The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 33

Chapter 33

 

[(Warning!) A penalty related to a loan will be applied to the user.]

The translucent crimson window flickered grotesquely, as if a system error had occurred.

‘…What?’

[The borrowed energy will be forcibly collected immediately.]

‘What are you talking about?! There’s still a week left until the repayment date!’

“Cha Siwoo trainee!”

“Hyung! What’s wrong?!”

“Siwoo!”

In that instant, every sound became distant.

Eeeeeeeeee

A thin, piercing ringing spread through my ears, and my vision gradually blurred.

My body slowly tilted forward.

Then the world turned completely black.

 

☆☆☆

 

“Hyung! Wake up!”

‘Ugh… my head.’

My blurry vision slowly came into focus.

A pounding headache naturally made me frown.

“…Sihyeon?”

“Yeah! Hyung, did you call me?”

‘A dream?’

A dull ache filled my chest at the sound of that pure, clear voice I hadn’t heard in so long.

‘How many years has it been since I heard that voice?’

The youthful-looking Cha Sihyun tilted her head slightly with a bright smile.

“Hyung? What’s wrong?”

Even if it was only in a dream, I was happy to see her like this.

I reached out and placed a hand on her lively black hair. The soft strands brushed against my fingertips.

“I missed you.”

“Ehh~ Why are you saying that? You see me every day.”

“…Yeah. I guess I do.”

“Hyung, now’s not the time! Since you’re awake, hurry up and get moving.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s today, remember?”

“…”

No way…

‘That day?’

At that moment, Sihyeon’s figure vanished like a mirage.

A crushing pain surged through my head, making me want to tear my hair out.

It felt as though I was being dragged somewhere.

The agony wrapped around my entire body.

Even when I closed my eyes.

Even when I tried to breathe deeply.

It wouldn’t go away.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded like a hammer striking my chest.

I needed to breathe.

But strangely, no air entered my lungs.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

My throat slowly tightened.

My lungs felt completely dried out.

The harder I tried to inhale, the more suffocated I became.

My legs gave out.

I dropped to my knees and braced myself against the floor with my hands.

But the world continued spinning wildly.

“Fuck…”

The pain wouldn’t end.

All I could do was curl up and wait for it to be over.

 

☆☆☆

 

“…Ghk!”

Air rushed deep into my lungs all at once.

“Huff… huff… haa…”

I must have been holding my breath for a long time.

Tears poured from my eyes, and my lips trembled.

“Mr. Siwoo!!! You’re awake?”

‘Ugh… my head.’

My throat felt dry, and my first words came out rough.

“…Where am I?”

The space around me was completely white.

A familiar smell lingered in the air.

The smell of disinfectant.

The kind that made people feel weak and helpless.

“You’re in the hospital. You collapsed, so we brought you here immediately. It’s been several days since you opened your eyes. Are you feeling okay?”

The person answering me was someone I hadn’t expected.

“Yeah. I’m okay. But… what day is it today?”

“June 5th.”

‘Damn it. It’s already been six days since the performance ended?’

I quickly sat up and grabbed the phone beside me.

There were several missed calls.

Fortunately, they were all from unknown numbers.

‘No calls from the ICU.’

“Thank God.”

A sigh escaped me.

The urgent issue now was the hospital bill.

“I’m checking out immediately.”

“You just woke up. What are you talking about?”

“Sunyoo hyung, do you know how much a single day in the hospital costs?”

“…”

“And isn’t this a private room?”

“It is.”

‘Are you kidding me?’

“Do you know how much a private room costs per day? I’m not in a position where I can afford hospital bills right now. I need to get discharged as soon as possible.”

I tried to stand.

But Sunyoo’s hand shot out instantly.

The hand on my shoulder carried surprising strength.

“What are you–”

He forcefully pushed me back into bed.

The concern that had filled Kim Sunyoo’s face vanished instantly.

His expression hardened.

“Why are you worrying about money before your health?”

“Money is scarier than being sick. I’ve already got enough expenses as it is. I can’t afford to be lying here.”

“…Don’t worry about the hospital bill.”

“How can I not worry?”

“This is our hospital.”

‘What? Was he born with a silver spoon?’

“…Even so.”

“And the hospital bill isn’t coming from you. It’s coming from the production staff. You collapsed during filming, after all.”

“Then please make sure it’s processed as a workplace injury.”

If it wasn’t my money, then I didn’t care about the private room.

“Fine. We’ll do that. If you really want to leave, at least finish the tests first and then get discharged.”

“But–”

‘Now isn’t the time for this.’

“Until you’ve been examined, I’m staying right here.”

Faced with Sunyoo’s firm expression, I reluctantly nodded.

“…Alright.”

“Good choice.”

“Um…”

“Yes?”

Honestly, it was the first thing I should’ve said after waking up.

“Thank you.”

Sunyoo’s expression softened.

A relaxed smile appeared on his face.

“Good. Get some rest. I’ll go bring the doctor.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Sunyoo left to get the medical staff, I immediately called out to that bastard.

‘Hey!’

[…]

‘You fucking system!’

[…]

‘What the hell was that? The repayment date hasn’t even arrived yet. What do you mean by ” forced collection?’

[…]

‘Are you kidding me? There’s only one day left before filming. How am I supposed to earn Sihyeon’s hospital bills now?!’

[…]

No matter how much I cursed or shouted, the system didn’t respond.

‘What’s going on?’

Not once had the system failed to appear when I called it.

This was the first time.

‘What, are you scared?’

[…]

‘Hey! At least show me my status window!’

[…]

No matter how long I called, the system remained silent.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Patient Cha Siwoo, we’re coming in.”

The hospital room door opened, and doctors and nurses in white coats entered.

A series of examinations followed.

Only after all the tests were completed was I finally freed from Kim Sunyoo’s supervision.

“You’re filming tomorrow anyway. Why not rest here and check out tomorrow morning?”

“Thank you for your concern. But there’s something I absolutely have to do.”

“Hmm…”

“I really owe you this time, hyung. I’ll repay the favor someday.”

“Alright. And stop calling me ‘hyung’ formally. Drop the surname, too, and just call me comfortably from now on.”

“…Okay, Sunyoo hyung.”

“Haha. Then don’t overdo it. See you tomorrow.”

Only after confirming that Sunyoo had left did I take out my phone.

I needed to take responsibility for the unexpected variable called a penalty.

‘Looks like there’s only one way to earn the hospital money in a single day.’

I dialed the unknown number from the missed call list.

Beep… Beep…

The phone rang less than three times before the other party answered.

“Hello?”

“Hello. This is Cha Siwoo.”

“…!”

 

☆☆☆

 

Following an employee’s guidance, I entered a reception room.

Standing there was a man whose protruding belly stretched the buttons of his dress shirt to their limit.

“Mr. Cha Siwoo, welcome. I’m Kim Moonsu, head of Talent Development.”

The rectangular business card he offered bore the title ‘Manager’.

I accepted it with both hands and bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.

“Hello. Thank you for welcoming me despite the sudden visit.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d actually contact us. It’s nice to hear you’re interested in Harmony Entertainment.”

“You left a message asking me to contact you.”

Kim Moonsu laughed heartily and began walking.

“That’s true. Shall we sit and talk first?”

“Yes.”

As he sat down on the sofa, his belly jiggled slightly.

The movement looked as though it would never stop, just like his greed.

“You’ve probably heard of Harmony Entertainment. We’re one of the biggest agencies in South Korea.”

There were currently four major entertainment companies dominating Korea.

Harmony Entertainment was one of them.

“Of course I’ve heard of it.”

‘Though for different reasons.’

Harmony Entertainment was huge.

But it was also a breeding ground for endless scandals and controversies.

Back when I worked as a paparazzo, Harmony Entertainment had been like a dungeon.

Whenever you targeted it, fresh prey emerged.

“Then this will be quick. Harmony Entertainment would like to sign an exclusive contract with you.”

Kim Moonsu handed me a thick stack of papers densely packed with text.

“You’re still a rookie trainee, but considering the recognition you’ve gained from Star Picking 5, these terms are much better than a standard trainee contract. Take a look.”

I skimmed through it.

The contract was packed with unreasonable clauses.

An unfair contract through and through.

“You’re still young and don’t have much experience, so you probably won’t understand contracts very well. Just trust our company name and sign.”

“I have a question.”

“Of course. Ask anything.”

I raised a finger and pointed to a special clause on the final page.

“Does this clause mean I have to withdraw from Star Picking 5?”

“Of course. If you sign with us, you’ll naturally leave Star Picking 5 and join our debut team.”

“What if I don’t want to leave?”

“That would be difficult. If you’re selected for the debut lineup through Star Picking 5, you’ll have to remain under TX Entertainment for three years. That would be a loss for us.”

“I see.”

A typical big-company attitude.

They didn’t want to lose even the slightest profit.

“And there are already a few trainees in our debut lineup that you know. It’ll make adapting easier.”

Oh?

“Who’s in the debut lineup?”

“Sugyeok, Juhan, Minjae, and Hosu. Didn’t you meet them during the Star Picking 5 auditions?”

‘So that’s what that blond guy meant back then.’

“Ah~ Yeah, I know them well.”

“Then that makes things easier. You’ll build recognition through Star Picking 5 and then leave. This contract is completely beneficial for you. You won’t find a better offer anywhere.”

His smooth words sounded exactly like a scammer’s sales pitch.

“Hmm.”

I rested my chin on my hand and deliberately pretended to think.

Meanwhile, my fingers kept tapping the table.

“Is there a reason you’re hesitating?”

“Actually…”

I deliberately let the silence linger.

A little suspense makes the bait tastier.

“That’s troublesome.”

The man no longer looked as relaxed as before.

He hurriedly spoke.

“What part is troubling?”

“Hmm…”

“Mr. Cha Siwoo, you won’t get conditions this good anywhere else.”

‘What a shameless bastard. Handing me an unfair contract and still talking confidently.’

A truly rotten guy who preyed on inexperienced young people.

“Ah~ It’s not really about the contract terms.”

In truth, there was another reason I had come to Harmony Entertainment today.

I put on my professional smile.

Then I took out my phone and placed it on the table.

“…?”

“Would you like to hear something?”

I pressed play on a recording.

Familiar voices flowed from the speaker.

[Even if we get eliminated here, our chances of debuting are high anyway.]

[Right. Unlike some people, our agency is huge.]

[And this survival audition already has the debut members decided, so don’t work too hard.]

[Exactly. Enjoy being the center while you can. Don’t be disappointed later.]

There was a bit of static, but the voices of Harmony Entertainment trainees joking around had been recorded clearly.

“What is this—?!”

I raised a finger to my lips.

“Shh. Pay attention.”

A smile spread across my face.

“This is only the beginning.”