The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 57

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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 57
“What about the song ‘KING’?”
‘That’s actually a solid song, better than I expected.’
‘KING’ was a track released five years ago by a male idol group with low recognition at the time, but it became a massive hit and earned tremendous love from the public.
‘In the end, that male idol group successfully entered the first tier.’
It had a narrative that elevated the male idol group to the first tier, and it was the perfect fit for this concept.
‘Honestly, it’s the best song we’ve gotten so far.’
“I like the ‘KING’ song too.”
The moment I expressed my agreement, Kang Chan stared at me with an expressionless face.
“…?”
While I was puzzled, the other team members voiced their agreement as well.
“Honestly, it’s good.”
“Right. I don’t think there’s a song that fits better than ‘KING’.”
“Does anyone want to do a different song?”
Even the oldest trainee on the team shook his head, apparently pleased with this choice.
“With that, our team’s song is confirmed as ‘KING’.”
“Yaaaay!”
‘I’m glad the song selection went smoothly.’
“Then let’s continue with the meeting.”
As countless opinions poured in, the meeting finally drew to a close around the time the whiteboard was completely filled.
‘It feels like three hours have already passed.’
Meetings truly were time thieves.
Yoo Ho-seung led the discussion with an unwavering smile, seemingly unfazed by the fatigue.
‘Youth really does have its advantages.’
“Now we have just three things left: stage design, choreography, and center position.”
“First, does anyone have a specific stage design element they absolutely want to include?”
As someone with a 300,000 won budget for stage design, I kept my mouth firmly shut.
‘I have nothing to say here, even if I had ten mouths.’
I was about to awkwardly bow out of consideration, but I held back when I caught sight of Kang Chan.
“I think we should allocate the stage design budget to costumes and props, then finalize it based on what’s left over.”
When the team member finished speaking, my chest tightened slightly.
No one had singled me out or said anything, yet I felt oddly guilty.
“Then let’s postpone the stage design for now and move on to deciding the center position?”
The air in the conference room twisted in an instant.
It was as if someone’s emotions had scattered like sparks into the atmosphere, creating an invisible current flowing through the space.
The center position was the face of the team and the spot receiving the most spotlight, so competition for it was always fierce within the group.
Since the person who secured the center position had an extremely high probability of climbing the ranks, it was a crucial position at this juncture.
“I want to be the center.”
The oldest team member spoke first.
His eyes were already burning with fierce determination.
“Me too. To be honest, when it comes to dancing, I’m more confident than anyone else.”
Kang Chan’s calm voice echoed through the Conference Room, and the tension rose even higher.
‘Just as I thought—everyone wants the center position.’
That’s when the System window appeared.
‘No way…?’
Ding.
[Sub Quest (9): Place Yoo Ho-seung in the center position on the Royal Concept Center Stage. Upon success, you will receive a reward.
Upon failure, all stats will drop to D-rank. (The condition for success is that Yoo Ho-seung must be in the center position on the day of the competition.)]
‘What? Did you change?’
[…Pardon?]
‘You’re telling me to put Yoo Ho-seung in the center, not me?’
[That’s correct. Cha Si-woo, aren’t you being a bit too self-centered?]
‘What? You said I should debut and become a world-class first-tier idol. Naturally, I should be the center then, right? But you want me to push someone else instead?’
This guy has definitely changed.
[Cha Si-woo. A world-class first-tier idol cannot become one alone.]
‘…!’
[Build a foundation by establishing bonds with your teammates around you so you can maintain a stable group.]
‘You seem to think more deeply than I expected.’
[It’s hurtful when you say things like that when I’m not even visible.]
‘But that was a compliment.’
[…Anyway, Sub Quest (9) is only considered successful if Yoo Ho-seung is in the center position until the Competition Stage.]
‘Understood.’
[Yes. Good luck.]
The moment the translucent blue window disappeared.
“Is there anyone else who would like to apply for the center position?”
Kang Chan’s voice snapped me back to attention.
I raised my hand without hesitation, and all eyes turned toward me at once.
“…Cha Si-woo?”
My teammates’ gazes, filled with curiosity and wariness, poured down on me all at once.
“Actually, I don’t want to apply—I want to make a recommendation.”
“A recommendation? Who?”
“I strongly recommend Ho-seung for the center position.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected recommendation, Yoo Ho-seung’s large eyes grew even wider.
Yoo Ho-seung pointed at himself with his index finger and tilted his head slightly.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
‘That’s right, you.’
“Why me…?”
‘Because it’s a Quest, obviously.’
“In my opinion, you’re the person who fits the center position on the Royal Concept Center Stage the best.”
“…Really?”
“Hmm….”
I watched Yoo Ho-seung and the team members struggling to accept my words, my mind racing rapidly.
I had to convince them here, no matter what.
‘Alright. Let me build this up properly.’
“Everyone, you all understand that this stage essentially determines our debut, right?”
“…What?”
“We only have about a month left until the Final Stage.”
I laid out a crucial fact for the few team members who didn’t grasp it.
“So by the time our team’s stage airs, it’ll be the episode right before the Final Stage—the perfect moment to receive the decisive votes for debut.”
“…!”
Exactly.
Based on my analysis of the broadcasts so far, this concept battle would definitely air one to two weeks before the Final Stage.
Which meant this stage would inevitably have the greatest impact on the voting.
“To be honest, I’m human too, so of course I want to be the center. I’d guess every trainee feels the same way, right?”
“…Well, that’s true.”
“So do you know why I gave up and recommended Ho-seung as center?”
I stood up from my seat, watching the bewildered expressions on my teammates’ faces.
“What do you all think makes a good center?”
The team members fell into thought, their answers coming one by one.
“Overwhelming charisma?”
“Unwavering dance skills?”
“Dignified expressiveness?”
“You’re all right. But you’re missing the most important thing.”
“…What is it?”
I walked over to Yoo Ho-seung and lifted his chin with my index finger.
As his sharp jawline traced along my cool fingertip, the team members’ gazes naturally converged on him.
“Visual appeal.”
“…!”
“Ho-seung is incredibly handsome and super popular!”
Seeing the meeting dragging on, I chose the direct approach to save time.
This was a fact no one with a conscience could deny.
Having worked as a paparazzi and seen countless celebrities, Yoo Ho-seung was genuinely handsome enough to rank in the top five.
“We have the ultimate visual cheat code on our team. Frankly, is there a better choice for the overall success of the entire team?”
“…!”
My blunt question—why take the hard road when an easy one was right there—made the team members flinch.
‘Come on, guys. Just ride the bus with us.’
With Yoo Ho-seung’s looks and recognition, people at the live voting would be mesmerized into enthusiastically pressing their buttons.
And the moment a thumbnail video featuring Yoo Ho-seung as center was uploaded to YouTube, the view count would skyrocket dramatically.
‘Because looking at all the Star picking5 YouTube videos uploaded so far, every single one with Ho-seung in the thumbnail achieved exceptionally high view counts.’
We boarded the safe bus and supplied it with the fuel of skill, appealing to run properly together—and that’s when my teammates began to waver.
‘It’s the truth anyway, so what can I do?’
The best strategy is to acknowledge what’s real, accept it, and turn it into an advantage.
Watching my conflicted teammates, I delivered the knockout punch.
“And if our team places first in the live vote, we get a benefit of 5 million votes.”
“…!”
“With 5 million votes, we can realistically avoid elimination and secure a top-tier ranking. Honestly, doesn’t that sound tempting?”
What kind of position is a top-tier ranking?
It’s a rank where debut is guaranteed—a place every trainee dreams of reaching.
My hesitant teammates finally nodded in agreement.
“Sigh… I admit it.”
“Honestly, everything you said is right, so I can’t argue.”
“Looking at the strategy for the whole team’s success, this seems like the right call.”
‘Done. I’ve got them.’
I caught my lips curving upward and forced myself to maintain composure.
“Right?”
Yoo Ho-seung seemed quite flustered by the situation, his eyes darting back and forth.
“But there are people who dance better than me, and people who sing better….”
‘I thought he’d jump at the chance, but his self-awareness is better than I expected.’
Yoo Ho-seung’s response was surprisingly humble, despite having held the center position throughout every Competition Stage so far.
‘Well… for now, the important thing is getting him into the center position somehow.’
I flashed the warmest, most affable smile I could muster.
“Ho-seung, in my opinion, you’re the one in our team who can best capture people’s attention and fulfill the center role.”
“Si-woo! But still….”
“It’s all for our team. Please?”
‘Actually, it’s for me.’
If I fail the Quest and all my grades drop to D, debut is off the table and my life is over.
‘Ho-seung, please save me.’
Whether my emotional appeal worked or not, the conflicted Yoo Ho-seung reluctantly nodded.
“Understood.”
“Great! Good thinking!”
‘Phew… I’ve secured the center position!’
“Thank you all for yielding the center position to me.”
Yoo Ho-seung bowed at a 45-degree angle to his teammates.
“I’ll do my absolute best and work hard so I don’t cause any trouble!”
“Right. Just don’t overdo it.”
“Yes!”
“We’re confirming Ho-seung as our team’s center.”
‘Done! This Quest is easier than I thought.’
I was relieved that the competition for center hadn’t faced much resistance after all.
With the center decided without major complications, the conference finally raced toward its conclusion.
“Now, shall we decide on the dance for the final piece?”
The moment dance was mentioned, life suddenly kindled in Kang Chan’s previously expressionless eyes.
‘This guy… he really only knows how to dance, doesn’t he?’
“I’d like the dance line to have discipline and be performed with the feeling of an absolute being.”
“Hmm… Kang Chan, could you explain that in more detail?”
Kang Chan quietly rose from his chair.
“The dance for the Royal Concept that I envision feels like this.”
Kang Chan’s voice was low and measured.
But the moment his body began to move, the entire atmosphere transformed.
His toes traced the floor in a perfect line, while his fingertips reached toward the heavens.
Every movement flowed with impeccable discipline, and an aura of absolute authority permeated the space—as if a sovereign wielded a blade from his throne.
‘A+ Dance stat really is something else.’
The dance line was far more than mere performance.
Each step, each gaze of dominion, felt like a command itself.
Though it was merely a small conference room without stage lighting, in this moment it felt like a grand stage—the immersion was extraordinary.
“Wow…!”
“That’s incredible!”
‘It really felt like watching a king.’
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Genuine applause echoed through the conference room, moved by his extraordinary presence.
“Let’s proceed with the dance following the feeling Kang Chan just showed us.”
“Yes!”
‘He’s incredible, but… can we actually pull off what he just did…?’
☆☆☆

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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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