The final cut of episode 8 of “Geubaekpeu.”
-[“Hello, I’m No. 1.”]
Gang Rojun, standing alone in front of the stage, made the declaration in an even tone.
-[“I wrote ‘Rental Lover.’”]
The angle slowly pulled in for a close-up of Rojun’s face. For roughly three seconds. Then it cut straight to black. As if it had been waiting, an ad immediately appeared.
In other words, episode 8 of “Geubaekpeu” was over.
But the hundreds of thousands of viewers gathered in the real-time OpenTalk chat showed no sign of dispersing.
-Huh?????
-What just happened at the end??
-???
-Holy????
-So No. 1 really did write Rental Lover??!
-Wait!! How can they end it like this!!
-Wow... insane...
-That’s it???
If anything, the chat was burning several times hotter than it had during the broadcast.
-lolololololol I seriously did not see this coming
-I can’t believe he declared it on Geubaekpeu lololol and he was so damn firm too lololol
-So villain-like, making the shortest statement ever lololololol
-He said it outright, so there’s no doubt No. 1 wrote Rental Lover
-Where did all the kids yapping that it was fake go?? hehe
-No. 1 definitely has star quality lololol I’ve never seen anything like this in idol fandom lolololol
-No, then No. 1 was devouring everything on Geubaekpeu while being a writer too;;; insane
-He really is a disruptive species lololol vocals, choreography, a face that barely looks human, and even writing???
-↑He works out like crazy too, so his body’s amazing lololololol
-Ha... this is why I can’t quit stanning...
Even though the broadcast had ended, the viewers’ reactions showed no sign of stopping. It was a performance worthy of that. After all, the issue surrounding No. 1 that had shaken up everywhere for about a week had been satisfyingly revealed by No. 1 himself on “Geubaekpeu.”
Everyone who knew Gang Rojun reacted similarly.
The most chaotic place in particular was the set of “Rental Lover.”
The “Rental Lover” team had been watching “Geubaekpeu” for a moment during filming, and after seeing Gang Rojun’s declaration in the final cut, they couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Wow—he really went for it.”
“That was refreshing, wasn’t it?? I was curious how he’d make an official statement, but he just did it on the Geubaekpeu broadcast.”
“I don’t know whose idea it was, but this is going to draw serious aggro, isn’t it??”
“No need to even say it. The reporters are probably pounding out articles like mad already.”
“This is good. It makes our writer’s character stand out and draws attention too.”
“At this rate, it’s not just the writer—our ‘Rental Lover’ is going to get pumped up again too!”
Amid the uproar, producer Jeong Suryeong was also smiling.
‘Aha—so this is how you played it? Was it producer U Hanseok’s idea? No, judging by how reckless it was, it might’ve been Rojun’s. Either way, it was simple, concise, and just right, without anything unnecessary. It’ll be chaos again for a few days.’
It was an incredible promotional effect. After spending a week noisily amid tabloid-like rumors and controversy, he was now set to remain extremely hot through the following week with a performance that would captivate the public.
Beside producer Jeong Suryeong, Choe Rina was surprised but relieved.
‘Now I don’t have to watch the media saying this and that about the writer anymore! I feel so much better!’
It seemed she hadn’t liked the way the media and public opinion had been subtly attacking Gang Rojun. Meanwhile, dozens of contestants who had watched episode 8 of “Geubaekpeu” at the campus dorms in Paju were turned upside down as well.
“Huh?? No. 1 is—really the writer of Rental Lover??!”
“Wow······ that’s insane.”
“The producer told us last time not to get swept up in baseless rumors, so I thought it definitely wasn’t true!”
“No··· what even is No. 1’s form?? We barely have time to practice ourselves to death, but he can write while handling his entire schedule too?”
“···Should we go ask him?”
“I feel like contestants in other rooms are thinking the same thing.”
“F-for now, let’s wait. If we bother No. 1 for no reason, the production team might give us a warning.”
The eyes of the people in Room 105, which included Gang Rojun, were naturally fixed on Rojun. No. 19, No. 37, and No. 58.
“······”
“······”
As the three of them stared silently, one with his mouth hanging open and the others with eyes widened to the extreme, Gang Rojun cleared his throat.
“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”
“This··· is really true?”
“Yes.”
“Wow—shit.”
The high-tension No. 19 and No. 37 bombarded him with questions, and Gang Rojun answered them moderately. No. 58, with the baby perm, did not ask anything, but he still seemed unable to shake off the shock.
‘Calling him a genius isn’t enough. What the hell is this person???’
It hit No. 58 even harder because he had recently been surprised by Rojun’s lyric-writing. While all the contestants of “Geubaekpeu,” who did not know the detailed circumstances behind “No. 1,” were buzzing with excitement.
《No. 1 Appears at the End of Episode 8 of “Geubaekpeu,” Declares “I Wrote Rental Lover” / Photo》
As if they had been waiting, articles poured out.
《“Geubaekpeu” Icon “No. 1” Admits on Broadcast That He Is the Writer of “Rental Lover”!》
The firepower was tremendous. “Geubaekpeu” had ratings well over 20%, so articles had already been exploding normally. But this time, with No. 1’s massive bait revealed as well, it felt as if the number had doubled.
《[Issue Talk] Choe Rina’s Female-Lead Project “Rental Lover” Was Indeed Written by “No. 1” of Geubaekpeu》
《“Rental Lover,” Hot Because of Top Actress Choe Rina··· Public Interest Explodes Due to “No. 1” Declaration》
This wasn’t a reaction that exploded simply because one contestant on an audition variety show was said to be a writer. It was possible because that contestant was Gang Rojun, whose name recognition currently rivaled that of a rising star, because his absurd course of action was nearly unprecedented in the idol world, and because “Rental Lover,” starring one of Korea’s top actresses, Choe Rina, was involved.
On top of that, its considerable rarity and the strategy of producers Jeong Suryeong and U Hanseok had worked.
As a result, not only the articles but also SNS, communities, NewTube, and more were quickly taken over by “Geubaekpeu” or “No. 1.”
-The Scene Where No. 1 Admits He’s the Writer of Rental Lover in Geubaekpeu Episode 8!!｜Room-Issue TV
-The Writer Rumors About Geubaekpeu’s No. 1 That Were Nothing But Bait!! He Admitted It Himself!｜Kim’s Wrecker
It was a restaurant full of sensational seasoning, so there was no way either the media or public opinion would just let it pass.
-Holyyyyyyyy this was real??
-↑Yeah, No. 1 revealed it himself in Geubaekpeu episode 8
-No. 1 really is legendary lolololol Did he debut as a writer before debuting as an idol??
-Usually idols debut first and then, after seeing an opening, try sniffing around acting, don’t they lolololol What’s with No. 1’s career path
-After seeing No. 1’s insane visuals, I totally thought he’d act first lololololololololol
-But it’s so fresh that it draws even more attention lololol An idol who writes?? That’s new!!
-Is there anyone in idol fandom who’s a writer at all?
-Maybe No. 1 knew his acting was lacking but had writing skills, so he built it up in advance lolololol
-Ha... now that they say No. 1 wrote it, I’m so curious about Rental Lover lololololol
-Agreed agreed, I want to see Rental Lover too lololol It being a Choe Rina female-lead project makes me even more curious
·
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·
·
The issue that had been burning from Friday night into the early hours of Saturday became even more intense by morning.
In the meantime, voting for Teams 2 and 3 was underway.
In addition, as if they had planned it, the “Rental Lover” side released an official statement.
《“Rental Lover” Production Team: “To Us, He Is Not ‘No. 1,’ but ‘Writer Gang Cheolsu’”》
No, the two directors really had planned it.
Behind the scenes.
While the entertainment industry—media, public opinion, and the broadcasting world—was shaking, the person who had dropped the nuclear bomb, Gang Rojun, was.
‘Wow—shit, so many articles are coming out!’
He felt like he was flying. No matter where he clicked, his face was everywhere. How should he describe this?
‘Like I’ve become the main character of the world??’
It felt as if he could do anything right now. However, Gang Rojun somehow suppressed his heart. Because producers Jeong Suryeong and U Hanseok had warned him. The hotter it was, the faster it would cool.
‘They said this atmosphere that feels like it’ll last forever would fade sooner than I think.’
They had also told him he needed to look not at the tree in front of him, but at the entire mountain. At the time, Gang Rojun had not understood those words 100%, but now he grasped them to some extent.
‘No matter how long the issue lasts, don’t get intoxicated by the present and just keep doing what I’ve been doing well.’
It was advice given by veterans in their respective fields, so it had to be reliable.
The entertainment industry was a dazzling place. It was often compared to fireworks. At first glance, it shone enough to make one lose their senses, but the time was short, and many people made mistakes after becoming drunk on that brilliance. They flashed briefly and then disappeared.
On the other hand, a very small number continued to shine and rose to the top.
It was possible only by constantly polishing and refining skill, ability, talent, effort, and the like, and continuing to show the public things that would sell. That was probably what producers Jeong Suryeong and U Hanseok had been telling him.
Gang Rojun’s guess was roughly correct.
Producer U Hanseok, who was at the broadcasting station, thought.
‘It would be troublesome if Rojun is satisfied with just this much. He’s more than capable of going beyond Korea and overseas too. Whether as an idol or through side work.’
And producer Jeong Suryeong, who was on set, thought.
‘The writer’s aura is far too much of a waste to end at being a domestic top.’
They had long since pictured how far the future Rojun could rise. Someday. No, soon, Rojun would leave their hands, but they strongly wanted to see just how great Gang Rojun’s influence would become.
In any case, Gang Rojun forcibly cooled the soaring excitement in his heart and carried out the routine he had set.
There was a lot to do.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he had to exercise and complete his daily missions, and after stretching, he shook his body alone in the practice room. He repeated the choreography for “brake” and “Produce,” which he had already learned. Once the choreography was done, on the vocal side, he sang “Parting by Death” again and again.
Maybe it was just his imagination.
‘Is it because I’ve gained confidence? I feel like I’m getting better and better?’
It felt as though results beyond what had been learned were coming out. Then, in another practice room—the bathroom—he checked the “AI Simulation,” and after strengthening his stats, he attempted his growing vocals, choreography, and rap again and again.
Even after lunch, there was no time to rest.
He had completed all his missions, but for body-building purposes, he went through one more round of his workout routine, then picked up his laptop and moved to the lounge.
‘First—the lyrics.’
He planned to carry out the lyric-writing Song Mingeun had requested first. In fact, he had been working on this for several days already. Today was the third day.
The demo track played through the earphones plugged into Rojun’s ears.
-♬♪
The mood of the song, its story, emotions, sensibility, and many other things filled his mind. After listening to it several times, Gang Rojun’s hands began to move. Even as he searched for something on his laptop, he wrote words in the open practice notebook. Had about two hours passed like that?
‘Yeah, this side is done.’
Gang Rojun stretched his arms wide, then transferred what he had written in the practice notebook onto his laptop. This time, as if switching to another task, he closed the practice notebook.
‘Next is the writer side.’
Rojun, having changed from lyricist to writer Gang Cheolsu, briefly thought with his arms crossed before reaching a conclusion.
‘Should I write a movie for the first time in a while?’
In the past, he had written and set aside short films, feature dramas, and films, and he had experience writing them too. His current situation had changed somewhat from when he had thought of his writing as trashy text, but his mindset was the same. Gang Rojun opened the memo he had saved on his laptop. It was, so to speak, a collection of material he had gathered since the days when his face had been hideous.
“Hmm—”
After choosing one from among them.
-Swish.
He began writing the overall synopsis, and Gang Rojun’s day, after completing his entire schedule.
‘Whoa—already this late.’
Passed in the blink of an eye.
The next day, Sunday morning, the 6th.
It was around 9 o’clock. A recording studio with various instruments attached to the walls as interior decorations. In the rather spacious studio, four or five people were present. About two were setting things up around the equipment, while the remaining two sat on the sofa in the back, chatting.
One of them was the plump Song Mingeun, a hit-song maker.
Chewing on a sandwich a colleague had bought for breakfast, Song Mingeun laughed.
“Hahaha, I’ve got my eye on No. 58 too, but No. 1 is just a real item, I’m telling you.”
“Certainly, that No. 1 kid seems to know how to have the public in the palm of his hand. But when I look at No. 1—it really feels like God went, ‘Should I try making one properly this time?’”
“It’s even more so in person. Your jaw drops. But he’s also overflowing with charm. He seems like he’s just blurting things out without thinking, but when you actually open it up, there are results, you know?”
“I was genuinely surprised that No. 1 wrote ‘Rental Lover.’”
Even now, it was a topic burning through the media and public opinion, and since Song Mingeun was a judge, the conversation in this studio was about “Geubaekpeu,” with No. 1 being mentioned a lot.
“But what happened with having No. 1 write lyrics? You said your curiosity was piqued, so you were going to get his lyrics too, right?”
At the question thrown his way, Song Mingeun crumpled the sandwich wrapper and answered as if it were nothing.
“I told him. It’s only been a few days, so he’s probably in the middle of listening to the demo and figuring out the mood right now.”
“I guess so. Still, I never thought Song Mingeun, who even makes professional lyricists line up, would take lyrics from an amateur too. Anyway, you’ve already picked lyrics you like, haven’t you? Couldn’t you just start working with those for now? You said No. 1’s were just something you were getting to check.”
Song Mingeun rose from the sofa and brushed the crumbs off his clothes.
“Right, we can start working.”
It was then.
-♬♪
The phone in his jeans pocket let out a ringtone. Song Mingeun paused briefly and checked the caller on his phone screen.
-No. 1
He recognized it as No. 1 from “Geubaekpeu,” whom he had saved a few days ago. Slightly surprised, Song Mingeun put the phone to his ear.
“Yeah, No. 1.”
“Hello.”
“Sure. Good morning? What’s up so early? Do you have something to ask about the lyrics??”
From the other side of the phone came No. 1’s plain voice.
“No, I contacted you because I finished writing the lyrics.”
Song Mingeun blinked, then narrowed his brow as he replied.
“···Y-you’re already done??”