The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 53

Chapter 53

 

“Next is the trainee who ranked 15th.”

The moment those words were spoken, Seo Hayul, who was sitting beside me, visibly flinched.

‘For someone nicknamed the gray cat, he sure reacts to everything.’

Seo Hayul, who had placed 19th at the previous ranking announcement, had actually been in that state ever since they started announcing 20th place.

‘Looks like his ranking went up a lot this time.’

“And that trainee is… Park Sugyeok!”

Park Sugyeok, who had been sitting in the very back row, shouted in delight as he ran up onto the stage.

‘That guy really does survive stubbornly, doesn’t he?’

For reference, ever since I caught him during his attempted escape, Park Sugyeok had become noticeably more obedient.

‘Or maybe it’s more accurate to say he always runs away whenever he sees me, so I hardly notice him anymore?’

I was busy congratulating the trainees who made the rankings like some kind of applause machine when…

At some point, the rankings had entered the single digits.

“Rank 9 goes to a trainee who not only demonstrated outstanding rap skills, but also surprised everyone with his vocals.”

Seo Hayul flinched even harder than before.

‘You little brat.’

“The trainee whose ranking jumped up by ten places is Seo Hayul!”

Hayul shot up from his seat, a smile spreading naturally across his face.

“Congratulations!”

“…Siwoo hyung!”

His eyes sparkled.

Whether from excitement or pure happiness, the tension in his face melted away, and his joy showed clearly in his expression.

Drenched in dopamine, Seo Hayul suddenly spread his arms and launched himself toward me.

“…Kgh!”

A fully grown guy throwing himself at you was heavier than expected.

“I’m really 9th…! This isn’t a dream, right?”

“It’s not a dream. You did really well. Congratulations, Hayul.”

I ruthlessly ruffled his silver hair.

Hayul responded with a beaming smile.

“Starting from 9th place, trainees will be allowed to give a speech. Seo Hayul, please come up to the stage and share your thoughts.”

Prompted by Yoo Haein, Hayul quickly moved away.

Standing on stage, he wore a radiant smile that looked as though he had gained the whole world.

‘So he can smile like that too.’

Taking the microphone handed to him by a staff member, Hayul looked over the remaining trainees.

“The reason I was able to make it this far is thanks to all the National Directors who believed in me and supported me.”

His face was overflowing with emotion.

“Honestly, while participating in Star Picking 5, there was a period when things were very difficult.”

His voice trembled slightly through the speakers.

For reference, Jin Younghoon had already been exposed as the person spreading false rumors and was getting absolutely roasted online.

Following Hayul’s wishes, legal action was also being pursued.

“I was so scared and afraid that I wanted to cowardly give up everything. But there was someone who helped me through it, and thanks to them, I was able to overcome that hardship safely.”

His clear, unwavering eyes met mine directly.

“I want to take this opportunity to tell Siwoo hyung that I’m grateful.”

‘You little punk. Good kid.’

In response, I raised both hands high and applauded with all my strength.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The loudest applause of the day echoed throughout the studio.

Hayul flashed a bright smile, showing off his white teeth.

“Thank you!”

Maybe that saying was true.

That raising one gray cat well was no less rewarding than having a child.

“Thank you for that touching speech. Seo Hayul, please take your seat marked with the number 9. Next, we will announce the trainee ranked 8th.”

The screen split in half, displaying my face and another trainee’s.

‘Will I survive this quest?’

It was a difficult quest that required me to rank within the Top 7.

If my name was called for 8th place…

Death was guaranteed.

The intermittent drumbeats filled the room, gradually speeding up.

‘I didn’t even make any major mistakes. Please let me make Top 7.’

My heart tightened.

The tension continued to build.

The strings trembled subtly, while a discordant synthesizer made the atmosphere even more nerve-racking.

“The trainee ranked 8th is Cha–”

“…!”

‘No way…?’

“Cha Hoongyeok!”

“Waaah!”

A sigh of relief escaped me naturally.

Ding.

[Congratulations. You have completed Sub Quest (8): “Place within the Top 7 during the second ranking announcement.”]

‘Oh yeah!’

[Would you like to receive your reward?]

‘Of course!’

[Reward: +1 Stat Point. You may increase any desired stat.]

Since I had also received a stat reward from Sub Quest (7), I now had a total of +2 stat points available.

‘Nice. These rewards are actually useful.’

I’d definitely need to use them wisely in the next mission.

“Next is the trainee ranked 7th. A trainee who captured the hearts of the National Directors with his unexpected charm!”

Snapping back to attention at Yoo Haein’s voice, I looked up.

The split screen displayed my face alongside Kang Chan’s.

‘Honestly, this one’s definitely me.’

A competition between a rookie trainee and a dancer with two million subscribers?

The result seemed obvious without even looking.

‘Still, surviving is all that matters.’

I straightened my outfit and prepared to head to the stage.

Then…

“Rank 7 goes to Kang Chan!”

“…!”

‘What?’

The cameras immediately zoomed in on Kang Chan.

Amid the murmuring trainees, the expressionless Kang Chan confidently walked up to the stage.

‘Is he disappointed?’

Kang Chan had ranked 5th during the first ranking announcement.

Now, after being eliminated during the 1:1 Team Battle and needing the revival vote to return, his ranking had fallen further.

“Kang Chan, who returned through the revival vote, has dropped two places compared to before. Please share your thoughts.”

Yoo Haein casually threw out a remark that was clearly meant to poke at him.

“First, I want to sincerely thank all the National Directors who helped me receive the revival vote.”

Still expressionless, Kang Chan lowered the microphone to the floor.

“…?”

Everyone stared in confusion.

Then suddenly…

Kang Chan performed a full grand bow.

“Waaah!”

“That’s awesome!”

Genuine admiration erupted from the trainees.

With his hands neatly together and his body perfectly straight, the sincerity and desperation behind the bow could be felt by everyone watching.

“I’ve never actually seen someone do a grand bow in real life!”

As Yoo Haein started applauding, the other trainees quickly joined in.

‘That move is actually possible in real life?’

Seeing the sacred bow I’d only ever seen in memes gave me a strange feeling.

‘Kang Chan really is serious about being an idol.’

Being an idol truly wasn’t easy.

After holding the posture perfectly for several seconds, Kang Chan rose without the slightest wobble and picked up the microphone again.

“Honestly, even receiving 7th place feels more than I deserve after almost being eliminated. I’ll continue doing my absolute best, even if it means breaking my body, so that the National Directors who support me will never be disappointed. Thank you.”

There was an unwavering flame burning in his eyes.

‘His eyes look a little crazy, don’t they?’

It seemed the shock of nearly being eliminated had ignited his competitive spirit completely.

“Thank you for that memorable speech. Kang Chan, please take the chair marked with the number 7.”

As Kang Chan confidently walked toward his seat, congratulations poured in from all directions.

“Next, we will announce the trainee ranked 6th. A trainee who captured the hearts of the National Directors with exceptional singing ability!”

This time, the screen split into three sections.

My face appeared again.

‘If they’re talking about singing, it really should be me this time.’

Honestly, even this ranking was much higher than I’d expected.

‘There are so many trainees better than me. The fact that so many people support me means I really need to work harder.’

“And that trainee is… Rua, whose ranking has risen by five places!”

‘Not me again?!’

As if to finish me off completely, the screen zoomed in on Rua’s bright, smiling face.

“Hey, Siwoo little brother. Aren’t you going to hug me this time?”

Rua spread his arms with a playful grin.

‘I only hugged you before because I survived, you idiot.’

Since I couldn’t explain that in front of the cameras, I simply put on a professional smile and gave him a brief hug.

“Haha! Siwoo, little brother, you’re really a funny guy.”

“…Haha.”

After quickly letting go, Rua skipped up onto the stage.

“Rua, your ranking jumped by five places all at once. You seem very happy. Please share your thoughts.”

“I’m so happy! Knowing that so many people enjoy my music and support me makes me really glad I joined Star Picking 5! I’ll keep showing you fun and amazing performances in the future! Please look forward to them!”

“That speech alone puts people in a good mood. Lua, please move to Seat Number 6.”

“Yes~”

“Now only the top-ranked trainees remain. Next, we will announce 5th place.”

The screen is split into five sections, displaying the five remaining trainees.

“Waaah!”

“What a lineup of faces~”

The screen showed several familiar faces.

‘As expected, Yoo Hoseung and Kim Sunyoo are still here.’

“Only extremely popular trainees remain. The trainee ranked 5th demonstrated both outstanding leadership and vocal ability.”

Electronic sounds slowly surged forward like waves, creating a feeling that something was about to explode.

“And that trainee is…”

Suddenly, the music stopped.

The silence before the announcement made everything even more dramatic.

“Cha Siwoo!”

“Waaahhh!”

I could see the camera that had been stalking me gradually zooming in.

“Siwoo! Congratulations.”

When I turned toward the hand patting my shoulder, I found Kim Sunyoo smiling warmly and sincerely.

“Thank you.”

“Cha Siwoo, please come to the stage and share your thoughts.”

‘You really love rushing people, don’t you?’

As I quickly walked onto the stage, Yoo Haein greeted me with a gentle smile and handed me the microphone.

“The reason I was able to reach 5th place is thanks to all the National Directors who have consistently supported me.”

Facing the camera directly, I gave the kind of smile fans would love.

“Honestly, receiving so much love from all of you makes this moment feel like a dream. I still have many shortcomings, but I’m doing my best to repay the support you’ve given me. Please continue giving me your interest and affection. Thank you!”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

As thunderous applause filled the studio, Yoo Haein smiled contentedly and raised her microphone.

“Thank you for that heartfelt speech, Cha Siwoo. Listening to you reminds me of myself when I first debuted.”

“It’s an honor to hear you say that.”

“It’s true. By the way, you said you’d do your best for the National Directors, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then how about showing some cute fan service for them?”

‘…Excuse me?’

Before I even had time to prepare, a bouncy aegyo song suddenly started playing through the speakers.