When Kang Rojun arrived at Song Mingeun’s recording studio, he couldn’t help but be amazed. No, awed? Bewildered? And for good reason.
‘Bak Hyeonjeong? That’s Bak Hyeonjeong, right??’
The woman belting her heart out inside the recording booth, with vocals on a whole other level, was none other than Bak Hyeonjeong—the name always mentioned whenever people talked about great singers. Rojun had even often found comfort and solace in Bak Hyeonjeong’s songs in the past.
They had eased his loneliness and dulled his pain.
For Kang Rojun, Bak Hyeonjeong’s songs had been an enormous help in recovering his mental state. So seeing her, Bak Hyeonjeong, sing in person was already astonishing enough.
‘······Lyrics I wrote.’
The lyrics Rojun had written himself were flowing from Bak Hyeonjeong’s mouth. Without realizing it, Kang Rojun stood with his mouth slightly open, stopping dead the moment he entered the recording studio. His gaze was fixed inside the booth. Just listening to Bak Hyeonjeong’s sorrowful voice made Rojun’s world shift.
The feeling from back then, the emotions from back then, the texture from back then.
It had truly become a strange spectacle.
It felt like only yesterday he had been lying in his room listening to Bak Hyeonjeong’s songs, and now she was inside the booth singing a song with lyrics Rojun had written.
Just as Kang Rojun’s emotions were turning oddly soft.
“What are you doing?”
A familiar male voice cut in from behind. It was producer U Hanseok, and beside him was Number 58 with the baby perm. In other words, three people including Kang Rojun had come to this recording studio. Soon, after Song Mingeun greeted them, Bak Hyeonjeong came out of the booth.
Rojun, who had been waiting for the right timing to introduce himself, listened to the conversation between the two giants and thought,
‘They seem really close.’
Bak Hyeonjeong asked Song Mingeun,
“No, but oppa. You said you’d show me the lyricist for ‘Black-and-White Sound’ today, right?? You were lying again, weren’t you?”
Song Mingeun pointed at Kang Rojun with his index finger.
“He’s right behind you. That lyricist.”
Was this the moment? Rojun cleared his throat softly and was about to bow at a ninety-degree angle. But.
“Oh my God!!!”
Bak Hyeonjeong toppled backward onto the sofa. Huh? Kang Rojun tried to catch her as she fell, but missed the timing. Then Bak Hyeonjeong stared blankly at Rojun’s face before blurting out flustered words. From the nuance, it seemed she knew Kang Rojun well.
‘So she watches “Geubaekpeu”—’
Around then, Song Mingeun introduced Rojun as the lyricist. This time, Kang Rojun caught the timing properly and bowed to Bak Hyeonjeong. Blinking her eyes, she gave no immediate reply and simply looked up at Rojun while still sprawled out.
Song Mingeun, who had somehow come to stand beside Kang Rojun, chuckled as he looked at the stunned Bak Hyeonjeong.
“Look at that, look how dumb your face got. Get a grip, you. You’re the senior here, show some dignity.”
“······I admit it.”
“What?”
Only then did Bak Hyeonjeong barely come to her senses, recalling the conversation she had had with Song Mingeun a few days ago, and opened her mouth.
“I admit he’s disgustingly handsome.”
Bak Hyeonjeong sprang up from the sofa and closed the distance to Rojun in an instant.
“D-did you really write the lyrics for ‘Black-and-White Sound’???”
Kang Rojun, flinching slightly, nodded.
“Ah—yes, I did. Were they not to your liking?”
“Not at all! The lyrics are killer! But! You’re Number 1, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Number 1 from ‘Geubaekpeu’!”
“Yes.”
“So Number 1 is the lyricist for my song??!”
The answer came from producer U Hanseok behind Rojun.
“Haha, hello, Hyeonjeong. So that song was yours—yes, that’s right. Number 1 here wrote the lyrics for it.”
Bak Hyeonjeong turned her gaze. She saw producer U Hanseok and Number 58. As Number 58 bowed at a ninety-degree angle, she responded to producer U Hanseok, whom she already seemed acquainted with.
“Ah, it’s been a while, PD-nim. No! What on earth is this······.”
“You watch ‘Geubaekpeu’?”
“Of course I do! I’m a huge fan! But of course I’d be shocked if Number 1 turned out to be a lyricist!!”
Song Mingeun, who had been enjoying the spectacle, cut in.
“I set this up a little just so I could see that dumb look on your face. A fresh shock after so long, right?”
“Come at me, oppa. I can’t let this slide.”
“What’d you say?”
After the two bickered for a while, Bak Hyeonjeong calmed down, brushing back her hair. Then she met Kang Rojun’s eyes again.
“Anyway, I really love the lyrics. But······ wow, you’re insane in person. How can a person’s face look like this??”
Bak Hyeonjeong showered his face with praise. The corners of Rojun’s mouth twitched faintly.
“Th-thank you.”
“I’ve seen so many guys people call handsome, but Number 1, you’re really on a different level. The camera only captured about half of it.”
Song Mingeun pushed her away as she poured out her admiration.
“That’s enough. Go now.”
“Huh? Ah, yeah. But what is the ‘Geubaekpeu’ team doing with you, oppa?”
“Hey, I’m a judge on ‘Geubaekpeu,’ remember?”
“Oh right, you were.”
It was producer U Hanseok who gave the answer.
“Judge Song Mingeun has agreed to work on our theme song. We’re starting with the guide recording today.”
“The theme song?”
Bak Hyeonjeong’s eyes widened slightly as she looked back and forth between Rojun and the fidgeting Number 58.
“Did the two of you perhaps compose and write it?”
“Yes. The song came out absolutely amazing.”
“···Could I listen to just a little?”
“If you keep it a secret, there’s no problem. It’ll be revealed on the broadcast soon anyway. We should hear what the great singer Bak Hyeonjeong thinks of it.”
“What evaluation? I’ll just enjoy it.”
Afterward, once the simple preparations were finished, Bak Hyeonjeong and producer U Hanseok sat side by side on the sofa, while Song Mingeun and Number 58 took their places in front of the equipment. And Kang Rojun?
‘Whoa—the recording booth. I’ve only ever looked at one, never actually gone inside.’
He entered the recording booth alone. The interior was simple, without anything complicated, but because it was unfamiliar, Rojun glanced around. Then he put on the headphones near the microphone.
Soon, Song Mingeun’s voice came from outside the booth.
“Ready? You can listen to the melody once as a warm-up before we go.”
He was nervous, but it stemmed from excitement, so Kang Rojun shook his head.
“It’s fine. I’ll try it right away.”
“Oh! As expected of Number 1. No backing down. Okay. Then start as soon as I give the signal.”
Rojun had long since learned “Survival 100,” so he had confidence. Then he brought his mouth close to the microphone, and the familiar intro spread through his headphones. A guitar rang out like a rapid heartbeat. Then the drums joined in.
At that timing, the vocal came in. No—Kang Rojun began to sing.
-♬♪
The moment he heard the first line, Song Mingeun smiled faintly.
“As expected, his vocal tone is killer. On top of that, his basics—projection, breathing, all of it—are solid. What do you think, composer?”
Number 58, unable to take his eyes off Kang Rojun inside the recording booth, already had a deeply entranced expression.
“······He couldn’t have had much time, but I’m sh-shocked he already understands the song to that degree. He clearly knows the message I had in mind, puts it into the emotion, and delivers it too. The intro starts in a low register, but there are dynamics, so it’s a bit difficult, yet he’s incredibly stable.”
“Right? Sounds that way to me too. It feels like he’s slowly raising a heartbeat. The color is completely different from ‘Bereavement’ too. Makes you look forward to it, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder how rich he’ll be in the chorus.”
“His tone is a cheat code too.”
“It’s just a guide, but if someone heard it, they’d think it was the official recording. His spirit is on point.”
Song Mingeun, who was meticulous when it came to recording, usually did not listen to an entire song from the first take. Even with Bak Hyeonjeong, he had frequently stopped her while giving direction. Yet this time, he did not cut off Kang Rojun’s singing.
He listened seriously, past the first verse and into the second.
At last, when the second verse of “Survival 100” ended.
—Swoosh.
Song Mingeun gestured for Rojun inside the booth to wait a moment, then turned his chair around. On the sofa, Bak Hyeonjeong covered her mouth with one hand.
“I’ve got goosebumps. What’s with his vocals? I heard ‘Bereavement’ too, but this feels like it’s on a completely different level from back then??”
With an expression as if a powerful bolt of lightning had struck her head, she unconsciously thought,
‘I want that voice—I want to sing with him.’
She imagined a future where Kang Rojun featured on one of her songs.
“······Even his breathing sounds like part of the song right now. How is that an amateur in any way? He’s just a pro, isn’t he??”
But as if this was not the end, Song Mingeun spoke to Rojun inside the booth.
“Yeah, Number 1. Nice. Next, shall we try the Japanese version?”
Bak Hyeonjeong’s eyes widened several times over as she shouted, as if asking what on earth that meant.
“Th-the Japanese version??!”
Monday the 21st, around lunchtime.
Episode 10 of “Geubaekpeu,” which had exploded across all of Korea by surpassing 30% in viewership ratings, was also broadcast in Japan. Of course, that meant it had been uploaded to Netflix Japan. Since “Geubaekpeu” was causing as much of a sensational boom in Japan as it was in Korea.
《Japan’s number one search site, Yahoo Japan, plastered with “Geubaekpeu” / Photo》
It was obvious it would set off another frenzy.
Even within Japan, its fanbase was growing more and more monstrous, breaking through new peaks, and just seeing “Geubaekpeu” occupy Japanese social media and portal sites made it clear how tremendous its popularity was.
At this time, Kang Rojun, having finished his daily mission and reinforcement, could be found in the campus hall.
No, he was there together with all twenty-four contestants, including himself.
Judging from the cameras, lights, and other setups, it seemed to be an official “Geubaekpeu” shoot, and producer U Hanseok, standing at the front of dozens of staff members, spoke to the twenty-four contestants.
“Just announce your names in the order we informed you of beforehand. It’s okay if you make a mistake. We can film it again, so approach it with as much energy as possible to show who you are.”
Today was the shoot for revealing the contestants’ names.
In truth, among these twenty-four, there would certainly be some who would be eliminated in this fourth evaluation. However, producer U Hanseok intended to air all twenty-four of them.
‘I want to let people know the names of the ones who shone in the fourth evaluation, and no matter who gets eliminated, these kids are talented enough to debut somewhere else even if not here.’
It was also producer U Hanseok’s final consideration, or perhaps his gift.
And so the shoot began.
As though the direction had already been decided, one contestant stepped onto the stage under the lights. The remaining twenty-three contestants, including Kang Rojun, waited beside the stage. All of them watched the contestant onstage with curious expressions. The first up was the contestant with the highest number, the puppy-faced Number 71 who had performed “Witch” with Number 58.
“Hello.”
Standing alone onstage, he looked at the camera in front of him and moved his hand. Toward the number tag marked “71” on his chest. When he peeled off the number like a sticker, his name was revealed.
“I was Number 71, and I’m ‘Jeong U.’”
After introducing himself as “Jeong U” and giving a brief comment, he came down from the stage. The contestant who had announced his name moved to the right side of the stage. The next four or five contestants waiting followed Jeong U and revealed their names as well.
Kang Rojun, watching them quietly, felt a strange emotion.
‘It’s just a name, so why do I feel this way?’
Then.
—Swoosh.
Number 58 with the baby perm went up onto the stage with a face full of nerves. He received the signal and opened his mouth, but stuttered and caused an NG. After catching his breath and calming himself, he gathered his resolve and put strength into his voice.
“I’m! Not Number 58, I’m ‘Sihu’!”
Kang Rojun, now learning the name of the person he had been calling Number 58 all this time, murmured softly.
“Sihu—nice name.”
Next was Number 46, who had received an A+ in choreography evaluation from I Hanna after Rojun. He had an exotically handsome appearance.
“My name is ‘Gang Min,’ and I was Number 46.”
After two more contestants passed, Number 37, a member of Room 105, went up.
“I was Number 37, and I’m ‘Yeonu’!”
Expressionless Number 26 took the baton.
“I’m not Number 26, but ‘Dogyeong.’ I look forward to working with you.”
Before they knew it, nearly twenty people had revealed their names. They had gathered on the right side of the stage and were busy talking quietly. Now that they knew each other’s names, their mood had surely lifted. Then, after several NGs, they finally reached the last turn.
The face of “Geubaekpeu” stepped onto the stage.
The eyes of all the contestants, producer U Hanseok, and dozens of staff members turned toward the stage. However, the comment from the face of “Geubaekpeu,” who had just stood onstage, was exceedingly brief.
“I’m Rojun.”
From now on, he would be called not Number 1, but “Rojun.”
After that.
The twenty-four contestants, who had all revealed their names, gathered in the hall again two days later, on Wednesday morning. The filming setup was the same as it had been two days ago on Monday. However, the number of staff had increased, and the set inside the hall had changed.
A new space had been created beside the stage.
It felt like movie theater seating, and it was so splendid that this space alone stood out in the hall. In addition, a large logo reading “Produce That 100!” was attached at the front. In front of that space, which looked extraordinary at a glance,
“······”
“······”
The twenty-four contestants stood with stiff faces. Facing them was producer U Hanseok. He spoke in a low but clear voice.
“The results of the fourth evaluation vote are out. We received more votes than ever before, and I believe this was the fiercest round yet.”
As the cameras filmed the twenty-four contestants from the front, sides, and rear, producer U Hanseok continued.
“This time, the announcement format has changed a little. We will call only the names of those who passed, not those who are eliminated. Those who are called as successful contestants, please come up to the successful contestants’ seats behind you. And we will proceed not by number, but by name.”
Producer U Hanseok flipped the cue card and raised his head. His face was extremely grave.
“There are a total of ten successful contestants in this fourth evaluation.”
In other words, fourteen out of the twenty-four had to leave “Geubaekpeu.” More than half, all at once. Fear instantly appeared on the contestants’ faces. However, producer U Hanseok had to continue the announcement.
“Contestants who are not among the ten successful contestants will—leave ‘Geubaekpeu’ as they are.”
Soon, producer U Hanseok, who had slowly scanned all twenty-four contestants,
“I will begin the announcement. First, the contestant who received an unrivaled number of votes and also received the highest scores from the judges and production team, the first successful contestant, Number 1. No. I apologize.”
He met the eyes of the contestant with the unbelievable visuals.
“The first successful contestant, ‘Rojun,’ you have passed.”