The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 80

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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 80
[As a reward for completing the Main Quest, you will be granted a random gacha ability.]
‘Gacha…?’
Whether it’s the Survival Competition or Quests, the System really does love its lottery mechanics.
‘So what exactly comes out of this random gacha?’
[I’m afraid I don’t know that either.]
‘What do you actually know?’
[If you’re curious, try spinning the gacha yourself.]
The System had grown quite accustomed to me—it no longer landed any emotional blows whatsoever.
Sigh, I almost miss the sting of its responses.
‘Honestly, this Main Quest had high difficulty, but the explanation for the reward feels pretty sparse, doesn’t it?’
[Cha Si-woo, you’ll naturally develop an intuition for that aspect as you use it directly.]
The System really does seem to be getting more relaxed lately, doesn’t it?
‘Then what about the Sub Quest(10) reward?’
[As a reward for Sub Quest(10), you will receive exclusive coins that allow you to spin the gacha.]
‘What? So you need special coins to spin the gacha?’
Looking at it this way, they’re a matching set, aren’t they?
[Since rewards are distributed proportionally based on ranking, you—Cha Si-woo, who achieved first place—will receive a total of 6 coins to spin the random gacha.]
‘Jackpot…! Six coins, not just one?’
Considering the tiered reward distribution, this was actually better than I’d anticipated.
I now had the chance to spin the gacha six times in total.
‘How many coins does second place get?’
[Second place receives 5 coins. Third place receives 4 coins, and finally, sixth place receives 1 coin.]
While I had no idea what the gacha would produce, the tiered rewards were certainly generous—more opportunities based on ranking.
‘Let me try spinning this gacha once.’
[…Right now?]
‘Yeah. You said to try it if I’m curious.’
[As expected, Cha Si-woo, your execution speed is remarkable.]
I had no idea what would emerge from the gacha, but I needed to experience it firsthand to truly grasp this new ability.
Just because I’d secured a debut slot didn’t mean I could rest easy.
Until now, it had been about surviving among a hundred idol trainees. Now, I had to become one team that survives among hundreds of verified idol groups.
To survive in this brutal, treacherous idol industry, I needed at least one weapon or shield.
‘A signature move would be even better.’
Ding.
Beside the translucent blue window, a square gacha machine materialized in the empty air, taking on physical form.
“…?”
The gacha’s body, composed entirely of transparent reinforced glass, was as tall as an adult.
The internal structure of the gacha was extraordinarily intricate.
Inside, dozens of capsules floated slowly, defying gravity itself.
‘It’s almost like they’re suspended in water.’
The capsules themselves came in various colors.
Murky purple, pale blue, vivid red. And occasionally, a glimmer of gold caught the eye.
At the base of the machine, a metallic dial was mounted—typical of any gacha machine.
Instead of Korean characters, strange symbols were etched into it, and a faint vibration transmitted through my fingertips the moment I touched it.
[One coin is required per operation.]
‘I wonder what could come out of this?’
An inexplicable tension made me swallow involuntarily.
This was no mere toy.
‘I’ll use one coin.’
The System responded not with words, but by placing a silver-gleaming coin into my palm.
‘Is this really silver? It’s heavier than I expected.’
I inserted the silver coin into the gacha machine and slowly turned the dial.
Click.
At the familiar sound, the machine’s interior erupted into motion.
‘…!’
The capsules began spinning all at once.
Starting slowly, they accelerated and collided with each other, producing a crystalline noise.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
The sound of plastic striking plastic echoed strangely, as if drumming directly against my heart.
One capsule suddenly gleamed with light and shot upward.
‘What’s happening?’
The colorful capsules that followed sank in succession, and the machine came to an abrupt halt.
Thunk!
The lower discharge port opened automatically, and a single capsule rolled out.
After bouncing once on the floor, the capsule finally came to rest at my feet.
The translucent capsule, about the size of my palm, contained a luminous mist swirling within.
It took several seconds to discern its color.
‘…Orange?’
As I grasped the capsule, a subtle warmth transferred to my hand.
Boldly twisting the capsule with both hands, it opened and light spilled forth.
[Congratulations. You have obtained a B-grade capsule.]
A ticket bearing text emerged from the light.
[I Am the Legal Expert!]
“…Huh? This is B-grade?”
An involuntary exclamation escaped my lips at the unexpected ticket.
‘Oops.’
Fortunately, my teammates were all in deep sleep, and none of them stirred.
Beside the ticket, a detailed explanation was inscribed on an opaque blue panel.
[‘I Am the Legal Expert!’ Ticket.
Upon use, you will possess expert knowledge of all laws for 24 hours.]
‘Hey.’
[Yes?]
‘I’m not going to become a lawyer, so why do I need this? Give me something related to being an idol instead.’
[Since it’s a random gacha, what you receive depends on your luck, Cha Si-woo.]
The reward for the Main Quest seemed disappointingly lackluster.
‘Damn. I got my hopes up for nothing.’
I’d thought something useful for my idol career would appear, but it seemed my expectations had been too high.
‘I should just get some sleep.’
Glancing at the clock approaching 5 a.m., I navigated around the scattered bodies of my teammates and made my way to an empty bedroom.
☆☆☆
TX ENM was one of South Korea’s most representative corporations.
Today, we were to sign a contract with TX Entertainment, a music label and artist management agency directly operated by TX ENM itself.
The Corporate Headquarters stood imposingly in the heart of Gangnam, the district with the highest real estate value in South Korea.
‘Wow… the building height is seriously incredible.’
Marveling at the aura of a large conglomerate emanating from the entrance, I followed the employee inside.
But the moment the Conference Room door opened, I couldn’t help but doubt my eyes.
A massive banner hung confidently in the center of the Conference Room.
[Congratulations! We celebrate the debut of Lucy Star Boys!]
The most striking aspect was the color of that text.
The brilliantly shimmering rainbow-colored font was quite impressive.
‘Don’t most places at least unify the colors…?’
It was tacky.
Despite being a major conglomerate, there was an unmistakable whiff of a struggling small business about the place.
The temperature difference between the elegant exterior of the building I’d seen outside and this was far too stark.
Colorful balloons were plastered all over the walls, making the Conference Room anything but dignified.
‘Whoever’s in charge up there has pretty unique taste.’
Beneath the banner stood about ten people, centered around two middle-aged men.
“Everyone, this is our first time meeting, right? I’m delighted to see you all!”
At the sound of the deep voice, I turned to see a middle-aged man waving one hand in greeting.
The middle-aged man with a sports cut had his suit jacket unbuttoned.
While his protruding belly played a part, it was more an attitude of pursuing comfort and making no effort to hide it.
‘Who is this guy?’
“Hello!”
“It’s an honor to meet you like this.”
Sensing the moment, I quickly bowed, and my teammates beside me likewise hastily lowered their heads.
From the way the employees in the Conference Room were watching the two middle-aged men in the center, it was clear they held high positions.
“Haha, Lucy Star Boys, congratulations on your official debut! From now on, we’re all family, so let’s get along well!”
I grasped the hand of the middle-aged man extending it with a hearty voice, bowing at a ninety-degree angle.
“Yes! Thank you so much. We look forward to working with you.”
My teammates, who had been flooded with dopamine at the fact of our debut until we entered the Conference Room, now seemed nervous in the presence of their superiors, offering only awkward smiles.
“Ah, forgive me for the late introduction. I’m Park Jung-ho, Executive Director of TX Entertainment.”
‘The director has quite the casual demeanor.’
As Park Jung-ho settled into his seat with a hearty laugh, a middle-aged woman in crisp business attire approached next.
“Lucy Star Boys, who achieved the highest popularity on ‘Star picking5’—thank you for making the journey here.”
The middle-aged woman adjusted her black glasses, her sharp bob cut precisely aligned with her jawline.
‘This one has more of a polished, formal style.’
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Seo Yun-kyung, Director of TX Entertainment.”
“Director, hello!”
“Thank you so much for welcoming us like this.”
I bowed again, this time at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
“Good. Now, shall we all sit down and discuss the contract details and the group’s direction moving forward?”
“Yes!”
‘Finally, I’m about to stamp the contract.’
Thick stacks of paper were already neatly arranged on the table.
‘As expected of a large conglomerate—they’re well-prepared.’
Being a well-organized large conglomerate, their support would undoubtedly be solid.
All we had to do was sing and dance diligently from here on, and we’d walk a smooth, paved road.
‘Starting with a large conglomerate definitely has its perks.’
“Everyone, we’ve prepared the contracts in advance on the table. Please read through them carefully, and then sign on the last page.”
“Understood.”
‘Let me take a look.’
The moment I turned the page, the atmosphere in the Executive Office shifted.
Only the sound of rustling paper echoed through the conference room.
It was a contract filled with numerous provisions related to idol activities—exclusive contracts, settlement ratios, publicity rights, secondary works, and more.
‘Hmm….’
Let me correct myself.
Even large conglomerates have their differences.
The contract contained quite a few clauses stating “at the company’s discretion.”
Those particular words stood out glaringly.
‘This feels off somehow.’
“If you have any questions, please feel free to speak up.”
Of course I had questions.
‘Actually, far too many.’
Glancing around to gauge the mood, I noticed the others turning pages with visibly troubled expressions.
‘Would idol trainees signing their first contract really be able to voice concerns directly to company officials?’
It was easy to say, but actually doing it would be far more difficult.
‘Overall, the contract seems acceptable, but there are several clauses that leave me uneasy.’
There exists an instinctive sense that humans can feel.
Signing this contract would transform me not into an idol, but into a puppet product—and that unsettling feeling was overwhelming.
The company staff simply smiled pleasantly, their eyes fixed intently upon us.
‘Don’t fall for that smile.’
As time passed, I watched my teammates’ expressions noticeably harden, which confirmed my instincts were correct.
‘So that’s why I got that ticket from the gacha.’
I’d thought the reward was mediocre since it seemed unnecessary, but it wasn’t entirely worthless after all.
‘Still, it’s a Main Quest reward. This is it.’
“You don’t need to worry too much about the contract terms. In fact, the conditions we’re offering you are better than what the industry typically provides to newcomers.”
The employee pushed a pen toward me as if urging me to hurry.
“…”
Watching my teammates, who had fallen silent, I called out to that entity.
‘System.’
[Yes?]
‘I’m using that ticket from the gacha right now.’
[‘I Am Instantly a Legal Expert!’ ticket is being used. For the next 24 hours, you will temporarily possess professional knowledge regarding all laws.]
A sharp headache surged through me momentarily, then countless pieces of knowledge flooded into my mind.
‘Fascinating.’
Regaining my composure and turning my gaze to the contract, I had the distinct impression that the unreasonable clauses seemed to stand out with unusual clarity.
“Regarding Article 5.”
Every eye in the conference room locked onto me simultaneously.
“I’d like to clarify the settlement standards.”
In that instant, the director’s smile froze ever so slightly.

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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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