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

The ‘Theme Studio Campus’ in Paju. Boasting an enormous site, this was the filming location for 'Produce That 100!'. In other words, it was where the production crew would be stationed until the broadcast ended. However, they hadn’t rented out the entire Theme Studio Campus.

They had only secured a large hall, a few studios, a training center, and accommodations.

Regardless, Kang Rojun arrived at the entrance, where the 'Produce That 100!' production staff had gathered.

-Swish.

Two men who had arrived before him, that is, two contestants, were standing in line. Sensing something, Rojun took the third spot. Soon, the two contestants ahead of him glanced at Kang Rojun.

‘He seems to have some height, but judging by his eyes alone, his looks are just average.’

‘His face probably isn’t bad... but he’s shorter than me.’

They couldn’t make a clear judgment. All three of them, including Rojun, were wearing white masks. Of course, Kang Rojun also quickly scanned the two men in front of him.

‘Whoa- his hair is yellow. If he dyes it that often, his hair’s gonna fall out like crazy. Isn’t he scared??’

'Well, they did say they didn't only recruit contestants from Korea, so there might be foreigners.'

For reference, the reason why Kang Rojun and the others were wearing white masks was due to a request from the 'Produce That 100!' production team. Apparently, their faces were to remain undisclosed until the official evaluation. Anyway, while Rojun was observing the other contestants.

“Okay, roll the cameras!”

One of the staff members near the entrance gave the signal. A familiar face to Kang Rojun.

‘That’s the person I saw during the insert shoot last time.’

Following the signal from the staff member, who was part of the directing team, the cameras that had been filming the scenery and entrance in advance started moving. One camera focused on the entrance, another on Kang Rojun, another from a different angle, and so on. At this point, a female staff member addressed the contestants standing in line.

“Today, we’re filming Group 1! The cameras are already rolling, but just act as if they’re not there and follow the instructions given! Now, first contestant, please enter!”

Kang Rojun tensed up as he glanced at the camera filming him from two steps away.

‘How am I supposed to act like the cameras aren’t there when they clearly are?? This is crazy hard from the start.’

Meanwhile, the first contestant stepped forward and calmly passed through the large entrance. A camera captured his back. A few minutes later, the second contestant received the signal to proceed. Around that time, a few more contestants had arrived behind Rojun.

“Next! Please enter!”

It was Kang Rojun’s turn. He walked awkwardly. Thankfully, he had the mask on. If not, his awkward expression would have been vividly captured by the cameras. After passing through the entrance and walking about ten steps, the vast interior of the campus unfolded before Rojun’s eyes.

‘Wow- what is this place? I didn’t know a place like this existed in Korea.’

European-style buildings and parks were scattered throughout, and there was even a bus stop inside. It felt less like a campus and more like a small city. Of course, the roads were filled with staff and cameras set up in various locations.

For a moment, Rojun recalled the school trip he had taken in middle school.

‘It feels kinda similar.’

The anticipation and nervousness before everything began felt almost the same. Just how much money did they pour into renting a place this massive? While Rojun was having meaningless thoughts, he noticed that the contestants who had entered earlier were boarding a waiting bus. A staff member standing in front of the bus spotted him and gave a brief explanation.

“Get on. You can sit wherever you’d like.”

Rojun responded and climbed onto the bus. The contestants who had boarded earlier were seated in a row by the window at the back. Rojun quickly scanned the interior of the bus.

‘The things attached up there, are those cameras??’

At least six small cameras were installed on the ceiling of the bus. It was clear the production team intended to capture every second, every moment. Feeling even more tense, Rojun settled into a middle window seat. And then, he was startled.

‘Whoa- shit, even here??!’

There was a camera positioned directly in front of his face. With so many cameras, how was he supposed to pretend they weren’t there? Feeling awkward, Rojun shifted his gaze uncomfortably before ultimately turning to look out the window.

The bus departed once about twenty contestants had boarded.

“......”

“......”

It was quiet. No one opened their mouth. The only exceptions were a few contestants who found the silence unbearable and started small talk with their seatmates.

"Where are you from?"

"Seoul."

"Ah- I'm from Yongin."

Me too! I'm from Yongin as well! Kang Rojun mentally responded but held his tongue. Soon, the bus stopped in front of a building. Stepping out, he immediately noticed that the size and atmosphere of the building were unusual, with many staff members present. Cameras quickly zoomed in, and instructions followed from behind.

"Please enter the lobby one by one!"

A line formed again. Rojun was fifth in line. Meanwhile, the cameras panned across the waiting contestants. Just as Kang Rojun was taking in his surroundings and observing the building ahead.

"Next, please enter!"

It was Rojun’s turn. He climbed the gray stairs and was met with a fairly spacious lobby. About six staff members were waiting inside. To the side, a black box was placed on a desk. As Rojun approached, a familiar face suddenly popped up.

"Come this way!"

It was the highly-energetic writer, Kim Se-hee. She recognized Kang Rojun right away, despite his mask, and playfully winked with one eye. Don't do that. It was strangely funny. Struggling to suppress his laughter, Rojun listened as Kim Se-hee explained.

"Keep your mask on, and now, pick a ball from this box!"

She pointed to the black box beside her. Rojun reached inside. It felt full of ping pong balls. After stirring them around for a moment, he pulled one out. A number was written on it.

"1?"

Rojun had drawn number 1. For some reason, Kim Se-hee looked slightly surprised.

"Ah- ah, number 1??"

Rojun, puzzled, asked back.

"Yeah, why? Is there a problem?"

"...Huh? Ahaha, no, no problem at all! Anyway, from now on, you will be referred to as Contestant number 1!"

Just 1 instead of his name? The other contestants were probably assigned numbers in the same way. Meaning, from now on, this number was his identity. Before Rojun could fully process how his name had vanished in an instant, Kim Se-hee handed him something, a name tag with the number ‘1’ on it.

"Please pin this to your chest!"

After attaching the numbered name tag, Rojun gave a small nod to Kim Se-hee and.

-Swish.

He followed the signs and walked ahead.

His destination was ‘Waiting Room 1’, located midway down the hallway. Inside, a few contestants who had arrived earlier were already seated. More than 20 chairs were spaced out, and at the front was a large monitor. Several staff members were also present, and as expected, cameras were mounted on the ceiling and throughout the room.

"......"

Reading the atmosphere, Kang Rojun walked toward the first seat at the front. As expected, the chair had a large number ‘1’ attached to it. Since he was contestant number 1, this must be his designated seat. Sitting down, he looked at the monitor ahead. A logo was displayed on the screen.

- Produce That 100!

The slight nervousness that had faded momentarily came rushing back into Rojun’s chest. Around this time, outside, Kim Se-hee suddenly remembered Kang Rojun and radioed PD Woo Han-suk.

"PD-nim! Rojun picked number 1!"

PD Woo Han-suk sounded surprised as he responded.

"Number 1??! Of all the numbers, he had to pick number 1-"

About an hour later, at the SBC Drama Department.

A meeting room with a ㄷ-shaped conference table. The time was around 10 a.m. Several PDs were seated inside, piles of documents stacked in front of them. One male PD yawned loudly and broke the silence.

"Everyone’s busy, so let’s get this over with quickly."

The meeting began immediately. The topic was brought up by the same male PD.

"The one-act drama contest is such a pain every year. Ugh- just start by naming the scripts you picked."

This was the selection meeting for the winners of the 33rd SBC One-Act Drama Script Contest. However, the PDs' expressions showed a clear sense of indifference and half-heartedness.

"I chose this one. The Night of Lost Memories."

"Oh- I picked that one too. The thriller elements aren’t bad, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Doesn’t seem like a newbie wrote it."

Even though they found it bothersome, once the meeting officially began, the PDs quickly focused. Discussions flew back and forth, some scripts were good, others were ambiguous, some weren’t bad but not great either, and some PDs outright dismissed all the submissions. In an instant, several one-act scripts were eliminated.

At that moment, a female PD with brown hair tied back spoke up.

"Wasn't this year a total drought? But I did find one decent script. Rental Lover. I thought it was fun."

The other PDs reacted.

"Oh, PD Jung Soo-ryeong, I thought you wouldn't even bother reading it, but you actually did?"

"Shut up. Who else thought Rental Lover was good?"

"Me. It was a bit rough, but it was a decent read. By the way, the writer’s name is Kang Chul-soo, probably a pen name, right?"

"Most likely. But it could be his real name too. Anyway, while reading Rental Lover, I thought it was really unconventional. The idea was solid."

"Wow, high praise from PD Jung. That’s rare."

From there, deeper discussions among the PDs unfolded. Despite their casual approach, their veteran expertise was evident. The meeting wrapped up after about thirty minutes.

"Okay, so the final candidates are 'The Night of Lost Memories', 'Fake Family', and 'Rental Lover'. I'll send the report to the higher-ups."

"Appreciate it."

"Let’s have our staff contact the writers, meet with them, and then pick the final winner."

For reference, the annual SBC One-Act Drama Script Contest guaranteed production for the first-place (Grand Prize) and second-place (Excellence Award) winners. Unfortunately, third place only received prize money. As the PDs began tidying up, one of them turned to Jung Soo-ryeong, who had picked Rental Lover.

"Since you pushed for it, you should handle the meeting with Kang Chul-soo, the writer of Rental Lover."

Scratching her messy hair, she replied indifferently.

"Fine."

She made a mental guess.

'Judging by the rough writing style, the writer is probably some middle-aged guy.'

Back at the Theme Studio Campus in Paju

The filming for 'Produce That 100!' Group 1 had officially begun. Meanwhile, inside Waiting Room 1, Kang Rojun wasn’t feeling nervous, he was just bored out of his mind.

'This is seriously boring. Is it really right to wait for almost 2 hours??'

He had been sitting idly for nearly two hours. Of course, filming was inherently a series of waiting and delays, but having never experienced this before, Rojun found it exhausting.

'Seems like almost all contestants are seated, how much longer do we have to wait?'

Just as he thought, the 25 chairs in Waiting Room 1 were now fully occupied with contestants, all wearing white masks. Not a single seat was empty. Since Group 1 had 50 contestants, there was likely another waiting room as well, but the process was taking far too long. Some contestants, seemingly as drained as Rojun, were humming songs or practicing choreography in one corner of the room.

At that moment.

-Bzzzzz.

Rojun felt a vibration. His phone in his pocket and the smartwatch on his wrist. Phones weren’t strictly prohibited, but they had been advised to limit their use. Carefully, Rojun checked his smartwatch. His eyes widened slightly.

An alert from the AI Simulation app had appeared.

-[The title ‘Side Job Tycoon’ has met its conditions and is now activated!]

Suddenly? But that wasn’t the only notification.

-[With the activation of the title ‘Side Job Tycoon’, an additional bonus coin has been granted for mission rewards.]

-[(Each title can be enhanced up to +5, and title-based bonus coins can increase up to 5.)]

-[(The maximum number of mission reward coins is 50.)]

Staring at the pop-up, Rojun blinked. He had already received 30 coins as a reward from a title mission. There had been no mention of the Side Job Tycoon title at that time, so he had brushed it off without thinking.

'This really came out of nowhere.'

Now, suddenly, the 'Side Job Tycoon' title was being applied. His focus shifted to the mission coins.

'So if a title is active, I get bonus coins? And I can enhance the title too?'

Rojun glanced around before accessing the AI Simulation app on his smartwatch. Though not as detailed as on his phone, a simplified interface appeared. The first noticeable changes were.

-[User: Kang Rojun / Age: 24 / Height: 182.8 cm / Desired Occupation: Idol / Side Job: [1] Screenwriter +1 / Coins: 250]

His total coins had increased by one, and a new side job had appeared. Soon, he tapped on the ‘Mission’ button. Everything looked the same except for one additional line of text.

-[Mission attempts available: 5/5]

-[Title Bonus Coins: +1]

After a brief moment of thought, Rojun came to a conclusion.

'So basically, the title is just a straight-up bonus. Normally, without missions that give 5 or 10 coins, I get a base of 5 coins per day. But with a title attached, I get an extra bonus coin, making it 6 in total.'

If a title is enhanced, it can provide up to 5 bonus coins per title. Meaning, if he had a +5 title, he’d be earning 10 coins daily, including the bonus.

'Base coins aside, if I have five +5 titles, that’s 25 extra coins just from bonuses.'

In other words, titles weren’t a one-time thing. If used well, Kang Rojun could maximize his daily earnings to 50 coins.

'This is a goldmine. But how do I enhance a title? Well, I’ll figure it out once I start using them.'

He still had no idea why it had suddenly been applied, but if a simple trash draft led to this effect, it was a huge win. A faint smirk naturally formed under his mask.

At that moment.

-Swish.

A male staff member stepped to the front of the waiting room where a large monitor was mounted. The filming crew became even busier. Seeing this, all 25 contestants returned to their seats, and the man in front glanced at his tablet before speaking with authority.

"You’ve all received your numbered name tags, correct? From now on, you will be addressed by that number."

His voice was clear and precise, likely intended for broadcast.

"During the filming of 'Produce That 100!', you should consider the number you received as your name. It will not change."

As he operated the tablet, his tone became more serious.

"Additionally, this number determines your audition order."

A murmur rippled through the waiting room.

"Of course, the broadcast editing will mix up the order, but during the actual recording, auditions will proceed strictly by the assigned numbers."

Soon, the staff member and various cameras turned their attention toward a single contestant.

"......"

The one sitting quietly, Number 1. Or rather, Kang Rojun.

In an instant, the gazes of the other contestants were filled with sympathy, pity, and even a touch of mourning.

'Whew- thank god, I was praying not to be first. That poor guy.'

'Damn, the pressure must be insane. Being first- Talk about bad luck.'

'Ugh- going first is the worst. If you don’t make an impact, people will forget you as the audition progresses. Poor guy.'

'If he’s just average, he’ll be completely overlooked.'

Naturally, ‘Number 1’ Kang Rojun was internally freaking out.

'I'm going first??'

Meanwhile, some distance away from the waiting room, PD Woo Han-suk stood surrounded by staff near the massive stage. He was also thinking about Kang Rojun. Letting out a deep sigh, he muttered under his breath.

"Kang Rojun is going first? …Whew, the ones coming after him are screwed."

*****

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