Suddenly, I Became Crazy Handsome, and the World Became Easy

A magic that makes even a handsome face look ugly. This phenomenon wasn’t exclusive to Gong Joo-mi. The same went for Yoon Seung-won, who was sitting next to her and whom she had just spoken to.

“...Actually, I feel the same way.”

All the other judges felt the same.

‘Right, they all seem to be experiencing the same thing. It’s only natural after seeing Number 1.’

‘Number 1 should’ve left just the right amount of impact.’

It made sense. Number 1 had already dominated with just his face alone, and his vocals were phenomenal. Kang Rojun's presence was overwhelmingly terrifying. After witnessing such a monster, how could any other contestant stand out? The judges were troubled, after all, their eyes, which should have been the sharpest in the room, had become dull.

“For now, let’s try to evaluate while keeping Number 1 out of our minds as much as possible.”

“Yes, sunbae-nim.”

Contestant Number 2 stepped forward.

It seemed like he intended to sing, just like Rojun. This meant he was overlapping with Kang Rojun again. However, the song Number 2 had prepared was a track from a recent idol, and he put his all into singing it.

-♬♪

Unfortunately, midway through his vocals, the judges frowned.

“His pitch is unstable.”

“He has a habit of going flat, but he doesn’t seem to realize it.”

His skill wasn’t particularly great. On top of that, Number 2 was noticeably nervous, perhaps because he was conscious of Rojun. His voice cracked frequently. The hundreds of staff members of 'Produce That 100!' couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

“He seems to have decent raw talent, but… performing right after Number 1 really does him no favors.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. The circumstances at the audition venue are part of the evaluation. It’s not like we rigged this, he was just unlucky to be assigned Number 2.”

“This industry is ruthless. Sure, Number 1 must have sky-high self-esteem with that face of his, but the pressure must’ve been immense. He was the first one up, after all.”

“True… If Number 2 had managed to stay composed and performed flawlessly despite the pressure, he would’ve earned extra points.”

Not just in the idol industry but in the entire entertainment world, the most crucial factor is luck. Even with good looks, talent, and charm, many fail to rise because they "lack luck", a common phrase in this business.

And so, the unfortunate Number 2's performance came to an end.

“Hmm-”

The judges began their evaluations. While watching Number 2’s performance, they had established a new standard: 'Number 1' was an ecosystem-disrupting apex predator that even top-tier competitors couldn’t contend with. If a contestant managed to make people forget about 'Number 1' even slightly during their performance, they passed. But if they crumbled under the pressure, they failed.

Unintentionally, Kang Rojun had set the benchmark for the 'Produce That 100!' audition process.

Not only that, he had raised the bar.

“Number 2, you’re lacking in basics. You have some bad habits, but you didn’t realize them, did you?”

A harsh critique was delivered.

“Maybe your friends hyped you up, telling you that you sing well. But if you go on a professional stage like this, viewers will notice immediately. They’ll say you’re singing carelessly. It’s unfortunate, but I can't give you a pass.”

“I feel the same. It’s a no from me.”

A chorus of rejections. Ultimately, Contestant Number 2 was.

“Yes, Number 2, you are officially eliminated.”

Eliminated.

But there was still hope. The eliminated contestants were gathered in the same room and given one last chance in the Revival Round, a competition exclusively for them. Regardless, Number 2 was escorted to the eliminated contestants’ waiting room by a staff member.

Meanwhile, Produce That 100!’s main PD, Woo Han-suk, was thinking.

‘Hmm- It’d be good to show this kid first during the edit.’

His thought process was cold, focused solely on maximizing viewership.

‘Or maybe placing him right before Kang Rojun to create a stark contrast wouldn’t be bad… Still, it’d be better if a more skilled contestant appeared first.’

A strategic edit that first made viewers think, Oh, this guy is pretty good! before suddenly introducing Number 1, Kang Rojun. This way, Rojun’s presence would explode several times over. Fortunately, Woo Han-suk had a few skilled contestants in mind.

‘No matter what, Kang Rojun is the main focus.’

Later.

For a while, Kang Rojun had the passed contestants' room all to himself. Number 2 had been eliminated, and then Number 3 took the stage, but the result was the same.

“Number 3, you are officially eliminated!”

Eliminated.

Number 4, eliminated. Number 5, eliminated.

The streak of eliminations was long enough that even PD Woo Han-suk found himself troubled.

Meanwhile, Rojun.

‘It’s getting awkward being here alone… Even reacting to this feels weird.’

He sat alone on the wide sofa in the waiting room. There wasn’t much to keep him entertained in the meantime.

But then.

“No way- Rojun-ssi, you totally lied about not being talented!!”

An interview shoot had started. Writers, including the familiar face of Kim Se-hee, were getting excited.

“You said you couldn’t sing??? That was a strategy, wasn’t it?”

No, he really couldn’t sing. But admitting he was tone-deaf in this situation would be insane.

“I guess I was just in good condition today.”

“Oh, come on- I don’t believe you. Who knows, maybe you’re secretly a dance expert too.”

“I think I’m not very good at it.”

Kang Rojun chose his words carefully. Running his mouth like a chatterbox would only expose his weaknesses.

‘That would just be giving the production team material to use against me.’

All he needed to do was show the right amount of impact and skill when necessary. Even though his face had changed and he had gained the AI Simulation app, he didn’t feel the need to change his personality as well.

‘At first, I was caught off guard and fascinated by everything, but I’ve adapted now. I’ll just act like myself. The way I’ve always been.’

Even when he had been hideous, he was calm, detached, and didn’t talk much. At times, he even gave off an eerie or ominous vibe. He had decided to keep that unchanged. And after experiencing the stage, he had become even more solid.

Well, at least no one saw him as gloomy anymore.

If anything.

“You must hear this a lot, right? Rojun-ssi has this decadent charm? Maybe because you’re the quiet type?”

It had become one of his greatest strengths.

The auditions continued up to Contestant 10, and finally, the first person other than Rojun passed.

“Congratulations! Number 10, you pass!!"

It had been a 2-to-2 tie, but after some discussion, the judges decided on a pass. Number 10, who had been bouncing with excitement on stage, soon made his way into the room where Kang Rojun was.

“Wow- this sofa is amazing!”

His hair was bright red. Having passed due to his dance skills, Number 10 reacted with excessive enthusiasm the moment he entered the room.

“This place is totally different from the first waiting room!”

The cameras follow him because it's good footage. Rojun immediately grasped his personality and.

‘His energy is too much. His personality is a carbon copy of writer Kim Se-hee-nim’s.’

Number 10 also spotted Kang Rojun, sitting like a king at the center of the sofa. He quickly closed the distance. Seeing him up close, Rojun thought his face somewhat resembled… a weasel? At least, that’s how it felt to him.

“Wow- Number 1! I watched your Farewell performance on the monitor earlier, and I kept thinking, ‘This is insane!’”

He's light. As if a single push could send him flying. Number 10 instinctively stuck close to Kang Rojun.

‘One hundred percent, the camera will focus on this guy. I need to take advantage of that as much as possible!’

It was all to get more screen time. Sure enough, the cameras were capturing the first interaction between the successful contestants. A must-have scene in survival audition shows, the psychological warfare between competitors.

Not that Rojun cared. But he did find people with over-the-top energy, like Number 10, to be exhausting. Unaware of this, Number 10 continued talking rapidly.

“But seeing you up close… Your face is seriously insane??! Ah! Am I not supposed to say that on broadcast? Anyway, what did you think of my performance??”

To be honest, Rojun, tired of waiting, hadn’t really focused on his stage while watching the monitor.

“I enjoyed it too. Your singing.”

“I danced, though??”

“Your dancing.”

“What-?? What dance did I do?"

What dance? Good question. Rojun thought about it for a moment. Then gave up. He decided to just play it off.

“...A intense dance?”

“......”

Number 10 immediately realized.

‘This bastard didn’t watch it.’

Rojun went silent again.

‘Man, I wish he’d go away. He’s draining my energy.’

The cameras were busy capturing this awkward situation, while Number 10 interpreted Rojun’s silence in a completely different way.

‘What an arrogant prick. His personality sucks. He’s just got a god-tier face and can sing a bit, huh? But I’m a better dancer than him.’

Cursing Rojun internally, Number 10 forced a smile and sat down. Right in the middle of the back row, subtly positioning himself as a challenger.

About an hour later.

"Ooooh! The passed contestants' room is awesome!”

The number of successful contestants gradually began to increase. Before they knew it, there were already 15 of them. Out of the 50 contestants in today’s first batch, only half, 25 people, were set to pass. With about 10 slots left, a staff member entered and addressed the successful contestants.

“We’ll take a 30-minute break!!”

The 'Produce That 100!' staff, judges, successful contestants, and eliminated contestants all got a break. During this time, Kang Rojun headed to the restroom.

‘First, let’s check the app.’

His real intention was to check the AI Simulation app. Watching him go, Number 10 whispered to the other successful contestants he had already gotten close to. His target? Kang Rojun.

“Number 1 really has an explosive presence, but after talking to him, his personality kinda sucks.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, he looks at everyone like they’re beneath him. His tone is super condescending… No, more like he’s outright ignoring you.”

Truthfully, every single contestant in that room harbored jealousy and resentment toward Kang Rojun. So they quickly agreed.

“Yeah, I tried saying hi earlier, but he was intimidating. His expression was scary.”

“I mean, just look at him. He’s got that face and he can sing pretty well. But if his personality is bad, he won’t last long.”

“There are plenty of idols who fell from grace because of their shitty personalities.”

They all shared the same underlying thought- If only he wasn’t here…

Meanwhile, Rojun, unconcerned, settled into a toilet stall and opened AI Simulation on his phone.

-[Title: Side Job Tycoon]

-[User: Kang Rojun / Age: 24 / Height: 182.8cm / Desired Occupation: Idol / Side Job: [1] Screenwriter+1 / Coins: 270]

His coin count was approaching 300. It seemed like a lot, yet still felt insufficient.

‘Even with my title increasing my daily coin earnings to six… I can’t just spend recklessly.’

He had barely passed the first audition with Farewell, but from now on, he would have to rely on coins 100%. Surviving with his natural tone-deafness and lack of rhythm was impossible.

‘For now, I should save as much as I can while using them strategically during filming.’

As he scrolled through the app, he suddenly stopped. He had noticed a tiny fluctuation in his Status stats.

-[Appearance (100/100) │ Singing Ability (2.6/100)]

His singing ability had increased from 2.4 to 2.6. A 0.2 increase, something that required spending 2 coins. But Rojun hadn’t spent any.

‘……So stats can increase through real-life effort, not just by using coins?’

Otherwise, it couldn't be explained. Kang Rojun had sung quite a bit recently, including for missions and to practice for this audition variety show.

‘If that’s the case, this isn’t bad at all.’

As his world expanded, he would have more opportunities to improve. His skills would naturally develop over time. This meant he could escape his tone-deaf, rhythm-less state.

‘Of course, I’ll need to spend a ton of coins and put in a lot of effort.’

Feeling slightly stronger, Rojun skimmed through the app a little more before closing it. Next, it was time to check his messages. He had quite a few missed calls and unread texts.

‘What’s this?’

Curious, he opened the first message, and his eyes widened.

‘……?’

His eyes, now full of question marks, were completely justified.

-[Hello, Kang Chul-soo-nim... Your script has been selected as a finalist for the One-Act Drama Script Contest. Please contact us when you see this message.]

That trash writing was selected as a finalist? For a brief moment, Rojun wondered if this was some kind of scam. It had been nothing more than a half-assed script he submitted for a mission.

Stunned, he instinctively.

-Swipe.

Decided to call back.

Meanwhile, at SBC Broadcasting’s Drama Department.

By the window seat, a woman with messy brown hair. No, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was rubbing her sleepy eyes and stretching, perhaps because it was after lunch.

At that moment, a junior assistant director passed in front of her. PD Jung Soo-ryeong immediately called out to stop him.

“Hey, that- who was it again? Ah, Kang Chul-soo, the writer. Did you try contacting him? Why hasn't there been any news?"

The junior assistant director shrugged his shoulders.

“He didn’t answer his phone, so I left a text… But he still hasn’t replied.”

“Still??”

“Yeah. It’s kinda weird. Usually, when new writers hear they’re finalists in a script contest, they come running at just a slight mention.”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong furrowed her brows slightly.

'What's this? Is he ignoring us? No way- surely not.'

She gave her junior another order.

“Call him again.”

“Yes, yes.”

Just as the assistant director picked up his phone.

"Oh? There's a call, who is it?"

Hearing the ringtone, he tilted his head in curiosity and put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, this is Kim Jin-sung… Ah! Yes, yes, writer-nim.”

He then pointed at his phone while mouthing words.

‘It’s that writer, Kang Chul-soo.’

He switched the call to speaker mode so PD Jung Soo-ryeong could hear as well. Through the phone, they heard the voice of Kang Chul-soo- no, Kang Rojun.

"Is it really true that my work was selected as a finalist? This isn't a scam?"

This time, PD Jung Soo-ryeong answered instead of her junior.

“Hello, this is PD Jung Soo-ryeong from the SBC Drama Department. No, it’s not a scam. Your script is actually a finalist. I can send you my business card if you need proof.”

“That script? Why…?”

“What do you mean, why? Because it was well written?"

"Well written?"

“Yes. Anyway, we should discuss this in more detail during a meeting. Are you free today?”

“That’s… difficult.”

“Difficult?”

“Yes. I’ll get back to you later. I have some things to take care of right now. I’m sorry.”

-Click.

The call ended abruptly.

At this, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the assistant director blinked in confusion. Then, PD Jung Soo-ryeong let out a short laugh.

“What the hell? Don't tell me he's backing out?"

About three hours later.

The filming for the first batch of 50 contestants had started early in the morning and was finally wrapping up by late afternoon. The passed contestants' room was now filled with 25 contestants, including Kang Rojun, as members from the first and second waiting rooms had merged. Likewise, the failed contestants' waiting room also had 25 people.

But there was still one more thing left to shoot.

In the failed contestants' waiting room , PD Woo Han-suk announced it casually.

“In 30 minutes, you will compete in the Revival Round. You’re free to showcase whatever you want. Out of you all, 10 can survive.”

In other words, out of the 50 contestants in the first batch, a total of 35 would pass. The eliminated contestants immediately became fired up. With that handled, PD Woo Han-suk moved to the passed contestants' waiting room. This briefing would take a bit longer. Entering with cameras rolling, PD Woo Han-suk scanned the contestants sitting on the sofas before his gaze landed on Kang Rojun. Then, he spoke.

“Before I go over the next steps, all successful contestants will need to choose their training category before the second evaluation. You can pick Vocal, Dance, or Rap. You can choose to improve your weakest area, or you can focus on strengthening your strong suit. Of course, the trainers are all well-known and highly respected.”

The contestants murmured among themselves. However, Kang Rojun.

“……”

Showed no change in expression. Seeing this, PD Woo Han-suk smiled slightly.

“But for the next evaluation, you won’t have the freedom to choose your performance. We’ll assign it to you. The format, of course, is a secret.”

In other words, they wouldn’t know what they’d be doing, so they had to choose wisely. Their selection could be helpful, or completely useless.

“I’ll give you 10 minutes to decide.”

The 10 minutes passed in a flash. When PD Woo Han-suk returned, tablet in hand, he began.

“We’ll start with the last contestant to pass- Number 48.”

“I’ll go with vocal training.”

“Vocal training confirmed.”

One by one, the successful contestants announced their choices. Some chose vocals, others picked dance, and a few opted for rap. Eventually.

“Alright, last up- Number 1.”

It was Kang Rojun’s turn.

PD Woo Han-suk was genuinely curious. What would this monster choose?

‘His vocals are already top-tier, so there’s a high chance he’ll pick something else.’

The staff, cameras, and all the contestants turned their eyes toward Kang Rojun.

After a brief silence.

“……”

He calmly answered.

“I won’t be taking any training.”

*****

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