The world had been introduced for the first time to “Rental Lover.” But the media focused less on “Rental Lover” itself than on Choi Rina, who had chosen the project. Her recent film had also done well, and since she was such a top actress, it was only natural.
Choi Rina, who would not have been out of place in a massive blockbuster, was suddenly doing a one-act drama.
It was news bound to draw attention, so several media outlets piled on.
《Public Curiosity Explodes at News That Choi Rina’s Next Project, “Rental Lover,” Is a One-Act Drama》
Including “Geubaekpeu,” the entertainment world was flooded with news today as always, and Choi Rina had risen to the main headlines. Articles about PD Jeong Suryeong also appeared in considerable numbers.
《[Issue Pick] Directed by PD Jeong Suryeong, Starring Choi Rina—What Kind of One-Act Drama Is “Rental Lover”?》
Jeong Suryeong, too, was a heavyweight in the drama world. The conclusion was that two highly influential figures were suddenly doing a one-act drama. At this unexpected news, the public raised question marks.
-Huh?? Choi Rina’s doing a one-act????
-Looks like just some tabloid rumor lol why would Choi Rina do a one-act
-Her agency confirmed itㅇㅇ not headcanon, it’s official
-Didn’t Choi Rina’s latest movie do well too? Suddenly drifting into a one-act is pretty novel
-Maybe the writer’s someone she knows lol anyway I’m curious what kind of project it is
As the reaction swelled, the derivative articles picked up even more speed. PD Jeong Suryeong watched this situation from her seat at the broadcasting station. With her dry brown hair tied back, she wore a smile mixed with satisfaction.
“Okay—the start’s been made.”
Because it was the media play PD Jeong Suryeong had intended.
‘For now, let’s get the snowball rolling with Choi Rina.’
Once “Rental Lover” gained some recognition among the public, next would be the turn for No. 1, the “villain,” to appear. Soon, PD Jeong Suryeong instructed the assistant director to put more pressure on the reporters, then headed for the director’s office.
Jeong Suryeong smiled at the bald department director.
“Director—the articles about ‘Rental Lover’ went up. You saw them, right?”
The director answered with a thumbs-up.
“I did. As expected, Choi Rina’s name value is incredible.”
“Since that Choi Rina is suddenly doing a one-act drama, of course the reporters are rushing in.”
“Hahaha, the atmosphere is good. Very good.”
“More importantly—looking at how ‘Rental Lover’ is progressing right now, late September’s a bit tight, and I think we’ll need to go into October. The script’s gotten longer, and the quality of the work has improved too. On top of that, the actors’ level has gone up quite a bit.”
As if asking what the problem was, the director immediately opened his mouth.
“My goodness, our PD Jeong, do whatever you want.”
“I’m worried because ‘Rental Lover’ was originally a filler.”
“What filler! How can you attach such a harsh word to ‘Rental Lover’?”
“Then I’ll take it that you’ll handle the programming and any gaps on your own?”
Originally, the one-act “Rental Lover” had won the grand prize in the contest, but it had indeed been a filler. That was why the production schedule had been pulled forward, and it needed to air by late September at the latest. But now the situation had flipped a full 180 degrees. Top actress Choi Rina was the female lead, and the level of the other actors had risen quite a bit as well.
So had the production cost soared?
Not at all.
PD Jeong Suryeong had secured Choi Rina and expanded the board within the fixed, tiny budget. From the director’s point of view, even bowing to her would not be enough.
“Of course! PD Jeong, don’t concern yourself at all with programming or filling gaps or anything else. I’ll handle it, huh? I’ll take care of everything.”
Then PD Jeong Suryeong’s smile deepened as she looked at the director.
“Our director really struck gold. Choi Rina isn’t the only one in ‘Rental Lover,’ you know.”
“Mm? Ah, yes, yes, the other actors’ level looked decent too. What kind of magic did you cast?”
Thinking, ‘No, not them,’ PD Jeong Suryeong shrugged and left the director’s office. As she did, she thought of “Lover No. 4,” whose acting had been extraordinary.
“At this rate, who knows if a one-act might devour a miniseries’ ratings.”
That same afternoon.
Most of the dozens of contestants on the “Geubaekpeu” campus went through training. Group 1, which included Kang Rojun, also continued with their existing training for today. Meanwhile, PD Woo Hanseok finished filming on the campus side and was on his way back to the broadcasting station.
Tuesday, the next day, was the final day of voting, and he was swamped with editing Episode 5, which would air on Friday.
Among everyone in “Geubaekpeu,” he was probably the busiest.
At any rate, while sitting inside the van and looking at his phone, PD Woo Hanseok suddenly thought,
‘…What? It doesn’t look difficult?’
He recalled Kang Rojun from Group 1’s filming that morning.
‘To think he’d just go all in right in front of that Lee Hanna.’
In “Geubaekpeu” right now, Lee Hanna was a judge, but she was also the key figure in the third evaluation. In effect, she held the contestants’ lifelines in her hands. Even in front of that Lee Hanna, Rojun showed no intention of backing down at all.
‘Of course he was going to pass the second round, but since people are starting to talk a lot about him as a villain among the viewers, I thought he might think a little—yet he just rammed straight in as if it was none of his business.’
Kang Rojun had grown even more villainous instead.
‘He does something insane and then crushes everyone with his skill, saves a fellow contestant, then goes and does something insane again. His character is perfect.’
The other contestants were gradually showing their charms too, but they were somewhat lacking. On the other hand, Rojun was fully playing the role of “Geubaekpeu’s” signature star while also giving them proper footage as a villain. PD Woo Hanseok was simply grateful.
‘By the way, the female lead of “Rental Lover” is Choi Rina?? The other nuclear bomb PD Jeong mentioned must have been Choi Rina. Are they already doing pre-meetings with the actors over there? They’ll start filming soon.’
As PD Woo Hanseok thought of the things Kang Rojun had told him, he crossed his arms and smiled.
“I wonder how the actors who see No. 1 will react—well, they’ll be blown away.”
Meanwhile.
While the other dozens of contestants were in training, Kang Rojun could be found in the quiet restroom he favored. Normally, he would have been revising the “Rental Lover” script, but since that was already finished, he intended to spend his time on something else.
—Swoosh.
He stood still, looking at his phone. More precisely, at the choreography video for the theme song “Produce” playing on his phone. It was a practice video the production crew had sent only to Group 1, including Rojun.
“……”
Kang Rojun, who had been closely watching the choreography he had also seen in the morning, rubbed his chin.
“It definitely seems easier than ‘brake.’”
Even as he said it, Rojun found himself funny and snorted.
“What am I saying? Either way, it’s brutal.”
Scratching his black hair, he let out a small breath. He was steadying his breathing. Then he played the “Produce” choreography from the beginning. He slowly tried following the dance he saw. This restroom had already become Kang Rojun’s personal practice room, and after swaying his body for several dozen seconds, he stopped.
Because he felt a change.
‘…For now, I can follow along.’
Even just two months ago, when he had been hopeless at dancing, watching a video wouldn’t have made it possible for him to follow along at all. Even if he forced his body to move, he would fall off the beat and break down, creaking like a robot. During “brake,” it had been a little better, but it had been similar.
But now.
‘This is definitely possible because my stats went up.’
Without analyzing or dissecting anything, even though he had merely watched the choreography video with his eyes, his body moved.
Of course, it was naturally slow. Delayed. There was awkwardness too. Still, the fact that he could follow the choreography without breaking down was a tremendous improvement.
On top of that.
‘What should I call it—choreography comprehension? I think I’ve developed something like that too.’
A few of the points and details in the choreography that he would not have seen in the past now caught Rojun’s eye. Where had this choreographer controlled the strength and softness? What about the starts and stops? And so on. He did not know if he could call this knowledge, but in any case, that was how it was.
‘When I was hopeless at dancing, it felt like even if I practiced for ten years or a hundred years, I’d never be able to do it—but now, I think I could learn the movements in a few months?’
It meant he could learn only the movements, literally. The technical aspects and professional moments were still like plucking stars from the sky. Still, with things turning out this way, one conclusion could be drawn.
“As my stats rise, the difficulty of vocals or choreography goes down.”
In a word.
“Then doesn’t that naturally mean ‘AI Automation’ becomes cheaper?”
The phrase “AI Automation” always displayed:
-[※The number of coins may vary depending on the difficulty of deriving the result.]
When he had perfectly learned “brake,” it had required 36 coins. If so, wouldn’t this “Produce” be even cheaper? Kang Rojun vaguely began to understand the structure of “AI Simulation.” If the real Kang Rojun, or the character Kang Rojun in “AI Simulation,” grew in stats or whatever else, then “AI Automation” became cheaper.
Of course, it was impossible to grasp the entire system of “AI Simulation,” and there were still many hidden things, so it was not clear.
‘Yeah, let’s just think of it that way for now.’
Deciding to keep it simple, Rojun lowered his gaze to his phone again.
Then.
—Swoosh.
He began following the “Produce” choreography once more.
‘For now, let’s just get a feel for it.’
Two days later, Wednesday morning.
The chaotic second vote for “Geubaekpeu” had ended yesterday. Thanks to that, the production crew, including PD Woo Hanseok, was busy coming to a conclusion, and top actress Choi Rina, who had recently become a hot topic because of the one-act drama, was getting her hair done at a salon.
The stylist looked at Choi Rina, who had been staring at her phone for a while, and asked,
“Rina, what are you watching?”
Choi Rina answered the stylist through the mirror.
“Unni, do you watch ‘Geubaekpeu’?”
“Of course! That’s super hot these days, isn’t it? I got a recommendation too, so I watched up to Episode 2 yesterday.”
“I’m watching No. 1’s choreography stage on YouTube right now. I’ve already seen it, but I keep rewatching it.”
“Ah—No. 1! He really is ridiculously handsome. Watching him made me want to style him. I kept wondering what he’d look like if hair, makeup, and outfit were done perfectly. Hm? But Rina, weren’t you not interested in idols?”
Choi Rina flinched and cleared her throat.
“I’m not interested—I’m just watching this because I’m bored.”
That was not true. At present, whenever Choi Rina had time, she was turning on “Geubaekpeu”-related videos. To be precise, videos of No. 1.
“You said you rewatched it several times?”
“…I have a lot of time because I’m resting these days.”
“Ah, really?”
Choi Rina nodded and hypnotized herself inwardly.
‘Idols aren’t really my thing. I’m just watching because No. 1 is interesting.’
She herself did not know it. That her current state was the first step toward becoming a fan. At that moment, the phone in Choi Rina’s hand vibrated. It was a call, and the other party was PD Jeong Suryeong. After briefly asking the stylist’s understanding, Choi Rina put the phone to her ear.
“Yeah, PD-nim.”
PD Jeong Suryeong’s voice over the phone was tinged with laughter.
“You saw the articles that went up a few days ago, right? You must have gotten calls from all over the place.”
“On the day itself, my phone really kept ringing. The company was in chaos too.”
“Of course. Star Choi is suddenly doing a one-act drama. Anyway, you received the revised script, right? You can consider that the confirmed version.”
“Got it. Ah, but ‘Lover No. 4’ was added. Who’s the actor?”
“Mm—‘Lover No. 4’? See for yourself.”
“What is this? Why are you hiding it?”
PD Jeong Suryeong, who had concealed the existence of “Lover No. 4,” answered.
“The full cast pre-meeting has been confirmed for next Monday, okay? The actor for ‘Lover No. 4’ will come that day too, and Writer Kang Cheolsu, whom you saw last time, will also be there, so come and see.”
It meant there were five days left until the actors’ pre-meeting, including the weekend. Choi Rina nodded and asked back,
“Really? Then is the writer doing the veiled-in-mystery concept again this time too?”
PD Jeong Suryeong’s answer was simple.
“Probably not.”
That same afternoon, on the campus in Paju.
PD Woo Hanseok looked busy near the enormous hall with the stage. The dozens of staff members were the same. However, the writers were not present. They were at the broadcasting station finishing matters related to the vote.
For some reason, preparations for filming were in full swing inside the hall.
Cameras, lights, and sound equipment were being set up. Around this time, Kang Rojun was among the members of Group 1, moving under the staff’s guidance. The thirteen members of Group 1 had just come out of the dorms and were walking toward the hall.
At present, every member of Group 1 was in the middle of individual practice for the “Produce” choreography.
It was the third day since they had started on Monday. Since training related to “Produce” had not begun yet, each practice room had been packed with Group 1 members these days. Kang Rojun, who was looking over those members of Group 1, felt puzzled.
‘This is really sudden. I didn’t hear anything about a schedule to gather today.’
Because they had been called without any notice.
Even Woo Hanseok, who had not been seen all morning, suddenly appeared. Accordingly, the members of Group 1 also began murmuring.
“Was there something today?”
“No. Usually, if there’s a filming schedule, they tell us the day before, but there wasn’t anything this time.”
“What is it? Do they have something to announce?”
With their questions in mind, Kang Rojun and Group 1 entered the hall with the stage. There, the contestants’ eyes widened. The inside of the hall was already fully prepared for filming. Lights shone on the stage, cameras had been set up, an individual chair and desk were placed in front of the stage, and PD Woo Hanseok and the staff were waiting.
The contestants blinked, and Kang Rojun felt the same way.
‘What is this? Anyone can see it’s clearly a filming atmosphere.’
Soon, PD Woo Hanseok raised his hand.
“Please come over here!”
Kang Rojun and the contestants stood in front of the stage. PD Woo Hanseok looked over all thirteen of them, starting with Kang Rojun, then smiled.
“We’re counting on you—”
Counting on who? All of a sudden? Just as Rojun was tilting his head inwardly, someone came out from behind Woo Hanseok. A woman in a tight black short-sleeved shirt. It was Lee Hanna, whom it would not be an exaggeration to call the director of “Produce.”
She spoke briefly to Group 1.
“From now on, we’ll begin your first evaluation.”
Confusion spread quickly. First evaluation?! While the contestants grew excessively noisy in anxious voices, Lee Hanna pointed toward the stage. Looking over, a man and woman who had not been there when they entered were standing on the stage.
Pointing at the two with her index finger, Lee Hanna added,
“They belong to my choreography team. The first evaluation is simple.”
By then, her eyes were on No. 1. No. 1, with his absurd visuals, was unlike the other contestants making a fuss.
“Each of you will now dance the ‘Produce’ choreography together with those two dancers, one at a time.”
His expression did not change, and he was extremely calm.