The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 29

Chapter 29

 

The community was in an uproar.

 

> Look at our Hoseung crying.

– I’m tearing up ㅠㅠ

– Sorry for saying this, but even when he cries, he’s handsome. Makes me want to make him cry.

ㄴ I think I know what you mean lol

ㄴ Ha. What a dangerously charming man.

 

> Seriously, how did Cha Siwoo become the center with those skills?

– Is he the same guy who was the center on the TX Music Show?

– It’s a f”’ing mystery.

– But the funny thing is, he’s definitely improved compared to the beginning lol

 

> Cha Siwoo is mentally strong. Look at the dance trainer’s horrified expression.

– It was kind of funny lol

– Yoo Hoseung got scolded and cried his eyes out, but this guy talks back, so the difference in personality really stands out.

– But honestly, if someone kept telling you that you’re bad, you’d normally lose confidence. The way he said you just have to learn diligently was cool.

ㄴ I’m a new employee at work, and that scene made me cry ㅠㅠ

ㄴ That’s the kind of mindset you need to live a long life. Live like Cha Siwoo.

 

> The B-Rank Line + Roommates united by Heartsping

– Hayul is adorable!

ㄴ I like Heartsping too!!

ㄴ LOL

– Looking at the press conference photos, I can see why those two always stick together lol

 

> Why did Seo Hayul do absolutely nothing on stage?

– Did something happen?

– It’s not stage fright or something, right?

– No, seriously, it’s weird that someone that talented got an E rank.

ㄴ I felt sad watching it ㅠㅠ

– Still, standing there doing nothing on stage isn’t right.

 

> Kim Sunyoo is love.

– That eye smile is lethal.

– As expected from someone with experience. He’s definitely good.

– Why did someone like him spend years in a failed idol group?

ㄴ Agreed. One of life’s greatest mysteries.

 

> Kang Chan was insane when he danced.

– His dancing is on another level. No arguments accepted.

– He’s sexy but has this addictive flavor to him.

– He dances better than most idols. Definitely number one in dance.

 

> Is Rua really Korean?

– Somehow he feels more familiar now lol

– No wonder his Korean is so good lol

– He just feels like a natural-born celebrity. Looking at him alone puts me in a good mood.

 

At this level of interest, Star Picking 5 no longer had to worry about ratings. The show was soaring higher and higher.

 

☆☆☆

 

Today’s finally the day…!

Miss Park tightly gripped her audience pass as she looked up at the TX Broadcasting Station building.

Ordinarily, she had long since lost interest in idols.

She once had a favorite group, but after one scandal after another, she swore never to become interested in idols again.

Yet that promise had been broken after only two years.

‘The part-timer I met at that wedding hall was a Star Picking 5 contestant?!’

At first, she had simply found it fascinating that the person who had helped her during a difficult moment was actually an idol trainee.

After watching countless videos labeled with nicknames like ‘Heartsping Guy’, ‘National Anthem Guy’, and ‘Seduction Guy’, she had naturally ended up joining Cha Siwoo’s fan café.

And now she had finally obtained an audience ticket.

“I have to repay kindness!”

Remembering the fierce competition for Star Picking 5’s first audience tickets filled her with excitement.

Holding her ticket tightly, Miss Park followed the staff’s directions.

‘Today’s Siwoo’s first competition stage. I’m nervous for him!’

Imagining her favorite trainee, she finally arrived at the venue where the competition would take place.

Everywhere she looked, people were holding slogans bearing the names of trainees they supported.

‘I expected it after seeing how hard it was to get tickets, but Star Picking 5 is seriously popular.’

By yesterday, Episode 3 had aired, and the show’s ratings had continued climbing steadily.

There were even numerous Star Picking 5 videos ranking among GyuTube’s trending videos.

‘Siwoo’s one-minute self-introduction video is one of them too.’

Without realizing it, Miss Park puffed out her chest proudly as she carefully took out the slogan she had prepared.

“Siwoo! Let’s make it all the way to debut!”

Remembering the shaky footage she had rushed to record before, she had even secretly brought a professional camera today.

‘Big sister’s going to show off the skills she gained from years of idol fandom.’

Although audience admission had ended long ago, the waiting continued before the recording began.

After what felt like forever, the staff finally announced that filming would begin in an hour.

‘These broadcasting station people. They always act like it’s natural for us to wait.’

There were many qualities necessary for being an idol fan, but in her opinion, the most important one was stamina.

Being an idol fan was an endless cycle of waiting.

Having previous fandom experience, she was quite accustomed to it and had brought various supplies with her.

However, some audience members appeared to be experiencing idol culture for the first time, and groans could be heard throughout the venue.

“When the hell is this starting?”

“Hasn’t it been over three hours already? This is ridiculous.”

“Well, it’s a free ticket. That’s TX for you. I’m only enduring this because of Sunyoo.”

“Ah… I should’ve made a slogan too.”

“I finally get to see Hoseung’s face…! I wonder what he looks like in person?”

Amid the mixture of complaints and excitement, the opening music finally rang out.

“Hello everyone, I’m Yoo Haein, the MC of Star Picking 5.”

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

“Aaaaaah!!!!”

The screams were so high-pitched they barely sounded human.

‘Wow. Top-tier idols really are incredible.’

“Holy crap! He’s so handsome!”

“Haein oppa!!!”

Quite a few of Yoo Haein’s fans seemed to be present as audience members, as massive telephoto cameras could be seen all around.

Staff members tried to stop them in various places, but it wasn’t easy with so many fans gathered together.

‘I need to get some good shots today too.’

After checking that the camera hidden inside her bag was still there, Miss Park focused on the stage again.

“Thank you for such a warm welcome. Today is the day of Star Picking 5’s first competition stage. Did everyone receive their voting buttons upon entering?”

“Yes!”

It was the voting button they had received after presenting both their audience pass and signed confidentiality agreement to the staff.

The penalty fees for violating that agreement were no joke.

“Today, you’ll be watching performances from 100 trainees divided into 15 teams.”

‘I only care about Siwoo.’

The fact that she would have to sit through fourteen other performances just to watch the one team that included Cha Siwoo wasn’t exactly appealing.

‘Well, what can you do? At least watching undeveloped trainees grow has its own charm.’

“Now, let me explain the voting system everyone is curious about. Using the buttons you received during pre-entry, please vote for the team whose performance impressed you the most.”

Immediately, the venue became noisy.

“Each person may vote for only two teams. Duplicate voting is not allowed.”

‘The reason they gave two votes is probably to prevent all the votes from concentrating on people’s favorites.’

After all, most people applied for audience tickets because they already supported a specific trainee.

That meant popular trainees would naturally receive votes, while the remaining votes would likely go to whichever team genuinely performed the best.

‘It’s still too early in the competition for strategic voting. There are too many trainees.’

“Next, I’d like to introduce the judges who will be evaluating the performances with you. First, the goddess of the vocal world, Park Chaeyoung.”

Beginning with Park Chaeyoung, the judges introduced themselves one by one.

After the introductions concluded, the judges followed the staff’s guidance and sat in the chairs prepared at the very front of the audience section.

‘So they get to sit and watch. Lucky them.’

She had been standing for so long that her legs were already cramping before the show even began.

“Thank you for your patience. It’s finally time to meet the Star Picking 5 trainees!”

“Yeah!!!”

“Waaaaaaaah!”

‘Finally!’

The audience cheered sincerely, relieved that the waiting was finally over.

“The performance order you’ve all been waiting to hear is…”

A heavy drumbeat began slowly, then accelerated.

“We’ll decide it through a random draw!”

“…!”

The unexpected announcement caused another stir throughout the venue.

‘That’s different from last year.’

In every previous Star Picking season, the production staff had predetermined the performance order.

‘Did they change it because of the rigging controversy?’

A giant roulette wheel suddenly appeared on the large screen above the stage.

“Which team will perform first?”

Tense music played as the wheel gradually slowed down.

“The first team to perform is…!”

The arrow stopped on Dance Team 5.

 

☆☆☆

 

“Dance Team 5, please head to the stage immediately!”

“Yes!”

The waiting room was overflowing with tension.

Since the performance order was random, all 100 trainees sat by team in full makeup, waiting for their turn.

The cameras were also filming all the trainees watching the performances together from the waiting room.

‘Since I don’t know when my turn will come, I can’t even properly go to the bathroom.’

Following the staff’s instructions, Dance Team 5 quickly left.

Less than a minute later, Dance Team 5 appeared on the giant screen inside the waiting room.

[Kyaaaaaaaah!]

An enormous wave of screams blasted through the speakers.

[Aaaaaah! Oppa!]

‘Wow.’

The venue erupted as Dance Team 5 appeared in deliberately provocative outfits complete with harnesses.

‘For a second, it felt like the ground was shaking.’

[Dance Team 5 seems incredibly popular. Please give us a brief introduction.]

When Yoo Haein pointed the microphone toward them, Kang Chan took the microphone handed to him by a staff member.

[One, two, three! Hello. We are Team Pitch Black, here to capture the hearts of our National Directors.]

[Waaaaaaah!]

[Kang Chan! Look over here!]

[Chan! Let’s debut!]

‘This is brutal right from the start.’

Among dance, vocal, and rap performances, which type of stage was most likely to earn votes?

A performance that left a strong impression.

That meant dance teams with flashy choreography and powerful performances naturally had an advantage if they performed early.

[Wow. Your popularity is incredible. Kang Chan, you’re the representative of Dance Team 5, right? Could you briefly introduce your song?]

[Our Team Pitch Black has created a sexy rearrangement of “Neon Promise,” one of the signature songs of Senior Yoo Haein’s group.]

[I’m personally very excited to see someone perform my song. But those outfits are certainly something.]

‘Yeah. They’re scandalous.’

Kang Chan’s outfit was full of strategically placed holes.

Several buttons on his deeply opened shirt had been undone, exposing his neckline and collarbones.

His wet-looking hairstyle gave him the effortless sensuality of someone who had just stepped out of the shower.

[Please look forward to a performance as intense as our outfits.]

[Then we’ll begin the very first survival position-stage performance with “Neon Promise”!]

[Waaaaaaaah!]

The cheers echoed all the way back into the waiting room once again.

As the stage lights went dark, a heavy beat thundered through the venue while a single red spotlight cut through the darkness.

The moment the first beat dropped, Kang Chan’s deep voice rang out.

 

— 

“Touch me slow.”

— 

 

As the intro ended, Kang Chan’s fingertips traced along his jawline and slid down his neck.

The crowd exploded when seven well-built young men twisted their waists and lowered themselves in unison.