🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 3
“Whoa—”
Without even realizing it, an exclamation slipped out as I genuinely admired contestant number 2031’s appearance.
He’s insanely handsome, isn’t he?
He was over 180 cm tall, with broad shoulders and a small, well-proportioned face.
His sharp, refined jawline framed a tall, straight nose that anchored his features perfectly.
Beneath long, delicate eyelashes, his deep, dark eyes gave off a powerful impression.
He was wearing nothing more than a black T-shirt and jeans, yet the simple outfit only emphasized his clean, urban charm.
With this guy, we can definitely stir up attention!
☆☆☆
After arriving at the audition venue, I hurriedly filled out my profile and handed it in. A staff member gave me a number tag.
2031.
I pinned the roughly inked number onto my chest.
Inside the waiting room, I sat among young-faced trainees, all wearing tense expressions as they waited for their turn.
“Ha…”
What am I even doing at my age?
Among the fluffy, baby-faced middle and high school trainees, there were only a handful of adults.
Ding.
[Sub-Quest (1): Pass the first audition of the ‘Star Picking 5’ program.]
Yeah, yeah. I know.
[✔]
The translucent blue window appeared briefly, then disappeared.
After a long wait, a staff member entered the room where only a few trainees remained.
“Contestants 2030 to 2040, please wait in front of the door.”
“Yes.”
This Star Picking 5 audition is nothing but waiting.
As I stood by the door, contestant 2030 came out with a devastated expression.
Looks like he didn’t make it.
“Contestant 2031, please enter.”
At the staff member’s cue, I opened the door.
Black cameras hung from the ceiling, staring at me like predators.
The red recording lights made my chest feel strangely tight.
I was always the one behind the camera.
Being on the other side felt unsettling.
Between the cameras sat judges with hollow, exhausted eyes.
Just like I thought—they’re filming the auditions too.
“Wow.”
“Whoa—”
The sudden gasps startled me.
Damn, you scared me!
I calmed my pounding heart as I looked at the judges whose eyes suddenly sparkled with life.
First impressions matter. Smile first.
I gently lifted the corners of my lips into the smile I’d used countless times before.
The so-called “interview pass” smile—my professional, working-adult smile.
“Hello. I’m contestant number 2031, Cha Si-woo.”
I bowed at a perfect 90 degrees, and a warm greeting came back.
“Nice to meet you, Cha Si-woo. I like how polite you are.”
I’ve never lost by bowing properly.
“Your smile is very memorable. Please introduce yourself.”
“I’m 20 years old, and I’m an independent trainee without an agency.”
“What are you good at?”
“My specialty is…”
What am I actually good at? That one thing, I guess.
“Taking photos.”
“Photography? That’s an idol-worthy skill! What kind of photos?”
Chaebol scandals. Celebrity gossip. Idol rumors pay well, too.
“I’m best at portrait photography.”
For front-page news photos, controversy and rarity mattered—but so did how good the photo looked.
That’s why I always obsessed over composition, angles, background, and image quality.
Because of that, I earned the strange nickname ‘golden-handed psycho paparazzi’—but the pay made it worth it.
“Oh? If you pass, take our photos sometime.”
“Yes! I’d be honored.”
“Alright, what song did you prepare?”
The judges smiled with anticipation.
“The song I prepared is the national anthem.”
“…Excuse me?”
The judges looked dumbfounded as they forced awkward smiles.
“The national anthem?”
“Yes. I chose it out of love and devotion to my country.”
“Haha… patriotism is wonderful.”
After thinking long and hard, I chose the national anthem.
I needed a song I actually knew.
Since I’d never been interested in music, there was no other song whose lyrics I fully memorized.
Damn it. If I had more time, I could’ve practiced a popular idol song.
But right now, the only song I could sing without looking at lyrics was the anthem.
And if I want to survive editing and actually get aired, I need something unique.
“A very patriotic trainee.”
“Let’s hear it.”
One judge failed to hide their discomfort.
If they criticize the anthem, they’d be committing treason.
“Yes. I’ll begin.”
The familiar instrumental played.
Facing the camera, I raised my right hand and placed it solemnly over my chest.
This audition decides whether I live or die. Give it everything.
🎵 Until the East Sea’s waters run dry and Mount Baekdu wears away…
“…!”
I sang the anthem with more passion than I ever had in my life.
The notes came out more smoothly than expected.
🎵 May our country stand forever…
When the music ended, applause erupted from the judges’ seats.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
“I’ve never seen anyone sing the national anthem this well.”
“Your love for the country is impressive. Your vocal tone is great, too.”
It worked!
I bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
A satisfied judge picked up the microphone.
“Now, let’s see your dance.”
My first dance.
“Yes. I’ll begin.”
As the judge pressed a button, fast-paced music blasted from the speakers.
To the upbeat rhythm, I nodded my head.
Alright. Just feel the beat.
I moved my body desperately to the rhythm.
“Pfft—”
“Hahahahaha!”
…?
Seeing the judges laugh while covering their mouths, I danced even harder.
To be precise, it was more like wriggling for survival.
Even if I’m bad, I have to look like I’m trying.
An idol can never half-ass things in front of a camera.
No matter how bad someone is, people hesitate to harshly criticize effort.
After about a minute, the music stopped.
My body burned with heat from all the flailing.
I gave it my all.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
In front of me, the judges were laughing so hard they looked breathless.
Yeah. Laugh all you want.
“Hahaha!”
“Hng—sorry—haha!”
Guess the dancing didn’t land.
Once they calmed down, a judge cleared their throat.
“Ahem. Cha Si-woo.”
“Yes?”
“How much dancing experience do you have?”
Since kindergarten talent show—today is my second time.
“Honestly… I haven’t danced much.”
Saying it was my first time would only cause problems.
When cameras are rolling, you have to be careful.
The internet turns into a grill the moment it finds a flaw.
I’d seen countless people get torn apart in comment sections—thanks to my photos.
Including myself.
“Yes… that makes sense.”
Another judge, wiping away tears, gave a thumbs-up.
“I’ve never laughed this hard at dancing before.”
“Your dance was terrible, but your rhythm sense is interesting.”
“Have you trained before?”
“No, I haven’t.”
After whispering among themselves, the judges looked back at me.
“Cha Si-woo.”
“Yes.”
“The result of your Star Picking 5 first audition is…”
Gulp.
“You pass.”
I did it!
“Really?!”
“Yes. Your dancing was bad, but matching the beat shows growth potential.”
“Your vocal tone is good, and more than anything, your face and presence are impressive. We’re looking forward to you in the survival round.”
“Thank you!”
As I bowed deeply, a familiar sound rang out.
Ding.
[Congratulations. You have completed Sub-Quest (1): ‘Pass the first audition of Star Picking 5.’]
The system window appeared as if it had been waiting.
Hey! Don’t pop up out of nowhere!
Unlike my panic, the judges showed no reaction.
[Others cannot see this.]
Ah. Got it.
[Would you like to check your reward?]
Wait.
Let’s leave first.
After exiting the audition room, a staff member explained the next steps.
“Official filming starts in two weeks at TX Entertainment Broadcasting. You’ll film the opening and then move to the studio for full-scale Star Picking 5 shooting.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll live on-site, so bring only essential personal items. Daily necessities are provided.”
“Understood.”
The staff handed me a printed guide.
“Cha Si-woo, we’ll see you on filming day.”
“Thank you. See you in two weeks!”
I moved quickly to a secluded area.
Only two weeks left.
I had to grow enough to survive a brutal survival show.
Once I reached an empty park, I called out—
“Hey!”
[Yes?]
“Let’s see that reward.”
A glowing blue reward window appeared.
[Would you like to receive the reward?]
“Yes.”
Light surrounded me again.
This thing really loves blinding people.
My vision soon cleared.
[Congratulations. As a quest completion reward, your Status Window has been unlocked.]
Status window?
Ding.
The blue translucent window stretched vertically.
[Status Window]
Cha Si-woo (20)
Appearance: A-
Singing: C-
Dance: E
Charm (Star Quality): B+
Stamina: B+
Ability: ???
Status: Paparazzi who has regressed five years into the past.
Seeing it as numbers makes it feel like a game.
“So this is my current status?”
[Correct.]
“Why is Ability marked as ???”
[That information cannot be disclosed yet.]
The important stuff like singing and dancing are low, but weird things are high.
“Okay, appearance makes sense. But why are stamina and charm so high?”
[Most people cannot survive on 3–4 hours of sleep per day. Due to prolonged physical strain, your stamina exceeds the average person’s.]
“True. I barely slept back then. What about charm?”
[Charm is the tutorial benefit you requested. I randomly judged it to be the most essential idol stat and raised it to B+.]
“If you’re raising it anyway, you could’ve made it A+.”
[!!!You shameless creature!!!]
