PD Woo Hanseok was visibly startled as he looked down at the rap “Witch,” composed by No. 58. The fact that No. 1 had written the lyrics for “Witch” was shocking enough, but his eyes doubled in size at No. 58’s follow-up answer.
“……So the person who wrote these lyrics is No. 1. And it took him only two days, is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes.”
No. 58 nodded as if he was certain, then added an explanation while thinking of Kang Rojun.
“No. 1, seriously, maybe he isn’t the same kind of human as us. Like, maybe he’s the only evolved species.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, just look at that face that’s so perfect it’s like it was made, and his vocals are insane too. His tone is one of a kind. Up to that point, I could just go, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’ and move on, but then his dance lines are distinctive, and even his choreography is enough to make your eyes pop.”
“……”
“At that point, he’s already inhuman, right? And on top of that, his Japanese is at native level. Still, he said he’d never done things like composing before, so I thought there was at least a glimpse of humanity there, but it was a fake-out. He said both composing and lyric-writing were his first time, then I saw him whip up the lyrics for ‘Witch’ in two days and became certain again. No. 1 isn’t the same species of human as us—”
It was the first time PD Woo Hanseok had seen No. 58 convey his thoughts this clearly, and also the first time he had heard him speak at such length in one go.
‘His eyes are sparkling. I don’t see jealousy or envy. Is it admiration?’
In truth, No. 58 had also received quite high marks during the judging to join “P100.” Image-wise, he had an unexpected charm, was good at rap, and his vocals were decent too. But compared to Kang Rojun, he was at the level of a baby. On top of that, PD Woo Hanseok knew something No. 58 did not.
‘……This kid would faint if he found out No. 1 is also working as a writer and acting at the same time.’
Of course, PD Woo Hanseok still did not know how skilled he was in acting. In any case, the conclusion was that Kang Rojun currently seemed the most relaxed on “P100,” yet was also the busiest. While handling every bit of the “P100” schedule with first-place-level skill, he was a writer and an actor, and now he had even written lyrics for No. 58’s song.
No matter how hard he tried to understand it, PD Woo Hanseok’s brain could not calculate it properly.
‘Is this even possible? He practices like everyone else, and he handles all the “Rental Lover” schedule too, doesn’t he? And in the gaps, he wrote lyrics? Is he really not human?’
If he had originally been writing lyrics, then finishing within a week would have made sense, but the idea that a kid doing it for the first time had completed lyrics of this quality in two days was simply absurd.
“No. 58, can I listen to this ‘Witch’?”
“Ah—there’s a newly recorded version with the lyrics. Just a moment.”
Fumbling around, No. 58 played something on his phone. It was the rap “Witch,” combining No. 58’s rap and Kang Rojun’s lyrics.
-♬♪
It was good. That was PD Woo Hanseok’s honest impression.
‘You could hand this straight to a popular idol and it would sell well enough, at this level.’
But if the lyrics and composition were by No. 1 and No. 58, what kind of reaction would the public have? Somehow calming himself down, PD Woo Hanseok thought.
‘Even if No. 1 has a way with words, lyrics should be a little different—this is probably the result of his ability to write combining with his potential in music.’
Otherwise, the result made no sense.
At present, No. 1 was not on campus because of the script reading schedule for “Rental Lover.” As soon as the script reading ended, he was scheduled to join Team 1’s rehearsal. PD Woo Hanseok changed the subject.
“Let’s keep the matter of No. 1 writing lyrics secret from the contestants for now. More importantly, I think you said composing was your hobby, No. 58.”
As soon as the topic turned to himself, No. 58 quickly returned to his usual self.
“……Pardon? Ah—yes.”
“How far does that hobby go?”
“I just make songs when they come to me.”
“You said this ‘Witch’ is a rap, right? Do you only make rap?”
“No…… anything, really.”
“Oh—so rap, dance, ballads, anything?”
“Yes.”
Interested, PD Woo Hanseok made a request of No. 58.
“Can I see the things you’ve composed so far?”
“All of them?”
“Sounds like there are a lot? That’s fine. If possible, all of them.”
After looking at PD Woo Hanseok’s face for a moment, No. 58 moved. From a fairly large backpack, he pulled out thick practice notebooks. There seemed to be roughly ten of them.
“Here. I only brought the recent ones, so the rest are at home.”
“……That’s a lot. Do you have at least thirty notebooks like these?”
“A little more than that.”
Thinking this kid was unusual too, PD Woo Hanseok flipped through the composition practice notebooks one after another. They were packed with sheet music without lyrics. The notes had all been scribbled down, but they did not feel carelessly done.
‘Composing ability…… If an idol has composing ability, they stand out immediately. Rap, vocals, and composing on top of that. Even now, the viewers’ reactions aren’t bad, but if No. 1 hadn’t been there, this kid would have gotten quite popular too.’
After checking the notebooks a little longer, PD Woo Hanseok rubbed his chin.
“Have you ever shown these composition notebooks to anyone?”
“No one except No. 1 and you, PD-nim.”
“No one at all?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you curious what level they’re at? I’m asking if you’ve never thought of going beyond a hobby.”
“……”
After thinking for a few seconds, No. 58 answered in a low tone.
“I did want to have them evaluated. That way, I could be sure and move beyond it being a hobby, and improve.”
“Okay. I can borrow all these composition notebooks for a bit, right? Let’s show them to Song Mingeun.”
Song Mingeun, a judge on “P100” and a composer and broadcaster who had produced an enormous number of hit songs. At the mention of Song Mingeun, No. 58’s mouth fell wide open, and PD Woo Hanseok, taking out his phone, said,
“If Song Mingeun-nim’s schedule is all right, we can go today. While we’re at it, let’s have the lyrics checked too.”
He also packed the practice notebook that included “Witch.”
At this time, inside PD Jeong Suryeong’s car.
Turning the steering wheel, PD Jeong Suryeong spoke to Kang Rojun, who was looking out the window.
“It’s fun browsing the internet these days, isn’t it? Wherever you go, there’s a lot of talk about ‘P100.’ And among them, especially No. 1.”
She was right. These days, it had become part of Kang Rojun’s daily routine to surf the internet for up to an hour before going to bed.
“Yes, it’s fun.”
“I’m giving you a heads-up. Right now, the PDs in our network’s variety department, not to mention writers, are all targeting the ‘P100’ contestants. Once ‘P100’ ends, you’re probably going to be flooded with casting offers.”
Kang Rojun imagined himself appearing on the variety shows he had watched on TV, and PD Jeong Suryeong threw out another question.
“That—did you practice ‘Lover No. 4’ a bit? I already know you’re good, but acting is something that gets denser the deeper you dig into it.”
“Yes, I kept doing it whenever I had time.”
“Mm, good. Since you’re good at Japanese, we can leave that aside, but how are the English lines? Do you think you’ve improved compared to last time?”
Kang Rojun recalled the English he had learned yesterday.
‘It’s not that I improved; I’ve basically become no different from an American.’
He nodded calmly.
“Yes, compared to last time.”
“……”
PD Jeong Suryeong looked at Rojun strangely, then turned her gaze forward.
‘His reaction is vague. Hmm—should I remove the English lines after all?’
Around then.
In a rented conference room near SBC, where the preliminary meeting had been held last week, all the staff of “Rental Lover” had gathered. There were more people than during the preliminary meeting.
Because the official script reading would begin in a few dozen minutes.
The setup was similar to the preliminary meeting, with a role chart placed on the U-shaped table, temporary chairs surrounding the table, and so on. If there was any slight difference, it was that there were more temporary chairs, and the “Rental Lover” scripts had been placed on the table.
People began filling the room about fifteen minutes later.
The key staff arrived first, and actors also arrived intermittently. Perhaps because they had watched episode 6 of “P100” a few days ago, everyone’s energy was high.
“You saw episode 6 of P100, right?”
“Of course I did. It was even more fun watching it while knowing the secret about the writer.”
“Agreed. When I thought that No. 1 was our writer and ‘Lover No. 4,’ the corners of my mouth kept rising for no reason.”
“But since the writer is so busy, can he properly handle the third round of judging?”
“I am a little worried. The first evaluation is next week, right? We’ll know the answer when we see that.”
Naturally, the key staff were all talking only about No. 1, writer Kang Cheolsu, and “Lover No. 4.”
Meanwhile, the atmosphere among the actors gradually taking their seats was this.
“Today, too, it’s all noisy over No. 1—no, the writer.”
“Well, it was an issue on the level of a nuclear bomb. No. 1 is hot too.”
“Just from this, once ‘Rental Lover’ airs, the writer is going to monopolize all the attention.”
“If ‘P100’ were a little weaker, maybe not…… but its ratings surpassed 23%, and it’s practically a trend, so of course.”
“It’s still surprising even now, that No. 1 is our writer and the actor playing ‘Lover No. 4.’”
It was slightly different from last time. Especially the male actors playing Lover No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.
“The picture is obvious. PD Jeong met him and thought, ‘No. 1 is the writer?’ Then, considering the ripple effect, she created the role of ‘Lover No. 4,’ which didn’t exist before, and cast him as an actor too.”
“With that face, if you’re directing, it would be weirder not to cast him. Well, his acting will probably be a bit lacking, but considering the buzz, it doesn’t really matter.”
“It wouldn’t make sense for him to act well too when the role suddenly appeared like that.”
“Haha, idols crossing over into acting is a natural trend, but their acting ability is usually lacking.”
Conversations mixed with faint jealousy and envy.
“The writer’s ‘Lover No. 4’ is obviously a fleeting role at a glance. Looking at the flow of the acting, he barely has any lines, and it strongly feels like a bit part based on image.”
Of course, a few among the key staff brought up similar topics.
“But what do you think the writer’s acting will be like?”
“With that level of hook, hoping for acting too would be greedy. The writer is enough just as a booster.”
This was happening because only PD Jeong Suryeong and Choe Rina had seen Kang Rojun’s acting.
At that moment, top actress Choe Rina entered, sweeping back her long straight hair. After receiving the greetings that poured in chaotically from every direction, she—
—Srrk.
Immediately sat down in her seat.
‘I absolutely cannot make the same mistake as last time. Absolutely!’
She held the firm resolve not to repeat the act of losing her senses because of Rojun, as she had during the preliminary meeting. As the female lead, Choe Rina opened the script right away to control her mindset.
Meanwhile, Kang Rojun, his face covered, and PD Jeong Suryeong were in the elevator.
PD Jeong Suryeong said to Rojun,
“You’re the writer, but you’re also an actor, so sit in the ‘Lover No. 4’ seat like last time.”
“Yes.”
Kang Rojun answered and lightly steadied his breathing.
‘It’s fine. I’m not nervous like last time.’
Then Kang Rojun and PD Jeong Suryeong opened the door to the conference room where many people had gathered. The staff, key staff, and actors of “Rental Lover” welcomed them. It was more excessive than last time, but Rojun returned the greetings without getting flustered.
PD Jeong Suryeong immediately moved to the head seat at the table.
“Everyone’s here, right? Then we’ll begin the script reading for ‘Rental Lover.’”
The overheated atmosphere settled in an instant. At the same time, the cameras placed throughout the conference room began rolling. They were for making-of footage, teasers, or promotional videos.
First, PD Jeong Suryeong greeted everyone.
“I’m Jeong Suryeong, the director of ‘Rental Lover.’”
After applause poured out, PD Jeong Suryeong continued the introductions.
“The person who wrote our ‘Rental Lover’ and will be playing ‘Lover No. 4,’ writer Kang Cheolsu.”
She was hiding Rojun’s real name from the start because of her promise with PD Woo Hanseok, and Kang Rojun calmly stood and bowed. Applause burst out again.
Next was Choe Rina’s turn.
“The female lead of ‘Rental Lover,’ actress Choe Rina, who plays I Daeun.”
Choe Rina, with her tiny face, stood and greeted everyone.
After that, the introductions of the entire cast, including the male actors playing Lover No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, as well as the key staff, were completed. After moderately briefing them on the first shoot, PD Jeong Suryeong opened the script.
“Now—let’s begin.”
It meant they would start acting in earnest, and everyone in the conference room, including Kang Rojun and Choe Rina, turned the pages of the “Rental Lover” script. PD Jeong Suryeong opened her mouth again.
“S#1. Inside a dark room. Night.”
As she read the scene information, Choe Rina, the female lead, delivered her line in a low tone. The early part of “Rental Lover” had many scenes for Choe Rina. It was to show the viewers the situation and personality of the female lead, I Daeun. About fifteen minutes passed, and the female lead, I Daeun, met “Lover No. 1.”
Choe Rina and the male actor playing “Lover No. 1” acted.
About ten minutes were used with the two of them playing off each other, and the next to appear was “Lover No. 2.” Then came “Lover No. 3.” By the time they had already passed 60% of the script—
“I Daeun sees the face of Lover No. 4 and is so shocked her eyes nearly burst.”
“Lover No. 4” appeared. Choe Rina looked at Kang Rojun across from her and showed acting filled with shock. Next was Rojun’s first facial performance. Though seeing the female lead for the first time, he had to show a face and gaze that seemed to cherish her more than anything in the world, and a smile that would melt a woman’s heart.
It seemed simple, but because he had to bring the scene to life with only his expression and without lines, it was not easy.
Around this point, the gazes of everyone gathered in the conference room—PD Jeong Suryeong and Choe Rina, of course, as well as all the actors and key staff—stuck to Kang Rojun.
—Srrk.
Rojun, who had been looking down at the script, lifted his head. He had already transformed into “Lover No. 4.” Kang Rojun looked at Choe Rina across from him. Choe Rina steeled herself.
‘Get a grip, Choe Rina. One wrong move and you’ll melt again.’
Kang Rojun let a faint attachment begin on his face, then allowed affection to spread. His eyes seemed as if they would pull you in, paired with the devastating visuals of “Lover No. 4.” Anyone who saw those eyes and that expression would fall into a fantasy.
Choe Rina showed exactly that kind of expression.
Then, as Kang Rojun tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth curved faintly.
At that, all the actors, whose widened eyes were filled with question marks, fell into confusion.
‘Why…… is he good at acting? What is this?’
PD Jeong Suryeong was staring at Rojun’s mouth with quite a serious face. It was now time for “Lover No. 4’s” English line. Kang Rojun, who had been looking at Choe Rina with a smile, slowly opened his mouth. English spilled out.
“Nice to meet you. Are you okay? You look very surprised. With this lovely weather, our first meeting will be memorable. Your name is I Daeun, right?”
It was monstrously fluent English, at a native level.
PD Jeong Suryeong, whose mouth had opened slightly, also grew more confused.
‘Huh? What did I just hear…… Is he not the same person as last time?’
Meanwhile, at the same time.
On the Japanese side of YouTube, a video that had racked up hundreds of thousands of views as soon as it was uploaded was hot.
-[Official Trailer] At last, “Produce the 100!” lands in Japan! August 31!!｜Netflix Japan
Netflix Japan had launched the first trailer for “P100,” which was soon to be released.
After the title card for “P100,” the trailer began with a Japanese greeting from its flagship star, “No. 1.”
-ほんっとうにお顔が綺麗だな!!!(roughly, saying his face is beautiful)
-ほんまにどのシーンを観てもカッコ良くて可愛い.....(roughly praising Kang Rojun’s visuals)
-ピリかわいすぎて涙出る(roughly meaning he’s so cute they’re crying)
-これを待ってた....!!!!!!(saying they’d been waiting for P100)
-待ってました!!!!(I’ve been waiting!!)
-何なのこの癒しでしかない動画は....(roughly, a comment saying it’s a healing video)
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The reactions of the Japanese fans were going beyond frenzy.