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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Dance Test Pairings
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The next day, after my morning workout, Woo-sik, who had just woken up, greeted me with a yawn.
"Yawn. You're back?"
"You're just getting up now? I'm showering first."
Just in case, though it was unlikely, I slipped into the bathroom before he could grab me.
Woo-sik scanned the dorm room with half-closed eyes.
"When did he clean all this up?"
Last night, he'd begged for a party to celebrate my top score on the acting test.
In the end, we'd ordered a whole chicken and eaten it.
We'd eaten, chatted, and before we knew it, it was almost midnight, so we'd half-heartedly cleaned up and crashed.
But now, it was spotless.
"So thorough. Workout and cleaning first thing in the morning."
Woo-sik, who'd been spacing out, shook his head.
Then, with a happy grin, he flopped back onto his bed and closed his eyes.
Twenty minutes later.
Woo-sik was frantically getting ready in front of me, who was all set and watching.
"Uwaaaah!"
His screaming and scrambling around had become routine.
How does his throat never get sore from yelling like that every morning?
Watching him, I had to admit my own throat was on the weaker side.
I finally dragged the barely ready Woo-sik to the dance practice room.
In the hallway on the way to the dance practice room, I spotted familiar figures ahead.
It was Song Ha-na and Moon Woo-hyuk walking in front of us.
Looking at Woo-hyuk's lanky frame.
I wondered if he was okay.
I felt a twinge of worry.
I'd checked the acting test rankings announced last night, and Woo-hyuk was in 8th place.
With his personality and pride, he wouldn't let that slide. Should I avoid him today?
While I was pondering that.
"Hey! Hi!"
Cheongyeom Arts High's top social butterfly Woo-sik had already dashed over and greeted them brightly.
At his voice, the two turned to look our way.
What?
Woo-hyuk's expression looked better than I expected. Had he grown up overnight?
He seemed much more relaxed, and though I didn't know why, it was a relief.
On the other hand, I felt a bit sorry for him.
Even with a silver spoon, life wasn't all happiness.
I felt a little relieved that Woo-hyuk wouldn't be a hassle today.
Just a little.
"Hi."
Since Woo-sik had done it, I had no choice but to give them a light greeting too.
"Hi."
Look at that.
Who glares at their friend like that?
When Song Ha-na responded to my greeting, Woo-hyuk whipped his head around and shot her a fierce glare.
But Song Ha-na wasn't one to back down from Woo-hyuk's stare.
"What."
...Honestly, it was scary.
Woo-hyuk, hit by Song Ha-na's glare, turned to me with blazing eyes.
Why was I catching the stray bullet?
I sighed, figuring the hassle was still there after all.
Well, people who change all at once are the dangerous ones.
"See that? You see it?"
Woo-sik poked my side and whispered ventriloquist-style.
He thought Song Ha-na had greeted him and was grinning like an idiot.
But then,
"Huh...?"
Grinning Woo-sik froze in place.
"What the. Why's she coming over...?"
At his words, I looked up to see Song Ha-na turning fully around and heading our way.
No way she was reacting to Woo-sik's greeting, right?
Woo-sik drank the kimchi soup and quickly smoothed his hair.
But his pure heart was about to be shattered hard.
"You got 1st again."
Song Ha-na stood right in front of me, looking up without sparing Woo-sik a glance.
Now I felt bad for Woo-sik.
I gave her an awkward smile and replied.
This situation never got less weird no matter how much time passed.
Who'd have thought I'd be chatting with Song Ha-na like this?
"Yeah. Thanks."
"I didn't say congrats yet?"
Oh. Right.
Embarrassment flooded me at her blunt correction.
"You got 3rd. Congrats."
No comeback for that, so I tossed her a congrats first.
There. That felt natural enough.
"Are you making fun of me right now?"
Song Ha-na furrowed her brow and glared fiercely for a second.
What was with everyone this morning?
Nothing was going right.
"Does 1st place say congrats to 3rd? That's lame."
Back before my return, when I was way lower in the rankings, even congrats would've felt lame.
I muttered that inwardly.
Though back then, I couldn't even speak to her.
But even calling it lame, Song Ha-na didn't step away from me.
I got that I'd been unintentionally lame, but could she move now?
"Ha-na, you were awesome. Oh, and FYI, I got 14th."
Woo-sik jumped in at the perfect opening, emphasizing his rank hard.
This wasn't working.
Tonight, instead of workout, I needed to teach him some social awareness.
As I resolved to put him through hell training, sure enough, Song Ha-na shot Woo-sik a hard glare and looked back up at me.
"Did you interpret the script on your own?"
"Yeah. Why?"
So the conversation wasn't over.
Song Ha-na's lips moved like she was struggling to get the words out,
"Let's do it together later."
"Do what?"
"Script interpretation."
Suddenly? Why would I with you? My face said it all.
She hurriedly added an explanation.
"You're from a regular middle school. You'll have a fresher take than arts middle kids."
Song Ha-na spat it out sharply and turned on her heel, walking off quickly.
Stunned by her intense words, I just stared blankly at her retreating back, speechless.
"Ah... I should've gone to regular middle too... Shouldn't have done arts middle..."
Beside me, Woo-sik muttered mournfully.
Woo-sik... you were from arts middle?
***
Entering the dance practice room, the kids were scattered around chatting.
With the acting test results out last night, they had plenty to talk about.
Woo-sik had gone off to gossip somewhere, leaving me to enjoy some alone time.
"Congrats. I knew you'd get 1st."
Lee Cheong-ha, who'd just arrived, slid in next to me.
She must've run to avoid being late—sweat beaded on her forehead.
Kids these days just couldn't be trusted.
The dorm was right there, yet everyone came late.
"Thanks."
It was the fourth congrats I'd heard from this spot alone.
It made me think the kids were sweet.
Even as rivals, they came to congratulate the top scorer.
Yeah. Being nice was enough.
"How was the stage yesterday?"
I leaned in close to Lee Cheong-ha, checking that no one was nearby, and asked quietly.
Not for feedback, but about her stage fright.
Even whispering in case someone overheard, I avoided direct terms.
"Thanks to you. It was fine."
Lee Cheong-ha beamed, stroking her bracelet.
Talismans really worked wonders.
I felt proud, thinking it was the right choice.
"If you need help with acting, just say. I'll help."
Lee Cheong-ha's acting test rank was 11th.
Not bad, but her acting still lagged behind her singing.
Well, in the future, her acting would become flawless too.
But at my words, her face lit up instantly.
"Really? Then today too?!"
Heh. Coming in hot like that.
As I was about to say sure, the front door of the practice room opened.
"Quiet. Sit down."
Right on cue, Jung Hye-seon entered.
The chattering kids all took their seats and focused on her quietly.
"Singing and acting tests are done. What's next?"
Classic Cheongyeom Arts High.
"Dance test."
The students answered in unison like it was obvious.
"Right. Now for the most exciting dance test."
Jung Hye-seon grinned determinedly, like it was finally her turn.
Sorry, but Teacher, you're the only one excited.
What kind of school didn't give breaks?
No weekend trip home this time either.
"Our evaluation's different from singing and acting."
She wheeled over a whiteboard from the corner and wrote 'Collaboration Evaluation,' and I knew what was coming.
"The dance test will be done in collaboration with our school's music department—no audio tracks."
"Collaboration?!"
"Ugh, I don't know anyone there."
Some kids were shocked, others calm like they knew.
Our trio was predictably quiet. Who knew—they might've already locked in partners.
I'd heard the 1st-year 1st-semester dance test was always the same format.
Same format or not, one person here had experience.
"Music department has a lot of girls, right?"
Woo-sik pondered seriously next to me.
What to do with this guy.
"The key to the dance test is choreographing to just one instrument from your collaborator."
Most music, especially dance tracks, featured ensembles of various instruments.
Vocals counted as one instrument in singing parts, but dance songs were mostly instrumental, blending diverse tones.
Which instrument, which performer?
It was as crucial as the dance itself—this collab dance test.
"You can sing too if you want. No extra points, though. Up to you. Genre's free."
"Teacher, we're not in the same class as music dept. Will they cooperate?"
Song Ha-na with the question, as expected.
Scratching exactly where it itched without being prompted.
"The music kids get bonus points on their department eval for participating. They'll be more eager than you."
"Is it in the small theater again?"
"Yeah. Three weeks from now, Thursday this time, small theater."
"Live performance means rehearsals are essential."
Song Ha-na fired questions without breathing.
Her brain definitely spun faster than the others.
She seemed intent on preempting every variable.
"Rehearsal slots will be posted online. Max two per team, so book early once you have a partner."
Woo-sik muttered under his breath as he listened.
"Piano majors are gonna be swamped."
Oh? What's this, Woo-sik?
A proper thought for once—maybe he was getting serious.
Piano, as a solo instrument, filled any genre richly.
Undoubtedly the top pick for musical kids.
"My friend said the prettiest girl is a piano major..."
There it was. Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.
No matter how I looked at it, he didn't like Song Ha-na.
He just liked pretty girls.
Normal for this age, maybe.
I decided to let him have his innocent fun without comment.
Woo-sik kept muttering calculations after that.
Probably nonsense, so I tuned it out.
The kids were buzzing about the test.
"Everyone up!"
Jung Hye-seon finished the announcement and had them all stand.
"We're heading to the music department now."
"Huh? Right now?"
"We're matching today?!"
The kids' eyes went wide in unison at her words.
Right—her words jogged my memory of this happening before.
Cheongyeom Arts High's pace was something else.
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