The five judges’ choices were all Kang Rojun. At that, the host Jang Daehan, who had been standing by onstage, loudly announced,
“Yes!! The winner of the first choreography team is Contestant No. 1!”
Applause once again rose from the judges’ table and the staff, and Kang Rojun, standing at center stage, wiped away his sweat and bowed.
“Thank you.”
His reaction was composed, but inside, he was making quite the fuss.
‘I wooon! Praise me for enjoying the stage! Praise me for learning the whole song! Ah—and “AI Automation” is insanely good!’
It was a stage that once again proved the fraudulent power of “AI Simulation,” and one that offered a glimpse of Kang Rojun’s hidden value. Thanks to that, Rojun was purely delighted, if only on the inside. Then Hayoung and the red-haired No. 10 on either side of him also applauded.
Hayoung smiled faintly, as if she had expected it.
‘What a shame. Will I get to see No. 1 again? If he debuts later, I’ll be able to meet him on music shows, right? Or—should I ask for his number today??’
No. 10 was smiling too, but more than eighty percent of it was forced.
‘……He’s seriously insane. How did he master all the way through the first verse in that short practice period? And without even getting training??’
No. 10 simply could not understand it. It wasn’t as if he himself had been slacking off. He had squeezed out every bit of time he could and clung to practice, yet even handling the first-verse part had been overwhelming. But Kang Rojun had pulled off the full choreography lightly, without training.
They had had the same amount of time, so where had the difference in density come from?
Whatever the case, the result was No. 10’s defeat.
Soon, No. 10 looked at Kang Rojun and thought,
‘Is there anyone in “P100” right now who can beat him?’
His face was divine, and even his vocals and choreography were high-level. On top of that, his color was one of a kind. No. 10 didn’t know every contestant, but with that much destructive power from Rojun, he figured there wouldn’t be anyone who could match him, let alone beat him.
‘Damn it—still, I’d like to see him get crushed at least once.’
Meanwhile, the dozens of contestants who had watched Kang Rojun and No. 10’s stage from beginning to end were in a grave mood. Murmurs never ceased in each waiting room.
“Wow—No. 1’s choreography is amazing too……”
“Even if they call him a villain, doesn’t it make him even cooler when he just crushes everyone with skill??”
“He’s seriously way too unique.”
“Ugh… he’s a total proper candidate to win.”
Almost all of them felt their sense of crisis soar to the extreme. No one knew what kind of tasks the future evaluations on “P100” would involve or how things would flow, but if they had to go up against No. 1, for the moment, they couldn’t see any hope of winning.
‘No. 1 has such a clear character too. He’s definitely on track to debut through “P100.”’
In the meantime, once the stage had been somewhat cleared, PD U Hanseok appeared near the judges’ table. He held a handheld mic.
“Winning or losing here does not mean you have one hundred percent passed or been eliminated. As we mentioned beforehand, starting with the second evaluation, viewer vote scores will be added in. Therefore, the final conclusion, including the judges’ scores for the second evaluation, will be announced after next week’s broadcast airs.”
As the program was named “Produce the 100!” from here on out, it would be the viewers who determined the contestants’ fates. For example, even if No. 10 had not received the judges’ choice, if he received an overwhelming score from the viewers, he could survive.
The second losers’ revival storyline would also be filmed after the viewer vote.
For reference, “P100” would have its first broadcast today, the 24th, and only this week, in commemoration of the premiere, it would air two days in a row, with episode 2 airing right away tomorrow, the 25th. After that, episode 3 would air on the 31st. From then on, one episode would air every Friday.
For the production crew, including PD U Hanseok, it was a hellish schedule.
Of course, for the contestants who had finished the second evaluation and were waiting for the results, the wait would be several times more agonizing. Naturally, that part would also make for good television. In any case, Kang Rojun, No. 10, and Hayoung gave their final bows to the judges before leaving toward the back of the stage.
Even as he left the stage he had stirred up, Rojun thought,
‘I don’t really remember how everything passed by, but I definitely remember that it was fun.’
The three of them were then assigned not to the waiting room from before the evaluation, but to a separate waiting room for those who had finished their evaluations. The atmosphere in the waiting room was similar to the one they had been in before. Rojun then shifted his gaze to the large monitor in front.
‘The next team is starting right away.’
Just then.
-Bzzzz.
A short vibration rang out. He felt it at his wrist.
-[You have completed the hidden mission “Defeat Your First Rival!” We have awarded you 30 coins as a gift.]
If there had been no cameras, Kang Rojun might have flung both arms wide open.
‘Whoa—30 coins!!’
After that.
The second evaluation of the “choreography team” continued. Although Kang Rojun had just shown an overwhelmingly powerful stage, the next contestants also tried to show their own colors without being too intimidated.
Soon, the second winner and loser were decided.
“Yes!! The winner of the second choreography team! Contestant No. 21!”
However, this time the judges did not request a variation stage where the contestants divided and swapped parts as they had with Rojun.
They did not particularly explain the reason, but it was likely because there had been an overwhelming difference. In the third evaluation, the two contestants’ choreography skills were evenly matched, and the judges requested that they show the stage after switching parts.
In short, it was random.
When the second evaluation was about halfway done, a simple lunch and break time were given, and Rojun, who had filled his stomach with a decent amount of dakgalbi, used the spare moment to strengthen his stats.
-[Appearance (100/100)│Singing Ability (7.4/100)│Rap (1.5/100)]
[Choreography (5/100)│Eloquence (6.3/100)│Acting (3.1/100)]
He was only investing coins into singing ability, but it was noticeable that the numbers were rising overall.
‘It’s subtle, but it feels like the speed is getting faster, doesn’t it? Later on, it might pick up even more speed.’
Filming for the second evaluation began again around 2 p.m. Before full-scale filming, PD U Hanseok briefed the contestants.
“Today’s filming is scheduled to end before 8 p.m. Starting at 9, all contestants will gather in this hall to watch the first broadcast of “P100.” It’s finally the premiere, so let’s all huddle together and have chicken and beer.”
Several judges whose schedules allowed it had also decided to join in.
At that time, on the internet, “JTVM” was in the middle of an all-out promotional push.
《The much-talked-about “Produce the 100!” Only a few hours until its first broadcast!》
《“P100” finally lifts the veil! With interest this hot, will its content satisfy viewers as well?》
《“P100,” an idol survival audition produced by the viewers! What will its premiere ratings be?》
They had been putting effort into it for weeks, but since today was the premiere, they were increasing the explosive power several times over.
《Will PD U Hanseok’s survival audition variety show work again this time? Opinions divided on online communities》
Of course, just as there were positive views, there were also negative reactions. The press and public opinion were the same in that regard.
《“I’m sick of audition shows” vs. “Familiar flavors are scary”: The future of “P100” seen through netizen reactions》
Whether people praised it or cursed it, attention was attention, so naturally, “P100” was occupying more than seventy percent of entertainment news articles. From social media to YouTube and various video platforms, “P100” was also taking over.
From shorts to advertisement videos, the content was varied.
Countless online communities had long since been engaged in heated debates related to “P100,” and in the open chat on the official “P100” website, which had opened that morning, thousands of real-time messages were being posted.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh when is it gonna be 9ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I wanna watch it already!!!
-No but guys aren’t you tired of this kind of audition show by now lololol they’re boiling the same bones again lololol
-↑gtfo
-There was nothing to watch on variety these days, but Fridays are now claimed by P100!!!
-What, there are only a few thousand people here so far???
-Once the first episode starts it’ll easily go over ten thousand lolololololol
-This is gonna be boring af
-Your face is boring af
-PD U Hanseok is damn good at making familiar flavors work, so I’m looking forward to this one too
-Ha… I watched the official teaser and now I’m waiting like crazy but time is not passing… when do I get off workㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
It was not only the press and public opinion waiting for “P100.” Various broadcasting stations, including terrestrial networks, as well as countless domestic entertainment companies, were also deeply interested.
A few hours later, at the “P100” campus in Paju.
“Cut! That’s it! Everyone, great work!!”
Filming for the second evaluation of the “choreography team” came to an end.
That same night, at an enormous pub near Gangnam Station.
Perhaps because it was Friday night, Gangnam Station was packed with an incredible crowd. It wasn’t only the outside; the many pubs were also bursting with customers, and a huge two-story izakaya was full as well.
There were tables filled only with women, tables with only men, mixed-gender tables, and so on.
Each table had different people, and since the customers easily numbered over a hundred, the noise in the pub was unbelievably rowdy. On the wide wall of the first floor of that huge izakaya hung a massive screen.
What was being projected onto the screen was a TV broadcast.
It was currently in the middle of commercials, and at the top of the screen was the logo of the program that would soon air.
-“Produce the 100!”
Even while drinking, the hundred or so customers glanced at the screen and chatted.
“That’s ‘P100’! Wasn’t today the first broadcast??”
“Huh? Ahhh! That’s right, today’s Friday, isn’t it?”
“I marked it because it looked fun. Perfect. Let’s watch some of it here, then go for round two?”
“They said there are a hundred contestants? That’s a ton.”
At many tables watching the screen, not just one, “P100” became the topic of conversation. Of course, those conversations soon shifted to other things.
Then.
“Ah, the commercial’s over! It’s starting now.”
As soon as the commercial ended on the izakaya screen, the first broadcast of “P100” began. The first cut showed the dazzling images of various idols who had already achieved great success, which had also appeared in the official teaser.
-♬♪
As the BGM played, the title and official logo of “P100” appeared. Then came a view of the “JTVM” broadcasting station, the production crew in meetings, the confirmed “P100” concept, and the process of selecting the official one hundred contestants.
For roughly fifteen minutes, “P100” showed the opening at a brisk pace.
-[“Let’s prepare for the judges’ preliminary meeting.”]
Next, it introduced the four judges. Yun Seungwon, Gong Jumi, Song Minggeun, and Lee Dami, in order. Around this point, many of the male and female customers at the izakaya tables slowly began to focus on the screen. Some watched openly, some watched in between sips of alcohol, and some watched halfheartedly.
Before long.
-♬♪
The music changed on “P100,” and the Paju campus, where the massive survival audition would take place, appeared on screen. It showed the hall with the enormous stage, the dormitories, the cafeteria, practice rooms, and various other places.
The direction made it look almost like a large village.
“The scale is huge, damn.”
“I know, right? Where is that? Did they build an entirely new set?”
“No way. If they built all those buildings from scratch, how much money would that cost?”
“Either way, I like that the scale is big.”
Before they knew it, contestants wearing white masks began appearing one by one on “P100” on the screen. They gathered before entering the campus. However, because they were wearing masks, it was hard to recognize their faces.
“What’s that?? Why are they wearing masks??”
“Don’t tell me they keep them on until the audition?”
“Look at that one, his hair is bright yellow!”
“Looks like there are foreigners too? His eyes are totally—”
As the izakaya customers gradually became absorbed in “P100,” cuts appeared of the gathered contestants moving by bus and awkwardly making conversation.
-[“Where are you from?”]
-[“Seoul.”]
-[“Ah—I’m from Yongin.”]
Then came the scene of them drawing balls with numbers written on them.
-[“Please keep your masks on—and draw one ball from this box!”]
A black-haired man drew No. 1. It even showed him attaching the No. 1 name tag to his chest.
“He seems like he might be pretty good.”
“He looks like a mask fraud. The area above his nose looks good, but if the lower half of his face is bad, he could be ugly as hell.”
After that came a stream of cuts of masked contestants attaching their number tags, and in the broadcast now, Group 1 and Group 2 were mixed together as if they had been filmed all at once. The people in the pub did not know it, but it had been craftily combined through editing.
Had about ten minutes passed like that?
-[“Idols, which have been my dream and are also the dream of ‘the 100’ who will stand on this stage! ‘Produce the 100!’ begins now!”]
On the grand stage, Jang Daehan received a solo shot as he declared the start of the audition, then looked at his cue card and briefed the audience on how the first evaluation of “P100” would proceed.
-[“……As soon as the contestant steps onstage, they will reveal their face, and without any interview whatsoever, they will immediately show what they have prepared!”]
At last, the first contestant went up onstage. The many male and female customers at the izakaya, who had been waiting, grew excited.
“Ooh—here he comes!”
“Is his hair red? He looks like a tomato.”
“His face, show us his face!”
The red-headed contestant making his first appearance on the screen was No. 10. As soon as No. 10 took off his mask, the patrons immediately delivered their verdicts.
“Hmm—he’s kind of iffy.”
“He sort of looks like a weasel.”
“The red hair’s a minus. He’d be better off with black hair.”
No. 10 greeted the judges, then shouted that he would show them his choreography. The stage proceeded right away. Perhaps his skills weren’t bad, because the reactions from the many patrons in the bar were fairly positive.
“Looks like he can dance a bit?”
“Right? I don’t really like him because he’s got that show-off vibe, but he does have something.”
“He’s not bad??”
In fact, No. 10 received decent evaluations from the judges as well, and he passed.
-[ “Congratulations! Contestant No. 10, you have passed the final audition!!”]
Next was No. 2. From the moment he appeared, No. 2 received lavish praise from the patrons, but—
“Oh! He’s good-looking!”
“Looks like the decent ones are finally coming out??”
“He’s totally my type!! Mine, mine.”
“Get a grip.”
-♬♪
For some reason, he presented an unstable vocal performance.
-[“Contestant No. 2, first of all, your fundamentals are somewhat lacking. You have a bad habit, but you didn’t know that yourself, did you?”]
He ultimately failed.
After that, contestants wearing various number tags went up on stage and took off their masks, and each time, they either passed or failed, laughing or crying. Meanwhile, the hundred or so patrons became completely immersed in enjoying “Geubaekpeu” and judging the contestants.
In particular, the fun of watching them take off their masks seemed to be the main attraction.
“That kid just now has kind of a gloomy vibe, but he plays guitar well, doesn’t he? A bit of unexpected charm??”
“But seriously, why did No. 2 fail? He was handsome.”
“Come on, if we’re talking visuals alone, that gloomy kid just now was better.”
“I liked No. 42? He looked really sharp.”
“Aren’t the kids overall in pretty good shape?”
“I’m the opposite?? I feel like they’re more disappointing than I expected??”
Before long, the large bar was enthusiastically chewing over “Geubaekpeu” as if it were a side dish to go with their drinks. The broadcast had been on for a little over an hour.
That was when it happened.
-[“‘No. 1,’ please remove your mask.”]
On the “Geubaekpeu” stage within the screen stood a black-haired man wearing the number tag 1. Thanks to that, the eyes of the many patrons in the bar returned to the screen once again, and No. 1 lowered his head and removed the white mask.
The camera angle slowly shifted from a full shot of the stage to a close-up of No. 1’s face after he had taken off his mask.
The face of No. 1, illuminated by the lights shining down on the stage, filled the entire large screen of the izakaya.
For a moment, the decibel level of the noisy, bustling izakaya dropped slightly.
“Huh??”
“...Whoa—”
“No, huh?? Huh?”
At the same time, the eyes of the many patrons around the first-floor screen widened like crazy.
And without realizing it, their mouths fell slightly open.
“Holy shit. He’s insanely handsome?? What is this, CG?”
No. 1. No—this was Gang Rojun’s first appearance.