The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol Chapter 96

Chapter 96

 

“Lucy Star Boys, we’ll be starting the pre-recording soon. Please get ready.”

“Yes!”

Everything was ready.

Now, only the long-awaited pre-recording stage shoot remained.

The waiting area in the narrow passage beside the stage was filled with suffocating tension.

Perhaps because it was their very first pre-recording, unlike during rehearsal, the members’ expressions had stiffened.

Kang Chan was pale as a sheet, absentmindedly fiddling with his in-ear pack, while Yoo Hoseung kept his lips tightly pressed together as if trying to suppress the urge to gag from all the water he had been drinking.

The guys who usually flew across the practice room now looked like lambs being led to slaughter.

“Chan, are you okay?”

At my question, Kang Chan answered in a trembling voice.

“Ah, Siwoo… I think I forgot the choreography. I can’t remember the formations.”

‘No way.’

There was no way Kang Chan, who had always been better at dancing than anyone else, had forgotten the choreography.

His eyes wandered aimlessly.

‘Guess there’s no choice.’

I grabbed his shoulder firmly and squeezed it almost painfully.

“Ah…!”

Moderate pain was the fastest way to drag fear back into reality.

“Chan. It’s okay even if you can’t remember it. Your body already remembers the choreography anyway.”

“…!”

“And even though it won’t happen, if you do make a mistake, I’ll cover your spot. So just enjoy the stage like you always do. Got it?”

“Got it. But I’ll make sure I absolutely don’t mess up on stage.”

“Good. You’ll do well, so don’t be too nervous.”

“Okay.”

Thankfully, my words seemed to work. Some color returned to Kang Chan’s face.

‘Next is that guy, huh?’

“Hoseung.”

This time, I lightly smacked the back of Yoo Hoseung’s neck.

“Hup…!”

He must have been startled because a rather strange sound escaped his mouth.

“Why are you so scared?”

“Hyung… honestly, is it really okay for someone as lacking as me to be the center?”

“Of course it is. I always tell you this, but what’s the most important thing for a center?”

“…Their face.”

That’s right.

As rookies making their debut, there was no one more suitable for the center position than a visual member when it came to drawing attention.

“Exactly, you punk. Glad you remember.”

“But…”

“Hoseung, have confidence. Your handsome face is going to make our team shine.”

Yoo Hoseung’s eyes gradually settled, and soon he nodded with a determined expression.

“Yes! I’ll do my best.”

“Yep! Our Hoseung will definitely do well.”

“Okay.”

After taking care of the two most anxious members, everyone’s attention turned toward me.

Living up to his reputation as a perceptive leader, Kim Sunyoo gathered everyone together.

“Alright, before we go on stage, should we do a fighting cheer?”

“Sounds good.”

The members formed a circle around Kim Sunyoo.

“You’ve all worked hard to make it this far.”

Kim Sunyoo’s clear voice echoed through the waiting area.

“Don’t be too nervous today. Let’s just do what we’ve practiced all this time.”

Kim Sunyoo stretched out his hand, and one by one, the members stacked theirs on top.

I placed my hand on the pile as well, feeling the cold, slightly trembling touch of the others.

“Since it’s our debut stage, let’s absolutely crush it out there!”

Someone nodded.

Someone else bit down on their lip.

Strength flowed into the six stacked hands.

“One.”

Warmth spread through the overlapping hands.

“Two.”

My heart began to race.

“Three!”

“Fighting!”

Their voices rang out together, cutting through the air.

That shout pushed away the tension and drove them forward.

‘We can do this.’

At that moment, the curtain opened and light poured in.

“Lucy Star Boys, please enter now!”

“Yes!”

The staff’s signal was given.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the light first.

Behind me, I could hear the rough breathing of the members.

It wasn’t the fear-filled breathing from before.

Now it sounded like beasts preparing for the hunt.

At last, we stopped at center stage.

The moment the spotlight struck the top of my head, I slowly raised my gaze toward the audience.

“KYAAAAAA!”

“LSB!!!”

“Guys! You’re finally debuting!”

The passionate greeting from the fans who had waited for this moment made my heart beat even faster.

‘There are this many people here even at dawn.’

Truly, there was no choice but to be grateful to the fans every single time.

The members were equally overwhelmed, smiling brightly and waving toward the audience.

“One, two, three!”

At Kim Sunyoo’s cue, everyone quickly took their positions.

“We are shining stars! Hello, we are Lucy Star Boys!”

“Wooooah!”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing the greeting in person…!”

The fans’ enthusiastic welcome kept pulling my lips upward.

“Everyone, thank you for joining us for our first stage.”

“We’re touched that you came this early in the morning.”

“Was getting here difficult by any chance?”

During the brief time before filming started, they chatted with the audience.

“It’s your debut, of course we had to come!”

“You guys worked so hard preparing for this!”

“I can’t wait for the stage!”

“Thank you!”

Just as they were exchanging a brief connection with the fans…

“Lucy Star Boys, filming is starting. Please take your positions.”

“Yes!”

As they moved away from the audience to form up, another wave of loud cheers erupted.

The stage lights went dark, and the familiar intro they had heard hundreds of times burst from the speakers.

My heart felt ready to explode, yet instead of trembling, a perfect smile curved across my lips.

It felt as though adrenaline was about to erupt.

 

☆☆☆

 

Park Moyang’s heart began pounding wildly as she finally saw her favorite again after so long.

‘Holy crap…! Those outfits suit them perfectly.’

The outfits she had only seen in album jacket photos were now right before her eyes.

‘Our Siwoo in a light denim jacket and white pants…!’

It was a perfect outfit for her favorite, whose skin looked like white jade.

‘How does Siwoo not have a single outfit that doesn’t suit him?’

A satisfied smile naturally spread across her face.

“Wow…!”

“The guys are seriously handsome.”

“They look way better in person than in photos.”

The other fans seemed to feel the same way, as sincere exclamations of admiration erupted everywhere.

After some casual chatting, their favorites moved away to take stage positions at the staff’s instruction.

The sight of them walking away was pure bliss.

‘The boys are so sweet.’

Even while moving away, they continued greeting and thanking the fans.

It was incredibly endearing.

“Pre-recording filming will begin now!”

As the staff member’s voice rang out loudly, the lights went out in an instant.

Sounds of people swallowing nervously echoed all around.

Without realizing it, she tightened her grip on her slogan.

Her fingertips trembled slightly.

As the clear piano melody blended with the sounds of nature one layer at a time, it felt as though her ears were being pampered.

The song had been beautiful from the very first notes of the intro.

At last, the lights came on.

Under the bright glow, the boys on stage looked as natural as if they had always belonged there.

The word “rookie” felt completely inadequate.

Kang Chan and Seo Hayul sat side by side with their backs against each other as the intro began.

 

—

Hello, hello

—

 

“…!”

The moment the first line flowed out, the atmosphere in the audience changed.

Before the melody could even reach her ears, her heart reacted first.

It felt as though the sound of her racing heartbeat was blending into the music.

 

—

‘The wind starts talking to me first.’

‘Today somehow feels different.’

‘I check my clothes one more time.’

‘Before going out, I meet my eyes in the mirror.’

—

 

The harmony of their mid-low voices was captivating enough to seize both ears instantly.

 

—

‘An unfamiliar excitement’

‘Because of that, my heart starts beating a little faster.’

‘Because it’s the first time.’

‘The whole world’

‘Everything looks special.’

—

 

As Seo Hayul and Kang Chan stepped back, her favorite finally moved forward.

 

—

‘One step closer.’

‘The wind pushes at my back.’

‘When I lift my head.’

‘It’s already begun.’

—

 

Though he was a rookie and should have been nervous, Cha Siwoo’s eyes and smile looked completely natural.

It wasn’t a forced expression.

His genuine excitement was written all over his face.

 

—

Hello, hello

‘To you right now.’

‘Can you hear this heart that races like the first time?’

—

 

As the chorus exploded, gasps escaped from all over the audience.

“KYAAAAAA!”

“I can hear it!”

“Wow…!”

When Yoo Hoseung stepped into the center and began the waving choreography, Park Moyang unconsciously raised her hand as well.

As she followed the addictive choreography and waved her hand, the surrounding fans naturally smiled and swayed their hands from side to side.

It felt as though the wall between stage and audience had crumbled.

At this moment, it felt as though only the singers and their fans existed.

The immersion was overwhelming.

 

—

Hello, hello

‘When we wave our hands.’

‘Our story begins to open.’

—

 

‘The boys are so refreshing and lovable!’

The youthful freshness of a debut group was perfectly reflected in the lyrics.

Every time the members made eye contact, smiles spread.

The fact that they weren’t ‘too’ perfect somehow made it even more exciting.

The slightly uneven breathing and the choreography performed with a little too much force…

These were precious sensations that could only exist at this stage of their careers.

 

—

‘The laughter comes first.’

‘It’s okay even without a reason.’

‘Even the awkwardness’

‘Is completely on our side today.’

‘Even if I’m a little clumsy.’

‘Somehow I feel brave.’

‘The moment our eyes meet’

‘Everything falls into place.’

—

 

‘They really made this song well.’

A pleasant melody, beautiful lyrics that stuck easily in your ears, and a highly addictive hook.

It was the kind of song that lingered long after a single listen.

‘More importantly, the boys sing well and dance well.’

As expected from contestants of a survival audition program, their skills were undeniable.

Perhaps because they were nervous, there was a bit too much force in their dancing, but their razor-sharp synchronization delivered a strange sense of exhilaration to the audience.

When the final sing-along chorus arrived, her lips moved before she even realized it.

 

—

Hello, hello

‘Just like this right now.’

‘It’s okay to run forward.’

 

Hello, hello

‘Because it’s our first time.’

‘We shine even brighter.’

—

 

Park Moyang’s voice blended with the cheers of the other fans and melted into the song.

Simply being here in this moment made her happy.

‘I’m so glad I chose Siwoo as my favorite.’

At last, the music reached its conclusion.

The members froze for their ending poses.

They stood in a semicircle around Yoo Hoseung.

Kim Sunyoo lightly waved his hand, while Cha Siwoo tilted his shoulder into a natural pose.

The composition highlighted center member Yoo Hoseung, but none of the others faded into the background.

Every one of them shone.

“WAAAAAAH!”

“LSB!”

“KYAAAAAA!”

‘The ending fairy really is Hoseung.’

It was a little disappointing that it wasn’t her favorite, but seeing Yoo Hoseung’s overwhelming visuals, she understood why.

‘But why does Hoseung seem more handsome every time I see him?’

At that moment, the camera slowly zoomed in on Yoo Hoseung.

The giant screen captured him removing his in-ear monitor and letting out a short breath.

“…!”

The timing felt almost calculated.

When Yoo Hoseung raised a hand and gave a small wave, his fingertips sparkled beneath the lights, and a gentle eye-smile spread across his face.

At that exact moment, the screen froze.

‘Wow… seriously handsome. This isn’t a human face… it’s a work of art.’

Screams erupted from all over the audience once again.

“KYAAAAAA!”

“Hoseung!!!”

“LSB IS THE BEST!”

At that moment, Park Moyang realized something.

What she had just witnessed was not merely the debut stage of a rookie idol group.

It was the first page of a grand story.

As she watched them… more dazzling because it was their beginning… her heart began racing all over again.

As the camera captured the ending poses of every member, starting with center Yoo Hoseung, the cheers in the studio only grew louder, as though breaking through their limits.

‘That was incredible. Seriously.’

These boys had only just taken their first step.

And for the first time, Park Moyang found herself genuinely excited to see what they would become in the future.