Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 129

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 129.

[Jet A’s Shin Yu-hwa ♥ Kim Ryeo-yu, Love Launched by 【Top of Idol】]
[‘Top of Love’ Jet A’s Shin Yu-hwa ♥ Kim Ryeo-yu, A Sweet Pair, A Snapshot from the Underground Parking Lot]
[Jet A’s Shin Yu-hwa ♥ Kim Ryeo-yu, Dating at Shin Yu-hwa’s Place?]
[‘We’ve Fallen in Love’ Top Idol Couple Shin Yu-hwa ♥ Kim Ryeo-yu, Did They Meet Through Family Introductions?]
[Colors, ‘No Comment’ Currently Verifying Facts]

The situation unfolded with lightning speed.
By the time Shin Yu-hwa’s manager went to report to Kim Mo-gyeong, articles were already being published.
Under normal circumstances, this story should never have broken.
The reporter Kim Mo-gyeong sent to the Underground Parking Lot belonged to StarPatch, after all.
But.
Hong President, having already received word from me, had sent another reporter to the Underground Parking Lot beforehand.
And just like that, the article went live.
How could anyone claim it was a dating scandal based on just one photo?
To counter such skepticism, I’d already prepared several additional pieces of evidence.

Manager entering Colors Building just before article breaks.jpg

So it really is real
Went in to discuss how to cover it up lolololol
Evidence photo for fans trying to deny that’s Shin Yu-hwa’s manager and running their happiness circuit
(photo)
(photo)
Looking at the photo next to Shin Yu-hwa and the manager photo above, the hat, shoes, and bracelet are identical

Hahahahahahahaha
Of all people… of all people… why did it have to be Kim Ryeo-yu?
If it were any other idol I could’ve just kept quiet and pretended not to know, I would’ve looked the other way, but Kim Ryeo-yu crossed the line, Yu-hwa
Shin Yu-hwa, manager, and Director Kim Mo-gyeong all photographed together at a restaurant

Kim Mo-gyeong: Kim Ryeo-yu’s aunt, Colors Director
(Photo)
(Photo)
Photos taken at Cheongdam Korean Beef Restaurant
Up until then, I was speculating whether she was transferring or something, getting all excited about her moving to Colors…^^
Turns out she was just having a meal with her boyfriend’s family lol

This is ridiculous, but they could’ve just been eating together, right?
└Why would the Colors Director and Shin Yu-hwa just eat together for no reason..?
Let’s just admit it now, this is embarrassing
Top Doll Shin Yu-hwa Kim Ryeo-yu two-shot

(Photo)
(Photo)

No wonder Kim Ryeo-yu was staring so intently lolololol

Come to think of it, Shin Yu-hwa kept defending Kim Ryeo-yu so hard
└Right lololol I remember my mom and I watching the live broadcast and wondering why Shin Yu-hwa was always protecting Kim Ryeo-yu
└└33333 Shin Yu-hwa kept cheering for Kim Ryeo-yu and all that, back then I thought it was just business for my guy…^^ but it was just his true love for Kim Ryeo-yu

“Hmm.”

I was checking the real-time reactions.
Things were flowing rather well.

“Goryeo News is on the line.”

Hong President spoke from across the desk.
That’s right.
This was Hong President’s office inside the Colors Building.
Though it was rare for Hong President to commute here.
Inside the office were only four of us: me, Hong President, Hong President’s secretary, and my Manager.

“They said they were planning to break the news about Pia and Shin Yu-hwa’s romance anyway. They’re asking how we found out.”
“Tell them not to release it yet.”

Rather than breaking the story of Pia and Shin Yu-hwa’s romance through an article, it would be far more effective if Pia herself made a tearful confession directly.

“Why?”
“Even if we do nothing, Pia will expose it on her own. Once she does, we can release the photos without facing any significant backlash, and we’ll have our exclusive scoop. Two birds with one stone.”
“Pia will expose it? On her own? Why would she do that? It would damage her image.”

Hong President spoke as though he couldn’t comprehend it.
If I told him it happened in my past life too, he wouldn’t believe a word of it.

“She’s in a situation where she desperately needs recognition right now. If she exposes this, she gains recognition as a victim—a win for her. Besides, she doesn’t have much popularity to lose anyway.”
“…!”
“And before she’s an idol, she’s a person. She can get angry. Of course, it takes considerable courage to do something like this.”

Hong President looked genuinely shocked by my words.
Yet he still seemed uncertain.
Understandably so.
Who would believe something like this?

“Sir. Pia just posted on StarPatch…”
“!”
“A statement went up. It looks like she posted it personally without the Agency’s approval.”

The Manager spoke, her face drained of color.

“What does it say?”
“That Shin Yu-hwa was two-timing her. There’s also a disclosure of violent remarks and behavior directed at her.”

Violent remarks and behavior.
I found myself frowning without meaning to.
I don’t think there was such a disclosure in my past life.
Did Shin Yu-hwa become violent in this life?

“Now, please contact Goryeo News and ask them to run the photos. Make sure they frame Pia as the victim. Public opinion will rally behind it.”

I spoke quietly to Hong President.
I knew he was shocked, but there was still work to be done.

“…Yeon Secretary. Contact Goryeo News for me right now.”
“Yes, sir.”

Hong President’s secretary, Yeon Secretary, stepped out of the office.
She was probably going to make a call.

“How did you even find out about the relationship between Pia and Shin Yu-hwa?”
“They seemed off at Top Doll.”
“You figured it out from just that?”
“That’s not all.”

I signaled to my Manager with a glance.
She immediately pulled up a video saved on her phone and showed it to Hong President.
It was the footage from when Shin Yu-hwa pushed me down not long ago.

“…!”

Hong President’s face went rigid with shock.

“After that, I picked up some rumors about Shin Yu-hwa.”
“…I see.”

Hong President was clearly struggling to process it all.
Still, it would be hard for him to fully accept it.
How could someone who’d turn twenty-one in a couple of days orchestrate something like this?
But I didn’t need Hong President’s acceptance.

“So… are you going to release this video?”

Hong President asked me.
I didn’t answer.
There were too many reasons to release it and too many reasons not to.
If I were Baek Nok-ha, or even just a solo artist—
I would have released it without hesitation.
For all those people who’d suffered at Shin Yu-hwa’s hands but couldn’t speak up.
But I was a member of StillBlue now.
My “victim” image already came with endless qualifiers, and I couldn’t burden the group with an even bigger one.
Besides, I’d filmed this as insurance in the first place.
Hong President seemed to grasp my hesitation to some degree.
An entertainment company president wouldn’t fail to make such calculations.

“So you’re going to bury it?”
“For now… I’d like to wait and see. If we detonate this on top of everything else right now, it could actually backfire. Attacks work best when they’re measured—that’s how you break someone’s will.”

Too many assaults at once could drive your opponent into a corner, making them desperate and dangerous.
There’s a reason the saying goes that a cornered rat will bite a cat.

“Instead, let me try a different approach.”
“?”

I sent the video of Shin Yu-hwa to someone.
Along with a brief proposal.
The reply came back immediately.

“…You’re a scary one, aren’t you.”

Hong President said that the moment he confirmed who I’d sent the video to.

“Am I?”

I smiled at Hong President.

“I think you would’ve done the same thing if you were in my position.”

That’s precisely how you’d climbed to where you are now, after all.
Hong President didn’t answer.
But it wasn’t difficult to interpret his silence as an affirmation.

“Sung Director must be thrilled.”
“He certainly will be.”

With my rival Kim Mo-gyeong conveniently eliminating himself, it was like getting what I wanted without lifting a finger.
Luck was on my side.

“President. The journalist we planted at StarPatch has sent word.”

Just then, Yeon Secretary, who had stepped out of the office briefly, returned with the update.

“What news?”
“An article going live in three hours. Would you like to review it?”

The three of us turned on our phones simultaneously to check the article Yeon Secretary had sent.

[Jet A’s Shin Yu-hwa ♥ Kim Ryeo-yu? Is it really mutual?]

Huh.
The moment I saw the headline, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

Reactions to the dating rumors between Jet A’s Shin Yu-hwa (24) and Kim Ryeo-yu (19) are running hot.
But was their love truly ‘mutual’?
StarPatch launched a direct investigation to uncover the truth.

The method Shin Yu-hwa had employed in my past life…

…and as a result, they uncovered something shocking.
Namely, deeply disturbing ‘scandals’ surrounding Shin Yu-hwa.
First, let’s hear testimony from one of the staff members of 【Top of Idol】.

Staff A: Shin Yu-hwa typically ‘touched’ female idols. It wasn’t just about flirting either. It means he wielded ‘violence.’ He even pushed one of the female idols on the show, causing her injury.

They wrote that awfully fast.
Even slipping in my own anecdote like that.

Staff A: It seemed like he tried to seduce her, but when she didn’t reciprocate, he pushed her.

In response to the anonymous tip, StarPatch directly confirmed the circumstances with Colors.
Colors’ response was even more shocking.
Let’s hear the answer from Kim Ryeo-yu’s closest associate.

B: Kim Ryeo-yu and Shin Yu-hwa are not in a relationship. It was only Shin Yu-hwa’s side that followed her around unilaterally. They have no connection whatsoever. In fact, Kim Ryeo-yu is the victim of stalking.
StarPatch: But the photos were taken at Shin Yu-hwa’s dormitory basement.
B: Shin Yu-hwa threatened her, saying he would stop pursuing her if she would just meet him once more. If she refused, he said he would spread false rumors. We’re truly wronged by this. What power or judgment could a twenty-year-old female idol possibly have? She went because Shin Yu-hwa’s threats terrified her, and she was unfortunately caught by paparazzi photos.

Anyone who didn’t know better would have been completely fooled by it.
But I knew the truth.
This was originally a scenario that Shin Yu-hwa had prepared.
Presumably, they’d orchestrated it so that once I or Seo Baek-young got tangled up in it, Shin Yu-hwa’s side would release a statement like that.
Then when things fell apart, they snatched it back and made their move first.
What admirable integrity.
But realistically speaking, would Shin Yu-hwa really let this slide?
Would he just let it go?

“What do you want to do?”
“Hmm.”

I scratched at the corner of my eye.
My tear mole felt oddly itchy.

“Should we send this article as a gift to Shin Yu-hwa?”

Maybe it would draw some tears from someone’s eyes?

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————