Translator: Dreamscribe
Kang Rojun was gradually turning into a monster. The corners of his mouth are raised high.
'This is seriously fun, whether it's being an idol or using the 'AI Simulation'.'
It had only been two months since he entered this industry. Of course, it was the same for using the 'AI Simulation'. If he was already like this in two months, what would he be like after a year? After five years? Just imagining it was mind-blowing.
His fingers moved, filled with a sense of thrill or ecstasy.
He touched the 'Mission' button.
What he wanted to check was this.
-[Title Bonus Coin +5 Coins]
From this moment on, the number of coins Kang Rojun received for completing a Daily Mission became 10. Compared to two months ago, that was a twofold increase.
'Five and ten coins make a big difference.'
Kang Rojun, with a deepened smile, checked his current coin count.
-[Coins Owned: 300 Coins]
With a flood of reward coins, his coins increased by 100 in just a few minutes. Taking this opportunity, Rojun decided to do some Stat enhancement and invested 20 coins. Thanks to that, two of his Stats now exceeded 10 points.
-[Appearance (100/100)│Singing Ability (10.5/100)│Rap (2.1/100)]
[Dance (10.2/100)│Eloquence (7.2/100)│Acting (4.6/100)]
Before he knew it, his Singing Ability and Dance had gone over 10 points.
'Next- I should raise Rap. Acting is tempting too, but since the actor side is a side job. Idol, my main job, comes first.'
Come to think of it, Rap was the most unfamiliar to Kang Rojun compared to singing or dancing. He had never done it before. All he had done was listen to a few rap songs he liked in the past. He couldn't quite imagine himself actually rapping, but still, he found it intriguing.
'Right now, everything is fun.'
At that moment.
"No. 1?"
The skinny No. 19 approached.
"You said you were going to the restroom, what are you doing here?"
"I went, and then just checked my phone for a bit."
"Ah - well, Episode 3 of 'Produce That 100!' just started training… and you've got no screen time at all."
Really? Well, Rojun had kind of expected that. PD Woo Han-suk had warned him beforehand too. Rojun nodded slightly in understanding.
"It's fine."
He passed by No. 19 and returned to Room 105.
Currently, Episode 3 of 'Produce That 100!' was playing.
'So that's how training was carried out, I didn't know since I hadn't seen it before.'
The training cuts of the participants were in full swing.
At that time.
People recently connected to Kang Rojun were also watching 'Produce That 100!' The S-Class Top Actress Choi Rina, who had no interest in audition variety shows, had now completely fallen for 'Produce That 100!' and PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who had officially begun the pre-production of 'Rental Lover', was on SBC's side.
"No. 1 got dance, does he actually dance a bit?"
"Looking at how he moves, he seems flexible."
"He sang 'Farewell' pretty well last time. Wonder how he'll do this time."
During a production meeting with key staff of 'Rental Lover', filming, lighting, makeup, art, they all had their eyes glued to 'Produce That 100!' Judging from their commentary, it seemed like everyone in the meeting room was a fan of the show.
"But don't you think No. 1 will quickly become the face of a rising star once he officially debuts?? He's already kind of hot."
"Look at that visual, that visual. How could he not blow up? But I feel like he's not that good at dancing. Passing training last episode was just done for attention."
"So you're saying it was just to draw attention for the sake of the broadcast? Eh, but all of them are just ordinary people brought together, I wonder if they'd already be that calculated."
"Why not? It's possible. Maybe he just jumped in on impulse and later thought 'uh-oh.'"
"Well, in survival variety shows, not doing training is kind of weird, isn't it??"
"Training is a key factor in terms of screen time in shows like that, so skipping it is a stupid move."
"What do you think, PD Jung?"
The gazes of the key staff quickly turned to PD Jung Soo-ryeong. As she scratched her chin, she thought,
'That No. 1, he's the actor and writer of the work we're currently preparing. People would faint from shock if they found out.'
She replied vaguely.
"Who knows? Either way, his face is insane, he'll probably keep surviving, won't he?"
"That's true. But PD-nim, when will you introduce us to the writer of our 'Rental Lover'?? This is a project starring none other than Choi Rina. At least show us the writer!! We're dying of curiosity!"
"Exactly! This is the first time we're starting a pre-production without even meeting the writer once."
Though the staff's complaints grew louder, PD Jung Soo-ryeong smiled.
"Later, later. The writer is just super shy, what can we do? You'll get to see him, when the time comes."
As she imagined the day writer Kang Chul-soo would stand in front of the key staff or Choi Rina as an actor and writer, her excitement grew.
'This is the first time I've worked on such an interesting project. I'm glad I chose 'Rental Lover'.'
She crossed her arms as she watched writer Kang Chul-soo within 'Produce That 100!'
'By the way, is he good at dancing?? He works out, so his body looks nice and flexible. I guess I'll know when I see it.'
After that, in 'Produce That 100!', Kang Rojun completely disappeared except for a short interview cut, while other participants filled the screen. Cuts of them gathering in the training room as planned, introducing themselves, showcasing their skills, and so on.
Rojun didn't appear at all for over 30 minutes.
As a result, viewers also started to show interest in other contestants besides No. 1. Although PD Woo Han-suk's preferred lineup featured participants with strong character, several of them managed to get decent screen time.
-Why is No. 58 so cute?? Kinda has that "must protect" vibe…
-It's just that No. 1 is overwhelming in presence, but the others are charming too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No. 88 is surprisingly funny with his tall height and over-the-top reactions ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ such a klutz
In Episode 3 of 'Produce That 100!', instead of giving specific dates, they mostly showed key training scenes. Kang Rojun only appeared briefly while working out or walking toward the practice room from behind.
Compared to Episode 1 or 2, his screen time was nearly nonexistent.
Top actress Choi Rina, munching on apples while watching, grumbled.
"What the heck, No. 1 doesn't have any scenes of him practicing??"
But throughout most of 'Produce That 100!', Kang Rojun was barely shown. A brief conversation scene before teaming up with Ha-young did make it in, but the actual practice scenes were cut. Of course, this was the case for No. 10 and other participants as well.
Then the screen transitioned.
A grand stage appeared. Unlike the first evaluation, this one was far more glamorous and upgraded. The voices of the judges, now seated at the judge's table, could be heard.
-["Wow- this stage quality is insane, I'd believe it if you told me it was a concert!"]
The camera shifted to the waiting room, where participants had gathered. A total of 10 teams had been formed, mixing participants and girl group members. Each team, including Kang Rojun's, was introduced one by one. Soon, the conversation among the participants began, including a chat between No. 1 and No. 10.
-["By the way, No. 1, when do you even practice? I feel like no one's ever seen you."]
-["In the morning."]
-["You were never around, so I thought you weren't practicing at all."]
The final confrontation was set.
-No. 10 constantly trying to keep No. 1 in check ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But like… what kind of nerve did No. 1 have to just skip practice???
-He probably did practice?? It just wasn't aired
-Nah nah nah doesn't look like he did ㅋㅋㅋㅋ he's just pushing through with his looks at this point ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
That was the extent of the participants' footage.
Suddenly, the screen went black, then colorful stage lights began to shine onstage. Host Jang Dae-han's shout followed.
-["Here's the first team for dance. The dance song is 'brake', right? No. 1, No. 10! And Ha-young-nim."]
At this point, the people watching in Room 105 were getting hyped.
"Whoa- it's starting now!"
"This is where No. 1 totally crushed it, right??"
"All those viewers who were ignoring him are gonna be speechless!"
Of course, Kang Rojun himself felt his heart pounding.
'I barely appeared in episode 3, but it's fine if I turn things around at the end.'
Soon, Kang Rojun, Ha-young, and No. 10 stood on stage. Host Jang Dae-han threw in a quick interview. No. 10's determination came first.
-["No. 1 is great at vocals, but I think I can beat him in dance! No, I will beat him!"]
Next was Kang Rojun.
-["Neither training nor No. 10 is really an obstacle."]
A close-up of Ha-young's surprised face.
Viewer chat exploded several times over.
-No. 1 is really embracing in that villain roleㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-At this point I want to see No. 10 smack him down ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But let's be real, No. 1 is carrying the show angle-wise ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Every time it gets dull, he drops some villain energy
-How good can you be without any training ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As always, the mood shifted and the real stage performance began. The bright stage lights faded to black, and the song info for 'brake' appeared at the bottom of the screen.
-♬♪
The beat of 'brake' dropped immediately. Lights slowly came up on the once-dark stage. Ha-young was the first to appear at center stage. She began with a subtle shoulder move. A powerful drum signaled the start of the verse. Ha-young's dance movements grew stronger.
A short comment from the judges.
-["Ha-young's pretty good."]
As the stage lighting shifted colors, No. 10 joined in for the first verse. His brightly dyed red hair stood out as he walked slowly and made brief eye contact with Ha-young.
The two showcased powerful dance.
-No. 10 is definitely the dance GOAT
-His attitude is a bit extra but damn, the guy can dance ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-When it comes to dance, No. 10's the best among the contestants
A few seconds of Kang Rojun waiting offstage in profile appeared as a bonus.
-He must be nervous??
-You can't read No. 1's expression anymore ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Honestly, No. 10 is doing so well, even he must be a little tense
The perfomance grew more intense with brake's trademark flashy and aggressive vibe. Viewers started pouring praise on No. 10. His dance skills were indeed top-tier.
Then came the interlude signaling the end of the first verse.
-♬♪
Dozens of contestants were shown watching the perfomance from the waiting room.
Kang Rojun stepped onto the stage right after.
The lights focused on him.
-National exercise routine incoming!!
-If he's going to dance mediocrely, he might as well go all out with random dancing to make us laughㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is he suddenly going to say "I'll pass on the dance"?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
In a performance-like move, Kang Rojun brushed back his jet-black hair. Then, a simple gesture like dusting off his outfit. He took large, deliberate steps to the rhythm. A faint smile on his face as the camera zoomed in. With a mix of smoothness and nonchalance, he moved to center stage.
He had already started the dance, and at this point, viewers sensed something unusual.
-Huh?? His dance lines are kinda nice though???
-The start actually feels okay ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Too early to say ㅋㅋㅋㅋ every trainee can do that muchㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No way... does this guy actually have basic dance skills too?
-If he's got top-tier vocals and decent dance, then No. 1's just... a total cheat code
Regardless of the commentary, the beat, which had briefly softened, picked up pace again. After a short glance between Rojun and Ha-young, they shifted their positions. Now front and back, they initiated a rhythmical duet wave.
Smooth and intense.
As the move ended, a piercing alarm-like sound exploded. Ha-young stepped back while Rojun moved forward, using his arms and legs to unleash fluid yet explosive moves. The screen filled with his serious, passionate expression.
Soon, the camera zoomed out to a full shot.
Rojun moved powerfully and intensely, while Ha-young danced delicately yet flamboyantly. The two performed dance that was similar in structure but completely different in feel.
At that moment.
-....???
-Wow, this bastard No. 1... his dancing is insane too??
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋinsane ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋhe's so good ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-??? whoa whoa whoa omg
-Where did all the people who were bashing No. 1 go?????
-No but seriously... isn't he dominating even actual girl from a girl group despite being a rookie?
The open chat with over 200,000 people went wild, and in the conference room filled with key staff for 'Rental Lover', PD Jung Soo-ryeong involuntarily said,
"Whoa- my god."
A gasp slipped from her parted lips.
"...That's amazing."
Her words were filled with genuine admiration.
'That's way beyond just "knowing how to dance a little." That guy… is there anything he can't do?'
Top actress Choi Rina, who had stopped eating her apple, murmured as if in a trance.
"Omg... what the heck, I got goosebumps."
On stage, Kang Rojun dropped a nuclear bomb on the viewers.
And then, the climax.
-["brake! brake! brake! brake!"]
In complete trance, Rojun took control of the dance with fluid freedom. His control over tempo was perfect. All of this was reflected in the viewer feedback that exploded.
-Insane... he's dance GOAT too now...
-Why does the villain keep being ridiculously good tho
-No. 10 just got steamrolled, agreed??
-With this level of skill, he can ignore training alrightㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The hundreds of thousands in the open chat had no choice but to acknowledge No. 1, whether as a disruptive wildcard or a full-on villain.
-And on top of that god-tier visual ㅋㅋㅋㅋ No. 1's just a monster, straight up ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But this wasn't the end.
-Sigh… I'm one of those people who desperately wants to see No. 1 do the entire dance for verse 1 and 2 of 'brake'...
-If that happened, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ No. 10 would just shatter into pieces
-I mean, even for No. 1, with that short amount of time, pulling off the full verse 1 seems impossible ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
There was still one move left to play.
*****
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