The moment Kang Rojun crossed the hall of the 'Rental Lover' production presentation, even while the hundred or so reporters frantically pressed their camera shutters,

-Pababababak!

they could only click their tongues at Rojun’s ridiculous face.

"This is crazy, is that face even real??"

“......That just doesn’t make sense.”

“Wow- just incredible, huh???”

“He’s way more overwhelming in person than when he appeared on ‘Produce That 100!’”

“That’s what I’m saying. He’s damn ridiculously handsome.”

“Even on TV he was unbelievable... but seeing him in person, I get why people say he’s not human.”

They were entertainment reporters who thoroughly understood how things worked in this field. However, the monstrous visuals they were witnessing now were a fresh shock they had never experienced before.

On top of that.

“Look at those relaxed eyes, his posture and demeanor are also upright. That air of nonchalance, like he doesn’t give a damn about being nervous, makes him even more charismatic??”

“Is he really a guy who hasn’t even debuted yet???”

“......He’s lived with that face for over 20 years. Of course his confidence would be fully charged.”

“Phew- this is flustering.”

Maybe it was because Kang Rojun’s appearance was so bold, but question marks popped up among the hundred or so reporters. On the other hand, Kang Rojun himself was.

‘Argh!! It’s too blinding!!!’

Struggling. It was his first time seeing a hundred reporters, and thanks to the exploding flashes, he could barely see ahead. But he didn’t lose his faint eye-smile or composure.

‘Focus, focus!!’

The advice PD Jung Soo-ryeong had given him before entering helped. Advice along the lines of “Once you go in, don’t do anything else, just smile”. For Rojun, who was nervous, that became the final goal.

Smile while looking at the reporters.

Since the goal was simple, it felt doable.

It caused a misunderstanding among the reporters, making it seem like he was relaxed, but so what? Kang Rojun’s unrivaled visual was shining brighter than ever, so there was no problem. In fact, dozens of the female reporters in the hall were mesmerized.

“.......”

“.......”

Some even forgot to take photos and just stared blankly at Rojun. Seeing the mesmerized reporters, PD Jung Soo-ryeong, already on stage, smirked knowingly.

“They’re charmed, for sure.”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong, a veteran in the drama world, recalled the first time she saw Kang Rojun. She had been so shocked she had sworn out loud.

‘The moment you see Writer Rojun, it feels like time stops. It was the same for me. Kind of like Rojun Magic? That sort of thing.’

Rojun Magic. No matter who the other person is, once they see Kang Rojun’s face, they go blank. Among those currently experiencing that Rojun Magic, a female reporter with glasses who had claimed to be an idol industry expert immediately changed her mind.

“......He’s insane, really. Forget actor aura and all that, no one can compare in front of that overwhelming visual.”

Meanwhile, with PD Jung Soo-ryeong and Choi Rina and the other actors standing in front in order, Kang Rojun, the last to enter, also reached the stage.

'I made it, it felt like a hundred years, seriously.'

The entire scene until now, of course, was being broadcast vividly in real-time.

-[LIVE] 'Rental Lover' Production Presentation! Live Streaming!!

The viewer count, which had been in the thousands before the start, had already surpassed tens of thousands. The chat window, which had been rowdy since Choi Rina and the actors appeared, was now.

-???? fuck he's really crazy handsome

-I’m... not even a fan... but this feels like a live-action fantasy novel....

-The moment Rojun entered, I honestly swore ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋwow ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋsuper handsome

-Today Rojun's hair and makeup is perfectㅠㅠㅜㅠㅠHe already has a heavenly face without doing anything, but if he dresses up like this, what am I supposed to do!!

-Just a crazy bastard

-When Rojun gets serious he just turns the actors into squidsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

A nuclear bomb had dropped.

-What are we supposed to do with those decadent eyes???

-Good looks are obvious, but the person himself is just super sexyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Wow, seriously sooooooo fucking handsome

-I’m a guy and I got goosebumps

-This entrance scene has to be in the TOP3, no question!!

-He’s so absurdly handsome I literally let out a laughㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅠㅜah I really want to go there and see him in person

A total pandemonium situation.

Especially because they were fans who had only ever seen 'Produce That 100!', they became even more crazy seeing Kang Rojun appearing for another schedule. And when Rojun finally reached the stage.

“Writer-nim?”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong, seated by the first chair, called out to Kang Rojun.

“Writer Rojun, over here.”

She meant for him not to stand at the end but to come over beside her. Nodding, Rojun moved to the second chair, and Choi Rina and the actors shifted one seat each. Once the seating arrangement was suitably adjusted, famous comedian Hwang Seok-gu, who was hosting the event, shouted out.

“Okay! Then we’ll begin the production presentation for ‘Rental Lover’! First, let’s introduce our main cast!”

The hundred or so reporters who had been pressing their shutters like crazy finally began to calm down. Soon, the handheld mic was passed to PD Jung Soo-ryeong.

“Hello, I’m Jung Soo-ryeong, the director of ‘Rental Lover'."

After finishing her short greeting, she handed the mic to Kang Rojun seated beside her. He stood up from his chair, bowed deeply, and spoke in a low voice.

“I’m Rojun, the writer of ‘Rental Lover'."

Once again, the live chat window exploded in activity. And the reporters seated closest to the stage.

-Swish.

looked at the other male actors in 'Rental Lover', then turned their gazes back to the standing Rojun. As if on cue, they all scoffed quietly.

"Those male actors who made a living off their faces look like ordinary people."

At the same moment.

The live broadcast of the 'Rental Lover' production presentation was overflowing with viewers. Especially over at the 'Produce That 100!' campus, where people were considered closest to Kang Rojun, there was utter chaos.

“Wow- it’s really Rojun hyung!!”

“Crazy. He was already crazy before, but now that he’s dressed up, he completely crushes the other actors??”

“It’s kind of amazing but also makes me jealous-”

Some watched from the practice room, others from the lounge, and some from their rooms. Currently, all of them were participants who had received the next special mission, and while engrossed in various rehearsals, they were watching the live broadcast. Of course, even those in the same room as Rojun, 58Si-hoo, 46Kang Min, and 26Do-kyung, paused their practice and glued their faces to their phones.

26Do-kyung, with his lifeless tone, spoke up first.

“He’s cool. When he's called a writer, it adds another layer to him.”

46Kang Min, who was exotically handsome, added.

“But really, Rojun hyung is a total cheat character. Technically, this is already a debut, right?”

“Still, debuting as an idol is different. Rojun hyung said being a writer is just his side job.”

58Si-hoo let out a soft sigh.

“Let’s stop watching and get back to practice. If I keep watching Rojun, I just get intimidated. From my experience, you have to literally practice like you’re dying just to barely keep up with Rojun.”

“......”

“......”

Both 26Do-kyung and 46Kang Min, having gone through the Rojun experience themselves, nodded in agreement and turned off their phones. Around the time they resumed practice, the 'Produce That 100!' team members, including PD Woo Han-suk, also stopped editing and started watching the live broadcast.

The writers’ reactions were especially intense.

“Yup, Rojun-ssi is just devouring them with his visuals.”

“Ugh- but seeing Rojun-ssi over there makes me feel proud and kind of sad.”

“Why? Feels like he’s been taken away??”

“A bit??”

“Whatever, let’s take tons of screenshots. It’s our Writer Rojun’s debut day!”

Glancing at the writers, PD Woo Han-suk muttered to himself.

‘If they hear about the 'Lover No. 4' thing, they’re gonna be so shocked they’ll throw up.’

Other broadcasting stations were also closely watching the 'Rental Lover' production presentation. Not only them, judges like Song Min-geun from 'Produce That 100!', veteran singer Park Hyun-jung, and various celebrities connected to Rojun were too.

Above all, the dozens of entertainment companies invited to the 4th evaluation.

“Man- Rojun is really a beast, a true beast. The visual is one thing, but this whole setup is just so novel.”

“That’s why CEO-nim keeps going on and on about Rojun.”

“......Phew- but honestly, I want him like crazy too.”

They drooled excessively while watching Kang Rojun live. Despite not having even debuted yet and not even being a trainee, Kang Rojun’s impact was colossal.

Japan wasn’t much different either.

The Japanese fans who had already gotten the information were storming into the live broadcast. In fact, quite a few Japanese messages were appearing in the exploding chat window. Their reactions were that it didn’t matter whether they knew a little Korean or none at all. The Japanese fans simply wanted to see Kang Rojun as a writer.

Meanwhile, at the hall where the 'Rental Lover' production presentation was in full swing.

“It’s a story about a shut-in female lead who gets involved with rental lovers, and as you can tell from the premise, the story itself is quite unique.”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong was giving a representative explanation of the 'Rental Lover' plot. Soon, the host Hwang Seok-gu looked at his cue cards and asked Choi Rina a question.

“Actor Choi Rina. Your participation in ‘Rental Lover’ became quite the buzz. Is there a specific reason you chose this project?”

“Hmm, first of all, the script written by Writer Rojun was so fun and interesting. I read through the whole thing in one sitting.”

“Oh-”

“And PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s direction. There was no reason to hesitate.”

Similar questions followed for the other actors. The next turn was Kang Rojun’s.

“Then! The hottest of hot writers these days! How did ‘Rental Lover’ come to be??”

How did it come to be? Rojun answered in his mind first.

'I just randomly scribbled anything.'

Even the one who wrote it considered it trash writing, so was there really any grand process involved? But saying “I wrote it carelessly like trash writing, and just tossed it off” at a production presentation would be too much. Recalling PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s advice, Rojun smiled faintly and replied.

"It was something I wrote casually, so this situation feels very surreal.”

“Your talent is extraordinary.”

Rojun’s eye-smile sent the already frantic chat window into full-blown hysteria.

-Don’t smile!! I’m gonna die!!!

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHe just smiled, and the reporters flinched, it’s so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-But seriously, Rojun’s talent is insane;;

-Agree agree, he’s such a cheat character it’s unreal

The host was itching to bring up 'Produce That 100!', but held back. It wasn’t proper. The reporters would bring it up anyway. Afterward, the planned questions continued. After several tens of minutes, host Hwang Seok-gu turned to the hundred reporters.

“Now it’s the reporters’ turn. Anyone with questions?”

Nearly all 100 raised their hands high. Quite a few even stood up. PD Jung Soo-ryeong pointed to one of them. A male reporter in a short-sleeved shirt.

“Rojun-nim! Were you doing writing work while also active in ‘Produce That 100!’?”

“Yes.”

“How was that possible? You must’ve barely had time to practice.”

“It was manageable.”

“Huh-”

The next reporter's target was also Rojun.

“Are you, by any chance, currently working on your next script as a writer?!”

After exchanging glances with PD Jung Soo-ryeong, Kang Rojun nodded.

“Yes, to be honest, I already have the next scripts ready.”

The reporters murmured.

“Scripts? Did he just say scripts, plural??”

“So that means there’s more than one?”

Questions kept being directed at Rojun. Anything related to 'Produce That 100!' or lyrics writing was cut off by PD Jung Soo-ryeong, and Rojun only answered what seemed okay. At that point, host Hwang Seok-gu, sensing the need, urged the reporters to ask questions to Choi Rina and the other 'Rental Lover' actors as well.

Only then could the other actors finally get a chance to hold the mic.

It wasn’t that people weren’t interested, it was just that the attention-drawing power of Kang Rojun was overwhelming.

After going around to a few actors, the mic reached Choi Rina, who had a beauty mark next to her nose.

“A memorable scene? Hmm- most of them were intense, but the one that stands out most for me was the actors’ pre-meeting. It was when I saw Writer Rojun in person for the first time.”

“Ah, that must’ve been surprising.”

“Writer-nim is so, so incredibly handsome. I froze for a few seconds."

The heat inside the hall and among the tens of thousands watching the live broadcast was escalating. Amid the request for project-related questions, a bespectacled female reporter was selected. She addressed all the gathered reporters.

“I saw the project proposal.”

Pointing with her index finger at the brief project proposal prepared for the production presentation, she asked,

“The other actors’ names are written properly, but why is the actor for the role of ‘Lover No. 4’ missing? Is that a mistake?”

Perhaps having the same question, the other reporters nodded one after another. Holding the mic, PD Jung Soo-ryeong spoke as though the moment she had been waiting for had arrived.

“Ah- no, that’s not a mistake. I wanted to announce it directly. It’s our little surprise?”

“A s-surprise??”

She lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.

On the other hand, the reporters tilted their heads in confusion. Countless question marks filled the live chat window.

-???? What’s going on all of a sudden

-Surprise ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ probably nothing special 100%

-Eh??

-Who’s Lover No. 4 againㅋㅋㅋㅋThe role name is weird

-They probably just left the name out because the actor was late or didn’t showㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-This is 100000% going to be boring

Regardless of the chatter, PD Jung Soo-ryeong calmly continued.

“The role of ‘Lover No. 4’ is a character with a very unique and impactful presence. The truth is, the actor playing ‘Lover No. 4’ is already here.”

“Excuse me?? They’re already here? Where.......”

At that moment.

-Swish.

Suddenly, Kang Rojun slowly stood up from his chair. Then, facing the reporters and the tens of thousands watching the live broadcast, he bowed.

“I’m Rojun, playing the role of ‘Lover No. 4'."

In that instant, the vast hall packed with over a hundred reporters,

“.......”

“.......”

Remained utterly silent without a single sound.