Suddenly, I Became Crazy Handsome, and the World Became Easy
Chapter 36.1: Expansion (4)

PD Woo Han-suk’s declaration echoed throughout the vast hall. It was businesslike yet clear. The cameras zoomed in on No. 10, whose eyes had widened.

His flushed face stiffened in real-time.

From denial to shock, and from shock to realization.

The somberness soon seeped into No. 10’s hardened expression, and PD Woo Han-suk’s words kept replaying in his head.

'No. 10, you are ‘eliminated'. Please leave 'Produce That 100!' immediately.'

No. 10 exhaled lightly and brushed his hair back.

'It’s over, whew-'

How could he possibly describe this feeling? A whirlwind of emotions was surging within No. 10. There was some relief, sure, but the regret was far greater. If he had been eliminated from the beginning, maybe it would have been different. But to come this far and then be cut? No. 10 bit his lower lip and glanced at No. 1 standing next to him. No, at Kang Rojun.

‘...If I hadn’t gone up against this guy, I’d still be in it. Damn it.’

Indeed, if No. 10 hadn’t competed against Rojun, his chances of survival this round would have been high. It was like meeting an overwhelmingly strong opponent mid-game.

But what could he do?

In this industry, ‘luck’ is not something you can ever ignore.

Veterans of the entertainment world even say that luck is everything. So, No. 10 had no reason to feel resentful. He averted his gaze from Rojun and looked straight ahead at PD Woo Han-suk.

"...Thank you for your guidance."

PD Woo Han-suk gave a slight bow in a calm tone.

“Thank you for your hard work, No. 10.”

No. 10 stepped down from the stage. His steps were slow. His reluctance to leave was palpable. Now, No. 10 would stop by the dorm to pack his belongings and depart from ‘Produce That 100!’ The other contestants, watching his back as he walked away, felt a chill run down their spines. The elimination of No. 10 had been so simple and final.

‘Wow- out just like that??’

‘This is scary, ha, please! I don’t want to be eliminated yet!’

Because they saw themselves in his place.

At that moment.

-Slide.

PD Woo Han-suk picked up his tablet and continued the briefing.

"For your information, over 50% of the total votes for the ‘Dance Team’ went to No. 1.”

The contestants murmured.

It was understandable. That meant Kang Rojun alone had taken more than half of all the total votes. While participants could vote for all ten dance teams, they could also choose to vote for just one if they didn’t feel satisfied. In other words, votes had poured in for Kang Rojun. This reflected several factors, Rojun’s current popularity, his impact, and more. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Rojun had crushed the second evaluation round.

Though he didn’t show it, even Kang Rojun was surprised inside.

‘More than 50%?? That’s insane.’

On the other hand, PD Woo Han-suk had more or less anticipated this outcome.

‘That god-tier appearance must be one of the major reasons, but No. 1’s villain character with his unexpected skill twist must’ve helped too.’

This is why so many variety shows assign characters to their participants and slowly build up their stories. Stories draw people in, and if the story is entertaining, the audience gets sucked in instantly.

That was exactly the case with Kang Rojun right now.

At that moment.

-Buzzzz.

Rojun felt a short vibration from his wrist. It was likely a notification from the ‘AI Simulation', but now wasn’t the time to check it.

“Now, we’ll continue with the announcements.”

Because PD Woo Han-suk was still handing down verdicts.

“No. 21, you are eliminated. Please leave ‘Produce That 100!’ immediately.”

The eliminated contestants wore expressions not unlike No. 10’s. Some even had tears welling up in their eyes. The atmosphere turned somber, like a funeral. Yet, PD Woo Han-suk coolly continued to name all seven contestants who would be leaving ‘Produce That 100!’

Soon after.

“That’s all.”

All seven eliminations had been announced.

“The 13 contestants remaining on stage have all passed. Congratulations.”

It was the moment they should have celebrated, but for some reason, the contestants looked around cautiously. Sure, it was partly because of the eliminated contestants, but more importantly, acting overly excited in this situation could make them seem unlikable to viewers. PD Woo Han-suk, aware of this, lowered his tablet.

“Now I will announce the contestant who survived through the Revival Round.”

Three contestants who had miraculously survived at the edge of the cliff were called. The reason for explicitly announcing this was simple. It was to instill a sense of urgency. It meant that they had come back from the brink, so they should work even harder.

After finishing the announcement, PD Woo Han-suk changed the subject.

“The 13 surviving members of the ‘Dance Team’ are now Team 1. Remember your team members and your group."

With a glance at the staff, the doors of the hall opened again within minutes, and the remaining contestants who had been waiting near the dormitory flooded in. The original 70 had now become 63. Once the voting for the Vocal and Rap Teams was over, the number would decrease even more.

Looking at the dozens of contestants now on stage, PD Woo Han-suk began to speak.

“We’ve just finished announcing the surviving members of the ‘Dance Team’. Thirteen survived. Similarly, 13 will survive from the ‘Vocal Team', and 12 from the ‘Rap Team’. In the end, 38 will make it through. The survivors will be divided into Teams 1, 2, and 3.”

In short, there would be a total of 38 survivors from the second evaluation. Nearly half of the original 70 would be gone. The contestants were busy murmuring in tension. Regardless, PD Woo Han-suk moved on to the next topic.

“There are a few things I need to inform you of. First, our ‘Produce That 100!’ will be launching on Netflix.”

Dozens of contestants’ eyes widened in shock. Kang Rojun was no exception.

“Wow- Netflix!”

“If it launches on Netflix too, the attention will be insane??”

“Th-then, does that mean people overseas can also watch ‘Produce That 100!’??”

In response to the thrown questions, PD Woo Han-suk shook his head.

“No, for now it will launch on Netflix Korea first. Of course, a launch overseas is being discussed. However, Netflix Japan release has already been confirmed.”

It would first be uploaded to Netflix Korea, and then one to two weeks later, it would be Japan's turn.

“It won’t take too long. I’ll share more details as the schedule gets closer. For reference, it seems word has already spread in Japan because we’re getting reactions. We’ve been continuously monitoring their social media, and there’s a lot of talk about ‘Produce That 100!’”

Expressions of interest and excitement began to appear on the contestants’ faces. It was no surprise. None of them had expected an expansion into Japan. Then, a few contestants glanced at No. 1 standing in front.

'If it's going on Japanese Netflix too- isn't No. 1 going to make it super big??'

'He’s already dominating in Korea, and now Japan too. So jealous... seriously, I’m freaking jealous.'

'Damn, didn’t someone say No. 1 is also good at Japanese? Was that intentional??'

While briefing on the Netflix news, PD Woo Han-suk moved on to the next item.

“The first official theme song for ‘Produce That 100!’ has been completed. And this won't be the only theme song. Using the upcoming theme songs, we’ve also finalized plans for surprise performances both in Korea and Japan.”

He added that it wouldn’t be a massive concert-scale event, but literally a surprise performance. Still, the contestants couldn’t help but gape in shock.

“E-even in Japan too??!!”

PD Woo Han-suk continued briefing the members of the ‘Vocal Team’ and ‘Rap Team’. He covered topics like Episode 4 of ‘Produce That 100!’ airing tomorrow night, and next week’s voting schedule, among other things. Meanwhile, the 13 members of Team 1, who had already passed, including Kang Rojun, left the hall. The 12 members, excluding Rojun, chattered excitedly about everything they had just heard from PD Woo Han-suk.

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