The S-Rank Paparazzi Reincarnates as an Idol - Chapter 98

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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 98
The tense pressure transformed into a pleasant excitement.
“Let’s wrap up the radio show and head back to the dormitory. Then we’ll celebrate properly together. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Sounds good!”
“Yeah, sounds good~”
Just as the warm atmosphere filled the Waiting Room, the door opened and a Staff Member poked his head in.
“Lusbo, we’re ready to move now!”
“Yes!”
We answered with vigor as if we’d promised beforehand, rising from our seats.
It was time to place the final puzzle toward first place.
☆☆☆
“Lusbo, you’re entering now!”
I reflexively nodded at the Writer’s booming call.
In that moment, my eyes met those of the guys beside me.
Without anyone needing to say it first, we lightly bumped our fists together.
“Let’s do this.”
“Fighting!”
Following the Staff Member’s guidance into the Radio Booth, the space was more compact than I’d expected.
But the pressure that compactness exerted was far from light.
Since it was a visual radio format, cameras were positioned throughout the booth without blind spots, and the red ‘ON AIR’ light stood ready to illuminate at any moment.
This sealed space would soon contain our voices as they broadcast across the entire nation.
Six microphones fitted with gray windscreens were densely arranged atop the round table.
They seemed poised like sensitive tentacles to capture even our slightest breath.
Click.
The moment the thick soundproof door closed, outside noise was instantly cut off.
The walls covered in gray acoustic foam absorbed every trace of reverberation.
The pleasant silence was broken by a rather familiar voice.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
When I turned my head, the person sitting at the DJ booth was someone quite familiar to us.
‘Wait? The radio DJ was Yu Hae-in all along?’
It was an unexpected connection met in an unforeseen place.
True to his status as a thriving first-tier idol, Yu Hae-in had even secured the DJ position at S Broadcasting Company’s flagship radio show.
“Wow… Senior!”
“Hello, Senior!”
It had been just over a month since we’d last met after the Survival Competition broadcast.
Perhaps because he was someone familiar, the members’ voices rose a tone higher.
Yu Hae-in waved his hand with his characteristic harmless smile.
“How have you all been? You’re looking well.”
“Yes! We’ve been doing well thanks to you, Senior.”
“I’m truly delighted to meet you again like this.”
As we bowed at ninety degrees once more, Yu Hae-in nodded with evident satisfaction.
“That’s right. Let’s save the detailed conversation for after the broadcast and get prepared first, shall we?”
“Yes!”
The moment I put on the headphones at the Staff Member’s direction, I felt utterly severed from the world.
External noise vanished, leaving only my breathing and heartbeat ringing in my ears with crystalline clarity.
“Everyone, we go live in three minutes.”
At the Production Team’s signal through the glass window, I took a short, deep breath.
Yu Hae-in adjusted the microphone and reassured us.
“Don’t be too nervous. Just think of it as having a comfortable conversation, alright?”
“Yes! We’ll do our very best!”
Despite Yu Hae-in’s encouragement, tension was plainly written across the Group Members’ faces.
‘They seem even more nervous than I am.’
“3, 2, 1… cue!”
A cheerful opening signal flowed through the speakers.
It was finally beginning.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our studio is quite special today. Our guest seat is graced by none other than the sensations who shook the charts the moment they debuted yesterday.”
With the seasoning of a first-tier idol, Yu Hae-in guided the radio broadcast with seamless grace.
“Today’s special guests! These are the fearsome rookies who turned the music industry upside down the moment they debuted, aren’t they?
Making a spectacular entrance with ‘First Greeting Hello’, the strongest rookies, Lucy Star Boys!”
The moment Yu Hae-in’s polished opening remarks concluded, Kim Sun-yu shot his hand up.
“One, two, three!”
“We are shining stars! Hello, we are Lucy Star Boys!”
The enthusiasm seemed a touch excessive.
At the greeting that burst forth with enough force to pierce the Broadcasting Booth’s ceiling, Yu Hae-in startled and burst into laughter.
“Wow, you really live up to being rookies—your energy is incredible! Debuting yesterday and having everyone appear today, I can really feel why you’re the hottest rookies right now.”
“Thank you!”
“Since these are close friends I go way back with, this feels quite nostalgic. First, why don’t we start with introductions for listeners meeting you for the first time?”
Starting with Kim Sun-yu, our leader, we went through our names and positions in order of age.
As the introductions proceeded smoothly, disaster struck during Kang Chan’s turn.
He was so nervous that he stumbled over his words, his body rigid with tension.
“My name is the main dancer, no, the main dancer!”
“Pfahahaha!”
At the sight of Kang Chan repeating his position twice in succession, the Broadcasting Booth erupted into laughter.
Yu Hae-in also laughed while holding his stomach, patting him reassuringly.
“Kang Chan, relax. I won’t bite.”
“Yes! Yes! I’m sorry!”
Kang Chan’s flustered appearance, even his ears turning red, instead evoked a fresh, rookie-like charm that drew warm smiles from everyone watching.
“Lusbo, the debut stage video you uploaded yesterday has already surpassed 2 million views. That’s an overwhelming number—does it feel real to you?”
It did.
A music broadcast video uploaded to YouTube achieved the remarkable feat of hitting 2 million views in a single day.
The individual fancams of the group members were also boasting impressive view counts.
Watching the members’ bewildered expressions, I pulled the microphone in front of me closer.
“To be honest, I was so startled when I saw the view count this morning as I was leaving the dormitory that I nearly dropped my phone. The numbers felt completely surreal.”
“Haha! You were that surprised?”
Questions from the script were exchanged within an increasingly warm atmosphere.
The members, gradually finding their footing, began smoothly handling their respective parts.
At this pace, securing broadcast points was as good as guaranteed.
Thanks to Yu Hae-in asking each scripted question one by one, all the members were able to showcase their wit without feeling left out.
‘Yu Hae-in is taking better care of the kids than I expected.’
Suddenly, a memory from my paparazzi days flashed through my mind—chasing Yu Hae-in and clicking the shutter repeatedly.
His expression seemed different from what I remembered.
‘I really shouldn’t judge people by appearances alone.’
“Now, what’s an idol without aegyo, right? Cha Si-woo, who showed overwhelming cuteness during the survival competition, please show us some aegyo!”
A demon wearing a senior’s mask stood right before me.
The dark history moments I’d been forced to display because of the System flashed past like a revolving lantern.
Suddenly, a sharp headache crashed down on my temples.
Ding.
And right on cue, an unwelcome translucent blue window materialized before my eyes.
[The flower of radio—unleash your aegyo! If you don’t select an option within 5 seconds, one will be chosen randomly.]
A. Uuung~ This really puts Si-woo in a bind!
B. Hehehe. (wink) I was actually struggling because I wanted to show off my aegyo! >_< Kyuu!
C. Aing! Aing!
'…Seriously.'
I'd been wondering why the System had been so quiet lately.
This damned System always appeared at the most critical moments, eroding my social dignity.
'I'm genuinely asking—can't you please give me at least one decent option?'
[3… 2…]
The countdown raced toward its end.
'What do I do?'
Option A made me want to bite off my own tongue—it was so cringeworthy.
If I chose B, I had no confidence I could hold my head up starting today.
In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and picked the shortest one.
"Aing! Aing!"
A nasal-tinged voice that I couldn't believe came from my own mouth was broadcast across the nation through the microphone.
"…"
In that instant, the radio booth was engulfed in a silence as if a nuclear bomb had detonated.
The writer beyond the glass window froze with pen in hand, and the members stared at me with expressions as if they'd just seen a ghost.
'Is that all?'
Three seconds. Or rather, it was Yu Hae-in's hearty laughter that broke the eternal silence.
"Pfft! Just as expected, Si-woo, that destructive aegyo of yours is still going strong!"
This guy was clearly enjoying himself.
The lingering echo of my voice through the headphones made the tips of my ears burn so intensely I thought they might ignite.
'Yu Hae-in, we'll settle this later.'
After wiping away a torrent of tears, Yu Hae-in repositioned himself before the microphone.
He appeared to have finally composed himself, yet mischief still danced in the corners of his eyes.
"Now, next is our maknae Ho-seung! Care to show us some aegyo?"
"Yes!"
Yoo Ho-seung launched into the trendy three-stage aegyo that had been circulating on short-form videos without hesitation.
'Wow… he's definitely skilled at this, probably because he's an influencer.'
True to his position as the youngest, he showed no restraint in his performance.
"Ho-seung, you really do aegyo so adorably!"
"Thank you!"
"Next, Sun-yu, would you show us some aegyo?"
"Sure."
Kim Sun-yu navigated the moment smoothly with the polished, natural aegyo befitting a veteran.
The problem lay with the remaining three.
As time wore on and the trio's expressions grew increasingly grim, Yu Hae-in's face twisted into a wicked smile.
"Next is Kang Chan! Please show us some aegyo!"
In that instant, Kang Chan's complexion visibly paled.
"…Ugh!"
"…?"
As I stared at Kang Chan making that strange sound, his ears flushed crimson. He clenched both fists and began trembling violently.
"Nnnngh…"
Kang Chan's heavy baritone transformed into a groan that echoed through the studio.
'He really put in the effort.'
"Chan, was that just now… aegyo?" Yu Hae-in asked, bewildered.
Yu Hae-in posed the question as if utterly baffled.
"…Yes."
"Pfahahaha!"
Yu Hae-in finally slammed the desk and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The other members buried their faces in their hands, stifling their snickers throughout the studio.
"Chan, your face is absolutely scarlet. Are you sure you're not about to explode?"
"…I know it sounds strange, but I truly gave it my all."
His face, looking ready to burst at any moment, testified to the sincerity of his words.
Yu Hae-in, tears streaming down his cheeks, declared him a pass.
"Next is Rua. Would you show us some aegyo?"
"Yes~"
Rua swiftly composed himself and flawlessly recreated the aegyo song I had performed during the Survival Competition, lifting the atmosphere.
Truly, someone bearing the nickname of a natural-born entertainer was in a league of his own.
"So the true master of aegyo in Lusbo is Rua! And finally, Seo Ha-yul, are you ready?"
Seo Ha-yul, taking the final turn, stepped up to the microphone with solemn determination.
"Yes. I'm ready."
"Show us right now."
Seo Ha-yul raised both hands beside his ears.
"Meow. Fans, I love you, meow."
'…Has he really committed to becoming a cat?'
It was the kind of line that reminded me of a villainous cat from cartoons I'd watched as a child.
Seo Ha-yul maintained his cat pose with unwavering confidence, meowing relentlessly.
He'd reached a state of almost enlightened resignation.
"It really feels like there's a cat right next to us. Seo Ha-yul, thank you for your hard work."
"Phew… Thank you."
With Seo Ha-yul releasing a sigh of relief, the hellish aegyo segment finally came to an end.
As the atmosphere warmed, the individual talent showcase for broadcast points began.
Rua unveiled a talent I'd never seen before.
It was mimicking the sound of window cleaning.
It wasn't just a simple squeaking sound.
"Squeak, squeak-squeak—!"
"…!"
'Why… is he good at even that?'
It was so accurate that goosebumps rose on my skin.
Yu Hae-in burst out laughing, and even the staff members beyond the glass window shook with laughter.
Kang Chan took it a step further.
Inside the cramped Radio Booth, he launched into a full dance performance, showcasing the latest trending challenge dance.
It was a strategy that fully capitalized on the fact that this was a visual radio broadcast.
Watching Kang Chan thrash about in the tight space, I couldn't help but whistle in admiration.
Seeing everyone throw themselves so earnestly into their talents, the first-place trophy was clearly gleaming before the group members' eyes.
'Right, if I'm going to do this, I should do it properly.'
"What's your talent, Si-woo?"

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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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