The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 

‘That guy Rua may have a unique personality, but he’s genuinely incredible when it comes to singing and arranging.’

Kim Taehan didn’t blink even once until Rua stepped back.

The formation naturally shifted, and this time Park Sugyeok moved forward into the center position.

‘Don’t mess up.’

 

— 

Unable to say even a single word

My heart remembered you first

— 

 

It was a stage that showed the results of all the intense practice.

Following the rehearsed formation, the performance continued as each member stepped forward one by one.

Finally, when the first chorus arrived, I stopped at the center of the formation.

 

— 

The moment I first saw you

I thought time had stopped

— 

 

“…!”

Rua stepped forward from behind and stood beside me.

 

— 

I called for you again and again

Could it be that you feel the same way too

— 

 

The highlight chorus… the section with the highest notes… was approaching.

Turning my head to face Rua, I added the harmony we had practiced all week.

 

— 

Because this began like fate!

— 

 

“Wow.”

“Man~”

As the chorus ended, the bright and cheerful music suddenly faded.

A low bass flowed across the floor like a gentle caress.

Lined up in a straight formation, the sensual group choreography began with Rua at the center and each member stepping out one by one to either side.

Moving with the rhythm, we marked the beat slowly.

Combined with a breathy, seductive counter-melody that seemed to brush past the listener’s ears, the choreography drew a heated reaction from the judges.

“…!”

“They’re pulling out a twist here?”

“These kids really came prepared!”

As the notes climbed higher and the powerful group choreography continued, the second verse finally began.

 

— 

In those eyes that smiled without a word…uh–

— 

 

‘Ah.’

Park Sugyeok, breathing heavily, ended up making a mistake in the lyrics.

“…Hmm.”

The composer, whose eyes had widened earlier, furrowed his brows once again.

After that, Park Sugyeok’s flustered mistake was followed by another trainee making one as well.

Only after the final ending pose did the song come to an end.

“Thank you!”

Panting for breath, we bowed ninety degrees.

The judges and Kim Taehan were looking at us with complicated expressions.

“Who wants to speak first?”

“I’ll go first.”

The choreographer judge picked up the microphone.

“The concept is good. But what’s the point of getting an opportunity if you waste it? To be honest, you started strong, but the farther the performance went, the more mistakes piled up.”

“…”

“Who’s the team leader here?”

“I am!”

I stepped forward and raised my right hand.

“Trainee Cha Siwoo, are you planning to let your teammates make mistakes on the actual stage too?”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to make mistakes either.

‘They weren’t this bad during practice.’

“No!”

“Isn’t the leader’s role supposed to be guiding the team? Are you not going to do your job properly?”

Being a leader meant accepting all kinds of criticism.

“I’m sorry. I’ll encourage my teammates and do my best so we can create the best stage together.”

“Good. And while I can tell you’re trying to show a lot, some members lack either singing or dancing ability, so the overall picture feels lacking.”

The choreographer judge looked over the members of Vocal Team 2 one by one.

“The twist with the sexy choreography during the highlight section was fresh. It felt seductive without being excessive, which I liked. That being said, Trainee Park Sugyeok.”

Park Sugyeok raised the microphone.

“Yes?”

“What do you think about switching the order around a bit?”

“What order are you referring to?”

Park Sugyeok forced a smile despite the obvious trembling in his eyes.

“To be honest, when Trainee Rua is immediately followed by Trainee Park Sugyeok, the comparison is unavoidable. Wouldn’t it be more natural if someone who could carry on Rua’s vibe came next?”

“…I’ll try to do better.”

“It’s not just about the dancing. The overall atmosphere and facial expressions feel disconnected, so the flow gets cut off. Rather than that, why don’t we switch Park Sugyeok’s and Cha Siwoo’s positions during the sensual group choreography?”

“…!”

My position during the sensual choreography had been all the way in the back.

‘Something about fairness or whatever.’

Since I had already received one of the key vocal parts, I had accepted the choreography arrangement for the sake of a successful group project.

“But Cha Siwoo is already getting a lot of vocal screen time.”

“I know. But this mission isn’t about who gets how much spotlight. This isn’t an individual stage… it’s a team stage. Shouldn’t the priority be how to make the entire team shine?”

Park Sugyeok bit his lip tightly and forced himself to remain composed.

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Good.”

After the choreographer judge lowered his microphone, Park Chaeyoung picked it up.

“Trainee Rua is really good at singing. He also held the center position well during the highlight choreography, so he fulfilled his role as center excellently.”

“Thank you!”

“And the arrangement…”

Park Chaeyoung glanced briefly at Kim Taehan before looking back at Rua.

“To be honest, I thought the arrangement was excellent while listening to it. The faster tempo gives it character, and it’s still stuck in my head.”

“…!”

“And whose idea was the concept? That fresh, fluttery feeling of first love that people that age experience matches the arranged version perfectly.”

“It was Siwoo’s idea!”

Park Chaeyoung’s gaze shifted from Rua to me.

“Trainee Cha Siwoo, is that true?”

“I suggested the initial idea, but overall, the entire Vocal Team 2 contributed ideas and created the concept together.”

In situations like this, you were supposed to give credit to the team rather than claiming it yourself.

“You’re a team that gets along well, and it’s nice to see. Every time I see you, Trainee Cha Siwoo, your skills improve. Honestly, when I heard you harmonizing with Rua this time, I got goosebumps.”

“Thank you!”

“You’re doing great as a vocalist, but work harder as a team leader. You need to guide the weaker members well if you want the entire stage to succeed.”

“Yes! Understood.”

After a round of evaluations from the judges, composer Kim Taehan finally picked up the microphone.

“To be honest, I still don’t like the arrangement.”

“…!”

The man’s stubbornness was truly remarkable.

“Whenever someone arranges one of my songs, it feels like the song loses its identity. Because of that, the very idea of someone touching my music is extremely stressful.”

‘Then why did you even let the show use your song?’

“To be honest, when I heard idols were arranging it, I was worried. But after hearing it today, I realized it was simply my prejudice. Frankly… you did a good job with the arrangement.”

“Thank you!”

“But even if you’re trainees, mistakes on stage are unacceptable.”

Once again, criticism regarding the mistakes poured in.

By the third lecture about leadership qualities, the corner of my mouth twitched.

‘Starting today, I’m working these brats even harder.’

“Yes! Of course. I’ll take responsibility and lead the team through our practice.”

“Good. I’ll trust you with it.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

The crisis surrounding the song arrangement had been overcome, but the midterm evaluation ended with an unexpected mission handed to us.

The moment we stepped outside the studio, the expressions of the team members varied.

Rua, who had successfully protected the arrangement, was beaming.

Meanwhile, Park Sugyeok and the trainee who had made mistakes and received harsh criticism looked utterly dejected.

“Well, now that we’ve received feedback, shall we head straight back to the practice room and prepare for the performance next week?”

This was finally the perfect opportunity to legally work the team to the bone.

Up until now, I had allowed everyone to practice freely after official team practice ended.

After all, people who wanted to work hard would do so, and people who didn’t wouldn’t.

In a situation like that, forcing the team into excessive practice could earn criticism.

Especially with someone like Park Sugyeok, who was openly hostile toward me.

But things were different now.

“Can’t we rest a little first?”

“Then let’s gather in the practice room, rest for five minutes, and start practicing immediately.”

“…”

After being harshly criticized by the judges, even Park Sugyeok couldn’t bring himself to insist on taking a break.

Once we arrived at the practice room, practice resumed naturally.

Perhaps because he was shaken by being called out during the midterm evaluation, Park Sugyeok kept repeating the same mistakes.

“Let’s try again.”

“Yes!”

‘Hmm.’

As the mistakes continued, Rua finally raised his hand.

“How about trying the choreography paths the way the choreographer judge suggested?”

“…”

Several teammates exchanged glances before nodding.

“If it’s for the team, it’s worth trying.”

“I think so too. We got the feedback, so we should at least test it.”

When the majority agreed, Park Sugyeok’s expression noticeably hardened.

“I… hate that idea!”

The moment he finished speaking, he sprang to his feet.

As everyone stared blankly, Park Sugyeok started running.

He couldn’t even wait to open the door properly and practically slammed it open.

BANG!

“Park Sugyeok!”

‘He’s running away?’

I immediately turned around.

“I’ll go after him. Everyone else, take a short break.”

“…Okay.”

As I stepped into the hallway, I spotted Park Sugyeok’s retreating figure running down the far end.

“Wait a moment, Park Sugyeok!”

“Don’t come after me!”

‘Damn. Being a team leader isn’t easy.’

Tap tap tap tap

The chase unfolded through the hallway.

‘This really brings back memories of chasing targets as a paparazzo.’

Finally, the fleeing silhouette was just barely within reach.

“Stop!”

Only when he reached a dead end did Park Sugyeok stop, breathing heavily with a grimace on his face.

“Where exactly do you think you can run to?”

“Haa… haa… damn.”

“If someone saw this, they’d think I was the one in the wrong.”

“Honestly, if you already took the chorus part, shouldn’t you at least give up the dance position?”

Park Sugyeok’s eyes were overflowing with jealousy and ambition.

“Did I steal it out of greed? The choreographer gave that feedback after looking at the overall flow.”

“…”

“And it was a suggestion for the good of the entire team.”

“I don’t care! If I have to give up my position in the sensual choreography too… then I’d rather quit.”

“But then we’d have to redo the seven-person formation. We’d have to redistribute the vocal parts too. With only a week left, you can’t say something so irresponsible.”

I had defended the arrangement from the composer, and instead of gratitude, now I had to deal with this tantrum.

“If you hate it that much, then let’s keep things as they are.”

Seeing his stubborn attitude, I decided he needed a leash too.

“Park Sugyeok.”

“What?”

“Are you a child? Everyone’s survival depends on the team’s results. How can you act this selfishly? This isn’t a solo performance.”

“The selfish one is you. First, the team leader position, then the chorus part, and now you want the dance spotlight too?”

“I never asked for it.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Park Sugyeok stubbornly kept his mouth shut.

“And think about it. This evaluation is forty percent judges’ scores and thirty percent audience votes. Overall stage quality is what matters. With online voting carrying less weight right now, wouldn’t it be best to create a successful stage together so we can all survive?”

“…Even so, I’m not the main character.”

‘Sigh… there’s no reasoning with him.’

I had been patient long enough.

Conscious of the camera at the end of the hallway, I leaned in and whispered into Park Sugyeok’s ear.