1st in Class Hides Regression - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Top Student Hides Her Regression
Episode 17
Correct.
(4) Drama Club.
‘I do well in academics, but I don’t have anything on my student activity record to show leadership or teamwork.’
That’s just an excuse.
The old me got interested in drama because I kept seeing theatre posters on Seo Jae-gyeom’s social media, so I joined the club.
When someone you like enjoys something, you end up liking it too.
Since Han Ji-su was joining the Drama Club anyway, I jumped in right alongside her.
‘Though Seo Jae-gyeom himself is in Archery Club or Basketball Club, I think.’
After the regression, I briefly considered switching to a different club, but if I changed now when we’re already eating lunch separately, Han Ji-su would feel hurt, so I decided to stay.
But this Drama Club had one fatal flaw.
Namely.
“Jung Eun-sung?”
The fact that Jung Eun-sung was also in the Drama Club…….
Han Ji-su opened the club room door and gasped when she saw Jung Eun-sung already sitting there waiting.
Jung Eun-sung merely glanced up at her with his eyes before turning his gaze away without a greeting.
“Eun-sung decided to participate as a Drama Club member starting today.”
The club advisor appeared behind me, clearly hesitant, and delivered the announcement.
Han Ji-su greeted the tall teacher in a crisp white shirt and gentle demeanor with visible awkwardness.
“Hello….”
“Hi. Hey.”
Lee Mong-ryong, who teaches Korean History.
Early thirties, graduate of Dongsuk University, his wife is a two-years-older accountant also from the same alma mater.
Lenient by nature, but strict when it comes to student conduct and attitude.
From what I remember, Han Ji-su was scolded by this teacher once back in freshman year.
Han Ji-su, who rarely gets criticized by teachers, seems to find him intimidating since then, but I rather like him. He’s fair, has clear standards, and doesn’t discriminate based on grades.
He’s one of two teachers who happened to end up with unflattering rumors connected to Do Ha-jun.
Lee Mong-ryong turned to look at me and asked,
“You’re in the same class as Eun-sung, right?”
“Yes.”
“Are you close?”
“We’re bitter enemies.”
“How’s that?”
The teacher set down his book on the lectern and laughed.
Behind me, the freshman girls who had signed up for the club for their own reasons and now found themselves blessed with Jung Eun-sung’s presence brightened, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
After the teacher counted the freshman numbers and, closing the club room door, declared that “Drama Club recruitment is complete—we’re not accepting anyone else,” they became even more animated.
“Hey.”
While I was chatting with the teacher, Han Ji-su, already seated, casually struck up a conversation with Jung Eun-sung.
“I’m Han Ji-su. Class 1. You’re Jung Eun-sung, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re super popular in our class, by the way.”
“…….”
“Why didn’t you join the Band Club? Do you like theatre?”
‘Yeah, seriously. Why are you here?’
I’d wondered the same thing before the regression.
Since he was an aspiring singer with an agency already signed, I figured he’d just skip club time to sleep or leave early anyway.
But now—theatre, out of nowhere.
And from what I remember, Jung Eun-sung was quite dedicated to Drama Club activities.
He even took leading roles.
“With Eun-sung here now, we don’t have to worry about selling out all our tickets this year.”
Han Ji-su chattered on excitedly.
As I heard Han Ji-su, the club president, giving Jung Eun-sung her phone number and was removing the cardigan I’d worn in, Jung Eun-sung’s gaze—his chin propped on his hand—suddenly turned toward me.
“…Why?”
“Why are you here?”
“…Because I’m interested in theatre?”
“Hmm.”
What. Why. What.
The moment my expression twisted at that tone, Jung Eun-sung smiled.
It felt ominous…….
“Han Ji-su.”
“Huh? Jung Eun-sung?”
“We’re deciding on the end-of-semester performance today, right?”
“Yeah…?”
“Let’s do a musical.”
“A musical?”
“Where did that come from all of a sudden…?”
I asked, bewildered. Jung Eun-sung turned to look at me and smirked.
“You can’t sing, remember.”
“…….”
Ah, so he just wants to mess with me, then?
That bastard.
The Drama Club puts on a single production at the year-end festival.
With a year of rehearsal, we have plenty of time, but we still needed to decide what play to perform by early March.
“The second-year students—eleven of them—will handle direction and acting, while the first-year students—twelve of you—will manage the props, costumes, and other details. This year, watch how the seniors run things and learn well; next year, you’ll take the lead.”
Lee Mong-ryong, our advisor, gave a brief explanation and then stepped back, making it clear he wouldn’t interfere.
Han Ji-su summarized the plan.
“As you all know, any money we make from ticket sales goes entirely to charity. The more we sell, the more we can donate, right? Let’s pick something easy and fun that everyone knows. We want it so people can come in late and catch the middle and still be fine.”
“Oh, then….”
“I was thinking….”
Various opinions surfaced.
The problem was.
“How about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Didn’t you hear what Han Ji-su said? We’re supposed to do something everyone knows.”
“Who doesn’t know Romeo and Juliet?”
“I don’t.”
“Okay….”
“I think it’s fine though? The story’s simple enough.”
“Simple? The names alone are so damn foreign.”
“…It’s not like we’re dealing with Katerina Ivanovna Verkhovtseva or something. If three syllables—Juliet—is too hard for you, maybe you should just….”
He was a villain, objecting to everything.
Deciding on a play shouldn’t normally take this long.
Our goal was to sell out every ticket.
We had the popular Han Ji-su and Jung Eun-sung, so we’d cast them as the leads and sell tickets on their faces alone.
Everyone was coming to see their faces anyway—why would the story matter? As long as it wasn’t catastrophically bad, we were fine.
Whether we did Romeo and Juliet or The Tale of the Rabbit’s Liver didn’t really matter.
But then.
“Look, the name Juliet just isn’t familiar to Korean ears, you know?”
Do Ha-jun. The popularity-vote favorite. Go-go-go High School’s Mark Zuckerberg.
This guy had joined the Drama Club back in first year trying to hit on Han Ji-su, and he’d been obstinately opposing us and making our lives difficult ever since.
The kids who’d been trying to find compromise at first were getting visibly irritated as Do Ha-jun’s obstruction-for-obstruction’s-sake continued.
I held back a sigh and asked him flat out.
“So what do you want to do instead?”
“#$(#$)~Something about a younger sister~#$(#$)”
“???”
“???”
“You don’t know that? It’s a super famous anime.”
“What even is that….”
I pressed my forehead into my palm.
‘Do Ha-jun hasn’t changed, whether it’s before the regression or after.’
“Listen… that obscure Japanese anime nobody’s ever heard of is way less famous than Romeo and Juliet, okay?”
“But it’s more culturally familiar to us.”
“To you! I grew up watching American dramas!”
One of the second-year students finally snapped.
“Sherlock, you know? Sherlock?! 221B Baker Street, boom!”
Sherlock is a British drama.
“The only Japanese name familiar to me is Ito Hirobumi!”
Same here.
‘What did we end up performing before the regression…’
In the end, unable to overcome Do Ha-jun’s stubborn insistence, I think we did that bizarre play and got completely humiliated for it.
I can see the dark history forming right before my eyes, and I can’t just stand by and watch it happen.
Quick, think of something—anything. Literally anything would be better than Do Ha-jun’s suggestion. Something famous! Anything famous!
As my mind raced, the teacher sitting at the desk—Lee Mong-ryong—looked our way and walked in.
“How about The Story of Chunhyang? Every Korean knows that tale.”
“It’s anachronistic.”
…….
Jung Eun-sung, who had been quiet, clenched his fists.
Regardless, Do Ha-jun pressed on in an eager voice.
“That’s basically just a story about a rich, handsome guy saving a kisaeng, right? Korean Cinderella.”
…….
“How about we do that sister anime thing? Nobody doesn’t know it these days. They just released the eighth movie recently.”
…….
“There’s that part where the girl gets beaten up? If we do bruise makeup on her face and rip her shirt, it’ll look totally realistic.”
…….
“Chunhyang is absolutely not happening. How much longer are we going to recycle the same tired plot where a man rescues a woman?”
“Do Ha-jun….”
Han Ji-su was furious.
I placed my hand on Ji-su’s arm, her jaw clenched tight. I spoke up.
“You’re right. Your point stands.”
“Exactly? See, I—”
“In reality, there aren’t that many men as handsome and wealthy as Lee Mong-ryong. Besides, we have The Tale of Princess Pyeonggang, The Biography of Lady Park—stories where women do the saving. That’s more natural to our sensibilities anyway. So let’s flip the gender roles.”
I looked across at Jung Eun-sung.
“You play Chun-hyang. Put that pretty face of yours to good use.”
…….
“And about the bruise makeup and ripping the shirt—let’s do it. Why waste a good shirt tearing it? Let’s have him strip entirely. Then lock him in a cell and add some fake blood—that’ll really sell it.”
I leaned forward toward Jung Eun-sung, who was staring at me with his mouth hanging open.
I lowered my voice and whispered.
“Agree right now. Or do you want to do that sister anime thing instead and create some dark history that’ll follow you even after you debut?”
The kind of thing people bring up again and again?
“Come on.”
I pressed him.
Jung Eun-sung gritted his teeth and called out my name.
“…Ngh, mmph.”
“What?”
“I’ll do it. I’m fine with whatever.”
What was he saying?
“Sir, Jung Eun-sung says he’s okay with it.”
“Really?”
Lee Mong-ryong’s face brightened as he gave his approval.
Clearly the teacher didn’t want to do the sister anime thing either.
“So Han Ji-su will be Lee Mong-ryong?”
“Perfect. I like it.”
“The tickets will sell well.”
“It’s refreshing.”
“Anything’s better than that sister anime thing, isn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
While everyone except Do Ha-jun seemed satisfied, I winked at Jung Eun-sung, whose ears had turned bright red.
Make the sacrifice.
Jae, you owe me big time.
* * *
In the end, Jung Eun-sung would play Chun-hyang, Han Ji-su would play Lee Mong-ryong, and I would direct.
It’s not like I took the director role because I was worried Jung Eun-sung would have to sing.
I simply wanted to direct.
Really, I did.
“I actually wanted to do something like Death of a Salesman.”
“Chunhyang isn’t so bad. Let’s learn to love what’s ours.”
“Do Ha-jun is completely insane…. God, he’s insufferable.”
“He’s going to get beaten up by the people of Namwon for that.”
Cursing Do Ha-jun together with Ji-su, I headed back up to the fourth floor where the classroom was for closing homeroom.
But then.
“Huh?”
A crowd of students had gathered outside the back door of our classroom.
“What’s going on?”
I slipped inside alone, leaving Han Ji-su waiting by the entrance—she wasn’t allowed in our classroom, anyway.
The students clustered around the cubbies turned to stare at me in unison.
“Da-hye…”
“…That thing…”
Don’t tell me it’s my locker.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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