Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 153

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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 153.

As the performance ended.
In the hushed atmosphere that settled over the venue.
Yun Chung and DashDash bowed to the audience.
Thunderous applause erupted like a torrent.
The judges themselves were the first to offer their unreserved clapping.

“Wow, truly…. Even we from the same Entertainment Company had no idea about this performance. I kept wondering why they kept it so secret, but now I understand the reason.”
“I would have hidden it too.”
“Right….”

Han Jae-i and Dan-ha resumed hosting.

“Well, it seems the judges have many questions. First, Judge Jin Dong-il, could we hear your thoughts?”

Under the pressure of the judge who had been raising his hand eagerly and sending an intense gaze.
The two finally had to stop their shy demeanor and hand over the microphone.

“Yes, Yun Chung. First, I really enjoyed the performance.”
“Thank you.”

Yun Chung bowed respectfully.

“Did you plan this performance yourself? The song selection, the arrangement, the casting, and so on.”

The judges nodded, as if this was the question everyone had been curious about.

“Yes. Kim Geum, a member of our StillBlue, helped with the arrangement. For everything else, I planned it together with the DashDash seniors.”

Yun Chung said this and handed the microphone to Park Ki-hun, the guitarist of DashDash.

“We simply brought to the audience the meal this talented junior prepared. Honestly, she did almost everything.”
“No, that’s not true. I actually did very little. Without you seniors, this performance would never have happened. Although we couldn’t be here due to scheduling, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sung Yun, the vocalist of DashDash, who even provided direct vocal training.”

As this heartwarming exchange unfolded.
The judges found themselves with one more question.

“How on earth did you two meet?”
“Ah.”

Park Ki-hun smiled sheepishly.

“There’s a cafe I visit often. We happened to run into each other there by chance. I haven’t been keeping up with my friends lately, so this one recognized me first and asked for an autograph. That’s how our connection began.”
“What a fateful meeting indeed.”
“Haha. Well, I’m just grateful when someone so young remembers me like this.”

Guitarist Park Ki-hun said this while gazing at Yun Chung with the warm eyes of an uncle.

“She has so much talent that I thought it would make for a meaningful stage, so I joined gladly. While preparing the stage together, I even found myself thinking… perhaps it’s time we changed our vocalist.”
“Hyung, if you say things like that, Sung Yun will get upset.”
“Everyone’s thought about it at least once, haven’t they?”
“You should keep those thoughts to yourself.”

After the lighthearted banter passed.
Everyone in the studio had no choice but to acknowledge it.
An undeniable champion had been born.
She had handled such a niche genre so brilliantly—what more needed to be said?

***

Now came the voting time.
The audience members left the studio and could cast their vote for only one person.
And the Judges Panel gathered separately to deliberate before casting their final votes.
There were five judges in total.
Four singers and one composer.
The judges’ votes were always transparently revealed—who voted for whom.
Since each judge’s vote carried the same weight as one hundred audience votes, this was a natural consequence of the scoring system.
This voting method had been determined since the program’s inception.
However, PD Kim of “Dear My Diva” was now regretting that decision.
He had already coordinated with Moment to make Enliven’s Da-hwin the first champion.
But watching how the atmosphere was unfolding, it seemed this wasn’t going to be an easy task.

“Wow, all the performers today delivered excellent stages.”

The five judges’ faces looked remarkably pleased.
It was because of Yun Chung’s performance just before.
Though none of them said it aloud, PD Kim could tell.
How could he not know? He had personally recruited these judges and had been filming them until just moments ago.
Their demeanor was starkly different when watching the other contestants’ performances compared to when they watched Yun Chung’s.
When watching the other contestants, their reaction was merely, “That was well done.”
But during Yun Chung’s performance, they seemed utterly captivated, as if they had no room for any other thoughts.
PD Kim, having worked exclusively on music-related programs at SWC for over twenty years, could recognize it.
Honestly, the moment PD Kim heard Yun Chung’s opening phrase, he felt, “It’s over.”
Some songs end everything with just the first phrase.
And some performances lift the heads of even the most indifferent people with merely the introduction.

‘Honestly, I never expected a performance of this caliber to come from an idol-focused program.’

PD Kim had promised Moment far too confidently that he would make Da-hwin win.
Of course, he did know that this rookie Yun Chung performed quite well.
He had been monitoring her basics even before recruitment.
But in his view, Da-hwin was also a top-tier vocalist for a rookie idol.
And weren’t all idol main vocalists essentially the same level?
He had been confident that with proper editing and a bit of manipulation, he could make Da-hwin first place.

“Well then, shall we discuss the second performance—Da-hwin’s stage?”
“I thought the future of K-POP is bright. Not simply because she’s an idol, but as a vocalist, she delivered quite an excellent performance.”

Yu-jeu, a 21-year veteran singer and judge, spoke first.

“However, the nervousness was quite visible. I suspect it’s because as a rookie, she hasn’t had much solo stage experience.”
“I also felt she didn’t fully demonstrate her capabilities, which was unfortunate. That said, I believe she has tremendous potential. Her vocal ability itself was quite good.”
“Right. But in terms of emotional appeal, there are still areas where she falls short.”

PD Kim clenched his teeth but had no choice but to agree.
Today, Da-hwin’s nervousness was particularly evident.
It was likely unavoidable, stemming from the inexperience typical of rookies….
Whatever.
PD Kim shook his head.
He had done his best.
How could PD Kim help if this rookie couldn’t even take what was being handed to her?

“Next, we have Yun Chung from StillBlue. What did everyone think of the performance?”

At someone’s question.
Smiles bloomed across the faces of all the judges.
That alone was already an answer.
But they all rushed to open their mouths.

“First of all, as a long-time fan of DashDash and someone who loves rock, I was grateful from the song selection and session itself. Since you planned this stage yourself, I thought—how did you come up with the idea to challenge the rock genre? Isn’t she an impressive girl?”
“I agree. It felt like witnessing the birth of a jewel-like vocalist who brought a hidden gem back into the spotlight.”
“Everything about this stage was flawless. It even felt like watching Sung Yun of DashDash in his prime. I learned one thing—how beautifully different ‘The Night Everything Broke’ sounds when sung by a woman.”

Endless praise upon praise.
And the vote that followed….
Five judges, unanimous—Yun Chung.
PD Kim had no choice but to fall into deep thought.
After a brief moment of deliberation, PD Kim finally picked up his phone.
There was no other way.
If the judges wouldn’t help him like this, he had no choice but to find someone who could move them.

SWC Entertainment Division Director

Director, we have a problem.

The collaboration with Moment was never decided at just PD Kim’s level anyway.
It was deeply connected to TMM, Moment’s parent company.
Once the judges realized what they were touching, they would eventually change their decision.

***

Waiting Room.
After seeing off DashDash, I quietly waited for the voting results.

“Yun Chung, you were really amazing today. You did so well.”
“Thank you, unnie.”

As I leaned back in my chair, sipping the water my Manager handed me, the exhaustion that had accumulated in my body finally came crashing down.

“The judges’ expressions were so different today. It looks like the championship is already in the bag.”
“Haha. Well… we’ll have to wait and see until the end.”

Of course it’s different.
Why would I have chosen the rock genre without reason?
It was the result of analyzing each of the five judges’ favorite genres one by one.
If Moment had manipulated the audience members.
The only variable I could place my hopes on was the judges.
If I could win over the judges, I could win.
I investigated and meticulously analyzed all of the judges’ usual interviews and critiques.
As a result, I discovered that the rock genre—and especially DashDash—was the answer.
You’re wondering if I thought the judges would manipulate their voting results too?
No. I understood that they couldn’t do so easily.
What happened during 【Make a New Color】?
Even with Kim Mo-gyeong causing such a fuss.
The judges who put their names on the line couldn’t actively shower Kim Ryeo-yu with high scores.
At best, they could only give her favorable reviews second to mine.
It’s simply difficult to manipulate when you’re putting your own face on the line.
Viewers would never tolerate such deception.
Moreover, since 【Dear My Diva】 completely discloses the judges’ voting results.
It would have been even harder to manipulate.
PD Kim probably didn’t realize it either.
That I would target the judges’ preferences so overwhelmingly.

“But I was really surprised. DashDash came in person…. We were really lucky. It’s truly rare to unexpectedly become close with people like that.”
“Yes, we were really fortunate.”

Lucky, you say?
I orchestrated all of it.
Fortunately, I had connections with guitarist Park Ki-hun in my previous life, so I knew everything about the cafes he frequented, the songs he loved, his personality, and more.
Because of that, I was able to become close with him much faster in this life.
Yes, in a way, I was lucky.
I had collaborated with DashDash in my previous life too.
Not 【The Night Everything Broke Down】, but a track from their album.
I never imagined that connection would be used like this.
Lost in thought.
A knock sounded at the door.
When I opened it, a staff member poked their head in.

“Yun Chung, they’re coming up now. We’re announcing the voting results.”
“Yes, I’ll head right over. Thank you.”

Let me head up there.
Will they graciously hand me the championship?
Or will they pull off some proper aggro as originally intended?
Let’s find out.

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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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