Just before Group 1, including Gang Rojun, went onstage for their surprise performance at the volleyball court, all thirteen members gathered in front of the entrance were beyond nervous—they were practically beside themselves. Some took endless deep breaths, some did little jumps to control their minds, some slapped both their cheeks, and some stared blankly as if none of this felt real.
No. 94’s hands and feet were trembling.
No. 15, the yellow-haired one who was relatively calm, slapped his thighs several times as if to loosen up his stiff legs.
And Gang Rojun?
“……”
His face looked impassive, but his heart was pounding nonstop as well.
‘Ah, damn it. Hold on. I’m seriously freaking nervous.’
After all, he had never learned things like boldness or composure. It might have been possible through “AI Automation,” but Gang Rojun deliberately did not try it. He wanted to get used to this heartbeat, this trembling, this tension, this fear, and the feeling of his mind going completely blank.
‘Even if it’s short, in a way, this is my first performance. I should absorb as much of it as I can.’
Still, Rojun was not the type to act rashly even in ordinary situations, so compared to the other contestants, his nerves showed less. Around then, from beyond the entrance, the noise of thousands of people in the stadium could be heard.
Murmur, murmur.
It was so loud it sounded like drums were booming.
It would be his first time meeting the public since Geubaekpeu.
As expected, it was worlds apart from standing before the judges or the hundred or so staff members. Along with fear, Gang Rojun felt a thrill. His fingertips tingled.
The members of Group 1, excluding Rojun, were overflowing with countless thoughts.
How would the audience react when they saw them? Would they be happy? What if there was no reaction? What if they messed up a move? What if they fell or caused an accident?
Just then.
“Everyone, get ready.”
PD Woo Hanseok, with dark circles under his eyes, gave the signal to sortie, and Lee Hanna, who had been standing behind Group 1, clapped with both hands.
“Come on! Don’t be too nervous!! If you do it just like practice, there won’t be any problem! Just go out there and shake things up!”
Soon, the gymnasium staff member at the entrance flung the door open.
The volleyball court, dark with the lights off, came into view. They had rehearsed dozens of times since morning, but when Group 1 saw the volleyball court packed with thousands of spectators, everything reset.
Even so, they ran.
Step by step, as their bodies remembered, the members of Group 1 took their positions on the volleyball court.
—Swoosh.
They assumed their starting pose. Thirteen men in blazers with numbers on their chests, hands clasped together, heads lowered deeply. Before long, the lights that had been blacked out around Group 1 snapped on.
In the vast gymnasium.
—♬♪
“Produce” rang out grandly. At the same time, the screams and shrieks of thousands of spectators who recognized Geubaekpeu’s Group 1 erupted. They were so loud that they nearly drowned out “Produce.”
“Kyaaa!! Kyaaaaaa!!”
The frenzied audience went wild and all took out their phones, while the reporters, caught off guard by Group 1’s unexpected appearance, quickly began pressing their shutters like mad.
The Geubaekpeu filming crew—
—Swoosh.
Mixed in among the game’s filming crew and captured Group 1. The five judges, including Lee Hanna, were seated in the seats closest to Group 1. The third evaluation and surprise performance had officially begun.
Group 1—
—♬♪
Started the switch formation to match the song.
Team A, which included Gang Rojun, moved first, while Team B waited still until their timing. Soon, Team A stopped, and this time Team B shook their bodies.
It was a fairly powerful and well-synchronized group dance.
Of course, compared to professional idols, they were still lacking by a lot.
Even so, not a single member of Group 1 made a mistake, and they were giving it their all. Because for any one of them, this moment could be their final stage.
In this moment, they were competitors and comrades.
When the switch formation ended, Group 1 mixed together and performed the next choreography. The judges watching the performance—
“……”
“……”
Silently, with serious faces, judged and grasped everything. Given the situation, they could not give evaluation comments, but they were clearly assigning scores.
Soon.
“Kyaaa!!!”
The screams of the thousands of spectators grew even more intense.
Because Group 1, who had been dancing as one body, changed into another formation. The four who had been at the back came all the way to the front, while the rest took one step back. Having smoothly changed formation, Group 1 once again used their arms and legs in a dazzling manner.
The spectators were frantically filming videos and taking photos.
“Wow—this is insane! I really didn’t think they’d show up here!!”
“I’ve watched Geubaekpeu since episode one!! Ah—I can’t believe I’m seeing this surprise performance in person……”
“This is the third evaluation, right?? They’re all good?! No, but what is No. 1 like in real life?? He’s just insane.”
“I spaced out for a few seconds the moment I saw No. 1 too. Isn’t he basically god-tier? How does someone’s visual look like that??”
Many people zoomed in tightly on Gang Rojun’s face as they filmed.
“No. 1 is insanely, ridiculously handsome. I’m looking at him and I still can’t believe it.”
“Calling him handsome isn’t even enough??! Seriously, he’s on another level!!”
The reporters were no different.
“Huh—sure, the other kids look better in real life too, but No. 1 is on a different tier.”
“The camera didn’t capture all of his visuals. He’s tremendous, isn’t he?”
The female volleyball players, with their long arms and legs, who were watching Group 1’s surprise performance before the game, were also busy whispering among themselves.
“We’re getting a feast for the eyes before the match, right?”
“Totally, totally. Would it be too much to ask No. 1 for an autograph after that performance?”
“It would. But No. 1 feels less handsome and more—beautiful, doesn’t he? How does he feel prettier than an actress……”
The atmosphere grew overheated. Before anyone knew it, Group 1 had entered the second verse of “Produce,” and Gang Rojun, who had stepped to the front of the group—
‘What the hell, now that I’m actually out here, this is crazy fun.’
Was in a trance.
The movements were intense, but his reason was flexible. His body naturally operated according to the starts and stops of the choreography. Smoothly and powerfully. Gang Rojun felt it. A heat he could not express in words was filling his entire body.
PD Woo Hanseok, watching Rojun and Group 1 with his arms crossed—
“Haha.”
Laughed softly, yet was deeply moved.
He was the one who issued death sentences to the contestants, but in this moment, his heart was that of a father.
‘This is overwhelming.’
The ones who had made those thousands of spectators half-mad, who had made them cheer so fiercely, were none other than Group 1. If any of them debuted, this moment would surely become a great source of strength.
Soon, the melody passed the climax of the second verse and moved into the finale.
Sweat streaming down their bodies, Rojun and Group 1 moved with all their might and showed themselves off to the audience, not a single one of them falling short.
And so.
—Swoosh.
With a motion of slowly sitting down in place, Group 1’s surprise performance of “Produce” ended. Applause immediately poured out.
—Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
—Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
The sound of shutters filled the volleyball court.
—Papapapapapak!!
The cheers and shrieks of thousands of spectators.
A tremendous noise. For a moment, the decibel level made one wonder if the gymnasium ceiling might collapse. It continued like that for more than ten seconds. Then Group 1, who had been seated, stood up, closed the distance between them, and gathered together.
Then they shouted in unison toward the thousands of spectators and bowed at ninety degrees.
“Thank you!! We were Geubaekpeu’s Group 1!!”
After that.
Group 1 bowed several more times to the audience and left the volleyball court. Even then, the screams of thousands of spectators continued, and within those screams, there were quite a lot of cries for “No. 1.”
When Group 1 entered the waiting room.
—Clap, clap, clap!!
The congratulations from the Geubaekpeu staff, including PD Woo Hanseok, continued.
“You all finished your first performance well. Everyone was good. For today at least, you can praise yourselves.”
Group 1 smiled brightly. Some members even had red-rimmed eyes. Gang Rojun ran both hands through his black hair and let out a small breath.
‘I feel relieved.’
Because he felt refreshed.
At that moment, a vibration rang from his wrist.
—Bzzzz.
Gang Rojun, while breathing heavily, glanced at his smartwatch. A familiar notification had arrived.
—[You have completed the hidden mission “First Performance as an Amateur!” As a gift, the item “8 Stat Point Enhancement Coupon” has been issued.]
Rojun smiled faintly.
‘Thank you, gift.’
Whether he did or not, the Geubaekpeu production crew and Group 1 left the gymnasium as quickly as possible. The audience seats were in chaos. The atmosphere had become far more overheated than expected.
If things went wrong, there could be an accident.
Then, about an hour later, Group 1 and the production crew gathered in the hall with the stage on the Geubaekpeu campus. The third evaluation had ended at Jamsil Gymnasium, but filming was not yet over. While the production crew was busily preparing to continue filming, judge Song Mingeun approached PD Woo Hanseok. Having confirmed Gang Rojun and No. 58’s composition and lyric-writing skills yesterday, he glanced toward Rojun onstage and whispered.
“When are you going to tell No. 1 and No. 58?”
“After Friday, when episode seven airs. Starting tonight, we’re going straight into all-night editing, so I won’t have time.”
Clearly, the two of them seemed to have something to say to Gang Rojun and No. 58.
“We will now begin the judges’ evaluations.”
Once the setup was complete, filming for the third evaluation resumed. The first to take the microphone was Lee Hanna.
“Leaving the evaluation aside, everyone truly did well. I got a little choked up in the middle.”
Lee Hanna, who had trained Group 1 from the beginning until today, began with praise. Once she calmed down somewhat, she looked down at her tablet and gave a proper evaluation.
“First—within Group 1, the overwhelmingly highest score goes to No. 1. Choreography, expressions, his attitude and composure when he got onstage… Honestly, there wasn’t a single thing to criticize.”
Around this time, there were quite a few articles about Rental Lover on the internet.
《One-Act Drama Rental Lover Starring Choe Rina, Who Has Finished the Script Reading, to Begin Filming Soon》
Thanks to top actress Choe Rina, Rental Lover had instantly become a hot topic. There were also articles released by the Rental Lover team and Choe Rina’s agency.
Interest in it was considerably high.
Onto that internet, fresh news about Geubaekpeu suddenly poured in.
《Geubaekpeu Group 1 Abruptly Appears at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium / Photo》
《Tremendous in Real Life, Ultra-Close Shot of Geubaekpeu’s Star No. 1 / Photo》
《[Hot Issue] Surprise Performance Was at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium, Geubaekpeu’s “Group 1” Appears Before Volleyball Game》
It was the issue of Group 1, who had heated up Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium earlier.
The reporters who had been at the gymnasium had quickly released articles. Other media outlets that confirmed it were also swiftly jumping on the bandwagon.
《Handsome Even Drenched in Sweat… “No. 1” Captivates Women’s Hearts at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium / Photo》
《Geubaekpeu Group 1 Is Performing Now / Photo》
The articles featured full shots of Group 1 or Gang Rojun’s face. And that was not all. In fact, by this point, social media had long since been buzzing over Group 1’s surprise performance, and countless online communities were the same.
What was interesting was the activity on various video platforms, including NewTube.
—[Geubaekpeu Group 1 / Produce] Surprise Performance Fancam!!｜m’s Daily Record
Fancams of Group 1’s surprise performance were being uploaded frantically. Not just one or two, but easily over a dozen.
Among them, there was even a video that had surpassed hundreds of thousands of views less than two hours after being uploaded.
—Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium Geubaekpeu Group 1 Performance (Focused on No. 1)｜Mr.bear
—551,224 views
The speed at which it was spreading was unusual.
Two days later, Friday night on the 28th.
It was around nine o’clock. They were at the terrestrial SBC drama department. In one meeting room, the key staff of Rental Lover, including PD Jeong Suryeong, were gathered. Every person who had been at the script reading was there.
They had already been together since several hours ago.
They might continue to be together until dawn. It made sense.
Because tomorrow morning, Saturday the 29th, was the long-awaited first day of filming for Rental Lover.
PD Jeong Suryeong and the key staff, with only a little over ten hours left before the first shoot, were currently staring at the large screen in front of them. The reason was simple.
The commercials had just ended.
—“Produce the 100!”
Episode seven of Geubaekpeu had begun, displaying its logo on the screen. The key staff began speaking with anticipation in their voices.
“It’s starting! It’s already episode seven! Episode one feels like it was yesterday!”
“I wonder what side of our writer will show up this time??”
“In episode seven, the third evaluation—the surprise performance—has to be the core!”
“Right, that surprise performance at the volleyball court. Videos of it have been all over NewTube these past few days, haven’t they??”
“It even reached number one on trending videos in real time! Some of them had over five million views, didn’t they??”
“That was the video edited mainly around the writer, right?? I watched it briefly too, and while all of Group 1 did well, our writer is just on another level. Both his face and his skills.”
“If you look at the comments too, more than seventy percent of them are just talking about the writer.”
PD Jeong Suryeong had already watched the volleyball court surprise performance video as well.
‘When he performed seriously, honestly, I couldn’t see anyone but the writer. His visuals and aura are untouchable.’
How would the vivid presence of that surprise performance be expressed in episode seven of Geubaekpeu?
‘Once this episode seven ends, a few more people will be eliminated. Come to think of it, Geubaekpeu has passed the midpoint too.’
Then the noisy key staff, having even forgotten Rental Lover, began watching episode seven of Geubaekpeu as it started.
—Swoosh.
PD Jeong Suryeong’s gaze, which had been watching Gang Rojun appear on the screen, lowered to the table. In front of her lay the script for Rental Lover.
‘If Geubaekpeu’s nuclear bombs keep going off like this, and things roll along according to the plan PD Woo Hanseok and I set up, then for the writer, not only the idol side but even his side as a writer will attract limitless public expectations. His path, whether as an idol or as a writer, is a proper invasive species. Of course, on the acting side too.’
Her thoughts deepened.
‘The writer said he had written more besides Rental Lover, didn’t he? It’s about time I checked his other works too.’
Of course, PD Jeong Suryeong was already thinking about what came next.
‘Not a one-act this time. A full-length project.’