When Gang Rojun first stepped onto the stage, his entire body had gone rigid. It was only natural. It was a grand, dazzling sight he had never seen in his life. Cameras, lights, countless people, and the judges were all looking at him.
It was fascinating, but not because he was seeing celebrities.
‘The texture of their gazes is different.’
In the past, everyone had looked at Rojun as if he were strange. But now, their eyes were not looking at something strange, but something incredible. Not just one or two of them—all of them were the same.
The lights pouring down on him felt warm.
It was the first stage he had ever stood on in his life, so it was only natural for Rojun to tremble. But the thrill was even greater than the nerves. This electrifying sensation spreading through his veins easily surpassed mere tension.
Was this why people became idols?
Of course, he hadn’t even reached the threshold of becoming an idol yet, but he felt as if he’d gotten a small taste of it. How should he put it? Strangely enough, Gang Rojun was growing calmer and calmer. Unlike at first, he could now see the expressions of the hundred or so people in front of him quite clearly. In particular, the faces of the four judges right in front of him were worth seeing.
‘Not bad. I can do this.’
Gang Rojun raised the handheld microphone in his hand and greeted them.
“Hello, I’m No. 1.”
The cameras around him moved busily, and the judges watching “No. 1” from the closest distance fell into utter shock.
‘Didn’t they say they picked him from ordinary people??? What kind of face is that…’
‘Wow, if you go by visuals alone, forget idols—he could easily step all over actors too.’
‘My jaw’s dropping. Seriously. Where did they find something like that??’
U Hanseok PD, watching the dazed judges on the monitor, let out a discreet chuckle.
“They’d lose their minds over him, of course.”
After all, even he, a man who had rolled around the variety-show world long enough to see it all, had lost his soul the moment he saw Gang Rojun. And it wasn’t just the judges. The moment “No. 1” revealed his face, the forty-nine contestants who had shared the same waiting room as him—or had been in the waiting room next door—were already in chaos.
‘Wh-what is that! What the hell is that!!’
‘No… If he starts off like that, what are the kids after him supposed to do?’
‘That’s insane. That face is a cheat.’
‘I’m screwed, damn it… I’m next.’
They didn’t say it out loud, but the forty-nine contestants in Group 1 were screaming internally. Naturally, it was because of Gang Rojun’s violently stunning visuals displayed on the giant monitor. At the same time, Rojun’s voice was heard again from the monitor.
“I’ve prepared a song. The song I’ll be singing is ‘Bereavement.’”
The contestants all prayed with one heart and mind.
‘He’s going to sing? No way—with that face, he can’t be talented too, right???’
‘He already made a crazy impact with just his face. Yeah, his singing will be bad. No, it has to be bad.’
‘If he’s actually good at singing too… that’s completely broken!! Suck, please suck!!’
They prayed that this damn ultra-super-handsome bastard would be tone-deaf.
The contestants’ wish was roughly correct. “No. 1,” or Gang Rojun, was indeed tone-deaf. But he, standing on the stage—
“…”
Rojun slowly raised the microphone, with absolutely no intention of revealing that he was tone-deaf.
Soon.
-♬♪
The intro rang out across the massive hall, including the stage. A heartrending melody laced with piano. At this point, the judges, still full of shock, were also puzzled.
‘‘Bereavement’? That song choice is kind of out of nowhere. Why pick such a difficult song, of all things?’
It was hard to imagine someone bringing it to an idol audition.
‘This isn’t a song you can pull off just because you can sing a little. You have to sing it well and melt deep emotion into it too. Can that young kid do that?’
‘Usually they bring a hit idol song or a recent track—he probably won’t be able to handle it.’
Because the difficulty level of the song “Bereavement” was considerable.
To begin with, everyone in the judges’ age range—forties and older—might know it, but it wouldn’t be strange if younger people had never heard it. On top of that, just as the title suggested, the content of the song was “bereavement.” If one sang it carelessly, it wasn’t easy to bring out that thick, lingering emotion.
However, Gang Rojun—
-Swish.
Paid no mind to all those worries and opened his mouth.
-[There was a scent, the perfume you loved still keeps me here]
[The seasons have changed, but I’m still here]
[I’m here, everything is here]
[Though you are gone, I still sometimes look back]
[Can’t you call my name, can’t you make a sound]
Past the intro and verse, the atmosphere of the song rose intensely. Then came the chorus. Along with it, Gang Rojun’s voice, which had begun low, gained strength. The lyrics were drenched in sorrow, but the melody of the entire song gradually struck the ears with force.
Like a song roaring at the sky.
No, a wail.
Rojun delivered it with heartbreaking intensity, yet with restraint, using a singing style in which his voice was full of resonance and the ends scraped raw. These days, instrumental breaks tended to become shorter or simpler, but “Bereavement,” an old song, was not like that.
-♬♪
With the violin joining in as well, it made those listening unable to tear their eyes away.
Then the song climbed toward its climax once more.
Past the bridge, into the final chorus.
Gang Rojun’s distinctive vocal tone, which had been ringing through the entire hall, suddenly sank low again.
-[If only I could see you once in a dream, then I would smile]
[And say I’m doing well]
Gang Rojun slowly lowered the microphone. It meant the song was over. In truth, the gentle sound of the piano was fading inside the hall. Rojun, having sung “Bereavement” to the end, let out a small breath, while—
‘‘AI Simulation’!’
He marveled inwardly all over again.
‘‘AI Automation’! Its performance is seriously insane!’
If he sang another song right now, he would instantly be tone-deaf, but as far as “Bereavement” was concerned, he was practically at a singer’s level. On top of that, the “voice” itself belonged to Rojun. As a result, this “Bereavement” had been reborn in Gang Rojun’s own style, and even as he sang, Rojun had gotten goosebumps on his arms from how fascinating it was.
And so, the song ended.
However, the enormous hall—
“…”
“…”
“…”
Was utterly silent.
All hundred or so staff members of “Geubaekpeu,” including U Hanseok PD, the judges, and the host Jang Daehan standing off to the side of the stage. Not a single person opened their mouth. All they could do was stare blankly at Gang Rojun on the stage.
The contestants in the waiting room were the same.
The first to barely pull himself together and move was U Hanseok PD.
“What… What the hell did I just hear?”
He pinched and pulled at his own cheek. At the same time, he recalled his preliminary meeting with Gang Rojun. No, hadn’t he said he had no talent? Didn’t he say he couldn’t sing or dance?? But what about now? That visual monster had just dominated this massive hall with a single song.
‘With that face… and killer vocals too???!’
U Hanseok PD naturally turned his gaze to the side. The writers, including Gim Sehui, were also out of their minds. Only around then did U Hanseok PD break into a deep smile and look at Gang Rojun on the stage.
‘That guy is the real deal. No, he’s a national-treasure-level treasure.’
How many viewers would he hook? As the director, U Hanseok PD wanted to run over and hug Rojun right this second. The next person to remember his role was the host, Jang Daehan.
‘Insane. That’s properly insane. His face and his skills both.’
Even as he marveled inwardly, he continued hosting.
“…Wow—I think my soul left my body for a moment there. ‘Geubaekpeu’ is incredible right from the start! Then, how did the judges hear it?”
The first of the judges to pick up the microphone was—
“Contestant No. 1.”
Song Mingeun, the composer and entertainer known as a hit-song maker.
“Does that song, ‘Bereavement,’ perhaps have a story behind it?”
A story? There was one. Gang Rojun answered without much pressure.
“Yes. It was a song my late parents liked.”
“…”
The hall fell silent once again, as if cold water had been poured over it. At least Song Mingeun, the judge who had asked the question, reacted quickly.
“So that’s why it sounded so heartrending. To be honest, I wondered why you chose ‘Bereavement.’ The atmosphere and feel of the song are a little distant from this audition, and the emotions are truly difficult to express. But now I understand why you chose ‘Bereavement.’ It was a dedication to your parents, wasn’t it?”
“…”
Of course, it would be nice if his parents could hear it, but Rojun hadn’t been thinking that deeply.
‘To be completely honest, it’s not that I chose “Bereavement”—it’s that “Bereavement” is the only thing I can do.’
Still, there was no need to go out of his way to deny it. It wasn’t entirely wrong either. Gang Rojun quietly nodded.
“My first song had to be ‘Bereavement,’ no matter what.”
“Mm—”
Gong Jumi, sitting beside Song Mingeun, became choked up. Regardless, Song Mingeun gave his evaluation.
“First, I’ll apologize. No. 1, the moment you came out, you were so absurdly handsome. So honestly, I thought you wouldn’t be able to sing.”
He lowered his head slightly and continued.
“But wow—from the verse onward, I couldn’t move even once. The emotion was truly firm and heavy, yet fragile at the same time. It left a deep impression on me. No, you look young at a glance, so how are your emotions like that??”
His expression seemed to say the more he thought about it, the more absurd it was.
“‘Bereavement’ is familiar to our generation, but it’s probably a little unfamiliar to younger people. And yet… among all the versions of ‘Bereavement’ I’ve heard, yours is in the top three. I’ll pass you.”
High praise from the very beginning. But the evaluations that followed were not much different.
“Just as Judge Song Mingeun said, you were incredible from the verse, and your vocal tone is one of a kind. Your tone is low, so I thought you might struggle a little with the high notes, but I was surprised because you cleared them so easily. That made your tremendous face stand out even more, because the tone was so completely different in feel. I’m smitten. Of course, I pass you too.”
After Gong Jumi came I Dami.
“I want to pass you a hundred times. You saw me getting choked up earlier, right? As I listened to the song, the emotions were just so vivid. I don’t know how to explain it, but what Judge Gong Jumi said was exactly right. You fall for him. His face is insane, and he’s overflowing with charm.”
She was visibly excited. Of course, she passed him.
The final judge, Yun Seungwon, a veteran singer with thirty years since his debut, wore a serious expression.
“…It’s been so long since I heard such a heavy male vocal like No. 1’s that I can barely remember. Your face is clearly idol material at a glance, but your vocals contain loneliness, solitude, and even wistfulness. Thank you. I enjoyed listening. You pass.”
Once the evaluations ended, the host Jang Daehan shouted loudly.
“Yes! Congratulations! Contestant No. 1, final pass!!”
In the first screening of “Geubaekpeu,” one had to receive passes from more than half the judges to advance. Gang Rojun easily received unanimous passes. Around the time Rojun finished a suitable bow and turned around, the judges were busy whispering.
“What kind of kid is that?”
“With that face and those vocals? He’s a monster, a monster.”
Gang Rojun let out a small breath of relief.
‘Whew—somehow or other, I got through the first round.’
Just as the thought that it had ended well and a sense of satisfaction spread through him, Gang Rojun ran into “No. 2,” who was waiting behind the stage.
“…”
“…”
“No. 2” was still wearing a mask, but Rojun could feel it from the way his eyes looked at him.
‘I’m ruined because of you.’
He was right after Gang Rojun, who had delivered an overwhelming impact with both his face and his skills. Whether one knew it or not, that “No. 2” was probably in hell right now. But what could be done? The world was this merciless. Around then, a female staff member and a camera attached themselves to Rojun, the first contestant to pass.
“Please come this way.”
The female staff member guided Gang Rojun not to “Waiting Room 1,” but somewhere else. On the door of the place they arrived at were the words:
-“Passers’ Room”
In other words, it was a space where only those among the fifty contestants of Group 1 who had passed could come. If one failed, there was probably a separate place where they gathered.
‘They said they were doing some kind of revival round too, didn’t they?’
Thinking that inwardly, Gang Rojun opened the door to the Passers’ Room. The interior was similar to Waiting Room 1, yet different.
‘What’s this? There are sofas??’
There was still a large screen at the front, but instead of folding chairs, several long sofas had been arranged in tiers like steps. They looked expensive at a glance, and the staff member who had followed him in explained.
“Contestant No. 1, please sit wherever you’d like… Ah, one moment.”
She paused, received a radio message, and corrected what she had said.
“I’m sorry, No. 1. Please sit in the center over there.”
The center? All of a sudden? It was obvious whose instruction it was. It had to be U Hanseok PD, the main director of “Geubaekpeu.” Whatever the case, Rojun sat down at the very center among the layered sofas.
‘It’s so soft it’d be perfect for a nap.’
Soon, the female staff member added an explanation.
“Once the passers gather, we’ll get interview cuts from each of you, and then the PD will explain how things will proceed from here. For now, please watch the other contestants on the monitor here. It’d be good if you gave some reactions.”
Reactions? What kind of reactions? Once the staff member left, the camera pressed in uncomfortably close. Feeling awkward, Rojun looked at the large monitor in front of him and pointlessly tossed out any reaction he could.
“Oh—”
Fortunately, the camera left the Passers’ Room after a few minutes. Well, since small cameras were installed all over the space, the situation was about the same.
At that moment.
-Bzzzz.
A short vibration rang out. Rojun, who had been watching the monitor, checked his smartwatch. Soon, he smiled faintly.
‘Nice, coins.’
Because the “AI Simulation” app had sent him a congratulatory gift for passing.
-[You have achieved the hidden mission “First Pass!” You have been awarded 20 coins as a gift.]
Meanwhile, on the stage of “Geubaekpeu.”
On the stage Gang Rojun had turned upside down, contestant “No. 2” had already come up.
“No. 2, please remove your mask.”
Like Rojun, contestant “No. 2” removed his white mask. His skin was clear, and anyone could see he had a delicate, handsome look. If one had to define it, he had the image of a noble young master. He was definitely good-looking. It was obvious he had heard the words “you’re handsome” all his life.
And yet, for some reason, the judges’ reactions were lukewarm.
“Mm—”
Among them, Gong Jumi, a former girl group member—
“Maybe it’s because I saw ‘No. 1’ first…”
Whispered to Yun Seungwon beside her.
“But someone handsome looks ugly now. What do I do? This is a big problem.”