The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

“Seriously, though, isn’t making the Top 10 from the very beginning way too brutal? I got completely edited out of Episode 1.”

[It depends on you, Cha Siwoo.]

‘You sure have a lot of faith in me.’

[ㅇㅇ]

“Make sure you survive by placing within the Top 50. Good luck, trainees.”

Holding the album for The Moment I First Saw You, I walked toward where Vocal Team 2 was gathered.

“Vocal Team 2! Vocal Team 2!!”

“Our team representative who got first place in the race is here!”

It felt like a triumphant return.

‘This kind of welcome is a first in my life.’

The atmosphere within Vocal Team 2 was positive from the start since we had successfully secured the song we wanted.

Putting on my professional smile, I waved the album.

“Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“I’m telling you, Vocal Team 2 really chose the right representative.”

“Exactly.”

“…”

‘A friendly atmosphere is nice.’

To boost team morale, I gave everyone a moment to enjoy the victory.

“We only have two weeks, so should we start practicing right away?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s listen to the original song first and decide on the arrangement direction.”

“Sounds good!”

I opened a music app and played The Moment I First Saw You.

A gentle piano melody flowed from the phone speaker.

As strings gradually joined the accompaniment, the sound became richer and fuller.

While concentrating on the song’s rhythm and notes, a soft voice echoed out.

 

—

Within a passing season

You quietly came to me

Without even saying a word

My heart remembered you first

—

 

The melody intensified as it moved toward the latter half.

Finally, in the bridge section, the emotions exploded… exactly the structure of a traditional ballad.

 

—

To call it a passing encounter

That first vivid scene keeps me alive

—

 

“…!”

“Wow. The notes are really high.”

“The bridge gave me chills.”

The trainees let out admiring exclamations.

After listening to the second verse and chorus, their expressions became serious.

“I think the song is amazing!”

“It definitely shows off vocal ability well. Makes me want it even more.”

“I think we really chose the right song.”

‘If we do it well, we can definitely build recognition for our vocals.’

As the trainees exchanged impressions, I dragged a nearby whiteboard over.

‘I’m the team representative, so I should take initiative.’

The moment I set the whiteboard in front of the team, everyone’s attention gathered.

On the clean board, I wrote Vocal Team 2 in large letters with a marker.

“Does anyone have a preferred direction for the arrangement?”

“The song is already good, but I want to turn it into something cooler and more idol-like!”

“It’s a vocal-focused song, but I’d like some powerful dance elements too.”

I wrote down each team member’s opinion.

At that moment, Rua raised his hand as if he had been waiting.

“I want to change the rhythm from doom-doom doom into ddoong-ddang-ddoong-ddang-ddang.”

“…?”

“Hmm.”

‘What is he even talking about?’

Looking at the camera’s red recording light, I forced a professional smile.

“Hyung Rua, could you explain that in a little more detail?”

“Hold on.”

Looking around, Rua walked toward an electronic piano in the corner.

“Listen.”

Rua sat down.

His long fingers gently brushed the keys, and clear piano notes spread out like calm waves.

At first, it was the familiar melody of The Moment I First Saw You, but the tempo gradually sped up.

“…!”

Rua’s fingers danced across the keyboard.

The melody flowing from his fingertips added a cheerful energy to the original ballad, making it brighter and touching somewhere deep in the heart.

The picture-perfect scene almost felt unreal.

‘So this is the genius everyone talks about.’

It was the first time in my life that piano music had left such an impression.

‘And he described this beautiful melody as “ddoong-ddang-ddoong-ddang-ddang”…?’

The movie-like scene unfolding before us captivated everyone.

His skill was impressive, but with a Charm stat rated B, he also had a strange ability to draw people in.

After finishing the short performance, Rua looked up.

“Got it?”

“Yes!”

“Wow, Rua, you’re really amazing at piano.”

The members of Vocal Team 2 nodded as if entranced.

Even someone like me, who knew little about music, could tell it was good.

“It’s nice.”

Rua’s eyes widened slightly before he smiled brightly.

“Oh! Even Siwoo dongsaeng approves!”

‘It’s not because I like you, idiot. It’s because the song is good.’

“How about we go with the arrangement direction Hyung Rua suggested? The ddoong-ddang-ddoong-ddang-ddang style?”

“Sounds good.”

“Honestly, I don’t think we’ll come up with anything better than that.”

“Then Vocal Team 2’s arrangement will be ddoong-ddang-ddoong-ddang-ddang.”

I wrote Arrangement: Ddoong-ddang-ddoong-ddang-ddang on the whiteboard.

The meeting continued.

“Next, let’s decide the parts.”

In the Star Picking 5 Position Mission, seven trainees had to divide up a single four-minute song.

Excluding the intro and instrumental sections, the actual singing time ranged from about two and a half to three and a half minutes.

‘For The Moment I First Saw You, the total comes to 210 seconds.’

That meant each person would get roughly thirty seconds.

The section assignment was extremely important because everyone needed to stand out and distinguish themselves from the others within those thirty seconds.

“Since there are a lot of us, let’s divide it carefully.”

“We can split it into intro, verse, bridge, chorus, and outro.”

“Let’s start with the most important part… the chorus!”

The friendly atmosphere vanished, replaced by sharp gazes that looked ready to hunt prey.

Putting a bunch of vocalists together and making them decide who gets the chorus was practically asking for a fight.

“I’m really confident about the chorus part.”

“Me too. I’m pretty good with high notes.”

‘At this rate, the producers are going to get exactly the footage they want.’

As voices gradually rose, I tapped the whiteboard.

“Then who wants the chorus?”

Everyone lifted their heads at once.

The moment their eyes met, smiles remained on their faces, but a fierce battle had begun in their eyes.

“Me.”

“Me too!”

Most of Vocal Team 2 raised their hands.

“Hmm.”

‘Just as expected.’

“As expected, there are a lot of volunteers.”

“That’s a good thing. It means Vocal Team 2 has ambition.”

Of course, I raised my hand as well.

“Representative, are you applying too?”

“You’re already the team representative. Aren’t you being a bit greedy?”

Joking remarks mixed with attempts to hold me back flew from every direction.

‘This level of teasing is cute. It barely qualifies as opposition.’

I gave them my professional smile.

“If you’re an idol who chose the vocal position, you have to challenge yourself.”

At first, I hesitated because I worried I might look like someone obsessed with screen time.

But I quickly decided to go after the chorus.

‘The quest matters more than my image.’

Taking initiative was a double-edged sword.

People might say I was greedy or showing off.

On the other hand, they might see me as hardworking and proactive.

In situations like this, it was better to commit fully and push the image of a capable leader.

And considering the sub-quest, this was the right move.

‘If I want to make the Top 10, I absolutely need strong audience votes and judge scores.’

Since the show was still in its early stages, viewer votes would be heavily influenced by screen time and recognition.

As someone who had been completely edited out of Episode 1 except for a brief teaser appearance, I was at a major disadvantage.

My goal was to secure enough audience and judge points to put myself safely in the rankings.

“I’m confident in my vocals because I spent a long time as a trainee.”

As tension filled the room, Park Sugyeok glanced at me.

‘Look at this guy. Is he really trying to push his trainee experience now?’

“Ah… Park Sugyeok has been a trainee for five years, right?”

“I think it makes sense for someone with more experience to do it.”

The trainees standing beside Park Sugyeok lowered their hands after noticing the atmosphere.

‘You’re a trainee, and you’re already talking about seniority?’

Still, a few admirable trainees stubbornly kept their hands raised.

“In that case, how about we each sing the chorus section and decide fairly through a vote?”

What’s more important than years of experience?

Skill.

‘Let’s settle this with ability.’

At my suggestion to strip away rank and compete fairly, the corner of Park Sugyeok’s mouth twitched.

It felt like I could already hear the producers cheering from somewhere nearby.

“YES. Sounds fun!”

Rua answered first, laughing out loud.

Several trainees quickly nodded.

“I agree.”

“It’s a team mission. The person who performs best should do it, it benefits everyone.”

For trainees who had chosen the vocal position, ambition for the chorus was unavoidable.

After giving them a little push, the members of Vocal Team 2 enthusiastically agreed.

“Then let’s start one by one.”

Rua, standing at the far right, shot his hand up.

“I’ll go first!”

When the instrumental track for the chorus played, Rua’s sweet voice filled the room.

 

—

The moment I first saw you

I thought time had stopped

So desperately that I could barely breathe

I called your name again and again

—

 

The chorus was smooth and flawless, with perfect pitch and rhythm.

“Wow~”

“Rua, you’re really good.”

“Did you put butter in your throat or something?”

‘A Vocal stat of B really is different.’

“Thank you!”

After Rua’s bright response, the trainees took turns singing the chorus.

Mindful of the cameras with their red recording lights, I maintained my professional smile and diligently played the role of the applause bot.

Finally, when it became Park Sugyeok’s turn, everyone’s attention focused on him.

‘Let’s see how good you really are.’

“Then I’ll begin.”

Putting on a serious expression, Park Sugyeok gathered his emotions and raised his fist as though holding a microphone.

 

—

The moment I first saw you

I thought time had stopped

—

 

He barely managed to get through the high notes in the first chorus.

 

—

Perhaps you feel the same waaAAAK…!

—

 

At the ultra-high note section, he finally cracked.

“…”

“…Pfft.”

Several trainees hurriedly covered their mouths.

Honestly, it was so absurd that it was funny.

‘Makes it even funnier considering he was just trying to win through seniority.’

I’d bet every hair on my eyebrows that this scene was making it into the broadcast.

His expression visibly darkened as he sang the final part of the chorus.

 

—

Because we began like destinyyyyAAANG…

—

 

‘Is he a sheep?’

A trembling sound echoed through the room that was too embarrassing to even call vibrato.