Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 204

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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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Side Story Episode 4.

…I thought I could focus solely on album preparation.

“Sigh….”

Why did my schedule become so packed? Seriously?
I splashed water on my face and crept into the Dormitory like a cat burglar.
It was 4:32 AM.
The members should have been dead asleep at this hour.
If I slipped in quietly and woke up in the morning as if nothing had happened, maybe I could avoid getting scolded and slip through unnoticed….

“You’re just getting back?”

So much for that plan.
I’m done for.
At the Entrance, I found myself face-to-face with four members, their eyes wide awake and piercing.

“Ha ha….”
“You find this funny?”

Ryu Bora is terrifying….
I quietly averted my gaze from Ryu Bora and turned toward Seo Baek-young instead.
At least Seo Baek-young is usually more lenient—

“Yun Chung. This isn’t okay.”

…Have my instincts really gotten that dull?

“That’s right! This really isn’t okay! Chung-chung, how could you do this!”
“4:30 in the morning…. This is seriously unacceptable.”
“I….”

I could only scratch my head.
I had no excuse to offer.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I know you’re all upset that I couldn’t participate in practice. But I promise I’ll catch up no matter what—”
“Practice isn’t the issue!”

Yeon Ju-hong’s cheeks flushed crimson with fury as she raised her voice.

“It’s your health that’s the problem!”
“Huh?”
“Right before the comeback, if you collapse, none of us can even make the comeback, and then, um, Ever Blue would be so heartbroken they’d collapse too, and then, um, we’d all be so devastated that, um….”
“We already collapsed when Chung-chung did. Died of shock.”
“Exactly! Anyway, that would be a loss for Colors, and also, um….”
“It would be a loss for South Korea.”

Ryu Bora too?

“…How exactly does that become a loss for South Korea?”
“If we all collapse, tax revenue decreases. There’s a rumor that the taxes you paid last year were record-breaking.”
“….”

Oddly pragmatic—I couldn’t even respond to that….

“Chung. It’s fine that you push yourself for our sake. But wouldn’t it be better to take care of your health, even if we have to share the burden, rather than overexert yourself?”

Seo Baek-young approached calmly.
She had a point.

“You’re right.”
“So you agree? Then we should adjust your schedule right now—”
“But there’s one problem.”
“What?”
“If I get sick, it’s just me being sick. Five members becoming four is common, so no big deal. But five becoming one is a serious problem. As a result, if any of you get sick, StillBlue’s comeback gets delayed. And then… well, like you said earlier, it becomes a loss for South Korea.”
“….”

I had the distinct feeling the members’ gazes were growing sharper by the second.
From experience, in situations like this, I should—

“I apologize. I won’t overdo it.”

I had to beg for forgiveness.

“There’s more.”
“Hmm?”
“Demands, I mean.”
“Since we’re already doing this, let’s have a completely honest conversation about everything today!”

The members said this while pointing to a banner hanging in the Living Room.

【StillBlue Leader Yun Chung Hearing】

…How on earth do they come up with things like this?
Before I could even process my shock, the members quickly sat down.
…Right in front of the Entrance.
And they gestured for me to sit as well.

“…Are you seriously asking me to sit on top of shoes?”
“If anything, Geum should sit on the shoes. The insoles are thick, so it’s the most cushioned—”
“You’re going to die, Ryu Bora.”

Before the two same-aged members could grab each other’s hair, I quietly intervened.

“Wait, wait. There are more demands?”
“We haven’t even started yet?!”
“…Was I really that terrible of a leader?”

Something about this didn’t sit right with me.
I thought I was working hard in my own way, but it seemed the members weren’t satisfied.
Feeling dejected, I let my shoulders droop, and the members immediately cried out.

“You work so well that we’re telling you to stop working now!”

***

In any case.
We were able to return to album production.

“Concept planning is the hardest part.”
“…Doesn’t most people say finding a good song is the hardest part?”

I heard Kim Geum’s hollow voice from beside me, but I lightly ignored it.

“The song will turn out great with Geum handling it.”
“…Usually, people think about making it together first, don’t they?”
“What concept would satisfy the fans? Since it’s been so long since our comeback, anything weak won’t cut it….”
“We should do something we’ve never tried!”

At that moment, Yeon Ju-hong raised her hand excitedly and spoke.
A scrapbook was clutched in Yeon Ju-hong’s hand—though I couldn’t say when she’d brought it.

“I’ve been preparing this just for today! Ju-hong’s ‘TheWorldsBestGirlGroupStillBlueConceptBook’!”

I wondered why the title had no spacing at all….

“I have them all organized by color! Fresh, cute, girl crush, girl hip-hop, hot girl, and more….”
“It seems like your personal taste is reflected a bit too heavily in this.”

Kim Geum snatched the scrapbook away with a clearly dissatisfied expression.

“Now is the time for us to do a dark concept. Let’s show a new side of StillBlue.”
“Ugh. So predictable. Down with Geum! Down with Geum! The formula that says since we did cute and fresh for our debut concept, we must go dark now! Predictable! Clichéd! Step aside, Geum!”

Yeon Ju-hong immediately countered Kim Geum’s statement.
I decided to ignore the two of them for now and hear what the other two had to say.

“Bora, do you have a concept in mind?”
“I don’t really want to do a concept that can be defined by just one word. I’d like to try something much more complex and intricate. Something that can convey a story.”

I was genuinely surprised.
I could feel that Ryu Bora had been thinking deeply about our concept for quite some time.

“I was thinking something similar. I think it would be nice if we did a concept that only we could pull off.”

Seo Baek-young, who had been quietly listening beside me, expressed her agreement.

“If it’s something only we can do, what could that be?”

At those words, everyone fell silent.
In truth, we were practically latecomers even among idols.
Senior groups that came before us had already done nearly everything imaginable, making it almost impossible to create anything truly new and unique anymore.
So we had to craft our album by reflecting our own distinct narrative.
But to do that, we first needed to understand what our narrative actually was….
What was it?
Even the members who had been acting as if they were ready to make a comeback at any moment now all fell silent, as if by agreement.
This is difficult.
Back when I was Baek Nok-ha, I honestly only had to worry about myself as an artist rather than contemplate narrative.
Since I only had to think about one person’s concerns, the burden felt somewhat lighter.
But now I had to think about the relationships between these five members and the organic narrative that was newly created through our five coming together.
Ugh.
I’m good at making or singing songs, but I’m absolutely terrible at creating concepts like this…

“Don’t overthink it, everyone!”

Then Yeon Ju-hong lifted the mood.

“The most important characteristic of our group is that we love our fans so, so much!”
“!”
“And we love each other so much too. That’s StillBlue. After all, our fans chose us and loved us, which is how we got here. Isn’t that what makes our group unique?”
“Hmm.”

Even Kim Geum, who always clashed with Yeon Ju-hong, had her eyes gleaming this time.

“So… you’re saying we should make fan love the theme? But isn’t that a concept already reflected in every album?”
“That’s exactly why we need to take it one step further!”
“How?”
“…w-we’ll think about that from now on…”

While Yeon Ju-hong struggled to come up with what to say next.

“Love taken further becomes obsession.”
“…?!”

Ryu Bora had dropped a bomb.
All the members were silently shocked at her bombshell statement, but Ryu Bora herself calmly looked at them.

“What. Am I wrong?”

Has that girl never experienced love before?
How does obsession come after love?
I felt my pupils tremble for a moment.

“Well, but… it doesn’t seem entirely wrong either….”
“?”

I looked at Yeon Ju-hong while breaking into a cold sweat.
Should a barely-of-age kid with this much inexperience be allowed to hold such warped beliefs?
Colors, you bunch of idiots. How are you even educating them…?

“Now that I think about it, I’ve also gotten so attached to our fans that I started wishing they’d love only us forever! Isn’t that obsession?”
“That’s right. That’s obsession.”

…Is that really obsession?

“Isn’t it more like possessiveness? Wanting EVEL to love only us forever, and just imagining them liking another idol makes my hands shake and my heart race… I think that’s definitely obsession, right?”

Even you, Seo Baek-young, whom I trusted.
This conversation keeps heading in a strange direction….

“It’s already been a year since we last saw EVEL on stage. At this rate, I feel like I’m actually going to lose my mind soon. Yes, this is what it means to be slightly unhinged—that’s obsession, right?”

Kim Geum spoke with utmost seriousness, staring directly at me.
As if I would know the answer to this question.
Then all the members turned their heads in unison, fixing their gazes on me.

“Why are you all looking at me….”
“Is it or isn’t it?”
“How would I know!”

Everything is going dark….

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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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