The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 33

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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 33
[(Warning!) A penalty regarding a loan is being applied to the user.]
Like an error message, the opaque crimson window flickered grotesquely.
‘…What?’
[Immediate forced repayment of the borrowed energy is now being executed.]
‘What are you talking about! There’s still a week left until the repayment date?’
“Cha Si-woo, trainee!”
“Si-woo hyung! What’s wrong!”
“Si-woo, younger sibling!”
In that instant, all sound receded into the distance.
A sharp, piercing ringing echoed through my ears.
A thin, acute tinnitus spread through my ears, and my vision grew increasingly hazy and blurred.
My body tilted slowly forward, and the world turned pitch black.
☆☆☆
“Hyung! Wake up!”
‘Ugh. My head.’
My blurred vision gradually came into focus.
The encroaching headache naturally furrowed my brow.
“…Cha Si-hyun?”
“Yeah! Hyung, did you call me?”
‘Is this a dream?’
Hearing that pure, crystalline voice after so long made my chest tighten with emotion.
‘How many years has it been since I heard that voice?’
Cha Si-hyun, with his youthful features, tilted his head slightly with a radiant smile.
“Hyung? What’s wrong?”
Even in a dream, seeing him like this felt wonderful.
As I reached out to touch his vibrant black hair, the soft strands slipped gently between my fingertips.
“I missed you.”
“Come on~ Hyung, you see me every day, so why are you like this?”
“…Right. I guess so.”
“Hyung, this isn’t the time for that! Get up and let’s move quickly.”
“Where are we going?”
“Today is the Unknown Entity, isn’t it?”
“…”
Could it be…that day?
In an instant, Cha Si-hyun’s form vanished like a mirage.
A heavy, crushing pain surged through me as if my head were being torn apart, and I felt myself being pulled into a void.
Even with my eyes closed and deep breaths, the agony that wouldn’t fade enveloped my entire body.
Thump, thump, thump.
My heart began to pound like a hammer striking my chest.
I needed to breathe, yet strangely, no air was entering my lungs.
“Ha… ha… ha…”
My throat gradually constricted.
My lungs felt parched and hollow, and the harder I tried to inhale, the more suffocated I became.
My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to my knees, pressing my palms against the floor, but the world spun dizzily around me.
“Damn it…”
With no end to the agony in sight, I could only curl my body inward and wait for it to pass.
☆☆☆
“…Cough!”
Air rushed violently into the depths of my lungs all at once.
“Huff… huff… ha…”
Tears burst forth like a dam breaking from holding my breath for so long, and my lips trembled.
“Cha Si-woo! You’re awake?”
‘Ugh. My head.’
My throat felt parched, so my first words came out hoarse.
“…Where am I?”
Surrounded by pristine white walls, a familiar scent lingered at the tip of my nose.
The sterile smell of disinfectant—the kind that sapped all vitality from a person.
“You’re in the hospital. You collapsed, so we brought you here right away. You’ve been out for several days, but are you feeling alright?”
Standing before me was an unexpected person answering earnestly.
“Yes, I’m fine. By the way… what’s today’s date?”
“June 5th.”
‘Damn it. It’s already been six days since the Competition Stage ended?’
I hurriedly pushed myself up and grabbed the phone beside me.
There were a few missed calls, but fortunately they were all from unknown numbers.
‘No calls from the Hospital ICU.’
“Sigh.”
A breath escaped me involuntarily.
The immediate problem now was the hospital bill.
“I’m checking out right now.”
“You just woke up—what are you talking about?”
“Kim Sun-yu, do you know how much a single day of hospitalization costs?”
“…”
“And this is a private room, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
‘Damn it, this is no joke.’
“Do you know how much a private room costs per night? I’m not in a position to pay hospital bills right now. I need to get discharged as soon as possible.”
Just as I was about to get up—
Kim Sun-yu’s hand shot out quickly.
His grip on my shoulder carried considerable strength.
“What are you doing right now…”
I was forcibly pressed back down into my seat.
Kim Sun-yu’s face, which had been filled with worry just moments before, hardened instantly.
“Why are you worrying about money when you’re sick?”
“Money is scarier than being sick. There’s already so much money going out, and this isn’t the time to be lying in bed like this.”
“…Don’t worry about the hospital bills.”
“How can I not worry?”
“This is our hospital, so it’s fine.”
‘What? This guy was born with a silver spoon?’
“…Still.”
“And the hospital bills won’t come from Cha Si-woo—they’ll come from the Production Team. After all, you collapsed during filming.”
“Then please make sure to file it as a work-related injury.”
If it wasn’t my money, a private room didn’t matter.
“Fine. I’ll take care of it, so if you really want to be discharged, just get checked and you can leave.”
“But….”
‘This isn’t the time for that.’
“I’ll stay here until the tests are done.”
Faced with Kim Sun-yu’s resolute expression, I reluctantly nodded.
“Sigh… Understood.”
“Good thinking.”
“Um….”
“Yes?”
It was actually the first thing I should have said when I opened my eyes.
“Thank you.”
Kim Sun-yu’s expression softened as he offered a relaxed smile.
“Yes. Rest for a bit. I’ll bring the doctor.”
“Okay.”
While Kim Sun-yu left to call the medical staff, I quickly reached out to that bastard.
‘Hey!’
[…]
‘System, you son of a bitch!’
[…]
‘What the hell is this? The repayment deadline hasn’t even arrived yet, and now you’re forcing collection?’
[…]
‘Are you joking? There’s only one day left until filming. How am I supposed to earn money for Cha Si-hyun’s hospital bills!’
[…]
No matter how much I called or cursed, the System gave no response.
‘What’s going on?’
There had never been a time when the System didn’t appear when I called it.
This was a first.
‘Did you get scared?’
[…]
‘Hey! Show me the status window at least!’
[…]
No matter how long I called, the System remained silent.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Patient Cha Si-woo, we’re coming in.”
The hospital room door swung open as a doctor in a white coat and nurses rushed inside.
Several non-trivial examinations proceeded, and only after all the tests concluded could I finally be released from Kim Sun-yu’s care.
“Since the shoot is tomorrow anyway, why don’t you rest and discharge yourself tomorrow morning instead?”
“Thank you for your concern. But I have something I absolutely must do.”
“Hmm…”
“I’ve really imposed on you this time. I’ll definitely repay the favor next time.”
“Understood. And don’t call me hyung anymore—just call me by my first name from now on, casually.”
“Yes… Sun-yu.”
“Ha ha. Then don’t overdo it, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Only after confirming Kim Sun-yu’s departing figure did I pull out my mobile phone.
It was time to take responsibility for this unexpected penalty variable.
‘Is that really the only way to earn hospital fees in a single day?’
I dialed the unfamiliar phone number from the missed calls.
Beep… beep…
Before the signal even completed three rings, the other party answered.
“Hello?”
“Hello. This is Cha Si-woo.”
“…!”
☆☆☆
In one corner of the reception room where I was guided by staff, a man stood with his belly protruding roundly, the shirt buttons straining against his frame.
“Cha Si-woo, welcome. I’m Kim Moon-soo, who manages the Talent Development Team.”
The rectangular business card the man offered bore the title of director.
I accepted the card with both hands and bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.
“Hello. Thank you for welcoming me despite this sudden visit.”
“Honestly, I never expected you to call. I’m delighted to hear you’re interested in Harmony Entertainment.”
“You left a message in the text asking me to contact you.”
Kim Moon-soo laughed heartily and shifted his weight.
“That’s right. Shall we sit down and talk first?”
“Yes.”
As the man settled onto the sofa, his belly jiggled slightly.
That movement seemed endless, much like his desires.
“You’ve probably heard a lot about Harmony Entertainment. We’re the most successful large entertainment agency in South Korea.”
Currently, there were four major entertainment agencies that dominated South Korea.
One of them was none other than Harmony Entertainment.
“Of course. I’ve heard quite a bit about them.”
‘Though from a different angle.’
Harmony Entertainment was a large agency, but it was essentially a breeding ground for endless scandals and controversies.
Back in my paparazzi days, Harmony Entertainment was like a dungeon—aim at it and prey would spill out one after another, a veritable warehouse of material.
“Then we can get straight to business. We at Harmony Entertainment would like to sign an exclusive contract with Cha Si-woo.”
Kim Moon-soo handed over a thick stack of papers covered in dense text.
“Though you’re a new trainee, considering your recognition from Star picking5, the terms are more favorable than a standard contract. Take a look.”
Even a cursory glance at the contract revealed it was riddled with unreasonable clauses—a fundamentally unfair agreement.
“You’re still young and lack social experience, so you probably won’t understand the contract anyway. Just trust our name and sign.”
“I do have a question, though.”
“Of course. Feel free to ask.”
I raised my index finger and pointed to a special clause on the very last page.
“Does this clause here mean I’m supposed to leave Star picking5?”
“Naturally. Once you sign, you’ll naturally leave Star picking5 and join our company’s debut group.”
“And if I don’t want to leave?”
“That would be problematic. If you get picked for the debut group from Star picking5, you’d have to stay with TX Entertainment for three years, which would be a loss for us.”
“I see.”
Typical of a large agency—they didn’t want to lose even a little.
“And there are a few trainees in the debut group that you know, so adapting should be smooth.”
Interesting.
“Who’s in the debut group?”
“You know Soo-gyeok, Ju-han, Min Jae, and Ho-soo from the Star picking5 audition venue, don’t you?”
‘So that’s what Yellow-haired Person was talking about back then.’
“Ah, yes, I know them well.”
“Then we can move quickly. We build recognition through Star picking5 and then leave. It’s a contract with absolutely no loss for you, Cha Si-woo. You won’t find better terms anywhere else.”
The slick words were textbook scammer rhetoric.
“Hmm.”
I deliberately pretended to deliberate, resting my chin in my hand while my fingertips tapped rhythmically on the desk.
“Is there perhaps a reason you’re hesitating?”
“Well, actually…”
I let the suspense build a bit more.
“This is troublesome.”
The man, now visibly less composed than before, spoke urgently.
“What? What part is the issue?”
“Hmm…”
“It would be hard for Cha Si-woo to get terms this good anywhere else.”
‘This shameless bastard is pushing an unreasonable contract and speaking with such confidence.’
He was a truly despicable man, preying on fresh-faced newcomers.
“Ah, it’s not just about the conditions, you see.”
The real reason I’d come to Harmony Entertainment today was something else entirely.
I maintained a professional smile as I pulled out my phone and placed it on the table.
“…?”
“Would you like to listen to this?”
I pressed the play button on the recording, and a familiar voice spilled out.
[Even if we drop out, we have a high chance of debuting anyway.]
[Right. Unlike some people, our agency is huge, you know.]
[And besides, the trainees who’ll debut are already decided in this survival audition, so don’t try too hard.]
[Exactly. Just enjoy being center. Don’t be disappointed later.]
Despite the slight static, the voices of the Harmony Entertainment trainees giggling among themselves were recorded crystal clear.
“What is this…!”
I raised my index finger to my lips.
“Shh. Pay attention. This is just the beginning.”

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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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