The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 

The filming set usually had multiple cameras recording simultaneously.

The reality was that not only trainees but even rookie idols often struggled with cameras and couldn’t easily find them unless they were directly in front.

‘That’s because I know exactly where the cameras are positioned.’

There were basic rules to camera placement.

Usually, side cameras were placed at 45-degree angles to the left and right.

Cameras equipped with telephoto lenses were used for close-ups, so more attention had to be paid to details of movements and facial expressions.

To be honest, finding a camera with its tally light on was child’s play for a paparazzo.

“I hear all the time that I have good instincts!”

“Hoho. You’re a born idol. Kids who work this efficiently make filming finish so much faster.”

The camera director smiled contentedly as he began packing up the equipment.

“Everyone worked hard. We’ll wrap up the MemeTok shoot here.”

The filming ended in a cheerful atmosphere.

The TX music broadcast aired at exactly 6 PM the following evening.

 

☆☆☆

 

‘Our Haein oppa is appearing as a special MC on a music show?’

Han Moyang was in the middle of studying for her upcoming midterms, but she couldn’t ignore the news about her favorite idol.

‘There will always be another exam, but Haein oppa being an MC is only happening today!’

She decisively closed her textbook and turned on the TV.

When she switched to the TX Music Broadcast channel for the first time in a while, the opening was beginning at the perfect moment.

[Hello viewers. This is Show Music, the representative TX music program responsible for your Thursday entertainment!]

A charming voice rang out from the TV speakers.

“Eeeeeek! Haein oppa is wearing a school uniform today! He’s so handsome…!”

A scream escaped her instinctively and echoed throughout the small studio apartment.

‘Isn’t this the first time he’s worn a school uniform since his debut days?’

Seeing her favorite idol in a school uniform again was refreshing and suited Yoo Haein’s elegant features and neat image perfectly.

“How can our oppa look good in absolutely everything? He just gets more handsome every day.”

As she gazed happily at her favorite idol, Nari from the girl group HERA, who stood beside Yoo Haein, smiled brightly.

[Senior Haein! Hello!]

[Hello, Nari. It’s been a while.]

[Have you been doing well? Thank you for joining us as a special guest today.]

[I’ve been doing very well thanks to the love of the fans. Since I have a connection to Show Music, of course, I had to come. Have you been doing well too, Nari?]

“Aww, oppa’s love for his fans never changes!”

As expected of a music show, the MCs were currently popular idols.

‘Haein oppa is way beyond the level of appearing here regularly now. Still, it’s cute seeing him MC again after so long.’

Remembering when Yoo Haein used to host TX Music Show two years ago made Han Moyang grin even wider.

[Actually… I was so excited about the new rookies debuting today that I couldn’t sleep last night! And speaking of which, Senior Haein, you’re wearing such a youthful school uniform today.]

[Haha. Does it suit me?]

[Of course! But now that I think about it, I’ve seen that uniform somewhere before.]

[As expected, you have a sharp eye, Nari. The reason I’m wearing this uniform today is that I’m introducing some junior trainees who may become the industry’s next rookies.]

[Junior trainees? Oh my! Don’t tell me…?]

Nari widened her eyes dramatically and acted surprised.

‘It’s a little cheesy, but it’s still entertaining.’

Han Moyang figured it was because Nari was such a cute idol and focused back on her favorite.

[You’re exactly right. Everyone…! Star Picking 5 begins next Friday at 9 PM.]

“Oh, come on. Star Picking is back again.”

Come to think of it, the school uniform Yoo Haein was wearing was identical to the one from the controversial Star Picking 4.

[It’s finally here!]

[Yes. Since I’m serving as MC, I’ve had the chance to see the trainees firsthand, and there are a lot of talented ones. Please make sure to watch the premiere!]

“If oppa says watch it, then I’ll watch it!”

She wasn’t particularly interested in idols other than her favorite.

‘Especially trainees who haven’t even debuted yet…’

But if her favorite idol was the MC, watching the premiere live was mandatory.

“As long as I can admire handsome Haein oppa’s face, nothing else matters.”

[Now you’ve got me excited to watch it too!]

[Then let’s begin Show Music’s opening stage with a preview of Star Picking 5. It’s the theme song performed by 100 trainees: ‘Cheer Me On’!]

A trendy, addictive beat poured from the speakers.

‘A stage by trainees who haven’t even debuted.’

The previously dark stage was suddenly illuminated by a powerful white spotlight aimed at the center.

Silhouettes of trainees standing in a line while wearing familiar school uniforms appeared.

She wasn’t expecting much, but she stayed seated out of devotion to her favorite idol.

As the camera slowly zoomed in on the center position, the trainee’s face came into clear focus.

Above a sharp, refined jawline was a high, distinct nose bridge that perfectly balanced his features.

Under long, delicate eyelashes, deep eyes gave off an intense yet captivating impression.

“…!”

‘Holy shit. Are you kidding me?!’

Before she could recover from the shock, the first line rang out.

“I’ll seduce you.”

Thump. Thump.

It was the sweetest voice she had ever heard in her life.

The voice sounded like a whisper slipping into the cracks of her heart, so seductive that it made her pulse race wildly.

It was only a single line, but she felt utterly captivated by every breath.

“This is insane.”

“Every moment is filled with you.”

Two more incredibly handsome guys emerged from behind the seduction guy and spread out to either side.

Their dazzling yet powerful dance movements displayed qualities that even someone who had stanned countless idols could recognize as exceptional.

“Wow. They dance so satisfyingly.”

Perhaps because she had expected absolutely nothing, the trainees appearing at the beginning were honestly very good.

“Are these really trainees?”

As more trainees appeared, signs of inexperience gradually became visible in their unfamiliar stage movements and cautious steps.

The close-up shots vividly captured expressions filled with both nervousness and excitement.

When all the lifts finally rose, all 100 trainees could be seen performing synchronized choreography together.

The strangely bizarre yet perfectly synchronized performance delivered a sense of catharsis and exhilaration.

‘They practiced a lot.’

As the highlight section of the first verse approached, the camera zoomed back in on the seduction guy at the center.

“Cheer for me as I shine.”

The clean triple high note sent what felt like an electric shock through her entire body.

“…!”

The seduction guy smiled brightly, as though basking in sunlight.

Thump. Thump.

“I’ll give you everything, so choose me.”

Combined with the sweet harmonies of the prince-like foreigner and another handsome trainee, her ten years of idol-fan instincts were telling her something.

Handsome and talented?

‘These guys are definitely going to make it big.’

The moment “Cheer Me On” ended, she immediately opened an idol community site.

The live reactions were even hotter than she had expected.

 

> Did anyone just watch those trainees on TX Network’s Show Music?

>  Holy crap, are they really trainees?

>  I wasn’t expecting anything because they milked this survival show to death, but what happened with Season 5?

>  Who’s the seduction guy in the center?

>  Who’s that foreigner? Why is a prince singing over there?

>  Our Sunyoo is so good ㅠㅠ Please vote for him when voting opens. (__)

> Praying for a Cheer Me On digital release

>  The song is insanely addictive. I hope it comes out soon.

>  Their theme songs have always been good. The problem was the rigging.

ㄴ If they rig it again, they deserve to get destroyed.

>  When is today’s stage going up on GyuTube? That triple high note was so satisfying.

ㄴ Probably around midnight.

ㄴ Thanks.

> Honestly, isn’t the center not really center material?

> The dance comparison with the guys beside him is brutal.

>  Agreed. Kim Sunyoo would be a better center.

>  Damn it. Looks like they picked the center based on looks. Their audition sense is dead.

ㄴ What nonsense? Centers are always chosen for their visuals.

>  Why is he getting hate? He looks like main vocalist material. The guys next to him are just absurdly good dancers. And the center’s singing was crazy.

ㄴ The center should be the best dancer so they can anchor the group choreography.

ㄴ ??? Since when was that a law? Then should only dancers ever be centers?

 

> Please give our Sugyeok a try! He’s from Harmony Entertainment, a company you can trust!

>  Okay, okay, I’ll check him out.

>  Big agencies are reliable.

 

> Who’s the gray-haired trainee all the way in the back?

>  He was flying across the stage.

>  Don’t they usually put the good ones in front? Why is he so good?

>  Feels like finding a hidden gem.

>  His decadent vibe is insane. He’s my pick now, haha

 

> Is Yoo Hoseung really at 10 million Dalstagram followers?

>  That’s what 10 million followers looks like.

>  With that many followers, he’ll probably debut through fan power alone.

ㄴ Isn’t that unfair? Doesn’t that mean he starts with 10 million votes already?

ㄴ Are you serious? By that logic, Kim Sunyoo and all the trainees from big agencies are unfair too.

ㄴ It’s fine. TX Network is already famous for being unfair and rigging things, so that’s just part of the background.

 

Not only idol communities but GyuTube and other sites alike had descended into complete chaos over the appearance of these rookies.

“This is fun.”

Watching people bite and tear into each other was pure entertainment from a third-party perspective.

‘Come to think of it, when Haein oppa first appeared, things were just as crazy.’

Remembering the days she spent fighting keyboard wars all night, Han Moyang carefully pressed “like” on a comment she agreed with.

“Well, it’s not like I’m posting comments myself. They’re trainees that our Haein oppa is promoting. This much is just fan loyalty.”

And so, as soon as the music-show performance was uploaded to GyuTube, Han Moyang watched it ten more times.

 

☆☆☆

 

The day after the TX Network Show Music broadcast aired, we were once again wearing matching school uniforms while getting our makeup done.

In one corner of the waiting room, production staff holding cameras were conducting interviews with the trainees.

“Wow, I’m so nervous.”

“This is actually my first time performing in front of a live audience.”

“I’ll show my best performance at today’s press-conference stage!”

The response to the music show broadcast had been even hotter than expected.

That morning, countless articles with provocative headlines had already been published.

 

[Star Picking 5 Becomes the Center of Attention]

[Theme Song ‘Cheer Me On’ Enters Top 100 Real-Time Music Charts Immediately After Release]

[Influencer Yoo Hoseung Joins Idol Survival Show]

[Who Is the Seduction Guy in the Center?]

[Trainees from Major Agencies Join Former Luminar Stars Member]

 

Thanks to the explosive attention, the trainees all looked noticeably excited.

‘The reception was better than I expected.’

The center position naturally attracted as much criticism as attention.

I had prepared myself to accept any amount of hate, but perhaps because of the singing strategy, the reactions were milder than expected whenever I searched for myself.

“Hey. Seduction guy, hello?”