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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Dream Broadway's Opening Number
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Dream Broadway's opening song, huh.
I never imagined that song title coming out of a freshman's mouth.
"Not an easy song."
Jung Hye-seon showed interest as she prepared the track.
In that brief downtime, he recalled the day of the audition before his regression.
Even though he'd lost the spot to an idol, he'd secured it with this very dance.
To think he'd be dancing it again at this school, back at seventeen—such a strange feeling washed over him.
But no other dance came to mind.
Somehow, it felt like this was the dance he had to do right here, right now.
Ding—
The opening kicked in, and the dance began with arms extended into the air.
Recalling that audition day, he poured everything into his toes and fingertips, giving it his all.
Tap-tap-tap.
"Tap dance?"
Jung Hye-seon was startled by the footwork.
The music drowned out her voice, but she blurted it out in surprise anyway.
She hadn't been teaching at this school for that long, but this was the first time tap dance had popped up in a free dance test.
Not surprising, since everyone at first was busy showing off: Look how good I am at this, I can do that too.
As a result, they mostly went for elegant choices like ballet or modern dance.
Kids good enough to get into Cheongyeom Arts High usually came prepped with early training at home anyway.
Or they'd straight-up copy complex choreography from famous musicals.
Tap dance was something needed only in specific scenes of specific musicals.
So hardly any kids this age had picked it up.
Meanwhile,
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
Tadadadadadatak.
The movements were too polished for a seventeen-year-old to claim they'd learned them somewhere.
The flashy foot sounds from one person bounced crisply off the practice room walls.
The faster and flashier his feet got, the wider the students' mouths gaped.
Those feet moved quicker, even quicker, without ever tangling—flexible yet precise, claiming every spot.
The trio in the front row watching him had expressions that were anything but ordinary.
'What the... Vocals, acting, dance too? Better than Moon Woo-hyuk... Wait, did I just think that guy's better than Woo-hyuk?'
Song Ha-na was shocked at her own thought, her face twisting up.
Feeling unsettled, she glanced at Moon Woo-hyuk next to her, and his expression was a sight.
Just from his face, you could tell exactly what he was thinking.
Lee Do-hyun is a threat.
Annoying.
I want to beat him.
'Why'd he even learn to talk? He's saying it all with his face anyway.'
Song Ha-na turned away, thinking Moon Woo-hyuk was an idiot.
No matter which way she turned, irritation boiled inside her.
Amid it all, Kim Sun-woo watched Do-hyun gliding freely over the melody like he was flying, with keen interest.
Finally, the tap dance ended, and applause poured in.
Woo-sik was naturally leading the charge, and unexpectedly, even Jung Hye-seon was clapping.
"Lee Do-hyun. When did you start learning dance?"
Grinning at her impressed tone, he answered.
Guess it hadn't all been for nothing.
"I've liked it since I was little."
"Kids who've trained since childhood are a dime a dozen here. But your lines are something else. Impressive, Lee Do-hyun."
Jung Hye-seon wasn't just surprised by the tap dance itself.
The rhythm, the lines he flashed midway, the composure—nothing was lacking.
The only flaw? Stamina.
Toward the end, his slightly uneven breathing made things unstable, or maybe his power dipped on big moves?
But that stuff could be built up with time.
"Thank you."
Watching him bow politely to the praise and head back to his seat, admiration spilled out naturally.
With skills like that, no attitude problems either.
"Good work. Sit down and catch your breath."
Jung Hye-seon said with a very pleased smile.
Sweat-drenched, he sat in a spot away from the others.
Hoo. Hoo.
Catching his breath, he replayed the dance in his head.
So many regrets.
It hadn't gone as well as hoped.
Compared to before his regression, he hadn't even hit half the feel he wanted.
Makes sense—he'd once landed a solid pro role thanks to his tap skills.
Even then, the tap dance had played a bigger part than singing.
His voice was still weak right after recovering from vocal cord nodules.
Having experienced peak condition, the shortcomings hit hard.
He probably wouldn't fill that gap until he got his body back in shape.
Woo-sik sneaked over, glancing at Jung Hye-seon.
"Hey, what the hell are you? Huh? What? Bro... Do-hyun bro."
"Why am I your bro?"
Hearing Woo-sik call him bro sent chills down his spine for a second.
Not that he was really a bro—being called uncle was more familiar, honestly.
"If you're cool, you're bro. Do-hyun bro. Teach me some tap too, bro."
His clingy cuteness cracked him up despite himself.
The kid could pull this off and still be adorable.
"Next, Song Ha-na."
Song Ha-na had deep knowledge of dance from childhood.
Rumor had it before his regression she had several private tutors on payroll.
Her expression was downright ferocious.
Waiting for her song, Song Ha-na's face was beyond intimidating—it was eerie.
You'd think someone's life was on the line.
But...
Is she glaring at me...?
He couldn't believe it, but Song Ha-na was indeed staring him down with that same look.
He tried to look away, but her song started right then.
True to form, she delivered flawless, pro-level dance lines.
"Next, Moon Woo-hyuk."
After Song Ha-na finished, Moon Woo-hyuk stood up.
"Whoa, he's tall."
When the seated Moon Woo-hyuk rose, the practice room suddenly felt smaller.
"Do well."
As she passed, Song Ha-na whispered it to him.
Less encouragement than pressure, but Moon Woo-hyuk didn't seem bothered.
Moon Woo-hyuk had a knack for broadcast dance. His size hurt his balance, so ballet was a bust.
He was big from height, but not bulky yet—no grotesque build.
It meshed perfectly with broadcast dance.
As he showed off hip work, a few girls cheered.
Jung Hye-seon smiled contentedly too.
But Woo-hyuk's gaze during the dance was locked straight on him.
At the end, he struck an idol-ending pose, panting, but shot over a burning stare.
...Why do they all do this to an old guy?
Starting to get scary.
"Why's he staring at you like that? Hitting on you?"
As if.
Even Woo-sik noticed Woo-hyuk's gaze and whispered.
Less scary, more burdensome—he subtly avoided Moon Woo-hyuk's eyes without thinking.
If it wasn't real flirting, he wished the guy would just stop looking already.
Once Moon Woo-hyuk's test wrapped, the earlier numbers went one by one, leaving only Kim Sun-woo.
"Kim Sun-woo. Last one, huh?"
Jung Hye-seon had high hopes for the top student too.
Kim Sun-woo stepped up leisurely, no pressure of going last.
"Expectations from being top might be a burden, huh?"
Jung Hye-seon teased with a smile, probing his reaction.
"Not a burden just because I'm top."
Kim Sun-woo replied with his usual kind smile.
But right then, his gaze locked onto him.
"Might've been a little burdensome if I was after someone else."
All eyes turned his way at those words.
What face do you even make in this situation?
He'd never dealt with anything like this, even at thirty-three.
"Hmm. So the top dog's acknowledging a dancer, eh?"
Jung Hye-seon played dumb, knowing full well who he meant.
Her expression screamed she was enjoying this.
"Yeah. I'll just focus on what I can do."
A loaded line, heavy with meaning.
It sounded like admitting he couldn't match Do-hyun in dance.
He couldn't help but admire it.
That kid could say stuff like that at his age.
Like he had a hundred sly foxes inside him.
Not something a seventeen-year-old would say.
No way he's on his second life too, right?
"Did I hear that wrong?"
Moon Woo-hyuk and Song Ha-na exchanged baffled looks.
They'd never seen the great Kim Sun-woo acknowledge anyone.
For him to recognize some guy he barely knew, not even from an arts middle school.
Song Ha-na quietly bit her lip, not expecting someone to beat her to it.
"Alright, let's start?"
At Jung Hye-seon's cue, Kim Sun-woo nodded and took position.
His hand sliced through the air like grabbing it, and the dance began.
Kim Sun-woo's specialty was modern dance, with its freer expression.
Shorter than Moon Woo-hyuk, but his long arms and legs moved with delicate finesse, highlighting graceful lines.
Long, elegant fingers—every fingertip, every toe was detailed as he dominated the floor.
"Nice, especially going last—no nerves, total poise."
Panting, Kim Sun-woo bowed and returned to his seat.
Jung Hye-seon scanned the class and wrapped up.
"Good work, everyone. You kids are gonna be fun to teach."
Her pleased smile praised them all.
Unlike the previous two teachers, this contrasted her fierce debut image.
The 'tiger teacher' nickname fit—she approached students with real heart.
Praise when good, criticism when not, always with encouragement.
Her gaze lingered on him and Kim Sun-woo.
"Looks like a semester worth looking forward to."
***
Once all the other classes ended, it was homeroom time.
What a drag.
Sitting at a desk for seven full periods straight after so long—it itched.
"Hey, quiet down."
Huh Ji-woong slammed the attendance book on his desk twice.
The bustling post-class noise died instantly.
"One-on-one matching tests are done. Piece of cake, right? No fighting over rankings. Guidance teacher candidates are in the handouts being passed out now."
At Huh Ji-woong's order, the front-row student started passing them around.
"Overall evaluation first place."
Drumroll—
He said it plainly, and the class drummed desks in unison.
Musical kids, alright—even this was pure showmanship.
"Too loud."
The room went silent in a flash at his words.
Knew it.
Huh Ji-woong had always hated rowdy vibes.
"That's harsh, Teacher..."
"Ignoring you, Woo-sik. First place: Kim Sun-woo."
He blew off Woo-sik and announced from the top.
New freshman top dog taking first—expected, really.
The other kids nodded along, accepting it.
"Second place."
At the words, Song Ha-na and Moon Woo-hyuk subtly eyed each other.
They used to sit glued together everywhere, but now Kim Sun-woo was sandwiched between them—tension clear.
"Lee Do-hyun."
Oh no.
His name rang out, and Moon Woo-hyuk whipped around to him—just as he was already looking that way. Eyes locked.
A bit embarrassed, an awkward smile slipped out.