The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 30

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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 30
[So sexy!]
[Kyaaaaaah!]
From the opening moment, the Chilhuk Team’s fierce determination to captivate the entire audience was unmistakable.
Within the rhythm of thrusting hips and the synchronized choreography where bodies brushed against one another, sensuality became a refined weapon.
When Kang Chan stepped into the center position, everyone held their breath.
‘He really can dance.’
As the final chorus arrived and all of them knelt before raising their heads in unison, the lights flashed brilliantly and the ending exploded.
[Woooooah!]
[Chan!!!]
‘To be honest, Kang Chan performed well.’
[If you believe the Chilhuk Team did well with their sensual arrangement of ‘Neon Promise’, please press the voting button!]
The numbers on the massive screen began climbing rapidly from zero.
[5…4…3…]
Dance Team 1’s stage was, in a word, hard-carried by Kang Chan.
True to a first-tier idol’s song, the intense choreography and vocals had aspects that the trainees struggled to match, but Kang Chan stood at center and dragged the stage forward with sheer presence.
‘The problem is that Kang Chan is so exceptional—you only see him?’
It looked less like one team and more like Kang Chan and the others.
[The Chilhuk Team received a total of….]
Grand music flowed through the speakers.
[560 votes!]
‘…!’
The vote count was higher than I’d anticipated.
“…Insane!”
“Wow. They got a ton of votes.”
“Of course—the sexy concept really works!”
The waiting room filled with exclamations tinged with wariness and envy.
[Thank you!]
[Now let’s hear the judges’ evaluations as well.]
This time, bright lighting illuminated the Judge’s Seat.
[We watched the Chilhuk Team’s stage well. You really tore it up right from the start of the first competition.]
‘Starting with sensuality and harnesses—that’s basically a cheat code.’
[Looking at the dance as befits a position stage, honestly, I didn’t expect the trainees to perform at this level.]
The judges holding their microphones delivered their brief evaluations.
[From what I saw, only one trainee stood out. So I scored lower because I didn’t think it met the evaluation criteria.]
[Same here. The skill gap was significant, so overall the stage had some disappointing moments.]
As the final judge lowered the microphone, the screen zoomed in on Yu Hae-in.
[We heard some truly insightful feedback. Finally, we’ll be revealing the judges’ scores.]
The concert hall fell silent, as if holding its breath.
Thump… thump… thump…
A deep bass note gradually filled the space, commanding the atmosphere.
A low, heavy drum beat like a heartbeat repeated, and palpable tension hung in the air.
The camera slowly panned across the Judge’s Seat.
Ding—
An electronic chime rang out as numbers began appearing on the Screen.
[Scores of 70, 80, 75, 85 for a total of 310 points.]
[Woooow!]
As roaring cheers erupted, Dance Team 5 descended from the stage.
[Starting off with such an intense performance has really heated up the atmosphere. Let’s keep this energy going and spin the roulette for the second stage right away.]
Click… click… click…
The roulette began spinning rapidly with sharp metallic clicking sounds.
The wheel flicked past its pin, racing through sections divided by vibrant colors.
In the final few rotations, it seemed to teeter on the edge of stopping, drawing everyone’s gaze.
And finally, the roulette came to rest at the arrow.
[The second performance is Dance Team 1!]
‘Phew… dodged it!’
Going right after such an intense stage would inevitably get overshadowed, making it an unenviable position.
‘Still, this should be interesting though?’
Another dance team performing right after a dance team?
This was a direct comparison scenario—there was no way around it.
‘I don’t know who’s in Dance Team 1, but they’re in for a rough time.’
The audience who had already seen Kang Chan with his A+ dance stat would have high expectations.
And going immediately after such a powerful and overwhelming performance would inevitably weigh on them.
‘It won’t be easy to win no matter what kind of stage they put on.’
The Waiting Room atmosphere was frozen solid.
“Dance Team 1, please head up to the stage right away!”
At the Staff Member’s call, everyone’s attention shifted in one direction.
“Yes!”
Dance Team 1, who had been sitting in one corner of the Waiting Room, stood up.
As the Staff Member guided them, the Entertainment Company trainees began whispering among themselves.
‘That’s Yoo Ho-seung! This might actually be closer than expected?’
My heart surged at this unexpected matchup—dance master versus influencer.
‘This is fun. Who’s going to win?’
Purely in terms of dance skill, Kang Chan would obviously be the victor.
But Yoo Ho-seung’s team, with their solid core fanbase as a 10-million-follower influencer, had a high chance of receiving votes of affection no matter what mistakes they made.
The moment Dance Team 1 appeared on screen, the speakers blared powerfully.
[Ho-seung!!!]
[Yoo Ho-seung, yeah!]
Dance Team 1 stood on the stage wearing glossy satin shirts and flared pants.
[Kyaaaa!]
It was a scream I’d never heard in my entire life.
Like some wild beast crying out, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
‘If it’s this intense, the competition must be truly fierce.’
[Wow! Dance Team 1 really has exceptional popularity. Could you give us a brief introduction?]
The man standing beside Yoo Ho-seung picked up the microphone.
[Hello. We are Rainbow Team, with seven different colors.]
[Ho-seung, let’s debut!!!]
[I love you, Ho-seung!!]
[Wow. Yoo Ho-seung’s popularity is truly remarkable, isn’t it? Would Yoo Ho-seung mind introducing the song briefly instead of the team representative?]
The Dance Team 1 Leader, nodding somewhat reluctantly, handed the microphone to Yoo Ho-seung.
[The stage Rainbow Team will be presenting is a song called ‘Groove Parade.’ We’ve arranged it with a funky flair that evokes an 1980s Disco Club atmosphere.]
[Performing such a masterpiece of funk and retro is quite exciting. And Yoo Ho-seung.
[Yes?]
[That headband suits you well.]
That’s right—Yoo Ho-seung was wearing a sky-blue polka-dot headband.
‘I guess when you’re handsome, even those kinds of accessories look good on you.’
It was the kind of difficult accessory that would probably get me ridiculed if I wore it.
[…Thank you.]
[Then, as the second position stage, we’ll now begin Rainbow Team’s ‘Groove Parade’ performance!]
[Kyaaaaaah!]
[Wooooo!!!]
A dazzling disco ball spun, glittering brilliantly.
Pink and neon blue lights crisscrossed the stage, flashing vividly.
CRT-style graphics and vintage checkered patterns flowed across the LED Screen.
The ambiance of an 1980s Disco Club filled the entire Concert Hall.
Thump. Thump-chick.
The funky bassline and electronic organ sound made bodies sway involuntarily.
This music is going to make you dance
Centered on Yoo Ho-seung standing at the focal point, the ‘Groove Parade’ arrangement flowed through the speakers.
‘His skills have improved since before.’
Rather than sharp, angular movements, the choreography centered on flowing body motions and rhythm-driven gestures.
Don’t sit down, get up and move
Yeah! Yeah!
Sway to the rhythm
Yeah! Yeah!
As the chorus kicked in, the stage became a literal festival with lighting pouring down like flashes.
Beyond mere performance, it was a show that delivered nostalgia, joy, and pure delight on stage.
With Yoo Ho-seung smiling brightly, Dance Team 1’s stage concluded with a final flourish pose.
[Kyaaaaaaah!]
[Ho-seung! You’re so handsome!!]
[Yoo Ho-seung is the best!!!]
Another wave of fervent cheers erupted through the Waiting Room, shaking it to its core.
[If you think Rainbow Team did well with their funky arrangement of ‘Groove Parade’, please press the voting button!]
The large Screen displayed a zero.
The number rapidly climbed past 300 in an instant.
[3…2…1…. Voting is now closed!]
Dance Team 1’s stage was honestly bland compared to Kang Chan’s performance.
‘There were no mistakes, but aside from Yoo Ho-seung’s face, there was no real impact.’
This was a talent show-level performance where Yoo Ho-seung single-handedly dragged the entire stage forward.
[Based on the voting results, Rainbow Team has received 550 votes and currently ranks in second place.]
[…!]
[Thank you!]
Surprised by the unexpectedly high vote count, the trainees’ shocked faces were captured in close-up.
‘We received more votes than I anticipated. Is this the influencer effect in action?’
The margin was only 10 votes behind the team with Kang Chan, whose Dance stat was A+.
[Wow, the cheers from Rainbow Team just now might be the most intense I’ve heard throughout this entire competition!]
Yu Hae-in, genuinely impressed, stood at the center of the Stage, still leading Dance Team 1.
[Now that voting has concluded, let’s hear the judges’ evaluations.]
The lights illuminated the Judge’s Seat positioned to one side of the Stage.
[Rainbow Team, you all worked hard preparing for the stage.]
This time, the Choreography Judge was the first to pick up the microphone.
[You prepared diligently, but it does feel somewhat overshadowed by the previous team.]
[Your strategy of arranging ‘Groove Parade’ with funky and disco elements was solid. It was an idol-like stage, but honestly, I wouldn’t say it was exceptionally outstanding.]
[While there were some regrettable aspects overall, we gave higher scores for your teamwork and how well you prepared according to the evaluation criteria.]
Brief evaluations from the other judges followed in quick succession.
[We’ve heard the judges’ feedback for Rainbow Team. Now we’ll reveal the judges’ scores.]
Beep—
Numbers appeared on the Screen accompanied by an electronic sound.
[60, 65, 70, 75—Rainbow Team has earned a total score of 270 points.]
[Ah…aah!]
Cheers mixed with sighs poured out as Rainbow Team descended from the Stage.
‘There was a reason the judges’ evaluation ratio was weighted so heavily in the first competition.’
Since the broadcast was only around episode three at this point, voting was far more likely to be swayed by existing recognition than by the trainees’ actual abilities.
The Production Team had deployed a strategic countermeasure to prevent votes from clustering around trainees who already had high recognition when they first entered.
It was a minimal safeguard to ensure that trainees with less screen time or lower recognition could still survive if they possessed genuine skill.
‘This will change eventually, but for now, I’m grateful things worked out this way.’
Thinking back to how my first episode was completely cut, my heart still ached.
Once their stages ended, the trainees gathered in the adjacent Waiting Room for filming.
The roulette continued spinning, and teams were called up one by one.
‘When will my turn come?’
About half of the Entertainment Company trainees in the Waiting Room had already left when a fairly familiar team was called.
[Next up is Rap Team 3! Please come up to the Stage.]
Seo Ha-yul, who had been sitting off to the side, carefully rose from his seat.
“Seo Ha-yul.”
Seo Ha-yul, heading toward the back of the group, stopped and turned around.
“Yes?”
“Go out there and tear it up.”
A faint smile crossed Seo Ha-yul’s face, which had been visibly tense.
“I will.”
“Good. I’ll be watching.”
Now that I thought about it, this was the first real conversation I’d had with him in a while, what with how focused I’d been on Stage practice lately.
‘That guy will pull it off just fine.’

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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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