Chapter 5
The reason I had been able to take so many photos as a paparazzo was because of bait.
If I picked a location my target was likely to visit and set a trap there, most of them would take the bait, and the profits had been quite lucrative.
The funny thing was that some of the very people who had fallen for those traps were scattered all over this filming set.
‘If I play this right, couldn’t I send a few of them straight to ruin?’
Given that I absolutely had to debut as an idol, I wasn’t really in a position to be picky.
“Hmm…”
‘Should I actually do it?’
While I was contemplating, I eventually arrived at the line marked by the green sign.
When I stopped at the very back, I noticed the independent trainees, who were in a comparatively quiet atmosphere.
‘There are about fifteen independent trainees?’
Everyone else belonged to agencies.
The participants came from all kinds of companies, ranging from trainees at major entertainment agencies that everyone recognized by name to trainees from obscure small companies nobody had ever heard of.
With the staff announcing that filming was about to begin, the stage lights finally burst to life.
The chatter ceased, and the trainees held their breath as they looked toward the stage.
On the giant screen behind the stage, the golden words “Star Picking 5” shone brightly.
As grand music filled the studio, a well-proportioned man walked onto the stage with a smile.
“Welcome, participants of Star Picking 5. I am Yoo Haein, your host.”
“Waaaaaaah!”
“He’s so handsome!”
‘Everyone’s got strong lungs.’
The trainees poured out reactions bordering on cheers in hopes of appearing on camera even once.
The atmosphere only became more heated with the appearance of Yoo Haein, one of the hottest top-tier male idols in the industry.
‘Yoo Haein?’
“Hmm.”
‘I wasn’t sure because he looks younger, but now that I hear the name, I’m certain.’
He was another idol I had personally sent crashing into the abyss.
“The excitement in this venue is so intense that even I’m getting fired up. Shall we begin with an introduction to the program? Following the previous seasons, Star Picking 5 is the fifth male idol debut survival show.”
Yoo Haein flipped through the cue cards in his hands and continued.
“Out of one hundred trainees, only those who are chosen will survive. Which trainee will ultimately be selected by the National Directors and make their debut?”
He turned the microphone toward the trainees.
The cameras zoomed in on the direction where I was sitting.
“Me!”
“Please pick me!”
“I’m going to debut!”
Amid the enthusiastic responses echoing from every direction, I opened my mouth as well.
“National Directors! Please choose me!”
With a satisfied smile, Yoo Haein turned the microphone back toward himself.
“Then let’s officially begin the Star Picking 5 survival competition. First, to the National Directors, these hundred trainees are strangers. We should probably let everyone know who you are, shouldn’t we?”
“Yes!”
“The first mission will be a self-introduction evaluation. Based on the judges’ assessments, trainees will be divided into grades A through E. You have one day to prepare.”
Ding.
A translucent blue window suddenly appeared.
—
[Sub-Quest (3): Receive Grade B or higher in the self-introduction evaluation.]
Rewards will be granted upon success.
Failure will result in things getting ugly.
—
‘You’re telling me to get a B grade in the self-introduction evaluation when my dancing stat is only D-?’
[Yes.]
‘Isn’t that a bit much?’
[KEKEKEK.]
‘My life is on the line. At least give me missions I can actually complete.’
[Would you prefer I change it to obtaining an A grade instead?]
‘…No.’
What a sly bastard whenever things worked in his favor.
[And you’re one to talk, Mr. Cha Siwoo?]
I casually raised my middle finger toward the system.
‘Anyway, what can I even prepare in one day that would be enough for a B grade?’
“You’ll conduct a one-minute self-introduction by showcasing your charms through the song and dance you’re most confident in.”
Hmm.
‘Thinking back to the first audition, for some reason, the singing seemed to go over pretty well.’
The immediate problem was dancing.
‘At least the dance won’t be a random song. That’s something.’
The image of the judges laughing during my audition dance resurfaced, making me realize that choosing the right song would be critical if I wanted to compensate for my dancing.
Flipping to the final cue card, Yoo Haein smiled toward the camera.
“Just like last year, the self-introduction evaluation will be judged solely on how appealing your self-promotion is. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes!”
‘So the rules haven’t changed much from last year.’
All the intensive research I’d done before joining Star Picking 5 had paid off.
Smiling brightly at the thunderous response, Yoo Haein extended his hand.
“Then we’ll move to the location of Star Picking 5’s first survival challenge.”
The stage lights went dark.
Following the staff’s guidance, the trainees boarded the buses prepared in advance.
“Board the bus in the same order you were lined up!”
By the time I got on, most of the seats were already occupied.
‘In situations like this, the front seats are best… You get off first.’
Looking over the few remaining seats, I sat in the empty seat at the very front.
The aging bus seat felt hard rather than comfortable.
‘Looks like they’re using the same buses from the previous season.’
Click.
The trainee sitting next to me flinched slightly at the sound of my seatbelt fastening.
The trainee by the window turned his head.
“Wow~”
The exclamation slipped out before I could stop myself.
‘How can someone’s eyes look like a deer’s?’
Clear, deep brown eyes framed by prominent double eyelids instantly drew attention.
His skin was flawless.
His slender neck and delicate jawline still carried the softness of someone not yet fully matured.
His sharp nose and rosy lips gave him a lively appearance.
‘This fluffball is ridiculously handsome.’
As a paparazzo, I had chased celebrities around and seen countless attractive faces.
I’d always thought I’d become immune to good looks, but this fluffball in front of me was easily among the five most handsome people I’d ever seen.
‘But where have I seen him before?’
Normally, I would’ve ignored it and gone straight to sleep, but cameras were installed all over the bus as well.
The production team’s determination to squeeze footage out of every possible situation was obvious.
‘Considering there’ll be voting later, I need to be conscious of every place where a camera exists from now on.’
I raised the corners of my lips into my best professional social smile.
“Hello. My name is Cha Siwoo.”
The cautious look in the fluffball’s eyes wavered slightly.
“Yes, hello. I’m Yoo Hoseung.”
‘…!’
Yoo Hoseung.
A famous influencer known as the son of a top actor couple.
‘Why are you here?’
Back during my paparazzo days, I’d received several assignments involving Yoo Hoseung, only to come up empty-handed every time.
‘The guy only ever cared about work.’
The dramas he starred in became massive hits, making him hugely popular in the acting industry, which naturally attracted many enemies as well.
‘Someone as handsome as Yoo Hoseung should’ve made the debut lineup of Star Picking 5.’
There had always been a few gaps in my memories that didn’t make sense.
‘Why do I only remember him as an actor and not as an idol at all?’
Star Picking 5 had generated countless headlines, yet strangely, there were certain things about the debut lineup I simply couldn’t remember.
‘This doesn’t seem like a problem with my memory.’
Considering everything that had happened so far, there was only one possible answer.
‘The system’s doing?’
A translucent blue window immediately appeared before my eyes.
[As expected, Cha Siwoo, you’re quite perceptive.]
I had suspected as much. It really was the system.
‘Hey.’
[Yes.]
‘Since you’re here, show me Yoo Hoseung’s status window.’
—
[Status Window]
Yoo Hoseung (17)
‘ Appearance: A+
‘ Singing: E
‘ Dancing: D-
‘ Talent: B+
‘ Stamina: C
‘ Ability: ???
‘ Trait: Influencer with 10 million followers
—
It was the first Appearance A+ and Singing E I’d seen since returning to the past.
‘Those stats are ridiculously extreme. Did he become an actor because his singing and dancing were too weak for idol work?’
“I’m seventeen. How old are you, Cha Siwoo?”
While I was lost in thought, a pair of eyes filled with both curiosity and caution looked at me.
‘His eyes really are bright and alert. The baby fat still makes him look like a fluffy little chick.’
“I’m twenty.”
My conscience pricked at me.
In reality, I was twenty-five, but there wasn’t much I could do about that.
“Hyung, you’re really handsome.”
‘…Is he making fun of me?’
But Yoo Hoseung’s eyes were far too innocent for it to be some sophisticated insult.
“Hearing that from someone handsome feels pretty good.”
A faint blush appeared on Yoo Hoseung’s cheeks.
‘There’s actually an eight-year age gap between us mentally. Looking at him like this, he really is young.’
The cautious look in his eyes had softened by a noticeable degree.
For some reason, the sight briefly overlapped with the image of Cha Sihyeon.
Pat.
“…?”
Without thinking, I placed my hand on top of Yoo Hoseung’s head.
His soft hair slipped between my fingers.
“Ah, sorry. You reminded me of my younger sibling.”
“Ah… It’s okay.”
Since he didn’t seem to dislike it or pull away, I continued gently stroking his hair.
‘This is strangely addictive.’
“…”
“You have really nice hair.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
I had only ever known the sharp, twenty-two-year-old Yoo Hoseung who had reached the pinnacle of popularity as an actor in Korea.
Seeing this innocent version of him, still carrying traces of baby fat, felt surprisingly refreshing.
‘I wonder if Sihyeon is doing okay.’
☆☆☆
The dorm room assigned to me after getting off the bus was Room 207.
When I opened the door, I found a narrow rectangular space made up of concrete walls and a simple layout.
There were two bunk beds pressed against opposite walls, and cameras were installed throughout the room.
In other words, privacy didn’t exist for trainees.
The dorm was the same place that had appeared on last season’s broadcast.
Maybe because Star Picking 4 had flopped, the production budget seemed pretty pathetic now.
But honestly, for housing a hundred trainees, there probably wasn’t a more cost-effective option.
‘I absolutely need a bottom bunk.’
From watching the show, I knew the ceiling was low enough that trainees on the top bunks constantly smashed their heads whenever they got up.
Before the others arrived, I tossed my crossbody bag onto the lower bunk on the right.
Creak.
The door opened right on cue.
Three trainees entered the room together.
“Wow! This must be our room!”
‘Good thing I threw my bag down first.’
“Oh! Someone was already here. Hello!”
“Yes, hello. Nice to meet all of you.”
“Nice to meet you!”
“…Hello.”
With four grown men inside, the small room already felt cramped.
“Since we’re all roommates, how about we do a quick introduction?”
“Sounds good!”
“…Okay.”
“I’m twenty years old, and my name is Cha Siwoo.”
Conscious of the camera’s red recording light, I put on my professional social smile.
“Wow, you look really young for your age.”
“Do you happen to be unaffiliated with any company?”
“…”
The attention of the two energetic trainees and the gray-haired trainee, who seemed shy around strangers, all focused on me.
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