The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 2

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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 2
“I’m dead? So… is this supposed to be heaven?”
‘Why does heaven look so shabby?’
[This is not heaven. Cha Si-woo, you have been given one opportunity due to the influence of the Unknown Entity.]
“An opportunity? What’s this Unknown Entity you’re talking about?”
[The Unknown Entity has sent you back five years before your death. Complete the Quest given to you within these five years and receive your final reward.]
“What are you?! You’re spouting absolute nonsense. You expect me to believe this?”
[I cannot speak about myself.]
“So I’m dead, and I’ve come back five years… but this doesn’t make any sense logically.”
The translucent window hovering before my eyes couldn’t be explained logically either.
[Accept the fact that you have returned to the past. And proceed with the Quest.]
‘How am I supposed to accept this?’
“Fine. Let’s say I believe you for argument’s sake. So what’s this Quest? What do you want me to do?”
[Cha Si-woo, become an idol.]
???
“What?”
[Ultimately, succeed as a world-class tier-one idol.]
‘That came out of nowhere.’
“An idol? Those high-paying celebrities?”
During my paparazzi days, I’d sent many people down the path of ruin once I discovered how lucrative idols could be.
To me, idols were merely a commodity—events with high photo rates.
[…Idols are not merely cash cows with high rates. Idols are radiant beings who captivate the public with their attractive appearance and dazzling talents.]
‘Me? Become an idol? A world-class tier-one idol at that? When I know nothing about singing and dancing?’
“Can just anyone become an idol? Do you really think that’s possible? I’ve made my living through photography. I don’t know anything about dancing or singing.”
[That depends entirely on your effort, Cha Si-woo.]
“Are you joking? I can’t do it!”
[If you ultimately succeed in the Quest, you will receive the greatest reward.]
“A reward? …What kind?”
[The reward given is what the participant needs most. In your case, Cha Si-woo, the reward is a universal panacea.]
‘…!’
“Can this universal panacea be used on people other than me?”
[Of course.]
‘That’s exactly what I need!’
The reward was tempting, but the unexpectedly brutal difficulty of the Quest sent a sudden headache crashing down on me.
These days, the average trainee period for idols was at least five to ten years.
Even trainees who prepared for that long struggled to reach world-class tier-one idol status even after debuting and working themselves to death for five years.
‘The probability of success is extremely slim.’
“This is less likely than winning the lottery jackpot. Are you torturing me with false hope?”
[Then abandon the Quest and die?]
“…What?”
‘Why did his tone suddenly change like that?’
[Cha Si-woo, this is not the time to argue. For your reference, if you abandon or fail the Quest, you will return to your original timeline. At the time of the accident, you suffered massive hemorrhaging and died instantly.]
‘…So I really did die?’
“Then what happened to my younger sibling?”
[That is classified information.]
“…”
[Ultimately, whether to proceed with the Quest is your choice, Cha Si-woo.]
‘They say that, but realistically, I have no choice at all.’
The thought of abandoning my ailing younger sibling and leaving first was something I couldn’t even bear to imagine.
I had clawed my way through work with relentless determination, enduring every insult—called a monster, a demon, the scum of humanity—all because of my younger sibling’s medical bills.
My entire life had been a desperate struggle for the sake of my only family.
‘Let me think about this optimistically. Perhaps this is actually an opportunity.’
The promise of a universal panacea upon completing all the Quests was the only way to save my younger sibling, who had become a vegetative patient.
“I can trust that universal panacea reward you mentioned for completing the Quest, right? It can really cure every disease?”
[Of course. It is a medicine capable of treating incurable diseases and all illnesses that modern medicine cannot cure.]
It was realistically impossible.
But if rewinding time was real, then the universal panacea had to be real as well.
‘Then there’s no reason to hesitate.’
“I’ll do the Quest. But!”
[…?]
“I have conditions.”
I didn’t know the identity behind the blue window, but if it was offering me a chance, I had to at least try.
[What are they?]
“You must have a reason for making this proposal, don’t you?”
From living, I’d learned that nothing ever starts without a reason.
[…]
‘Silence means consent, I suppose.’
“Wouldn’t it be more entertaining for you if I succeeded rather than failed the Quest?”
Plant desire and curiosity in someone, and they’ll always take the bait.
[You certainly have a silver tongue, Cha Si-woo.]
“Everything has a reason. So here’s what I’m thinking—consider it a tutorial item and give me some kind of benefit.”
haha
“Why are you laughing?”
Haha, I’ve never seen someone so shameless before.
“You laughed, so pay the price.”
[Your shamelessness is refreshingly novel. I’m beginning to understand why Unknown Entity gave you this opportunity.]
“So you’ll give me something?”
[Very well. Since you made me laugh, I’ll randomly boost one of your idol-related stats.]
“Randomly? If I get to choose, I’d like it to be singing.”
‘If I’m going to be a singer, I need to be good at singing.’
You’ll find out soon enough.
Well, at least I’ve gained something. That’s better than nothing.
“Fine. I’ll proceed with the Quest.”
[You have agreed to proceed with the Quest. Now initiating the main Quest: ‘Become a World-Class First-Tier Idol.’]
Ding.
My cramped one-room apartment flooded with brilliant light.
Ah, it’s blinding.
The intense glow surrounding me turned my vision completely white.
Only after the alarm echoing throughout the space ceased did the apartment return to its normal state.
A translucent blue window still shimmered before my eyes.
[Welcome, Cha Si-woo, to the ‘Become a World-Class First-Tier Idol’ Quest. To debut as an idol quickly, you must participate in auditions.
Main Quest: Successfully debut by participating in the idol survival audition ‘Star picking5.’
Sub-Quest (1): Pass the first round of auditions for the ‘Star picking5’ idol survival program.
Rewards will be given upon success.
Upon failure, you will return to your original timeline. (= Unknown Entity)]
Failure means it’s all over—no mercy for my fate.
Star picking5 was a massively successful idol debut survival program that boasted the highest viewership ratings on cable television five years ago.
Becoming an idol was never in my cards, and now I have to participate in a survival show too.
I’d sung a few times at company dinners for the sake of social life, but I’d never danced once in my entire existence.
“Wait, I’ve never danced in my life. Is it really okay for me to go to an audition?”
[Why would I care?]
???
“What are you?”
[Good luck.]
The translucent blue window before my eyes vanished.
“Hey?”
[…]
“System window?!”
[…]
“Hello? Mister? System??”
[…]
No matter how much I called out, the translucent blue window refused to appear.
“Damn it. I need to register for the Star picking5 audition first.”
When I searched for Star picking5 on my phone, online pre-registration had already closed, leaving only on-site registration available.
“The on-site registration deadline is April 7th. Wait, what’s today’s date?”
I checked the calendar on my phone and saw the date: April 7th.
“Today is the deadline? Damn it.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall—considerable time had already passed.
“I need to prepare now and leave immediately.”
I moved urgently, scrambling to make up for lost time.
A sharp creak.
As I opened the bathroom door, the corroded metal hinges groaned as if exhaling decades of rust and decay.
The cramped, dimly lit bathroom flickered with an unstable fluorescent light that blinked intermittently.
Tiles on the floor were cracked in places, and through the gaps, ancient mold stains spread like a spider’s web.
As I approached the square mirror above the sink, I saw my reflection—a face that looked far younger than I remembered.
“This is really me at twenty, isn’t it?”
Beneath my hollow eyes lay deep, dark circles.
My pale, bloodless face looked far fresher and more vibrant compared to how I’d looked at twenty-five, when exhaustion had consumed me entirely.
“Wow. Five years makes this much difference. Though back then I was still getting at least five hours of sleep, so my condition wasn’t too bad.”
From the moment I started working as a paparazzi, my daily routine had spiraled into complete chaos.
I was sleeping in fragments day and night, sacrificing proper meals and any semblance of a normal life for the sake of scoops, and my appearance had become utterly wretched.
‘Compared to back then, I’ve really gotten a second youth.’
“But this isn’t the time for that. I need to wash up and get ready.”
When I turned on the faucet, the rusted metal resisted stubbornly, creaking as it turned.
After a moment, cold water came sputtering out.
“Ah! It’s freezing!”
‘Right. This one-room apartment never had hot water in the first place.’
Faced with hospital bills I couldn’t afford, I’d rented the cheapest semi-basement one-room apartment available, so hot water and adequate water pressure were luxuries I couldn’t afford.
“Yeah, I lived like this before I became a paparazzi.”
The cold water jolted me awake, sharpening my senses instantly.
***
‘Star picking5′
Riding the wave of popularity from a hugely successful audition program, Star Stage was a cable male idol debut audition show.
Since celebrities occupied a significant portion of teenagers’ career aspirations, the number of idol aspirants applying in the early rounds of auditions was astronomical.
More precisely, up through Star picking4.
“It seems Star picking5 has seen a significant drop in applicants, probably because of the manipulation controversy surrounding Star picking4.”
The Main PD shifted his gaze away from the Main Writer, who was letting out a heavy sigh.
“Why are there so few talented people this time?”
The audition program had already been thoroughly exhausted, and all the recognizable trainees had already appeared.
“We sent official notices to the entertainment companies. We told them that if they want their artists to appear on music broadcasts, they have to send decent trainees as mandatory participants.”
“Then we should have plenty of trainees from the entertainment companies.”
The number of trainees debuting in the entertainment industry was far greater than what the public knew.
‘Most newcomers simply disappear without making any impression.’
For entertainment companies to boost their trainees’ recognition by getting them on music broadcasts even once, this was a condition they had no choice but to follow.
“The urgent issue is the independent trainees.”
If they only featured trainees from entertainment companies due to fairness concerns, they’d face massive backlash, so independent trainees were essential.
The problem was that due to last year’s audition manipulation controversy and biased editing, independent trainees were now keeping their distance.
Online communities were rife with rumors that only entertainment company trainees would be pushed and ultimately selected anyway.
Since it was essentially true, the production team didn’t bother refuting it.
Even if they wanted to select fairly, just like any other workplace, they had to follow orders from above in the idol industry.
“Still, those who want to make it will apply anyway.”
“The problem is that among the individual trainees who submitted online applications for the first round, there’s no one who really stands out.”
“Today is the last day for in-person submissions at the Audition Venue, so let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Yes. Honestly, I’d be happy with anyone at this point—even someone crazy—as long as we get a trainee who can generate some buzz.”
Normally, a junior writer and a junior PD would serve as judges at the Audition Venue, but today was different.
The Main Writer and Main PD sat together as judges, brought in specifically to find someone who could boost viewership ratings.
The Audition Venue, which had been running since morning, buzzed with the passionate energy of young trainees.
‘The problem is they’re all passion and no substance.’
An idol needed to possess something captivating—an inherent magnetism that drew people in.
‘Sure, there are plenty of kids who can sing well, dance well, and look handsome. The difference between those who make it and those who don’t comes down to star quality.’
The Main Writer sighed, frustrated by the lack of anyone truly exceptional.
“At this rate, aren’t we going to tank our viewership ratings?”
“Please, I don’t care anymore—just let one trainee walk through that door who can actually draw viewers.”
Before long, the sun had set and closing time approached.
The Main Writer called the next participant, his voice weary.
“Contestant number 2031, please come in.”
The Main Writer and Main PD, who had worn expressions of exhaustion, suddenly came alive the moment the door opened, their eyes gleaming with renewed interest.
“Wow.”
‘Finally! There’s my viewership!’
“Hello. I’m contestant number 2031, Cha Si-woo.”

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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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