The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 

[So sexy!]

[Kyaaaahhh!]

From the very start, Team Pitch Black showed their fierce determination to devour all the votes.

The rhythm of thrusting hips and the choreography that brushed against one another’s bodies transformed sexiness into a refined weapon.

Especially when Kang Chan stepped into the center position, everyone swallowed hard.

‘He really can dance.’

At the final chorus, all seven members dropped to their knees and lifted their heads together. A flash of light exploded across the stage as the ending hit.

[Waaaaaaah!]

[Chan!!!]

‘Honestly, Kang Chan did well.’

[If you think Team Pitch Black’s sexy rearrangement of “Neon Promise” was impressive, please press your voting buttons now!]

The number displayed on the giant screen, previously at zero, began climbing rapidly.

[5… 4… 3…]

Dance Team 5’s performance could be summed up in one sentence:

Kang Chan hard-carried the entire stage.

The song and choreography were demanding enough that trainees naturally struggled to keep up with a song originally performed by a top-tier idol group. However, Kang Chan stood at the center and practically dragged the performance forward by the collar.

‘The problem is that Kang Chan is so outstanding that he’s the only one you notice.’

Rather than looking like a team, they looked more like ”Kang Chan and Friends”.

[Team Pitch Black received a total of…]

Grand music swelled through the speakers.

[560 votes!]

‘…!’

It was a higher vote count than expected.

“…Amazing!”

“Wow. They got so many votes.”

“As expected from a sexy concept!”

The waiting room buzzed with admiration, envy, and wariness.

[Thank you!]

[Now let’s hear the judges’ evaluations.]

This time, bright lights illuminated the judges’ section.

[Great job, Team Pitch Black. You’ve absolutely torn up the opening performance.]

‘Starting with sexy outfits and harnesses is basically a cheat code.’

[Since this is a position battle focused on dance, I honestly didn’t expect trainees to perform at this level.]

The judges took turns delivering their brief critiques.

[But from my perspective, one trainee stood out far too much. Because of that, I felt it didn’t quite fit the evaluation criteria, so I gave a lower score.]

[Same here. The difference in skill level was quite noticeable, which made the overall performance feel a bit lacking.]

Finally, after the last judge finished speaking and lowered their microphone, the camera zoomed in on Yoo Haein.

[Thank you for those insightful comments. Now, let’s reveal the judges’ scores.]

The venue instantly fell silent.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

A slow bass line filled the air.

Heavy drums echoed like heartbeats, creating unbearable tension.

The camera slowly swept across the judges’ section.

Ding

An electronic sound rang out, and numbers began appearing on the screen.

[70, 80, 75, and 85 points, for a total score of 310 points.]

[Woooooah!]

Amid thunderous cheers, Dance Team 5 stepped off the stage.

[What an explosive opening performance. The atmosphere is already on fire! Let’s keep that momentum going and spin the roulette for the next team.]

Click… Click… Click…

The roulette spun rapidly with metallic clicking sounds.

The wheel bounced against the pins as colorful sections flashed by.

Its final few rotations slowed dramatically, holding everyone’s attention.

Then it stopped.

[The second performance will be Dance Team 1!]

‘Phew… We dodged it!’

Performing immediately after such a powerful stage was a nightmare scenario.

‘Still… this should be interesting.’

One dance team immediately followed by another?

That was basically an invitation for direct comparison.

‘I don’t know who’s on Dance Team 1, but I feel sorry for them.’

After watching Kang Chan, whose dance stat was practically A+, the audience’s expectations had skyrocketed.

And now they had to perform right after an overwhelming, memorable stage.

‘No matter what they show, it won’t be easy to win.’

The waiting room atmosphere froze.

“Dance Team 1, please head to the stage immediately!”

Everyone turned toward the source of the staff member’s shout.

“Yes!”

Dance Team 1 stood up from their seats in the corner of the waiting room.

As they followed the staff out, the trainees began whispering.

‘It’s Yoo Hoseung! This might actually be closer than expected.’

The unexpected matchup between a dance prodigy and a ten-million-follower influencer made his heart race.

‘This is fun. I wonder who’ll win.’

Purely in terms of dancing, Kang Chan was the obvious victor.

But Yoo Hoseung’s team had a massive and loyal fanbase. No matter what mistakes they made, they were likely to receive votes out of affection alone.

The moment Dance Team 1 appeared on the screen, the speakers practically exploded.

[Hoseung!!!]

[Yoo Hoseung, aaaargh!!!]

Dance Team 1 stood on stage wearing glossy satin shirts and bell-bottom pants.

[Kyaaaaaaah!]

It was a scream unlike anything he’d ever heard.

The animalistic roar sent chills down his spine.

‘At this rate, it’s going to be a real battle.’

[Wow! Dance Team 1 is incredibly popular. Please introduce yourselves.]

The man standing beside Yoo Hoseung picked up the microphone.

[Hello. We are Team Rainbow, bringing seven different colors.]

[Hoseung! Let’s debut!!!]

[I love you, Hoseung!!]

[Wow. Yoo Hoseung’s popularity is incredible. Instead of the team leader, could Yoo Hoseung introduce the song for us?]

The slightly awkward team leader nodded and handed him the microphone.

[The song we’ll be performing is “Groove Parade.” We’ve rearranged it into a funky style inspired by 1980s disco clubs.]

[A classic song of funk and retro. I’m really looking forward to it. And Yoo Hoseung.]

[Yes?]

[That headband looks great on you.]

Indeed.

Yoo Hoseung was wearing a sky-blue polka-dot headband.

‘Being handsome really lets you pull off anything.’

It was the sort of accessory that would probably get him roasted if he wore it.

[…Thank you.]

[Then we’ll begin the second position-battle performance: Team Rainbow’s “Groove Parade”!]

[Kyaaaaaaah!]

[Wooooooo!!!]

A dazzling mirror ball spun overhead.

Pink and neon-blue lights flashed across the stage.

Old television-style graphics and vintage plaid patterns flowed across the LED screens.

The atmosphere of an 80s disco club filled the venue.

Boom boom. Boom-chit.

The funky bassline and electronic organ sounds naturally made people’s bodies sway.

 

— 

”This music is gonna make you dance.”

— 

 

The rearranged version of “Groove Parade” poured through the speakers, centered around Yoo Hoseung.

‘His skills have improved since before.’

 

The choreography emphasized fluid movement and rhythmic gestures rather than sharp, precise angles.

 

— 

”Don’t sit there, get up and move”

”Yeah! Yeah!”

”Move with the rhythm”

”Yeah! Yeah!”

— 

 

As the chorus arrived, flashing lights burst across the stage.

The performance became a full-fledged festival.

More than just a dance performance, it was a show filled with nostalgia, fun, and pure enjoyment.

The stage ended with Yoo Hoseung smiling brightly while striking a flower pose beneath his chin.

[Kyaaaaaaaah!]

[Hoseung! You’re so handsome!!]

[Yoo Hoseung is the best!!!]

Once again, cheers powerful enough to shake the waiting room erupted.

[If you think Team Rainbow’s funky rearrangement of “Groove Parade” was impressive, please press your voting buttons now!]

A giant zero appeared on the screen.

The number instantly shot past 300 and continued climbing.

[3… 2… 1… Voting has ended!]

Honestly, compared to Kang Chan’s performance, Team Rainbow’s stage felt somewhat plain.

‘No mistakes, but aside from Yoo Hoseung’s face, there wasn’t much impact.’

This performance felt more like a talent show that Yoo Hoseung had carried by himself.

[The voting results are in. Team Rainbow received 550 votes and is currently in second place.]

[…!]

[Thank you!]

The camera zoomed in on the shocked expressions of the trainees.

‘They got more votes than I expected. Is this the power of being an influencer?’

The difference between them and Kang Chan’s team, which included an A+ dance monster, was only ten votes.

[Wow. I think Team Rainbow’s cheers are honestly the loudest I’ve heard all day!]

Genuinely impressed, Yoo Haein guided Dance Team 1 to the center of the stage.

[Now that voting is over, let’s hear the judges’ evaluations.]

Lights illuminated the judges’ section.

[Team Rainbow, you’ve worked hard preparing for this stage.]

This time, the choreographer judge spoke first.

[You worked hard, but it’s difficult not to compare you with the previous team.]

[The decision to rearrange “Groove Parade” into a funky disco performance was good. It felt very idol-like, but I can’t say it was exceptionally outstanding.]

[There were certainly some shortcomings, but I gave higher marks for teamwork and how well you prepared according to the evaluation criteria.]

The remaining judges quickly delivered their comments.

[Thank you for the evaluations. Finally, let’s reveal the judges’ scores.]

Ding

Numbers appeared on the screen.

[60, 65, 70, and 75 points. Team Rainbow receives a total score of 270 points.]

[Ah…!]

Mixed cheers and groans filled the venue as Team Rainbow left the stage.

‘Now I understand why the judges’ scores carry so much weight in the first competition.’

Only three episodes had aired so far.

At this stage, votes were still heavily influenced by existing popularity rather than actual skill.

The production team had clearly anticipated that well-known trainees would dominate the voting.

This scoring system served as a safeguard, allowing talented trainees with low recognition or limited screen time to survive.

‘That’ll change later, but for someone like me, it’s good news.’

Thinking back to being completely edited out of Episode 1 still left a bitter taste.

After finishing their performances, trainees moved into a waiting room next door for filming purposes.

The roulette continued spinning, calling teams one by one.

‘When will it be my turn?’

Only after roughly half the trainees had left the waiting room did a familiar team finally get called.

[Next up is Rap Team 3! Please come to the stage.]

Seo Hayul, seated among a group diagonally across from him, carefully stood up.

“Seo Hayul.”

Hayul, who had been walking out at the very end of the group, stopped and turned around.

“Yes?”

“Go tear the stage apart.”

A faint smile appeared on Hayul’s obviously nervous face.

“Got it.”

“Good. I’ll be watching.”

Come to think of it, he’d been so focused on preparing for his own stage that it had been a while since he’d properly talked to the guy.

‘He’s a grown man. He’ll handle it just fine.’