Translator: Dreamscribe
Just before Kang Rojun and Team 1 took the stage for their surprise performance at the volleyball court, the 13 members of Team 1 gathered at the entrance were beyond nervous, practically fidgeting uncontrollably. Some took endless deep breaths, some jumped slightly while doing mind control, some slapped both cheeks hard, and some simply zoned out as if in a daze.
No. 94 was trembling with both hands and feet.
No. 15, with yellow hair who was relatively composed, slapped his thighs several times as if to loosen his stiff legs.
And Kang Rojun?
"..."
His face alone remained expressionless, but his heart was pounding relentlessly.
'Damn- shit, wait. I'm seriously freaking out.'
He hadn't learned composure or poise. Maybe it was possible through 'AI automation', but Kang Rojun deliberately avoided trying. He wanted to adapt to the heartbeat, trembling, nervousness, fear, and the sensation of his brain turning blank that he was feeling right now.
'Even if it's short, it's my first performance in a way, so I need to absorb the experience fully.'
Still, since Rojun was the type to remain composed normally, his reaction was milder than the others. At that moment, noise from thousands of people in the stadium could be heard beyond the entrance.
Murmur, murmur.
It was so loud it felt like drums were pounding.
For the first time since 'Produce That 100!' began, this would be their first encounter with the public.
It was worlds apart from standing in front of judges or a hundred staff members. Alongside fear, Kang Rojun felt a thrill. The tips of his fingers were tingling.
Except for Rojun, the rest of Team 1 were overwhelmed with countless thoughts.
What kind of reaction will the audience have when they see us? Will they be happy? What if they don't react? What if we mess up the moves? What if someone falls or there's an accident?
Just then.
"Everyone, get ready."
PD Woo Han-suk, with deep dark circles, gave the go signal, and Lee Han-na, standing behind Team 1, clapped both hands.
"Okay, okay! Don't be too nervous!! Just do it like we practiced and it'll be fine! Just go out there and rock it up with confidence!!"
Soon, a stadium staff member at the entrance flung the door open.
The volleyball court, dimly lit with the lights off, was revealed. Although they had rehearsed dozens of times since morning, seeing the volleyball court filled with thousands of people reset everything for Team 1.
Still, they ran forward.
Step by step, as their bodies remembered, the members of Team 1 stood one by one in the volleyball court.
-Swish.
They assumed their ready positions. Thirteen men wearing blazers with numbers on their chests lowered their heads with hands gathered together. Not long after, the spotlight, which had been blacked out around Team 1, turned on brightly.
In the vast stadium.
-♬♪
'Produce' resounded loudly. At the same time, the screams and shrieks of thousands of spectators erupted upon recognizing Team 1 from 'Produce That 100!'. The screams were so loud they almost drowned out the music.
"Kyah!! Kyaaaaaah!!"
The frenzied audience shrieked and pulled out their phones, and the reporters, caught off guard by Team 1's appearance, frantically pressed their shutters.
As for the 'Produce That 100!' filming crew.
-Swish.
They blended in among the event's filming team to capture Team 1's performance. Including Lee Han-na, five judges were seated in the closest seats to Team 1. The third evaluation and the surprise performance officially began.
Team 1 members.
-♬♪
Started their switching formations according to the music.
A Team, which included Kang Rojun, moved first, while B Team quietly waited for their timing. Soon, A Team stopped and B Team began moving.
A sharply synchronized and powerful group dance.
Of course, it was far from professional idols in quality.
Even so, Team 1 was doing their best without a single mistake. Because for any of them, this could be their last stage.
In this moment, they were both competitors and comrades.
Once the switching formation ended, the now-mixed Team 1 launched into the next choreography. The judges observing the performance.
"..."
"..."
Remained silent, their serious expressions evaluating and assessing everything. Although they couldn't give verbal commentary due to the situation, they were clearly scoring.
Soon.
"Kyaaaah!!!"
The screams of the thousands of spectators grew even more intense.
Team 1, who had been dancing in unison like one body, changed to a different formation. The four members at the back moved to the front, and the rest took one step back. With a smooth transition in formation, Team 1 once again began to move their arms and legs brilliantly.
The audience frantically took videos or photos.
"Wow- amazing! I really didn't expect them to show up!!"
"I've been watching 'Produce That 100!' since episode 1!! Ha- I can't believe I'm seeing this surprise performance in person…"
"This is the third evaluation, right?? They're all doing great! But seriously, what's with No. 1 visuals?? That's just insane."
"I zoned out for a few seconds as soon as I saw No. 1. Isn't he just god-tier? How can someone look like that??"
Many were zooming in tightly to capture Kang Rojun's face.
"No. 1 is super handsome, this is ridiculous."
"Even saying he's good-looking doesn't cut it?! He's seriously on another level!!"
Reporters weren't any different.
"Huh- yeah, the others look better in person too, but No. 1 is just in a different league."
"The camera doesn't do justice to his visuals, this is unreal??"
Even the women's volleyball players, with long limbs and tall frames, who were watching the surprise performance before their match, couldn't stop whispering.
"It's a feast for the eyes before the match, right?"
"Absolutely. Would it be too much if I asked No. 1 for an autograph after the performance?"
"That's too much. But No. 1 isn't just handsome - isn't he beautiful? How can he look prettier than even an actress..."
The atmosphere was heating up. Before anyone realized it, Team 1 had moved into the second verse of 'Produce', and Kang Rojun, who had taken the lead in the group was.
'What- this is insanely fun now that I'm actually doing it.'
In a state of euphoria.
The moves were intense, but his mind was fluid. His body moved in rhythm with the choreography's starts and stops naturally. Smooth and powerful. Kang Rojun felt it, an indescribable heat filling his entire body.
PD Woo Han-suk, watching Kang Rojun and Team 1 with his arms crossed.
"Haha."
Though he chuckled softly, he was moved.
He was the one to pronounce participants' death sentences, but in this moment, he felt like a father.
'I'm overwhelmed with emotion.'
The ones who had driven those thousands of spectators half-mad, cheering passionately, were none other than Team 1. If any of them debut, this moment will become a great source of strength.
Soon the melody passed the climax of the second verse and moved toward the ending.
Sweat streaming down, Rojun and Team 1 moved their bodies with all their might, showing off to the audience without anyone falling short.
And then.
-Swish.
With a slow sitting motion, Team 1's 'Produce' surprise performance came to an end. Immediately, applause erupted.
-Clap clap clap clap clap!
-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!
The sound of camera shutters filled the volleyball court.
-Papapapapapak!!
Screams and shouts from thousands of spectators.
A deafening noise. It was loud enough to make one wonder if the stadium roof might collapse. It continued for more than 10 seconds. Then, Team 1 stood up from their seated positions, closed the gaps between them, and gathered together.
Then, in unison, they shouted toward the thousands of spectators and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
"Thank you!! We were Team 1 from 'Produce That 100!'"
Afterward.
Team 1, after bowing several more times to the audience, exited the volleyball court. Even then, the screams from the thousands of spectators continued, and among them, 'No. 1' was heard very frequently.
When Team 1 returned to the waiting room.
-Clap clap clap!!
Congratulatory applause from PD Woo Han-suk and the 'Produce That 100!' staff followed.
"The first performance is done, and you all did great. Just for today, give yourselves some credit."
Team 1 smiled brightly. A few of them even had tears welling up. Kang Rojun ran both hands through his black hair and let out a small breath.
'I feel refreshed.'
Because he felt light and unburdened.
Just then, a vibration buzzed from his wrist.
-Buzz buzz.
While exhaling roughly, Kang Rojun casually checked his smartwatch. A familiar notification had arrived.
-[You have completed the Hidden Mission 'First Performance as an Amateur!' You've been rewarded with the item 'Stats +8 Enhancement Coupon.']
Rojun smiled faintly.
'Thank you for the reward.'
Regardless of the situation, the 'Produce That 100!' production crew and Team 1 exited the stadium as quickly as possible. The audience section had descended into chaos. Due to the atmosphere that had heated up more than expected.
An accident could happen if they weren't careful.
About an hour later, Team 1 and the production team gathered in the performance hall at the 'Produce That 100!' campus. Although the third evaluation had concluded at Jamsil Indoor Stadium, filming was not yet over. As the production staff busily continued preparations for the next shoot, Judge Song Min-geun, who had evaluated Kang Rojun and No. 58's composition and lyric-writing skills the day before, approached PD Woo Han-suk and whispered while gesturing toward Rojun on stage.
"When are you going to tell No. 1 and No. 58?"
"After Episode 7 airs this Friday. We have to start editing all night from today, so there's no time."
Clearly, the two seemed to have something to tell Kang Rojun and No. 58.
"We'll now begin the judges' evaluations."
Once the setup was complete, they resumed filming the third evaluation. The first to pick up the mic was Lee Han-na.
"Setting the judging aside, everyone really did well. I got emotional in the middle."
Lee Han-na, who had trained Team 1 from the very beginning up to today, started with praise. Once she regained her composure, she looked down at her tablet and gave a formal evaluation.
"First of all, No. 1 received an outstanding top score within Team 1. From the dance, facial expressions, stage presence, and composure, honestly, there's nothing to criticize."
By this time, there were quite a few articles online about 'Rental Lover'.
"One-Act 'Rental Lover' Starring Top Actress Choi Rina Finishes Script Reading and Prepares for First Shoot"
Thanks to top actress Choi Rina, 'Rental Lover' had immediately become a hot topic. Some of the articles were also being pushed by the 'Rental Lover' team or Choi Rina's agency.
Public interest was exceptionally high.
Into this media buzz, fresh and hot updates from 'Produce That 100!' suddenly poured in.
"Team 1 of 'Produce That 100!' Makes Surprise Appearance at Jamsil Indoor Stadium / Photos"
"His Looks Are Unreal- Super Close-Up of Star No. 1 from 'Produce That 100!' / Photos"
"[Hot Issue] Surprise Performance Took Place at Jamsil Indoor Stadium, 'Produce That 100!' Team 1 Appears Before Volleyball Match"
It was Team 1, who had just set Jamsil Indoor Stadium ablaze with excitement.
Reporters who had been present at the stadium quickly published their stories, and other media outlets immediately followed suit.
"Still Handsome Even Drenched in Sweat... No. 1 Captivates Female Hearts at Jamsil Indoor Stadium / Photos"
"'Produce That 100!' Team 1 Currently Performing / Photos"
These articles featured either group shots of Team 1 or close-ups of Kang Rojun's face. But that wasn't all. In fact, SNS platforms had already been abuzz with the news of Team 1's surprise performance, and so were countless online communities.
What was particularly interesting was the activity on video platforms including YouTube.
-[Produce That 100! Team 1/Produce] Surprise Performance Fancam!!｜m's Daily Vlog
Fancams of Team 1's surprise performance were being uploaded in a frenzy. Not just one or two, but easily over a dozen.
Among them, there were videos that surpassed hundreds of thousands of views within just two hours of being uploaded.
-'Produce That 100' Team 1 Performance at Jamsil Indoor Stadium (Focused on No. 1)｜Mr.bear
-Views: 551,224
The speed at which the videos spread was no joke.
Two days later, on Friday the 28th at night.
Around 9 p.m., at the SBC Drama Department. In one of the meeting rooms, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the key staff of 'Rental Lover' were gathered. The same people who had attended the script reading.
They had already been together for several hours.
And they might continue to be together until dawn. For good reason.
Tomorrow, Saturday the 29th in the morning, was the long-awaited first shoot of 'Rental Lover'.
With just a few hours left until the first shoot, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the key staff were currently fixated on the large screen in front of them. The reason was simple.
A commercial had just ended.
-'Produce That 100!'
The broadcast of Episode 7 of 'Produce That 100!' began with its logo appearing on screen. The key staff members were full of anticipation as they spoke excitedly.
"It's starting! Episode 7 already! Feels like Episode 1 was just yesterday!"
"I wonder what our Writer-nim will look like this time??"
"This Episode 7 definitely revolves around the third evaluation, the surprise performance!"
"Right, that surprise performance at the volleyball court, the videos have been blowing up on YouTube these past few days??"
"It even hit No. 1 on trending videos! Some of them have over five million views??"
"That's the one edited mainly around our writer-nim, right?? I saw a bit of it too, and though all of Team 1 did great, our writer-nim is just in a league of his own. Face and talent both."
"Even in the comments, more than 70% were only about our writer-nim."
PD Jung Soo-ryeong had also already seen the surprise performance video from the volleyball court.
'When he got on stage intending to perform, honestly, I couldn't see anyone but Writer-nim. His visuals and aura are beyond insane.'
She wondered how the live atmosphere of that surprise performance would be portrayed in Episode 7 of 'Produce That 100!'.
'Once this Episode 7 ends, more contestants will be eliminated. Come to think of it, 'Produce That 100!' is already past the halfway point.'
Soon, the lively key staff members began watching Episode 7 of 'Produce That 100!', momentarily forgetting all about 'Rental Lover'.
-Swish.
As Kang Rojun appeared on screen, PD Jung Soo-ryeong's gaze dropped to her desk. In front of her lay the script for 'Rental Lover'.
'If 'Produce That 100!' keeps dropping bombs like this and things keep playing out according to PD Woo Han-suk's plan, then for Writer-nim, not just as an idol but also as a writer, the public's expectations are going to skyrocket. His path is disrupting norms in both idol and writer lanes. Of course, same for acting too.'
Her thoughts deepened further.
'Didn't he say he'd written more than just 'Rental Lover'? I should start checking out his other works too.'
Naturally, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was already thinking ahead.
'Not another one-act. This time, I'll go for a full-length drama.'