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

The intro of 'break' resonated throughout the grand hall embracing the stage. As the gradually fragmented beats grew louder, the once-dark stage lit up with bright lights.

-♬♪

At the center of the stage stood Ha-young, dressed in a tight-fitting short-sleeve top and loose jeans. She started by lightly swaying her shoulders. The contestant number 10, who was supposed to perform in the first verse, was not visible yet. Just then, a powerful drum sound signaled the beginning of the verse, striking the ears intensely.

Ha-young’s movements, which had only been gentle shoulder sways, grew larger.

Her arms and legs moved with sharp precision to the rap beat. Powerful motions, her long hair naturally fluttering with each movement.

The five judges observed her closely.

They exchanged a few brief remarks.

"Ha-young is really good."

"I heard she’s the best in choreography within the team."

At that moment, the intense rhythm softened again, changing the atmosphere. The stage lighting also shifted in color, and from the side, contestant number 10, with his striking red hair, slowly walked onto the stage where Ha-young had been performing alone.

-♬♪

A brief moment of eye contact between Ha-young and number 10.

Then, as the beat fragmented, they moved closer to each other, with Ha-young in front and number 10 behind her. They made a gesture as if bowing in greeting, facing forward.

As the beat intensified, both showcased a powerful dance routine.

Ha-young amplified the energy by strongly bouncing her chest and shoulders forward, while number 10 added grandeur with similar but larger movements. As the beat accelerated, number 10’s tremors intensified, and he suddenly wrapped his arms around Ha-young from behind. Within this enclosed space, Ha-young performed an intense, struggling motion as if trying to break free.

Watching this from the side of the stage was Kang Rojun.

'......Sss- this is nerve-wracking.'

A chill ran down his spine. A nameless tension and pressure. However, rather than fear or dread, it was more like a surge of adrenaline and an overwhelming thrill making his body restless. Rojun clenched and unclenched his fists, wiping the sweat from his palms onto his pants.

'It’s fine, just go with the mindset of enjoying it, regardless of winning or losing.'

So what? It was just the second evaluation round, and the audience barely exceeded a hundred people. Rojun reassured himself while getting absorbed in the flashing stage lights.

Soon, he felt his pounding heart synchronizing with the pulsating beat.

Meanwhile, Ha-young and number 10 moved with even richer, more fluid motions.

The choreography of 'break' was aggressive yet intricate.

The female part was meticulous and detailed, while the male part was explosive with grand movements. If there were backup dancers, the performance would have been even more defined, but the stage only had the two of them. Even so, it didn’t feel lacking.

At least, that’s what the judges thought.

'For sure- number 10 has the qualities of a natural dancer.'

'The duet performance isn’t bad. His movements are clean and sharp with no unnecessary hesitation. The only drawback is that he feels a bit too conventional? Well, expecting more at this stage would be too much anyway.'

Before anyone realized it, Ha-young and number 10, who had been positioned front and back, now stood side by side. They performed similar but slightly different choreography, then swapped positions with each other.

As the routine intensified, the stage lights flickered abruptly, followed by a warning sound.

-♬♪

The first verse ended, leading into a short instrumental break.

Once this break was over, the second verse would begin. The beat slightly quickened, blending with the warning sound. Ha-young and the wildly moving number 10 naturally retreated to the back of the stage.

-Swish.

And once again, Ha-young stood alone on stage.

A light sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead. But she casually brushed back her hair and continued dancing. As the flashing stage lights became almost blinding.

-Paht.

Ha-young, who had been moving intensely, suddenly slowed down her shoulder and leg movements. A motion as if walking forward.

One step, two steps.

Among the hundred or so staff members positioned behind the judges, PD Woo Han-suk stood with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue.

'Now it’s Kang Rojun’s turn. How will he handle it? Will he try to act natural despite his inexperience? Or will he look awkward but give it his all?'

Number 10 had already passed the first evaluation round with his dance skills, so his level of performance was somewhat expected. But Kang Rojun was different. Beyond his vocal performance, he had yet to prove anything. He had only caused trouble by skipping training.

And so, before Kang Rojun appeared, the judges thought.

'Was he the real deal, or was it just reckless bravado? Let’s find out.'

Everyone fixed their eyes on the stage with sharp anticipation.

'Even if he practiced on his own without training, just doing decently well won’t be enough to break the perception people already have of him.'

Of course, deep down, a small seed of doubt had taken root in everyone’s minds.

'Honestly, I don’t think he’ll do well. But rather than dancing awkwardly, it’d be more entertaining if he completely crashed and burned. It’d humble him a bit, too.'

In the waiting rooms, dozens of contestants watching the stage through the monitors silently wished for the same thing.

'Mess up. Please, just mess up.'

His striking visuals and outstanding vocal skills were more than enough. He didn’t need to evolve into an even bigger overpowered character. No one dared to say it out loud, but all of them were secretly hoping for Kang Rojun’s downfall.

And then.

-♬♪

The warning sound that had been ringing out shifted into a beat as Ha-young, who had been walking slowly, turned her body. A single beam of light shone toward the side of the stage. There stood Kang Rojun, his black hair gleaming under the light.

He made a gesture as if dusting off his loose-fitting short-sleeve shirt.

Ha-young shrugged her shoulders.

Rojun ran both hands through his black hair, then took a large, deliberate step forward. Matching the warning sound beat, he repeated the motion a couple of times. Then, he let out a faint smile, his steps fluid as he strolled toward the center of the stage.

And then.

-♬♪

The dragged-out rap of 'break' suddenly picked up speed, and Kang Rojun moved past Ha-young, who stood at the center. A wave rippled naturally through his body, starting from his head, flowing through his face, chest, and legs. Then, he spread his arms wide, brought them back in, and propelled himself forward a few steps.

This time, a wave from his legs to his head.

Just as the movement reached the tip of his head, an explosive sound rang out, signaling the climax of the beat. Kang Rojun extended his arms and legs wide, shaking them side to side as he launched into a powerful dance sequence.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

He didn’t forget to stomp the floor forcefully with one foot in rhythm. After a few seconds of his solo performance, Rojun turned his body.

Waiting behind him, subtly bouncing her shoulders, was Ha-young.

Kang Rojun extended a hand toward her.

He pulled Ha-young forward, sending her to the front.

Now it was Ha-young’s solo.

Rojun, who had been standing still behind her, matched his timing to her movements, mirroring her steps. The second verse wasn’t just intense, it had intermittent, fluid walking motions mixed in, making the choreography full of variations.

But Kang Rojun and Ha-young adjusted their strides to match each other, staying in sync.

The stage lights flickered between blue, orange, and red in a chaotic display. As the colors shifted, Ha-young and Kang Rojun’s movements accelerated.

Especially Rojun, his expression gradually became completely immersed in the moment.

He could feel it himself.

'This is… fun.'

His body moved exactly as he wanted. Now that he was beginning to enjoy the stage, his vision expanded, his synchronization with his partner brought a rush of satisfaction, and his rapid breathing fueled his adrenaline, making him feel capable of anything.

This, in turn, gave him a sense of ease.

It made him forget that this was an evaluation.

He was playing. Kang Rojun was playing right now.

And that feeling was reflected in his expression. His face naturally broke into occasional smiles, and he confidently leaned into the cameras approaching him.

Camera work? What did he care?

He simply looked because it was there.

Then.

-[“brake! brake! brake! brake!”]

The word 'break' echoed repeatedly across the entire stage, and Kang Rojun and Ha-young, who had been dancing intensely, gradually reduced their movements.

They were reaching the end.

Soon, Rojun strolled across the stage with loose, fluid steps.

"This guy......"

PD Woo Han-suk, who had unknowingly parted his lips slightly, couldn’t take his eyes off the stage.

"Is he really... a monster?"

He hadn’t seen this coming at all. He never expected Kang Rojun to be this overwhelming even in dance.

“He moves so effortlessly, yet his control of intensity is perfect. And that insane visual? It gives him total stage dominance. He even has a distinct dance style of his own.”

At this point, only one word filled PD Woo Han-suk’s mind.

'He's a star. There’s no way the audience won’t fall for this.'

Even PD Woo Han-suk, who had been directing audition variety shows for over a decade, was captivated by Kang Rojun’s overwhelming presence. And the hundred or so staff members around him? They had already fallen under his spell.

“D-Damn, he’s insanely good.”

“His hair, makeup, and outfit are natural, but why does he look so flashy?”

“Wow- this is crazy… this is legendary.”

“Even as a guy, I have to admit, that’s impressive.”

The one most shocked, however, was contestant number 10, standing off to the side of the stage with his red hair.

“......”

No, for number 10, it wasn’t just shock, it was closer to despair, maybe even complete defeat.

'…This is insane. No, fuck! This is way too unfair!!'

But none of that mattered. Kang Rojun and Ha-young continued dancing to the repeated rap.

-[“brake! brake! brake! brake! brake!”]

They were finishing up the performance.

And then.

-Paht!

The intersecting lights focused on the center of the stage, illuminating Rojun and Ha-young as they stood side by side. The music cut off abruptly.

“Haa- hahh.”

Both let out ragged breaths, but their faces were filled with satisfaction.

A brief silence settled over the massive stage.

-Clap. Clap. Clap.

A few seconds later, the sound of clapping came from the judges’ seats.

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

The applause grew louder, filling the entire hall.

It was an honest ovation from all five judges, some of whom were too awestruck to hide their amazement.

"Huh- That was crazy."

A moment later.

As the stage settled, Kang Rojun, Ha-young, and number 10 stood in a line, having completed their 'break' performance. Now, it was time for evaluations. But since earlier, the five judges had been whispering to each other in pure admiration.

Of course, all of it was about Kang Rojun.

It took a few dozen seconds before they finally composed themselves. The first to pick up the mic was choreographer Lee Han-na.

"It was a really cool performance. Um- first of all, Ha-young, you did a great job maintaining control in the performance. And number 10, your clean movements and natural switches really showed that you know how to use your body.”

Ha-young and number 10 bowed in unison.

“Thank you.”

Then, Lee Han-na’s gaze landed on Kang Rojun.

“But you know… the moment contestant number 1 stepped in- No, look, I work with professionals all the time, and I frequently perform alongside them. But out of all the performances I’ve seen recently, number 1’s ranks at the top.”

Kang Rojun bowed as well. But Lee Han-na wasn’t finished.

“Number 1, your dance lines are absolutely unique. Smooth yet loose, but still incredibly clear and defined. Your control over speed and intensity is impeccable. You completely killed it. With skills like that, no wonder you skipped training.”

Next was veteran singer Yoon Seung-won.

“Okay, number 1. You’re amazing at vocals and dancing? What the hell do you even lack?? Even your eye contact and expressions were perfect. Are you living your second life or something?”

The other judges nodded vigorously in agreement.

“For me, more than the choreography, it was your overwhelming presence. Your aura. The way you carried yourself on stage. Starting from the middle of the performance, that expression, like you were having the time of your life, that multiplied your charm by several levels. Seriously, Lee Da-mi and Gong Joo-mi were losing it.”

“Agh, seriously! Number 1 was completely sexy up there, I'm telling you??"

Then, the chubby composer Song Min-geun picked up the mic.

“I owe you an apology, number 1. Honestly, I thought you were just playing the villain role and that your dancing would be trash. But I was completely wrong. I was so mesmerized that I just sat back and enjoyed it. I’m really looking forward to what you do next.”

As the flood of praise continued, Ha-young glanced at Rojun, standing beside her on stage.

'I totally get why the judges are obsessed. Even I almost got drawn in. If you only saw today’s performance, he’s just a full-fledged idol, no question about it.'

To Ha-young, number 10 was no longer even in the picture. Sensing this shift, number 10 bit his lower lip. Because from the moment the evaluations began, no one had mentioned him at all.

'Augh- shit!! Damn it!'

Sensing number 10’s reaction, Gong Joo-mi, a former girl group member and now a musical actress, picked up the mic.

“Hm, before we make the final decision between number 1 and number 10, can I make a sudden request? This might actually be an opportunity for both of you. Would you be able to swap your first and second verse parts and perform again?”

Number 10 immediately looked flustered.

"......What??"

“What? Is it too difficult?”

“Ah, no, it’s just-”

“What about you, number 1?”

Kang Rojun simply nodded.

“I’m fine with it.”

All five judges were visibly surprised.

“You’re fine with it? You’re saying you can switch dance parts right now and still perform?”

“Yes.”

“Hah- alright, number 10?”

“I-I’ll do it too!!”

“Okay, let’s get started right away.”

The production team, as if they had been expecting this, swiftly reset the stage. Ha-young seemed a little taken aback but quickly adapted. And just like that, 'break' started playing once again.

-♬♪

This time, Kang Rojun appeared in the first verse.

‘I should give myself credit for learning the entire choreography.’

Of course, his impact was just as powerful as when he performed the second verse.

Because he had mastered the entire 'break' choreography perfectly.

In the second verse, number 10 entered. But with his red hair swaying, he almost tripped on his very first step. On top of that, since he wasn’t completely familiar with the second verse’s choreography, he kept making mistakes in his movements.

As a result.

“That was disappointing, number 10.”

The five judges gave their verdict.

“I choose number 1.”

“I’ll go with number 1.”

“Anyone can see that number 1 completely dominated.”

“Number 1.”

“I choose number 1 as well.”

All of them, every single one, chose Kang Rojun. Even among the hundred or so staff members, though they didn’t openly show it, every gaze was locked onto him.

‘Honestly, the skill gap was just on another level.’

Even Ha-young, who had shared the stage with them, picked Rojun without hesitation.

‘I choose number 1 too. No doubt about it.’

It was a perfect all-kill.

*****

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