Translator: Dreamscribe
'Rental Lover' was released to the world for the first time. But in the media, the attention was less on 'Rental Lover' itself and more on Choi Rina who chose the project. Her recent films had also performed well, and given that she was such a top actress, it was expected.
That Choi Rina, who should be starring in massive blockbuster productions, was suddenly doing a one-act drama.
Multiple media outlets flocked to the buzz-worthy news.
"Public Curiosity Explodes as Choi Rina's Next Project 'Rental Lover' Turns Out to Be a One-Act Drama"
Including 'Produce That 100!', Choi Rina was the main headline in the flood of entertainment news today. Alongside her, articles about PD Jung Soo-ryeong also appeared quite a bit.
"[Issue Pick] PD Jung Soo-ryeong Directing with Lead Actress Choi Rina - What Kind of Work is the One-Act Drama 'Rental Lover'?"
Jung Soo-ryeong was also a heavyweight in the drama world. The conclusion was that two highly influential figures were suddenly doing a one-act drama. This unexpected news raised a lot of question marks among the public.
- Huh?? Choi Rina doing a one-act drama????
-This sounds like a rumor ㅋㅋㅋㅋ why would Choi Rina do a one-act drama
- Her agency confirmed it, it's official, not just speculation
- Didn't her latest movie do well too? A sudden drift into a one-act is wild
- Must know the writer or something ㅋㅋㅋ either way, I'm curious what kind of project it is
As the reactions snowballed, derivative articles picked up even more speed. Watching this unfold from her spot in the broadcasting station was PD Jung Soo-ryeong. Her tied-up frizzy brown hair and satisfied smile said it all.
"Okay- the start is on track."
It was a media play orchestrated by PD Jung Soo-ryeong.
'For now, let's build some momentum with Choi Rina.'
Once 'Rental Lover' gained some recognition among the public, it would be time for No. 1 'Villain' to make an appearance. Shortly after, PD Jung Soo-ryeong instructed the assistant director to press the reporters even more, then headed to the director's office.
Jung Soo-ryeong smiled at the bald-headed director.
"Director-nim you saw the article on 'Rental Lover', right?"
The director responded with a thumbs up.
"Of course, Choi Rina's name really carries weight."
"The fact that the Choi Rina is suddenly doing a one-act drama, of course reporters are going to jump at it."
"Hahaha, the buzz is good, real good."
"More than that from the way 'Rental Lover' is shaping up, late September is going to be tight, I think we'll need to push it to October. The script has expanded, and the quality of the work has improved. Not to mention the cast has leveled up significantly."
The director spoke up as if it was no problem.
"Oh my, our PD Jung, just do as you please."
"I'm just worried since 'Rental Lover' was originally a fill-in."
"Fill-in? What a harsh word to associate with 'Rental Lover'!"
"Then I'll assume you'll take care of any gaps in the schedule or lineup?"
Originally, the one-act 'Rental Lover' was the grand prize winner of a script contest, but it really was a fill-in. That's why the production schedule had been pushed forward, and it was supposed to air by the end of September at the latest. But now the situation had flipped 180 degrees. The lead was none other than top actress Choi Rina, and the rest of the cast had significantly increased in stature as well.
So had the production costs skyrocketed?
Not at all.
PD Jung Soo-ryeong secured Choi Rina and expanded the scale of the project within the same meager, rat-tail-sized budget. The director should've been bowing down in gratitude.
"Of course! PD Jung, don't worry about scheduling or filling gaps or anything. I'll take care of everything, alright?"
Then PD Jung Soo-ryeong looked at the director with a deepening smile.
"Our director-nim just hit the jackpot, because Choi Rina isn't the only one in 'Rental Lover'."
"Hm? Ah, right right, the other cast members are decent too. What kind of magic did you pull??"
Inside, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was thinking, "No, not them", as she shrugged her shoulders and left the director's office. Then she recalled 'Lover No. 4', who delivered amazing acting.
"At this rate, the one-act might crush mini-series ratings."
Later that afternoon.
Most participants on the 'Produce That 100!' campus went through their training sessions. Team 1, including Kang Rojun, also continued their existing training at least through today. Meanwhile, PD Woo Han-suk had just wrapped up filming on the campus and was on his way back to the broadcasting station.
Tuesday, tomorrow, was the final day of voting, and editing for Episode 5, which would air on Friday, was in full swing.
He was probably the busiest of anyone on 'Produce That 100!'.
Anyway, inside the van, PD Woo Han-suk was looking at his phone when he suddenly muttered,
'...What? Doesn't look intimidated?'
He recalled Kang Rojun during Team 1's shoot that morning.
'I can't believe he went for it with no backing down in front of Lee Han-na.'
Right now on 'Produce That 100!', Lee Han-na was not just one of the judges, but a key figure in the third round of evaluations. In essence, she held the fate of the participants in her hands. Even in front of someone like her, Rojun showed no hesitation.
'It was a given that he'd pass round two, but I thought he'd be more cautious since people are now calling him a villain. Instead, he just went full force like he didn't care at all.'
Kang Rojun had instead evolved into more of a villain.
'He pulls some crazy stunt, then crushes it with skill, saves a teammate, then goes crazy again. The character is absolutely on point.'
Other participants were gradually starting to show their charm, but it wasn't quite enough. On the other hand, Rojun was fulfilling the role of the face of 'Produce That 100!' while also capturing the essence of a villain for the broadcast. PD Woo Han-suk could only feel thankful.
'By the way, Choi Rina is the female lead in 'Rental Lover'?? So that other "nuclear bomb" PD Jung mentioned was Choi Rina, huh. Are they already doing pre-meetings with the cast? Looks like shooting will start soon.'
Thinking back on what he had heard from Kang Rojun, PD Woo Han-suk crossed his arms and grinned.
"I wonder how the actors will react when they see 'No. 1'- well, they'll probably be ecstatic."
Meanwhile.
While the other dozens of participants were in training, Kang Rojun could be found in his favorite quiet bathroom. Normally, he would have been revising the 'Rental Lover' script, but since that was already completed, he decided to spend time on something else.
-Swish.
He stood still, watching his phone. To be precise, it was a choreography video for the theme song 'Produce'. A practice video that the production team had sent only to Team 1, including Rojun.
"..."
Staring intently at the choreography he had already watched earlier that morning, Kang Rojun rubbed his chin.
"It definitely seems easier than 'brake'."
As if amused by his own words, Rojun snorted.
"What am I saying, both are damn hard."
Scratching his black hair, he exhaled lightly. Regulating his breath. Then he played the 'Produce' choreography from the start. He slowly tried to mimic the dance moves he saw. At this point, this bathroom had become Rojun's private practice studio. After dancing for several dozen seconds, he stopped.
Because he felt a change.
'...At the very least, I can mimic it now.'
Just two months ago, when he was a complete klutz, even watching the video didn't mean he could follow it. Even if he forced himself to move, he would be completely off-beat and move like a broken robot. He had barely improved with 'brake'. but the struggle was the same.
But now.
'This has to be because my stats went up.'
Without analyzing or dissecting anything, his body responded just from watching the choreography video with his eyes.
Of course, he was still slow. Behind. And awkward. But the fact that he could mimic the dance without breaking down was a massive improvement.
Additionally.
'What do you even call this, choreography comprehension? I think I've developed something like that.'
There were certain points and details in the choreography that he never noticed before, but now they stood out to him. Where did the choreographer adjust intensity? Where did they make clear breaks? And so on. He wasn't sure if this could be called knowledge, but whatever it was, it was happening.
'When I was a klutz, it felt like no amount of practice, not 10 years or even 100, would ever make it possible, but now? It feels like I can master the movements in just a few months.'
Literally, it just meant that he could now pick up the movements. When it came to the technical aspects or expert-level execution, those were still as hard to grasp as stars in the sky. However, with this, one conclusion could be drawn.
"As my stats increase, the difficulty of both vocals and dancing drops."
In other words.
"So that means the 'AI Automation' naturally gets cheaper, doesn't it?"
The standard line that always came with 'AI Automation'.
-[※ The number of coins required may vary depending on the difficulty of achieving the result.]
When he fully mastered 'brake', it had required 36 coins. In that case, wouldn't this 'Produce' choreography cost even less? Kang Rojun now had a vague understanding of how 'AI Simulation' worked. If real-world Kang Rojun, or the character Kang Rojun inside the 'AI Simulation', improved in stats or anything else, then 'AI Automation' would become cheaper.
Of course, fully understanding the entire 'AI Simulation' system was impossible, and there were still many hidden factors, so it wasn't entirely clear, but
'Yeah, let's just go with that for now.'
Deciding to keep things simple, Rojun shifted his gaze back to his phone.
And then.
-Swish.
He began mimicking the choreography for 'Produce' once again.
'For now, let me just get a feel for it.'
Two days later, on Wednesday morning.
The second round of chaotic voting for 'Produce That 100!' ended yesterday. As a result, PD Woo Han-suk and the production team were busy wrapping things up, while top actress Choi Rina, who had recently gone viral due to the one-act drama, was at the salon getting her hair done.
While Choi Rina was staring at her phone, the designer asked her,
"Rina, what are you watching?"
Choi Rina responded to the designer through the mirror.
"Unnie, do you watch 'Produce That 100!'?"
"Of course! That show's suuuper hot right now! I got recommended it and watched up to Episode 2 just yesterday."
"I'm watching 'No. 1's' performance video on YouTube. I've already seen it, but I keep replaying it over and over."
"Ahh- No. 1! He's insanely handsome. Just looking at him made me want to glam him up. Imagine if he had perfect hair, makeup, and outfit styling too?? Hm? But Rina, weren't you not into idols?"
Flinching a bit, Choi Rina cleared her throat.
"I'm not interested- I'm just watching it because I'm bored."
That wasn't true. These days, Choi Rina was binging every 'Produce That 100!' related video whenever she had a spare moment. More specifically, every video of No. 1.
"You said you've been watching them over and over?"
"...I just have a lot of free time lately."
"Oh, really?"
Nodding, Choi Rina internally hypnotized herself.
'I'm not into idols or anything, I just find No. 1 fascinating.'
She didn't realize it herself yet. That she was now entering the first phase of fangirling. At that moment, the phone in Choi Rina's hand began to vibrate. A call, it was from PD Jung Soo-ryeong. She politely asked the designer to excuse her and then put the phone to her ear.
"Yes, PD-nim."
On the other end, PD Jung Soo-ryeong's voice had a hint of amusement.
"You saw the articles that came out a few days ago, right?? Bet your phone was blowing up from all the calls?"
"It was ringing nonstop that day, and things were crazy at the agency too."
"Of course it was. Choi-star suddenly doing a one-act, no wonder. Anyway, you got the revised script, right? You can treat that one as the final version."
"Got it. Ah, by the way, I noticed 'Lover No. 4' was added. Who's playing that role??"
"Hmm- 'Lover No. 4'? You'll see soon."
"Come on, why are you hiding it?"
Dodging the question, PD Jung Soo-ryeong replied,
"The full cast pre-meeting is set for next Monday, okay? 'Lover No. 4' will be there too, and writer Kang Chul-soo, whom you met last time, will be there, so just come see for yourself."
That meant the pre-meeting with the cast was just five days away, including the weekend. Nodding, Choi Rina asked again,
"Okay? But is the writer going for the mysterious vibe again?"
PD Jung Soo-ryeong's answer was simple.
"Probably not."
That same afternoon, over at the campus in Paju.
PD Woo Han-suk looked busy near the large hall with the stage. So did the dozens of staff members. However, the writing team was not present. They were still back at the broadcasting station finalizing the voting matters.
For some reason, preparations for filming were in full swing inside the hall.
Cameras, lighting, sound equipment, all were being set up. At this point, Kang Rojun was among the Team 1 group being guided by the staff. The thirteen members of Team 1 had just left the dorm and were walking toward the hall.
Currently, all of Team 1 was deep into solo practice of the 'Produce' dance choreography.
It was the third day since they started on Monday. Since official training for 'Produce' hadn't begun yet, Team 1 had been filling the practice rooms every day lately. As Kang Rojun scanned the Team 1 members, he found it strange.
'This is very sudden, we weren't told about any schedule for today.'
They'd been called out with no notice.
Even more unexpectedly, PD Woo Han-suk, who hadn't been seen all morning, suddenly showed up. Because of that, Team 1 began whispering to each other.
"Was there something scheduled for today?"
"No, usually they let us know the day before if there's filming. But there was nothing this time."
"What is this? Is there something they need to tell us?"
With that curiosity, Kang Rojun and Team 1 entered the hall. And then their eyes widened. The filming setup was already complete inside the hall. Lights blazed on the stage, cameras were set, a single chair and desk were placed at the front of the stage, and PD Woo Han-suk and staff stood waiting.
The participants blinked in confusion, and Kang Rojun felt the same.
'What is this, the atmosphere is definitely set for filming.'
Soon, PD Woo Han-suk raised his hand.
"Please come up here!"
Kang Rojun and the other participants moved toward the front of the stage. PD Woo Han-suk looked over all thirteen of them from Rojun onward and smiled.
"I'm counting on you-"
Counting on us? All of a sudden? As Rojun tilted his head in confusion, someone stepped out from behind PD Woo Han-suk. A woman in a tight black short-sleeved shirt. It was Lee Han-na, essentially the director of 'Produce'.
She addressed Team 1 simply.
"Starting now, I'll now begin your first evaluation."
Panic spread quickly. First evaluation?! As the participants buzzed anxiously in response, Lee Han-na pointed to the stage. There, standing where no one had been when they entered, was a man and a woman.
Pointing at the pair with her index finger, Lee Han-na added,
"They are members of my dance team, and the first evaluation is simple."
At that moment, her eyes landed on 'No. 1'. The ridiculously handsome 'No. 1', unlike the others who were panicking and murmuring.
"You will each, one by one, perform the 'Produce' dance right now with those two dancers."
He remained extremely calm with no change in expression.