Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 121

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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 121.

But seriously, the screen time was pretty short today

Her throat condition looked a bit precarious too
Is she okay?

The Colors fans won’t let her rest
Her throat did look bad, but it was honestly amazing how she pulled off that vocal power with it
└22 The fact that she has that skill even with a bad throat is the real deal
The screen time issue is just StillBlue’s original policy of distributing evenly among all five members
└Even accounting for that, isn’t her screen time pretty similar to the other members?
└└The fans actually prefer it that way
└└└22 Yeah, it’s actually good—proof that all five members are talented

That was precisely my concern—the state of my throat.
But.
I hadn’t been sitting idle either.

[
Baek Nok-ha
: The settlement still hasn’t gone through]
[
Baek Nok-ha
: Then I’m not doing the mission either]
[
Baek Nok-ha
: Take it or leave it]

I’d finally issued an ultimatum to the Cotton Ball Entity.
I meant it.
If it was going to leave me hanging like this, why would I trust it or follow through with its intentions?
And that ultimatum worked.

Ding!

[
???
‘s complaint has been successfully registered!]
[Attempting to connect with the administrator!]
[Searching….]
[Connection established!]

Pop!

-Long time no see, Baek Nok-ha.
“!”

I jolted upright in shock.
This insane Cotton Ball Entity.
Seo Baek-young was sleeping right beside me—

-Seo Baek-young isn’t here. We’re inside your subconscious. Don’t worry.

Ah.
I gazed around the empty room, deflating slightly.
My subconscious?
It looks rather… sparse.
Anyway, that’s not the important part.

“Settle up with me.”
-…Not even a greeting. You’re quite the polite idol, aren’t you?
“Forget pleasantries. How do I know when you’ll vanish again? Let’s settle this first.”
-I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy at the moment.

The Cotton Ball Entity looked noticeably more frail than usual.

-Exactly two weeks… Just give me two weeks. Then I can settle everything properly.

I immediately frowned.

“That won’t work. I’m in the middle of a survival show. I have to perform on stage in just ten days. If luck isn’t on my side, everything could fall apart that day.”
-Ah, that.

The Cotton Ball Entity seemed utterly unconcerned.

—So the new mission song has been decided?

I nodded in response.
Just as Cotton Ball Entity had said, the second mission song had indeed been finalized.
It was because we’d filmed the third episode just yesterday.
The new mission theme was ‘Collaboration’.
We would mix members from different artists into new combinations and cover classic songs from the music industry.

Sugar Dream: 6 members
Max Burning: 7 members
Cha-yul: 1 member
StillBlue: 5 members
Kim Ryeo-yu: 1 member
Total: 20 members

The mission began by dividing into five teams and redistributing four members each.
The method for determining collaboration team combinations was a ‘spinning wheel’… or so it was disguised, though it was really just the PD’s whim.
The PD would keep spinning until the desired combination appeared, then film only when they got what they wanted before airing it.
Well, honestly.
This level of manipulation was utterly commonplace.
Among the combinations the PD desired, the one I ended up in was—

—Kim Ryeo-yu, Cha-yul, you, and… the leader of Sugar Dream. Her name is Se-a.

That was it.
A combination both cruel and high in controversy value.
The PD knew that if they simply admitted to arranging it themselves, public opinion would explode, so they pretended it was random.

“You can’t blow out your vocal cords in that combination.”
—I told you. It’s difficult right now. In two weeks, I’ll definitely fix your vocal cords. Even if they’re damaged, I’ll repair them perfectly.
“That won’t work. The performance is right around the corner! I can’t ruin it. I’ve listened to everything you’ve said, so why should I get vocal nodules?”
—That’s why I’ve prepared something!

Cotton Ball Entity suddenly perked up its fur in an uncharacteristic way.
It looked genuinely excited.

—Don’t worry. Even if your vocal cords get damaged… I’ll make sure you can still perform on that stage!
“No. How on earth?”
—You’ll find out when the time comes.

Cotton Ball Entity spoke those words, then gradually faded away.
I tried to grab it, but my hands passed right through.
Cotton Ball Entity’s giggling laughter echoed throughout the room.
At the same moment, sleep crashed over me.

—It’s a somewhat difficult solution, but… as a professional idol and a born-to-be idol like you, I’m certain you’ll handle it brilliantly, Baek Nok-ha.

This crazy Cotton Ball Entity.
Even as I cursed under my breath, I slowly surrendered to sleep.

***

Two days later.
The filming day for Top of Idol’s team practice and meeting scenes had arrived.
Before heading to the shoot, the members and our manager gathered around the dining table.

“That PD clearly has no character whatsoever.”
“Where are we supposed to report this?? For broadcast manipulation or something like that?!”
“What really gets me is what the PD said. ‘Colors already agreed to this, didn’t you hear?’ Like, even if we had heard it, that doesn’t make it right.”
“Bad people are so creatively terrible—they find new ways to infuriate you every single day.”

The members were furious about how they could possibly put me next to Kim Ryeo-yu, but honestly, I didn’t mind at all.
Someone among us had to be on the same team as Kim Ryeo-yu anyway.
I’d rather it be me than watch any of them suffer that fate.
Truthfully, they wouldn’t have been able to maintain their composure in front of Kim Ryeo-yu.
They probably would’ve caused some kind of incident.

“I’m fine with it. More importantly, do you all like your new teams? How are they?”

In response to my question, the members exchanged glances before each offering their thoughts.

“…We do miss our unnies. But… everyone seems like good people.”
“Since the Hi-Hi-Ho seniors dropped out, honestly, they’re all pretty kind.”
“Yeah. They don’t treat us roughly just because we’re juniors.”
“We’re fine, so just worry about yourself, Chung.”

I really am fine though.

“Cha-yul seems like an unusual person… but what kind of person is Se-a?”

Bora stuffed a piece of kimbap into her mouth as she spoke.
It was tuna kimbap.
So my pitch must have worked.

“When I first saw her….”

I retraced my memories.
Se-a’s expression the moment we were confirmed as teammates.

‘So it’s you.’

“That person was pretty unusual too.”

The instant we became teammates, she just blurted out ‘So it’s you.’
With eyes that showed absolutely zero interest.

“She didn’t seem like a bad person… exactly.”

Just someone who was utterly indifferent to me.
The very definition of textbook professionalism.

“Be careful.”

Seo Baek-young spoke while putting egg kimbap into her mouth.
She really does prefer the mild flavors, true to form.

“Be careful of what?”
“There are rumors that senior is pretty scary.”
“Scary?”

Sugar Dream.
She was the idol with the longest career on 【Top of Idol】.
A senior by about a year compared to Cha-yul, I think.
But she wasn’t the most popular idol.
When she made a comeback, sometimes she’d rank first depending on the competition, sometimes not.
An ambiguous position, you could say.
Of course, maintaining that level of popularity was impressive in itself.
She started with a pure concept, then evolved into a mature concept as her career progressed.
By the time I was in my tenth year, she was already a disbanded idol.
Searching my memory, she seemed like a slightly cynical senior.
We barely crossed paths, so I didn’t know her well.

“I don’t really worry about that sort of thing. Nothing should go wrong, right?”
“Right. There’s nothing for you to be disliked for.”
“Once people get to know Yun Chung, they’ll fall in love with her!”
“No way. I can’t let her be taken. My Yun Chung. Let’s just run away right now.”
“Just eat your kimbap, Kim Geum.”

Watching Ryu Bora stuff two pieces of kimchi kimbap into Kim Geum’s mouth, I quietly stood up.

“Manager noona.”
“Hm?”
“Should we go to the cafe together and pick up some coffee?”
“Oh… I can go alone, you know?”
“It’ll be heavy.”

After saying that, I asked the members.

“What does everyone want to drink?”
“A cherry smoothie for me!”
“Cafe latte for me. Hot. Just one pump of syrup.”
“An iced americano for me. The largest size. I need a caffeine transfusion.”
“A hot chamomile tea for me. Should I come along too?”

Ryu Bora tried to follow me, but I stopped her immediately.

“No. You all stay and get ready. The manager and I will be right back.”

***

“Sister.”

Inside the quiet car after picking up from the cafe.
I sipped my green grape soda and spoke.

“Hmm?”
“When is Director Kim planning to pair me with Shin Yu-hwa?”
“Pfft.”

The manager immediately spat out the carbonated water she’d been drinking.
Disgustingly.

“Is it me or Baek-young? Which one is the target?”
“That… I really have no idea what you’re talking about…”
“Stop beating around the bush.”

I pulled out a wet wipe from my bag and handed it to her.
I can’t stand anything dirty and sticky.

“Have you set a date? You’ve already finished discussing it with StarPatch?”

StarPatch was a typical entertainment industry media outlet.
Well, that’s being generous.
It was just a group that made money selling celebrities’ private lives.

“Yun Chung. I really have no idea what you’re saying…”
“Lee Sol doesn’t know. Only I do… but if you don’t cooperate like this, she’ll find out soon enough.”
“Yun Chung!”
“Are you sure? That Director Kim will protect you? Because, honestly, a rat that’s been exposed isn’t very useful.”

The manager’s eyebrows shot up.

“I never pegged you as the type. You’re a strange one. Don’t slander me. What do I have to do with Kim Mo-gyeong? StarPatch? Shin Yu-hwa? Where are you getting such nonsense from…!”
“What I really don’t understand is how people who do bad things are always so sloppy.”

I stirred my soda with the straw.
The green grape bits danced with the carbonation.

“You know there’s a dashcam installed in this car, right?”
“…!”
“The problem is, you had an additional camera installed so it can also record the inside of the vehicle.”

Without telling us a thing.
This had crossed my final line.

“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about this?”

Now you’re installing cameras inside the car too?
I’d searched the vehicle at dawn just to be sure, and this was what I’d found.

“Yun Chung. The company installed the camera to protect you all-”
“Yes. I don’t really have a problem with that. It’s not like I’m doing anything with this car anyway.”

And thanks to it, we can be protected just like you said.
In the end.

“What I have a problem with is what that camera recorded.”

I turned on my phone and played the video.

-And you agreed to putting Shin Yu-hwa as the MC too?

The video showed the manager driving.

-It wasn’t easy to convince her… but yes, she accepted.

Director Kim’s voice.
The manager taking the call on hands-free, everything captured clearly.

“Oh, by the way, I made about a hundred copies of the video file, so deleting it won’t do you much good.”

Just in case you were wondering.
Yeah.

“Would any company really hire a manager with rumors spreading that she betrayed her celebrity?”

I didn’t think so.

“Ah, if you’re hoping that Director Kim will come to your manager’s rescue….”

I set down my white grape ade and smiled.

“Think about Jo Hee-on. Remember how Director Kim used her as a pawn and then discarded her? There’s not a single person in this company who doesn’t know that story.”
“!”

Now you have to choose.
Which thread, if any, is actually worth trusting.

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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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