While PD Jeong Suryeong was lost in thought, recalling the other scripts that Gang Rojun—no, writer Gang Cheolsu—had written, the key staff of *Rental Lover* were focused on episode 7 of *The 100%*.
The first scene began with Yi Hanna, who had capped off the previous episode 6.
At the sudden announcement that the first evaluation of Team 1’s “Produce” would begin without any warning or sign, the bewildered expressions of the Team 1 contestants gathered on stage flashed across the screen one after another.
The last to appear was Gang Rojun with a composed face.
In the real-time open chat room, where more than 300,000 people had gathered, an enormous flood of messages was already pouring in.
-The kids' expressions lololololol O_O Exactly those faces lololololol
-If I was suddenly told we were having a pop quiz I'd be annoyed too lololol but why is Number 1 so calm???
-Number 1's beauty today too.... is tremendous....
-But honestly, don't you want to see Number 1 mess up at least once? Hahaha
Regardless, the angle showed two professional dancers on stage before cutting back to Yi Hanna.
-["Everyone, you will each dance the 'Produce' choreography with those two dancers right now."]
Soon, interview shots of several Team 1 contestants followed.
“My mind went completely blank, like, so suddenly??”
“Honestly, I wanted to run away, but when I saw the other contestants around me, they looked just like me, so I endured it.”
At the end, Number 1, Rojun, appeared.
“I just— I did. I was a little surprised.”
Then, Yi Hanna on screen explained the first evaluation, and Team 1 quickly moved to the waiting room.
For a moment, the conversations and appearances of the contestants gathered inside the waiting room were shown.
-["Number 1, you must have practiced a lot? You seem very relaxed."]
-["I don't know."]
-["Excuse me?"]
The angle switched back to the stage. Two dancers waiting on stage. Yi Hanna seated for the evaluation. Soon, one contestant stepped onto the stage. His photo appeared on screen. Number 94, with a slightly pointed chin.
The performance began immediately.
-♬♪
As the theme song “Produce” played, the two dancers showed intense movements. However, Number 94 made mistake after mistake.
-Ugh... I'm embarrassed just watching....
-Isn't it natural to make mistakes?? They're not pros, they're amateurs lolol How many days have they even practiced
-But this Number 94 really is pretty bad
A cut of Yi Hanna letting out a small sigh.
At the same time, a separate interview she had given was overlaid.
-["How could I put these kids on stage— I was at a loss. I thought if it kept going like this, they might all be eliminated from the performance."]
But it wasn't just Number 94 who fell apart—most of Team 1 did. The viewers grew even more excited watching Team 1 crumble to a pitiful degree. Regardless, the screen showed Yi Hanna assigning grades to Team 1.
Next, Number 15 with yellow hair took the stage.
He was the first to pull through the choreography until the end of the first verse, and Yi Hanna too wore a fairly satisfied expression.
-This one can dance a little
-Number 15's form wasn't bad to begin with; it's just that his presence was faint
-He does feel a bit lacking in star power, right? Is that why he dyed his hair yellow???
And before long.
-["The last contestant!"]
Slowly and leisurely, a black-haired contestant appeared on stage.
It was Number 1.
-He already passed just by showing up
-Lolol crazy lolol Number 1's aura is seriously unreal lolol
-He's quiet this time without doing any villain stuff?
-You never know lolol where Number 1 might do something crazy
At his entrance, the faces of Yi Hanna and the Team 1 members crossed on screen, and the theme song “Produce” played just as before.
Within seconds, Number 1 dominated the stage and the two dancers.
-♬♪
Number 1, with his overwhelming energy, was shining brighter than the dancers. His choreography was at a level that didn't look amateur at all.
-???? What is he, really??
-???????
-Wow....
-Crazy????
-He's a total monster, feels like he's overwhelming even the pro dancers
-No but why is only Number 1 so good
-His ability to copy seems good too; that's something you're born with
At a performance that could pass for an idol's, the open chat was filled with confusion.
-If Number 1 debuts, I think he'd become the main vocal and an all-rounder
Afterward.
In episode 7 of *The 100%* following the first evaluation, the final grades Yi Hanna had assigned to the Team 1 members were revealed. Most were C and D. Only Gang Rojun had an SSS grade.
-["Number 1, as expected, will you pass on training for this 'Produce' assignment as well?"]
-["Yes, I will pass."]
Yi Hanna explained the assigned grades. Afterward, Team 1 began practicing like crazy. The lower the grade, the more harshly Yi Hanna treated them, and except for Gang Rojun, the Team 1 members did nothing but practice morning, noon, evening, and dawn.
The appearances of Team 2 and Team 3 were shown occasionally in between.
There was also another scene where Gang Rojun, having passed on training, wrote alone.
-What's Number 1 writing again lololol why is he cute
-Tell us what he's writing!!!
-It looks like a diary; I'm curious about the contents
A cut of Rojun conversing in Japanese with Number 58 and studying composition also took up a brief amount of time. However, in episode 7, Team 1 appeared most frequently. One-on-one practice, group practice, Team 1's final evaluation, and group dance rehearsals after everyone passed.
Episode 7 of *The 100%* had reached its final moments.
On the screen that had been showing Team 1 rehearsing continuously, suddenly—
-[Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium]
A subtitle appeared and the gymnasium's exterior was shown as an insert. Many audience members were seen entering the gymnasium one after another. Even at a glance, the scale was well over hundreds.
-I saw it on YouTubeㅠㅠ I should have gone......... I'm so jealous of people who saw this
-I saw this on site!!!
-Omg what is Number 1 like in person??
-I watched the video and you can really feel how much Team 1 practiced, yeah
For several minutes, thousands of audience members, reporters, and staff filling the gymnasium interior were shown, before the camera caught five judges secretly taking their seats.
At that moment.
-["Oh!!!"]
-["Ah! 'The 100%'! 'The 100%'!!"]
Startled audience members. And then.
-♬♪
“Produce” resounded throughout the gymnasium while thousands watched.
Soon, all 13 members of Team 1, now in position, appeared.
-["Waaaaah!!"]
Exploding screams and shouts.
Just like that, Team 1 began their surprise performance, which also served as the third evaluation. The group dance started. It went from a full shot to bust cuts of each individual contestant.
Around this time, the viewer voting page for Team 1 was.
-The voting page is open right now!!!
Already open.
The next day, Saturday.
The aftermath of *The 100%* episode 7 overnight was beyond imagination. Thanks to the greatly polished Team 1's surprise performance that closed the final scene.
《Finally Stepping Before the Masses, *The 100%* Team 1, Viewers Who Watched the Broadcast Explode with Reactions!》
《Eyewitness Accounts of *The 100%* Team 1 Appearing Successively on SNS... “Can't Believe Number 1's Real-Life Visuals Even After Seeing Them”》
Thus, at cafes, restaurants, and wherever people gathered, *The 100%* was mentioned endlessly.
“Did you watch episode 7?? The surprise stage at the end seriously gave me chills!!”
“They must have practiced sooo much, I thought they were real idols! Their moves were perfectly synchronized, and they looked cool in matching outfits.”
“But seriously, couldn't Number 1 just debut right now?? Everyone did well, but Number 1 was on a different level?”
“That's true. The others felt a bit amateur, but only Number 1 was radiating idol aura!”
The media continued to pour out articles as well.
《“Number 1” Writing Again in *The 100%* Episode 7 / Photo》
Covering the contents of *The 100%* episode 7, highlighting Team 1's surprise stage, or informing about voting.
《*The 100%* Team 1, 13 Contestants Voting Begins, How Many Will Survive This Time?》
Voting proceeded immediately after the broadcast ended. Same as last time, it started Friday night and ended on Tuesday. The participation was also record-breaking; though the page didn't crash completely, it lagged severely.
Next were the ratings for *The 100%* episode 7.
《[Official] The Craze Grew Even Stronger, *The 100%* Episode 7 Ratings 24.4%》
The 25% rating was right around the corner.
Thus, from Friday night through all of Saturday, *The 100%* or “Number 1” stirred up everywhere. Just imagine the destructive power of a craze surpassing 24% viewership ratings.
Of course, Sunday the 30th, a day later, was no different.
Taking over SNS and YouTube went without saying.
Right around then, the time was 8 AM. At a broadcasting station's large set, dozens of crew members were busily setting up.
“Lighting test, please!!”
“Yes yes, place the reflectors!”
“Art team!! The PD is calling for you!!!”
“Director of photography! Is this the arrangement you mentioned??!”
“Coming now—”
Around the set modeled after a cafe, various teams—lighting, art, makeup—were running around in perfect order. In the midst of that, PD Jeong Suryeong was seen checking the set interior with the staff, a cap pulled low over her haggard hair.
This meant the filming crew for *Rental Lover* had gathered at this set.
Naturally.
Today was exactly the first filming day of *Rental Lover.* That was why the staff running around were overflowing with energy. The vitality surged as well. The first day of filming for movies, dramas, variety shows, etc., was always bound to be heart-pounding.
Then.
“The writer has arrived!!”
Behind the staff's shout, a man with his face hidden by a cap and mask entered. It was Gang Rojun. PD Jeong Suryeong spotted him immediately and waved her hand.
“You're here, writer-nim.”
Rojun approached, bowing repeatedly to the staff, and also bowed to Jeong Suryeong.
“Hello, PD-nim.”
“Yes, welcome, writer-nim.”
It was the first day of filming for both the *Rental Lover* team and Gang Rojun. PD Jeong Suryeong, wearing a smile, asked Rojun,
“How does it feel, it being your first time filming?”
“I don't know, it still hasn't sunk in yet.”
It was his real feeling. He had come, but his mind was elsewhere and it didn't feel real.
*Am I really filming a drama?? Here? Wow— damn, the on-site atmosphere is no joke now that I'm actually here.*
Dozens of staff running around busily, shouts bursting from everywhere, lights plastered all over, huge cameras he had never seen before, the fascinating set, and so on.
A filming site with explosive combat power.
In a situation he was facing for the first time in his life, Gang Rojun's heart beat like crazy and his mind went blank.
*It's somehow different from "The 100%."*
As Rojun tried to somehow hold onto his sanity, PD Jeong Suryeong opened her mouth.
“By the way, as expected of Number 1, the press and public opinion are all over him, right? I saw that the top video on YouTube right now is 'The 100% Surprise Performance Focus on Number 1,' wasn't it?”
“Yes, I saw it.”
For a moment, key staff members gathered around and got absorbed in talking about *The 100%.* It was PD Jeong Suryeong, the person in charge of the set, who broke the flow.
“Alright alright, stop. Let's move quickly! Writer-nim, go get your hair, makeup, and costume done.”
Hair, makeup, and costume? As Gang Rojun wore a questioning look, several staff members pulled him along. To a spot prepared on one side of the set. Several female staff members welcomed Gang Rojun.
“Sit down! We'll start with your hair.”
As it turned out, “heme-ko” was hair, makeup, and coordination. In other words, it was time for Gang Rojun to be styled as “Lover Number 4.” Rojun had received simple makeup related to *The 100%* before, but this was his first time doing something so full-scale.
What could he know?
Gang Rojun sat as guided and entrusted himself to the staff. Rojun closed his eyes. The corners of the female staff members touching his hair curled up. Soon, the two women made eye contact.
They spoke with their eyes.
A visual so stunning it was frightening to touch.
It was the same when they moved on to makeup. Upon Gang Rojun with his finished hair, countless exclamations and gasps of admiration poured out.
“No, wow— what's with the writer-nim's visual?”
“Really. Really, really, you're a total visual god, Writer Gang. It's even more intense up close.”
“This isn't a face, it's art, art.”
“Wait and see, writer-nim. We're getting completely greedy because of your face right now. It was already absurd before, but we'll amplify it twofold.”
Soon after.
To the ears of PD Jeong Suryeong, who was looking over the *Rental Lover* script with key staff members besides the cinematographer.
“......Huh—”
“Wow... really wow—”
“Whoa, I'm speechless.”
“Amazing.”
She heard the staff's reactions. Noticing them, she turned her head.
-Thud, thud.
A man in a black suit walking from over there. It was Gang Rojun with slicked-back hair similar to a pompadour. Following his movement, the gazes of dozens of staff trailed after him, and PD Jeong Suryeong and the key staff unknowingly let their mouths fall open.
“Art” stood before their eyes.
PD Jeong Suryeong and the key staff.
“......”
“......”
“......”
They looked up at Gang Rojun with vacant expressions. PD Jeong Suryeong uttered an honest evaluation out loud.
“Are you really human??”
At the same time, a shout was heard from the set entrance.
“Choe Rina has arrived!!”
That meant Choe Rina, the top actress and female lead of *Rental Lover,* had come. She was seen approaching with small greetings, her long straight hair swaying. When she, who had been smiling with her eyes, arrived near PD Jeong Suryeong,
“Oh my god!!”
She was openly startled, almost convulsing.
Because she saw Gang Rojun in a suit standing beside her.
“...Wr-writer-nim???”
“Yes, hello.”
The smile vanished from Choe Rina's eyes, and without answering, she simply stared at Rojun's face. It wasn't intentional. A natural disaster, perhaps? No matter who came, standing before Gang Rojun left them mesmerized like this.
*What the hell...... nothing but admiration comes out.*
Even for her, who knew countless top-tier male actors, Gang Rojun's visual was a shock in itself. Everyone was deeply enthralled by the overwhelming visual of Gang Rojun.
“Sunbae-nim!!”
A junior assistant director ran in from inside the set. He stuck close to PD Jeong Suryeong and held up his phone.
“Y-you need to see this right now??”
The assistant director was strangely serious and flustered. As if irritated at the interruption to her appreciation of Rojun's face, PD Jeong Suryeong furrowed her brows.
“What, what is it?”
The assistant director immediately showed her the phone screen. Soon, including PD Jeong Suryeong, several key staff members checked the assistant director's phone. What was displayed on the screen was an article.
《[Exclusive] The Writer of the Single-Act Drama *Rental Lover,* Which Top Actress Choe Rina Chose Out of the Blue, Was *The 100%*'s “Number 1”》
In that instant, PD Jeong Suryeong turned her gaze toward Gang Rojun.
-Swish.
He seemed to smile slightly in a peculiar way.