Suddenly, I Became Crazy Handsome, and the World Became Easy
Chapter 9: Pass (1)

When Kang Rojun first stepped onto the stage, his entire body stiffened. It was only natural. It was the most grand and dazzling sight he had ever seen in his life. Cameras, lights, countless people, and judges, all of them were looking at him.

It was fascinating, but not because he was seeing celebrities.

‘The nature of their gazes is different.’

In the past, everyone had looked at Rojun strangely. But now, their eyes held not strangeness but awe. And it wasn’t just a few people, everyone was the same.

The lights shining down on him felt warm.

Since it was his first time standing on a stage, it was natural for Rojun to feel nervous. However, more than nervousness, he felt a thrill. This electrifying sensation coursing through his veins easily surpassed his anxiety.

Is this why people become idols?

Of course, he wasn’t even close to reaching the threshold of being an idol yet. But still, it felt like he had gotten a small taste of it. Strangely enough, Kang Rojun became increasingly composed. Unlike at the beginning, he could now clearly see the expressions of the hundred or so people in front of him. Especially the four judges right in front, those faces were quite a sight.

'Not bad, I can do this.'

Lifting the handheld microphone in his grasp, Kang Rojun greeted the audience.

“Hello, I’m Contestant ‘Number 1.’”

The cameras around him moved busily, and the judges who were seeing 'Number 1' up close were completely shocked.

‘Didn’t they say they picked him from the general public??? What kind of face is that…’

‘Wow, if we’re just talking visuals, never mind being an idol, he could easily overshadow actors.’

‘My jaw’s dropping. Where the hell did they find someone like that??’

While the dazed judges stared in disbelief, PD Woo Han-suk, who was monitoring everything, let out a subtle chuckle.

“They’re bound to lose their minds.”

Even he, who had been in the variety show industry for years, had been momentarily stunned the first time he saw Kang Rojun. It wasn’t just the judges. As soon as ‘Number 1’ revealed his face, the 49 other contestants who had shared the same waiting room, or even those from the adjacent waiting rooms, were already in turmoil.

‘W-what is that?! What the hell!!’

‘No, if he’s setting the bar this high from the start, what are we supposed to do?’

‘This is insane. That face is cheating.'

‘We’re screwed. Shit… I’m up next.’

Though no one said it out loud, the 49 contestants in Group 1 were all screaming internally. And, of course, it was all because of Kang Rojun’s overwhelmingly stunning appearance displayed on the large monitor.

At that moment, his voice was heard through the speakers once more.

“I have prepared a song. The song I will be singing is ‘Farewell’.”

The contestants all prayed in unison.

'He's going to sing? Surely- with a face like that, his skills can't be that good???'

‘His face alone already made an impact. Yeah, his singing probably won’t be that great. No, it has to be bad.’

‘If he sings well on top of that… that would be a total scam!! Please, please let him suck!!’

They all desperately hoped that the ridiculously, overwhelmingly handsome guy would turn out to be tone-deaf.

And, in a way, their hopes weren’t completely misplaced. ‘Number 1’, or rather, Kang Rojun, was, in fact, tone-deaf.

But standing on that stage, he had absolutely no intention of revealing that.

And then.

-♬♪

The intro resonated throughout the massive hall, encompassing the entire stage. A deeply emotional melody, layered with piano. Even amid their lingering shock, the judges were puzzled.

‘Farewell? That’s an odd song choice. Why pick such a difficult song?’

It wasn’t a song one would typically expect in an idol audition, and.

‘This isn’t a song you can just get through by being a decent singer. You have to pour deep emotions into it as well. Can such a young kid pull that off?’

‘Most contestants would choose a hit idol song or something more current, he won’t be able to pull this off.’

Because the song ‘Farewell’ was notoriously difficult.

For judges in their 40s and older, it was a well-known classic, but younger contestants might not have even heard it before. On top of that, as the title suggested, the song was about parting. It wasn’t something that could be sung halfheartedly, it required genuine emotional depth.

However, Kang Rojun.

-Swoosh.

Silently parted his lips, unaffected by the worries around him.

And then.

-[Your fragrance lingers still, your scent keeps me here]

[Though seasons changed their colors, I remain right here]

[Everything stays in place, all memories remain]

[Without you by my side, I still look back again]

[Could you call my name once more — a sound to let me know you’re near?]

The intro and verse had passed, and the song’s atmosphere had dramatically intensified. Then came the chorus. Along with it, Kang Rojun’s voice, which had started low, gained strength. The lyrics were steeped in sorrow, yet the melody increasingly struck the ears with force.

It was as if the song were roaring at the sky.

No, more like wailing.

Rojun infused his voice with raw emotion, skillfully controlling it with a slightly raspy tone that carried deep resonance. These days, instrumentals tended to be shortened or simplified, but Farewell, being an old song, was different.

-♬♪

With the violin joining in, it became impossible for the listeners to look away.

The song reached its peak once again.

Crossing the bridge, it led into the final chorus.

Kang Rojun’s unique voice, which had resonated throughout the entire hall, suddenly dropped again.

-[If only I could call for you once in a dream, just to see your smile again]

-[And tell you that I’m doing well]

Slowly, Kang Rojun lowered the microphone. It signified the song’s end. The sound of the soft piano gradually faded in the hall. Letting out a small breath, Rojun thought to himself.

‘AI Simulation!’

Once again, inwardly he was amazed.

‘AI Automation! Holy shit, this performance is really killer!’

If he had to sing a different song right now, he’d immediately be exposed as tone-deaf. But when it came to 'Farewell', he had delivered a performance on par with a professional singer. And yet, the voice was undoubtedly his own. This meant that his version of 'Farewell' had been reborn as uniquely Kang Rojun’s, and even as he sang, the experience sent shivers down his spine.

The song had ended.

But the massive hall was.

“......”

“......”

“......”

Completely silent.

Not a single person spoke. Not PD Woo Han-suk, not the hundred or so 'Produce That 100!' staff, not the judges, not even the host, Jang Dae-han, standing at the side of the stage. All they could do was stare blankly at Kang Rojun on stage.

The same went for the contestants in the waiting room.

The first person to snap out of it was PD Woo Han-suk.

“What… What the hell did I just listen to?”

He pinched his own cheek. At the same time, he recalled his preliminary meeting with Kang Rojun. Wait a minute, wasn’t he supposed to have no talent? Didn’t he say he couldn’t sing or dance?? And yet, what had just happened? That visual monster had just completely dominated this massive hall with a single song.

‘That face… and he kills it at vocals too???!’

PD Woo Han-suk instinctively turned his head to the side. The writers, including Kim Se-hee, were all in a daze. Now, finally grasping the reality of the situation, PD Woo Han-suk broke into a broad smile and looked up at Kang Rojun on stage.

‘This guy… He’s the real deal. No, he’s a national treasure.’

Just how many viewers would be hooked because of him? As a director, PD Woo Han-suk felt the urge to rush onto the stage and hug Rojun on the spot. The next person to return to his senses was the host, Jang Dae-han.

‘Holy shit, that was actually insane. His face, his talent, everything.’

Though stunned, he managed to carry on with the program.

"......Wow- I think my soul just left my body for a moment there? 'Produce That 100!' is starting off incredibly! So, let’s hear what our judges thought.”

The first judge to pick up the microphone was.

“‘Number 1.’”

Song Min-geun, a hitmaker composer and broadcaster.

“That song, Farewell, is there a specific reason you picked it?”

A reason? Well, technically, yes. Without much hesitation, Kang Rojun answered.

“Yes. It was a song my late parents loved.”

“......”

The hall fell silent again, as if cold water had been poured over the room. Song Min-geun, who had asked the question, was the first to react.

“So that’s why it sounded so heartfelt. Honestly, I was puzzled when you chose Farewell. Its mood and theme feel quite disconnected from an idol audition, and emotionally, it’s a very difficult song. But now I understand why you picked it, you were dedicating it to your parents, weren’t you?”

“......”

Of course, it would be great if his parents could hear it, but Rojun hadn’t put that much thought into it.

‘To be honest, it’s not that I chose Farewell, it’s just that it’s the only song I can sing.’

Still, there was no reason to correct them. It wasn’t exactly wrong, after all. Silently, Kang Rojun nodded.

“My first song had to be Farewell.”

“Hmm-”

Gong Joo-mi, sitting next to Song Min-geun, felt a lump in her throat. But regardless of her emotions, Song Min-geun proceeded with his evaluation.

"First, I want to apologize, Number 1, when you first came out, you were just ridiculously handsome. So, to be honest, I assumed you wouldn’t be able to sing."

Lowering his head slightly, he continued.

"But wow, I couldn’t move a muscle from the very first verse. That deep, weighty, yet fragile emotion left a strong impression. I mean, you look so young, how can you convey emotions like that??"

His expression grew more incredulous the more he thought about it.

"Farewell is familiar to people from my generation, but for younger contestants, it’s a bit obscure. And yet… this ranks among the top three versions of Farewell I’ve ever heard. I’m giving you a pass."

A glowing review right from the start. And the next evaluations weren’t much different.

"Like Judge Song Min-geun said, the verse was incredible. And your tone, it’s completely unique. I was worried that since your voice is on the lower side, you might struggle with high notes, but you handled them so effortlessly that it caught me off guard. And because of that, your ridiculously stunning face stands out even more, your vocal tone gives off a completely different vibe. I’m hooked. Of course, I’m giving you a pass too."

Following Gong Joo-mi, Lee Da-mi chimed in.

"I’d give you a hundred passes if I could. You saw me get choked up earlier, right? The emotions in your singing were so vivid. I don’t even know how to put it into words, but what Judge Gong Joo-mi just said was spot on. I’m in love. Your face is insane, but your charm is even crazier."

She was obviously excited. Naturally, another pass.

The final judge, Yoon Seung-won, a veteran singer with thirty years of experience, had a serious expression.

"…It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such a rich, deep male vocal. Just by looking at you, I’d assume you were born to be an idol. But in your voice, I hear solitude, loneliness, even a sense of longing. Thank you for the performance. You pass."

As soon as the evaluations were finished, host Jang Dae-han announced loudly,

"Yes! Congratulations! Contestant Number 1, you have passed the first round!!"

In the first round of 'Produce That 100!', contestants needed a majority vote from the judges to advance. But Kang Rojun? He earned a unanimous pass with ease.

As he finished his polite farewell and turned to leave, the judges were already whispering among themselves.

"Where the hell did someone like that come from?"

"That face, and that voice… He’s a monster. An absolute monster."

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Kang Rojun thought to himself.

'Phew- at least I managed to get through the first round somehow.'

Just as a sense of satisfaction washed over him, Kang Rojun locked eyes with Contestant Number 2, who was waiting backstage.

"……"

"……"

Contestant Number 2 was still wearing a mask, but the way he was looking at Rojun said everything.

'Because of you, I’m screwed.'

Going right after Kang Rojun, who had just left both a visual and vocal impact of tremendous proportions? Probably, though he wasn't sure, this 'Number 2' must be going through hell right now. But what could be done? The world was cruel like that. At that moment, a female staff member and a camera approached Kang Rojun, the first contestant to pass.

"Please come this way."

Instead of leading him back to Waiting Room 1, she guided him somewhere else. When they arrived, the sign on the door read:

-‘Passed Contestants' Room’

It was a space reserved only for those who had passed the first round out of the fifty contestants in Group 1. Those who failed were likely sent somewhere else.

'Right, they mentioned a revival round or something.'

Lost in thought, Kang Rojun pushed open the door to the passed contestants' room. The interior was similar to Waiting Room 1, but also noticeably different.

'Wait, they have sofas in here??'

Like in the waiting room, a large screen was positioned at the front, but instead of folding chairs, several long sofas were arranged in a tiered format. Even at a glance, the sofas looked expensive. The staff member who had guided him inside began explaining.

"Contestant Number 1, you can sit wherever you’d like- oh, wait a moment."

She suddenly stopped and received a message through her earpiece. Then, correcting herself, she said,

"Sorry, Contestant Number 1, please take a seat right in the center."

Center? All of a sudden? It was obvious whose order this was. It had to be PD Woo Han-suk, the main director of 'Produce That 100!'.

Whatever the reason, Kang Rojun simply took a seat right in the middle of the tiered sofas.

'This is just the right level of softness for a nap.'

Soon, the female staff member provided further instructions.

"Once all the passing contestants have gathered, we’ll do individual interview cuts, and then the PD will explain the next steps. For now, just watch the other contestants on the monitor. It’d be great if you could react a bit too."

React? React to what? As soon as the staff member left, the cameras zoomed in uncomfortably close. Feeling awkward, Rojun turned toward the large monitor in front of him and forced out a random reaction.

"Oh-"

Fortunately, after a few minutes, the main cameras left the room. Not that it made much of a difference, there were small cameras installed all over the place.

Just then.

- Bzzz.

A brief vibration. Glancing at his smartwatch, Rojun’s lips curled into a faint smile.

'Nice. More coins.'

The AI Simulation app had just sent him a reward for passing the first round.

-[You have completed the Hidden Mission: ‘First Pass!’ You have been awarded 20 Coins as a gift.]

Meanwhile, back on the 'Produce That 100!' stage.

The stage that Kang Rojun had completely overturned now had a new contestant standing on it.

Contestant Number 2.

"Contestant Number 2, please remove your mask."

Just like Rojun, Contestant Number 2 was wearing a white mask. As he removed it, his clear skin and delicate features were revealed. A refined, noble-like appearance, the type that naturally gave off a prince-like aura. It was undeniably a handsome face. There was no doubt he had been told countless times in his life that he was good-looking.

However. The judges’ reactions were lukewarm at best.

"Hmm-"

Among them, former girl group member Gong Joo-mi.

"Maybe it's because I just saw 'Number 1'......"

She leaned over and whispered to Yoon Seung-won beside her.

"Now even this handsome guy looks ugly. What do I do? This is troublesome."