Translator: Dreamscribe
The Japanese line that Kang Rojun spoke to No. 66 was,
"You have to answer. If you're that lacking in confidence, your looks won't improve either."
It was more than enough to make No. 66's face flush red. Rojun had quoted what No. 66 had previously said, although the original phrase had been 'language skills', not 'looks'.
Regardless, No. 66...
"..."
A faint look of annoyance appeared on his face. But once again, he couldn't lash out at Kang Rojun. That damned good-looking face was something No. 66 could never surpass. Same went for skills. On top of that, No. 1's unexpectedly high level of Japanese was shocking.
If they at least didn't speak the same language, he could've glossed things over.
But now, No. 66 was caught in a dilemma.
Eventually,
"...No. 1, it seems I unintentionally spoke too harshly."
No. 66 had no choice but to admit it. Kang Rojun nodded.
"Yes, they were harsh."
The reason Rojun had caused this situation?
It was simpler than expected.
Because the word 'gloomy' had come out of No. 66's mouth. Rojun had long been associated with words like eerie, creepy, or gloomy. He had witnessed multiple times when No. 66 sneered at No. 58. Maybe it was because of the wounds left from those moments, but Kang Rojun found it hard to hold back.
'If I don't make this clear now, that No. 66 bastard will keep doing the same thing.'
By this point, it wasn't just the contestants in the break room anymore. At the entrance, unnoticed until now, stood Kim Se-hee and the writers of 'Produce That 100!', and PD Woo Han-suk. PD Woo Han-suk's eyes were especially gleaming. His gaze was locked onto Rojun.
Soon, feeling the tense atmosphere, writer Kim Se-hee gently shook PD Woo Han-suk's arm and whispered,
"PD-nim. Uh, shouldn't we step in?"
The other writers agreed.
"Exactly. If we just watch, something big might happen."
"If a fight breaks out, that's a whole incident."
But PD Woo Han-suk seemed to think differently and lightly shook his head.
"No, it'll be fine."
"What??"
"I said it'll be fine."
"Ah-"
If it were coming to blows, they would've intervened immediately. But right now, it was just an argument. Additionally,
'Rojun-ssi is taking control of the situation. The other contestants are being overwhelmed by his presence. That goes for No. 66 too.'
It was already a picture where Kang Rojun was in control of the flow. PD Woo Han-suk, having directed multiple survival audition shows, had dealt with many hot-blooded male and female contestants. At this level, unless Rojun suddenly went berserk, nothing major would happen.
The situation wrapped up with Kang Rojun's appearance.
At this level, it was broadcast-worthy with no issues.
'Right, the conflicts among contestants also need to be included.'
This cut absolutely had to be used. It could highlight the tendencies or charm of certain contestants, and above all, what Kang Rojun showed here was too valuable to cut.
'It's more than enough to get viewers hyped.'
At that moment, Rojun spoke again to No. 66 in fluent Japanese.
"Regardless of your intention, those kinds of words can deeply hurt the other person. You're feeling that yourself now, aren't you, No. 66?"
PD Woo Han-suk let out a dumbfounded smile without realizing.
'More importantly, what the hell? A little? He said he could speak a little Japanese? How is that just basic level? That's native-level, isn't it??'
It was because of Rojun's unbelievably fluent Japanese. In that moment, the face of PD Jung Soo-ryeong flashed across Woo Han-suk's mind.
'If PD Jung saw this, her jaw would've dropped for sure.'
Maybe he wanted to surprise PD Jung Soo-ryeong later, but for now, Woo Han-suk decided to keep quiet.
"No. 66."
Unaware that the production team had arrived behind him, Rojun delivered his final remark.
"You should be apologizing to No. 58, not me."
After looking at Rojun for a moment, No. 66 turned his head and bowed to No. 58. The apology was in awkward Korean, not Japanese.
"I'm sorry, No. 58."
Baby-permed No. 58 seemed to have calmed down and wore a composed expression. Normally, given his personality, it seemed he'd just nod and let it go, but unexpectedly, No. 58 gave a firm response.
"I was really upset. I hope you won't do that again."
Slightly surprised, No. 66 apologized again.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Around that time, PD Woo Han-suk's voice cut in from the back.
"Did something happen?"
Pretending not to notice despite seeing everything. Soon, the eyes of dozens of contestants widened slightly, and it was Kang Rojun who answered after glancing at No. 58.
"No, it was nothing."
"Really?"
PD Woo Han-suk smiled and replied to Kang Rojun.
"Then that's settled. No. 1, could we talk for a moment?"
"Yes."
Then PD Woo Han-suk and the writers exited the break room. Just as Kang Rojun was about to follow, No. 58 stood up and quietly murmured.
"Thank you, No. 1."
Rojun shrugged casually.
"You don't need to thank me. I just interfered because I was annoyed."
"Still, thank you."
No. 58 expressed his gratitude clearly. Scratching his chin, Kang Rojun responded appropriately while thinking.
'So he's the type to speak up when it counts, even though he's usually quiet. Well, you wouldn't survive in a battlefield like this otherwise.'
He stepped out of the break room. At that moment,
-Bzzzt.
A short vibration was felt from the smartwatch on his wrist.
-[You have completed the Hidden Mission 'Earn the Trust of a Fellow Contestant!'! As a reward, 15 Coins have been given to you.]
The reward coins were instantly credited.
Shortly after,
Kang Rojun left the dorm and began walking with PD Woo Han-suk. The writers followed behind. While glancing at Rojun walking beside him, PD Woo Han-suk smiled and opened his mouth.
"What was that about?"
"Huh?"
"The Japanese. You didn't mention anything about that before, right? Well, I know you're not the type to explain everything in detail, but I was really surprised in the break room. Your Japanese was practically native-level."
Though Kang Rojun kept a calm expression, he thought to himself,
'I can't exactly talk about 'AI Automation', so I'll just gloss over it.'
He gave a vague reply.
"I just studied it a little bit."
"Haha, again with the 'little'? I think your version of 'a little' is different from the average person's."
The writers, including Kim Se-hee, chimed in from behind.
"We were totally shocked! No. 1 speaking Japanese so fluently!"
"Be honest, No. 1. Is there anything you can't do??"
PD Woo Han-suk picked up the baton.
"Even if you don't say it, I'm sure you have other talents too."
"..."
Kang Rojun remained silent. There was a good chance he'd reveal other hidden skills someday. Seeing that Rojun chose to stay quiet, PD Woo Han-suk's smile deepened.
"Okay, I won't pry. It's fun to watch and see."
Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the hall building where the stage was. After telling the writers to go in first, PD Woo Han-suk refocused on Kang Rojun.
"I met with PD Jung Soo-ryeong. We talked about 'Rental Lover' and shared the current and future plans for 'Produce That 100!'."
"Yes."
"From what I heard, the 'Rental Lover' project is going to get much bigger. You'll absolutely explode in recognition within this year, No. 1."
PD Woo Han-suk, confident in his words, summarized the conversations he had with PD Jung Soo-ryeong. Not everything, but he hinted at some future developments of 'Rental Lover' and 'Produce That 100!'.
"Anyway, I'll make sure your activities related to 'Rental Lover' can be done as much as possible. PD Jung said there needs to be a short meeting this Friday morning too."
"Yes, it's about finalizing the character setting and script for my role. She said she would also share some things that have been decided."
Nodding, PD Woo Han-suk moved into the hall with Kang Rojun. Inside, dozens of staff members were busy preparing for the shoot. The filming was scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday. During that time, PD Woo Han-suk called over a camera and said to Rojun,
"No. 1, would you mind saying these lines in Japanese?"
"Sure."
After giving Rojun the lines, PD Woo Han-suk stepped aside and said something to the camera operator. Soon, the camera was fixed on Rojun. While checking the monitor, PD Woo Han-suk signaled to him.
"Now."
With a calm expression, Kang Rojun began speaking in Japanese.
"Hello, Japanese viewers. I heard our program is already quite popular. Please enjoy watching 'Produce That 100!' and give us lots of support."
His fluent Japanese caused not only the camera operator but also a dozen or so busy staff members nearby to widen their eyes.
"What the? Why is No. 1 so good at Japanese?"
"There's something sexy about how his vibe becomes more calm when speaking Japanese."
Though it was a simple shoot, the moment PD Woo Han-suk checked Kang Rojun on the monitor, the corners of his mouth stretched to his ears. In PD Woo Han-suk's mind, it was already clear.
'How could anyone not go wild after seeing this?'
He could vividly picture Japanese fans screaming in adoration for Kang Rojun.
The next morning, at the 'Produce That 100!' campus.
As always, Kang Rojun began his day by completing his mission as soon as he opened his eyes. The difference today was in the form of the other contestants who followed him to exercise.
"Wow- damn, No. 1! One hour is still rough, but now I can handle thirty minutes??"
They were making progress. Including the roommates from Room 105, over a dozen contestants were slowly adapting to Kang Rojun's exercise pace. Still, none could completely keep up.
Either way, mission complete, 10 coins gained.
After finishing his shower, Rojun checked his current status.
-[Coins Owned: 375]
Before eating, he proceeded with stat enhancement.
-[Appearance (100/100)│Singing Ability (11.1/100)│Rap (5.3/100)]
[Dance (10.6/100)│Eloquence (7.9/100)│Acting (5.1/100)]
Smiling at his improved stats, Rojun moved to the cafeteria with the Room 105 members. There, No. 58 quietly approached him. Seemed like he had something to say? Curious, Rojun slightly distanced himself from the others.
In a small voice, No. 58 spoke.
"...No. 1. You are really good at Japanese. I was surprised."
"I've always had a strong interest in foreign languages."
"I see- um, if it's okay, could we speak in Japanese together when you have time?"
A conversation? It was obvious he wanted to improve his Japanese skills. Scratching his chin, Kang Rojun honestly found it a bit annoying.
"Sure, if I have time."
"Thank you. Even just ten minutes when you're free would be great."
"Okay."
"But in return... since just asking for a favor feels one-sided. No. 1 nim, do you know how to compose music?"
"Compose?"
"Yes. Making music is kind of a hobby for me... if you're interested, I can teach you how to compose. I've already made some songs and done arrangements too. We could use those as examples."
Composition, huh. That wasn't a bad idea.
'Eventually, I'll learn lyrics writing, composition, and arrangement, but it'd be easier if I had the basics first.'
Currently, Kang Rojun was completely unfamiliar with anything related to music composition. Sure, he could use 'AI Automation', but with zero foundational knowledge, it was clear that would cost a hefty amount of coins.
'There'd be gaps too.'
Composition and such were professional fields, too technical to be approached haphazardly. Plus, lyrics writing, composition, and arrangement were actual stat categories. At the moment, his growth in them was nearly nonexistent, but if he could absorb some of No. 58's knowledge, his stats would definitely improve.
Overall, it made more sense for Kang Rojun to build a foundation first.
'If I learn it, I'll become way more skilled at handling it.'
Kang Rojun nodded to No. 58.
"Let's give it a shot."
No. 58's face immediately brightened.
"Yes, yes! Take a look at my songs, if any catch your interest, let me know. I'll give them to you. Ah... or maybe they'll all suck."
"No, just stay calm for now."
After finishing breakfast like that, Kang Rojun stepped out from Room 105. Looking down the hallway, a dozen people were gathered. The 'Dance Team' members whose votes had ended. Among them was No. 10 with a tense expression. The moment he saw Rojun, No. 10 furrowed his brows and looked away. Soon, a staff member quietly spoke.
"Shall we move?"
Once all twenty had gathered, the staff led the 'Dance Team' members to the main hall. The hall with the stage was already fully prepped with dozens of staff, cameras, lights, sound equipment, and more. The filming of the survival announcement for the twenty-member 'Dance Team' was about to begin.
Multiple stage lights came on.
The set cameras adjusted their angles toward the stage, and various staff members retreated like an ebb tide behind the cameras. Then, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, PD Woo Han-suk addressed the twenty contestants.
"Everyone, please get on the stage."
They had to stand beside the opponent they had faced in the survival match. Naturally, the first was Kang Rojun, paired with red-haired No. 10. Once their positions were roughly set, PD Woo Han-suk announced the start of the official shoot and lifted his tablet, briefing the contestants.
"The 'Dance Team' votes have ended. Your survival will be determined right here."
The faces of the contestants, including No. 10, turned grave. Regardless, PD Woo Han-suk continued speaking.
"Among you, 10 will pass and remain in your positions, while those who fail will leave 'Produce That 100!' immediately."
PD Woo Han-suk manipulated his tablet.
"For your information, a total of 3 'Dance Team' participants will survive through the revival round, and this time, we didn't select based on re-competition or stage performance. Based on voting, evaluations from the judges, viewer reactions, and the production team's opinions, we've already selected 3 people from the 'Dance Team'. There will be 7 clear eliminations."
In other words, this shoot would result in thirteen 'pass' contestants, and the seven 'eliminated' ones would have to leave the 'Produce That 100!' campus immediately.
After finishing the briefing, PD Woo Han-suk spoke again.
"The first group's song was 'Brake'."
Several cameras quickly focused on Kang Rojun and No. 10. Then came PD Woo Han-suk's clear voice.
"No. 1, with an overwhelming first place in voting, you 'pass'."
As expected, Kang Rojun survived. There was still hope for the defeated No. 10. He could still survive as an additional pick in the revival round.
Because of that, No. 10 prayed.
'Please, please!!'
However...
"No. 10."
What came from PD Woo Han-suk's lips was something else.
"No. 10, you are 'eliminated'. Please leave 'Produce That 100!' immediately."
It was a death sentence for No. 10.