Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Vacation Lessons and Tryout Day
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The first Monday after vacation began.
I came to the empty school all by myself, just like heading to class.
I'd gotten in touch with Huh Ji-woong over the weekend.
I'd asked for some acting guidance ahead of the Tryout audition.
Surprisingly, his reply came lightning fast.
[ Ji-woong: Annoying. ]
It was so short and punchy that I had no idea how to respond.
But then, a minute later, another text popped up.
[ Ji-woong: I'm heading to school on Monday anyway. Come then. ]
Contrary to his words, he'd immediately set up a lesson time for me.
What a dishonest teacher.
The school during vacation felt totally different from during the semester.
With a bit of time before our appointment, I wandered around for no real reason.
There were some people coming and going from the practice rooms, but far fewer than usual.
Probably not freshmen.
Man, this school is huge and flashy no matter how many times I see it.
Most university campuses couldn't even compare.
When I first regressed, I'd been a little worried I wouldn't adjust, but the first semester had flown by.
Somehow, I'd ended up top of the class in musical theater and scored a scholarship because of it.
One thing I'd naturally realized as time passed since regressing: there was no need to rush.
If I steadily built my skills and could keep singing and acting for years to come, that would be enough.
After circling the school, I arrived at Ji-woong's practice room.
Just as I was about to head in, the door flew open right in front of me.
The person who stepped out was the last face I expected.
“Moon Woo-hyuk?”
Why was Moon Woo-hyuk coming out of here?
I peeked inside, wondering if I'd gotten the wrong room, and there was Huh Ji-woong.
What was this guy doing here?
Oh, the Tryout thing, maybe.
“Long time no see—no, not really.”
“Quit with the useless chatter.”
We'd performed together, and here he was sharpening his tone at me.
“You here for the Tryout?”
At my question, Moon Woo-hyuk paused mid-stride.
He turned back, tilting his head curiously.
“How'd you know I'm doing the Tryout?”
He'd decided to go for the Tryout audition after vacation started.
Of course, he hadn't mentioned it to me first.
“Oh, Song Ha-na told me.”
“What?”
Moon Woo-hyuk's face darkened instantly.
Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that to him.
Realizing my mistake, I clamped my mouth shut.
“You two message each other personally?”
“For the Tryout.”
Moon Woo-hyuk looked uncomfortable but couldn't really press it, so he just scowled.
Seizing the chance, I quickly changed the subject.
“How's the Tryout prep going?”
“I've got it handled, so don't worry about it.”
“Good, glad to hear it.”
Just the reaction I'd expected.
Time to wrap up the conversation.
I offered my hand to Moon Woo-hyuk first.
“Let's do our best.”
He stared at it for a long moment before grabbing it firmly.
He took the handshake, but something felt off.
Do our best at what? We're competitors, after all.
Moon Woo-hyuk yanked his hand away and strode off.
So cute.
After sending him off, I stepped into the practice room.
“Hello.”
I greeted Ji-woong and sat down in front of him.
“Busy even during vacation.”
“Tell me about it. Something's off this year; they won't leave me alone.”
“Why was Woo-hyuk here? For the Tryout?”
“He wanted some acting lessons. Yeah, it was Tryout-related. Questions about the audition acting.”
His completely unexpected answer made me glance back at the door Moon Woo-hyuk had exited through.
Learning acting from Ji-woong?
A chaebol heir who could hire any teacher anytime, with Moon Kang-hyun as his dad?
It really caught me off guard.
“What, you think you're the only one who wants to learn from me?”
“Haha, no. I was just surprised your lectures have gotten such a reputation.”
My reaction must've amused him because Ji-woong smirked.
I turned back to him with a smile.
Whether Moon Woo-hyuk studied with Ji-woong or not didn't really bother me.
It just piqued my curiosity about how his attitude had subtly shifted since the comprehensive evaluation.
“Anyway, looking forward to your guidance today.”
I placed my hand on my navel and bowed ninety degrees.
Nothing else mattered.
The important thing was getting lessons from Ji-woong even during vacation.
Before regressing, I'd wasted breaks at home doing nothing, but this time felt packed.
***
Tryout audition day.
I stood in front of The Korean Art Hall, gazing up at it.
Vivid memories surfaced of coming here for my first Dream Broadway audition before regressing.
Back then, I never imagined something like this would happen.
Or that I'd end up here in a seventeen-year-old body.
I arrived at the audition venue, followed the staff's directions, and headed straight to the waiting room.
As I entered, I spotted Song Ha-na already there.
I waved to her in greeting.
“Hey. Long time no see.”
“Yeah. Hey.”
Song Ha-na glanced at me briefly and nodded back.
She looked tense; her expression was off.
I plopped down next to her on purpose.
“You're early.”
“Yeah. Can't be late.”
Yep, definitely nervous.
Her speech was quicker than usual, and her eyes darted around.
The question-mark murderer Song Ha-na wasn't even counter-questioning.
Normally, she'd ask something like, 'You too?'
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Decent enough.”
Even for a Tryout audition, Song Ha-na was still just seventeen.
Standing on the stage at The Korean Art Hall would be thrilling in itself.
And this wasn't school—it was the pros' world, so no wonder she was on edge.
“Nervous?”
“Me? Pfft. Like I'd be nervous when I'm gonna nail it anyway. Jeez.”
See, old sayings are spot on; they're wisdom for a reason.
Strong denial means affirmation.
Her tone was different too.
Two 'I's and a 'what' already.
“I'm seriously not nervous, okay?”
She doubled down without me even asking, so I decided to drop it.
Pushing more might make her snap.
“Suit yourself.”
As Song Ha-na whipped her head around, I noticed her hands clasped tightly together.
Seeing that, she looked every bit the seventeen-year-old.
As someone who'd been on that stage before, maybe I should help her loosen up.
“Who are you again? Oh right, Song Ha-na. You think Song Ha-na would get cold feet at an audition like this?”
I teased her playfully.
She immediately shot me a fierce glare.
Hook, line, and sinker.
“Huh? Did I hit a nerve? Why the death stare? I was just stating facts.”
I knew Song Ha-na well by now.
Confidence boosted, I hammed it up even more.
Her glare sharpened, but she seemed back to normal.
“What you said was right, but your attitude was cocky.”
“Pfft.”
I burst out laughing before I could stop myself.
Seeing me crack up, Song Ha-na smirked and chuckled too.
We killed time chatting about nothing important.
'He did that on purpose.'
Song Ha-na raised the corner of her mouth as she watched Do-hyun keep talking to her.
“So that day, Woo-sik was eating dinner and...”
Mid-story about dorm antics, I checked the time.
Even though we'd arrived early, audition time was approaching.
“By the way, Lee Cheong-ha and Moon Woo-hyuk aren't here yet?”
“They probably ran off knowing I'd get it anyway.”
Wasn't her tone just now weirdly like Moon Woo-hyuk's?
The smug look on her face even reminded me of him.
I stared at Song Ha-na and nodded as if it all made sense.
“No wonder you two bicker all the time but are still friends.”
“What?”
Song Ha-na recoiled at being lumped in with that idiot Moon Woo-hyuk.
Why bring up that moron out of nowhere?
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“Forget it if you don't get it. Haha.”
“What does it mean?”
“Nothing...”
I'd poked the bear.
Sweating bullets, I recalled Song Ha-na grilling teachers with endless questions.
“Lee Do-hyun. What does that mean? Huh?”
At least her condition seemed fully recovered, which was a relief.
Just then, as I was suffering under Song Ha-na's onslaught, Lee Cheong-ha and Moon Woo-hyuk entered the waiting room.
I turned at the commotion—they were already bickering.
“Ugh, seriously. Who asked you to press it? You butt in and then complain!”
“Hey, you were dithering there, so I pressed it because I was frustrated, got it? Frustrated!”
“Why are you yelling from the morning? My ears hurt!”
“You yelled first!”
...I felt exhausted for some reason.
The audition hadn't even started yet.
Song Ha-na's questions showed no sign of stopping on my left.
On my right, Moon Woo-hyuk and Lee Cheong-ha were screaming like a vocal showdown.
“Whoa, you guys made it?”
I quickly greeted Lee Cheong-ha and Moon Woo-hyuk, but they were too busy sniping at each other to reply.
Was this what it felt like when the lifeline you grabbed in a crisis turned out rotten?
“Little punk, for real.”
“What, you beanpole? Hmph.”
“Beanpole?!”
Surprisingly, Lee Cheong-ha wasn't backing down from Moon Woo-hyuk at all.
No, was she actually winning?
Lee Cheong-ha whipped her head away from Moon Woo-hyuk and finally noticed me.
“Oh, Do-hyun! You are here.”
Yeah. I've been calling you.
She trotted over to me, all bubbly.
A total one-eighty from how she'd been with Moon Woo-hyuk seconds ago.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Ha, that pumpkin head...”
Moon Woo-hyuk watched Lee Cheong-ha chat warmly with me, looking utterly exasperated behind us.
“Save the sleep questions for later—answer this first.”
Song Ha-na shoved Lee Cheong-ha aside, still fixated on what I'd said.
My head was starting to throb.
“Hey, Moon Woo-hyuk. Lee Do-hyun said you and I are friends, right? What do you think that means?”
“Huh?”
Moon Woo-hyuk raised one eyebrow like it was the most obvious thing.
“It's the highest praise. Why ask something like that?”
Nice one, Moon Woo-hyuk.
“Exactly. It's a compliment. You two are both from rich families, loaded with talent, tons in common.”
I jumped in without missing a beat.
Song Ha-na glared at me murderously, still unsatisfied.
No panicking now.
“Sheesh. I'm richer, and I've got more talent.”
I weathered the glare, but at least her obsessive questioning stopped.
Moon Woo-hyuk shook his head at Song Ha-na's retort and just took his seat.
We'd almost gone nuts before the audition, but stopping here was a godsend.
Seventeen-year-olds are impossible to predict.
Feeling drained, I finally settled into my spot.
The four of us sat in a row, waiting relatively peacefully.
Like the others, Moon Woo-hyuk had gone quiet and was reviewing his script.
It was kind of amazing, really.
Compared to the start of the semester, he seemed like a different person.
Everyone was looking at scripts, but Moon Woo-hyuk's eyes stood out.
Was I imagining it?
I tilted my head, about to check my script one last time, when a staff member entered the waiting room.
“We're starting the 'Pyeongchang-dong 777' Tryout auditions now.”
No preamble—the Tryout auditions began right away.