Lesson in Desire

chapter 9

With midterms finally over, it felt like we could all finally take a breath—until we walked into literature class and Ms. Chen dropped yet another task on us. The weight of her words settled over the room, instantly killing any sense of post-exam relief.

“So, class,” she began, gathering everyone’s attention with her usual no-nonsense tone. “As we discussed earlier, we’ll be putting on a play, and each of you will be assigned a role. Let’s begin with the introduction.”

I could almost hear the collective groan forming in everyone’s minds. But Ms. Chen didn’t seem fazed; she continued, “This year, we’ll be performing a play based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, an old English classic. This project is important, not just as a performance, but because it’s going to be marked on your artistic skill, expression, and dedication. I expect you all to give it your best.”

A hush fell over the class as everyone processed her words. As if midterms hadn’t been enough, now we were expected to embody characters from a timeless classic!

As Ms. Chen handed out the dialogue sheets, I could feel the tension in the room. Sharon leaned over, whispering, "I really hope she gives us characters we can pull off!"

"Let's hope so," Jimin added, shooting me a hopeful look. I just huffed, trying to keep my nerves in check as I skimmed through the script she’d handed me. Ms. Chen began calling out names randomly, assigning roles to each of us. She’d barely gone through half the list when I heard her call my name.

I shot a look at Jimin and Sharon, who looked just as curious as I felt. Steeling myself, I walked to the front to join the others who’d been called. Then, Ms. Chen turned to me, her expression unreadable.

“Y/N, you’ll be taking the role of the female lead, Elizabeth Bennet,” she announced, nodding approvingly.

A mix of excitement and dread bubbled up in my stomach as I processed her words. Elizabeth Bennet was an incredible character, but she was also… well, the female lead. I glanced down at the script and scanned a few lines before my eyes landed on something at the end of the page. There it was, clear as day—a kiss scene. My stomach dropped. Oh. My. God.

The realization must have shown on my face because I caught Ms. Chen giving me an encouraging smile. “This role will challenge you, Y/N, but I know you can handle it.”

My eyes scanned the line of students until they landed on the person assigned to play Mr. Darcy. And, of course, it was him—Josh Yuan, the resident "bad boy" of our year. A groan slipped out before I could stop it. Really, Ms. Chen? She could have chosen anyone else, like Jimin, who would have been perfect! But no, it had to be Josh, the guy who had a reputation for being as unpredictable as he was annoyingly charming. How was I supposed to pull off this role with him as my Mr. Darcy?

I glanced over at Sharon, giving her my best "please save me" look, but she just burst out laughing at my misery. Meanwhile, Jimin had his face buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter.

Great. Just great.

The class fell into a buzz of excitement mixed with a few sighs and groans as Ms. Chen’s words settled in. Ten days to practice—for a full play! I could barely wrap my head around it as everyone scrambled to their positions, clutching dialogue sheets like lifelines.

“Alright, everyone, we’ll start with the last few scenes of Pride and Prejudice.” Ms. Chen’s voice echoed through the auditorium. “Y/N and Josh, take your places. This is the pivotal moment—Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, facing each other with all their misunderstandings and unspoken feelings.”

Taking a deep breath, I moved to my mark. Josh, looking relaxed and confident as usual, already stood across from me. I glanced down at the script, feeling the pressure rise as I prepared to slip into Elizabeth’s character.

Josh started, his voice surprisingly soft and restrained, “You must know, Miss Bennet, that it was all for you. I… I did it all for you. I would not have interfered with your family, nor set foot in Meryton again, had I not wanted to see you.”

I felt a shiver of surprise. He actually sounded like Mr. Darcy—calm, serious, vulnerable. Keeping in character, I met his gaze and replied with Elizabeth’s sharp honesty, “Mr. Darcy, you should know that I am grateful for what you have done for my family, but I cannot repay you by giving you what you want.”

Josh’s expression flickered, a little too perfect to be just acting. He continued, taking a step closer, “Elizabeth, I… I have learned to temper my pride because of you. I know what I was, and I see what I wish to be—someone worthy of you.”

I felt my heart race as he held the gaze, his words taking on a depth I hadn’t expected. I swallowed, trying to stay focused on the lines as I replied, “Mr. Darcy… I believe I may have misjudged you, just as you misjudged me. But our differences…” My voice softened, “Can we truly overcome them?”

Ms. Chen looked pleased as we reached the climax of the scene. Josh took another step forward, reading the final line of the act: “Elizabeth, if there is even a sliver of hope that you could feel for me what I feel for you, then I would rather endure all the disdain in the world than see you look at me with indifference.”

Caught up in the moment, I whispered, barely above a breath, “Then… perhaps, Mr. Darcy… I already have.”

The room fell silent, the energy between us lingering in the air. Ms. Chen clapped, breaking the spell. “Well done! That’s the level of intensity I want to see! Now, let’s keep working to bring this all to life.”

As I looked at Josh, who flashed a confident smirk, I couldn’t shake the thrill of stepping into Elizabeth Bennet's shoes—and maybe, just maybe, facing Mr. Darcy in real life.

Sharon’s laughter rang out as she grabbed my hands, dramatically reciting, “Then… perhaps, Mr. Darcy… I already have!” She batted her eyelashes, causing me to roll my eyes with a smile, nudging her off playfully.

“Alright, alright, drama queen!” I laughed. But before I could recover, Jimin chimed in, “No joke, Y/N, you were Elizabeth Bennet back there! I can’t wait to see Professor Kim’s face when he watches this. He’s gonna be shocked by how intense you made it!” He shared a sly grin with Sharon, raising an eyebrow as if sharing some inside joke. I shot him a playful smack on the arm, already knowing what he was hinting at.

“Jimin!” I tried to sound annoyed, but Sharon’s laughter was contagious. Soon, we were all giggling as we headed out of the school building toward the campus café, feeling lighter after the long rehearsal.

At the café, we ordered our usual drinks, settling into a cozy booth by the window. Sharon leaned in with a smirk, “So… about that Mr. Darcy of yours—didn’t look too bad up there, huh?”

I felt my cheeks warm as I sipped my drink. “Oh, come on, you know it’s just acting! Besides, Josh is just…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish.

“Just what?” Jimin teased, leaning forward with a grin.

“Annoying!” I shot back with a laugh. “He’s still Josh, after all. The guy who thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

They burst into laughter, but Sharon gave me a knowing smile. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”

The rest of the afternoon slipped by with us joking, laughing, and letting go of the day’s stress. Even though the rehearsal had been nerve-wracking, with my friends beside me, it felt like I could take on any role, no matter how challenging.