The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 8

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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 8
“Four days before the theme song stage filming, grades will be readjusted based on skill level. Trainees with lower grades now have an excellent opportunity to move up, don’t they?”
Considering visibility, higher grades are unconditionally advantageous.
If viewers become familiar with you from the beginning, you’ll inevitably benefit greatly in the voting that comes later.
“Then, Star picking5 trainees, I wish you all good luck.”
“Yes!”
“Wooooo!”
The trainees’ morale ignited anew at the good news of grade readjustment.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
As Yu Hae-in finished his greeting, applause erupted throughout the venue.
The ending music played, and as the lights before me slowly dimmed, the stage fell into darkness.
All filming had ended.
“Phew.”
I’d successfully navigated the one-minute self-introduction mission using a popular manga’s theme song with B-grade sensibility.
The problem was that to increase my chances of debut, I absolutely had to rank in the upper tier during this grade evaluation.
When one hundred trainees performed the same song and dance, the differences in skill would undoubtedly become glaringly obvious.
‘I really need to train intensely this time too.’
Ding.
Accompanied by the familiar alarm sound, the translucent blue window appeared again.
[Sub Quest (4): Receive an A grade on the theme song midterm evaluation stage.
You will receive a reward upon success.
You will be eliminated upon failure.]
“…!”
‘So it’s saying I absolutely must get an A grade?’
[Hehe, fighting >_0]
I gave the middle finger to the System window that was sending such an infuriating emoticon.
☆☆☆
Theme song stage training proceeded first by dividing trainees into grades.
Having all one hundred trainees practice together at once would be inefficient and difficult to film.
“B-grade trainees will start with vocal lessons.”
“Yes!”
Park Chae-young, who participated as a judge, and the Composer conducted the vocal lesson.
As the main camera installed in the practice room began recording, the theme song “Cheer me on” echoed through the space.
The twenty trainees who received B grades followed along with the lesson while looking at the provided sheet music.
Their singing abilities varied far more than expected.
‘I’d heard that idols focus more on dancing than vocals, but I didn’t expect it to be this extreme.’
Since group choreography and stage performance form the core of idol work, trainees in K-pop learn dance primarily during initial training—it’s the unwritten rule.
The Star Picking Audition Program, already milked dry, had more new trainees than veterans, making the disparity even more pronounced.
Looking at the stat window, the B group certainly had a considerable number of trainees with relatively higher dance grades compared to singing.
Following Park Chae-young’s guidance, the group sang “Cheer me on” several times in unison.
Once the group practice session concluded, the judges provided individual feedback to each trainee.
“Cha Si-woo, why don’t you sing a song for us?”
“Yes.”
I set the sheet music down and sang “Cheer me on” to the accompaniment.
I’m going to seduce you,
Every moment is filled with you
I’ll give you everything I have, so cheer me on in my shining days
‘The vocal range is more manageable than I expected.’
As I finished the song, Park Chae-young stared at me with a look of astonishment.
“You’ve already memorized all the lyrics?”
“Yes.”
“But you heard ‘Cheer me on’ for the first time today—when did you memorize it all?”
‘Actually, it wasn’t the first time I heard it.’
“I memorized it when you gave me the sheet music.”
The song had been so popular that I’d absorbed it through repeated exposure, and my exceptional memory—both my greatest asset and my curse—had done the rest.
“Cha Si-woo, are you perhaps a genius?”
“No. I simply have a decent memory.”
“Your humility is admirable too.”
“Thank you.”
“Everything was good, but the triple high note in the highlight section fell slightly short. Let me demonstrate—try following along.”
Park Chae-young lifted her voice into a crisp, soaring high note.
Cheer me on in my shining days
“Wow.”
“She’s really incredible!”
Exclamations of admiration echoed throughout the practice room.
“For high notes, don’t strain your throat. What’s important is stable vocalization through diaphragmatic breathing. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
‘Let me try it the way the professional showed me.’
Following Park Chae-young’s guidance, I sang using diaphragmatic breathing.
Cheer me on in my shining days
“…!”
The pitch was far more stable.
The high note rose more effortlessly than before, and there was genuine satisfaction in the singing.
‘This is how a song should be sung.’
My eyes met Park Chae-young’s dumbfounded gaze.
“Have you really never taken vocal lessons in your entire life?”
“I haven’t.”
“So you’re singing exactly the way I just showed you?”
‘That’s how you want me to sing?’
“That’s correct.”
“Cha Si-woo, you’ve got talent as a trainee. Keep practicing hard.”
“Thank you!”
After bowing at a ninety-degree angle, Park Chae-young flashed a satisfied smile and approached another trainee.
‘It really is different.’
So this is why you need to learn professional skills from professionals.
As I continued singing while focusing on the breathing and vocal techniques she taught me, even my own ears could tell I’d improved noticeably compared to before.
‘Could it be…?’
With a hopeful heart, I called out to that presence.
‘Hey. System.’
[Yes.]
‘Pull up my stat window.’
Ding.
[Stat Window]
Cha Si-woo (20)
Appearance: A-
Singing: C+ (UP)
Dancing: D-
Charisma: B+
Stamina: B+
Ability: ???
Status: Paparazzi regressed five years.
Remaining Stats: +2]
My singing stat had increased from before.
‘My singing stat went up automatically? So I can raise it myself through practice too?’
[Affirmative.]
‘Then it’s doable. But what’s the criteria for leveling up?’
[Classified.]
‘Why is everything classified the moment I ask?’
I flipped the middle finger at the System window that had become so unhelpful with its responses.
‘I need to dedicate these ten days as if I were dead—focus entirely on singing and dancing.’
I spent a long time concentrating on the sheet music.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze from beside me and turned my head.
“Hello.”
“…?”
One of the trainees I’d ruined back in my paparazzi days was staring at me with a smile on their face.
‘Damn. That startled me!’
Conscious of the cameras with their red lights blinking throughout the room, I lowered my head slightly.
“Yes, hello.”
‘If I ignore the greeting, it could cause an attitude controversy.’
After a light greeting, I turned my attention back to the sheet music.
In that instant, he shoved his face right into the sheet music.
‘What is he trying to pull?’
A hollow laugh escaped me.
“I’m Park Soo-gyeok, a trainee from Harmony Entertainment.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You memorize lyrics so quickly, and your vocal tone is really impressive. Want to practice together with me?”
‘Me? With you? Why?’
“No, thanks. I prefer practicing alone.”
‘Why would I tie myself to you and watch my career crash?’
Park Soo-gyeok had debuted as an idol with another company and even made it to the second tier, but he was someone with a history of dating multiple women simultaneously at clubs before his downfall.
‘When I was staking out a club on assignment to photograph Park Soo-gyeok, I thought my ears would burst from the thundering music.’
The memory made my ears suddenly ache.
It was obvious this guy had rotten prospects.
‘If I stick around him and get tangled up, it’ll be nothing but trouble.’
“I see. You’ve never heard of me before?”
‘And he’s already got celebrity syndrome as a trainee.’
I slowly raised my second finger and flicked it against my ear canal.
I’d actually wanted to use my middle finger, but I held back because of the cameras.
“Phew~”
Watching Park Soo-gyeok’s oddly smiling eyes, I blew air at the earwax dangling from my fingertip.
As I watched the earwax slowly fall, I put on a professional smile.
“No, I haven’t.”
“I thought I had some recognition for a trainee, but I guess not.”
Trainees from major entertainment companies sometimes already had a small fanbase before debut.
“That’s just your opinion.”
Park Soo-gyeok’s expression showed he was holding back his frustration.
‘I think he gets it now.’
“Actually, the practice was just an excuse. I really want to get closer to you, Cha Si-woo.”
“And why is that?”
“Because in survival shows, your connections matter. If we team up as a B-tier line and appear on broadcast together, it’s good for both of us, right? It’ll even help us in the voting later.”
‘I don’t like it.’
Park Soo-gyeok lowered his voice and whispered near my ear.
“Honestly, it looks like only you and I can survive in B-tier. We shouldn’t even be in B-tier, right? Let’s climb up to A-tier together and build a proper connection.”
“Seems like your judgment is off.”
“What?”
“Your evaluation seems rather generous.”
Park Soo-gyeok’s smile faltered noticeably now.
“You’re pretty direct, aren’t you? What if that causes controversy later? This is a good offer for you, so why are you like this?”
‘Good? More like a nuclear bomb.’
“I’ll make that judgment myself. And I think you should worry about your own controversies instead.”
“Pardon?”
I glanced at the rolling camera and lowered my voice as much as possible.
“Your romantic entanglements seem complicated—perhaps you should exercise some restraint.”
Park Soo-gyeok’s face flushed crimson in real time.
‘Oh. A person’s face can change color that quickly.’
Park Soo-gyeok, breathing heavily with indignation, hastily vacated his seat.
‘So his romantic life is already complicated.’
I’d thrown it out casually since it was five years ago, but he bit the bait eagerly—perhaps his youth made him easier to hook.
‘Well, there shouldn’t be any entanglement with him now.’
Though I felt an intense gaze throughout the practice session, I ignored it and focused on the sheet music.
***
“Cha Si-woo, trainee! Are you made of wood?”
“No, sir.”
“Then are you a robot!??”
“No, sir!”
The Dance Trainer’s roar echoed through the Practice Room.
Unlike the vocal lesson time, the dance lesson was an endless ordeal.
“This is strange—your rhythm is actually solid, so why is your body so stiff?”
‘It’s because my Dance stat is D-.’
“I’ll practice harder.”
“Sigh… Park Chae-young praised you as a sponge, so I had high hopes, but your dancing is really a mess.”
“I’ll reflect on the feedback you gave and dance with all my effort.”
“You answer well, but it’s strange—no matter what I say, why doesn’t your spirit break?”
“Why should my spirit break over something I can’t do yet? I just need to learn it diligently.”
“…Forget diligent—just dance well.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Dance Trainer sighed and turned the music back on with a fed-up expression.
The choreography for “Cheer Me On” was quite intense.
Even the B-rank trainees with decent dance skills were struggling, breathing heavily.
In the section with fluid waves, my stiff movements reflected in the mirror were impossible to miss.
haha
‘The System laughs every time I dance.’
hahahaha
‘Stop laughing.’
Haha, seriously, that’s a talent too. Hahaha.
‘Haven’t I improved at least a little from the beginning?’
I ignored the System window, which kept sending laughing emoticons, and immersed myself in the dance lesson.
My breathing grew labored, rising to the back of my throat, and sweat streamed down my cheeks without pause.
‘My clothes are completely soaked.’
Only after dancing for about three hours did the end of the dance lesson come into sight.
My ears were throbbing from all the nagging I’d endured.
“We’ll wrap up today’s dance lesson here.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you.”
I bowed ninety degrees toward the Dance Trainer.
Once the trainer left, the Staff Members began packing up the cameras.
“Today’s official filming is complete. You’re free to spend the remaining time however you’d like. You can do additional practice or rest at the Dormitory—whatever works for you.”
‘There’s no way anyone here would actually believe that and just rest, right?’
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Once the production crew left, leaving behind only minimal filming equipment, twenty trainees remained alone in the Practice Room that reeked of sweat.

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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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