Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 170

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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 170.

After the first episode’s filming wrapped.
I sent the members to the Dormitory first, then stayed behind with Da-hwin for a moment.
Inside the car the Company had borrowed for us in advance, we were meeting alone for the first time in a while.

“Senior, you were really amazing today…! But me….”

Da-hwin’s shoulders drooped.

“Don’t think like that. No, Da-hwin, you did really well today too.”
“No, I could tell the quality was completely different.”

Da-hwin smiled bitterly.

“It’s just… if only our opinions could have been reflected even a little when planning the Stage… if that had happened, things would be better than they are now. That’s what I regret.”

I understood what emotion she was feeling.
If Director Kim were still here, I’d be feeling the same way.

“For that to happen, we first need a weapon strong enough to check Moment. Did you discover something?”
“Ah, yes!”

Da-hwin pulled out her phone and showed me a photo.

“I’m not sure what it is…. It was on the Director’s desk when she called us to the Office to scold us. It was the only document she had tucked between her file folders. I thought it might be important, so I took a picture of it….”

It was some kind of list.
Names of people, and numbers written beside them.

“What could this be?”
“I have no idea.”

Looking at just this, I couldn’t possibly figure out what it was.

“Can you send me this photo for now?”
“Of course!”

After receiving the photo from Da-hwin, I immediately sent a message to Han Jae-i.
Along with a message asking if she could figure out what this was.
For now, I decided to look into this further.

“Da-hwin. Do you happen to know what your company is doing these days?”
“Uh… No! Did something else happen?”

She had no idea that Moment was trying to frame us for bulk purchasing.
I explained the situation to Da-hwin in brief.

“…You’re saying they’re really planning something so terrible…?”
“It’s just my speculation, but both StillBlue and Enliven will have work on their next albums. But the scandal that breaks….”
“Will only hit your senior’s album…!”
“That’s what I’m thinking. Through TMM, it’ll probably get major media coverage. SWC will join in too.”

The more I spoke, the paler Da-hwin’s complexion became.

“That’s… but in my previous life, only we got caught…!”
“Something must have changed our future. In the first place, StillBlue getting two consecutive number-one albums is already a significant change. Before that….”
“We were practically the only rookie award candidate….”
“Maybe that’s why Moment is getting desperate. The rookie award title is important, after all.”

Not only that, but BurnAsh and NextGen would also have work involved….
But I didn’t mention that.
No need to scare a girl who’s already fragile.
There was no need to specifically mention that we’re cooperating with BurnAsh.

“How far along is your next album?”
“It looks like we’re going with a single. The title track is already chosen, and we’re in the recording phase.”
“Has the concept been finalized?”
“It seems like they’re still refining it. They said we’d be going with a dark and strong concept.”
“When’s the expected comeback?”
“They said around the end of August. But it could be moved up anytime, so they told us to be mentally prepared….”

I didn’t need to ask why she added that caveat.
It meant that if we came back early, they’d follow suit and come back early too.

“When are you planning to have your comeback, senior?”
“We don’t have anything set in stone either. We’re just thinking around late July.”
“Then we’ll be making our comeback around that time as well….”
“Looks like it.”

Anyway, a dark and intense concept.
Enliven’s previous title track “Love Save” had a bright and hopeful feel to it.
It was a rookie-like concept.
Dark concepts are mainly used as a strategy to gather core fandom.
It seems they’re trying to pull in their fanbase with this album.
If that’s the case… we should go in the opposite direction.
Fortunately, it aligns perfectly with the concept we’ve been planning.

“Da-hwin. I’ll take care of the photos you brought for now. Don’t worry too much—”

Bang bang!

“!”

Just as I was about to comfort Da-hwin, I suddenly heard rough knocking on the car door.

“What is it?”

Someone was pounding on the passenger side door where Da-hwin was sitting.
Da-hwin looked at the hand and face knocking on the passenger window, her expression terrified.

“It’s… it’s our Manager….”

Manager?
I frowned.
To be so openly threatening like this.

“Get out here!”

When we didn’t open the door, the Manager started shouting.
This guy is completely insane.
I gestured to Da-hwin to step back for a moment.
Then I just rolled down the window.

“What are you doing right now?”
“What are you whispering about over there? You’ve already gone past the promised ten minutes! Can’t you come out right now?”

Da-hwin’s Manager was practically shrieking.
Da-hwin was simply trembling.
…So this was how she always behaved, apparently.

“Lower your voice, please.”
“Lower my voice? Hey, who do you think you—”
“This is the Broadcasting Station Parking Lot. You’re well aware that there are people ready to film this scene at any moment.”
“Ha! A rookie spouting off like that…!”
“And I’m not your subordinate. Speaking informally to another adult right off the bat—I don’t think that’s very polite.”

At my words, the Manager’s eyes blazed with fury.

“Just because you’ve gotten a little famous, where do you get off…! Do you know who I’ve raised? Huh?”
“Moment idols, I’d imagine. And?”
“What, what?”
“I belong to Colors. You have no reason to raise me, so why are you emphasizing that to me? What are you trying to accomplish?”

At my words, the Manager’s lips began to tremble.
From what I’d heard, she was originally an executive at Moment, but was temporarily attached to shadow Enliven.
She probably hadn’t experienced treatment like this in ages, so she must be furious.
Sure enough, the Manager looked for somewhere to vent her anger and grabbed Yu Da-hwin’s wrist.

“!”
“Manager…!”
“Come on!”
“What are you doing? Let go and talk about this.”
“I said come out, Yu Da-hwin!”

The Manager was trying to drag Da-hwin away forcefully.
But at that moment.
Someone placed a hand on the Manager’s shoulder.

“Excuse me.”

He had arrived.

“What are you doing touching my artist’s car? Get your hands off!”

My new Manager.
My ally.

***

“Are you really just letting that person go like that?”

Inside the car heading back to the Dormitory.
My new Manager, Baek Ju-ha, asked me with a worried expression.

“Well, I sent her along with another Manager who can at least communicate with her… so it should be fine.”
“I’ve heard Moment’s people are rough and vicious, but I didn’t expect them to be so openly hostile to their own artists.”

Baek Ju-ha shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re amazing for standing up to someone like that, unnie. They were twice your size.”
“What are they going to do, kill me? Big guys with nothing but bulk are always the weakest.”
“Ha ha.”

For the first time in a long while, genuine laughter escaped me.
That’s right. I was always like this.
Ten years had passed, and by the end my temperament had softened considerably.
But when I first met her, Baek Ju-ha was exactly like this.
Strong and rough.
A person who moved with unwavering conviction.

“StillBlue’s Manager, and you’re already getting a proper hazing by the first week.”
“…Do you regret taking us on? Your original client was a top actor in the industry, so you could have avoided situations like this.”
“That person didn’t need me, so it would’ve been boring. I was planning to leave anyway.”

Baek Ju-ha put on her sunglasses as she spoke.

“Didn’t Actor Sung Min-ha try to keep you?”
“He did.”
“Then why…?”

At the question of why I’d abandoned the comfortable path, Baek Ju-ha only smirked.

“As long as she doesn’t cause any trouble now, I don’t need anything else. And while being an idol is new to me, it seemed like it would be fun.”

Baek Ju-ha said this while forming a small circle with her thumb and index finger.

“And they were paying an absurd amount of money. I figured Colors must have deep pockets. They were spending so much on a manager’s salary it was ridiculous.”

Of course they were….
It was coming out of my earnings after all….
Baek Ju-ha’s market value was so high that the salary Colors had set based on their standard rates would fall far short.
So ultimately I had to dip into my own pocket, but there was no need to mention that.
She’d feel burdened by it.

“You need to tell me about anything like this. That’s how I can take care of you all.”
“I will.”
“Are there any other groups I should know about?”

Besides Moment, there wasn’t anyone else now.
I shook my head.

“Just need to deal with Moment.”
“Deal with? The way you say it, taking down an entire company is child’s play.”
“Haha.”
“Wait. Are you serious?”

Baek Ju-ha’s nose twitched.
That meant she found it amusing.

“I have a lot to learn. What’s the problem with Moment?”
“They’ll probably keep contacting you.”
“What kind of contact?”
“Asking you to pass along information.”
“People with no business ethics.”

Baek Ju-ha stuck out her tongue.

“Are they offering a lot of money?”
“If they offer a lot, would you take it?”
“No. I hate unearned income. People should make money through their own work—I don’t need dirty money.”

She says that, but she’s a straightforward person through and through.
When I was Baek Nok-ha, that Manager was the one who stayed with me until the very end.
I’ve known her for over ten years, and she’s been a good person for all of it.
That’s not an easy thing to do.
She was someone whose trustworthiness was guaranteed.
In my previous life, Representative Seo begged her to come, and fortunately, Baek Ju-ha liked me enough that she decided to stay.
I hope she settles in well this time too.
Honestly, she’s one of the few people I can rely on.

“Yun Chung.”
“Yes.”

Her eyes behind the sunglasses gleamed with a bright sparkle.

“I came prepared from the moment you started paying me such a generous salary.”
“….”
“I’m the person who pulled my actress from the absolute bottom to the top. I’ve seen every dirty thing there is, so tell me what you need.”

Baek Ju-ha said that and stepped on the accelerator.

“After seeing today’s performance, I understood. Looking at their skills, they’re talented enough to make it big without me. So why did you call me? As I thought about it, the answer came to me. You must need something. Or—”
“You must need to clean something up.”
“Exactly. I figured you must need to clean up something dirty.”

Just then, we arrived at the Dormitory.
Baek Ju-ha took off her sunglasses.
And our eyes met.

“So tell me now. What’s the problem?”

…Let me start by breaking the ice.

“Could you look into this photo for me?”

I showed Baek Ju-ha the photo I’d received from Da-hwin.

“What is this?”
“It was a document that was in the Moment Director’s Office.”
“Got it. What should I dig into?”

I paused for a moment before voicing my suspicion.

“I believe these names… are accounts Moment uses for bulk purchasing.”
“!”
“Of course, it’s only my speculation. The only way to prove that suspicion would be…”
“Me.”

Baek Ju-ha stared intently at the photo on my phone.

“I understand. Hand this over to me.”
“Yes.”
“And Chung-ah.”
“Yes?”

Baek Ju-ha’s expression hardened.

“From now on, focus only on the Stage and your next album. What artist in the world worries about things like this? What are Colors even doing? Stop thinking about anything but your main work.”

Wow.
These were exactly the words I needed to hear.

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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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