PD Woo Han-suk of the JBS Entertainment Department was, in his twelfth year in the industry, the very picture of a seasoned professional: messy hair, tanned skin, glasses perched on his nose, and a perpetually exhausted expression. He hadn't spent all twelve years at JBS, having transferred from a public broadcasting station a few years ago.
He was a producer with a string of hit shows to his name, a significant number of which were audition programs. He'd done it all: survival competitions for forgotten singers, high-stakes rap battles, and dramatic acting duels. On public television, he’d once pulled in viewership ratings of nearly twenty percent. Eumju moving to JBS, his highest-rated show had peaked at eight percent—a figure that might sound modest, but for a cable station, it was colossal.
In short, PD Woo Han-suk was a pro.
So when Writer Kim Se-hee started making a fuss about some guy being “super handsome,” he kept his expectations low. He was curious, but only just. The kid was probably good-looking, sure, but after more than a decade in the variety show trenches, Woo Han-suk knew the score.
There were plenty of handsome men in this industry.
That was why “uniqueness” and “charisma” were what truly mattered. Good looks alone were no longer enough to guarantee success. But even a veteran like PD Woo Han-suk was about to learn something new.
No—he was about to see something he’d never seen before.
“Please appear on our show. I’m begging you.”
The only sound that escaped his lips was a choked curse. No other exclamation could do justice to Lee Jin-woo’s otherworldly visuals.
There’s not a single blemish on his skin. How can his eyes, nose, and mouth be so perfectly aligned?
A sharp jawline accentuated his small face, while his eyebrows and eyes were long and perfectly defined. Beyond that, a subtle decadence smoldered in his gaze. The atmosphere he carried, the sheer aura of the man—the way the writers were practically swooning said it all. To call him merely “handsome” was a gross understatement.
This was a god-tier visual that rendered concepts like uniqueness and charisma completely irrelevant.
Is he even human? At this level, it’s not just Korea… He’d leave people speechless on the world stage.
For Lee Jin-woo, evaluations were meaningless. Even if his skills were absolute garbage, his face was a guaranteed pass.
The idol industry has plenty of talented people, but it also has plenty who dominate purely on their looks.
The prevailing wisdom was that skills could always be developed later. Of course, some people remained talentless forever. But…
They still stay popular and keep working.
That was the reality of the business.
Meanwhile, Lee Jin-woo, whose hand had been abruptly seized by PD Woo Han-suk, was panicking internally. He would have been flustered if a woman had grabbed his hand, let alone some random older man. What was he supposed to do?
Why is this guy holding my hand? His eyes are kind of scary, too.
A shiver ran down his spine. Jin-woo pulled his hand free.
“How long do you plan on holding on?”
Only then did PD Woo Han-suk snap back to reality. He let out an awkward chuckle, releasing his grip.
“Haha, sorry about that. I grabbed you without even realizing.”
He blinked, then let out another laugh. “Wow, but seriously, your face is just ridiculous. I’m looking right at it, and I still can’t believe it.”
“And your personality is strangely unique, too. Anyway.”
Turning his head, he shot a thumbs-up at Kim Se-hee, who was grinning victoriously from the back of the room.
“Okay, I admit it. This guy’s face would work worldwide.”
“Right?! I told you so!”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Now close the door.”
Once the meeting room door was shut, PD Woo Han-suk gestured for Jin-woo to take a seat. Jin-woo felt a little disoriented but did his best to hide it, not wanting to look like an idiot right from the start.
PD Woo Han-suk spoke first.
“Hmm. Just as you are, you could easily take over the idol industry… No, forget idols, you could conquer the acting world. And this is before any professional styling. Once you’re polished up, you’d be absolutely incredible. You know that, right?”
No, not really. Jin-woo had only been living with this face for less than a week. But saying so would probably sound like false humility.
“Haha, of course. How could you not? Alright, first, let me introduce myself.”
The producer pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to Lee Jin-woo.
“I’m Woo Han-suk, a PD from the JBS Entertainment Department. You’ve probably heard of ‘Jayuui Rhythm’ or ‘Dasi, Mudae-ro’?”
Those were his hit variety shows. Jin-woo had seen them, so he nodded.
“I directed those programs. And when I asked you to be on our new show the moment I saw you, I was being completely serious.”
“I have a thing for auditions, competitions, and survival shows, and the project I’m preparing now is in the same vein. To put it simply—”
His summary was concise: it was a massive survival audition program for a new male idol group. The competition aimed to recruit aspiring idols not just from Korea, but also from Japan, China, the United States, and beyond. With its global scale, the stakes were immense, and thanks to PD Woo Han-suk’s reputation, the investment was substantial.
However, the concept strictly targeted raw, undiscovered talent.
Anyone who had even briefly worked in entertainment was excluded. Already signed to an agency? Excluded. An influencer? Excluded. Any prior experience on other audition shows? Also excluded. In other words, they were looking for ordinary people who had never been exposed to the industry. The official teaser, recruitment page, and production presentation were all set to launch in about a month.
“Of course, the preliminary screening will be handled by me and the production team. Once we’ve filtered down to the contestants we want, we’ll set the filming schedule. You can go over the details with Se-hee while you look at the project plan. Oh, I got so carried away I forgot to ask your name.”
Jin-woo, who had been listening intently, answered.
“Lee Jin-woo.”
“Great name. You could use it as a stage name as is. Now that I think about it, your voice is on the deeper side, with a bit of a cold edge to it. It has a rare appeal. Looking at your face, I expected something softer.”
Internally, Jin-woo let out a dry chuckle.
In the past, people described my voice as gloomy, eerie, or chilling. How am I supposed to respond to this? It’s kind of embarrassing.
Having lived a life filled mostly with insults, Jin-woo was unaccustomed to compliments. Eumju a moment’s thought, he settled on a reply.
“I’m soft on the inside.”
“Haha! You’re unexpectedly quirky. You definitely have a unique character, but it’s all mixed up in an unpredictable way. And since your visuals are out of this world, it all just comes across as a plus. Do you happen to have an agency?”
“No. I’m unemployed.”
“For real? But with that face, you’ve never been interested in the entertainment industry?”
“I’ve recently developed a little interest.”
PD Woo Han-suk’s expression turned serious. For the audition show he was preparing, he had three key criteria for contestants: visuals, skills, and buzzworthiness.
Since he’s never been interested before, his skills probably aren’t at a high level. There’s a good chance he’ll be eliminated early for a lack of talent, but with visuals this insane, the initial hook will be massive, just like Se-hee said. We can plaster his face all over the teasers and previews.
Even if he had no talent and survived solely on his looks, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It would create controversy. And controversy meant skyrocketing interest, which translated directly into viewership. It was a perfect form of noise marketing.
I absolutely have to lock this guy down.
Eumju clearing his throat, PD Woo Han-suk spoke in a weighty tone.
“That little bit of interest you’ve developed… why don’t you explore it fully by joining our program? I’m sincerely asking.”
His words were thick with genuine enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Jin-woo, who had been silently observing the producer, was rejoicing on the inside.
I looked it up, and apparently, even passing the preliminaries for this show is insanely difficult… But I’m getting in this easily?
Once again, he was reminded that being ridiculously handsome was the ultimate cheat code. What a thrilling advantage. Life was just so much easier this way.
Still, he couldn’t afford to get carried away. Lee Jin-woo deliberately put on an expression of deep contemplation.
Sensing his opening, PD Woo Han-suk pressed his case.
“Jin-woo-ssi, I guarantee that the moment you appear on television, you’ll blow up. It won’t just be the viewers; even the guest judges will be completely floored. And believe me, those judges will be the biggest names in the industry.”
“Well… since I’m unemployed anyway, I’ll give it a shot.”
“You made the right choice! Letting a face like yours go to waste would be a crime, an absolute crime. But, can you sing or dance at all?”
It was a tricky question. Technically, he was tone-deaf and uncoordinated, but with the AI Changjoja, that wasn’t the whole truth. Still, it was probably best to keep expectations low.
“Not really.”
“That’s totally fine! If you had that face and were great at singing and dancing, that would just be cheating! Your visuals are already god-tier; the rest can be improved with practice. There are plenty of visual centers in both girl groups and boy groups who are insanely popular despite lacking skills.”
At that moment, Jin-woo thought to himself:
What if I become overwhelming in both?
A little while later, PD Woo Han-suk passed the baton to the writers waiting outside. The one assigned to Jin-woo was, naturally, Kim Se-hee, who had discovered him.
“Jin-woo-ssi! Over here, over here! Sit right here!” she said, her energy almost overwhelming.
As Lee Jin-woo took a seat, several female writers gathered around him. Kim Se-hee immediately started firing questions.
“I already know your name, but how old are you?”
“Twenty-three.”
“And you live…?”
“Near Suyu Station.”
“Ah, so you’re living on your own! Just looking at you, I bet your parents must be incredibly cool and beautiful.”
The other writers murmured in enthusiastic agreement. Jin-woo, however, poured a bucket of cold water on the conversation.
“They passed away when I was young.”
“…Oh. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. It was a long time ago,” Lee Jin-woo answered calmly. He meant it.
Kim Se-hee, flustered, quickly changed the subject.
“A-anyway! This is our program’s project proposal. It’s just a draft, but you can take a look!”
The first thing visible on the document was the program’s title: `<Idol 100>`.
Kim Se-hee immediately launched into an explanation.
“As the title suggests, the one hundred officially selected contestants will be produced by the viewers! It’s a survival format, and while there are judges’ scores, the viewers’ votes are what matter most. The contestants have to win over the audience.”
One hundred people? That seemed like a lot. Curious, Lee Jin-woo asked, “And what happens if you survive out of the hundred?”
“The final four will debut as an official boy group. But you’ll find out more as things progress.”
Debut. For some reason, the word felt deeply unfamiliar to him.
Kim Se-hee continued, “Starting tomorrow, promotions and marketing will officially begin! The open recruitment for contestants will start soon, but you’re the very first one!”
Eumju briefing him for nearly an hour, she produced a contract that included confidentiality clauses. It was straightforward enough. Since Jin-woo had already decided to participate, he signed it without hesitation. Kim Se-hee then extended her hand for a handshake.
“Really! Thank you so, so much! Let’s do our best together!”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”
“You’re already doing amazing! Just by existing! Super, super amazing!”
Following her lead, the other female writers reached out to shake his hand one by one.
“I want to shake his hand, too!”
“By the way, am I the only one who can’t wait for the day viewers finally see Jin-woo-ssi on screen?”
“Agreed. Absolutely agreed.”
“I’ll bet my neck this will be a nuclear bomb.”
“Se-hee, stop betting your neck on things.”
It was around then that Lee Jin-woo asked the writers a question.
“Is there anything I need to do before filming starts?”
“No. Until the schedule is confirmed, you can just go about your life as usual.”
That worked out perfectly for him.
I can just focus on collecting a ton of Coins then.
Back home, Lee Jin-woo replayed the day’s events in his mind. A strange feeling of excitement surged through him. Just a few days ago, he had been a hideous monster. Now, he’d secured a spot on a major variety show.
If things had changed this much in a single day, what did the future hold?
What would happen in six months? In a year? In five years?
With his imagination running wild, Jin-woo decided to follow Kim Se-hee’s advice and carry on with his daily life. He continued gathering Coins through missions and focused on working out. In his spare time, he searched for "Idol 100" online.
The show was already generating a flood of news articles.
《JBS Announces PD Woo Han-suk’s Upcoming Audition Show, ‘Idol 100’》
《PD Woo Han-suk’s Next Variety Show Confirmed: Will He Capture the Audience’s Favor Once Again?》
《Title Announcement of 'Idol 100' Draws Public Attention [Photos]》
News about "Idol 100" spread like wildfire across search engine ads, social media, online communities, and YouTube. Public anticipation was already through the roof, a testament to PD Woo Han-suk’s track record.
Two weeks passed.
During that time, Lee Jin-woo stumbled upon a video on YouTube. The thumbnail was a picture of his own face.
<The Ultimate Fashion is the Face… Super, Super, Super Handsome Guy I Met in Gangnam | Ose Jom An-eun Oppa>
It was the street interview he had done on his first day in Gangnam after his face changed. That moment was now a viral video. In the clip, Jin-woo responded calmly to the interviewer’s question.
—[“What’s your outfit concept for today? You look super hip.”]
—[“…I just wore whatever I had at home.”]
The video had been online for less than a day, yet it had already surpassed one million views. Curious, Jin-woo scrolled through the comments. The reaction was explosive.
- Wow… Who the hell is this insanely handsome guy??????
- How do you even live with a face like that?
- WTF? With that face, he would completely crush every idol out there right now.
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWTFㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ he's seriously so fucking handsome ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Being good-looking is the best… If you’re handsome, that’s all you need…
- His face is a public menace??? Seriously! Why don’t I ever see god-tier handsome guys when I go to Gangnam???
- Bro, I’m telling you, do NOT work out. I am warning you.
- I found myself smiling like an idiot.... Humor? Who needs it? If you're handsome, even just breathing is funny.
- Fuck, I guess I'll just have soju with pig's feet that look like me tonight.
- Someone please give us his info ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
- I don’t even smoke, but after watching this video, I’m heading out to buy cigarettes.
- Seriouslyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. If you’re this insanely handsome, life must be so damn easy.
About a week later, Lee Jin-woo received a call from Kim Se-hee.
“The preliminary screening for contestants has started! If everything goes smoothly, we’re aiming for the first shoot in about two weeks!”
That meant they had begun selecting the 100 competitors he would be up against. She also shared another piece of information.
“Also, Jin-woo-ssi, your insert shoot has been scheduled for three days from now! It’s just some simple shots for your introduction and greetings, so no need to feel pressured!”
At that moment, Jin-woo’s phone vibrated briefly. A notification had popped up from the AI Changjoja app.
—[Sumgyeojin Immu ‘Throwing the First Gauntlet’ has been achieved! You have been awarded 15 Coins as a gift.]
Jin-woo smiled at the free Coins. Sumgyeojin missions were a jackpot. He had been completing missions every single day without fail, and his balance had already exceeded 100 Coins.
Then, another alert appeared.
—[Sudden Title Immu Activated!]
—[Acquire Title: ‘Bu-eop-ui Dal-in’ / Reward upon completion: 30 Coins / Completion Condition: Choose your first side job and engage in a related activity.]
The unexpected notification caught Jin-woo completely off guard.