Chapter 105
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Role Assignments
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After my savage gag landed, cold sweat trickled down in the team’s suddenly silent vibe.
“Shall… we decide on the roles now?”
I scrambled to switch topics.
*Woo-sik-ah, come on. Step up for your buddy at a time like this.*
I shot him a desperate glance.
“I’ve gotta put up with it—we live together, after all.”
Woo-sik eyed me pitifully but thankfully picked up on my signal and spoke up.
“How’s the number structured?”
“Let’s watch the video first and list out the roles.”
We all watched the song video together and started divvying up parts.
The number called for two leads.
Taye and Luksho.
Everyone else would handle ensemble.
In the original, the ensemble came out as a full group, so the other two would have to get pretty flashy to fill it in.
That’s when Han Jin-su quietly raised his hand.
“I’ll take ensemble.”
Han Jin-su didn’t seem to crave a lead role at all.
Ensemble was an essential part of any musical, after all.
No issue with him wanting ensemble in principle.
But something still felt off.
The nagging unease wouldn’t quit, so I rubbed my brow, trying to pin it down.
“Ensemble? We good just splitting it like that?”
Woo-sik, who’d been listening quietly, tossed out the question.
Everyone turned to stare at Woo-sik.
Caught in the sudden spotlight, even unflappable Woo-sik fumbled his words a bit.
“Ah, no. It’s not like we’ve got a dozen people—this is four of us in the scene… And it’s not a full show, just one number from a scene. Can we really make the parts that lopsided?”
He sounded unsure, but it was a damn good point.
*That* was it.
“Hmm.”
Moon Woo-hyuk pondered Woo-sik’s words seriously before blurting:
“That was actually useful.”
He nodded, clearly agreeing with Woo-sik.
No, *why* talk to a classmate like that?
Even his agreement was pure Moon Woo-hyuk.
“Right? Spot on!”
Thank God.
Lucky it was Woo-sik handling that Moon Woo-hyuk.
Woo-sik brushed off the jab, just thrilled his opinion landed.
“Ensemble doesn’t let you show off much appeal, honestly. Better to split parts with some thought to the weight.”
Woo-sik scanned the team’s faces, fishing for nods again.
I had to agree—Woo-sik wasn’t off base.
But something still bugged me.
“What’s with this guy striking poses nonstop.”
Moon Woo-hyuk mimicked my brow-rub and said it.
Woo-sik glanced over, and with no reply from me, tacked on:
“It’s a school assignment too, not just a show. We’re getting graded either way, so huge part gaps feel risky.”
Ah.
I dropped my hand from my brow and looked up at Woo-sik.
*Thanks, Woo-sik-ah.*
His words finally clicked what was nagging me.
Catching my expression, Woo-sik lit up like *finally!* and said:
“What now? Another brainstorm?”
I flashed a grin at Woo-sik’s suspicious close-up stare.
“‘School assignment, not a performance’…”
Woo-sik’s parting line.
That cleared the fog in my head completely.
That line—no way, a hundred times no, a thousand times no.
“Feels like fundamentally flawed thinking.”
Couldn’t sign off on it.
“Huh?”
Woo-sik’s face twisted in confusion at my flat rejection.
“If it *were* a performance? We’d still split parts ‘fairly’ so everyone shines equally?”
“Well…”
Woo-sik’s expression clouded over instantly.
Yeah, think on it a sec—you’d see it’s not.
“They called this a team mission. Not ‘make parts equal for all,’ but ‘deliver your team’s absolute best stage.’ That’s what it means.”
Would they really want a sloppy stage just ’cause it’s homework?
From Cheongyeom Arts High, no less?
Get real.
Cheongyeom students treat *every* assignment like a stage before an audience.
I eyed Moon Woo-hyuk, then Han Jin-su, polling them.
“What do you guys think?”
If it’s a show, not homework—how do you direct it?
Same energy from every team member—which character gets the focus?
Audience might get lost.
Proportion to the characters: stars shine bright, supports prop them up right.
Wasn’t some deep epiphany.
Every show, movie, drama out there ran that way.
Like the harp backing Sun-woo’s dance in first-semester choreo test.
Harp could’ve soloed way flashier.
But as accompaniment, it held back.
Harp didn’t distract normies from Sun-woo’s moves ’cause it poured everything into making him shine.
Smart as hell.
Harp showboating a solo contest? Stage trashed on the spot.
The kids mulled my words, faces grim, no quick replies.
Couldn’t let it hang—I’d wrap it up.
First, double-check.
I fixed Han Jin-su with a straight look.
“Jin-su, you really want ensemble?”
He nodded on reflex under my intensity.
I nodded back.
“This assignment—this song…”
Shifted to Moon Woo-hyuk.
“We gotta make the role primed to shine *blaze* the brightest.”
My words hung; silence dropped.
Kids deep in thought, nobody jumping in.
“If it’s a show, not homework… yeah.”
“Right. Do-hyun’s got it.”
Woo-sik and Han Jin-su nodded, backing me up.
Last: Moon Woo-hyuk.
I locked eyes on him.
Arms crossed, lost in thought—he sensed it, spoke flat:
“Not wrong.”
Moon Woo-hyuk nodded casually, way chiller than expected.
“So, conclusion?”
“Undeniably, Taye drowning in despair steals the spotlight in this number.”
Stared hard at brow-furrowed Moon Woo-hyuk.
He hadn’t clocked it yet—face screamed *no way*.
Yup, exactly what he suspected.
“Taye needs big vocal power. Moon Woo-hyuk, you’d nail it.”
Plopped the brightest spot straight to the musical ace—no one else. Moon Woo-hyuk’s eyes bugged slightly, surprised.
Truth: this scene’s hero was Taye above all.
Heavy hitter number—belting highs, table-jump, massive choreo.
“And Luksho, the buddy consoling that Taye.”
Turned to Woo-sik now.
My gaze hit; he jolted like shocked.
“Me?”
Zero warning—he even finger-pointed himself, stunned.
I nodded all casual.
Luksho slyly eases Taye’s blues—perfect for maxing Woo-sik’s cheeky vibe.
Woo-sik wasn’t dance-challenged either.
“So you’re ensemble?”
“Nothing saying I can’t. We just said it: stage first, not singing for stage’s sake.”
Moon Woo-hyuk reeled like slapped at Do-hyun’s breezy drop.
*How’s he so chill?*
*Hidden agenda?*
Scanned smiling Do-hyun top-to-bottom, suspicion locked.
Woo-sik? Pure bliss grin, zero overthink.
“Ah—Do-hyun’s bus speed *slays*.”
Lee Do-hyun, Moon Woo-hyuk, Min Woo-sik, Han Jin-su team.
Role split locked, zero drama.
***
Semester kickoff: comprehensive eval notice, vocal&dance eval notice.
Plus new masterclass assignment—no such thing first semester.
Sure, comp eval and masterclass just announced early—plenty of time—but slamming all notices at once? Chaos.
Top it with week’s September mock exam.
Most kids CSAT-immune, few grinding studies. But me and Lee Cheong-ha, not dropping books? Pure hell.
Burned out white…
Then third-week weekend hit like a freight train.
Volunteer club gathered, rolling out on luxury bus like always.
Dragged exam+assignment-wrecked bod aboard, stared out window.
More often than expected.
Second volunteer since term start.
Figured rich-kid vanity club? Nah.
This semester stays spicy, thanks.
Window-gazing, I smiled.
Others? Who knows. For me, peak healing hours.
Empties regression-fried brain nonstop.
Load up, drop off.
“Bentos incoming.”
Head snapped up.
And rewards? *Massive*.
Feed you top-shelf too.
Prime bento day—school slop can’t touch it.
Buzzing inside: what’s today’s breakfast haul?
High-3 Chae Si-hyun along as usual, running the show.
Busy senior life—props to her.
“Today, toss leftover shells right back in the bento. Bulk dump later.”
Shells leftover?
Shelled grub for brekkie?
Fruit? Mashed ’tato side?
Chae Si-hyun’s line sparked mega hype; I waited.
Front rows stacking bentos steady.
Couldn’t peek insides—itching.
Finally: her at my spot, hands me one.
Passing—then halts sharp.
“One more?”
Chae Si-hyun’s kindness hit like a wave.
*Senior aura real.*
Big nod.
“Then, truly grateful.”
She slid another like no biggie—knew it.
Cracked it open, expectations max.
“Wow.”
Rustle-rustle bus, but gasp slipped free.
Visual too killer to stifle.
Glossy red butter-blasted lobster butter-grill throned dead-center.
Chopsticks? No basic wood—sleek luxe set.
“I’ll dig in.”
Quiet reverence, first thick claw-meat to mouth.
Boom: mouth floods nutty-sweet-salty ocean bliss.
Flesh *melts* velvet on tongue, *melts*.
Whole lobster packed in.
Hence the shells.
And—duplicate bento right beside?
Heart: fortified.
Yeah. *This* is healing.
Volunteer round two: primo start.