They make me happy with their bright smiles, especially the long morning greeting while dragging each word and making a hymn." People smiled, most likely remembering their school days. "I love photography and silence. I live just a few blocks away from here. Thank you." Dean ends his speech with a smile.The director nodded his head and glanced at Roman, who was sitting next to him. "What kind of prop should we give him?" The director asked, glancing at Liam and then back at Roman.Liam waited for Roman to say something, but he didn't, so he said, "Since he is a teacher, a cartoon--""Give him flowers," Roman says quickly, looking for help."There might be flowers outside; get a vase from there." The staff nodded and quickly walked out."Alright, this will be unique," Liam mumbles, sitting on his chair and looking at Dean from head to toe. He starts analyzing him."He has a good side profile. If he tilts his head to the left and holds the perfume next to his face in the big banner then it'll be a super hit." Liam exclaims with happiness. Suddenly, he becomes ecstatic."Calm down. He's yet to pass the attitude test." Roman spoke, crossing his legs, and looking at Dean through the monitor."You will get your prop in a few minutes." A staff member informs Dean as he nods his head, standing idle and looking around curiously. This is the first time he has walked inside a studio."What made you apply for this job?" Liam asked through the mic. Dean took a few seconds to form proper sentences."Honestly speaking, it is my brother. He refused to accept "no" as an answer. Later, I gave some good thought to this. If I get this chance, it could help me gain confidence and love myself even more."Dean replied, holding a soft smile that lingered on his lips."If you get selected, have you thought about your students?"Dean pressed his lips together. "Sometimes, you need to choose yourself above others." He gave a smile. "They'll get a better teacher." Liam nods his head and the staff brings the vase, keeping it on a chair and placing it next to Dean."That's your topic, please speak a few lines about it," Liam spoke, looking at Dean's expression. Dean nodded, looking at the flowers, they were fake made to keep them as a show.Dean kneels on the floor, the camera zooming in on his side profile. "They are made in factories. They didn't get to enjoy the feeling of slowly blooming. They lack roots and rely on metal for support rather than photosynthesis. They can't hold water droplets in their petals; rather, glue dots are stuck to them forever. If these are kept in open space to accommodate the weather changes, maybe they won't look the way they do now. Something I can relate to. I didn't feel the pain or sorrow. My parents took care of every need. They kept me in a shelter away from any outside storms. But when I was left to my own devices, I understood and reflected on many things, which changed my perspective and my thoughts on many things. Maybe the past me won't be able to say the things I say now."Many had wide eyes, and some concealed their wide mouths with hands. If they're being honest. They never gave any thought to those plastic flowers. They are just a bunch of non-living things. Now, they feel there was always inspiration around them but are blinded by the thought that they never saw it."Ok, thank you, Dean. We'll let you know the results soon." Liam spoke, looking at the director, who was giving the thumbs up."Thank you for the opportunity," Dean said, and he stepped out of the room."What do you say?" Liam asked Roman, who was wearing a blank face. "Yeah, he is good," Roman replied with a professional voice."Alright, next contestant."⋇⋆✦⋆⋇"Today is Sunday; why did papa go to work?" Ayan asked, looking at his grandmother. She smiled at the little angel, who was playing with trains. Roman dropped Ayan off at his grandparents' home, who live not far from them. Mr. Carter was so glad to hug his grandson after a long time. Due to his health, he doesn't travel much. He prefers staying at home and reading books, gardening, and sometimes listening to songs from his time."Because papa is a responsible man," Neil replies, smiling at his grandson."So, when Papa doesn't go on other Sundays, then he is not responsible?" The old couple laughed at the question."Of course not, Ayan. I didn't mean it like that." Neil placed Ayan on his lap and continued speaking: "I meant, he knows to work hard, your papa understands that the company needs him, and today's task is important." Ayan nods even though everything went above his head."Drink this juice," Roma said, handing him a glass of strawberry juice. Ayan shook his head, patting his belly. "I'm full." Roma smiles, keeping it aside. "Alright, you can drink later."They heard the doorbell. "I'll see," Roma whispered, walking towards the door. She opened it and saw a lady."Hello, how are you?" The lady asked, and Roma quickly hugged her."I'm fine, thank you." She breaks the hug. "It's so good to see you.""It's my pleasure." The lady replied, looking around the place. "Everything is still the same." She smiled while Roma forced herself to smile."Yeah, everything's still the same with Roman--""Who is it?" Neil's voice resonates in the hall."Grandpa, shh!""Oh, ok, shh!"Roma smiled, looking at the confused lady. "It's Ayan. He's playing in the hall." She informs as she notices the lady's eyes widen."Really? Amelia's son is here. Can I meet him?" The lady's voice held excitement."Yeah, sure. This is the first time you're meeting him, right?" Roma tries to remember if they ever met."Yes." The lady tries peeking inside. "Can I just see him now?" She was restless to meet the boy.Roma chuckled. "Sure, sure."Roma turns around, walks in, and shouts, "Ayan, look who is here to meet you."Ayan looks at his grandmother with happiness. "Papa returned?" Roma shook her head."No dear. It's someone special to your mom." Roma points at the lady walking in wearing a white dress. "She is your mom's best friend. Her name is Freya."Ayan looks in that direction and sees the lady smiling at him. "Hi, Ayan." She waves with a warm smile.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇"OK, everyone, take a break," Liam said into the microphone. He glanced at the watch. "We'll continue after lunch."Everyone slowly stepped out of the studio while talking, stretching their arms, and using their phones. Some remained to turn off the lights. Liam and Roman walked out with the director."Sir, this way," Roman said, gesturing for the director to step towards the area where lunch is provided."Liam, please take care of things here. I'll make a quick call to my son." Roman asked, motioning to the objects around him. Liam nodded in understanding.Roman excused himself from them as he made a quick call on his father's phone.[Hello, son.]"Dad, how is Ayan? Is he giving any trouble?"[No, not at all. He wants to play chess with me.]"Chess?"[Yeah, he's asking if there's a horse, then why not a camel here.]"He might be pouting and staring at the chess pieces," Roman chuckles.[Very accurate. Ayan, Papa wants to talk with you.]Roman smiled, waiting for his son as he stood next to a window.[Papa! I miss you.] Ayan's loud voice echoed in Roman's head."I miss you too, dear one. Are you troubling grandpa?"[No, I just asked a question. Why is there no sheep, or dinosaur in chess, Papa?"Baby, the chess board is like a war field. Kings fight with each other."[So? If there is a dinosaur. Anybody could win a war.]Roman surpassed a chuckle and said, "That's the trick. You need to win with what's available to you."[Oh...Ok, papa. It will be difficult to win.]"Yes, that's why only masterminds win the game."[Papa, I want to show you my moves. Facetime. Facetime!]"Ok, ok. I'm calling. one second." Roman ends the audio call and makes a video call.[Papa. see.] Ayan tilts the phone to show the chessboard. However, only the sofa could be seen, and a slight edge of the chessboard. On the other end, Ayan is peering in."Baby, click on the camera icon. It will switch to the rear camera."[Ayan, one second. Give it to me.]Roman frowns at a new voice. It belongs to a lady, and he wasn't aware of any visitors.[Papa, see.] Ayan shows the chessboard. But both the pawns are mixed.[Will I win?] Ayan asked, sitting on the floor and pointing the phone properly at the board.Roman smiled and said, "Of course. Ayan is the best. He'll defeat Grandpa."[Hey, I'm your father. You should support me.]Roman chuckled, understanding the playful tone of his father. Ayan gasped from the other end. Ayan clicks on the camera icon. Turning it to the front camera.[You are my papa. So, papa will supp-sup. Papa will be there for me.]"Sup-po-rt." Roman says he has the urge to hug his son right now.[Ayan is the cutest, so even your aunt will support you.]"May I inquire as to who this is?"[Oh, I forgot. Roman, it's me, Freya. Amelia's friend.] Freya sits next to Ayan and smiles at Roman."Oh," Roman doesn't know what to say next. "I hope Ayan is not bothering."[Of course not. Ayan's nature is like a copy of Amelia's.]"I know."[Papa!] Ayan suddenly exclaimed, bringing his face closer to the phone."What happened?" Roman asked, looking around him.[Papa, is my teacher there? I saw teacher Dean.]Roman widens his eyes, turns his head around, and sees the man drinking water standing in front of the water tank."No, why will your teacher be here? This is the office, not your school." Roman replied, tilting the camera and standing in the opposite direction of the said man.[Oh, I saw... ok, papa.] Ayan whispered dejectedly. Roman narrowed his eyes."Why are you so attached to this teacher?" Roman couldn't stop himself from asking this question.[Because Dean, the teacher, is excellent. The teacher teaches us many things. One day, I got hurt, remember? That day, the teacher applied medicine to the pain. Papa, it didn't hurt for me.]Roman smiles, watching his son's beaming smile. His son is surely very happy with Dean. His eyes unconsciously went to Dean, who was standing across from him, chatting with his new intern."That doesn't justify your happiness with your teacher. However, if you are happy, then I'm happy too."[Who is this Dean?] He heard Freya asking while his son looked above the camera.[Teacher Dean is Teacher Dean.] Roman chuckles at his son's reply."Dee! Try this one. You'll love it." Roman glanced at the shouting man, who was gesturing for Dean to follow him to the food counter.[Papa, did you eat lunch?]"No, dear. I thought to call you first."[We can talk while you eat,] Ayan suggested while glancing at his grandpa, who nodded his head."Good idea. Give me a few minutes. I will pick something to eat."[Papa, only healthy food.]Roman heard his father laughing with his mother too.[Papa always says to eat healthy food, so I told him today.] Ayan grins while his chuckling grandparents sit next to him.Roman served himself while Ayan was continuously talking about his day. He's smiling because he enjoys his son's monologue; his parents would occasionally join in and talk with him.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇A lady walks towards the noticeboard and pins a paper on it. People gather around the board as soon as the lady leaves. Dean was searching for his name on the list. His eyes searched for the letter 'D', finally, he saw his name at the second last and sighed with relief."So, the people are chosen for the next round. Please move to room number 24 and wait for further instructions." a member of staff said, ruffling her hair and pointing to the door. kind of frustrated with new tasks. The lady huffs, cracking her neck.People whose names were on the list walked in that direction with happiness, pride, and hope. Dean is hoping for a better outcome. His eyes met his brother's, who gave an immediate thumbs-up and a nod. He forced himself to smile and nod back.The room looked like a photoshoot studio, with cameras and lights focusing on the white screen. Confused people entered, their eyes darting around, attempting to decipher their thoughts."Congratulations!" A loud clap got the intruders' attention. "My name is Amias," the individual introduces himself."This is Nish." Amias points at his subordinate with a smile."We are going to take your pictures.""He means we are working on selecting the right face for the company, and what's better than a photo shoot?" Nish quickly spoke while glancing at each person present."We'll call you one by one. You will step on the podium and give us your best expression, and you'll be holding the scent bottles too." Nish further explained, which earned many nods from the crowd."Perfect. Let's work on it." Amias spoke up and walked over to the camera, where he adjusted the focus and lighting."Do your best." Nish wished for a conversation and approached his coworker."I have the list." A staff member moves forward, looking at his board, hugged between his arms."Please step forward as I call out." The candidates nodded their heads.Dean sat on the available chair as he waited for his turn. Many of his competitors posed like pros. They shone with such confidence that Dean can assume that the winner could be any one of them. Can he just escape now? Just a little space is enough for him to skip away."Dean Rayden." Dean quickly stood up. "You are next." He nodded his head and quickly combed his hair with his fingers. With all the tension and nervousness, he forgot to preen himself. How will he look in front of the camera now?"Alright, choose any color or style of perfume you like," Amias said with a smile.Dean looks keenly at the rack of selected perfumes. They had many shades and shapes of bottles. He picks up a bottle of violet cologne and sniffs a little. Even though his brother works for this company, he had never tried it.The fragrance was not strong. It is just mild with a hint of sweetness, giving the impression of intoxicating flowers, although it does not smell like a flower.Dean steps in front of the camera. "Ready?" Nish asked, focusing the camera on Dean's face."Yes, I am." While saying this, Dean keeps the cool metal close to his face and tilts his head to the right."Perfect," Nish says, and Dean quickly brings his left wrist to his nose and holds the cologne in another hand, his eyes locked on the camera, a pleasant smile on his face, and he closes his eyes in the next picture.The session continued, with Dean gaining more confidence and his smile brightening with the lights. His brother sneaks inside to look at him after getting a notification from his friend. He could not help but be a proud brother, looking at Dean with tearful eyes. He is so happy to know that his Dean is doing great in his life. The little brother who would only go to school if he held his hand has grown up and become self-sufficient."Dean, even if you don't get this job. You will always be my pride." Ethan whispered and sneaked away from his brother. He knows if Dean sees him crying. He doesn't want to know the reason; he will just make Ethan stop crying and forget about his surroundings.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇"Alright, this is the final list." The staff pins the sheet on the noticeboard. "The chosen people, return to the studio. Others, I wish you the best of luck in finding a better job that you will enjoy. Thank you for applying and cooperating with us." She forced herself to smile while noticing the dejected looks of the people.Dean didn't pay attention to her words. It's the same with any other company; she didn't say anything new. He seemed to be searching for his name. His eyes were gliding at the bottom of the list as he read the names of two ladies and a man, which sounded familiar, and finally, he saw his name at the top. He audibly gasped, lightly pinching himself on his cheek. People around him looked at him. Some held scowls and anger in their eyes. Some smiled, whispering congratulations. He thanked them for their good wishes and ignored the glares."We are working together, dear coworker." Dean felt an arm thrown over his shoulder and tilted his head toward the man smirking at the noticeboard."This Sabastian is under your care. Please take good care of me,""I would rather quit," Dean replied, walking away with the crowd. He can't understand why this unknown man is troubling him. He would rather stay as a teacher and be happy with his kids."Dee! I'm so happy." Ethan pops out of nowhere and hugs Dean tightly, who had his arms in the air in awkwardness."I'm happy! happy! happy! so happy!" With each word from Ethan, the hug gets tighter. Ethan was squeezing his brother like a tin can. His happiness is above this sky, floating in space.Dean gently hugs him back, whispering, "Bro, I know you're happy," and patting his cheek with a soft smile."How about you? Are you happy?" Ethan asked, breaking the hug and looking at him with expectation."I am."------------------------------------------------------