The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 118

Chapter 118

 

Ding.

[The status light of Observer Yoo Haein’s authority has been detected exactly once through the item effect.]

‘You bastard…!’

A flash burst before my eyes, and I saw a bizarre violet aura extending from Yoo Haein’s fingertips.

It seemed he had already made his move to tamper with the board.

The lens… a reward item I had equipped just in case, had done its job perfectly.

‘So you finally crossed the line.’

The light of his authority left his fingertips and silently seeped toward the backstage area.

It was unmistakable malice aimed at shaking up the entire award show and dragging me down.

Unaware that he was being watched, Yoo Haein continued pressuring me with the same relaxed gaze.

But a smile similar to his… no, even colder… formed on my lips.

‘So you’re setting the stage for me? Fine. I’ll gladly destroy it.’

Following the trail of authority visible through the lens, I began calculating the perfect timing to dismantle the trap he had prepared.

“I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

“Siwoo, we’re performing first, so get back quickly after you’re done.”

“Yes. Little brother Siwoo, make sure you take care of that urgent poop situation.”

Watching the members wave me off, I naturally left my seat under the pretense of heading to the restroom.

The moment I entered the backstage corridor, my feet immediately turned toward the rear of the stage.

‘I need to check what Yoo Haein messed with badly enough to accept a penalty for it.’

Behind the stage, violet afterimages flickered among the busy staff members.

As I moved forward, the color of the light near the lift looked suspicious.

‘We’re supposed to use the lift during the opening stage, aren’t we?’

Approaching with growing unease, I found the lift’s main support bolt loosened and hanging by a thread.

“…!”

This wasn’t an attempt to cause a simple malfunction.

If the performance started like this, the lift would either stop halfway up or, in the worst-case scenario, lose balance and tilt.

‘This guy is genuinely insane.’

The GMSA Awards were being broadcast live.

His intention was obvious: either trap us beneath the stage in darkness by breaking the lift or cause a major accident that would make further activities impossible.

‘Fine. Let’s see if things go your way.’

The thought of seeing Yoo Haein’s face completely crumple was already satisfying.

 

☆☆☆

 

“We’re really opening the award show? It still feels like a dream!”

“Seriously! Beating out all the other rookies and getting the first slot is incredible!”

“Hyung, can you see our slogan over there? That’s insane!”

The place the members pointed to was filled with waves of pink, Lucy Star Boys’ signature color.

Only a few months after debuting, we had surpassed every rookie group and stood proudly on stage as Rookie of the Year nominees with the honor of opening the show.

“Don’t get too nervous. Just do what we practiced, okay?”

Kim Sunyoo adjusted each member’s tie one by one while reassuring them.

“Yes~”

“Got it!”

Today’s outfit was the ultimate youthful look: casual suits.

Light white shirts accented with silver chains and blue-toned accessories.

Anyone who looked at us would immediately think ‘youth concept’.

The GMSA Awards officially began with three famous actors serving as MCs.

“Welcome, everyone, to GMSA, the largest global music awards ceremony!”

The MC’s crisp voice echoed through the speakers.

“I’m actor So Mingyu, your MC for this year’s GMSA.”

“Waaaaah!”

Cheers erupted throughout Gocheok Sky Dome every time an MC introduced themselves.

“Then let us officially begin the opening of the GMSA Awards!”

As majestic music signaled the start, a brief introduction to the history and significance of GMSA followed.

[Lucy Star Boys, standby! One minute until stage time!]

While drinking some water backstage, the director’s voice came through my in-ear monitor.

‘So it’s finally starting.’

“Our opening stage belongs to a rookie group that exploded in popularity this year!”

“We’ll begin with the performance of Lucy Star Boys, whose debut generated tremendous buzz and whose debut song became a massive hit!”

The moment the MCs finished speaking, every light in Gocheok Dome went dark.

For a brief instant, silence fell so completely that even the breathing of tens of thousands of people disappeared.

BOOM—!

A powerful beat struck like a heartbeat as silver-white fireworks shot up from the front of the stage.

Originally, we were supposed to rise using the lift Yoo Haein had sabotaged.

But we did not need that heap of scrap metal anymore.

Taking advantage of the blackout, we sprinted from both sides of the stage and slid gracefully into the center.

As if we had been there from the beginning.

A perfect formation.

“WAAAAAAAH!”

The unexpected entrance made the entire dome erupt.

‘The reaction’s even better than I expected.’

For a rookie group performing among countless famous artists, the response was overwhelming.

I raised my head and looked directly into the jib camera.

The familiar brass intro of “First Greeting Hello” burst forth.

‘Just do what we practiced.’

The chain accessories attached to our shirt collars sparkled beneath the lights.

 

—

Hello, hello

—

 

The low voices of Kang Chan and Seo Hayul blended together, cutting cleanly through the stadium.

 

—

Can you hear

This heart beating for you like the very first time?

—

 

Even while performing intense choreography, our live vocals matched the studio version perfectly.

The audience was already going wild.

 

—

Hello, hello

When you wave your hand

Our story begins

—

 

“Hello, hello!”

As the chorus hit, tens of thousands of audience members waved their pink light sticks in perfect unison.

‘Honestly, I didn’t expect much because it’s such a large-scale award show, but this many fans came for us?’

Award shows were completely different from regular music broadcasts.

With limited seating shared among fans of numerous artists, competition for tickets was brutal.

Naturally, a rookie group’s fandom would usually get pushed aside among so many top-tier idols.

Yet the sight before me made an uncontrollable genuine smile spread across my face.

‘Our fans are seriously the best.’

I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

As I waved toward the fan section and focused on my parts, the giant screen suddenly switched to reactions from the artists’ seating area.

‘Everyone reacts so dramatically when the camera catches them.’

With so many artists gathered in one place, everyone fought desperately for a little more screen time.

‘Is this why so many singers eventually become actors?’

The same people who had looked cold before the show were now enthusiastically cheering with Oscar-worthy acting.

And at the center of that stark contrast was Yoo Haein.

To outsiders, he looked like a warm senior proudly watching his juniors perform.

But he couldn’t fool me.

Behind the forced smile, his eyes trembled ever so slightly.

‘How does it feel? You accepted penalties and poured your precious authority into this scheme, only for everything to fall apart from the very start of the show.’

From the moment we walked onto the stage instead of riding the lift, his expression had briefly twisted in shock.

His mind was probably in chaos right now.

The equipment that should have malfunctioned had become useless, and the rookies who were supposed to fall had instead delivered a legendary opening stage.

The more flawlessly we performed, the darker his expression became.

Watching it happen in real time sent a thrill through my chest.

We had completely shattered the sneaky scheme he devised to destroy us.

When the first performance ended successfully, thunderous cheers exploded through Gocheok Sky Dome.

“KYAAAAAAAH!”

The roar was so overwhelming that I became certain.

We had created a legendary stage beyond anything we had practiced.

But there was no time to rest.

The second song began immediately.

It was the theme song from the survival program that had given us our start.

Although Lucy Star Boys officially had only one released song, we had unusually secured the opportunity to perform two tracks.

After much deliberation, we had chosen “Cheer Me On.”

It best represented our recognition, popularity, and the fact that we had debuted through a survival show.

As a result, I stood center stage for the second song.

The moment the familiar intro played, my body reacted on its own.

The choreography I had practiced thousands upon thousands of times awakened every muscle.

‘I’ve really improved a lot.’

Unlike the days when I earned the center position through photographs alone, I now led the team as a true center.

Since Star Picking 5 had become a massive hit, the influence of Cheer Me On was beyond imagination.

The audience erupted into chaos from the opening notes alone.

As the final beat struck, tens of thousands of paper flower petals poured down like an avalanche.

Beyond the swirling colors, I could feel the audience’s heat against my skin.

“Thank you! This has been Lucy Star Boys!”

“KYAAAAAAAH!”

“WOOOOOOO!”

Even as we left the stage, breathing heavily, the cheers never stopped.

The start had been good.

No… perfect.

The entire atmosphere of the award show had already been set ablaze by the name Lucy Star Boys.

As I stepped down, I glanced toward the artists’ section once more.

Through the falling confetti, Yoo Haein’s complexion was no longer merely stiff.

He looked pale as a corpse.

‘Feels good giving him a proper punch to the face.’

Enjoying the fact that our stage had ended successfully, I descended with the members.

Even after we completely disappeared backstage, the audience’s gaze lingered on the path we had taken.

Feeling that lingering warmth on my back was strangely moving.

“Hyung… we were amazing just now, right?”

With the tension finally released, Yoo Hoseung’s legs gave out.

He grabbed my sleeve to steady himself.

“Yeah. You did really well.”

The members gathered around us with bright smiles.

“Guys, seriously, great work.”

“Wow! Our team was the best!”

Relieved that we had completed the opening stage, the members laughed and celebrated like children.

But it was too early to relax.

Only one thing remained.

The perfect ending to today’s performance.

The Rookie of the Year award.