All the writers gathered in the eting room showed various expressions as they looked at PD Woo Han-suk. So had their mouths open, so blinked, so furrowed their brows, and so on. All because of what had just co out of PD Woo Han-suk’s mouth.
The first to ask back was writer Kim Se-hee, who resembled a hamster.
"...You're saying we should reveal the kids' nas?? You an the participants, right?"
PD Woo Han-suk, who was watching the TV, gave a small nod.
"Then who else."
"Huh."
Murmurs spread among the writers. Only PD Woo Han-suk, with dark circles under his eyes, remained silent. He was so beyond exhausted that he had no energy left. Then, a few writers asked questions.
"‘Produce That 100!’ has passed the mid-to-late phase now, but isn’t it a bit early?"
"I think so too, it’s kind of sudden."
"Even though the number has decreased a lot... 24 people is still quite a lot."
The tone was generally one of confusion.
It was understandable.
From the beginning, the plan for ‘Produce That 100!’ was to reveal nas when the final four winners were announced. PD Woo Han-suk, of course, as well as the production team, the broadcasting station, and all the participants of ‘Produce That 100!’ understood it that way. The judges as well.
It was definitely an unexpected decision.
Though the writers were filled with question marks, PD Woo Han-suk was calr than expected.
"We've never broadcast an explanation of our plan anyway. So we're flipping the script, there won't be any problems. Even if we did explain it in advance, we can just apologize and correct it."
"...You’re willing to take that kind of hit??"
"Yeah. If we have to take it, we might as well dive in fully. Boldly. When we go for it, we have to hit hard. That’s part of our job too."
"Ah."
"Of course, it's not confird yet, but I'm heavily leaning toward it."
The writers who heard the story looked at one another. So seed to agree, but writer Kim Se-hee appeared to want more information and asked,
"May I ask why you suddenly thought of that?"
"Yeah, you can."
"...Please tell us."
"No."
"Ah! PD-nim!!"
PD Woo Han-suk laughed and crossed his arms, turning his gaze back to the TV where episode 10 of ‘Produce That 100!’ was playing.
"There are several reasons. I did originally plan to reveal their nas at the finale. But more and more unexpected situations have co up. First of all, the biggest is the viewership rating."
Currently, the viewership rating of ‘Produce That 100!’ was about 26%. An absurdly high rating already, but it was still climbing, and 30% was right around the corner.
"From the audience attendance for the 4th evaluation to the spoiler-related to it, it was all for hitting 30%. It’s crazy hard. But if we surpass 30% this ti, then next, we have to deliver an impact matching that rating. Like giving a new shock."
"And that’s the participants’ nas?"
"Things like expanding into Japan or announcing the the song. There’s still a lot to do, but a positional shift is necessary. If we want to maintain the current rating. And it’s not just revealing so random nas of participants."
PD Woo Han-suk turned his head toward the writers.
"As you all know, participants weren’t even allowed to exchange nas among themselves, and they’ve all been referred to by numbers until now. Us and the viewers too. Even if people enjoyed watching, their emotional engagent might have been shallow. In actual monitoring, quite a lot of viewers said they couldn’t feel attached to the numbers. But the mont we reveal the nas, the intensity of fangirling will multiply dozens of tis."
"That’s probably... true? It might feel like we’ve beco closer sohow."
"The symbolism of a na is imnse. There’s a reason why entertainnt companies rack their brains over idols’ stage nas. Anyway, if we reveal participants’ nas at this timing, the viewers will go wild in an instant. It’ll not only maintain the current ratings but also fill the empty space that felt a bit lacking because of the number labels."
The writers nodded as if in agreent, and Woo Han-suk continued.
"Second, the reaction from Japan. It’s the sa dostically, but Japan is showing results far exceeding our expectations. For now, they might be ecstatic just because it’s fun to watch, but if we keep calling the participants by numbers, the explosiveness will wane."
"Hmm."
"Since the reaction in Korea and Japan is surpassing the initial plan, shouldn’t we adjust our strategy accordingly? You could say we’re just pulling things a bit forward."
"True, that makes sense. We were expecting viewership ratings in the 10% range in the early stages anyway."
"Lastly, the participants' tension is getting trendously intense."
"No. 1?"
"Yeah, No. 1 is in the lead, and people like No. 58 and No. 26 have grown in presence way more than in the beginning. Their stage performance skills are one thing, but they’ve been producing quite a lot of results too, right?"
"Ah-"
As if a flash of inspiration had struck, the writers looked at the whiteboard covered in nurous scribbled letters. PD Woo Han-suk was no different.
"The one who's totally insane right now is No. 1. He's is the writer of ‘Rental Lover', and also the lyricist of our new the song ‘Survival 100'. For both the Korean and Japanese versions. No. 58 composed it. And No. 26 made his own rap too, right? Several works are getting ready to go out into the world, but sending them out labeled with numbers instead of nas is unacceptable. What are they, barcodes?"
It wouldn’t be a problem if the timing matched when the four final winners erged, but according to PD Woo Han-suk’s calculations, there was quite a gap. Especially with Kang Rojun, the face of ‘Produce That 100!’
‘That kid is a writer, a lyricist, and also an actor. It’s a sha to keep calling him No. 1. It’s a loss on our end too.’
In the early planning stages of ‘Produce That 100!', they didn’t expect Kang Rojun and the other participants to be in such top form, excluding the evaluations. But once the lid was opened, the participants’ skills shocked everyone to the core.
"My judgnt is, if we release their nas now and boost their popularity even more, the explosion from the results that follow will be massively amplified."
Soon after, PD Woo Han-suk let out a crooked smile and recalled the entertainnt company reps who had attended the 4th evaluation.
"It’s also a ssage to the entertainnt companies, get ready."
Afterwards.
Alongside a chicken-and-beer party, the atmosphere among the 24 participants watching episode 10 of ‘Produce That 100!’ at the campus was electrified. It had just aired that No. 1 had written the lyrics for ‘Witch', and No. 58 and No. 71 from Group 1’s Team A were now performing their rap performance.
-♬♪
Just as it had fired up thousands at the evaluation venue, the performance for ‘Witch’ sent tens of thousands of viewers in the real-ti open chat into a frenzy.
-No. 58 is usually cute but totally changes when rapping, super handsoㅠ
-Wait, No. 1 wrote these rap lyrics???
-I thought the article was a tabloid rumor but it was real?
-No. 1 wrote the lyrics! And No. 58 composed it too!!
-No. 71 is better than I expected ㅋㅋㅋ but No. 58 totally crushed it this ti, No. 1 might lose
While biting into a chicken drumstick, Kang Rojun glanced sideways at No. 58 sitting next to him.
‘He was already incredible live, but on broadcast the vibe’s totally different.’
Soon the screen showed No. 58 and No. 71 finishing their successful performance, and the baton passed to Kang Rojun and No. 26. After the information for the rap ‘Small Fry’ appeared, the performance began.
Within seconds, viewer reactions flipped completely.
-???????
-Are you kidding ...? No. 1 is killing it at rap too??
-Wow......I’m in love
-So trueㅠㅜㅠㅠㅠㅜㅠㅠ he’s crazy good at rapping
-No. 26 was already good at rap... and their tones match so well... I love this... please release this as a track...!!
-Wait ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ is No. 1 really a crazy or sothing???
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ look at the entertainnt reps’ faces ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ but I’d drool too if I saw No. 1
-Wait let change my underwear
-No. 1’s not human ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I could understand the lyric writing, but when I saw him rap I got chills
-!!! I was in that standing area!! When No. 1 smiled on the protruding stage, everyone there collapsed!!!!
-I would’ve lted too ㅋㅋㅋㅋ how do you resist that smile?
Then the entertainnt reps with their jaws dropped appeared on screen, along with ‘Rental Lover’ PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the staff. Choi Rina was also watching the stage as if hypnotized. As a bonus, Netflix Japan’s executive director Tom Cavill popped up. Since a random foreign face had appeared, many viewers grew curious.
Whatever the case, the judges’ evaluations followed.
-["The winner of the first team in the 4th evaluation is Group 2’s Team A!!"]
When Rojun and No. 26 were announced as the winners, the chat window flipped out again, but the ‘Produce That 100!’ broadcast kept showing the remaining participants’ performances. In the end, all participant teams were included in episode 10. After showing a hall filled with ear-splitting screams, serious entertainnt reps, and various individuals.
[How to Vote for the 4th Evaluation]
As always, with the faces of the six teams’ participants shown, the voting instructions were narrated by a hired voice actor. The deadline was again until next Tuesday. The screen then transitioned to interviews with Rental Lover’s Choi Rina and the actors. Finally, the broadcast wrapped with the full-cast ‘Produce’ performance that had concluded the recording session.
As soon as it ended.
-‘Produce That 100!’
With the title sequence, episode 10 of ‘Produce That 100!’ ended. Nevertheless, the chat window filled with hundreds of thousands of viewers was in utter chaos. On the other hand, the 24 participants including Kang Rojun remained silent. Well, Rojun was always on the quieter side.
'The atmosphere is heavy.'
However, the remaining 23 participants wore expressions mixed with worry, anxiety, nervousness, unease, and confusion.
“......”
“......”
Because the dice had been thrown, with survival on the line.
The next morning, Saturday the 19th, at the broadcasting station JTVM.
Despite it being the weekend, the variety show departnt of ‘JTVM’ was unusually crowded. Most noticeably, there were PD Woo Han-suk and the writers, visibly restless. Around them stood the head of the variety division and other PDs as well.
Everyone appeared to be anxiously awaiting sothing.
Then, a man sitting at a desk with a laptop shouted loudly.
“It’s out!! It’s up!!!”
At once, PD Woo Han-suk, the head of the division, and everyone else in the variety departnt rushed toward the man. The amusing part was that within just a few seconds.
“Wuaaaaah!!!”
PD Woo Han-suk threw off his glasses and let out a roar.
And then.
“PD-nim!!!”
Kim Se-hee and the writers hugged PD Woo Han-suk and jumped up and down in excitent. The head of the departnt looked on fondly. The PDs around them clapped with mixed amazent and admiration. Then PD Woo Han-suk scread once again at the writers.
“We did it!! We made it!!!”
A few dozen minutes later.
At the Paju campus, Kang Rojun had just stepped out after a shower. With a faint smile, he muttered to himself,
"Completing the daily mission and taking a shower, fucking sweet."
He seed thoroughly refreshed. Then sothing suddenly occurred to him, and Rojun stopped walking and picked up his phone. Instead of launching ‘AI Simulation', he opened a search engine. The search term was 'Produce That 100!'. Within seconds, a flood of search results appeared. Upon seeing the articles pinned at the top, Kang Rojun’s smile deepened.
"Jackpot."
The reason was simple.
《‘Produce That 100!’ Episode 10 Official Viewership Rating: 30.1%》
《They did it, ‘Produce That 100!’ continues legendary journey with 30.1% viewership rating》
The official rating for episode 10, which had aired the previous day, had surpassed 30%. A figure beyond astronomical. And Kang Rojun, who had significantly influenced that record-breaking 30% viewership, was filled with pride as his lips refused to lower.
‘30% viewership. Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real, but damn, it feels good. PD Woo Han-suk might’ve fainted.’
It might have seed like a lukewarm response, but considering that Rojun had never had much interest in the entertainnt industry, it was understandable.
30% viewership rating.
Most likely no, definitely, the rest of the entertainnt world aside from Rojun had gone into an uproar. In today’s era, a 30% rating was practically unthinkable. The last ti sothing had even co close was five years ago, a drama about a chaebol family, which had caused a massive boom. But even that had only reached close to 30%, not quite over it.
Just then.
-Bzzzz, bzzzzzz.
The phone in Kang Rojun’s hand vibrated and the screen changed. A call was coming in. He thought it might be PD Woo Han-suk, but it wasn’t.
-PD Jung Soo-ryeong.
The caller was PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who was likely in the final stages of filming ‘Rental Lover'. What’s this about? Rojun cald his elevated mood and cleared his throat briefly. Then he brought the phone to his ear.
“Yes, PD-nim. Good morning."
Despite it being morning, PD Jung Soo-ryeong sounded upbeat over the phone.
“Yup, writer-nim. Good morning. Got a sec to talk?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Nothing big, I just wanted to let you know about sothing freshly decided.”
“What is it?”
“Ti to prep for Lover No. 4’s appearance.”
“Sorry?”
When he asked back, PD Jung Soo-ryeong responded in a tone laced with laughter.
“The production presentation date for ‘Rental Lover’ has been confird.”
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