The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 102
“For all the fans who love us, we’re finally revealing the official fandom name!”
The chat window scrolled too quickly to read properly, but the accelerating pace told me the fans were thrilled.
“Then, please reveal the fandom name right away!”
At Kim Sun-yu’s signal, I spun the whiteboard I’d been holding with a flourish.
The words I’d written myself were etched clearly across its surface.
[Lumina (LUMINA)]
“The fandom name for us Lucy Star Boys is Lumina!”
“Wooooow!”
“Lumina, we love you!”
In that instant, the chat window literally exploded.
Though I couldn’t read individual messages, the entire screen was blanketed with heart emoticons and messages of praise—the fans clearly adored it.
“We all brainstormed together for the fandom name, and ultimately it was decided based on Si-woo’s idea!”
“Si-woo really came up with such a wonderful name.”
“Wooooow!”
“We captured the process of deciding the fandom name in a behind-the-scenes video, so please check it out if you’re curious!”
“The process was more intense than we expected.”
“I’m sure it’ll be entertaining!”
The members didn’t forget to promote the behind-the-scenes content either.
Kim Sun-yu, wearing a gentle smile in response to the members’ enthusiastic reactions, turned to me and passed the microphone.
“So, would Si-woo, who created the name, explain the meaning behind Lumina to our fans?”
“Yes!”
I adjusted my grip on the microphone and looked directly into the camera lens.
“First, I’m truly honored that the name I created was selected. Now, let me explain the meaning of Lumina.”
“Ooooh!”
“The reason we chose Lumina for our fandom name is because our group name, Lucy Star Boys, means shining stars, right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“But the truth is, a star can never shine alone.”
“Gasp!”
I suppressed a smile watching the members’ exaggerated reactions, covering their mouths with both hands, and continued.
“Lucy Star Boys can only exist because of you fans—those who complete our light and sometimes embrace even our darkest shadows. You, who are such precious beings to us, are our ‘Lumina.'”
‘If I possess any light, it’s only because of the warm glow that Lumina shines upon me.’
Hearing the sincerity in my words, the members dropped their playful demeanor and nodded with moved expressions.
“I hope you’ll love the fandom name!”
“Thank you for making us shine!”
As the members continued speaking, overwhelmed with emotion, the Buffet Manager signaled that the next schedule was approaching.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s time for us to go! Lumina, we’ll be back to see you again soon!”
“Please continue to support us!”
“Lumina, we love you! Goodbye!”
The brief but intense live broadcast came to an end.
As long as I stood with Lumina, I was certain that no darkness could completely obscure my light.
If we were shining stars, then our fans were the light that completed us.
☆☆☆
During the live broadcast, I’d moved too quickly to read the chat properly, so now, riding in the car afterward, I searched through the fans’ reactions.
‘We’ve already dominated social media.’
The moment the live broadcast ended, the word “Lumina” was dominating the real-time trends across every platform.
[Real-Time Trends]
#Lumina
#LUMINA_Lusbo
#LuminaMeaning_ABeingThatShinesLight
Entertainment communities were flooded with posts reflecting on and moved by the meaning of the fandom name.
>Today’s Lusbo live broadcast was the best!
-When I heard Lumina’s meaning, I shed tears sincerelyㅠㅠ
Me too. Si-woo explained it point by point, and it was oddly touching.
Even embracing their shadow, what a being you are.
Already a real deal. Lusbo for life.
Is it because you’re from the Survival Competition? Your sense of delivering lines is extraordinary.
He’s really good at speaking from the heart. His diction is great too, so it really stuck with me.
[Breaking News] Lusbo’s fandom name confirmed as Lumina!!!!
-I’m crazyㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-The meaning is so beautiful! Our stars forever!!!
-From today on, my name is Lumina. No arguments.
-A being that shines light… who came up with this idea? They deserve an award
That’s Si-woo’s idea.
The process of deciding on a fandom name is said to be shown in the self-produced content!
‘I’m relieved the response is so positive.’
With Lusbo sweeping first place and now having an official fandom name, the fans were in a celebratory mood, practically intoxicated with joy.
Glancing to the side, I could see the other members equally absorbed in their phones, drunk on the fans’ praise displayed on their screens.
But the joy was short-lived. Instinctively, I furrowed my brow.
‘If we become too obsessed with reactions, it’ll become poison.’
High popularity inevitably comes with sharp thorns.
Between the posts overflowing with praise, I could see malicious comments deliberately targeting specific members, tearing them down relentlessly.
I’d seen plenty of it in my days as a paparazzi.
People who festered and burst open because of comments like those.
‘Should I regulate how much the members search for themselves online?’
As my thoughts deepened, the car came to a smooth stop.
“Lusbo members, we’ve arrived at the next schedule location.”
The Manager’s voice snapped me back to attention.
Right now, navigating the waves before me took priority over worrying about a future that hadn’t even arrived yet.
‘For now, I need to focus on the work at hand.’
I turned off my smartphone and exhaled deeply.
Burying my worries in the darkness for now, I hurried to prepare for departure.
☆☆☆
“Everyone, please don’t be too nervous. Just do what you’ve been doing,” the Buffet Manager said encouragingly.
“Yes!”
Despite the Buffet Manager’s encouragement, tension was evident on the Group Members’ faces.
‘Well, it’s our first fan signing event since debut—it’d be strange not to be nervous.’
Though they should have been exhausted enough to collapse, the guys buzzed with anticipation like elementary schoolers before a field trip, pacing through the Living Room without a wink of sleep all night.
“Then we’ll head out right away!”
The moment we arrived at the entrance of the Fan Signing Event Hall, my heart began racing at an accelerated pace.
Only then did it feel real.
Everyone visible beyond the glass doors was a fan.
‘So many people came to the fan signing event.’
They all held identical albums in their hands.
Our first album—still carrying the scent of fresh ink, bearing our names embossed on its cover.
“Wow…”
“This isn’t a dream, right?”
Exclamations spilled from the Group Members’ lips at the surreal sight.
“Hyung… these people really came to see us, right?”
Yoo Ho-seung’s trembling voice whispered the question.
‘…Honestly, I didn’t expect this many.’
“Yeah. They’re all our fans.”
The moment I nodded, the Group Members’ shoulders stiffened in unison.
The air in this corridor felt more tense than under the stage lights.
“Kyaaaaa!”
“You guys!”
As we entered the hall, the fans’ cheers struck my eardrums.
The Small Hall set up inside the Large Gymnasium was already packed with fans.
Despite being a strictly controlled space, the heat had accumulated so densely there was no room for it to escape.
This was our first fan signing event ever, meeting fans as the number-one artist since our debut.
Seeing the long table and six chairs arranged on the stage, my heart rate reached its peak.
‘Why am I more nervous than I thought?’
I casually wiped the sweat from my palms onto my pants.
As I stared forward, dozens of camera lenses suddenly turned toward me in unison.
In my past life, I always hid behind those lenses.
I was a paparazzi who earned money by stealing and selling someone else’s privacy.
I, who once held my breath to capture a moment of scandal, had now become the target of those very lenses.
“Lusbo members, please move to your seats,” the Staff Member signaled.
The Group Members nodded at the signal.
Seo Ha-yul, standing beside me, murmured softly.
“Hyung, I’m so nervous.”
I stopped myself from reaching out to ruffle his hair.
‘I need to show the fans beautifully styled hair.’
Instead, I curved my lips upward and offered a smile.
“It’s fine. We’re just meeting a little closer than we do on stage, that’s all.”
It was also a vow I made to myself.
“Everyone, thank you for your patience. Now we’ll officially begin the Lucy Star Boys fan signing event!”
The MC’s powerful voice resonated from the stage, filling the hall.
As we moved toward the center of the stage following the Staff Member’s guidance, a deafening roar erupted, nearly shaking the ceiling.
“Waaahhhhh!!!”
“You guys!”
“Lusbo!!!”
That sound felt like it peeled away one layer of reality itself.
After bowing ninety degrees to the cheering fans, I took my assigned seat.
Kim Sun-yu, our leader, occupied the front position.
I took the last seat, with the remaining members arranged in between.
‘Fan signing events are places where unexpected variables tend to erupt.’
Since this was our first fan signing, I decided it was best to have Kim Sun-yu, with his experience, go first to help ease the fans’ tension.
Conversely, the last position—where timing was most fluid and responses most demanding depending on how things progressed—was the one I chose to handle.
There were no dazzling lights, no grand background music.
With only a long table between us, the fan signing event began at a distance where you could almost hear the fans’ breathing.
The first fan finally stopped in front of Kim Sun-yu.
True to his experience, Kim Sun-yu greeted the fan with a warm smile, handling them with practiced ease.
‘He’s definitely good at this.’
The average attendance at idol fan signing events ranged between fifty and one hundred people.
It was industry convention to strictly limit attendance due to safety concerns and time constraints.
I’d heard rumors that hundreds of thousands had applied for this fan signing event, but the actual survivors I could meet were only a carefully selected one hundred.
‘With initial sales exceeding five hundred thousand copies… just how much did these people spend to be here?’
While nominally a lottery, the fan signing was essentially a competition of who had purchased the most albums.
Since each album came with one entry ticket, the more you bought, the higher your odds inevitably became.
These people standing before me were the survivors of a cruel system where desperation was proportional to one’s bank account.
‘I need to give them my absolute best.’
I tightened my focus once more and turned my head to the side.
I could see the members already engaged in fan interactions.
Even those who had been rigid and robotic with nervousness were now displaying unexpected practical skills once they were in the field.
Whether it was the brief fan interaction training I’d conducted at the dormitory yesterday or not, everyone was treating the fans with genuine sincerity.
‘They’re doing well. No need to worry.’
As the line of fans passed through the other members, finally the first fan stood before me.
“Oh… hello! Si-woo, I… I really, truly wanted to see you!”
In the trembling fan’s eyes as they extended their album, there was nothing but pure affection directed solely at me.
‘…So this is what it feels like.’
As I faced a fan up close—a presence I’d only ever observed from a distance—a surge of overwhelming emotion welled up from deep within my chest.
“I was so excited thinking about coming to the fan signing event that I… I couldn’t sleep last night.”
I paused, pen in hand, studying her face for a moment.
The fan’s expression was visibly moved.
There was something profoundly strange about this moment—writing my name while receiving someone’s genuine affection.
“Me too.”
“Pardon?”
Caught off guard by my unexpected response, the fan’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s.
I set down my pen and met her gaze directly.
“I couldn’t sleep either, thinking about meeting Lumina fans today. This is a secret, but honestly, all of our group members were so restless last night that we were pacing around the living room all evening without getting a single wink of sleep.”
In that instant, the tension that had gripped the fan’s face melted away, replaced by a radiant smile.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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