Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 106

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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 106.

It was four in the morning.
Perhaps because this section of Han River Park was particularly deserted, not a single soul was visible.

“A bicycle?!”
“Yeah.”
“You can… ride one, right?”
“Works out perfectly.”

I rented a public bicycle and handed it to Yeon Ju-hong.
Then I rented one for myself.

“Ju-hong.”
“Yes?!”
“If you beat me on a bicycle, I’ll let you eat convenience store food for a week. Let’s see who reaches that bridge first.”
“Hehehehe.”

Yeon Ju-hong’s expression was one of disbelief.

“Yun Chung… did I do something wrong?”
“…I’m counting to three. You go first. If you lose, you’re eating chicken breast only for a week.”
“!”

Yeon Ju-hong mounted the bicycle at nearly the speed of light.
And took off without a word.
That’s what I expected.
I smiled with grim determination and mounted my own bicycle.
Then I pedaled like a madwoman.

“!!! Wait, Yun Chung, why are you so fast?!”

Because.

“You still have breath to talk? Interesting.”

I pedaled whenever I had the same worries as you.
When it comes to bicycles, I’m very confident.

“Huff… huff… Yun Chung, I think I’m dying…”
“Oh, giving up? Chicken breast for a week?”
“Please. I’m serious.”

I giggled but quickly suppressed my laughter.
I could feel my own stamina depleting.
Right.
This body…
It wasn’t Baek Nok-ha’s body, honed by all manner of exercise and personal training for a full decade…
It was Yun Chung’s frail body, wasn’t it?

“…Ju-hong.”
“Huff… huff… Yes?! Huff… huff…”
“I’m going ahead, unnie.”

At this point.
I had no choice but to push through with sheer willpower.

***

“Yun Chung, are you seriously insane?”

Yeon Ju-hong sprawled across the bench as she spoke.
I collapsed onto the grass beside it.
I’m a good leader, so I’ll let her have the bench.

“Since I won, you’re eating chicken breast for a week.”
“You’re terrible… you’re terrible…”
“Ju-hong.”

I wiped the sweat from my face and took a deep breath.

“Yes?”
“When did you learn to ride a bicycle?”
“Um… elementary school… third grade, I think? Why do you ask?”

You picked it up quickly.

“I was seven when I started.”
“You learned fast, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I picked it up fast. It’s been fourteen years now. You’ve been at it for eight.”
“The way you say it, it sounds like debut years or something.”

Yeon Ju-hong buried herself in the bench, giggling softly.

“The reason I beat you today was….”

Ugh, why am I getting so winded?

“Simply because I’ve been riding longer than you. And somehow… it’s because I have better stamina than you.”
“Ha. What? I’m not sulking just because I lost a bike race! Though eating chicken breast is a bit much….”

Yeon Ju-hong suddenly stood up and looked down at me.
Geez, look at all my makeup running.
I laughed at her disheveled appearance.

“It’s the same with biking and singing.”
“!”
“Simply… because I’ve been singing longer than you. That’s what I think. Some people say it’s talent, or whatever, but….”

It was the same thought I had back when I was Baek Nok-ha, and it still is now.
Talent runs out quickly.

“In three years, you’ll sing as well as I do… and in three years, I’ll be an even better person. We’re really… so… young.”

Maybe it’s from sweating so much, but why am I so drowsy?
The streetlight flickered and wavered before my eyes.

“Someday you might even ride a bike better than me. If you stop skipping PT all the time and build up your stamina. I really think… no one can know for sure.”

Only time holds the answer, I believe.

“So…. if you ever doubt yourself, just ride. Since no one can know for sure…. Thinking about it won’t give you the answer anyway.”

I could only hope my words had reached her.
I stifled a yawn.
But in that very moment.

Ding!

[Misfortune strikes StillBlue’s Yun Chung?! Vocal cord nodules]

[Yun Chung’s appearance on girl group main vocal survival show 【Dear My Diva】 cancelled?]

[Colors denies StillBlue’s Blue activity cancellation…. Will continue with four members for the time being]

My heart sank at the notification that appeared.
So this notification had finally arrived.
The fact that Cotton Ball Entity had sent me this notification meant there was a high probability I would develop vocal cord nodules in the near future.
I’d already been noticing my throat wasn’t in great condition lately.
This couldn’t happen. We were only one week into our activities.
Even if I couldn’t perform on music shows, I still had two more weeks of promotions ahead.
As a rookie, I didn’t even have the option to wrap things up after just two weeks.
And that wasn’t all—there were several scheduled commitments lined up ahead of me.

“Is something wrong, Chung Chung?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just checking the time. I’m getting sleepy.”

She must have grown anxious when I suddenly stared at my phone without saying anything.
Vocal cord nodules.
Given the state of Yun Chung’s vocal cords, it wasn’t exactly surprising.
I couldn’t fathom how badly my previous Entertainment Company had trained me—my vocal cords were completely shot.
Of course, I hadn’t been unprepared.
I’d diligently consumed pear juice and all sorts of remedies.
I’d even asked Dan-ha and Lee Sol about hospitals, done my research, obtained the Company’s permission, and visited medical facilities, yet I still couldn’t prevent it.
The human body truly isn’t something you can control at will.
I wish I’d entered Yun Chung’s body just a little earlier.
But I had made preparations for a moment like this.
I’d already found a way to treat vocal cord issues in the shop that Cotton Ball Entity provided.

[
Vocal Cord Shield
:
Your vocal cords damaged?
What you need is the Vocal Cord Shield!
For 6 months, we’ll protect your vocal cords from all illness and fatigue!
Required Points: 600 points
To use on others: 1,200 points per area (usable on members only)]

600 points.

[Current Points: 600 points]

By sheer coincidence, I had exactly 600 points right now.
I’d accumulated them by filling the title track and B-sides with my own compositions, and completing various small quests along the way.
It’s easy to talk about it like this now.
But it wasn’t easy at all.
Do you think Baek Nok-ha would have attempted a quest like ?
Absolutely not.
I was originally the type of character that fans found boring whenever I appeared on variety shows.
So in the end, I succeeded in the quest by copying Kim Geum.
Honestly, I didn’t want to do voice impressions since they’re such an outdated talent.
But looking at the Cotton Ball Entity, it had the same old-fashioned sensibility as Oh PD.
Anyway.
600 points?
Last time I checked, it was 500 points. Why did it suddenly go up?

[Surprised by the sudden price increase?]
[It’s due to insane exchange rate fluctuations!]
[Times are tough, you know! :)]

Are they insane?
There was no choice. They held all the cards, and I had none.
The desperate one always has to bow their head.
Just as I was about to purchase the 【Vocal Cord Shield】,

-Ungnae, answer the phone
-Ungnae, answer the phone

“Beep beep.”

My phone’s ringtone.
Not Baek Nok-ha’s phone—Yun Chung’s ringtone.
I was genuinely startled.

“Hey, you changed it to this again?”

Seriously.
I changed it to our song yesterday, so when did you switch it again?

“Please answer the phone quickly, Unnie.”
“You’re really not your typical maknae…. Anyway, let me just take this call.”
“Okay!”

I’d scold her about it later.
I checked the caller ID—it was our manager.

“Yes, Unnie.”
-Chung-ah, you need to come in right now.
“Oh, yes. I’ll head over now. Could you send us a pickup-”
-Geum got hurt.
“…What?”

My blood ran cold.
That same chilling sensation from the day I received the award, when I heard about my mother—it crawled down my spine.
My heart raced wildly.

“Where? How badly? Is it serious? What happened? Should we go to the Hospital first-”
-No. No. It’s not that serious of an injury…. Ju-hong seemed a bit off, so I was boiling water to make her some spicy noodle soup…. I must have accidentally bumped her. She got a burn on her foot. I’ve already taken her to the Hospital.

A burn injury?
The moment I heard the word “burn,” my vision went white.
Instantly, that day when I’d heard the fire news flashed through my mind, and my skin stung with a sharp, piercing ache.
No, was it just my heart that was aching?
I couldn’t afford to focus on my own wounds right now.
Focus, Baek Nok-ha.
No, focus, Yun Chung.
The circumstances of how she got hurt were genuinely Kim Geum-like.
All the members were concerned about Ju-hong.
It was only natural.
With our maknae crying every day, no unnie could help but worry.

“What did the Hospital say?”

At the mention of the Hospital, Yeon Ju-hong’s eyes widened.

“The Hospital?! Who went to the Hospital?! Who?! Are they okay?!”

I had to hide the reason.

“It’s fine. Geum accidentally hurt herself a little, but it’s not that serious.”

If Yeon Ju-hong found out about this, guilt would only break her down further.

-The Hospital says treatment should be fine if done properly, but since the injury is on her foot… they recommend no activities for a while. She needs to stay at the Hospital without moving for at least a week minimum. Even after that, strenuous activity is out of the question. It looks like she won’t be able to handle any broadcasts or schedules… I’m not sure how to handle this.
“The schedules can—”

I almost snapped for a moment.
But I forced myself to suppress the emotion.
It wasn’t the manager’s fault. This wasn’t anyone’s fault.

“What matters is that she gets better. I’ll head to the Hospital right now.”
-No. Chung. You have personal schedule prep in four hours. Get some rest. I’ll handle things here. I’ll send another manager over, so go straight to the Dormitory with Ju-hong.
“…Understood.”

I hung up the phone and exhaled deeply.
Right.
This is how it comes out.
I eyed the slot directly above the Cotton Ball Entity’s shop’s 【Vocal Cords Shield】.

[
Panacea
:
Treats all ailments you might contract during activities—gastritis, enteritis, headaches, menstrual cramps, fatigue from overwork, and fractures!
…
If you wish to use it on someone else: 600 points per area (only usable on members)]

As expected, the price had tripled, and I was floored.
So this was a choice.
Between me and Kim Geum.
Between my throat and Kim Geum’s foot—which one mattered more?
Vocal cord nodules were unpredictable in their healing timeline.
Honestly, once they developed, I’d be unable to perform for roughly a year.
That wasn’t even the worst of it.
Even if the nodules healed, there was no guarantee my voice would return to its former state.
I could lose my only weapon—my voice—if I wasn’t careful.
It wasn’t just my problem; it would be a massive burden on members in their first year since debut.
I’d never receive a rookie award, which meant my mission would inevitably fail.
Bringing my mother back would become impossible.
Kim Geum’s foot, on the other hand.
Two weeks of rest might be enough for recovery.
I didn’t know how severe the burn was, but from what the manager said, it didn’t seem that critical.
So.
Obviously—

[Purchase Complete!]
[
【Panacea】
has been purchased. Who will you use it on? (Me/Member)]
[Member:
Kim Geum
has been selected!]
[600 points have been consumed!]
[Current remaining points: 0]

Kim Geum it is.
That’s what I’d call the obvious choice.

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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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