pappabearbooks Chapter 109: Four People (11)
Chapter 109: Four People (11)
In the Culture Drawer break room crowded with writer Han Seo-ryeong and dozens of staff members.-♬♪
The OST ‘Lovers’, written and sung by 'Lover No. 4' or Kang Rojun, filled the air. The bouncy melody paired with Rojun’s clean, unembellished vocals made a strong impression. The Culture Drawer employees couldn’t take their eyes off Rojun on the TV screen.
“This song... it’s the OST that Writer Rojun wrote and sang, right??”
“Yeah, that’s definitely Rojun-nim’s voice. The song is great-”
“The song is good, but Writer Rojun delivered it so well. It fits the drama’s storyline perfectly, doesn’t it?”
“When ‘Lover No. 4’ appeared and got a one-shot, and Rojun-nim’s OST played right then... it overlapped with the character, and ugh, gave me chills.”
“Agreed! Didn’t it feel like Writer Rojun was speaking directly to us???”
“As expected from PD Jung Soo-ryeong. She really nailed that scene.”
The staff, as if under a spell, spared no praise.
“What is this, manager Kim, did you fall for Writer Rojun??”
“How could you not fall for that face? Hyun-ji, aren’t you the same?”
“No, starting today, I’m going to fangirl over Writer Rojun.”
Meanwhile, on the large TV still playing the OST, Kang Rojun’s face gradually zoomed in. Though the affectionate smile was directed at the female lead, Choi Rina, it was also a flirtation toward the viewers.
Like saying, 'Do you want to fall into a fantasy? Come in.'
As the chatter among Culture Drawer employees sped up, writer Han Seo-ryeong, who had been quietly assessing every aspect of Kang Rojun on screen since earlier, thought.
‘...Episode 1 will probably wrap up around this point. I'll have to watch until next week, but from what I can tell now, Rojun’s presence is overwhelming.’
She was evaluating everything about Kang Rojun as an actor, including his visuals.
‘If this were an audition, I would’ve declared him accepted on the spot.’
Han Seo-ryeong, who had risen to the top through decades of writing experience, had likely encountered hundreds, if not thousands, of actors, and her eye for talent was exceptional.
‘Acting? Unlike other actors, Rojun had no lines. But facial expressions, gaze, and action without dialogue are even harder.’
In her eyes, Kang Rojun’s acting right now was nearly on a professional level.
‘Looking at that one cut, he’s no less than a veteran actor. There’s no way a complete newbie could convey emotion through the eyes like that...’
Even more impressive, Kang Rojun’s acting had nuance. He spoke with his eyes without making major changes in body movement or facial expression. Despite that, he still gave viewers a thrill.
“...That child is born with it. There’s a reason the picky PD Jung used him, even at the risk of controversy.”
As Han Seo-ryeong quietly murmured, a few employees turned their heads toward her.
“Right? The media and public beat down on Writer Rojun so much, but he endured it all quietly, maybe he was confident because he knew he had this much impact.”
“From PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s point of view, she must have been enjoying it, right? She already saw Writer Rojun’s performance during filming.”
At that moment.
“Ah! Ahh! It’s over.”
The episode runtime was roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes. Episode 1 of 'Rental Lover' ended and commercials began airing. Though Rojun only had about 5 minutes of screen time, he left a more visually and emotionally powerful impact than any other actor.
“Wow- they wrapped it up just right after getting the viewers hooked with ‘Lover No. 4’.”
“No way anyone’s going to skip episode 2 next week after this.”
“Viewers must be going wild.”
“Not just viewers, right?? The media’s probably writing articles like crazy right now.”
As the murmuring grew louder, writer Han Seo-ryeong crossed her arms.
“Writer Rojun, he’s strong in acting, but also no slouch as a writer. ‘Rental Lover’ is quite original and fresh. The balance between lightness and tension is well executed.”
“For sure... Hard to believe this is his debut work.”
“That’s writing good enough to have won a one-act drama contest.”
Han Seo-ryeong smiled as she looked around at the surrounding staff.
"When employees of this caliber all stayed until the end to watch the drama on a Friday night without anyone leaving, that says it all. And at the office, no less."
Most of the Culture Drawer staff let out sheepish laughs.
“Oh right, today was Friday.”
“We forgot about leaving work.”
“No wonder Netflix Japan is desperate for this.”
Star writer Han Seo-ryeong swept her short hair back.
“As a writer, I feel jealous, but from Culture Drawer’s perspective, it feels like we’ve struck gold. An idol, a writer. And even natural talent in acting. In any industry, he’d be seen as a disruptor.”
She murmured with genuine sincerity.
“If he keeps growing like this... just how massive could he become?”
At the same time.
Countless members of the public had just finished watching 'Rental Lover'. At cafes, bars, and more.
“No way- wow, Rojun’s face is insane. ‘Super Handsome’ isn’t even enough.”
“Wasn’t that last part totally freaking awesome??”
“Yeah. It was freaking, freaking awesome. Did you see his face?”
"He's not human."
People watching 'Rental Lover' on their phones or the TVs in stores were gasping in awe. The whole place was in an uproar.
“This guy’s that Rojun from ‘Produce That 100!', right?”
“Yeah. You still haven’t seen ‘Produce That 100!’?”
“I told you, I’m not into idols, but this Rojun guy, he’s kinda crazy. His visuals are out of this world. He totally crushes other male actors.”
“I watched ‘Produce That 100!’ and liked Rojun, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from his acting?? But he’s freaking good.”
People couldn’t stop talking about Kang Rojun.
“His acting is good?? What’s he trying to do, being good at that too?”
“Wasn’t the drama fun too? And Rojun wrote this drama, right?”
“Oh yeah. He’s the writer too. And that OST at the end, he sang that too.”
“That OST was so good. The track’s gotta be released, right? Anyway, at this point, Rojun basically hard-carried the whole thing alone.”
“Hey, hey, but Choi Rina and the other actors were great too.”
“True, Choi Rina was stunning. How can someone playing a shut-in look so pretty??”
The official open chatroom for 'Rental Lover' was also flooded with messages.
-Our Rojun’s acting was AWESOME!!!!
-Where did all the people who trashed his acting go ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-So fun!! I’m telling you, it was fun!!! Bring episode 2 RIGHT NOW!!!!!
-I seriously held my breath when Rojun came on screen
-Rojun’s acting is good?? Isn’t it even harder to express emotions with your eyes??
-Keep talking shit about his acting, you clowns ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ!!!
-Ending it like this... ha... how are we supposed to wait a week...
-Drama was fun, OST was great, and Rojun’s face was fire
-I want to see the rest of the acting fast ㅋㅋㅋㅋ though I still love Idol Rojun more
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Of course, the actors who appeared in 'Rental Lover', including Choi Rina, also watched the live broadcast. Especially Choi Rina, she couldn’t get the OST that played near the end out of her head.
“That OST, once the track drops, I’m definitely putting it on repeat forever.”
The impact reached PD Woo Han-suk and the 'Produce That 100!' production crew as well.
"No, seriously, what is Rojun-nim's identity?? His acting is too good?!”
“My point exactly!! You can already see directors who watched ‘Rental Lover’ lining up for him!”
“With that face, that physique, and that acting? If I were a director, I’d cast him no matter what!!”
Just like that, episode 1 of 'Rental Lover' hit Korea like a storm. Not just a hit, a full-blown disaster-level impact. Meanwhile, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the key staff of 'Rental Lover' were all gathered at SBC’s Drama Department. PD Jung Soo-ryeong was monitoring the situation from the main control room. Around her, fellow PDs and senior executives from the Drama Department were also crowding in.
“Whew- As expected of PD Jung! That scene was shot beautifully!!”
“Especially the direction in the final cut was killer.”
“I heard that was all Rojun’s doing though??”
“Not exactly wrong. The script was good, the overall pacing was fun, but Rojun really slammed it home at the end, didn’t he?”
“Now all that’s left is the viewership rating? PD Jung, what do you think?”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong shrugged confidently with a face that said, “Do I even need to say it?”
“I’ve got a real good feeling this time. Feels like it’s about to explode.”
Other PDs, both envious and impressed, chimed in.
“Anyway, with this, Rojun’s secured his place as an idol even more, and he’s also proven his talent as both a writer and an actor.”
“If ‘Rental Lover’ becomes a hit too, he’s basically a guaranteed success.”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s conviction was rock-solid.
"Idol, writer, actor - all of them."
About 15 minutes later, at the 'Produce That 100!' campus.
Due to the impact of 'Rental Lover', things were buzzing on this side as well. The location was a spacious practice room. Centered around Kang Rojun in a training tracksuit, all nine participants had gathered, including 58Si-hoo and 26Do-kyung. In front of them was a medium-sized monitor connected to a tablet.
In other words, they had all just watched episode 1 of ‘Rental Lover’.
“Crazy, no, Rojun hyung!! Hyung!! Are you seriously human??”
“When did you even practice acting? That last impact was insane.”
“Whoa, after watching the drama, Rojun hyung feels kind of distant now. Looks like you could debut as an actor too??”
“Be honest, hyung… You’re living your second or third life, right? You practiced just like us. Actually, you spent more time on side jobs, and you’re still that good at acting? That doesn’t make any sense!”
The participants seemed unable to believe what they had just seen. Well, Kang Rojun was no different.
‘Is that really me?? I was shocked, it didn’t feel like me.’
Even though it was footage of himself, seeing it on TV made it feel like a different person.
‘Editing is amazing- honestly, on set I wasn’t even sure this would come out as a proper drama... but it looks so cool.’
And the fact that 'Rental Lover', which he thought was a half-baked script, had aired on TV and been seen by so many people, still felt somewhat unreal.
“It feels surreal, really.”
Soon the participants swarmed around him.
“This hyung’s a fraud!!”
“Surreal, my ass! Say that again with your lips lowered.”
“More importantly, hyung… how did it feel when you patted Choi Rina’s head??”
“Are you a pervert?”
“No!! Honestly! Aren’t we all curious?! It’s Choi Rina! You actually patted Choi Rina on the head and you’re saying you’re not curious?!”
“...I’m curious.”
“Even with that greasy hair, did it smell nice? Huh? Hyung.”
The curiosity of these fiery young men showed no signs of fading, and Kang Rojun responded with a rather solemn tone.
“It did smell good.”
“Ugh- so jealous!!”
At this point, 58Si-hoo, sitting next to him, chuckled.
“Still, it’s a relief. That Rojun acted well. These past few days, all the buzz about acting controversy and malicious comments had the mood off.”
“Right!! Rojun hyung totally proved himself, didn’t he?? Those hate-comment bastards are probably shutting their mouths now!”
“Still feels weird having a TV actor sitting next to me.”
The endless commotion continued.
Naturally, Kang Rojun didn’t dislike this atmosphere.
‘Acting has its own kind of thrill.’
It was definitely a different kind of joy from being an idol.
‘Since my main job is idol, if I keep acting on the side, it’ll be twice as fun.’
Rojun imagined a future that might not be too far off. A vivid image of himself excelling in both his main job and side jobs. Soon after, the dry-toned 26Do-kyung chimed in.
“The OST was good too. If the track drops, it’ll definitely hit the top of the charts.”
Other participants quickly agreed.
“Ohh? ‘Produce That 100!’ is dominating the charts right now, so does that make us competitors?”
“Nah, since it’s still Rojun hyung, we’re on the same team.”
“Anyway, it’s confirmed, we’re lining up tracks on the chart again.”
At that moment, the exotic and handsome 46Kang Min asked Rojun,
“Hyung, did you check your money?”
“Money?”
“Yeah, since you did songwriting, acting, all that, you should be getting paid for it, right?”
That’s true. Honestly, with everything going on in 'Produce That 100!' and elsewhere, Kang Rojun hadn’t even thought about money. Also, being on campus meant he had no chance to spend any money anyway.
‘Writer, lyricist, actor, plus the OST. Some money should have started coming in by now?'
From 'Produce That 100!' and 'Rental Lover', to songwriting for veteran singer Park Hyun-jung and more. He didn’t know the exact amounts, but he’d been given explanations about payments when starting each gig.
'Hundreds? No, surely not - thousands??'
However, songwriting isn’t a one-time payment, it keeps paying out as the song sells. So the initial fee for lyrics might not be that large. And since Kang Rojun was still a rookie in every field, that was even more true.
‘PD Jung Soo-ryeong and PD Woo Han-suk said what matters is what happens after a big hit.’
The difference between having results and not is huge. And right now, Kang Rojun had caused a storm across Korea and Japan. Whether main job or side, it meant his market value was skyrocketing.
At that moment.
“Commercial’s over!! ‘Produce That 100!’ just started!”
All the participants, including Kang Rojun, once again turned their attention to the medium-sized monitor. The ‘JTVM’ channel was now being broadcast, and the program’s title had just appeared.
-'Produce That 100!'
Following 'Rental Lover', now it was time for 'Produce That 100!'