A small crowd had formed around writer Kim Se-hee, who was vibrating with the energy of an excited hamster. Their curiosity was piqued; Kim Se-hee had always been obsessed with good looks, but it was rare for her to shout about casting someone for a show that was still in pre-production.
“Exactly how handsome is this guy to get you this worked up? Let me see.”
“Yeah, let’s all have a look.”
“Aren’t you overreacting again? For an idol trainee, he might just be average.”
The team members leaned in to look at Lee Jin-woo, who filled the screen of Kim Se-hee’s phone. In an instant, their eyes went wide.
“Whoa—his visuals are no joke.”
“Why didn’t you take a closer picture?”
“If he looks this good from that far away, seeing him in person must be a shock.”
As Kim Se-hee watched her team’s positive reactions, she let herself savor the memory of meeting Lee Jin-woo the day before. She opened her eyes and murmured with absolute sincerity.
“No… he wasn’t even wearing any makeup. Just a plain T-shirt and some regular jeans, but he looked like he’d stepped right out of a photoshoot. You have to see him in person. I’d bet my life savings that every single one of your jaws will hit the floor.”
With a heavy sigh, the bespectacled man everyone called PD flicked Kim Se-hee lightly on the forehead.
“Don’t make bets like that. Just do your work.”
Kim Se-hee immediately latched onto the PD’s arm, her voice urgent.
“PD-nim, this guy. We have to cast him.”
The PD, who had just stood up, rubbed at the dark circles under his eyes and yawned. This was hardly the most pressing issue on his plate.
“Our show launches in a month, and we still have a mountain of work to do. You want to cast someone without even a screening? Why does a broadcast writer keep trying to do a casting director’s job?”
“Th-then! Just take a look, at least! I’m telling you, I have a really strong feeling about him! If we cast him, his face alone will generate insane word-of-mouth! The initial hook will be massive! The impact will be legendary!”
“Hah… Fine, he looks decent. But do you have any idea how many good-looking people there are in this industry? What’s his name?”
“I… I didn’t ask for his name. But still! He’s on a completely different level! Everyone else in this industry is human-tier! He’s god-tier!”
The exhausted PD ran a hand over his face.
“If he’s that good-looking, the entertainment agencies wouldn’t have left him alone. He’s probably already signed somewhere, or is at least a trainee. That kind of person isn’t our target. Did you forget our show’s concept is to find completely raw talent?”
“I know! But he said he was unemployed.”
Kim Se-hee’s frantic energy suddenly subsided, replaced by a serious tone.
“PD-nim. I’m not overreacting. You’ll change your mind the second you see him. I’ll handle all the prep work, just give him a quick look.”
“If he really is unemployed and an undiscovered gem, we have to have him. If he shows up on another program later, I’ll probably die of regret.”
The PD took off his glasses and narrowed his eyes at Kim Se-hee.
‘She’s always a little too enthusiastic,’ he thought, ‘but this time… she’s being genuine.’
While her obsession with faces was a bit much, it was true that Kim Se-hee had exceptionally high standards. A flicker of interest sparked within the PD.
‘Besides, this is becoming a hassle.’
Letting out a small sigh, he nodded.
“Fine, fine. There’s no harm in taking a quick look. Try to contact him.”
Kim Se-hee clenched her fists in triumph.
“Yes! PD-nim, you’re the best!”
“Weren’t you calling me cruel just a minute ago? And ruthless before that?”
“You’re a cruel and ruthless best!”
Grinning from ear to ear, Kim Se-hee practically ran out of the meeting room, looking more like a hamster than ever. Without a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Lee Jin-woo.
“Heh heh, I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they meet him.”
But an hour passed, then two, and Jin-woo still hadn’t replied. Growing anxious, Kim Se-hee sent several more messages. Even after half a day had gone by, there was still no response.
At that point, the PD walked past her desk.
“Hey, Kim Se-hee. Still no word from that guy?”
“Well… he hasn’t replied.”
“You got ghosted? See, I told you. Just give up. Didn’t I say he was 100% with an agency? He probably just lied to you.”
Given the circumstances, Kim Se-hee was beginning to accept that reality.
“…Yeah, I guess so. There’s no way someone with a face like that is unemployed.”
Meanwhile, at a large gym near Suyu Station, the building was packed with people working out. Among them, two heavily muscled, sweat-drenched men were grumbling as they stared toward the row of treadmills. More specifically, they were staring at a single man running tirelessly.
“Damn, it’s just not fair. A guy who looks like that shouldn’t be allowed to have a body like that too.”
“Exactly. And look, all the treadmills around him are occupied by women.”
“Seriously, good-looking guys are the worst.”
“…But he’s not just good-looking. He’s on another level.”
“Agreed. I actually gasped when he walked in. His whole aura is insane.”
The man they were talking about was none other than Lee Jin-woo, who was running at full speed.
He was completely focused. In the past, his ugly face had made public gyms an unthinkable nightmare, but now, that was no longer a problem. Better yet, exercising helped him complete his missions. It was a win-win. Jin-woo ignored the stares from the men and women around him and simply enjoyed his workout.
His phone, resting on the treadmill’s console, vibrated briefly. It had been buzzing nonstop for a while now with messages from people who had managed to get his number.
‘This mission has an annoying side effect. Too many messages,’ he thought. ‘Should I get a separate phone just for this? No, I should just stop giving my number out from now on.’
Having made up his mind, Lee Jin-woo switched his phone to silent mode and resumed his run. Among the messages piling up were, of course, the ones from Kim Se-hee.
Eumju finishing his workout, Lee Jin-woo sat on a nearby chair to catch his breath.
Just then, a woman approached him. She wore pink leggings and a white windbreaker, her long hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She was beautiful, with a figure that had been turning heads all over the gym—at least, until Lee Jin-woo had arrived. Still, she spoke with an air of absolute confidence.
“Can I have your number?”
Her tone suggested she’d never been rejected in her life. Lee Jin-woo looked at her, briefly surprised.
‘Wow, she’s really pretty. But I just decided not to give my number out anymore.’
Since the decision was fresh in his mind, he refused immediately, his tone polite but firm.
“Sorry, I don’t give out my number.”
“Ah—I guess asking for your number is a bit forward. Then, how about your Instagram?”
“I don’t use social media.”
It was the truth. Lee Jin-woo didn’t have a single social media account.
The woman’s face flushed red. She turned and left in a hurry. Jin-woo felt a little bad, but there was nothing to be done. He was suddenly reminded of something his late mother used to tell him.
‘Jin-woo, relationships are important, but when you have to reject someone, do it clearly! Don’t leave any room for misunderstanding.’
This was a clear rejection. No room for misunderstanding there. Ignoring the murmurs around him, Lee Jin-woo picked up his phone and opened the AI Changjoja app. He had already completed all five of today’s missions, so he was just checking in.
Lee Jin-woo’s eyes widened slightly. The moment he opened the app, a notification popped up.
[Sumgyeojin Immu ‘Complete Missions for 3 Consecutive Days’ has been achieved! You have been rewarded with 10 Coins.]
An unexpected reward. But more importantly, a hidden mission? It meant there were still things about this system that even he didn’t know.
‘A hidden mission, huh? I guess more of these will pop up as I go.’
Pleased, Jin-woo checked his coin balance.
[User: Lee Jin-woo / Age: 24 / Height: 182.8cm / Desired Occupation: Idol / Coins: 44]
The number was steadily climbing.
Lee Jin-woo crossed his legs and rested his chin in his hand, thinking.
‘Once I save up enough coins, whether it’s through Enhancement or AI Jadonghwa, I’ll end up becoming an overpowered idol. That means I should start preparing for it now.’
Knowledge was power. Over the past few days, Jin-woo had been studying everything he could find about idols. It was a world he knew nothing about, which made it difficult to grasp, but he had managed to learn the key points.
‘Idol debuts usually happen one of two ways. You either become a trainee at an entertainment agency or you get discovered on a variety show.’
Both routes, of course, required auditions.
‘Hmm, an agency trainee? No matter how I think about it, that’s not for me.’
Being a trainee was tough, he knew, but more than that, it severely restricted your freedom. And above all else…
‘I read that trainees aren’t allowed to use their phones.’
Most agencies confiscated them. While some were apparently loosening that rule, the mere possibility made Lee Jin-woo balk. His greatest weapons were his face and the AI Changjoja app. He wanted to dominate with both visuals and skills if possible.
Eliminating the trainee route was the right choice.
His mind made up, he opened a browser and searched for “audition variety shows.” Plenty of articles popped up, but they were all old. Feeling a flicker of disappointment, Jin-woo’s eyes landed on a headline.
《Master of Audition Shows, PD Woo Han-suk, Preparing New Large-Scale Program for Early July》
It was exactly the kind of information he needed. Early July? That was only a month away. A mix of anticipation and nervousness swelled inside him.
‘How do you even get on a show like this? Do they hold screenings, and then you start filming if you pass?’
It was an entirely unfamiliar world, and the thought was overwhelming. The show didn’t even have a title yet. But it did have a PD’s name, so his only option was to keep searching.
Just then, his phone vibrated again. Another message. Scratching his chin, Jin-woo stood up and opened the chat app.
Interestingly enough…
Lee Jin-woo froze. In the message preview, he spotted the words “variety show.”
Tilting his head, he couldn’t resist tapping on the notification. Several messages from the same person were stacked up.
-[Hello! I’m the person who asked for your number at Seongsu Station yesterday! You remember me, right???]
-[I’m actually a broadcast writer, and we’re preparing a huge variety show right now! I would really, really love to meet with you!!]
-[Hello?? Knock knock????]
-[This isn’t a scam, I swear!! I can send you my business card!]
-[I won’t take up much of your time! Just a quick meeting with our PD-nim, that’s all I’m asking…]
-[ㅠㅠㅠ Does the phrase ‘variety show’ make you uncomfortable?? ㅜㅠㅠ]
Jin-woo instantly remembered the sender: the bubbly, cute woman from Seongsu Station.
‘So she was a broadcast writer?’
Just then, another message arrived.
-[Oh??!! The message just turned to ‘read’! You saw it! You’re looking at this right now, aren’t you? Can I call you??!!]
The second Lee Jin-woo replied that it was okay, his phone began to ring. She was fast.
Clearing his throat, Jin-woo answered, trying not to sound nervous. An energetic woman’s voice burst from the speaker.
“Wow! Oh my gosh! Finally! I was so worried you were ghosting me!”
“Sorry. I was working out.”
“Working out? Oh, wow. You have that face and you work out, too?”
“More importantly—what’s this variety show about?”
“It’s a bit long to explain over the phone. Could we maybe meet up right now?”
“No. But tomorrow morning works. Ah, but that’s the weekend.”
“Ooh! Thank you! No worries, weekends are totally fine! In the variety department, there’s no such thing as a weekend!”
Opening his locker, Lee Jin-woo asked for the details.
The next day, in front of the JBS broadcasting station, Kim Se-hee stood waiting with a few of her colleagues. All five of them wore expressions of keen anticipation.
“Se-hee, you really called him? What if he’s just average? The PD will lose his mind again.”
“Ah, don’t worry. Just get ready for your jaw to drop.”
“How good-looking can one person be? Well, fine. Let’s see for ourselves.”
At that moment, Kim Se-hee’s face lit up. She raised her hand and waved excitedly.
“Ah! Over here, over here!”
She had spotted him. And it could only be one person: Lee Jin-woo.
As he approached, Jin-woo gave a polite bow.
The moment they saw him, the team members’ mouths fell open. Kim Se-hee murmured smugly, as if she had expected this all along.
“See? Told you your jaws would drop.”
A little later, inside the broadcasting station’s Variety Department, a bespectacled PD was sprawled over his desk, mid-yawn.
“PD-NIM!!!”
The near-screech made the PD jolt in his chair. He looked up to see Kim Se-hee charging toward him, practically bouncing with energy.
“Jeez! You scared me!”
“PD-nim! He’s here, he’s here!”
“Who’s here?”
“The guy! The one I told you about yesterday.”
“I already brought him to the meeting room!”
Yawning again, the PD rose slowly, showing little interest.
“If he’s just average, you’re working a week of overtime.”
“I’m already working overtime.”
“At least you get to go home. This place is my home.”
Having barely slept the night before, the PD groggily followed Kim Se-hee. Soon, they arrived at the meeting room. To his surprise, the entire team was clustered around the door, packed together tightly.
“What the hell are you all doing?”
The team members looked flustered.
“Uh… PD-nim. It’s just that—”
Kim Se-hee slipped between them and pointed to the room.
“Just take a look for yourself, PD-nim.”
“Hah—all of you are overreacting.”
Letting out a deep sigh, the PD casually swung the meeting room door open.
Inside, a young man sat alone. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt and jeans. As he heard the door open, he turned his head, and his eyes met the PD’s.
For a few seconds, the PD just stood there, staring blankly at the man—no, at Lee Jin-woo. Then he abruptly shut the door.
He blinked. Once. Twice. His expression seemed to be asking if what he had just seen was real.
Then, he threw the door open again. This time, Lee Jin-woo was standing up.
The PD stared at Jin-woo, utterly speechless. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he strode forward, grabbed both of Jin-woo’s hands, and spoke.
No, he pleaded, with all the sincerity he could muster.
“Please appear on our show. I’m begging you.”