Chapter 151: Preparing for the Audition
Playing poker with beginners could basically be summarized in one sentence:
You couldn't read them at all.
After a few more rounds, Ethan finally figured out everyone's style.
Sheldon played extremely tight.
Pre-flop, he only entered hands with strong odds, and every single bet he made came from carefully calculated probability ranges.
He only participated when the math justified it—
No emotion.
No impulse.
And absolutely no reading people.
Which meant—
He never cared what anyone else was holding.
He only cared about his own long-term expected win rate under the current conditions.
Leonard and Howard, meanwhile, were the complete opposite.
Both of them wanted to win far too badly.
Every time Leonard bet, his eyes subconsciously drifted toward Penny.
As long as he won chips, he could "legitimately" tip the dealer afterward.
Howard's motivation was even more obvious.
He clearly wanted to prove something in front of Penny—
Even if the thing he was trying to prove had absolutely no meaning whatsoever.
As for Raj…
A textbook fish.
Whether it was because he had too much money or too much alcohol in his system, nobody knew.
He played too many hands, called too wide, and had an almost heroic obsession with "seeing it through to the end."
Meanwhile, Ethan spent the entire night deliberately holding back.
He knew perfectly well that winning a few chips meant nothing.
What actually mattered was making everyone feel like:
"Hey… this game is pretty fun."
Because only then would there be a second poker night.
So he tipped generously and lost hands without resistance.
By the end of the night, the results were exactly what everyone expected:
Ethan, intentionally throwing hands, lost the most.
Raj, wealthy and gloriously fish-like, lost the second most.
Leonard lost a little, though most of it came from "dealer tips."
Howard finished slightly positive.
And Sheldon—
Won the most by far.
Sheldon looked at the neatly organized stacks of chips in front of him, his voice carrying a trace of restrained pride he couldn't fully hide.
"This is merely the statistically reasonable outcome."
Ethan smiled but didn't argue.
Honestly?
On tonight's table, that statement was completely true.
There were too many beginners.
Nobody really bluffed.
Nobody disguised anything.
In an environment like that, Sheldon's style dominating the table was practically inevitable.
The game ended later than expected.
Everyone packed the chips back into the case.
Penny counted up the dealer tips—
More than twenty dollars total, most of it from Leonard and Ethan.
Leaning casually against the couch, she suddenly looked toward Ethan.
"Ethan?"
At that exact moment, Ethan had been wondering whether it was still early enough to head over to Max's place afterward.
He looked up.
"What's up?"
"You busy later?"
Ethan thought about it for a second.
"No."
Tonight's dealer arrangement had been a favor he asked Penny for.
Now it was obvious she needed help with something.
And Ethan believed in returning favors.
Penny looked at him directly.
"I've got an audition next week."
"I was hoping you could help me prepare for it."
Beside them, Leonard instinctively jumped in.
"Uh… if you need help, I could help too?"
Penny glanced at him.
Her tone was gentle—
But her refusal was immediate and absolute.
"Thanks, Leonard, but… I don't think this one's a good fit."
"Why not?" Leonard blurted out.
"Because the role I'm auditioning for," Penny said honestly,
"takes place in a hospital."
Leonard froze.
"A hospital?"
"Maybe a nurse," Penny shrugged.
"Maybe a doctor."
"Or maybe one of those people who appears in the hallway for three lines and disappears forever."
Howard instantly interrupted.
"Then I can help too! I could play the patient, or—"
"No," Penny cut him off at lightning speed.
"You cannot."
Sheldon calmly added,
"From the perspective of role authenticity, Ethan's medical background is objectively more suitable than yours."
…
Penny's apartment felt warm and lived-in.
The script was spread across the coffee table, and clothes were casually piled across the couch.
At first, Ethan had been slightly worried—
Could Penny possibly have some other intention here?
But that thought disappeared almost immediately.
Penny simply handed him the script directly.
"Read this first."
Ethan glanced down at the script.
Hospital setting. Dialogue. Close physical distance.
He shrugged internally and silently admitted—
Yeah, he had overthought things.
The moment the first rehearsal began, though, he immediately sensed something was off.
Penny stood there wearing an outfit that was clearly trying very hard to "fit the role," her expression serious, movements…
Not exactly natural.
No matter how he looked at it, she felt less like a real hospital worker and more like some stereotypical version of a "sexy nurse."
The thought appeared for half a second before Ethan forcefully shoved it back down.
Don't be weird.
This is an audition.
This is her dream.
Your job is just to feed lines, maintain eye contact, and keep the rhythm steady.
They ran through the scene several more times.
The awkwardness didn't disappear.
If anything, it became even stronger.
Honestly, Ethan really wanted to tell her—
Her aura just didn't feel like someone who belonged in a hospital.
But seeing how seriously Penny was taking this—serious to the point of visible nervousness—
He swallowed the words.
And continued faithfully playing the role of a supportive scene partner.
"Okay." Penny finally exhaled in relief and tossed the script onto the coffee table.
"That's enough for tonight."
Only then did Ethan finally let out a long breath.
Still…
At least she had gained something from the practice.
If she ever decided to do cosplay someday—or spice things up with a boyfriend—
This performance style would absolutely work.
Penny walked to the refrigerator, pulled open the door, then glanced back at him.
"Want something to drink?"
Ethan thought for a second before shaking his head.
"After your audition."
Penny raised an eyebrow.
"To celebrate if I get the part?"
"Of course."
"And if I fail?" she asked.
Ethan paused briefly.
"If you fail…"
"I'll bring a few good bottles over and help you drink your sorrows away."
Penny laughed.
For the first time tonight, she looked like someone who genuinely felt understood.
"Deal."
The two of them chatted casually for a while longer about the audition.
That was when Ethan learned the drive to the audition location would take nearly two hours one way.
Looking at the hope and anticipation in Penny's eyes, he swallowed back the comment he almost made again.
Forget it.
The clinic still had several bottles of expensive liquor James had gifted him.
If things went badly, he'd just bring them over and let Penny drink as much as she wanted.
By the time Ethan returned to the apartment, it was already pretty late.
Howard and Raj had both gone home.
Only Leonard and Sheldon remained in the living room.
The moment the front door opened, Leonard immediately looked up.
And the instant he saw Ethan, he visibly relaxed.
His shoulders even sagged ever so slightly.
Sheldon sat on the couch wearing headphones while typing rapidly on his keyboard.
He was playing a new online game—
One Ethan had actually been playing with him a lot lately.
Sheldon glanced up at Ethan briefly and spoke in his usual calm tone.
"Based on the structural integrity of your collar, the condition of your hair, and the complete absence of unfamiliar perfume scents…"
He paused dramatically before delivering his conclusion.
"Nothing happened tonight."
"What?" Ethan blinked in confusion.
Sheldon removed one side of his headphones and continued.
"Leonard has spent the last hour engaging in irrational hypothetical projections."
"He believed you and Penny would engage in sexual intercourse tonight."
"I did not," Leonard immediately protested.
"The frequency with which you paced beside the couch exceeded your normal baseline by fifty-seven percent," Sheldon replied.
"That indicates anxiety regarding a specific outcome."
Ethan merely shrugged and didn't bother explaining.
Ever since promising Penny that he would stop "interfering" in her situation with Leonard, he had returned to a far more natural mindset.
Whatever happened would happen.
"Good night, Leonard."
"Good night, Sheldon."
After saying that, Ethan turned and headed toward his room.
Sheldon looked up from his game.
"You're not logging on tonight?"
"Nope," Ethan answered without turning around.
"Too tired."
"Tomorrow."