The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 60

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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 60
‘How hard I’ve fought to keep this center position.’
Like an icy wind brushing against my heart without warning, a scorching and bitter emotion surged from the depths of my soul.
I’d thought this was an easy Quest, but apparently it wasn’t.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’m fulfilling my role as center properly for the team.”
“…!”
“I feel like I’m dragging the team down. I keep thinking it would be better for everyone if we changed centers now.”
Yoo Ho-seung’s voice trembled slightly, his eyes bloodshot and inflamed.
“No. You’re doing just fine.”
“But….”
Yoo Ho-seung’s shoulders sagged, his gaze fixed downward as if nailed to the floor.
“Ho-seung, where in this world could you find someone more suited to the center position than you? What are you worried about?”
He was clearly shaken by the stones the judges had thrown.
“It’s just… that’s why….”
Clear tears began to form in Yoo Ho-seung’s large eyes.
‘Oh no. Is he crying?’
“To be honest, I know I’m seriously lacking in skill!”
His emotions had grown quite intense, and Yoo Ho-seung’s voice rose an octave higher.
“I can’t dance like Kang Chan, and I can’t sing like Si-woo….”
‘That’s just an inevitable stat difference.’
“It’s natural that everyone has different strengths.”
“But still… I’m so jealous of my hyungs who have talent.”
Finally, the clear tears that had gathered in Yoo Ho-seung’s eyes spilled over.
“How could someone like me, who’s good at nothing as an idol trainee, ever be center?”
“…What?”
“This whole situation feels uncomfortable and burdensome. I can’t even trust myself anymore.”
Yoo Ho-seung’s expression, with his gaze fixed downward, looked quite anxious.
‘Why has his self-confidence dropped so much?’
“It’s okay.”
“…Yes?”
“I believe in you.”
Yoo Ho-seung lifted his head, his eyes beginning to waver subtly.
“I believe you can do better than anyone else.”
“…”
“So if you can’t trust yourself right now, how about you trust me this once?”
Yoo Ho-seung was only seventeen.
‘In this brutal survival competition with nowhere to lean on, having something to depend on would help him get through.’
“…Si-woo hyung! Why are you being so kind to me?”
For a moment, Cha Si-hyun’s face flickered behind Yoo Ho-seung’s expression.
“Just because we’re on the same team.”
“…”
“But Ho-seung, don’t you have something you’re better at than others? Something that sets you apart?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, I’d stake my reputation on it—you’re genuinely handsome.”
In that instant, Yoo Ho-seung’s eyes grew sharp and fierce.
‘It’s a compliment, so… why is he angry?’
“This whole ‘handsome’ thing…! Handsome!!!”
His face flushed deeper by the second, resembling a perfectly ripe tomato.
“Why does everyone only see my looks and ignore everything else about me? I just want my abilities to be recognized!”
One more word and Yoo Ho-seung looked ready to explode.
“And being handsome isn’t even the center’s role in an idol group!”
“What are you talking about? It’s the most important role.”
To captivate people’s attention from the start, nothing is more proven and reliable than a visual center.
“Let’s be honest here. Being an idol center isn’t just about dancing well or singing well.”
“What do you mean…”
“There are countless people in this world who dance and sing well. But not all of them succeed.”
I felt his bewildered gaze on me, but I pressed on undeterred.
“In a fierce idol competition, the center represents the entire team. That’s why you need someone who can command attention and make a powerful impact.”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
“You’re the most handsome in our team, Ho-seung, and you have excellent facial expressions and expressiveness, plus an undeniable presence. That’s why you’re perfect for center.”
“Do you really think so…?”
‘Yeah, you’ve got such a powerful impact you could become a top actor later, and your facial acting is excellent.’
“I didn’t just pick you as center because you’re popular. I recommended you as center because I want to debut too, understand?”
Either way, it was the truth.
‘If I want to debut without dying, I have to complete this sub-quest I’ve been given.’
“So if you can’t trust yourself, just trust me this once!”
Whether it was persuasive or not, Yoo Ho-seung’s expression looked quite conflicted.
‘Time to drive the final nail in.’
“But even with someone as perfect as you, there’s one thing you’re lacking.”
“…What is it?”
Yoo Ho-seung’s face darkened instantly, his eyes wavering slightly.
‘His expressions really are striking.’
A future top actor truly was different.
“Confidence.”
“…!”
“Ho-seung, why do you lack so much confidence? You have every right to be center, and you’re someone who can debut as an idol.”
“But when I read the comments, people curse me out saying I ranked first with just my face, that I can’t dance or sing…”
“Wait, you’ve been searching for all those comments?”
“…Yes. There were so many insults—’he ranked first because of followers,’ ‘shameless,’ ‘unfairly surviving on his face’…”
‘You foolish bastard.’
“Why are you looking at that?”
If you’d been exposed to endless malicious comments like I have, you might understand, but ordinary people usually get hurt by them.
Especially Yoo Ho-seung—being young and a minor made him far more vulnerable to the damage.
“I was curious.”
“Filter out the nonsense and only look at the good stuff, kid.”
‘That’s better for your mental health.’
“Yes…!”
Watching Yoo Ho-seung nod rapidly, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Besides, some of those comments aren’t entirely wrong, are they?”
“Huh?”
‘The fact that they can’t criticize his looks at all means this guy really is handsome.’
“Idols need to be good at dancing and singing, but they also have to match the tastes of their fans.”
“…!”
“Ho-seung, think about it carefully. One of the reasons you’re currently in first place despite lacking in both dancing and singing is because you’re the type the National Directors are looking for.”
“The type they’re looking for?”
“Right. So instead of getting hurt by malicious comments, why don’t you be confident and take pride in that?”
Clearly shocked, Yoo Ho-seung’s eyes widened and his lips trembled slightly.
“Wow… I’ve felt this for a while, but you really do think differently, hyung.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
This is how you’re supposed to think to live a long life—with a positive mindset.
If you react to every single malicious comment, you’ll just accumulate stress and end up with psychosomatic illness.
“And most people who curse you out are just jealous and insecure. If you accept all of that, you’ll exhaust yourself. Besides, malicious commenters aren’t even fans, so just filter them out.”
“But they’re still opinions about me…”
“Opinions vary in quality. By the way, I get tons of malicious comments too.”
“…”
‘Why isn’t he arguing back?’
It looks like he went and found my malicious comments as well.
“For the record, I only look at what I want to see. I don’t even have enough time to read messages from genuine fans who care about me—where would I find the time to worry about malicious comments?”
“Si-woo hyung…!”
Seeing the complex emotions playing across his face, my heart ached for him.
‘What’s wrong with these bastards leaving malicious comments on a kid like this?’
The punishment for malicious comments needs to be much stricter.
“Oh, by the way—your singing and dancing have improved a lot since the beginning.”
‘Though I’m not really one to talk.’
“Really?”
“Yeah. And since it’s just the two of us, why don’t you just enjoy it while you’re at it?”
“…Enjoy what?”
“If I had your face, I’d definitely use it to my advantage.”
“Pfft…! Hyung, what are you saying!”
Yoo Ho-seung’s expression as he laughed looked far more at ease compared to how he’d looked at the start.
‘I’m being sincere….’
If I had that face, wouldn’t the Quest have been considerably easier?
“I’m telling you the truth! So from now on, whenever you hear talk about your looks, don’t feel hurt—just fire back with ‘Are you jealous?’ and enjoy the situation itself!”
‘I never knew Yoo Ho-seung harbored such insecurity and inferiority complex.’
Exposure to an extraordinary environment must have weighed heavily on his heart—things he couldn’t confide to others until now.
‘Still, he’s holding up well. I’m proud of him.’
Moved by affection, I placed my hand atop Yoo Ho-seung’s head.
As my fingertips naturally made contact with his hair, they slowly glided through the soft strands.
As I gently smoothed down his slightly tousled hair, Yoo Ho-seung lowered his head shyly.
“Ho-seung, confidence is everything for a person. You understand?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll trust you and try my best to enjoy this with confidence.”
“Good. If anything gets tough, tell me anytime. I’ll help you!”
“Yes!”
‘Phew~’
I’d successfully defused the unexpected bombshell.
He always appeared cheerful and bright on the surface, so I hadn’t even realized he was wrestling with such concerns.
‘I need to look after him periodically and help rebuild his self-worth.’
“Good thinking. Our team’s center—I’m counting on you!”
“Yes. Si-woo, thank you for listening.”
“Sure. Now let’s head inside and get some rest. We need to wake up early tomorrow for practice.”
“Yes!”
Hearing Yoo Ho-seung’s spirited response, I grasped the handle of the Dormitory entrance to head inside.
The moment the door swung halfway open with its familiar creak, a familiar scent lingered at the tip of my nose.
Standing expressionless at the entrance was someone I hadn’t anticipated.
‘What a shock!’
“…Kang Chan?”
As I steadied my startled heart at the unexpected arrival, Kang Chan’s mouth opened.
“…Why?”
‘Why what?’
“Pardon?”
“This is a Survival Competition. Why do you keep helping other people?”
‘Did he hear everything?’
It seemed the Dormitory soundproofing was weaker than I thought.
“Well….”
‘This is a Quest, after all.’
Shouldn’t I be the one surviving first?
If I didn’t complete the Quest, I’d die before even debuting—so for me, this was forced kindness with no other choice.
‘But I can’t exactly tell him that honestly.’
“We’re on the same team. Who knows? We might end up debuting together with this team.”
“…!”
Kang Chan stood motionless for a long moment, as if he’d taken a hard blow to the head.
“Can I head inside now?”
‘Stop blocking the way and move, you bastard.’
Coming to his senses, Kang Chan quickly nodded.
☆☆☆
Inside the Practice Room, whose walls were lined entirely with mirrors, footsteps and breathing formed a single rhythm.
Each time my teammates struck the floor, I felt the bounce reverberate through me, and sweat trickled slowly down my forehead.
‘Phew… this is brutal.’
My mind understood the choreography, but my body wouldn’t move with the fluidity required.
Learning choreography created by someone with an A+ Dance stat in such a short timeframe was no easy feat.
Suddenly, the music stopped in the middle of our intense practice session.
‘What’s going on?’
It was Kang Chan who’d cut the music.
“Let’s have a quick meeting.”
“…What kind of meeting?”
“I just remembered the feedback from the judges during the mid-evaluation. I want to make some changes.”
‘Don’t tell me… this guy changed his mind and is going after the center position?’
A cold wariness spread through my mind.
“We…”

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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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