Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 17

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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 17.

The day of the cover song mission competition.
After the twelve trainees finished their makeup, they moved to the Studio.
It was the same Studio where we’d filmed the debut song “Rainbow” last time.
Though the Stage set had changed considerably.
Overall, the set had a much simpler atmosphere than before.
Well, it wasn’t as if the broadcasting company threw money around like that every time.
I recalled Oh PD, who complained about budget issues every single day.
My turn in this mission’s final evaluation was ninth.
A decent position.

“Uuugghhh….”

Waiting Room.
From all corners came sounds of tension—groans, sighs, and sharp voices born of anxiety.
It was only possible because the cameras were briefly absent for once.
…But the moment they started rolling again, everyone would smile brightly as if nothing had happened.

“Haaah….”

Beside me, Yeon Ju-hong was gripping her head tightly.
Her mental state had seemed precarious since the mid-evaluation.
Today, she looked completely out of it.

“Nervous?”
“Of course.”

Yeon Ju-hong couldn’t wrap her face without ruining her makeup, so she just sighed.

“This is my first time performing in front of so many people.”

The Waiting Room had a monitor that could display the Stage.
On the monitor, an empty Stage and densely packed audience seats alternated into view.
Whether from self-introduction video effects or not, the seats were filled with slogans supporting each trainee.
There was Yun Chung’s name too.
Seeing the name Yun Chung rather than Baek Nok-ha stirred something strange in my chest.

“What if I mess up a note?”
“Then we pretend it didn’t happen.”

I couldn’t let a single mistake ruin the entire performance.
I spoke with conviction.

“But there are people out there supporting me. They’re going to be so disappointed. What if they came just to see my face and then ran away once they heard my actual skills?”
“…Well, there’s nothing we can do about that.”

It was the fans’ choice who to support.
But Yeon Ju-hong grew even more dejected at my words.

“And I’m going right after you!”
“Hmm, what? You don’t like going after me? Besides, the votes aren’t cumulative anyway, so going later doesn’t put you at a disadvantage.”

If the votes were cumulative, going later would be disadvantageous.
There was always the risk of being edited out due to time constraints and pushed to the next week.
But since the broadcast had already faced criticism for that system before, they weren’t doing it this time.
Only the final vote counted toward the results.
The voting results announced every two weeks were merely a reference point.

“No, that’s not it. The problem is going right after you. I’m already lacking in skill, so I’ll be completely overshadowed….”

Yeon Ju-hong continued muttering beside me.
Was she always like this? In my past life, I remembered her being incredibly strong and flawless.

“You’re not lacking in skill.”
“Come on.”

Even after hearing my words, Yeon Ju-hong waved her hand dismissively.

“You don’t need to comfort me like that. I know my skills are lacking compared to the other unnies.”
“Why do you think that?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Because I get criticized all the time. The trainers say I’m mediocre. The vocal trainer, the dance trainer, even the rap instructor—they all say it. ‘Hey, Ju-hong, how are you so wishy-washy with rap too?'”

Yeon Ju-hong mimicked the rap instructor’s tone perfectly.
Surprisingly… she pulled it off well?

“I heard so many times that I was mediocre, so I even thought about changing my name from Yeon Ju-hong to Yeon Mediocre.”

Yeon Ju-hong pouted, her mouth hanging open dramatically.

“I actually think that’s more impressive.”
“Huh?”

Yeon Ju-hong narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“That means you’re saying she can dance above average, sing above average, and even rap above average, right?”
“…well….”
“Isn’t that what an all-rounder is?”
“My skills aren’t quite good enough to call it that.”

Yeon Ju-hong drooped dejectedly, tugging at her pink hair.
Hmm.
Why do I keep imagining rabbit ears….

“Looking at it objectively, you’re above average here. Of course, I won’t say you’re the most talented one. You know that better than anyone.”

I spoke while recalling Yeon Ju-hong’s mid-evaluation stage performance.

“Just from your last stage, you did well enough. For a trainee who hasn’t even debuted yet, that’s solid work. Of course, you’ll need to do better after debut, but you’re young—you’ll improve.”
“….”

Yeon Ju-hong stared at me with a bewildered expression.
Did I say something wrong?

“Unnie.”
“Yeah?”
“People say you’ve changed a lot lately, don’t they?”

…That’s true. People really do change.
When your very soul gets swapped out, how could things stay the same?

“I didn’t know you that well before anyway, so I couldn’t tell if you’d changed or not….”

Yeon Ju-hong’s expression was a mixture of confusion and something indefinably strange.

“You feel really different, unnie.”
“Different how?”
“Well…”

Hmm.
Should I have acted more like Yun Chung?
I began to wonder what it would even mean to act like Yun Chung.

“You seem like… a senior who’s already debuted.”

A small sting.

“I don’t mean it badly.”
“Then what?”
“I mean it’s cool.”

Yeon Ju-hong looked at me with a determined expression.

“Honestly, I’m not sure about everything… but anyway, I’ll try my best not to get nervous on stage today.”

Oh my.
I let out a quiet laugh.

“That’s already something. Not getting nervous on stage—do you know how hard that is?”

Even I, with ten years of experience, still get nervous every single time.
If you can manage not to, that’s already incredible.

***

[Yes! That was Bang Su-in trainee’s “Perfect Color” stage. It was truly a powerful performance!]

All the previous stages had finished, and finally it was my turn.

[Now, let me introduce the next stage. This trainee has been generating significant buzz since her self-introduction video.]

From below the Stage, I heard the announcement introducing me.
I warmed up my voice one last time before going on.
Yun Chung’s vocal cords were already severely strained, so I was genuinely worried about pitch issues.
But that’s something I had to leave to fate.
I couldn’t let such worries ruin the Stage now.
I felt my heart pounding.
It had been a long time since I felt this sensation. Something beyond mere nervousness.
What do you call this feeling again?

[Purple Apple’s . Now, it’s Yun Chung’s .]

…The thrill of a rookie, I suppose.

“Trainee Yun Chung, please take the Stage.”

Following the staff’s cue, I slowly climbed onto the Stage.
Ah, it felt so familiar yet—

You say it’s not you, but shh
Your eyes are looking at me

A sensation I would never grow accustomed to.

***

Spoiler Warning) First Mission Audience Review

※Subjective Opinion※
※If you disagree, you’re right※
※Will be deleted soon※

First off, all the trainees were incredible.
Those Colors girls really showed their hunger, you know?
True to Colors’ reputation as a hotspot for female idols, the overall quality was genuinely high across the board.
I’ll only write about the trainees who stood out. Writing about all twelve would be exhausting.
First place was Kim Geum. She performed an All Colors song and was absolutely insane—Kim Geum fans can rest easy. Her dancing was simple, but her rap skills? Completely overwhelming. She has to debut.
…
Ninth was Yun Chung.
Everyone’s going to have high expectations for Yun Chung. I did too.
And it was definitely a stage that wouldn’t disappoint.
She covered some old song—turns out it was from Hong Yeon-seo’s idol days.
I don’t know how she got permission, but it was honestly a masterstroke.
The concept alone was insane.
I thought she’d go with the gentle and pure concept from her self-introduction video, but wait—the instrumental was fierce from the start. Absolutely wild.
She went with this snake concept, but it wasn’t really a sexy concept—more like this incredibly cool older sister vibe.
It was kind of a concept targeting female fans.
She wore a leather jacket, white shirt, black necktie, and leather skinny jeans.
※The necktie was CRITICALLY important※
The quality’s terrible since I secretly filmed it on my phone, but those who know will appreciate it.
(photo)
Of course, her vocal skills go without saying.
She was absolutely insane and danced so well too?? Who said she couldn’t dance because she’s a vocalist?
She was genuinely insane. The other trainees did well, but this girl looked like she had ten years of debut experience.

★
LMAO Yun Blue spoiler♥
(video)
#MakeANewColor #YunChung #NecktieChung #JacketChung
Play? ▶

***

Step closer, girl
I’m here for you
Taking root and bearing fruit

On screen, Yun Chung’s black hair flowed as her eyes gleamed with intensity.

I’ve been waiting for this moment
Bite me here we go

Yun Chung loosened her necktie and pulled it taut between both hands.
Then she covered her eyes with it.
With her eyes obscured, she delivered the chorus flawlessly, and as the song reached its climactic finale.
The atmosphere of the music shifted.

There’s nothing to fear
Bite into me
I’ll strip away everything that blinded your eyes

Following the lyrics, Yun Chung pulled the necktie away from her eyes.
The camera zoomed in on her eyes.
Beads of perspiration glistened at the corners of her eyes as the spotlight washed over them.
And there—the beauty mark beneath her right eye caught the light, gleaming brilliantly.

I am your new world

And the song ended.

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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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