Chapter 110
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Singing & Dance Test
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The small theater was in the midst of the second-semester vocal and dance test.
In the audience seats sat the female students who had already finished their performances, along with Huh Ji-woong and Jung Hye-seon, the two teachers.
And on stage stood Kim Sun-woo, shining brightly even before it began.
Once Kim Sun-woo's team finished their setup, the lights went out.
Soon, the lights came up, and Kim Sun-woo's team's performance began.
With upbeat music, the four of them threw in lively chants as the choreography kicked off.
Ji-woong and Hye-seon seemed pleased with the strong start, nodding along to the rhythm a bit.
From backstage in the waiting area, I narrowed my eyes to take in the whole stage.
Deliberately avoiding focusing only on Kim Sun-woo.
“Being born into this world alone—”
Kim Sun-woo’s singing began, and everyone wore that “as expected of him” expression.
Even I ended up with my mouth hanging open before I knew it.
His skill in switching between falsetto and chest voice was smooth, almost perfect.
And he used mixed voice just right, without overdoing it.
It was like his already exceptional singing talent had been enhanced with pro-level technique.
‘Wow.’
But the expressions of Ji-woong and Hye-seon in the audience were subtly hardening.
They’d stopped nodding to the rhythm at some point and were scribbling notes intently.
Something felt off.
Frowning as I fixed my gaze on the monitor, Woo-sik muttered beside me.
“Wow, Kim Sun-woo is seriously good.”
It was pure admiration for his skill.
Not just Woo-sik.
Everyone watching the backstage monitor was entranced by Kim Sun-woo’s dazzling dance and song on stage.
The students in the audience were probably all the same.
“He really is good.”
Kim Sun-woo.
I’d had high expectations from the start, sensing something different about him this semester.
And he was delivering on those expectations with incredible skill.
He was even better than in the first semester.
But,
“Kim Sun-woo’s the only one shining too much.”
That was the source of the awkwardness I felt.
This was supposed to be a group performance evaluation.
Kim Sun-woo’s team had their parts distributed evenly among the four.
There were even sections where they sang the same song and matched the same dance perfectly.
In those moments, their timing on notes and movements was impressively solid.
At a glance, it looked like a brilliantly prepared stage.
“…With staging like that, it’s actually a minus for Kim Sun-woo.”
My quiet mutter luckily went unheard by anyone.
They were all clearly singing the same song.
But to my ears, it felt like only Kim Sun-woo was singing something different.
The other members seemed to be trying incredibly hard.
In contrast, Kim Sun-woo sang so effortlessly that it came off as half-hearted.
That was a minus for him and the whole team.
Once I noticed it, the sense of disconnect lingered throughout the performance.
“If you want to leave that badly—”
Kim Sun-woo’s team had a lot of sections where all four sang a phrase together.
Probably to keep it fair, giving each about 25% of the parts.
That just made the other three stand out even more in comparison to Kim Sun-woo.
Hye-seon eventually shook her head ever so slightly.
Ji-woong showed no reaction, but the eager anticipation from earlier was gone.
“Even then, only Kim Sun-woo stands out.”
Someone in the waiting area muttered without thinking and quickly clamped their mouth shut.
A slip-up.
This was blatantly Kim Sun-woo’s mistake.
When people with varying talent levels try to perform at the same level,
The ones who can’t keep up and the ones who can stand out even more.
They’d probably divided the parts equally, regardless of individual abilities.
Some looked like they were overexerting, others like they weren’t trying.
Kim Sun-woo reaching the highlight so effortlessly lacked any impact.
It was just, “Yeah, Kim Sun-woo’s good as always.”
As a stage performance, its value was...
“Well done.”
With that, Kim Sun-woo’s team finished, and Ji-woong called out toward backstage.
“Next team. Lee Do-hyun, Min Woo-sik, Moon Woo-hyuk, Han Jin-su.”
It was Do-hyun’s team’s turn.
Hye-seon’s eyes sharpened a bit at Do-hyun’s name.
Ji-woong was scanning the evaluation sheet with renewed expectation.
It was the team with the first-semester top student and Moon Woo-hyuk, so it was only natural to have high hopes.
“Hoo. Hoo.”
Backstage, Han Jin-su looked pretty tense ahead of the stage.
He’d never had a performance this spotlighted before.
Feeling bad for him, I was about to say something encouraging when,
“Here.”
Woo-sik extended his fist toward Han Jin-su.
Han Jin-su blinked wide-eyed in confusion, then grinned and bumped his fist against Woo-sik’s.
That’s Woo-sik for you.
In moments like this, it felt like I was riding the Woo-sik bus.
“Ahem.”
Moon Woo-hyuk cleared his throat awkwardly and joined in, bumping his large fist against theirs.
Ever since that outburst of anger, Moon Woo-hyuk hadn’t spoken much to Han Jin-su.
Things were still awkward between them.
“You can do it.”
Still, with the stage looming, I looked at Han Jin-su and asked.
Over the past few days, he seemed to have gained some confidence, nodding with a smile.
Bump.
I joined last for the fist bump.
“Not gonna ask me?”
I teased Moon Woo-hyuk.
He glanced at me expressionlessly.
“You do well anyway.”
With that curt remark, he headed for the stage.
What’s with him.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Woo-sik and Han Jin-su looked just as startled by Moon Woo-hyuk’s comment, their eyes wide.
At least it distracted them from the nerves.
“Let’s go.”
Once they snapped out of it, we headed to the stage.
Thanks to Moon Woo-hyuk’s unexpected line, the pointless tension was gone—at least I could thank him for that.
***
As the four took the stage, the song started with a lively rhythm.
With light movements, Woo-sik as Rookshoo faced Tai, played by Moon Woo-hyuk, and began singing first.
“What’s got you so deep in thought again, my friend—”
It was a stable start.
His relaxed expression and steps showed just how much practice they’d put in.
Having Woo-sik take the Rookshoo role immediately drew Ji-woong and Hye-seon’s attention.
Woo-sik’s signature laid-back smile and wit fit Rookshoo perfectly.
Moon Woo-hyuk followed as Tai, letting out a voice steeped in despair.
“I’m not qualified—no qualifications as a doctor at all—”
His clear, powerful voice echoed through the theater.
Unlike before, it wasn’t just loud volume; you could see him acting, controlling the emotion.
Ji-woong’s face lit up with satisfaction at the clear improvement.
“What? Woo-sik’s Rookshoo, not Do-hyun?”
“Then what’s Do-hyun doing? Aren’t those two the stars of this number?”
The kids reacted with surprise.
A famous number that anyone into musicals and students knew.
Everyone knew Rookshoo and Tai were the main characters.
So they were shocked that the first-semester topper, Do-hyun, wasn’t one of them.
‘What’s going on? What’s he planning with that setup?’
Song Ha-na immediately pegged it as Do-hyun’s strategy.
She watched the stage with narrowed brows and curious eyes.
Woo-sik’s goofy charm, Moon Woo-hyuk’s intense presence.
The unexpected duo’s chemistry was better than expected.
Ji-woong and Hye-seon were so hooked they stopped writing, eyes glued to the stage.
“It’s not your fault—think too deep and you’ll get sick—wash it down with booze—!”
The powerful phrases intertwined between Rookshoo and Tai passed by.
Then Han Jin-su and Do-hyun entered as the ensemble.
“If you did your best—that’s just how it goes—stop blaming yourself—”
The three surrounded Moon Woo-hyuk with choreography and harmony.
They nailed the beats, blending different moves seamlessly, completely captivating Tai.
This number usually had a huge ensemble, but here it was just two.
When Tai sang, Rookshoo joined the ensemble.
When Rookshoo sang, Tai did the same to amplify the harmony.
When they were ensemble, they perfectly adjusted their volume to make clear who the leads were.
In the next section, layers of mid-tones filled under Moon Woo-hyuk’s high notes, making it rich and full.
Clearly, Moon Woo-hyuk was shining brightest at center.
Anyone could see he was the star of this number.
But beyond that simple fact, the stage felt incredibly full and vibrant.
The rich harmony contrasted the early somber mood, lifting the energy.
Woo-sik even winked at the audience during it.
Ji-woong, Hye-seon, and the student spectators all chuckled at the cheeky Rookshoo.
After Woo-sik, Moon Woo-hyuk’s solo ended, leading to the crucial part.
In the highlight, Moon Woo-hyuk soared through the rising high notes, unleashing his full power in an explosive volume, no holding back.
Then the staging had the other three peel away one by one from him.
The key was it wasn’t just walking away.
It featured flashy steps and turns.
Do-hyun nailed it first, smoothly retreating to the side.
Woo-sik followed, adding his signature mischievous flair without a hitch.
And the last one.
Cheongyeom Arts High Musical Department’s first-year last placer, Han Jin-su.
This was where Han Jin-su’s steps had tangled the most in practice.
Everyone’s focus zeroed in on him.
Even Moon Woo-hyuk waiting his turn—they all sent him encouraging looks, united.
In response, as if repaying them, Han Jin-su,
Tap-tap-!
Hit the exact beat, executing the move flawlessly.
‘Got it...!’
No one might notice the ensemble’s steps.
Most attention would still be on Moon Woo-hyuk belting center stage.
But right now, Han Jin-su couldn’t care less about that.
Boom!!
With the final heart-pounding bass, Do-hyun’s team performance ended.
Their upbeat energy soaked into the song perfectly—the number and choreography were in flawless balance.
As the stage wrapped, Do-hyun’s team faced each other and smiled.
Somehow, a tight bond had formed among them, invisible but real.
Then,
Clap-clap-clap—
Applause erupted from the audience where the girls from our class sat.
Ji-woong and Hye-seon beamed with huge, satisfied grins.
Han Jin-su, experiencing this reaction after a test performance for the first time, looked dazed as he turned to his teammates.
Do-hyun, Woo-sik, and even Moon Woo-hyuk.
They all looked back at him with pleased expressions, as if on cue.
Do-hyun stepped forward, and the four lined up like in curtain call, hands clasped, bowing to the audience.
‘This is fun. I want to feel this forever.’
Overwhelmed, Han Jin-su squeezed his eyes shut.
That feeling from when he first passed into Cheongyeom, after so long.
His chest burned with longing for musicals.
And Kim Sun-woo, watching Do-hyun’s team on the backstage screen with a strange expression, murmured softly.
“This... was a huge mistake.”
Watching Do-hyun’s performance, he covered his mouth as realization hit.
Lost in thought that he’d messed up, Kim Sun-woo stared blankly for a moment.
“Do-hyun, always.”
Then he gave a small smile.