At first, a bust shot gradually closed up on his face. The face of Gang Rojun, who had removed his white mask, filled the large screen. The lights concentrating from above the stage were so intense that, no matter who looked, it seemed like a halo.
Around this time, the noise in the mega-sized izakaya briefly died down.
“Huh? Huh!!”
The countless guests quickly began to grow excited. From the first floor to the second. Like the shock was contagious, the hundred or so guests in the izakaya were buzzing in an instant.
“Wow— no, what kind of face is that······”
“Crazy, seriously crazy. He’s freaking insanely handsome?!”
“Who is he? I got a shock when that mega-hottie suddenly appeared! What’s his number??”
“Number 1, Number 1!!”
Whether they were groups of women, groups of men, or mixed groups, most of the guests who had been drinking merrily fixed their gazes on the large screen. It was the destructive visuals of Number 1, Gang Rojun, that captured their attention.
“What is that, seriously, are you telling me that’s not CGI??!”
“No, there’s a limit to how handsome someone can be, but that—is he even human?”
“Whoa······ crazy. I’ve never seen someone so drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Look at his nose bridge, seriously, it’s like he walked out of a novel?? He’d put most actors to shame!!”
Interest skyrocketed. Even tables with only men were purely in awe.
“Damn, that bastard really is fucking handsome.”
“Doesn’t it look like he has a good body too? Don’t tell me he works out on top of those crazy looks······”
“I admit he’s insanely handsome. At that level, I don’t think even other super handsome guys could compare.”
Gang Rojun overwhelmed many of the izakaya’s guests simply by appearing. Soon, several people took out their phones and snapped pictures of Rojun on the screen, and a spectacular sight even unfolded as male and female guests on the second floor rushed down to the first. But that wasn’t all. The guests were busy quickly sharing what they had witnessed with acquaintances around them.
Through messengers, SNS, and online communities, the face of Geubaekpeu’s Gang Rojun spread rapidly.
At that moment, the screen angle showing Gang Rojun changed.
It began showing the judges in a daze. The start was a full shot of all four members with their souls seemingly leaving their bodies as they looked at Rojun on stage. Next was Lee Dami with her mouth hanging open.
—[“His face······ is that for real?”]
A short remark from her, a judge.
The guests felt the exact same way as Lee Dami. They had borne witness to a disruptive species that could effortlessly obliterate top-tier visual predators. Then, the screen displayed the faces of the judges in utter shock one after another, and lastly, veteran singer Yun Seungwon appeared. He was looking up at the light shining down on Rojun.
—[“What kind of halo is that.”]
As if in agreement, the hundred or so guests in the izakaya went several times wilder, when the large screen captured Gang Rojun’s figure once more. It was zoomed in tight on his face. Soon, Rojun, lightly brushing back his black hair, lifted the handheld microphone.
His low-toned voice resonated throughout the mega-sized izakaya.
—[“I’ve prepared a song. The piece I’ll sing is ‘Farewell’.”]
Exclamations burst from among the guests, who were already deeply hooked on Geubaekpeu.
“His voice is good too??”
“Sing! Hurry up and sing!!”
“A song coming from that face!”
“But what song is ‘Farewell’???”
“Isn’t it a really old song? I think I’ve heard my mom mention it.”
“Whatever song it is, hurry up and sing!!”
The guests wailed, begging Gang Rojun to bestow a song upon them. This phenomenon wasn’t limited to offline; the same was true in the real-time official open chat.
-lmaoooo he’s so fucking handsome i just let out a hollow laugh lolololololol
-He’s insanely handsome.... wow....
-People have been asking if he’s CGI since earlier lolol he literally looks like graphics lololol perfect
-What kind of karma do you need to be born with a face like that.... fuck i’m so jealous............
-He’s just okay though??
-↑Are you crazy lol if you’re mad jealous just say so lol what do you mean just okay with that face????
-Everyone shut up!!! Number 1!! Hurry up and sing!! I’m telling you to sing!! Melt my ears.....
-Dude i’m a guy but i gasped the moment i saw him lolol he’s so fucking handsome i can’t even feel jealous
-It’s not even that he’s handsome, he’s on a heavenly visual level, isn’t he beautiful?? lol it feels like i’m looking at a work of art lololololol
Since Geubaekpeu started airing, tens of thousands had swarmed the chat window and it was on fire. Of course, the reactions hadn’t been flipped upside down the entire time, but from the final part where Gang Rojun appeared, the chat window was exploding without rest.
A sea of praise.
Regardless, Gang Rojun of Geubaekpeu had dropped a nuclear bomb online and offline, and was about to open his mouth after throwing down the song called “Farewell.”
However.
“Ah, fuck!!! The end??? Don’t tell me it’s over?!!”
PD Woo Hanseok of Geubaekpeu knew exactly when to cut it. He ended episode 1 just as the half-crazed viewers were straining their ears.
Resentment was rampant. Not to mention in the mega-sized izakaya.
“Ah!!! Aaaaah!!! Is the PD crazy??! Cutting it off here?!”
“This is overboard!!!”
“So fucking pissed! Come on, at least let us hear Number 1’s first vocal phrase!!”
“Argh— wait, when’s Geubaekpeu on again??!”
“Ooh!! Tomorrow! Just for this week, they’re airing two days in a row to commemorate the launch!”
The official site’s open chat was also floored.
-Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!! Who’s going to catch the PD!!!
-Wak lolololol it’s been so long since i’ve been this this this this pissed at a cut lololololol
-Thank god.... Geubaekpeu said they’re airing episode 2 tomorrow.....
-PD-nim? Open the door pleaseeeee just for a bit?? Huh??
-PD you fucking bastard lololol damn
-Honestly Geubaekpeu was a bit boring lol Number 1 saved the whole thing lololol
-But what if Number 1 is tone-deaf???? Would be hilarious lololol
-I vote that Number 1 can’t sing either!
-Realistically, if you look like that you should be tone-deaf lolol but i’d still love him
The explosive power was tremendous.
At the same time, at the Geubaekpeu Campus in Paju.
The time was around 10:25 PM. The large hall with the stage, where the second round of judging had been underway until morning. But currently, filming wasn’t in progress. Over a hundred staff including PD Woo Hanseok, several judges with open schedules, and 70 contestants were all gathered watching the installed monitors. Not just one monitor, but a total of three.
They had all gathered to watch the first broadcast of Geubaekpeu.
Of course, Gang Rojun was among them.
Rojun, who had just witnessed his own face plastered all over the TV.
‘······Wow— I was on TV!’
On the inside, he was bouncing with joy. Wonder, thrill, exhilaration, and excitement coexisted. And on top of that.
‘The final cut of episode 1 was completely focused on me, right??’
The final scene of Geubaekpeu’s first broadcast had been filled with Gang Rojun. How could he put this feeling into words? He didn’t know, he just didn’t know, but Gang Rojun felt an energy that made it hard to keep his body still.
‘This pleasure is insane, for real.’
For a moment, Gang Rojun was reminded of his past self. A grotesque face and an eeriness that was second to none. Yet now, he was at the level of decorating the finale of a mega survival audition program.
At that moment.
-Clap clap clap clap!
Over a hundred staff members, including writer Kim Sehui and others, applauded.
“Episode 1 came out great!!”
“It’s only the beginning, but PD-nim, you worked hard!”
“The footage came out really fun!”
“It feels like all the hard work until now is washed away!”
Reactions close to cheers. At this, PD Woo Hanseok, fatigue deeply etched on his face, took off his glasses awkwardly.
“Why are you like this again— it’s not like the broadcast is a one-day two-day thing! Stop it, stop it!”
Among the remaining judges, Yun Seungwon said,
“My face looking at Number 1 at the end came out so stupid! You should have at least mosaicked it!”
Lee Dami, a former girl group member, also clapped while laughing.
“Why, sunbaenim! I came out looking like a fool too!”
PD Woo Hanseok bowed his head slightly and apologized.
“Hahaha, I’m sorry. I was trying to preserve the sense of being on-site.”
“Come on, I was joking. Personally, I liked it, especially the final cut. The buildup kept stacking and then you cut it off perfectly.”
“I decided the final cut of the first broadcast from the moment I first saw Number 1.”
In that instant, everyone’s gaze affixed to Gang Rojun, who sat at the front of the contestant crowd. PD Woo Hanseok showed him a thumbs-up and asked.
“How was it, Number 1? You ended the first broadcast with your presence exploding, so let’s hear how you feel.”
The concentrated attention was quite hard to get used to, but Gang Rojun, scratching his chin slowly, expressed his inner excitement in his own way.
“I was happy. It was fascinating to see myself on TV too.”
“···That’s it?? Your reaction is too bland.”
“I’m still dazed. But I’m genuinely happy.”
Gang Rojun muttered and put on a natural smile. At this, the female writers around PD Woo Hanseok coughed. They had almost fallen for the suddenly shot-out smile.
‘Wh-what, isn’t that the first time he’s smiled like that?’
PD Woo Hanseok, unaware of this, recalled the first time he saw Rojun.
‘At first, he didn’t seem to have big thoughts about the entertainment industry, but at this point, he must have gotten deeply interested. Starting from today, his life will flip upside down too.’
The remaining contestants, excluding Gang Rojun, each had starkly different feelings. Those who hadn’t appeared in the first broadcast were insanely jealous of Rojun.
‘The PD seriously poured everything into the end of the first broadcast, right?? I’m sooooo jealous.’
‘Episode 1 was totally focused on Number 1.’
‘It’s going to be chaos over Number 1 tomorrow, right?? I expected it, but I’m so damned jealous.’
The contestants who had shown their faces as a buildup from the middle of the first broadcast felt a wide variety of emotions.
‘I came out for quite a while too, let’s be satisfied. Number 1 that bastard is just too out of this world.’
‘Damn— I only got a few seconds and that was it!!’
‘If the ratings go up because of Number 1, it’s good for me too, so let’s not get too anxious.’
‘I made it on air without getting edited out, so I’m satisfied.’
Regardless, the Geubaekpeu team generally enjoyed celebrating the successful first broadcast, and the writers standing beside PD Woo Hanseok shouted while looking at their phones.
“PD-nim!! The official open chat is exploding right now!!”
“Over 50,000!!!”
“Everyone’s cursing you out to release the next episode, PD-nim!”
“Wow— Number 1, your popularity is insane!!”
“Almost over 70% are talking about Number 1... isn’t this really going to make the ratings explode??!”
Several writers also showed PD Woo Hanseok articles that had gone up in real time.
《'Produce the 100!' Finally Opens Its Lid, Viewers of First Broadcast “Release Episode 2 Right Now!!”》
《'Geubaekpeu', Fast-Paced from the First Broadcast···The Unreal Visuals of 'Number 1' Who Appeared in the Final Scene / Photo》
《Who Is 'Number 1' of 'Geubaekpeu'? What Is the Identity of 'Number 1' Who Drove Viewers Wild with a CG-like Face?》
At this, writer Kim Sehui, who resembled a hamster and was overflowing with more energy than ever, whispered to PD Woo Hanseok.
“PD-nim, can you imagine what would have happened if you’d ignored Number 1 back then—”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re the best, the best.”
Among the production crew who seemed ready to pull an all-nighter, PD Woo Hanseok, seeing the contestants gathered in the hall, wrapped up the atmosphere for now.
“The 'Dance Team' for today’s second round of judging worked hard, and the first broadcast is over. Tomorrow there’s also the second round of judging for the 'Vocal Team,' so everyone go back to the dorms and rest.”
Soon, dozens of contestants stood up, buzzing. However, perhaps because the excited mood still lingered, they were busy chattering amongst themselves, and four people quickly flocked around Gang Rojun.
“Number 1, you’re amazing!”
“I was so thrilled for you??!”
The high-tension Number 19 and Number 37 were the fastest, and tall, lanky Number 88 showed Rojun both thumbs up. Number 58 with a baby perm was gloomy but gave Gang Rojun a small round of applause.
“Congratulations, Number 1.”
Gang Rojun, leaving the hall with his Room 105 peers, felt his chest swelling. Not just because of Geubaekpeu’s first broadcast, but at the moment he himself had appeared on TV.
—[Hidden mission 'First Broadcast Appearance!' achieved! 30 coins have been gifted as a reward.]
Since he had also received a sweet bonus.
‘I got a ton of gift coins just today!’
His coins.
—[Coins held: 410]
He had surpassed 400.
Meanwhile, in some house’s living room.
A familiar woman is seen watching TV with her legs crossed on the sofa. It was PD Jeong Suryeong, whose brown hair was still frizzy even after washing it. She had tuned into Geubaekpeu after getting off work to check it, and recalling Number 1 she had seen on TV just moments ago, PD Jeong Suryeong let out a short laugh.
“Writer Gang Cheolsu, he really is an idol.”
The next morning, at the campus in Paju.
Around 8 o’clock, in the hall with the grand stage, over a hundred staff including PD Woo Hanseok had been bustling since morning.
And for good reason.
Today, there was a filming for the second round of judging for the “Vocal Team.”
Therefore, they were fully occupied with setting up. However, for some reason, the group of writers including Kim Sehui and about a dozen staff members were.
“PD-nim! Hasn’t it come out yet??”
“Why is it so late today?”
Crowded around PD Woo Hanseok and anxious. Of course, PD Woo Hanseok, with heavy dark circles, was also staring at his phone, his mouth going dry. A feeling that nothing would get done. The other staff members didn’t show it, but they kept glancing restlessly at PD Woo Hanseok.
At that moment.
-♪♬
The phone in PD Woo Hanseok’s hand spat out a ringtone, and he pressed it to his ear faster than light.
“Hello? Uh, uh, speak.”
PD Woo Hanseok who answered switched modes so everyone could hear the call, and the junior on the other side of the phone shouted.
“Sunbaenim! Geubaekpeu’s first broadcast ratings!! Hit 10.1%!!”
A whopping 10.1% rating for the first broadcast. For JTVM, a general programming and cable network.
“···10.1%???”
It was an enormous figure.