บท 13: Practice with Cheo Jung-hwa

"Don't hit me like that every time you want to call me," Joon-won grumbled, rubbing his back as he turned to face Cheo Jung-hwa. She stood there with a mischievous grin. Despite his inherited memories, he wasn't familiar enough with her to tolerate such casual familiarity.

"Don't whine like a kid over a little tap. You're just too weak," she retorted, hands on her hips, exuding an air of authority. "I waited for you for 15 minutes and sent a bunch of messages. Since you didn't reply, I had to come and get you. Now, why are you staring at that idiotic group like a lost puppy instead of coming to our practice room?"

Her commanding tone was punctuated by a frown, and Joon-won felt a pang of guilt. He had forgotten their commitment to practice together for the upcoming exam. It was actually Cheo Jung-hwa who had approached him the previous week, insisting they practice to improve his performance. Although he now had the skills to manage on his own, he stood up, retrieved the script from his bag, and gestured for her to lead the way.

As they exited the classroom and headed towards the practice room, Joon-won reflected on how much effort Jung-hwa had put into helping him last week. She had taken time out of her own schedule to push him to practice more diligently. His impression of her improved as he realized how genuinely she had tried to assist him.

After a few minutes of walking, Jung-hwa stopped in front of a small room that looked more like a storage space. Boxes were stacked in the corners, and a few chairs were scattered around. Two chairs were placed opposite each other in the center, ready for their practice session.

Joon-won took the chair on the right, noting that Jung-hwa's bag occupied the one on the left. She rummaged through her bag, finally producing a set of papers which she handed to him before sitting down.

"Joon-won, let's focus on my role today. I need your help with the dialogues, especially the scenes with the main heroine. Those are crucial for my part," she explained, her tone softer, as if trying not to discourage him.

He nodded, appreciating her careful choice of words. "Alright, let's get started."

She looked relieved and settled into her chair, burying her nose in the script.

Joon-won glanced at the script she handed him, recognizing it as the full drama script. Jung-hwa's role was significant—one of the heroine's best friends, with substantial dialogue and screen time.

Reflecting on Jung-hwa's role, he recalled how she had secured such an important part. Despite the biased distribution of roles by Roh Ji, Jung-hwa had caught the eye of the vice-dean, who noticed her talent and intervened. This fortunate twist had earned her a major role, but it also brought complications. Roh Ji, unhappy with the vice-dean's interference, retaliated by spreading malicious rumors about Jung-hwa, suggesting she had seduced the vice-dean to get the role. These rumors tarnished her reputation and caused her undue stress.

Moreover, Roh Ji's vendetta extended to Joon-won when she noticed him practicing with Jung-hwa. She had unceremoniously downgraded his role to a minor one. The old Joon-won, lacking the courage to stand up to Roh Ji, had accepted the change without complaint, not wanting to burden Jung-hwa with the knowledge that her support had indirectly led to his demotion.

Joon-won sighed inwardly. "The old Joon-won was such a pushover," he thought. "No wonder he got easily influenced by someone like Mo Yang. If he had shown a bit more backbone, maybe I wouldn't be stuck with this tiny, pathetic role."

His thoughts shifted to Jung-hwa. Despite her lack of standout looks, her acting skills had earned her recognition from a key figure in the university. It was no wonder she was confident about aiming for the Star Batch. He decided to support her in their practice, respecting her dedication and talent.

Resolute, Joon-won turned his attention to the script, reading it thoroughly. The storyline confirmed his earlier suspicion—it was clichéd and predictable, the kind of trashy narrative that made his current role feel like an exercise in futility.

He focused on the characters interacting with Jung-hwa's, finding the dialogues easy to memorize due to their formulaic nature. He quickly familiarized himself with her scenes, understanding the flow and emotional beats.

An hour passed swiftly. Jung-hwa stood, asking, "Are you ready, or do you need more time? I can wait if you're not prepared."

Her cautious tone brought a chuckle from Joon-won. "No, it's fine. I'm ready." He stood, script in hand.