Near the production crew’s lodgings.
Currently, the *That 100%* staff mostly used the accommodation facilities, but the system operated on a rotation where they could step out and return depending on circumstances.
In one meeting room of that very staff building.
Calling it a meeting room was a stretch—it was merely a room with some desks set up inside—but PD Wu Hanseok, writers including Gim Sehui, and several key staff from outside the directing team had gathered. They had already started the second round of filming, but they held meetings in between as well.
The topics were issues that had arisen during shooting, the participants’ conditions, and the current situation.
At present, hamster-like Gim Sehui was briefing them while looking at her tablet.
“The vocal, dance, and rap teams have all started training. I think today will be mostly introductions and gauging their abilities.”
PD Wu Hanseok nodded slowly. The dark circles under his eyes had grown even deeper.
“The training just started, so there probably aren't any disturbances yet, but there’s no conflict or anything between the trainers and participants, right?”
“I haven’t heard anything. It’s still early, so I imagine everyone is behaving?”
“Hmm—if it’s too bland, there won’t be anything worth reeling in.”
Crossing his arms and exhaling, PD Wu Hanseok took off his glasses.
“Anyone who can make a character? Other than number 10.”
A different female writer answered.
“No one stands out yet. If anything—number 58? He’s kind of quiet? No, gloomy? Dark?”
“Number 58? Ah—the one with the baby perm?”
“That’s right.”
“Good. Keep watching him.”
For a moment, the production crew continued their character analysis of the participants.
“There aren’t any unique characters yet. Even though it’s early, that’s a bit of a shame.”
“We’ve only just started the second round evaluation. It’s still an adjustment period. Once they settle in, things might start blowing up here and there. Shall we wait and see?”
“You don’t know that? Hu—the more guys who can hook viewers, the easier the editing. So share even the smallest issue immediately.”
As the key staff nodded, writer Gim Sehui cut in after looking at a photo of Gang Rojun on her tablet.
“Number 1 is too strong. So far he has the skills, his character is being pegged as the villain, and his visuals are on another level. And he does whatever he wants.”
“Well, honestly, I wonder if a character who can surpass number 1 will even show up.”
“In the early episodes, he’ll monopolize all the attention in editing, won’t he?”
“Tell me about it.”
When the topic suddenly shifted to Gang Rojun, PD Wu Hanseok crossed his legs and asked.
“He did some random exercise in the morning, right? What did he do?”
“Nothing special. Just running and push-ups. Oh, we filmed it.”
“What is number 1 doing now? All the others are in training, so he must be alone.”
“He went into a practice room alone after exercising and eating. All the cameras are attached to the training sessions, so we couldn’t see what he’s doing. Should we assign a dedicated camera to number 1 even now?”
After thinking briefly, PD Wu Hanseok shook his head.
“No, no need to force it. There are small cameras there too. We can check the footage during editing later. Besides, the main focus of today’s shoot is training; we should concentrate on that.”
“Understood.”
“He skipped training by his own request, so he must be prepared to lose screen time during this period. Watch him for a few days, then casually go get an interview with number 1.”
As if wrapping up the meeting.
“If number 1 has almost no footage during the training period...”
PD Wu Hanseok smoothly stood up.
“It might make for a great viewer hook if he suddenly appears during the second round evaluation.”
At the same time, in a large practice room.
Gang Rojun was alone in a spacious practice room with mirrors on both the front and back walls. No, it wouldn’t have been strange to say he seemed like an entirely different person from Rojun.
-♬♪
Because the sight of him unfolding choreography to *brake* echoing through the practice room was incredibly unfamiliar.
The uncoordinated, flailing dancer who used to creak and flop no matter what he danced was nowhere to be found.
There was only.
“Huff— ugh—”
A Gang Rojun with rough breaths but smooth dance lines. Though his heart felt like it would burst, Rojun did not stop the choreography.
This was already the fourth time.
He kept repeating the full choreography of the first and second verses of *brake*. Because it was fun.
*It feels totally different from vocals.*
Of course, singing was fun and interesting too. But choreography involved such intense body movement that it gave a more refreshing feeling? Moreover, his body moved exactly as he wanted, following the clear movements smoothly and fluidly, so he even felt pleasure.
Eventually.
“Ugh!!”
Gang Rojun finished his fourth run and collapsed flat on the practice room floor. His short sleeves and hair were already soaked through. Rojun stared at the ceiling and smirked.
“What the hell, this is fun?”
How could he describe it—the feeling of a game character growing dozens of times faster than others through cash items? Afterward, Gang Rojun danced the choreography for *brake* a couple more times before finally leaving the practice room.
*Someone might come soon.*
He meant other participants who had finished training, or staff. Gang Rojun wanted to use a quiet practice room if possible. He then arrived at a lounge near the practice room—a place furnished with various desks and sofas.
-Swish.
Here, Rojun intended to write. Even if a few pieces of garbage writing came out, it would be good to get some practice in for now.
But before that.
*Let me check the “AI Simulation” first.*
There was something he had to do first. Today’s mission was complete, but he hadn’t performed his enhancements yet. He was slightly surprised when he checked his status.
-[Appearance (100/100) | Vocal (4.8/100) | Rap (1.5/100)]
[Choreography (1.2/100) | Wit (5.7/100) | Acting (0.8/100)]
His stats had risen a little across the board. He understood the increases in vocal and dance, but.
*Why did acting go up? Could it be—because I’m hiding my terrible singing and dancing?*
Either way, stats rising on their own was sweet. Soon, Rojun invested 10 coins into Vocal.
-[Vocal (5.8/100)]
He still had a long way to go, but Rojun grew curious. There probably wasn’t a major change yet, right? Still, just in case, he headed to the restroom. The restroom was optimal for checking. It was the only place on this campus without cameras.
Fortunately, there was no one in the restroom on the same floor.
“Aah.”
Sitting in a stall, Gang Rojun sang as quietly as possible. The song was random.
-♬♪
Gang Rojun stopped singing after about ten seconds. Then he put on a deliberately serious expression.
*Huh? Did this get—slightly better?*
Of course, he was still tone-deaf. But if yesterday he had been trash-level tone-deaf, today he was just regular tone-deaf? His pitch deviation had decreased.
*Again.*
The second time was the same.
The next morning. SBC Drama Division.
PD Jeong Suryeong was seen sitting at her desk, on the phone.
“Oh my—Mr. Gim Star? I saw the article. What kind of donation did you make so generously?”
She seemed to be checking in with actors. Networking was something a director ought to do. Soon after she ended the call, a male PD approached her.
“Hey, PD Jeong? The Department Head is calling for you.”
“Okay—”
She got up, roughly straightened her clothes, and retied her dull brown hair. She walked fast, so she reached the Department Head’s office quickly.
-Knock knock.
After knocking, an old man’s voice told her to come in. Inside the Department Head’s office, a bald man sitting at his desk took off his glasses. Mid-to-late fifties?
“Sit.”
“Yes, yes—”
PD Jeong Suryeong sat on the five-person sofa. The Department Head seated in the head position placed a bundle of papers on the table. Familiar names were visible.
-*Rental Lover*
-Writer Gang Cheolsu
The Department Head tapped the *Rental Lover* script with his index finger.
“This won the top prize in the one-act contest. I heard you were the one pushing this script?”
“I did push for it, but the others and higher-ups recognized it too. Didn’t you like it, Department Head?”
“No, it was fine. But we were planning to slot this in the fall reshuffle or year-end, and now we need to move it up a lot.”
“Move it up? By how much?”
“Immediately. Start rolling cameras as soon as possible.”
“Huh? Immediately? Why?”
The Department Head let out a heavy sigh.
“Hyeonsu’s project—there was some noise with the writer, but it seemed to be settling, then something else blew up. The male lead was hospitalized.”
“Bak Sehun? I heard he had a minor accident filming a movie, but they said it wasn’t serious?”
“I don’t know, apparently he’s hospitalized. The schedule is wrecked. So we’re going to patch the hole with *Rental Lover*. If we start right away, we can put it up around late September, right? We buy two weeks with this, and if we buy one more week with a special episode of *When Drunk*, which we’re airing now, that’s three weeks. That should do it.”
PD Jeong Suryeong scratched her chin.
“Late September? That’s tight. And *When Drunk* isn’t even pulling any ratings right now—a special episode?”
“We have to plug the hole first, damn it. Anyway, Jinseong under you is about due for her directorial debut, right? Have her do *Rental Lover*.”
“Hiss—I asked her already, and she was trembling. Says she’s still lacking.”
“She should just do it if told. What, is there a director who refuses their debut?”
“She’s like that.”
“Anyone else?”
“If you exclude Jinseong, there’s no one with enough experience. Eunjeong went to Team B.”
“Then pull Eunjeong out and put Jinseong in B.”
“What if we ruin both productions doing that?”
The Department Head covered his face and sighed again. Around then, a smile spread across PD Jeong Suryeong’s lips as she stared fixedly at the Department Head’s face.
“Shall I do this one?”
Meanwhile, at the theme studio campus in Paju.
Today as well, the *That 100%* filming was scheduled to focus on the participants’ training scenes. However, since the trainers had given assignments yesterday, the picture would be different. Additionally, more participants were gradually starting to use the practice rooms.
Proof that they were preparing in earnest for the second round evaluation.
Around this time, PD Wu Hanseok was in a park next to the participants’ building.
“Hmm—”
Around him were writers and several cameras. What they were watching was Gang Rojun running.
“He runs at exactly the same time? How long does he run?”
“About an hour.”
“An hour?!”
“Yes.”
Surprised, PD Wu Hanseok let his tongue hang out.
“It’s not easy to run for an hour unless you exercise a lot normally.”
The female writers cut in as if agreeing.
“I don’t think exercising is a concept—Rojun was already in good shape from the start. He’s been doing this.”
“I told you not to say the participants’ names during filming.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“Tsk. Anyway, even with his face drenched in sweat, that kid number 1 maintains insane visuals. Is that even possible?”
“It’s just a pictorial, a pictorial.”
Rubbing his chin, PD Wu Hanseok gave an order to one of the cameras.
“Let’s get a frontal shot of number 1. Even a short clip will captivate the viewers.”
Soon a staff member holding a camera started running, and a call came through the walkie-talkie in PD Wu Hanseok’s hand.
-[“PD-nim, the judges have arrived in the hall—”]
After replying that he would be right there, he looked at Gang Rojun once more before turning around. A few minutes later, in the hall with the stage that was nearly empty now. The four judges were near the set-up cameras and audio equipment.
“Hello—”
PD Wu Hanseok greeted the judges seated on makeshift chairs and handed them transparent files he had prepared in advance.
“Please look through them slowly. As I mentioned before, the second round evaluation will proceed with participants divided into vocal, dance, and rap.”
The first to react was I Dami, a former girl group member who ran a mid-sized entertainment company.
“The song and choreography are already decided?”
“Yes. Everything is in the files.”
“Interesting? All of vocal, dance, and rap are split into verse 1 and verse 2 between the participants?”
Next was hitmaker composer Song Mingeun.
“This makes the comparison crystal clear.”
Veteran singer Yun Seungwon agreed as well.
“It’s like a duet but not quite—that should be fun. Ah, by the way, what did that number 1 pick?”
“Dance.”
Soon all four judges were flipping through the files. Rojun’s face was first on the dance team page.
“He’s paired with number 10? That kid could dance a bit too.”
“He was a bit crude, but he seemed to know how to use his body, right? His dance lines were good too.”
“A male-female duet choreography—the song is *brake*?”
“Haha, *brake* is quite difficult.”
After the judges had talked for a few minutes, PD Wu Hanseok spoke.
“For your information, number 1 really isn’t receiving training with the others. Everyone else has started.”
“So he’s practicing alone now?”
At that moment.
“E—PD-nim.”
“Yes?”
Gong Jumi, a former girl group member and musical actress, spoke seriously.
“Looking at the second round evaluation method—for example, number 10 does the verse 1 choreography of *brake*, and number 1 does verse 2, right? All the participants are probably practicing that way now.”
“Right?”
“Um... I was wondering if we could add a little variation to that method during the evaluation. To see their spontaneity or sense, rather than just what they practiced.”
“What kind of variation are you suggesting?”
To the repeated question, Gong Jumi answered briefly.
“First, perform the assigned parts as planned. Then, switch verse 1 and verse 2 with each other?”