Suddenly, I Became Crazy Handsome, and the World Became Easy
Chapter 19: First Broadcast (1)

PD Jung Soo-ryeong stared intently at Kang Rojun, who was sitting across from her, his visuals enough to overshadow most actors.

"......"

She then took a sip of water. Placing the cup down lightly, she crossed her arms.

"Appearance, hmm. Of course, it's possible. But it depends on what the writer is thinking. A drama involves many people, not just the lead, supporting, and minor roles in a scene, but also extras and background actors. Have you heard of image extras?"

"Yes, I think I have."

"Right. Simply put, they don’t have lines, but their face appears in a shot. Sometimes they make a surprised expression depending on the situation, similar to an insert shot. There are roles like that too. So, which side were you referring to when you brought it up? A lead or supporting role? Or something lighter, like a background extra?"

Kang Rojun answered immediately.

"I don’t think it matters. I also know well that this isn’t a market where I can just say I want to appear and get an easy okay."

In fact, Rojun hadn’t recklessly thrown the question at PD Jung Soo-ryeong. He had already been considering it for a while and had done various calculations.

It would certainly take a long time, and he would have to study just as much as he did for idols. However, Kang Rojun had the means to shorten that time. He had 'AI Simulation.'

"A lead? Supporting? That’s too much. Even being a background extra is fine for now. Acting is just another side job I’m aiming for."

His given title, 'Side Job Tycoon.' It had emerged while he was working as a writer and could be enhanced up to +5. Thinking simply, the way to enhance 'Side Job Tycoon' was to increase the number of side jobs.

"Besides, I have 'Acting' in my status stats. If I’m going to be an idol, I’ll have to act at some point too."

Yesterday, Kang Rojun had experimented with 'AI Automation'. Similar to how it worked for vocals and choreography, he had tested it by writing that he wanted to learn acting perfectly for his role in 'Rental Lover.'

The result?

'All of it, totally possible.'

'AI Automation', after analyzing everything, had requested coins from Rojun. However, as long as he refused to use coins, he could experiment as much as he wanted.

'As I suspected, the number of coins varied depending on the difficulty of the role.'

‘AI Automation’ could make him perfectly master singing and choreography in mere seconds. Would acting be any harder?

No matter what, Kang Rojun had considered everything before asking PD Jung Soo-ryeong. Of course, there was also curiosity and interest. Right now, everything was new and exciting for him. There were fears and worries, but his anticipation outweighed them.

"I’m fine with being a background extra, PD-nim."

This was Kang Rojun’s genuine feeling. In fact, a background extra might be the perfect place for him right now. He intended to start by observing the atmosphere and gradually work his way up from the bottom.

Like pace control?

Meanwhile, PD Jung Soo-ryeong...

"......A background extra-"

Still with her arms crossed, she silently evaluated Kang Rojun from across the table. A background extra? Getting him into a background role would be easy.

'Looking at his eyes, he doesn’t seem to be lying. His expression is serious, like he’s thought this through.'

However, PD Jung Soo-ryeong thought it was a terrible waste.

'But that face is too good to be just a background extra.'

Actors with just average looks naturally started as background extras or image roles. In the acting industry, even those roles were hard to come by. However, in PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s eyes, Kang Rojun’s face was undoubtedly top-tier.

'No, it’s god-tier.'

Her instincts as a director suddenly flared up. The keywords, writer, actor, and idol, floated around in her mind.

"My gut tells me that it won’t be long before this kid’s value skyrockets, whether as an idol or something else."

Anyway, the one-act drama was going to be centered around rookies, and expecting outstanding acting skills from rookies was foolish. The nature of one-act dramas meant getting the most out of the least.

Having made up her mind, PD Jung Soo-ryeong unfolded her arms and spoke.

"Writer Kang Chul-soo, have you ever acted before?"

As expected, Rojun immediately shook his head.

"No. I’ve never acted before."

"Of course. I didn’t particularly expect you to have acting experience."

As expected, he was a complete beginner. But PD Jung Soo-ryeong, as if she had anticipated this, picked up her phone.

"Do you mind if I record for a moment? I just want to see how you look on screen."

"Sure."

She recorded Kang Rojun sitting there for about ten seconds, then played it back. Soon, PD Jung Soo-ryeong smiled.

‘What is this quality?? This is insane. The camera doesn’t even capture half of his real-life visuals, yet even just sitting still, he completely draws attention.’

Her curiosity spiked, and PD Jung Soo-ryeong responded to Rojun.

"Hmm- Writer-nim, what do you think about an image extra role instead of a background extra?"

An image extra role? Did ‘Rental Lover’ even have such a role? As the writer of ‘Rental Lover', Kang Rojun recalled the characters he had written and asked back.

"I don’t think there’s an image extra role in the script."

"There isn’t. Not yet."

PD Jung Soo-ryeong suddenly placed the ‘Rental Lover’ script she had brought with her on the table.

"But we can create one. In the story of ‘Rental Lover', the rented lovers arrive for the female lead, right? But each of them has some kind of flaw."

"Yes."

"In the script, three rented lovers appear. What if we add a fourth?"

PD Jung Soo-ryeong, muttering to herself, pointed at Kang Rojun with her index finger.

"The fourth lover, his face is insanely super handsome, but he doesn’t just speak little; he doesn’t speak at all."

"Ah-"

"Adding one more lover would balance things out. The script will be revised anyway, and revisions like this happen all the time. What do you think? With this setup, it would feel like an image extra while still having the impact of a minor supporting role."

In other words, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was trying to create a minor supporting role specifically for Kang Rojun.

Rojun thought about it and found it not a bad idea.

‘If it’s at that level… maybe I can do it without using ‘AI Automation’?’

He nodded.

"I’ll give it a try."

After that, Kang Rojun received various pieces of advice from PD Jung Soo-ryeong, how to modify the script, what the process would be after the revision, and so on. She also added,

"Once the revised script comes out, we’ll confirm Rojun-ssi’s appearance. But even if it doesn’t work out, a background extra role is still possible. Okay?"

While Kang Rojun worked on the script revision, PD Jung Soo-ryeong planned to proceed with the pre-production phase as originally scheduled. The first priority was assembling the staff team, but for PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who had 15 years of experience, this wasn’t a difficult task.

After spending quite a bit of time with PD Jung Soo-ryeong, Rojun returned to the ‘Produce That 100!’ campus in the afternoon.

After informing the staff that he was back, Kang Rojun stepped into Room 105.

-Swoosh.

‘Everyone’s out.’

His teammates seemed to have gone for training, as no one was in sight. Without much thought, Rojun grabbed his laptop and headed straight to the lounge. At the same time, something crossed his mind.

‘Ah, Number 10 and Ha-young-nim might be practicing together right now?’

Curious, he considered sneaking a peek but quickly dismissed the thought. Instead, he settled at a table in the lounge. He opened his memo app and quickly typed out everything PD Jung Soo-ryeong had told him.

By the time he finished, it was quite a lot.

Next, Rojun pulled up the ‘Rental Lover’ script and crossed his arms.

‘Hmm. A guy who doesn’t talk but is insanely handsome. The fourth lover.’

Since the character didn’t exist before, he had to create a backstory.

‘Writing a role for myself feels super embarrassing.’

His thoughts briefly grew complicated, but he quickly simplified them. Whatever. Just write like he always did, like it was literary trash. No need to overthink it. Just keep it simple and clean.

With that mindset, Rojun started typing away on his laptop.

How much time had passed?

Deeply engrossed in his writing, Kang Rojun eventually checked the time. Two hours had already flown by. Just then, an announcement came on.

"Ah-ah, hello ‘Produce That 100!’ participants. This is PD Woo Han-suk."

PD Woo Han-suk continued his announcement.

"As you all know, from tomorrow, July 24th, until the 26th, the second evaluation filming will take place. On the first day, July 24th, it will be the ‘Dance Team’. On the 25th, the ‘Vocal Team’. On the 26th, the ‘Rap Team’."

Kang Rojun paused his typing for a moment, feeling slightly nervous.

‘It’s already tomorrow. Time flies ridiculously fast.’

Regardless, PD Woo Han-suk’s briefing continued.

"The staff will provide guidance tomorrow morning, but I’m giving you a heads-up now. All teams, including the Dance Team undergoing evaluation, will gather in designated waiting rooms. See you all tomorrow. Oh, and finally, tomorrow night is our first broadcast of ‘Produce That 100!’"

Kang Rojun let out another exclamation.

"Ah- right, the first broadcast is tomorrow."

With the second evaluation and the first broadcast just around the corner, everything was happening fast.

The Next Morning, July 24th

From early morning, the production team of ‘Produce That 100!’ was in complete chaos. The massive hall where the second evaluation filming would take place, the various waiting rooms, everywhere, over a hundred staff members were positioned, along with numerous cameras.

One interesting change was that the stage set for the survival evaluation had been modified.

"Testing the stage lighting now!!"

"Okay!"

"The set is good to go!!!"

"PD-nim is on his way to check!"

Aside from a few familiar elements, such as the star-shaped structures and the ‘Produce That 100!’ logo, the stage lighting and overall color scheme had become even more vibrant and visually engaging. The massive ‘Produce That 100!’ logo embedded into the stage floor was particularly eye-catching.

"Next, sound check!!"

At this point, five people arrived at the much larger and closer judge’s panel. The judges. The original panel, Yoon Seung-won, Gong Joo-mi, Song Min-geun, and Lee Da-mi, remained the same, but now there was an additional member: a well-known choreographer in the industry, Lee Han-na. Her stage name was Jessica.

Lee Han-na, whose toned muscles subtly stood out, admired the judging stage.

"This is amazing, it looks like a concert stage!"

All the judges, including the surprised Lee Han-na, praised the revamped stage. PD Woo Han-suk, as always, appeared exhausted but approached them with a grin.

"Hahaha, since viewer voting starts from the second round, we decided to go all out."

"Just looking at this stage, it’s clear how serious you are, PD-nim. The contestants are lucky. Even if they get eliminated, just experiencing this stage will be invaluable."

"When does the main filming begin?"

"In about 30 minutes. We’ll do a quick sound rehearsal first, then start immediately."

Lee Da-mi, a former girl group member, placed her hand over her chest.

"I’m already excited. You said it’s the choreography segment first, right? Since it’s a male-female duet dance, there’ll be a lot to see."

PD Woo Han-suk then flashed a meaningful smile at the judges.

"Please evaluate them thoroughly today. Feel free to go as hard as you want."

Meanwhile, in the waiting room lined with multiple sofas...

The seating arrangement was simple: two men and one woman per sofa. A total of 30 people, 20 male participants and 10 girl group members, occupied the ‘Dance Team’ waiting room. In front of them was a large screen, while small cameras were scattered around, with additional cameras and staff stationed at the entrance.

The atmosphere was similar to the first evaluation, except this time, it was noticeably noisier.

Perhaps due to increased familiarity, participants with numbered tags and the girl group members were chatting casually. However, the women kept glancing at one particular sofa.

The reason was simple.

‘What’s up with his side profile? His visuals are insane.’

‘Last time, he was too far away, but up close… he’s ridiculously handsome??!’

Their target? Kang Rojun.

On his sofa sat Rojun, Number 10, and Ha-young in the middle. Number 10, his face red, whether from nerves or just his usual state, was busy chatting away at Ha-young, while she responded with awkward smiles and minimal reactions.

And Kang Rojun?

"......"

Silent.

Though he might have looked like he was setting the mood, that wasn’t the case. He was simply struggling to stay focused because Ha-young smelled really good.

‘She’s completely different from when she was practicing.’

While the male contestants had basic makeup on, the girl group members were in full makeup. Eventually, Ha-young, after stealing a glance at Rojun, cautiously asked him in a soft voice.

"Number 1, did you practice a lot?"

Rojun turned his head slightly and answered simply.

"Enough to perform."

At that moment, Number 10 furrowed his brows and joined in.

"But Number 1, when do you even practice? No one’s ever seen you do it."

"In the morning."

"Ah- you do it when everyone else is in training. I thought you didn’t practice at all since you’re never around."

Just then.

"Number 1, Number 10! Move to the stage!!"

Kang Rojun was called. At this, the other team participants murmured among themselves or threw out words of encouragement. Following the staff’s guidance, Rojun, Number 10, and Ha-young walked down the hallway. Meanwhile, Ha-young, in her fitted short-sleeved shirt, felt her heart pounding like crazy.

‘Phew- I'm not even the one being judged, so why am I so nervous???’

She glanced at Number 10, who was also trying to calm his nerves with deep breaths. However, Kang Rojun remained as composed as ever, his expression unchanged from earlier.

‘What the heck? Why is he the only one so calm??’

After receiving some final instructions from the staff backstage, the three moved onto the stage. At that moment, bright lights illuminated the stage, and the judges had already taken their seats. Ha-young’s heartbeat grew even more intense.

Soon.

-♬♪

The song 'brake' played across the entire stage a few times. This was part of the rehearsal, ensuring that everything was working properly. Once confirmed, the staff left the stage. In the meantime, over a hundred crew members took their positions behind the judges, and numerous cameras and lights were directed at the stage.

At that moment, PD Woo Han-suk gave the signal.

"Standby- we're starting."

With that, the second evaluation filming officially began.

The host, Jang Dae-han, dressed in a suit, started explaining the details of the second evaluation. Then, pointing to the three contestants at the center of the stage, he continued.

"This is our first dance team. Number 1, Number 10! And Ha-young-nim."

As they were introduced, Rojun, followed by Ha-young in the middle and Number 10 at the end, bowed at a 90-degree angle. The judges chuckled and clapped.

As if he had been waiting for this moment, the chubby judge, Song Min-geun, grabbed his handheld microphone.

"The choreography song is 'brake', right? I'm looking forward to it. But before we start, how about we hear some words from our participants? Number 10, hmm- you showed great dance skills in the first round. How are you feeling today?"

Number 10 confidently shouted,

"I’m feeling great!"

The red-haired Number 10 then stole a glance at Kang Rojun, who was standing to Ha-young’s right.

"Number 1 is amazing at vocals, but when it comes to dance, I think I can beat him! No, I will beat him!"

"Hahaha, that’s the spirit. You need that kind of fighting attitude. And Number 1, wow, you’re once again just killing it with your face alone. But I heard you skipped training. Will you be okay?"

Receiving the mic, Kang Rojun glanced at Number 10 before answering plainly,

"It’s not much of an obstacle, neither training nor Number 10."

His tone was calm, but his words carried an undeniable villainous edge. The judges laughed in disbelief, shaking their heads as if to say, This guy... Most of them had an expression that said, Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.

With the judges signaling their approval, the host, Jang Dae-han, stepped off the stage.

Then.

-PAH!

The stage lights suddenly shut off, plunging the entire area into darkness.

-♬♪

The beat of 'brake' began to play.

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