Suddenly, I Became Crazy Handsome, and the World Became Easy
Chapter 73: Review (1)

[Produce That 100! 4th Evaluation Audience Review (Long Post Warning)]

From the contents of the audience review uploaded to a community, it was clear the person had actually attended the 4th evaluation round of 'Produce That 100!'. It was extremely detailed.

[Got back home after watching the 4th evaluation round of 'Produce That 100!' and immediately passed out... But I wanted to write a review before going to bed! First of all, even before entering, so many people got stopped at the entrance ㅋㅋㅋㅋ There were tons of people who came without an audience pass... And the inspection was suuuper strict ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I honestly brought a camera too, but I confessed honestly so thankfully I got in!]

The review started with the entrance experience before the 4th evaluation and was filled mainly with impressions that only audience members could have.

[There were lots of special guests at the venue, including eliminated 'Produce That 100!' contestants and some older men? I think they were probably people from the entertainment industry ㅋㅋㅋㅋ And the 'Rental Lover' team also came!! Choi Rina was seriously so pretty... ㅋㅋ The actors had crazy presence, seriously]

Next came the part about the performances.

[Judging started with No. 58 and No. 71, and it was an original rap performance ㅋㅋㅋ Composition was by No. 58! But apparently the lyrics were written by No. 1, and I was like huh? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The performance was just....ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ It can't be expressed in words... Just watch 'Produce That 100!' instead.... ㅋㅋㅋ And when No. 1 came on, I was like wow.... Seriously didn't seem human.... soooooo freaking super super super super handsome ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ And even his rap was good ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Personally, the team with No. 1 and No. 26 was the best for me.... they slayed it.... the evaluations agreed too ㅋㅋ You have to watch 'Produce That 100!' this week.... Honestly, my favorite used to be No. 58 but I’ve switched to No. 1 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The other contestants' performances were......]

The performances by the participants were somewhat filtered, but since there were spoilers, the comments started flooding in instantly.

-I want to see No. 1 in personㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ So jealous

-No. 1 wrote lyrics???? Did we ever see No. 1 writing lyrics on 'Produce That 100!'?

-It didn’t! Wow... No. 1 can even write lyrics? Seriously not human

-Wow.... No. 1's vibe was insane ㅋㅋㅋㅋ But why did he write lyrics for No. 58's original rap??

-Lyrics were already shocking, but he’s good at rap too? Is there anything No. 1 can’t do ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Crazy how the 'Rental Lover' team came too including Choi Rina haha

-The entertainment companies people came too? So they are finally getting connected to agencies???

-I was already hyped because this round was rap... Now I’m gonna be bouncing around again after seeing No. 1......

By midnight going into Wednesday, this review post had naturally started spreading rapidly to other communities. It jumped from one forum to another and even circulated on social media. Of course, while it didn’t reach the mainstream, it was quite hot in the underground circles.

Thanks to that.

-This week’s 'Produce That 100!' is a must-watch ㅋㅋㅋ How many highlight points are there??!

The excitement of 'Produce That 100!' fans skyrocketed explosively.

So throughout the night, various communities were abuzz, and the frenzy continued into Wednesday morning. At this time, the core production crew of 'Produce That 100!' was nowhere to be seen at the Paju campus. PD Woo Han-suk as well. He seemed to have gone into the broadcasting station.

Meanwhile, the 24 participants were given a day off.

Even after 8 a.m., almost everyone, including No. 26 and the members of Room 105, were deep asleep. After relentlessly practicing for the 4th evaluation round, the tension had finally released.

But Kang Rojun, wearing a cap, was.

“Hoo-, hoo- hoo-, hoo-”

Controlling his breathing as he ran alone as usual. He could have slept in a bit, but he didn’t. He had to carry out his mission, and ever since his terrible past days, the habit of waking up early was deeply ingrained in his body. Although the mission was completed, Rojun, who had increased his usual exercise volume, finally.

“Hoo-”

Ended his workout after a little over two hours, finishing with stretches. As he wiped off sweat, he also picked up his phone. He had to check the ‘AI Simulation’ app.

-[Title: Side Job Tycoon+3 / Recognition Monster+3 / Global Genius+2]

-[User: Kang Rojun / Age: 24 / Height: 182.8 / Desired Occupation: Idol / Coins Owned: 755]

-[Side Jobs: [1] Screenwriter, [2] Actor, [3] Lyricist]

-[Global Languages: [1] Japanese, [2] English]

He had accumulated quite a lot of coins.

‘Hmm- should I invest about 30 today?’

As he walked toward the shower, he spent 30 coins on stat enhancement. The stats had become quite useful.

-[Appearance (100/100)│Singing Ability (30.1/100)│Rap (21.5/100)│Dance (23/100)│Eloquence (12.3/100)│Acting (15.1/100)│Lyrics Writing (80.2/100)]

Vocal ability had passed 30 points. Next were rap and dance. Lyrics writing had exceeded 80 points. Kang Rojun smiled with satisfaction.

“Still a long way to go, but not bad.”

It was only after Rojun finished his shower that the other participants began appearing one by one in the hallway. Regardless, Kang Rojun gathered his laptop and other things and headed to the completely empty lounge. The first thing he did was listen to 'Survival 100', the recently selected theme song for which Kang Rojun had written lyrics for both the Korean and Japanese versions.

-♬♪

It was still just the melody, but he kept playing it on repeat for adaptation. Even though his lyrics had not yet been finalized, it was confirmed that he would do the guide recording. Next was writing the movie script he had been working on as a writer. But before that.

-Swish.

Kang Rojun connected to the internet.

It was a habitual action, and for some reason, Rojun’s eyes widened slightly.

‘What? Articles are already out??’

At that same moment.

Articles about 'Produce That 100!' were being spread like wildfire. On every major search site or place where one could find news, 'Produce That 100!' filled the front pages.

《[Issue Pick] Review of ‘Produce That 100!’ 4th Evaluation Round Posted on a Community / Photo》

《“Participants destroyed the stage with rap!”, Review of ‘Produce That 100!’ Audience Experience Uploaded》

《‘Produce That 100!’ Front-runner ‘No. 1’, This Time Even Writing Lyric?》

《Review of ‘Produce That 100!’ 4th Evaluation, “‘No. 1’ Good at Both Writing Lyrics and Rapping”》

Most of them were about the 4th evaluation round audience experience.

《‘Rental Lover’ Team Including Choi Rina Appeared at ‘Produce That 100!’ 4th Evaluation Venue》

The headlines were provocative and strong, filled with eye-catching keywords.

《Top Domestic Entertainment Agencies Finally Moved, Which Ones Were Seen at ‘Produce That 100!’ 4th Evaluation?》

There had been no press invitations for this 4th evaluation round audience event. In other words, the current flood of articles meant that reporters had tracked down sources on their own.

The starting point was communities that had been heated since dawn.

Starting from the shared review posts, other audience members who were influenced by the post uploaded their own experiences. Reporters were mining those posts for anything usable and firing off limitless articles. The sources were communities and social media, but surprisingly, even this giant wave included.

“PD-nim! We’ve dominated most major search portals!!”

“Okay, don’t let your guard down and keep pressing the reporters harder.”

“Got it!”

PD Woo Han-suk and the 'Produce That 100!' production team were handling this too. It was practically encouraging spoilers from headquarters. Even the current situation was something PD Woo Han-suk had.

‘Good, this is just the feeling I was aiming for.’

Intended from the start.

‘This is the perfect timing to break through 30% viewership.’

It was a tactic to exceed 30% viewership. Episode 9 of 'Produce That 100!' had about 26%. Beyond just breaking records, 'Produce That 100!' was on the verge of becoming the one and only legendary audition variety show. That’s why PD Woo Han-suk used spoilers like seasoning.

Too many spoilers can be poison, but used well, they’re honey.

There were thousands of audience members at this 4th evaluation. PD Woo Han-suk never expected perfect secrecy anyway. He had gone through this several times already. So he turned the situation in his favor.

Sprinkling just the right amount of bait to make it impossible not to watch 'Produce That 100!'

《Communities, SNS, and YouTube Are Buzzing with ‘Produce That 100!’... Audience Invitation for 4th Evaluation Was a Divine Move》

The effect was explosive. What started in the underground spread to the mainstream, and from Wednesday morning past lunchtime into the afternoon, the internet was in upheaval. The media, public opinion, and even various celebrities expressed strong anticipation on social media.

The wave surged past Korea and reached Japan.

《[Issue Talk] ‘Produce That 100!’ Seen Dominating Japanese SNS / Photo》

Fans in Japan, where 'Produce That 100!' was also launched, had immense interest in this 4th evaluation round.

Connected to that Japan side was Executive Director Tom Cavill and the Netflix Japan team, who could be found in a meeting room at SBC Drama Department.

They were seated on the window side of a ㄷ-shaped table.

Across from them sat PD Jung Soo-ryeong and other executives from the drama department. Naturally, the meeting was for 'Rental Lover'. The original meeting had been scheduled for yesterday but was postponed to today, Wednesday. Whatever the case, PD Jung Soo-ryeong glanced at the yellow, curly-haired foreigner no, Executive Director Tom Cavill, and gave a small smile.

It was clearly the first time seeing him, yet it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

‘I was wondering where I saw him... That man came to the 4th evaluation round of 'Produce That 100!' yesterday, didn’t he?’

PD Jung Soo-ryeong and Tom Cavill had met before. Pure coincidence, of course. Soon, with the interpreter now present, PD Jung Soo-ryeong spoke up first.

“Nice to meet you. We saw each other at the 4th evaluation round of ‘Produce That 100!’ yesterday, didn’t we?”

Tom Cavill, who nodded and gave a faint smile, replied not in English but in Japanese.

“That’s right. I didn’t recognize you yesterday, so I missed the chance to say hello.”

“Same here. I’m Jung Soo-ryeong, director of ‘Rental Lover’.”

“I’m Tom Cavill from Netflix Japan, serving as the executive director.”

After the introductions, the conversation stretched from 'Produce That 100!' to 'Rental Lover'. The key topic was No. 1, or rather Kang Rojun, kept coming up frequently.

“Maybe it’s because I saw his performance yesterday, but I still can’t believe that ‘No. 1’ is the writer of ‘Rental Lover’.”

“Anyone who sees writer-nim feels that way. Even I, who’ve directed dramas for over a decade, am still in shock over him.”

“...Hmm, other contestants too, but No. 1 especially has a strong following in Japan. If he makes a full debut in Japan, he’d probably multiply that popularity several times. That’s why ‘Rental Lover', which he wrote, has also attracted great attention from Japanese fans.”

“Yes, I heard that as well.”

“Netflix Japan is highly interested in ‘Rental Lover', and I came directly to propose a launch. What are your thoughts?”

Executives from the drama department murmured to each other. They didn’t expect Executive Director Tom Cavill to be so straightforward and direct. On the other hand, PD Jung Soo-ryeong simply shrugged nonchalantly.

“As a director, I welcome any chance for a work to reach more people, especially one so closely tied to our writer-nim. ‘Rental Lover', ‘Produce That 100!', and Netflix Japan, let’s move forward in a way that benefits all of us.”

At that moment, the Japanese launch of 'Rental Lover' was nearly set in stone. Detailed conditions or a specific launch date would be discussed later. Soon after, Executive Director Tom Cavill, with a smile forming at the corners of his lips, shifted the topic.

“By the way, PD-nim, in the synopsis we received, there was no actor listed for the role of ‘Lover No. 4’.”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong answered with calm confidence.

“That’s correct. The actor for ‘Lover No. 4’ is our hidden card, so it’s still top secret. Hardly anyone knows, not the media, not the public.”

“Is it difficult for you to reveal it?”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong immediately recalled Rojun’s face.

“Yes. Will that be a problem for the launch?”

Kang Rojun, who played ‘Lover No. 4', was the final nuclear bomb of 'Rental Lover'. PD Jung Soo-ryeong had no intention of revealing it here, and after a moment of seriousness, Tom Cavill scanned his team members, then shook his head. His smile had deepened.

“Not at all. I look forward to that hidden card.”

The next morning. The 'Produce That 100!' campus.

At an early hour, before any missions had begun, Kang Rojun entered the stage hall alone.

-Swish.

The hall’s interior remained just as it had been during the 4th evaluation round. The thousands of audience members were gone, but the grandeur remained. After looking around the stage and the hall for a few seconds, Rojun thought to himself,

‘Feels desolate without people. It’s hard to believe that chaotic 4th evaluation even happened.’

It was right when he let out that brief impression inwardly.

“No. 1 over here!”

A familiar yet exhausted male voice rang out. It was PD Woo Han-suk. He was sitting in a judge’s seat at the front of the stage. As Rojun approached, he immediately spoke to PD Woo Han-suk.

“Did you stay up all night again? Your dark circles are practically touching the floor.”

“I did. Editing.”

PD Woo Han-suk let out a big yawn.

“All the participants, including No. 1, gave everything they had on stage, so shouldn’t we make sure this week’s episode comes out brilliantly? Have a seat.”

Rojun sat down in the seat next to him, and PD Woo Han-suk turned his gaze toward the protruding extended stage that stretched out like a road.

“Doesn’t it feel like you can still hear the screams and cheers?”

“Yes. It’s still echoing.”

“My fingertips and toes were tingling too. That’s what makes being a PD worthwhile.”

As PD Woo Han-suk stretched with a long sigh, his expression changed. A half-dead smile.

“By the way, in between editing, I looked through the lyrics you gave me for ‘Survival 100', both the Korean and Japanese versions.”

“How were they?”

“They were incredible. Absolutely perfect for ‘Survival 100’. I don’t think any other lyrics will stand out anymore. I wanted to tell you directly that we’re officially going with them. No. 1’s lyrics will be used for both the Korean and Japanese versions of ‘Survival 100’.”

With this, including 'Witch' and Song Min-geun’s, it was now the third one. Kang Rojun’s mood lifted purely and fully.

“Thank you. It feels amazing seeing the number of songs I’ve written lyrics for growing like this.”

“Hahaha, the key is that this is just the beginning. I can’t imagine what kind of monster you’ll be a few years from now... Anyway, now that the lyrics have been approved, just like we discussed, how about starting with the guide recording for ‘Survival 100’ before we get into the full-scale work? How much time would you need?”

It had already been decided that Rojun would do the guide recordings for both the Korean and Japanese versions of 'Survival 100'. At this, Kang Rojun smiled softly with his eyes.

“I can do it right now.”