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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: First Place
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1st place.
I did it.
It was a grade I'd never gotten even once before regressing.
Who would've thought I'd snag it right away on the first test at seventeen after coming back.
It felt like visible proof that this life really would be different.
"Do-hyun. We're really number one? For real?"
Lee Cheong-ha had sidled up at some point, her face on the verge of tears as she spoke.
No, her eyes were already red—she might've been crying.
"Yeah. Number one. Thanks for doing so well. I mean it."
"Sniff..."
When I flashed a big grin, she finally bowed her head and let the tears flow.
Someone might think it was overkill to react like that to just one first-place evaluation.
But anyone who knew Lee Cheong-ha's story wouldn't bat an eye.
This singing evaluation was the turning point that would completely change her past life—and her future.
I felt sorry for her crying, but seeing her like that brought me a deep sense of relief.
Honestly, it'd be a lie to say I wasn't on pins and needles.
Thank goodness I'd gotten the future world-conquering musical actress safely onstage.
If her stage fright had flared up worse this time, I'd have been in for a lifetime of restless nights.
***
We wrapped up the singing test without a hitch, and that evening, it was time for my one-on-one lesson.
The thrill of already taking 1st place had long since faded.
Still, I was buzzing with anticipation for my session with Ji-woong.
What expression would he make? What would he say?
He had to say something now that his student had come back with first place, right?
"Lee Do-hyun."
But the first words out of Ji-woong's mouth weren't about me.
I answered brightly with a "Yes," but what came back was this:
"You two already know each other?"
All my expectations for Ji-woong deflated in an instant at his question about my connection to Lee Cheong-ha.
Teacher, come on.
Is that really all you have to say to the student who just got 1st place?
"Well, you both came from regular middle schools, so maybe."
He was dragging it out—clearly curious about something.
"No. First time I saw her was when we started at this school."
"Really? Then how..."
I could practically see the gears turning in Ji-woong's furrowed brow.
This was a new experience.
He must've had a ton of questions: How did I know about her stage fright? Why'd I pick her? How'd I know she'd do well?
I waited leisurely, watching him mull over which to ask first.
"Nah. No issues practicing together?"
The question he finally landed on wasn't what I'd expected.
Ji-woong had to know about her stage fright.
He was her homeroom teacher, after all.
He had to be wondering if it showed up during our prep with me, and if so, how she'd overcome it to get onstage.
But out of everything, that was what bugged him most.
"Her stage fright—that's why you're asking, right?"
First, I confirmed he knew about it.
The way he was fishing made it clear he was wondering if I knew too.
There was a slim chance she'd overcome it on her own before, after all.
He probably figured he shouldn't spill about her trauma unless necessary.
No one would believe it, but Ji-woong was incredibly perceptive.
"Yeah. Spot on."
He responded to my counter-question calmly, without missing a beat.
"It's okay now?"
I'd thought he'd ask how we overcame it, but no.
Seeing him check on her current state, if the stage fright had improved, I was a little surprised.
Maybe he was an even better teacher than I'd given him credit for.
How old was he again?
All those years in teaching must've made him genuinely care about his students—it hit me a bit bittersweet.
"Yeah. Seems like talking a lot while meeting up put her at ease around me. We shared a bunch of stories..."
As I kept going, Ji-woong's face said, "Is that really it?"—waiting for more.
His furrowed brow screamed he wanted something specific.
Obvious.
Scratch all that touching stuff from before.
I could guess what was on Ji-woong's mind.
"You're not thinking I bullied her, rushed her, or forced her onstage or something, are you?"
No answer.
Fair worry for a teacher.
He didn't have the full picture on me yet.
But why did it sting so much?
I let out a quiet sigh inside.
No helping it.
The three years I'd spent with Ji-woong were mine alone.
"Absolutely not. Nothing like that. For real."
I waved my hands emphatically, but he didn't drop the skeptical look.
Come on, would someone coerced onto the stage fly like that?
Guess I'd have to spell it all out.
"I think shoving someone with stage fright in front of a crowd is outdated thinking. She had this fear of people too..."
In the end, I laid it all out in detail.
What we talked about at our first meeting, what happened on our walk, and so on.
"Above all, she trusted me a ton. I'm grateful for that."
Chest puffed with pride, that was it—no more to tell.
Ji-woong finally nodded.
"Good job."
My energy deflated.
I'd wanted praise for the stage, but this "good job" came from left field.
Still, hearing it like this—should I be happy?
No way. I had to say this.
"That hurts. What do you take me for?"
A cute plea from his student: Trust me more from now on.
I couldn't explain everything every time something came up.
"It's not that I don't trust you."
Huh?
"I stayed quiet because I wanted to hear what you had to say, what you were thinking."
His unexpected words shut me up cold.
"Then..."
"If you'd forced her onstage, we wouldn't have seen that performance today."
Whoa...
Hold up—he'd trusted me from the start, Lee Do-hyun.
That how it landed, right?
"Alright, let's start the lesson."
Ji-woong stood, clearing his chair.
I stared up at him blankly.
"What? Think you get the day off 'cause it's your 1st-place day?"
My face soured on reflex.
That wasn't why I'd stared.
I just had more I wanted to hear.
"No way."
I give up.
That "good job" earlier was probably it.
Figuring no more praise today, I stood—and practice began right away.
"Sing just your part from today's number again. No accompaniment. Focus on the resonance we've drilled the last three weeks."
"Got it."
I stood before him as he settled in and started singing.
Without the backing track, my voice's shortcomings hit my ears raw, unlike earlier.
"You're tensing up. Relax."
As I sang on without pause, Ji-woong coached relentlessly from the side.
I'd grown a ton in just three weeks, no doubt.
Resonance-wise, he barely nagged.
I even looked comfortable handling the number.
Talent.
Do-hyun had shown it on stage today too.
Ji-woong pondered seriously.
The resonance point where sound and vibration connect.
Even once found, it's easily lost.
Yet Do-hyun nailed what we'd learned before without a hitch—pure instinct.
It took insane focus and feel to pull that off.
"Stop."
No need to hear more.
"Something wrong?"
Honestly, even I wasn't thrilled with my singing. Plenty wrong, probably.
But on my 1st-place day? It bummed me out, so I asked about the sudden cutoff.
"Like I said last time, resonance is basic. Key is holding that feel. Never go back to that garbage vocalization."
Not quite the answer to "what's wrong," but close.
Couldn't help it—my lips curled up.
Telling me to maintain the feel meant I was doing well.
Pre-regression experience plus post-regression grind paying off—proud moment.
Garbage vocalization, though.
Wonder what face he'd make knowing I'd used it till thirty-three.
"Saw it on your singing test stage today—breath running low at the end. No issue now, so probably fixed in practice too."
Teacher knows best. Didn't miss the stage critique.
"Pacing onstage. Essential for musical actors facing tons of variables and high stamina demands."
Ji-woong nailed it.
The instant Cheong-ha hit her first note, I'd gotten hyped without thinking.
I'd tried suppressing extra emotions for the performance, but couldn't match practice pace, like he said.
Cheong-ha was my excuse, but no excuses this life.
"Got it. I'll keep it in mind."
Now he'd unload on handling that essential: pacing, control, etc.
I steeled myself, eyes on him.
"That's it for today."
Shockingly, Ji-woong tidied the metal chair, calling it.
"Today too?"
Didn't you just say no day off even on 1st place?
"Told you—gotta baby those cords. They were tense today. Let 'em rest."
Master of push-pull.
Grumbling, I cleaned up—then he tossed out:
"Anything you wanna eat?"
"Eat?"
"Wait at the main gate at dinner time. Pick something. Rest in the dorm till then."
Such a tsundere teacher.
Gotta play along.
Relaxed cords, proper vocalization.
"Yes!"
Ji-woong muttered, watching Do-hyun leave with a goofy grin.
"Kid acts seventeen sometimes."
Prepping that test stage while reading his classmate Lee Cheong-ha's heart too.
Not just anyone could do it.
Even pro adult actors who endure that much for a partner? Few and far between.
All while steadily honing his own skills, never skipping drills or assignments.
First time in 1-on-1s with me anyone trained this diligently.
Everyone else dodged the "quirky" stuff.
Kid gets it better than most adults too.
Not the first time I've wondered if he's really seventeen.
Time to admit it.
For this rough gem Lee Do-hyun, just starting to shine, my ambitions were growing.
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