Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: First Day of Scene Acting
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I parted ways with Choi Min-jun after lunch. Unlike in high school, college students only shared a few overlapping classes, with schedules that otherwise differed greatly. I pulled up the timetable I'd set 30 years ago on the Everyday app.
'Packed it so diligently from day one, huh.'
It made sense to schedule empty days full of free periods for better time management. Still, I understood the reasoning. Anyway, I checked the next class.
[1:00 ~ 3:00 – Scene Acting.]
'A second-year course this time.'
Last time, I'd been stuck with the freshmen due to retakes, but now I'd run into my cohort. There would be plenty of underclassmen from lower years in the same grade, but quite a few returning students like me too.
'Hope no one picks a fight for no reason.'
In my previous life, I'd lived well past Lee Jong-myeong's age, so I didn't let college kids' teasing or mockery get to me much. After all, college students who were just big-bodied with little real-world experience weren't all that different from high schoolers.
Geumsol Hall room 311, where Scene Acting was held. Even though it was an acting class, it focused on theory, analysis, and script reading, so it took place in a standard lecture hall. No need to lay out mats every time, and the stretching was minimal—perfect for me right now. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt a group's eyes on me. Despite the class not starting for a while, plenty of students were already there. Ignoring the stares, I dropped my bag in a corner seat and unpacked.
Bzzz.
Before I could even finish pulling out my stationery, a KakaoTalk popped up.
[Choi Min-jun: Just stopped by the department office and applied to staff your sister's project.]
Poor little lamb. Falling for that profile pic and marching right into the lion's den.
Bzzz.
[Choi Min-jun: But why don't siblings look alike? If anything, she seems even more stunning because of it.]
This guy?
Tap tap. Tap tap tap.
I fired off a reply.
[?? Sis takes after Dad, I take after Mom. Did you just diss my mom's looks?]
The "1" vanished instantly, and a response came right back.
Bzzz.
[Your mask always seemed kinda special. Hollywood vibe? Is your mom American?]
Was this guy always like this?
'He's upbeat and sociable, but not this flighty...'
I wrapped up the chat vaguely and pocketed my phone.
"Hey, Lid."
A familiar yet slightly offensive nickname. I turned around.
A male student stood there, brimming with bravado.
"Kim Jin-su?"
The moment I saw his face, I remembered why "Lid" grated on me. Back in Film Department XX class year, someone had joked I was the last one through the door—like a lid closing. It stuck as my nickname, courtesy of Kim Jin-su here.
"Thought you'd dropped out. How'd you manage to reenroll?"
His posse snickered from a short distance away.
"Jin-su, come on~. Ease up~. Kid's already stressed~."
"Heh heh. Draining Mom and Dad's savings on tuition again, flushing it down the drain~."
They'd been needling me like that from freshman year right up to graduation eve. Just because I wasn't from an arts high school and had no talent.
Now? It was almost cute. I'd been through far worse in my previous life. Plus, I had zero interest in acting anymore, so it didn't faze me at all. Kim Jin-su, with his short gayle cut, checked his hair—styled stiff with curl cream and hairspray—in his phone screen. Still glued to it, he kept yapping while fussing with his locks.
"Transfer majors now? Or change departments. Might actually help your career that way."
I replied flatly.
"Changing departments has strict requirements, so no. Planning to apply for a double major soon, though."
Our school required a minor, double major, or advanced major to graduate. Other departments picked ones that helped their careers even a little. But Film Department students fixated on one path—most went for the advanced major, piling on more specialized courses. They assumed I'd do the same, so my casual answer caught them off guard.
"Wh-what??"
His cronies were stunned too.
"A double major...?"
"Y-yeah, better to quit early if it doesn't work out."
Like they'd expected something else. Adorable. Midway through bantering with them, a worry bubbled up, distracting me.
'Declaring a double major might weird out the family.'
Going all-in on acting then suddenly doubling in business? They might flip. No need to worry them, so I'd keep it secret for now—until I had solid plans and visible results.
Kim Jin-su, still itching to provoke, pressed on clingily.
"Hah, so where's His Excellency planning to double? Hmm? Let's hear it."
I shrugged.
"Got any recommendations? Where's hot for jobs these days?"
"..."
Struck dumb, one of his posse spoke up instead.
"Traditionally, business, or something synergistic like media communications? There's a job fair at COEX soon..."
"Hey! Sh-shut up, you department staff or what!? Why explain it step by step!?"
Things not going his way, he huffed off in a tantrum. The onlookers looked baffled.
"Yoo Ha-jin must've learned Taekwondo in the army. Brushes off provocations like a pro."
"Used to just take it silently before. Back after two years and totally changed."
I didn't care what my cohort gossiped about.
'Scene Acting's with Im Se-hee, right? Just orientation today then. Ends early, so nap somewhere after.'
I yawned hugely, covering my mouth. Tears welled up.
A diner near J University. Tired of cafeteria food, students flocked here—and professors too, often. Tables held jeeyuk bokkeum, codfish grill, pork kimchi jjigae, and more. The aromas made mouths water, but the professors had a juicier topic.
"Lots of familiar faces reenrolled this semester."
"Guys go to the army, so they vanish in droves and return the same way."
Im Se-hee, a working actress and Film Department prof, took a bite of dried anchovies and asked,
"Professor Nam, keep telling me about Yoo Ha-jin."
The profs tilted their heads.
"Why him?"
"...He quit acting? Dropping out?"
"Sad, but... honestly, better to pivot careers now. Someone had to tell him. Good for him in the end."
As mentioned, people remember not just top ranks but crushing last places too. Yoo Ha-jin was a hot potato for the profs—sore spot for some, headache for others. He seemed to try hard, but his skills were abysmal.
But Im Se-hee's next words shattered expectations.
"No... if Professor Nam's description holds, the Yoo Ha-jin we knew came back a totally different person."
"Plastic surgery?"
"Aigoo~. Wrong direction~. Should've practiced to boost acting, not primp."
"Desperate times, kids try anything. Fillers and double eyelid surgery are common now. His looks were fine before, though."
Sensing the tangent, Im Se-hee intervened.
"No. Yoo Ha-jin showed up with skyrocketing acting skills??"
"Huh??"
"C'mon, what're you saying~."
"Mix-up with a student? Professor Nam's new this year."
Nam Jun-young, fed up, countered.
"Might there be a mistake, professors? The Yoo Ha-jin I saw couldn't be a poor student."
Puzzled reactions.
"He was rock bottom, so any improvement isn't weird..."
"Late bloomers happen. How good? Matching other students now?"
Just matching others? Yoo Ha-jin? Nam Jun-young wanted to pound his chest in frustration.
"Not pranking a newbie like me, right? Feels like hidden cam otherwise... Yoo Ha-jin wasn't last place—he was top, no, beyond college level."
"Really?"
He almost said "pro" but held back. It'd just fuel suspicion.
Im Se-hee topped her rice with grilled codfish, chewed thoroughly, swallowed, then spoke.
"Yoo Ha-jin's in my afternoon class. I'll see for myself and report back."
"That'll settle it."
"Im's known him since before."
The topic lapsed into lull.
'If Yoo Ha-jin's grown, great... but hmm... doubtful.'
As a prof, Im Se-hee had to stay neutral. Yet she secretly rooted for him. No talent, no background—a true dullard. Even his genius director-major sister outshone him. If Nam had just mistaken him, it'd sadden her. Proving effort alone could triumph was a fairy tale, not reality.
The university didn't ring bells. When time came, students sat; profs arrived.
"Hello! Wow~! So many familiar faces!"
Im Se-hee entered on schedule. While electronic attendance auto-checked, she ran orientation.
"Midterms are theory, but finals are group presentations instead. That's it for explanations... Shall we dive in?"
Question marks floated over students' heads—including mine.
'What day is it!? Why orientation then straight to class!? No, more importantly... this wasn't how it went before regression!?'
In my previous life, this class had ended after orientation.
Ignoring my shock, Im Se-hee continued.
"I'll randomly assign groups via program~. Then discuss with handouts and your group. Presentations start right after~."
I frantically recalled.
'What'd we do first class?'
Scene Acting: interpreting and performing scenes from works your way. Comics, novels, plays, dramas, films—no limits. Dusting off memories like an old book, it hit me.
'Some webtoon, I think. Not hard, just wing it. Hope it's not different from before...'
I pondered briefly, then shrugged it off. How tough could a change be?