Veteran singer Park Hyun-jung, one of the top singers in the country, was a curious type. She had already been watching 'Produce That 100!' but after experiencing even a brief moment with Kang Rojun, her interest deepened. Naturally, she was watching the live broadcast of the 'Rental Lover' production presentation inside the van while moving between schedules.

While she was enjoying watching the real-time chat and admiring Rojun's visuals displayed on the screen, a rather absurd bombshell statement reached her ears.

'With such a destructive face already, what are you trying to do by dressing up this much? Are you trying to captivate the entire nation??'

It came from Kang Rojun's mouth on the screen.

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

Park Hyun-jung's face changed to one of confusion, wondering what this meant.

“Huh??”

Blinking both eyes, she wondered if she had misheard and looked at the chat window. But she had heard it correctly. With her mouth wide open, Park Hyun-jung covered it with one hand.

“H-He even acted??”

Park Hyun-jung wasn’t the only one utterly shocked. Hit-maker Song Min-geun, who had taken a short break from the recording studio to watch the 'Rental Lover' production presentation.

“...Huh?? He took a role?!”

The participants of 'Produce That 100!' at the Paju Campus were the same. No, they seemed to be reacting several times more dramatically. They either had expressions of disbelief, were completely dumbfounded, or were jumping and shouting. Their reactions were natural. No less shocked than the participants were the production crew of 'Produce That 100!'

Except for PD Woo Han-suk, who already knew.

‘Not a bad direction, all the reporters look dumbfounded. Well, I would have been shocked and fallen over too.'

The rest of the writers were utterly shocked.

"Wh, what does this mean?? Rojun took on the role of 'Lover No. 4'."

"......That's what I'm saying. Since she said it was a surprise, maybe he'll change his words saying 'Just kidding! It was a joke'??"

“I don’t think so. It really... seems like Rojun took the role. Wow- hold on, I'm getting goosebumps."

“Then Rojun is both the writer and actor?? H-How is that possible?!”

These were writers who had survived in the entertainment industry for quite a while. Not as long as PD Woo Han-suk, but they knew enough. To them, what they just heard went beyond common sense.

"Act-acting isn't something you can just pick up by reading scripts for a few days...... When on earth did he prepare for this??"

“Well, Rojun did have more free time than the other participants, but not enough to suddenly pull off acting?!”

Eventually, all the writers’ gazes turned to PD Woo Han-suk. Their eyes practically screamed, ‘You knew, didn’t you?’ Woo Han-suk let out a chuckle and shrugged.

“Well. I haven’t actually seen Rojun act either. I only heard he took the role of ‘Lover No. 4'."

As soon as they heard that, the writers rushed toward PD Woo Han-suk. Meanwhile, the shock wasn’t any less in the hall where the production presentation was happening. However, here it was filled with heavy silence.

“.......”

“.......”

Dead quiet. So unnaturally so. Around a hundred reporters were all speechless, wearing varied expressions. But one thing in common, they were all staring at Kang Rojun, who was still standing.

This atmosphere continued for at least several dozen seconds.

Finally, as their frozen brains restarted, the reporters broke the silence.

“D-Did writer Rojun just say he’s playing the role of ‘Lover No. 4’?”

“I heard the same.”

“So he’s saying he’s the writer and actor for ‘Rental Lover’?”

“Yeah, that’s what it sounds like.”

They were sure of what they heard, but their expressions showed they couldn’t quite grasp it. On the other hand, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was feeling a indescribable thrill.

‘This hall that was so noisy suddenly went completely silent. This vibe, it’s delicious. Exactly- it went as I thought. Hehe, it’s now deeply imprinted in their minds.’

Because the design she had been drawing from before had reached reality.

Soon, PD Jung Soo-ryeong turned her gaze to Kang Rojun who was standing.

‘What about you??’

Rather than thrill or ecstasy, Rojun found it to be a mysterious sight.

‘It really turned out like this. All the reporters look like their souls left their bodies.’

Recalling PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s earlier hint, he remembered she told him to give a slight eye smile when dropping the bomb. Kang Rojun awkwardly put on a smile. That seemed to have lit the fuse, and finally, a reporter seated in the front row managed to open his mouth.

“Um- writer Rojun nim? You’re saying that you took on the role of ‘Lover No. 4’...”

Kang Rojun answered before the question was even finished.

"Yes, I acted in the role of 'Lover No. 4'."

“!!!”

At this point, something seemed to hit all 100 reporters square in the head.

‘...Has a writer ever played a major role in their own work before?? No, never!! Moreover, isn't he supposed to be a idol?'

‘Wait, what?! So he participated as an actor in a piece he wrote??! This is huge!!!’

‘The hottest guy lately! And now he’s both a writer and actor!! This is a scoop! A pretty damn big one at that!!’

A deliciously juicy issue, no doubt. Even the way it had all been built up was brilliant. Recently revealed on 'Produce That 100!' as the writer Rojun, now at his first external appearance, this production presentation, he had just dropped the bomb that he also acted in the project.

‘Crazy!! PD Jung Soo-ryeong, you kept this kind of event a secret??!’

Not just the swarming reporters but even the viewers watching the live broadcast, which had attracted an enormous number, felt their hearts drop.

In fact, the chat window was already flooded.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋcrazy

-?_? Huh...? Rojun, what are you saying right now??

-What do you mean, what? With a face like that, it’d be weirder if he didn’t actㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-When did he even have time to practice acting??? Is this even possible?

-In a way, he's insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋI’ve never seen someone act in the drama they wrote themselves

-Huge!!! I’m seriously so shocked I almost threw up!!!

It was at capacity. From the very moment Kang Rojun declared he had taken the role of 'Lover No. 4'.

-Look at the reporters’ fucking stupid faces, makes it clear Jung Soo-ryeong really planned this outㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Okay, I was a little surprised, but aside from enjoying his face, I don’t have high expectations for the acting

-Seriously....his face and abilities are god-tier....regardless of acting skills, there's nothing Rojun does normally

-So Rojun debuted as a writer and actor before becoming an idol???

-There’s no way he’s good at actingㅋㅋㅋㅋYou can tell the PD forced this just for attention, right??

-↑That’s factsㅋㅋㅋㅋHe probably didn’t even have time to practice acting and since it’s a one-act, they likely rushed it

-I’m watching!! I’m 100% watching Rental Lover!!!!

At this point, the once quiet hall turned 180 degrees as an insane flurry of flashes erupted. The continuous sound of shutters. The target, of course, was Kang Rojun. Along with that, the reporters, now half-crazed, bombarded him with questions.

“Rojun-ssi!! When did you decide to take on both writing and acting roles?!”

“Did you write first or act first?!”

“How did you manage to film ‘Rental Lover’ while also shooting ‘Produce That 100!’??!!”

“Have you acted before?!”

“Are you planning to transition from idol to actor???!!”

“Was it your own idea to appear in a work you wrote yourself?!”

Amid the endless shouting, one reporter turned their focus to PD Jung Soo-ryeong.

“PD-nim!! How was writer Rojun-nim’s acting?! It feels like a sudden decision, so we’re a bit concerned!!”

PD Jung Soo-ryeong shrugged her shoulders, glanced at Rojun, and opened her mouth.

“It was killer. The writer-nim’s acting.”

And just like that.

The 'Rental Lover' production presentation turned into utter chaos. The aggressive reporters showed no signs of calming down. In the end, it reached the point where continuing a normal production presentation became impossible. Normally, it would’ve been considered a disaster, but PD Jung Soo-ryeong had a face full of satisfaction.

‘It needs to explode at least this much for the scent to spread across the whole country.’

'Rental Lover' was far from ordinary in many aspects. Despite being a one-act, the hook was tremendous, and the production presentation itself ended urgently, like an earthquake.

But it definitely made its mark.

The frenzy-driven reporters didn’t leave the hall until an hour later, and Kang Rojun along with the 'Rental Lover' team had to take a group photo onstage without them. That marked the end of Rojun’s production presentation schedule, and several actors gave Kang Rojun a thumbs-up.

It was the first time a production presentation had drawn this much attention.

Choi Rina also chimed in.

“After today, it’s going to be suuuper noisy, but that first broadcast day? I’m looking forward to it?? Whether it’s hate or curiosity, everyone’s going to watch ‘Rental Lover’ at least once, right?”

At the same time, a short vibration reached Kang Rojun.

-Bzzzz.

-[You’ve completed the Hidden Mission: ‘Complete a Production Presentation as a Side Job Actor!’ A reward of 10 Coins has been given.]

With even a Coin reward added, Kang Rojun’s thrilling feeling only intensified.

At this moment, various entertainment companies and figures who had been watching the live broadcast were stirred up in an instant, and within just a few dozen minutes, this event exploded both offline,

“No way!! Rojun is even doing acting!"

“All of a sudden??”

“Apparently he announced at the ‘Rental Lover’ production presentation that he acted too?!”

“Wasn’t he a writer??”

“That’s what I’m saying! Ugh- I should’ve watched the production presentation live!!”

and online.

《[StarTalk] ‘Writer Rojun’ entering the ‘Rental Lover’ production presentation, his visuals are insane / Photo》

《During the production presentation interview, Writer Rojun drops a bomb: “I also acted”》

The reporters who attended the production presentation were churning out articles.

《Writing and now acting? ‘Rental Lover’ writer ‘Rojun’ declares acting debut at production presentation!》

《‘Produce That 100!’ still airing, but ‘Rojun’ debuts first as writer and actor... Is there anything he can’t do?》

The content of the articles clearly showed the writers’ efforts to convey the shock felt on-site. Naturally, there were also many negative pieces.

The entertainment industry is a place where controversies are created out of thin air to tear people down.

《‘Rojun’ attempting acting in ‘Rental Lover’, can he break the stereotype of idols being ‘robotic actors’? Controversy ignites》

《[IssueTalk] Acting in his own drama? ‘Produce That 100!’ Rojun, he’s hot but getting greedy could lead to a downfall》

《Following ‘Rojun’s’ acting debut declaration, netizens say “Let’s just enjoy the visuals and give up on any acting skills”》

Whatever the stance, positive or negative, the topic was sweeping every major search engine. On top of that, tens of thousands of viewers who watched the live broadcast were spreading the story all over SNS and online communities.

Especially in various online forums, things were burning hot.

YouTube, sensing a major clickbait opportunity, saw numerous YouTubers uploading 'Rental Lover'-related videos.

-Edited footage from the ‘Rental Lover’ production presentation!! All about Rojun!｜IssueTruckTV

-Our Rojun’s explosive visuals at the ‘Rental Lover’ production presentation (seriously insane)｜KongKong’s Daily Life

The fierce storm swept many into its path, and 'Produce That 100!', Kang Rojun, and 'Rental Lover' were seared into people’s minds. That kind of atmosphere continued well past Tuesday lunch and into the late afternoon. Around that time, Choi Rina, who was in the middle of her next schedule, a photo shoot, checked the overturned internet and thought of Kang Rojun.

‘......Now they’re starting to pump out clickbait articles filled with nonsense. Well, once people see Rojun act, all that noise will disappear. But seriously, Rojun’s visuals today almost made me stop breathing.’

PD Jung Soo-ryeong returned to the broadcasting station. More precisely, to the editing room. Though she had been busy moving around since morning and should’ve taken a break, she entered the editing room and, as if by habit, put on a hairband.

"Alright- then."

She stretched her arms high.

"Shall we roll it up properly??"

It was the moment 'Rental Lover' officially entered the editing phase.

Meanwhile.

Inside a van driven by a staff member and nearing the Paju Campus, Kang Rojun muttered in awe, filled with a sense of thrill as he scrolled through the internet flooded with his name.

'Wow- this is crazy.'

Total chaos. PD Jung Soo-ryeong had said it would be impressive, but this was several times more explosive. It was even a little scary.

'There are quite a lot of negative articles and comments too. Well, they’d find something to hate no matter what I do.'

Soon, Kang Rojun arrived at the campus. Near the large entrance stood PD Woo Han-suk, with dark circles under his eyes, waiting as previously informed. A few writers including Kim Se-hee were also there, looking ready to fire off questions any second. Regardless, PD Woo Han-suk, waving his hand, gave a crooked smile the moment Rojun approached.

“You really showed your presence? It’s going to be noisy again for a while. How was it?"

“I was nervous at first, but I think I enjoyed it in my own way.”

“Hahaha, it looked like it when I watched the live. Throwing out those killer eye smiles here and there.”

With an arm around Kang Rojun’s shoulder, PD Woo Han-suk whispered.

“You’ll be the center of ‘Rental Lover’ of course, but don’t forget you’re also the center of ‘Produce That 100!’.”

What came next was the key point. PD Woo Han-suk shared something that had just been confirmed.

“Rojun, you’re the main vocalist and the visual center of ‘Survival 100'."