The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 46

Chapter 46

 

“Wow! We’ve got some unexpected faces taking on the Cute Concept!”

“WAAAAAH!”

“This is going to be an incredibly close match! Let’s start by introducing Cute Team 1!”

Kang Chan, wearing a sky-blue shirt and a teddy bear-ear headband, picked up the microphone.

“Wow…”

“Chan-hyung actually suits a cute concept!”

The team members, unable to hide their bewilderment at the unexpected outfit, began giving reactions that completely contradicted their expressions.

Cute Team 1’s outfits could be summed up in one word: maximum cuteness and cheerfulness.

Their pastel-colored shirts blended mint, sky blue, purple, pink, and yellow harmoniously together.

They paired them with slim white shorts that reached above the knees, creating the textbook image of a cute concept. The audience’s reaction was explosive.

“Three, two, one! Hello! We are the Cotton Candy Team, performing a rearranged version of ‘Sweet Warning’ to fit the cute concept!”

That’s right.

‘Sweet Warning’ was actually a girl-group song!

Despite his imposing physique, Kang Chan had gone as far as wearing adorable accessories to pull off the concept, but the shirt looked like it was about to burst at the seams, robbing him of some of the cuteness.

‘At least he put in the effort.’

It felt like watching a professional wrestler awkwardly hugging a rabbit doll decorated with ribbons.

Yoo Haein, who had been trying not to laugh, finally burst out the moment his eyes met Kang Chan’s.

“…Pfft!”

“…”

“Ahem. Kang Chan trainee, that outfit suits you very well.”

“Thank you.”

His deep, stoic voice contrasted so heavily with the outfit that it somehow made the situation even funnier.

“Hahaha!”

“Kuhahaha!”

Laughter erupted throughout the audience, and Kang Chan’s ears turned red.

“Why did you choose the name Cotton Candy Team?”

“As you can see from our outfits, each member has a different colorful charm, so we chose the name Cotton Candy.”

“Oh, so there’s a meaningful reason behind it. It matches the song title perfectly too.”

“Yes!”

“Now that I’ve heard the explanation, I’m even more excited for the stage! Next, please introduce Cute Team 2!”

Rua, dressed in suspenders, picked up the microphone with a bright smile.

“One, Two, Three! Hello! We are the Smile Team, performing a rearranged version of ‘Smile Button’ to fit the concept!”

“WOOOOOO!”

‘Smile Button’ was a fairly famous song that had won first place in an idol hip-hop competition two years ago.

‘The original lyrics had a lot of profanity. I’m curious how they rearranged it.’

“The Smile Team’s outfits are pretty unusual too.”

The entire team wore suspenders and knee-high socks, with smiley badges attached as accents.

“Cute badge, right?”

“Yes~”

“We made them ourselves!”

“You’re talented. And I notice each badge has a different expression.”

“Yes! We hope everyone remembers these faces!”

Some badges smiled with wide-open eyes.

Others smiled while winking.

“A girl-group song versus a hip-hop idol song. This is shaping up to be an exciting one-on-one team battle.”

“WAAAAAAAH!”

“Then let’s begin the team battle where only one team can survive! First up is Cotton Candy Team’s performance of ‘Sweet Warning’!”

The stage lights went dark all at once.

The bubbly rhythm and cheerful melody characteristic of girl-group songs flowed from the speakers.

The catchy tune tickled the ears.

As sparkling lights poured down like starlight during the instrumental intro, the stage gradually became visible.

The Cotton Candy Team members, dressed in pastel outfits, had both hands pressed to their cheeks in blatantly cute poses.

“KYAAAAAAAH!”

“UAAAAAAAGH!!!”

Screams bordering on shrieks erupted from the audience.

‘…So that kind of thing works this well?’

Maybe I should try it myself someday.

The Cotton Candy Team exchanged playful smiles before the opening verse began.

 

— 

You shine brighter than the sunlight

Even standing still makes my heart race

Following your bouncing footsteps

My heart bursts into little hearts before I know it

— 

 

It was an undeniably sweet and cheerful song.

With adorable choreography, Kang Chan stopped at center stage.

 

— 

Our footsteps hop along together

Moments sparkling like candy stars

If I place my hand on my cheek and give a little wink

Every worry melts away

— 

 

Matching the lyrics, Kang Chan gave a cute wink and hopped lightly on his toes.

‘Why… is he good at cute concepts too?’

As expected of someone with an A+ Dance stat.

Despite his massive physique, he preserved every detail of the choreography and fully sold the cute concept.

“A true professional really is different.”

Even the teddy bear ears on his head seemed to dance along with him.

The team worked hard, but the one who overwhelmingly drew attention was still Kang Chan.

The expressions and dancing he showed during the highlight section were as sweet as candy itself.

When Cotton Candy Team’s stage finally ended, the cheers were even louder than before.

“KYAAAAAAH!”

“So cute!”

The trainees holding their ending poses awkwardly froze for a moment before responding with heart-shaped hand gestures.

Before the excitement could die down, Yoo Haein picked up the microphone.

“Please give another round of applause to Cotton Candy Team for that absolutely adorable performance!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The lingering excitement caused another wave of cheers to echo through the venue.

“Keeping that energy going, let’s move right into Smile Team’s stage!”

Boing! Boing-boing-boing!

A lively, game-like sound effect bounced through the speakers.

“Huh?”

“What song is this?”

People were still trying to figure it out when the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Brilliant lights shot across the stage from multiple directions like missiles.

Standing at the center stage, Rua opened the song with the exact same smile displayed on his badge.

 

— 

Smile explosion, Boom Boom Boom

When I’m with you, it feels like my heart will burst

— 

 

His pleasant voice spread throughout the concert hall.

Admiring murmurs instantly rose from the audience.

 

— 

Smile explosion, Boom Boom Boom

Sending laughter into the sky, My Sweet Baby

— 

 

‘That arrangement is so Rua.’

The upbeat, game-like arrangement was so catchy that, despite hearing it for the first time, it immediately stuck in my head.

Every profane lyric from the original had been replaced with beautiful, uplifting words.

The dancing and singing radiated an infectious positivity.

‘The arrangement is completely broken.’

I had expected it to be good, but it exceeded even my expectations.

No wonder Kang Chan had chosen Rua as his first pick.

The addictive rearrangement had already surpassed the original song.

The performance was essentially Rua hard-carrying the team while giving his teammates massive buffs.

 

— 

Smile, smile, when I’m with you

The whole day bursts out sweetly

Smile, smile, even my heart

Beats like a heart, My Sunshine

— 

 

‘The part distribution suits each member perfectly too.’

The expressions on their badges seemed to represent each member’s concept, making it fun to watch their different, bright, and cheerful expressions.

To a first-time viewer, this looked less like trainees performing and more like an already debuted idol group.

When Rua’s stage finally ended, the venue exploded into cheers and applause even louder than before.

‘Who’s going to survive?’

The battle was much closer than I had expected.

“Hyung, who do you think will win?”

Seo Hayul approached me. It looked like he had finally finished fixing his makeup.

Fortunately, the ice pack had worked. Most of the swelling around his eyes had gone down.

“The goldfish is back?”

“Did you just call a person a goldfish? I’m not a goldfish.”

“Well… this is harder than I expected. Who do you think will win?”

“Kang Chan-hyung.”

“Why?”

“Honestly, Kang Chan-hyung has a higher ranking, more popularity, and he’s an amazing dancer.”

‘Objectively speaking, the odds are in his favor.’

But there was one thing Hayul was overlooking.

“I think the opposite.”

“Why?”

“No matter what it is, you can’t beat a genius who genuinely enjoys it.”

Looking at the overall performance rather than individual ability, Rua’s team had been overwhelmingly stronger.

“Both Cute Concept teams, please come back onto the stage.”

My gaze returned to the TV.

The two teams stood far apart from one another, facing off directly.

“What an incredibly close battle!”

“YEAHHHH!”

“If you think Cotton Candy Team performed better, press Button 1! If you think Smile Team performed better, press Button 2!!!”

Thump… thump… thump…

The suspenseful BGM steadily intensified.

Every trainee’s eyes were fixed on the split screen.

Ding!

The large zeroes displayed on the screen began climbing rapidly.

‘This is even closer than I thought.’

“Voting closes in five seconds. Five… four… three…”

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

“Time’s up! Ah… can this really be happening?”

‘Don’t tell me…’

“The match was decided by only ten votes!”

“WAAAAAAH!”

“Nooo…!”

“With a result of 505 votes to 495 votes, the surviving team is the Smile Team, who performed ‘Smile Button’!”

Confetti exploded across the stage.

The eliminated team was Kang Chan’s Cotton Candy Team.

‘Losing by only ten votes must sting.’

The waiting room became noticeably restless after hearing that Kang Chan, who had ranked fifth in the rankings announcement, had been eliminated.

On screen, Lua was beaming brightly as he celebrated his victory.

In contrast, Kang Chan had removed his teddy bear ears and stood expressionless, making the difference between the two teams even more striking.

“Congratulations to Smile Team! Please share your thoughts on surviving.”

Still smiling brightly, Rua extended a hand toward Kang Chan.

“It was an amazing match.”

Kang Chan silently nodded and accepted the handshake.

“I agree.”

After the handshake, Rua continued.

“First, I want to thank my teammates for trusting and following me. There was actually some conflict during the arrangement process, so I’m happy we were able to put on such a successful performance.”

The Smile Team trainees nodded with expressions of complete enlightenment.

‘Did he explain the arrangement process with his usual ‘thump-thump-da-dang’ sound effects again?’

I’d have to watch the broadcast later to find out.

“I’m satisfied because we created a fun performance. Please look forward to our next stage!”

As expected, a genius who enjoys the process was a cheat code compared to a hardworking grinder.

“Thank you. Now, Cotton Candy Team, who unfortunately lost by only ten votes, please share your thoughts.”

Still expressionless, Kang Chan casually picked up the microphone.

“It’s disappointing, but a loss is a loss. I accept the result. Thank you to everyone who supported us.”

Unlike his stage outfit, his farewell was simple and matter-of-fact.

The other Cotton Candy Team members cried as they left the stage.

“Wow… I can’t believe Kang Chan-hyung was really eliminated.”

Hayul stared at the screen in disbelief, a subtle tension visible on his face.

“Yeah.”

“This is kind of scary.”

“We’ll win as long as we perform the way we practiced. Don’t worry and stay confident.”

“Yes!”

After confirming that Hayul looked a little more relaxed, I turned back to the screen.

More one-on-one battles of different concepts continued.

Eventually, the fourth concept ended, and the show approached its finale.

“Everyone, thank you for staying with us through these long performances.”

“YEAHHH!”

“Finally, we have the teams competing in the Mystery Concept one-on-one battle!”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The reality that only one team would survive after facing Kim Sunyoo made my heart start pounding faster.

 

☆☆☆