Class 9
The notice board exploded with two dreaded words: Weekly Test. Right below it, another horror awaited:
"Romeo & Juliet Drama Rehearsals Begin This Week."
Tianxin stood frozen in the hallway. "How can they do this to us? Exams and Shakespeare? I can't even remember my multiplication tables under pressure!"
Zhou Rui glanced at her. "You barely remember your lunchbox."
Junxi leaned casually against the wall, twirling a pen. "Relax, I've got a plan."
"You always say that," Tianxin muttered.
He opened his notebook and flipped it around.
There was a badly drawn sports car.
Tianxin threw her notebook at him.
Jiasheng walked in, yawning. "What's all the noise?"
"They're making us do a drama play and tests this week!" Tianxin groaned.
Jiasheng grinned. "Cool. I'll be the lead."
The teacher's voice suddenly echoed across the corridor. "Shan Jiasheng as Romeo, Lin Tianxin as Juliet!"
Tianxin nearly passed out. "WHAAAAAT?!"
Rehearsals Begin
Tianxin was fuming. "Why can't Zhou Rui be Juliet?!"
"She's the narrator," the teacher said simply.
Jiasheng looked too pleased. "Finally, you get to fall for me."
"In your dreams," Tianxin hissed.
Junxi was cast as Tybalt and immediately challenged Jiasheng to a "fake" swordfight that turned dangerously real.
Zhou Rui sat calmly with the script, narrating like an anime episode. "Thus fate pulls the strings of tragedy…"
Meanwhile, chaos brewed on stage:
Jiasheng forgot his lines but remembered the kiss scene too clearly.
Tianxin overacted dramatically and even added a twirl, tripping over her Juliet dress.
The teacher held her head in despair.
Study Time or Snack Time?
To survive the test, the gang gathered at Zhou Rui's house.
"Okay, focus. First subject: Math," Zhou Rui announced.
Jiasheng flipped open his book and stared. "Why are there alphabets in math?"
Junxi was already asleep on the sofa, hugging a pillow.
Tianxin shouted, "Who brought snacks?!"
Jiasheng: "Me. I came prepared. Studying burns calories."
Eventually, Zhou Rui sat with Junxi on the floor, quietly explaining chapters to him. Junxi listened, unusually focused.
Tianxin and Jiasheng ended up sitting side-by-side, pretending to study.
"You're really going to fail this test, aren't you?" Tianxin asked.
Jiasheng smirked. "We'll fail together, lil bro."
She grinned. "Deal."
Play Day Chaos
The day of the performance arrived.
Jiasheng showed up with his Romeo costume backward.
Tianxin stared. "Are you serious?!"
He shrugged. "At least I came."
Zhou Rui stood ready, narration script in hand. Junxi stretched before his swordfight scene like he was entering the Olympics.
Lights dimmed. The stage lit up. And disaster began.
Tianxin forgot her opening line and blurted:
"Yo Romeo, where you at?!"
The audience roared with laughter.
Zhou Rui kept narrating like nothing happened, adding dramatic pauses for effect.
During the final scene, Jiasheng softly said his line, looking into Tianxin's eyes:
"With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls…"
Tianxin forgot her line. Her heart beat faster than ever.
She just stared. Jiasheng stared back.
The class clapped loudly. It turned into an unplanned romantic comedy, and it was a huge hit