A magic that makes even a handso face look ugly. This phenonon wasn’t exclusive to Gong Joo-mi. The sa went for Yoon Seung-won, who was sitting next to her and whom she had just spoken to.
“...Actually, I feel the sa way.”
All the other judges felt the sa.
‘Right, they all seem to be experiencing the sa thing. It’s only natural after seeing Number 1.’
‘Number 1 should’ve left just the right amount of impact.’
It made sense. Number 1 had already dominated with just his face alone, and his vocals were phenonal. Kang Rojun's presence was overwhelmingly terrifying. After witnessing such a monster, how could any other contestant stand out? The judges were troubled, after all, their eyes, which should have been the sharpest in the room, had beco dull.
“For now, let’s try to evaluate while keeping Number 1 out of our minds as much as possible.”
“Yes, sunbae-nim.”
Contestant Number 2 stepped forward.
“......Um, I’ve prepared a song.”
It seed like he intended to sing, just like Rojun. This ant he was overlapping with Kang Rojun again. However, the song Number 2 had prepared was a track from a recent idol, and he put his all into singing it.
-♬♪
Unfortunately, midway through his vocals, the judges frowned.
“His pitch is unstable.”
“He has a habit of going flat, but he doesn’t seem to realize it.”
His skill wasn’t particularly great. On top of that, Number 2 was noticeably nervous, perhaps because he was conscious of Rojun. His voice cracked frequently. The hundreds of staff mbers of 'Produce That 100!' couldn't help but feel sympathetic.
“He seems to have decent raw talent, but… performing right after Number 1 really does him no favors.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. The circumstances at the audition venue are part of the evaluation. It’s not like we rigged this, he was just unlucky to be assigned Number 2.”
“This industry is ruthless. Sure, Number 1 must have sky-high self-esteem with that face of his, but the pressure must’ve been imnse. He was the first one up, after all.”
“True… If Number 2 had managed to stay composed and perford flawlessly despite the pressure, he would’ve earned extra points.”
Not just in the idol industry but in the entire entertainnt world, the most crucial factor is luck. Even with good looks, talent, and charm, many fail to rise because they "lack luck", a common phrase in this business.
And so, the unfortunate Number 2's performance ca to an end.
“Hmm-”
The judges began their evaluations. While watching Number 2’s performance, they had established a new standard: 'Number 1' was an ecosystem-disrupting apex predator that even top-tier competitors couldn’t contend with. If a contestant managed to make people forget about 'Number 1' even slightly during their performance, they passed. But if they crumbled under the pressure, they failed.
Unintentionally, Kang Rojun had set the benchmark for the 'Produce That 100!' audition process.
Not only that, he had raised the bar.
“Number 2, you’re lacking in basics. You have so bad habits, but you didn’t realize them, did you?”
A harsh critique was delivered.
“Maybe your friends hyped you up, telling you that you sing well. But if you go on a professional stage like this, viewers will notice imdiately. They’ll say you’re singing carelessly. It’s unfortunate, but I can't give you a pass.”
“I feel the sa. It’s a no from .”
A chorus of rejections. Ultimately, Contestant Number 2 was.
“Yes, Number 2, you are officially eliminated.”
Eliminated.
But there was still hope. The eliminated contestants were gathered in the sa room and given one last chance in the Revival Round, a competition exclusively for them. Regardless, Number 2 was escorted to the eliminated contestants’ waiting room by a staff mber.
anwhile, Produce That 100!’s main PD, Woo Han-suk, was thinking.
‘Hmm- It’d be good to show this kid first during the edit.’
His thought process was cold, focused solely on maximizing viewership.
‘Or maybe placing him right before Kang Rojun to create a stark contrast wouldn’t be bad… Still, it’d be better if a more skilled contestant appeared first.’
A strategic edit that first made viewers think, Oh, this guy is pretty good! before suddenly introducing Number 1, Kang Rojun. This way, Rojun’s presence would explode several tis over. Fortunately, Woo Han-suk had a few skilled contestants in mind.
‘No matter what, Kang Rojun is the main focus.’
Later.
For a while, Kang Rojun had the passed contestants' room all to himself. Number 2 had been eliminated, and then Number 3 took the stage, but the result was the sa.
“Number 3, you are officially eliminated!”
Eliminated.
Number 4, eliminated. Number 5, eliminated.
The streak of eliminations was long enough that even PD Woo Han-suk found himself troubled.
anwhile, Rojun.
‘It’s getting awkward being here alone… Even reacting to this feels weird.’
He sat alone on the wide sofa in the waiting room. There wasn’t much to keep him entertained in the anti.
But then.
“No way- Rojun-ssi, you totally lied about not being talented!!”
An interview shoot had started. Writers, including the familiar face of Kim Se-hee, were getting excited.
“You said you couldn’t sing??? That was a strategy, wasn’t it?”
No, he really couldn’t sing. But admitting he was tone-deaf in this situation would be insane.
“I guess I was just in good condition today.”
“Oh, co on- I don’t believe you. Who knows, maybe you’re secretly a dance expert too.”
“I think I’m not very good at it.”
Kang Rojun chose his words carefully. Running his mouth like a chatterbox would only expose his weaknesses.
‘That would just be giving the production team material to use against .’
All he needed to do was show the right amount of impact and skill when necessary. Even though his face had changed and he had gained the AI Simulation app, he didn’t feel the need to change his personality as well.
‘At first, I was caught off guard and fascinated by everything, but I’ve adapted now. I’ll just act like myself. The way I’ve always been.’
Even when he had been hideous, he was calm, detached, and didn’t talk much. At tis, he even gave off an eerie or ominous vibe. He had decided to keep that unchanged. And after experiencing the stage, he had beco even more solid.
Well, at least no one saw him as gloomy anymore.
If anything.
“You must hear this a lot, right? Rojun-ssi has this decadent charm? Maybe because you’re the quiet type?”
It had beco one of his greatest strengths.
The auditions continued up to Contestant 10, and finally, the first person other than Rojun passed.
“Congratulations! Number 10, you pass!!"
It had been a 2-to-2 tie, but after so discussion, the judges decided on a pass. Number 10, who had been bouncing with excitent on stage, soon made his way into the room where Kang Rojun was.
“Wow- this sofa is amazing!”
His hair was bright red. Having passed due to his dance skills, Number 10 reacted with excessive enthusiasm the mont he entered the room.
“This place is totally different from the first waiting room!”
The caras follow him because it's good footage. Rojun imdiately grasped his personality and.
‘His energy is too much. His personality is a carbon copy of writer Kim Se-hee-nim’s.’
Number 10 also spotted Kang Rojun, sitting like a king at the center of the sofa. He quickly closed the distance. Seeing him up close, Rojun thought his face sowhat resembled… a weasel? At least, that’s how it felt to him.
“Wow- Number 1! I watched your Farewell performance on the monitor earlier, and I kept thinking, ‘This is insane!’”
He's light. As if a single push could send him flying. Number 10 instinctively stuck close to Kang Rojun.
‘One hundred percent, the cara will focus on this guy. I need to take advantage of that as much as possible!’
It was all to get more screen ti. Sure enough, the caras were capturing the first interaction between the successful contestants. A must-have scene in survival audition shows, the psychological warfare between competitors.
Not that Rojun cared. But he did find people with over-the-top energy, like Number 10, to be exhausting. Unaware of this, Number 10 continued talking rapidly.
“But seeing you up close… Your face is seriously insane??! Ah! Am I not supposed to say that on broadcast? Anyway, what did you think of my performance??”
To be honest, Rojun, tired of waiting, hadn’t really focused on his stage while watching the monitor.
“I enjoyed it too. Your singing.”
“I danced, though??”
“Your dancing.”
“What-?? What dance did I do?"
What dance? Good question. Rojun thought about it for a mont. Then gave up. He decided to just play it off.
“...A intense dance?”
“......”
Number 10 imdiately realized.
‘This bastard didn’t watch it.’
Rojun went silent again.
‘Man, I wish he’d go away. He’s draining my energy.’
The caras were busy capturing this awkward situation, while Number 10 interpreted Rojun’s silence in a completely different way.
‘What an arrogant prick. His personality sucks. He’s just got a god-tier face and can sing a bit, huh? But I’m a better dancer than him.’
Cursing Rojun internally, Number 10 forced a smile and sat down. Right in the middle of the back row, subtly positioning himself as a challenger.
About an hour later.
"Ooooh! The passed contestants' room is aweso!”
The number of successful contestants gradually began to increase. Before they knew it, there were already 15 of them. Out of the 50 contestants in today’s first batch, only half, 25 people, were set to pass. With about 10 slots left, a staff mber entered and addressed the successful contestants.
“We’ll take a 30-minute break!!”
The 'Produce That 100!' staff, judges, successful contestants, and eliminated contestants all got a break. During this ti, Kang Rojun headed to the restroom.
‘First, let’s check the app.’
His real intention was to check the AI Simulation app. Watching him go, Number 10 whispered to the other successful contestants he had already gotten close to. His target? Kang Rojun.
“Number 1 really has an explosive presence, but after talking to him, his personality kinda sucks.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I don’t know how to explain it, he looks at everyone like they’re beneath him. His tone is super condescending… No, more like he’s outright ignoring you.”
Truthfully, every single contestant in that room harbored jealousy and resentnt toward Kang Rojun. So they quickly agreed.
“Yeah, I tried saying hi earlier, but he was intimidating. His expression was scary.”
“I an, just look at him. He’s got that face and he can sing pretty well. But if his personality is bad, he won’t last long.”
“There are plenty of idols who fell from grace because of their shitty personalities.”
They all shared the sa underlying thought- If only he wasn’t here…
anwhile, Rojun, unconcerned, settled into a toilet stall and opened AI Simulation on his phone.
-[Title: Side Job Tycoon]
-[User: Kang Rojun / Age: 24 / Height: 182.8cm / Desired Occupation: Idol / Side Job: [1] Screenwriter 1 / Coins: 270]
His coin count was approaching 300. It seed like a lot, yet still felt insufficient.
‘Even with my title increasing my daily coin earnings to six… I can’t just spend recklessly.’
He had barely passed the first audition with Farewell, but from now on, he would have to rely on coins 100%. Surviving with his natural tone-deafness and lack of rhythm was impossible.
‘For now, I should save as much as I can while using them strategically during filming.’
As he scrolled through the app, he suddenly stopped. He had noticed a tiny fluctuation in his Status stats.
-[Appearance (100/100) │ Singing Ability (2.6/100)]
His singing ability had increased from 2.4 to 2.6. A 0.2 increase, sothing that required spending 2 coins. But Rojun hadn’t spent any.
‘……So stats can increase through real-life effort, not just by using coins?’
Otherwise, it couldn't be explained. Kang Rojun had sung quite a bit recently, including for missions and to practice for this audition variety show.
‘If that’s the case, this isn’t bad at all.’
As his world expanded, he would have more opportunities to improve. His skills would naturally develop over ti. This ant he could escape his tone-deaf, rhythm-less state.
‘Of course, I’ll need to spend a ton of coins and put in a lot of effort.’
Feeling slightly stronger, Rojun skimd through the app a little more before closing it. Next, it was ti to check his ssages. He had quite a few missed calls and unread texts.
‘What’s this?’
Curious, he opened the first ssage, and his eyes widened.
‘……?’
His eyes, now full of question marks, were completely justified.
-[Hello, Kang Chul-soo-nim... Your script has been selected as a finalist for the One-Act Drama Script Contest. Please contact us when you see this ssage.]
That trash writing was selected as a finalist? For a brief mont, Rojun wondered if this was so kind of scam. It had been nothing more than a half-assed script he submitted for a mission.
Stunned, he instinctively.
-Swipe.
Decided to call back.
anwhile, at SBC Broadcasting’s Drama Departnt.
By the window seat, a woman with ssy brown hair. No, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was rubbing her sleepy eyes and stretching, perhaps because it was after lunch.
At that mont, a junior assistant director passed in front of her. PD Jung Soo-ryeong imdiately called out to stop him.
“Hey, that- who was it again? Ah, Kang Chul-soo, the writer. Did you try contacting him? Why hasn't there been any news?"
The junior assistant director shrugged his shoulders.
“He didn’t answer his phone, so I left a text… But he still hasn’t replied.”
“Still??”
“Yeah. It’s kinda weird. Usually, when new writers hear they’re finalists in a script contest, they co running at just a slight ntion.”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong furrowed her brows slightly.
'What's this? Is he ignoring us? No way- surely not.'
She gave her junior another order.
“Call him again.”
“Yes, yes.”
Just as the assistant director picked up his phone.
"Oh? There's a call, who is it?"
Hearing the ringtone, he tilted his head in curiosity and put the phone to his ear.
“Yes, this is Kim Jin-sung… Ah! Yes, yes, writer-nim.”
He then pointed at his phone while mouthing words.
‘It’s that writer, Kang Chul-soo.’
He switched the call to speaker mode so PD Jung Soo-ryeong could hear as well. Through the phone, they heard the voice of Kang Chul-soo- no, Kang Rojun.
"Is it really true that my work was selected as a finalist? This isn't a scam?"
This ti, PD Jung Soo-ryeong answered instead of her junior.
“Hello, this is PD Jung Soo-ryeong from the SBC Drama Departnt. No, it’s not a scam. Your script is actually a finalist. I can send you my business card if you need proof.”
“That script? Why…?”
“What do you an, why? Because it was well written?"
"Well written?"
“Yes. Anyway, we should discuss this in more detail during a eting. Are you free today?”
“That’s… difficult.”
“Difficult?”
“Yes. I’ll get back to you later. I have so things to take care of right now. I’m sorry.”
-Click.
The call ended abruptly.
At this, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the assistant director blinked in confusion. Then, PD Jung Soo-ryeong let out a short laugh.
“What the hell? Don't tell he's backing out?"
About three hours later.
The filming for the first batch of 50 contestants had started early in the morning and was finally wrapping up by late afternoon. The passed contestants' room was now filled with 25 contestants, including Kang Rojun, as mbers from the first and second waiting rooms had rged. Likewise, the failed contestants' waiting room also had 25 people.
But there was still one more thing left to shoot.
In the failed contestants' waiting room , PD Woo Han-suk announced it casually.
“In 30 minutes, you will compete in the Revival Round. You’re free to showcase whatever you want. Out of you all, 10 can survive.”
In other words, out of the 50 contestants in the first batch, a total of 35 would pass. The eliminated contestants imdiately beca fired up. With that handled, PD Woo Han-suk moved to the passed contestants' waiting room. This briefing would take a bit longer. Entering with caras rolling, PD Woo Han-suk scanned the contestants sitting on the sofas before his gaze landed on Kang Rojun. Then, he spoke.
“Before I go over the next steps, all successful contestants will need to choose their training category before the second evaluation. You can pick Vocal, Dance, or Rap. You can choose to improve your weakest area, or you can focus on strengthening your strong suit. Of course, the trainers are all well-known and highly respected.”
The contestants murmured among themselves. However, Kang Rojun.
“……”
Showed no change in expression. Seeing this, PD Woo Han-suk smiled slightly.
“But for the next evaluation, you won’t have the freedom to choose your performance. We’ll assign it to you. The format, of course, is a secret.”
In other words, they wouldn’t know what they’d be doing, so they had to choose wisely. Their selection could be helpful, or completely useless.
“I’ll give you 10 minutes to decide.”
The 10 minutes passed in a flash. When PD Woo Han-suk returned, tablet in hand, he began.
“We’ll start with the last contestant to pass- Number 48.”
“I’ll go with vocal training.”
“Vocal training confird.”
One by one, the successful contestants announced their choices. So chose vocals, others picked dance, and a few opted for rap. Eventually.
“Alright, last up- Number 1.”
It was Kang Rojun’s turn.
PD Woo Han-suk was genuinely curious. What would this monster choose?
‘His vocals are already top-tier, so there’s a high chance he’ll pick sothing else.’
The staff, caras, and all the contestants turned their eyes toward Kang Rojun.
After a brief silence.
“……”
He calmly answered.
“I won’t be taking any training.”
*****
For 30 or more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> /dreamscribe
Reviews
All reviews (0)