Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: First Place
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Inside the luxury sedan, Song Ha-na gazed boredly at the passing scenery.
She was on her way home alone with the driver after a big family lunch gathering.
They happened to be passing by Cheongyeom Arts High.
‘He said he was studying at school.’
Song Ha-na recalled the group afterparty they’d had right after the comprehensive evaluation ended yesterday.
Suddenly, she remembered what Do-hyun had said.
“Driver, drop me off at school.”
“Huh? Why not go home?”
“It’s Monday, final exams. I’m gonna study at the library.”
“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable at home?”
“No, I have a friend at school.”
The driver was inwardly surprised by Song Ha-na’s matter-of-fact words.
Song Ha-na using the word ‘friend.’
Even when referring to Moon Woo-hyuk or Kim Sun-woo, who were always glued to her side, she always called them by name.
“Alright. Got it. So you’ll be staying in the dorm starting today?”
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Okay. I’ll bring your luggage over this evening.”
And so, Song Ha-na got out at school.
She headed straight to the library.
“I’m going to study, Song Ha-na. It’s finals. Of course I have to study. High school student and all.”
Muttering excuses to herself even though no one was listening, she arrived at the library.
With finals starting tomorrow, it was unbelievably empty, making it easy to spot Do-hyun’s traces.
There was a pile of workbooks at the seat where Do-hyun had clearly been sitting, but Do-hyun himself was gone.
“What the heck. Where’d he go instead of studying?”
Song Ha-na immediately started searching the library for Do-hyun.
Before she knew it, she ended up on the rooftop.
But there, she encountered an unexpected sight.
“Breathing? No shortness of breath or anything…”
“Right. Breathing control was flawless. However.”
She spotted not just Do-hyun, but Lee Cheong-ha there with him.
Song Ha-na unwittingly hid behind a pillar.
Peeking out at the sound of Do-hyun and Lee Cheong-ha clapping, they looked incredibly chummy.
“Is the library a playground? Didn’t you come to study?”
Song Ha-na muttered, suddenly feeling an urge to pick a fight.
Feeling oddly uncomfortable somewhere, she pouted.
She sneakily watched the two while shooting a glance at the delighted Lee Cheong-ha.
‘Why the hell am I hiding here, anyway?’
Suddenly realizing what she was doing behind the pillar, she let out a hollow chuckle.
‘Screw you both. Total flop on finals.’
Song Ha-na checked the two once more and quickly left the rooftop.
As she went down, she called the driver.
“Driver. I think studying at home would be better after all. Come pick me up again.”
***
The weekend passed quickly as always, and Monday brought the start of finals.
Cheongyeom Arts High’s finals wrapped up in just three days.
Since practical skills were paramount, most students didn’t stress much about them compared to regular high schools.
That’s why some even liked exam period because classes ended early.
“Finals vacation’s finally over…”
Like Woo-sik, who called finals “finals vacation.”
Real summer break was just two weeks away, yet here he was, moping.
“Do-hyun. PC bang after school today? Last day of finals vacation.”
After the exams up to fourth period ended, during the time waiting for homeroom.
Woo-sik came to my seat and asked.
“Yeah.”
At my positive reply, Woo-sik—the one who asked—was the surprised one.
“Huh…? What?”
“Why, you said let’s go to the PC bang. I said yeah, let’s go.”
“…Uncle, did you eat something bad? Normally you’d say, ‘After 2,000 squats,’ or ‘After three hours of scaling,’ something like that, right?”
Woo-sik did a poor impression of my voice and double-checked several times.
Was going to the PC bang really worth that reaction?
I thought it was the natural response for a high school guy.
Well, I hadn’t properly hung out with Woo-sik once all semester.
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
“Who said I don’t! Hey, hey! Do-hyun’s going to the PC bang today too!”
Woo-sik excitedly announced to our usual PC bang crew that I was joining today.
Seeing him so thrilled made me think I should’ve gone a few more times.
How many kids this age hate PC bangs anyway.
Before regression, we’d gone a few times together.
But this time, I hadn’t had the luxury.
If I let my guard down even a little, I feared the heavens—who’d given me this chance—might snatch it all back out of spite.
I didn’t want any regrets from screwing up on stage myself.
Now that all exams this semester were done.
I was curious what PC bangs were like these days, after so long.
I figured going once with Woo-sik wouldn’t be bad.
Tap tap-
The familiar entrance sound that now the whole class knew came from the front door.
The sound of whacking the classroom door with a wooden stick.
“How’d you do on the exams.”
With that, Huh Ji-woong entered for homeroom.
“Yeees.”
“You answer well. I already know your scores.”
Ji-woong said sternly, but the kids laughed it off like it was nothing.
Unlike his first impression, everyone had figured out Ji-woong wasn’t scary anymore.
“Comprehensive evaluation rankings for the semester. They’re out today, right?”
The laughing kids fell silent at the mention of comprehensive evaluation rankings.
“I’m announcing them now. But before that.”
Ji-woong pulled the paper with the rankings from between the attendance book and looked at the class.
“This comprehensive evaluation will have rankings, sure. But I hope you don’t put too much stock in the results. I know you all prepared hard, and you put on great stages.”
Classic Teacher Ji-woong.
A true teacher with meticulous care hidden in his gruff tone.
Why hadn’t I realized this before?
Probably because back then, I was a thunderbolt-headed punk with zero leisure.
“You all know this already, but comprehensive evaluation is team rankings. Students on the same team get the same score.”
Comprehensive evaluation was ultimately about putting on a great ‘stage.’
Good acting was part of it, but the main criterion was performing as one team.
Meaning, the lead and the extras on the same team get the same score.
It made sense, in a way.
No matter how small the role, without it, the show wouldn’t be complete.
“Announcing now.”
Ji-woong looked down at the rankings sheet.
The whole class held their breath, swallowing hard as they stared at him.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Ji-woong’s mouth either.
I got what he meant about not overemphasizing results, but now that rankings were coming, I couldn’t help trembling.
My heart pounded so hard I just wanted him to hurry up and announce.
Even with regression, moments like this never got familiar.
Finally, Ji-woong’s mouth slowly opened, and the rankings were announced.
“1st place: Do Kyung-in, Moon Woo-hyuk, Park Ji-young, Song Ha-na, and Lee Do-hyun’s ‘Pestinasion Hotel’ team.”
No way.
I hadn’t actually thought we’d take 1st in comprehensive evaluation.
With our flashy lineup from director to actors, I’d vaguely hoped for it, but still.
“2nd place team: Kim Sun-woo, Lee Cheong-ha…”
Huh Ji-woong called the next ranking, but it barely registered.
Before regression, in my Cheongyeom Arts High days and even at 33, I’d never gotten 1st.
I’d just thrown myself in without overthinking, and now that we actually did it, it didn’t feel real.
“Hey, congrats!”
Woo-sik smacked my stunned self on the back with his congrats.
Why did Woo-sik look so cute today, grinning sincerely?
I’d buy whatever he wanted at the PC bang today.
Thanks to Woo-sik, I snapped out of it and looked around.
There were Kyung-in and Ji-young, who’d toiled alongside us.
And next, my gaze landed on.
She’s not even smiling.
Song Ha-na with her usual haughty expression.
Next to her was someone with a starkly contrasting look.
That’s a new one.
Moon Woo-hyuk, mouth agape in overwhelming shock, wore an expression nothing like his usual self.
***
‘1st place… First time this semester.’
Song Ha-na wasn’t showing it, but inwardly she kept repeating that they’d gotten 1st.
It wasn’t pure joy, though.
‘Lee Do-hyun got 1st again.’
This was her first 1st of the semester.
Meanwhile, Do-hyun had swept 1st in every test this semester.
In reality, it was the result of everyone’s hard work together.
Even so, with Do-hyun’s streak of 1sts, it felt like it was all thanks to him, leaving a bitter aftertaste.
‘Definitely different working with Lee Do-hyun.’
Compared to previous subject tests, she had practiced harder and deeper with Do-hyun.
Watching him practice sleeplessly beside her, it happened naturally.
So yes, she was grateful to Do-hyun.
He’d spurred her on, and she’d definitely grown.
But next time, instead of sharing 1st with him, she wanted to beat Lee Do-hyun solo.
Meanwhile,
‘Did I… win…?’
Moon Woo-hyuk felt an emotion he’d never known.
His ears rang like they were full of water; he was just dazed.
Ji-woong kept talking from the podium, but not a word got through.
More than the fact of 1st place, something else filled Moon Woo-hyuk’s head.
‘Did I really beat Kim Sun-woo?’
He’d never ranked higher than Kim Sun-woo before.
Not just at Cheongyeom Arts High.
Since knowing Kim Sun-woo as a kid, never once in his life.
Whether at competitions or casual auditions.
Kim Sun-woo was always ahead, his innate talent endlessly praised.
Maybe that’s why Moon Woo-hyuk had never even thought to surpass him, coming this far.
To outsiders, the trio all seemed top-tier, but among them, the order was set.
Kim Sun-woo, Song Ha-na, then Moon Woo-hyuk.
An unchanging sequence.
Song Ha-na tying for 1st this time didn’t matter.
Beating Kim Sun-woo for the first time.
That alone meant everything to Moon Woo-hyuk.
‘So this is what 1st place feels like.’
Realizing it sent chills over his whole body.
“I said it already, but don’t obsess over results. Find your own color. No resting on 1st, no despairing over last.”
After announcing all results, Ji-woong calmed the rowdy class and spoke once more.
“Your stages haven’t even started yet. You’ve just finished 1st semester, 1st year. Don’t forget—there are plenty of stages left for you.”
I vividly recalled hearing those words before regression.
Back then, I’d gotten a bad rank.
They’d just pissed me off.
What good were future stages.
I wasn’t cut out for it anyway.
The winners were already decided, I’d wanted to snap.
Remembering that, shame flooded me.
The elation deflated completely.
Got it, Teacher.
This time, I’ll really take it to heart.
In the noisy classroom, I alone stared at Ji-woong and answered inwardly.