The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 86

Chapter 86

 

“Hello, everyone!”

“We just finished an interview and have now come to the company studio!”

“We’re here to create our own self-produced debut song.”

“Will the song we make be able to win over the company staff?”

It seemed the members had really gotten into filming their own content.

Whether they were riding in a moving vehicle or simply breathing somewhere, they continued filming enthusiastically wherever they went.

‘At least we won’t have to worry about footage.’

The studio we had borrowed from the company had cameras installed throughout, thanks to prior arrangements.

A large desk and a mixing console occupied the center of the room.

“Rua hyung, I heard you’ve already finished the song sketch?”

“Yes. Want to listen together?”

“Sounds good.”

On the monitor above dozens of buttons and sliders, unnamed tracks were stacked layer upon layer.

The clear melody I had heard at dawn began playing once more through the studio speakers.

One note after another was added to the sounds of nature, and Lua’s guide vocals filled the room.

 

— 

The wind speaks to me first

Today somehow feels different

I check my outfit one more time

And meet my own eyes in the mirror before heading out

— 

 

The word “first” immediately came to mind.

The song radiated youthful freshness.

 

— 

An unfamiliar excitement

Makes my heart beat a little faster

Just because it’s the first time

The whole world

Looks special

— 

 

The refreshing feeling unique to a debut song and its message of a new beginning resonated deeply.

‘This song sounds great even the second time around.’

“For now, I tried my best to emphasize our refreshing concept. How is it?”

The members’ eyes widened in surprise as they exchanged glances.

“Wow… I’ve thought this before, but Rua, you’re seriously a genius.”

Kim Sunyoo was the first to speak.

“Did you really make this yourself, hyung?”

“Of course.”

“To be honest, the song is incredible.”

“I really hope our debut song ends up being one made by Lua hyung!”

As praise poured in, Rua finally grinned, showing his teeth.

‘I’m glad everyone likes the song.’

Compared to the song the department head had picked, Rua’s was a hundred times better.

“Thanks! It’s still just a sketch, so I’m thinking of adding a few more things. If you have any good ideas, let me know.”

“It’s already so good that I can’t think of anything to add.”

“Right. It’s perfect.”

The members eagerly agreed.

“Still, I don’t know much about rap, so I want to hear Chan and Hayul’s opinions.”

“For the verse sections, I really like how well they fit the song.”

“But I think it would be even better if the hook were a little more addictive.”

“Okay. I’ll work on the hook a bit more.”

Since it was our debut song, everyone actively contributed ideas as the work continued.

Every time Rua listened to feedback, he fiddled with the equipment a few times.

The amazing thing was that every button press seemed to make the song evolve another step, and the improved version would flow out through the speakers.

‘So this is what he meant when he said he casually messes around with arranging songs.’

“Rua hyung, how do you make revisions so quickly?”

“Well, times are good these days. You just press a few buttons.”

Even so, the speed was unbelievable.

“Does songwriting usually finish this quickly?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know anyone else who makes songs.”

“Still, I can tell this is on a completely different level.”

As expected, a genius’s talent was different.

“Rua hyung, can we see the sheet music for the sketch?”

“There isn’t any sheet music.”

“Huh?”

“It’s all in my head. If you want, I can write it down right now.”

Silence fell over the studio.

It was the perfect finishing blow, making it impossible to deny that Rua was a genius.

‘Why is someone like this even an idol?’

“Wow… that’s impossible.”

“Hyung, this isn’t a dream, right?”

Watching the stunned reactions of the members, Rua laughed heartily and resumed working on the song.

“I’ve roughly established the flow. Now the lyrics are the problem.”

“The lyrics?”

“Yeah. Since we’re making it together, I think it’d be nice to write them ourselves and put our own story into them.”

He was clearly committed to the team’s direction as a self-producing idol group.

“Then should we all write lyrics together, just like Rua suggested?”

At Kim Sunyoo’s proposal, everyone nodded immediately.

“Sounds good!”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Since Rua hyung worked so hard on the song, I’ll give it my all too.”

“Good.”

I grabbed some paper and a pen and headed toward a corner of the studio.

The company seemed incredibly serious about this self-produced content.

Cameras had been installed in every corner.

‘Since everyone’s working hard, I should work harder too.’

“Everyone, we’re currently writing lyrics for our self-composed song.”

I picked up a camera and zoomed in on each member one by one.

“I’m excited to see what kind of lyrics we come up with. I’m going to focus too!”

Only after filming all the members did I set the camera down and stand before a blank sheet of paper.

‘Whenever I see a blank page, I never know where to start.’

Since the song was refreshing, the lyrics needed to be bright and youthful.

‘What kind of words would the fans like?’

The only sound filling the studio was the scratching of pen tips across paper.

The faint friction of ink soaking into the page filled the quiet room as time slowly passed.

 

☆☆☆

 

As we worked through our tightly packed schedule, a week passed in the blink of an eye.

At last, the day of our promised showdown with the department head arrived.

We gathered once again in the company conference room.

‘They’ve come fully prepared.’

Cameras for filming our self-produced content had been installed throughout the room.

On the table sat a mountain of documents related to the song the department head had chosen.

The sheer thickness of the stack conveyed his determination to push his pick through to the end.

‘That’s not going to happen.’

About thirty minutes after we sat down, the department head and the director entered together.

“Hello!”

We immediately stood up and bowed deeply to them.

“It’s been a while, Lucy Star Boys.”

“Did your preparations for the new song go well?”

“Yes!”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of amazing song you prepared in just one week.”

“Exactly. I wonder if rookies who haven’t even debuted yet can really beat a professional songwriter’s work.”

Unlike before, their voices carried sarcasm rather than warmth.

‘Well, I expected this.’

I put on my professional smile.

“I guarantee you’ll like the song.”

The atmosphere in the conference room stiffened slightly.

The department head sat deep in his chair with his arms crossed.

The director glanced at his watch and nodded indifferently.

Their body language clearly said they weren’t expecting much.

“If you’re that confident, shall we listen right away?”

“Yes!”

Meetings were best handled quickly and efficiently.

We played Rua’s song, which already had guide vocals recorded.

A captivating instrumental flowed from the speakers.

“…!”

As the clear piano melody layered itself over the sounds of nature, the employees’ expressions visibly changed.

‘It’s good, right?’

I hadn’t made the song, but my shoulders still straightened with pride.

Once the intro ended and the song truly began, both the department head and the director’s expressions changed.

The crease between the department head’s brows disappeared, and his closed eyes gradually opened completely.

He uncrossed his arms and started lightly tapping the table with his fingertips.

Even the director, who had been maintaining a neutral expression, slowly leaned toward the speaker.

The moment the chorus exploded, both of them widened their eyes.

‘As expected, the chorus is the killer part of this song.’

About four minutes later, the song ended.

Silence settled over the conference room.

The department head cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.

The director put down his pen.

Neither spoke, but their expressions made it obvious.

The self-produced song they had expected nothing from was undeniably excellent.

“How did you find the song Rua made?”

Kim Sunyoo spoke first, like the leader he was.

“Ahem…”

“Hm…”

The two swallowed their words several times.

“It’s good, right? Good, isn’t it?”

Pressed by Rua, they finally responded.

“To be honest, it’s good.”

“The impact is strong. I like it.”

“…!”

“Does that mean…?”

The department head let out a sigh and nodded.

“Lucy Star Boys’ debut song will be this one.”

“Wooooah!”

“Really?!”

Watching the members leap from their seats in joy, the department head laughed heartily.

“Yes. You won. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d beat the professionals.”

“You brought back an unbelievable song in such a short time.”

‘Whew… that’s a relief.’

We had avoided debuting with a terrible song.

More importantly, it was fortunate that the department head and director weren’t people who stubbornly clung to their pride.

‘I like how straightforward they are.’

“We’ll officially confirm Rua’s song as your debut track.”

The employees added their own comments.

“Mr. Rua, you’re really good at making songs.”

“We can push Lucy Star Boys with a self-producing image from now on.”

Thanks to the song, the team’s direction naturally settled into that of a self-producing idol group.

“By the way, what’s the title of the song?”

The department head, now visibly brighter, asked.

“It’s ‘First Greeting Hello,’ dedicated to the fans we’re meeting for the first time.”

“It’s a title that fits both the song’s atmosphere and lyrics perfectly.”

Thanks to the song, the meeting continued in a warm atmosphere, completely different from the first one.

“Since a quick debut is important, let’s finalize the rest as well.”

“Yes.”

Afterward, everything from minor details to the music video schedule and debut release date was finalized.

The debut song release date was set for September 8th, exactly one month away.

‘The schedule is going to be brutal.’

An intense period awaited us, but there was no time to delay.

‘A September debut is already considered late if we want to aim for Rookie of the Year at the year-end awards.’

Only after discussing teasers, pre-release videos, self-produced content, and future schedules did the meeting finally come to an end.

 

☆☆☆

 

Because of the tight debut schedule, an absurd string of nonstop work followed.

‘I’d be lucky if I got four hours of sleep a day.’

Knowing how important a debut song was for idols, the company had temporarily suspended advertisements and other television appearances.

‘That doesn’t mean we suddenly have free time, though.’

There was only one song, but there was a mountain of things to prepare.

Among them, the most important were singing and dance practice.

The problem was that the schedule was even harsher than during the survival show, and fatigue had already accumulated to its limits.

‘System.’

[Yes?]

‘Show me my status window.’

Ding.

 

— 

[Status Window]

Cha Siwoo (20)

 Appearance: A-

 Singing: B+

 Dance: B-

 Star Quality: B+

 Stamina: B+

 Ability: ???

 Status: Paparazzi who returned to the past by 5 years.

 Fatigue: 50

— 

 

‘My fatigue has already reached 50.’

Even after the idol audition survival show ended, I hadn’t had a single day of proper rest.

In that sense, having high fatigue was only natural.

‘The problem is that there’s not enough time left before the debut to rest at all.’

If my fatigue kept increasing at this rate, I would have no choice but to take another loan from the system.

The moment I thought about the penalty that would come with it, goosebumps spread across my body.

‘That’s not happening.’

I never wanted to end up in a situation where I had to suffer that penalty again.

‘I’ll use the gacha reward I received.’

At this point, the only thing I could trust was the random gacha.