@kittybear I don't know how you can blame Dani for taking the lead role when she was basically pressured into it by Ruda and her classmates. And Dani isn't particularly trying to make close friends in her new class. Even when Ruda expressed a desire to be friends with her, Dani immediately put up a wall but she didn't want to outright say, "I don't want to be your friend so stop talking to me." Dani is a little distant, but she tries to be affable. She's not going to say, "Hey, I don't want to get close to you so stay away from me," to her classmates because remember what Jiho said: Dani is almost obsessed with being "normal" and not standing out, whether in good or bad ways. She neither wants to be the star nor the pariah of her class. Attracting any attention at all is bad news in her book.
There's no way they're not gonna lose it, Yeoryeong especially. If it was just a regular play, they probably wouldn't be bothered but Dani has the lead role alongside Ruda - whom they're not very fond of - in a play that's full of cheesy over-the-top romantic cliches.
@RAWRlrus I don't think Jiho is misinterpreting Dani's intention. He's reflecting on himself. At the time, Jiho, though reluctant, told Dani that he'd be "fine with it" if they acted like strangers at school. He thought he'd be OK as long as they still maintained their friendship outside of school but when Dani actually acts distant with him in class and wants him to do the same, he realizes that he's not as OK with it as he thought. He thought he'd be mentally prepared for it but in the end, he still felt hurt.