Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 168

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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 168.

I heard StillBlue and Enliven are both performing “Love Save” today.

Weren’t the two groups controversial for having similar concepts from the start?

It wasn’t that they were similar—the controversy was that Enliven copied StillBlue’s concept.
└StillBlue’s group concept is mutual salvation, but Enliven’s debut song concept is salvation itself…
It’s a Moment characteristic—if something works, they copy it first and ask questions later… They just do it carefully enough that no one calls it plagiarism.
└But doesn’t every industry do some copying like that?
└└But they don’t copy with only a two-month gap^^;;;;
Taking references is common, sure, but the timing was way too close. Two months is a bit much.
I’m an Enliven fan and I don’t understand why people see this as plagiarism.

The keyword “salvation” is pretty common in idol concepts anyway.
It’s not like the melody lines are similar or anything—just one concept keyword is similar, and people are attacking it like crazy. I don’t get it.
Maybe it’s because StillBlue fans are from Serverba… they’re being excessive…
Let’s not do this to each other, fellow girl group fans.

But having the same debut concept with only a two-month gap is a bit much lolol Both StillBlue and Enliven debuted with two-month intervals.
If the salvation concept in debut songs is common, bring like 10 examples first, then we’ll talk.
These posts never bring even a single “common” example. Seriously.
Among fellow girl groups,, plagiarism,, let’s not do this,,
Let’s just say whoever performs better today wins.

I’m tired of seeing fights every time I enter the idol forum.
Let’s just say whoever performs better today wins
And the losing side accepts it quietly.
The side without skill has no right to speak.

Hahahahaha
Yeah, let’s just say whoever executes it better wins.

***

BurnAsh and StillBlue.
Colors’ two next-generation idol groups had begun strategizing their arrangements together from the very start.

“No, we’re going with the exact same concept.”

From Burnash, Han Jae-i and Dan-ha.

“Seniors, you’re speaking from inexperience—you’ve never done a real survival show. In this cutthroat competitive industry, winning with an identical concept carries too much risk.”

From StillBlue, Kim Geum and I stepped forward as representatives.
While Han Jae-i and Kim Geum engaged in their psychological warfare.
I watched NextGen and Enliven’s stages with my headphones on.
Moment was definitely deploying a different strategy than Colors.
You could tell just from watching a few stages.

‘They’re concentrating everything on a single member, regardless of screentime or anything else.’

Enliven centered on Da-hwin.
NextGen centered on Luka.
The other members weren’t lacking in skill or charm.
Moment was deliberately funneling everything to their frontman.
You could see it just from the SNS reactions.

★
Does anyone else see it? The problem is that one person sings 1 minute 40 seconds out of 3 minutes, and the other 5 members split the rest
If it’s just a screentime issue I wouldn’t say anything, but they only post the center on official accounts and don’t even post the other members’ schedules. Does that make sense?
(photo)
└No, it’s a group, but does it make sense to only dress one member in a different color…?^^ Only the center wears white clothes and the other members wear black hahaha. Why shouldn’t they have just debuted as a soloist and made the other members back dancers?^^
If NextGen keeps this up, the group atmosphere must be terrible

The other members must feel uncomfortable too
Concentrating the center on just one person like that;;;;

They’ve been doing this for 5 years straight so everyone’s just resigned to it
Luka’s the most uncomfortable with it… Even complained but it fell on deaf ears
At least Da-hwin gets main vocal parts

Luka doesn’t even get main vocal but why does she get all the screentime?
I naturally assumed Luka was the main vocalist

Does Enliven have anyone besides Da-hwin?

It feels like Da-hwin is the only one appearing on variety shows these days.
It would be better if individual schedules were divided and promoted separately.
Moment isn’t even a small company—do they really need to push just one person this hard?
They have the ability to secure enough appearances anyway;;
The other members of Enliven have good visuals and decent skills too, so I don’t understand why they’re doing this.

Moment has been pushing only their center member to death for years.
It seems like they think as long as one person does well, that’s enough…
There are times when that works, so ㅠㅠ
└2222 NextGen pushed Luka like that, and it looks like they’re trying the same strategy with Enliven this time

Thus, the fandom atmosphere suffered because of this blatant strategy of pushing only one member.
The public came to recognize it as “Enliven means Da-hwin, NextGen means Luka.”
As a result, the recognition and popularity of the other members couldn’t help but hit rock bottom compared to the group’s overall recognition.
NextGen, at least, managed to overturn this atmosphere thanks to each member’s skills overcoming the company’s strategy, but….
There was no guarantee that such luck would continue indefinitely.
Enliven was the result.
The same strategy, but different results.
Despite all the pushing, the actual performance fell short of expectations.

‘The debut album’s first-week sales came in much lower than expected…. The company didn’t plan to do bulk buying to that extent, but they ended up doing it in a rush, or so I heard.’

I could tell just from Da-hwin’s words.

‘So all of our members were really… hesitant even about eating for a while. It’s still like that now, though….’

Despite the company’s poor strategy being the reason for the lack of results.
Moment was blaming everything on Enliven.
They still hadn’t realized that NextGen succeeded not because Moment did well, but simply because NextGen did well.
Then.

“Let’s go with a completely different strategy from Moment.”

What if I made them see with their own eyes that they were wrong?

***

Hong Fan was shaking his head back and forth right now.

“They’re absolutely insane.”

BurnAsh’s opening performance had been far more spectacular than I’d anticipated.

“Their arrangement seems better than NextGen’s original?”

NextGen’s “KILL ME” was a catchy, addictive hook song with mass appeal.
But BurnAsh had rearranged it in a completely different direction.
They’d infused it with band instrumentation, crafting a grand, sweeping atmosphere.
The intensified sound was impossible to overlook on a special one-time stage like this—it commanded attention with unmistakable dominance.
And beyond that.

Wow, I didn’t know this song could be divided up like this ^^
The members really get equal screen time, which makes watching the stage so much more enjoyable
Thanks to BurnAsh, I’m reminded all over again how terrible Moment really is (NextGen fan)

The direction allowed every member to shine equally.
It wasn’t just one person standing out—the harmonies blended seamlessly, and the relentless high notes that kept piling on were exhilarating.

“They planned this well.”

Though we were under the same agency, Hong Fan didn’t actually know much about BurnAsh.
It was my first time becoming a fan in a while, but I’d always been the type to focus exclusively on female idols.
Even when I took interest in other groups, it went toward White Noise—BurnAsh was in a completely different camp, so I’d never given them much thought.
But that performance just now?

“They’re not a group that aims for anything less than the top.”

There was something about them that could blindside even passing fans.
Even a female idol devotee like me had faltered for a moment.
Hong Fan reproached myself for that momentary wavering.
How long had I been a fan, and already I was straying to another group?
…But we’re under the same agency, so it’s fine, right?
No, wait.
This wavering is exactly what this program intended.
Hong Fan opened SNS.

★
‘That was dangerous’…
I’m not a fan myself—it’s my blood relative who’s the fan, so I was just watching alongside them… that’s all it was… where should I start digging into Burnash…? Should I start with the fan community first..?
└Welcome aboard, white-haired one^^

The response was far more heated than anticipated, and Hong Fan began to feel increasingly anxious.
The next performance was StillBlue’s turn.
Regardless of anything else, this stage had to receive a positive response.
The moment news of their appearance spread, it had become a stage that stressed out Ever Blue fans.
Even a good performance would just break even.
A poor one would be a complete disaster.
If they fell even slightly short of expectations, I could already envision what Moment, the master of media play, would say. The headlines would be a complete mess.
Every single article headline would inevitably be a disaster.
So worried was Hong Fan that they had even pre-studied Enliven’s original stage performance.
The original song with its “modern-day version of a medieval knight” concept had elaborate costumes from the start.
Most opinions were that Da-hwin was so exceptionally talented that only she stood out, though the other members weren’t incompetent either.

“…Our girls’ stage won’t be overshadowed, will it…?”

The moment Hong Fan finally voiced the worry aloud.

[MC: Now Colors’ second rebellion begins.]
[MC: From the prestigious girl group Colors, their ambitious new girl group, StillBlue.]
[MC: Please look forward to their stage, which will bring a wave of change to the music industry.]
[MC: StillBlue performing Enliven’s 【LOVE SAVE】. Let’s watch it now!]

After the MC’s introduction.
A VCR video appeared on the large screen, and the display shifted.

“What?!”

Hong Fan let out an exclamation at the unexpected visuals.
The background was a pink-decorated Doll House.
Yeon Ju-hong stood before a wardrobe, her posture stiff like a doll.
Yeon Ju-hong blinked her eyes rapidly, then opened the wardrobe door.

‘The concept is insane.’

extending the concept of “Paper Dol”.
Hong Fan’s SNS timeline was also ablaze.

How could a human be so doll-like
Aaaah Yeon Ju-hong aaaah you puppet doll
Look how good Jju Hong is at acting. What is he bad at?

Inside the wardrobe were hundreds of garments in various styles.
There were costumes from her “Blue” and “Paper Dol” activities, but other outfits hung there as well.
What caught my eye were the Enliven costumes.
A gray-toned metallic stage outfit.
Thanks to my advance preparation, I recognized it immediately.

‘Ah, is she going to choose that one?’

Just as Hong Fan suspected, Yeon Ju-hong reached out toward that outfit.
However, Yeon Ju-hong… changed direction and selected a different garment instead.

“What?”

In the moment Hong Fan was startled and bewildered by the unexpected choice.
The screen switched once more.

Call my name
Call my name
(StillBlue)

StillBlue appeared with a concept that was unmistakably dark.
At first glance, the atmosphere was so dark one might wonder if she was a villain.
However, Hong Fan immediately grasped the meaning of the concept.

‘A dark hero!’

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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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