The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 46

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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 46
[Wow! Some unexpected faces have stepped up for the Cutie concept.]
[Cheers!]
[It’s such a close match—I’m excited! Let’s start with Cutie Team 1’s introduction, please.]
Kang Chan, wearing a sky-blue shirt and a bear-ear headband prop, lifted the microphone.
“Wow…!”
“Chan really pulls off the cute concept too!”
His teammates, unable to hide their bewilderment at the unexpected outfits, began reacting in stark contrast to their expressions.
Cutie Team 1’s costumes were, in a word, a style that maximized cuteness and vibrancy.
Dressed in pastel-colored shirts, Cutie Team 1 harmoniously blended mint, sky blue, purple, pink, and yellow hues.
The bottoms were sleek white pants reaching just above the knee—a textbook cute ensemble that sent the audience seating area into a frenzy.
[Three, two, one. Hello? We are Cotton Candy Team, having rearranged the song “Sweet Warning” to match the Cutie concept!]
That’s right.
“Sweet Warning” was actually a girl group song!
Kang Chan, with his exceptional physique, had even donned adorable props to pull off the cute concept, but the shirt straining against his frame was robbing him of any cuteness.
‘He really put in the effort.’
It was like watching a wrestler forcibly clutching a ribbon-adorned bunny plush.
Yu Hae-in, who’d been stifling his laughter, finally burst out laughing when his eyes met Kang Chan’s.
[…Pfft!]
[…]
[Ahem. Trainee Kang Chan’s outfit really suits you well.]
[Thank you.]
His gruff, low-toned reply—contrasting sharply with his appearance—made the moment even funnier.
[Haha!]
[Hahaha!]
As laughter erupted from various corners of the audience seating area, Kang Chan’s ears flushed crimson.
[Why is the team name Cotton Candy Team?]
[As you can see from our outfits, each member possesses a different color charm, so we named ourselves Cotton Candy Team.]
[Such a meaningful concept! It matches the song title perfectly—I love the team name.]
[Yes!]
[Now I’m even more excited to see the performance! Next, please introduce Cutie Team 2!]
Rua, wearing suspenders and sporting a bright smile, picked up the microphone.
[One, Two, Three! Hello. We are Smile Team, having rearranged the song “Smile Button” to match the concept.]
[Wow!]
“Smile Button” was a song that had won first place in an idol hip-hop competition two years ago, so it had considerable recognition.
‘The lyrics have quite a bit of profanity—I’m curious how they rearranged it.’
[Smile Team’s outfits are quite striking too.]
Smile Team, collectively wearing suspenders and socks reaching up to the knee, added a point to their costumes by wearing smile badges.
[The badges are cute, right?]
[Yes~]
[We made these badges ourselves!]
[The craftsmanship is impressive. And I notice each badge has a different expression.]
[Yes! I’d love it if you could remember these expressions!]
Some badges were smiling with their eyes wide open, while others wore a winking smile.
[Understood. A girl group song versus a hip-hop idol song—this 1v1 Team Battle is quite exciting.]
[Waaaaaah!]
[Alright then, let’s begin the team battle mission where only one of these two teams will survive. First, we have the Cotton Candy Team’s performance of ‘Sweet Warning’!]
The stage lights cut out all at once.
The bouncy rhythm and cheerful melody characteristic of girl groups poured through the speakers.
The melody flowing into my ears tickled my heart.
As the sparkling lights cascaded like starlight across the stage in time with the interlude, the stage became clearly visible.
The Cotton Candy Team members in pastel-toned outfits brought their hands together to their cheeks, striking an overtly cute pose.
[Kyaaaaaah!]
[Ohhhhh!!!]
Screams bordering on shrieks erupted from the audience seating area.
‘…So that kind of thing really works?’
I’d have to try that myself sometime.
The Cotton Candy Team trainees on stage exchanged playful smiles while making eye contact as the intro to ‘Sweet Warning’ began.
You shine brighter than the sun
My heart races even when you stand still
Following your bouncy footsteps
My heart bursts without me knowing
It was a refreshing and lively song that made anyone smile upon hearing it.
Kang Chan came to a stop at the center of the stage formation, executing the cute choreography.
Bouncing along with our light footsteps
Sparkling like candy
When I rest my hand on my cheek and wink slightly
All worries melt away
Kang Chan winked adorably in sync with the lyrics, bouncing up on his tiptoes.
‘Why…does he pull off the cute concept so well too?’
Someone with an A+ dance stat really was different.
With his impressive physicality, he brought out every detail of the choreography and delivered a genuinely cute performance!
“A true professional is on another level.”
The bear ear headband on Kang Chan’s head swayed as if dancing along.
Though all the trainees on stage danced earnestly, it was overwhelmingly Kang Chan who commanded attention.
The expressions and movements displayed during the highlight section were as sweet as candy.
As the Cotton Candy Team’s performance finally ended, cheers even louder than before poured through the speakers.
[Kyaaaaaah!]
[So cute!]
The trainees holding their ending pose seemed flustered and stumbled slightly before responding to the cheers with a heart-shaped hand gesture.
The moment the fervor died down, Yu Hae-in seized the microphone.
[Let’s give another round of applause to the Cotton Candy Team for that adorable performance!]
Clap. Clap. Clap.
As if the lingering emotion hadn’t faded, cheers erupted through the Concert Hall once more.
[With this momentum, let’s move right into the Smile Team’s stage!]
Boing— Boing boing— Boing!
A cheerful, bouncy game-like melody flowed through the speakers.
“Huh?”
“What song is this?”
People exchanged confused glances at the unique music that shifted the atmosphere entirely.
On stage, brilliant lights cascaded from multiple directions like missiles.
Rua, standing at center, began the intro with a smile identical to Badge’s expression.
Smile explosion, Boom Boom Boom
With you, my heart feels like it’ll burst
A pleasant vocal tone spread throughout the Concert Hall.
In an instant, exclamations of admiration echoed from various spots in the Audience Seating Area.
Smile explosion, Boom Boom Boom
Laughter soaring to the sky, My Sweet Baby
‘That’s such a Rua arrangement.’
The arrangement—vibrant and energetic like a game itself—was a song I’d never heard before, yet it was captivating enough to linger in my ears.
Every crude lyric had been replaced with beautiful words, and the dance combined with vocals possessed a powerful charm that lifted everyone’s spirits.
‘The arrangement is absolutely brilliant.’
I’d anticipated it, but I was honestly surprised by how much better it turned out than expected.
So that’s why Kang Chan chose Rua as his first member.
The addictive, masterful arrangement had already surpassed the original.
The performance itself was Rua hard-carrying while the teammates received proper buffs from his presence.
Smile, smile, when I’m with you
The day bursts sweetly
Smile, smile, my heart too
Beats like a heart, My Sunshine
‘The part distribution was perfectly tailored to the members too.’
Whether the Badge expression they wore was the team’s concept, each member displayed distinctly fresh and lively expressions—it was a stage worth watching.
The performance quality was so high that anyone seeing it for the first time would mistake it for a debuted group’s stage rather than trainees.
The moment Rua’s stage ended, the Filming Location erupted with even louder cheers and applause than before.
‘Who’s going to survive this?’
The match was far closer than I’d anticipated.
“Hyung, who do you think will win?”
It was Seo Ha-yul, who’d approached after finishing his makeup touch-up.
Fortunately, the ice pack had worked—the swelling around his eyes had reduced considerably in the meantime.
“Did you come back?”
“Call a person a crucian carp? I’m not a fish, you know.”
“Well, it’s harder than I thought. Who do you think will win?”
“I think Kang Chan will.”
“Why?”
“Honestly, Kang Chan has a higher ranking and recognition, and he dances really well.”
‘Objectively speaking, his win rate is solid.’
But Seo Ha-yul was missing one crucial thing.
“I disagree with you.”
“Why?”
“Because you can never defeat a genius who genuinely enjoys what they do.”
Looking at the entire stage rather than individual performances, Rua’s team had overwhelmingly excelled.
[Both Cutie Team groups, please come up on stage.]
At Yu Hae-in’s announcement, I turned my attention back to the TV screen.
The two teams stood on stage, positioned far apart in a proper competitive formation.
[It was truly an unpredictable, nail-biting match!]
[Yes!]
[If you think Cotton Candy Team performed better, press 1. If you think Smile Team performed better, press 2!!!]
Thump… thump… thump…
The tense BGM gradually intensified.
All the trainees’ eyes were fixed on the screen, split down the middle.
Ding ding!
The zero displayed on the screen began climbing rapidly in an instant.
‘It’s even closer than I expected?’
[Voting will close in 5 seconds. 5…4…3]
Ding ding ding ding!
[Ding! Is this… really happening?]
‘Could it be…?’
[The winner was decided by just 10 votes!]
[Waaah!]
[No… this can’t be…!]
[With a vote count of 505 to 495, the team that survives is Smile Team, who performed ‘Smile Button’!]
Confetti exploded.
The team eliminated was Cotton Candy Team, which Kang Chan belonged to.
‘A 10-vote difference must feel incredibly frustrating.’
The news of Kang Chan’s elimination—he who had ranked 5th at the ranking announcement—made the atmosphere in the Waiting Room quite unsettled.
On screen, Rua appeared with a radiant smile, savoring his victory.
In stark contrast, Kang Chan’s expressionless face—with his bear ears removed—was broadcast next, making the contrast between the two teams even more pronounced.
[Congratulations, Smile Team! Please share your thoughts on surviving.]
Rua, beaming with a cheerful smile, extended his hand toward Kang Chan.
[It was a magnificent match.]
Kang Chan nodded silently and grasped Rua’s hand in return.
[Me too.]
After shaking hands, Rua continued with his remarks.
[First, I want to thank my teammates for trusting me and following along. Honestly, there was some conflict during the arrangement process, but I’m pleased we were able to put on such a successful stage.]
The Smile Team trainees nodded with expressions of relief and satisfaction.
‘Did he really explain the arrangement as “boom-boom-boom-boom” again?’
I’d have to catch the broadcast later to see.
[I’m satisfied with creating an entertaining stage. Please look forward to our next performance!]
As expected, a talented genius who enjoyed himself was the real cheat code—not a diligent worker.
[Yes, thank you for your thoughts. The Cotton Candy Team, who unfortunately fell short by just ten votes, please share your remarks as well.]
Kang Chan, still expressionless, picked up the microphone with indifference.
[While the disappointment is great, we lost the competition, so I accept the result. Thank you for supporting us until now.]
His words were plain and matter-of-fact, contrasting sharply with his stage costume.
The Cotton Candy Team trainees, except for Kang Chan, descended from the stage with tears streaming down their faces.
“Wow… Kang Chan is really eliminated.”
Seo Ha-yul’s expression as he watched the screen with disbelief carried a subtle tension.
“Right.”
“It’s a bit scary.”
“We’ll win if we just perform as we practiced, so don’t worry and have confidence.”
“Yes!”
Once I confirmed that Seo Ha-yul’s expression had eased somewhat, I turned my gaze back to the screen.
The 1v1 Team Battle with different concepts continued.
Finally, the fourth concept’s turn ended, and the performance moved toward its finale.
[Everyone, thank you for watching the performances for such a long time.]
[Yes!]
[For the finale, we’ll have the stage of teams competing in a 1v1 Battle with a mystery concept!]
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
My heart began racing at the reality that only one team would survive the confrontation with Kim Sun-yu.
☆☆☆

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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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