Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 221

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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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Episode 13.

“….”

I fell silent for a moment, taking in the sight of my heavily disguised members.

“What’s wrong, Chung-chung?!”

Yeon Ju-hong asked, her sparkling eyes impossible to hide even behind her horn-rimmed glasses.

“Is our disguise not good enough? Should we cover our faces more?! Our coordinator said that with this level of concealment, absolutely no one would recognize us as StillBlue!”
“No, we can’t cover up any more than this.”

At this point, we already looked like… bank robbers heading out for a heist….
Each member had masked their face with masks, hats, and glasses, and on top of that, wore oversized clothing to conceal their silhouettes as much as possible. It wasn’t just about hiding their faces—they were doing everything to obscure their body shapes.
Since Yeon Ju-hong’s hair was currently coral-colored, she’d gathered it all up and stuffed it entirely inside a beanie.
The problem was that this made her look even more suspicious.
A beanie puffed up to suspicious proportions…. Anyone would think it was strange…. Anyone would think she was a secretly-escaped idol….
Seo Baek-young, at least, looked relatively normal in an oversized t-shirt and jogger pants… but the issue was that she looked cool enough to be standing on a hip-hop stage. Even with her face barely visible.
Seo Baek-young had been sporting a short haircut lately, and with her tall stature combined with the short hair, she didn’t look like a female idol so much as… a very popular male idol trainee.
Why did she manage to look cool even dressed like this?
At least her short hair made her less conspicuous, but something still felt off….
But the real problem was Ryu Bora.
Ryu Bora was wearing thick glasses. They were prescription lenses that distorted her face slightly….
But there was no way to hide that face.
Even without a trace of makeup, her skin had a luminous glow to it.
Moreover, Ryu Bora had dyed her hair lavender for the recent concert, and now that the color had faded, she had waist-length platinum blonde hair in waves.
She’d put on a baseball cap and tied her hair up to hide it….
But did she really think that aura could be concealed?

“…The bodyguards are coming anyway…. It’ll work out somehow… somehow….”

In truth, I had tried really hard to change this plan to something else.
I suggested we just make a reservation at a Han River view restaurant for dinner, or better yet, book a hotel suite and watch from there, but Ryu Bora’s position was firm.

‘I need to see it in person. Directly, with my own eyes. Not through a glass window.’

No matter how many times I asked for an explanation, Ryu Bora remained silent, insisting it wasn’t something that could be put into words.
Moreover, she’d even consulted with a doctor beforehand, worried that the sound of the Fireworks Festival might be unpleasant to Kim Geum’s ears—only to receive confirmation that such noise was no longer significant enough to meaningfully affect her hearing at this stage.

“Let’s just get in the car first….”

Extracting Kim Geum from the house didn’t seem like it would be easy in the first place….

***

“But seriously, why the Fireworks Festival of all places, Bora?! We’ve never gone anywhere this crowded together before.”

Yeon Ju-hong was right. The only times we’d been in crowded places were when attending events or performing on stage… We’d never made a private outing like this before.

“We always went to secluded places.”
“Well, that’s just how it had to be…?”
“Exactly. Look at what happened to Kim Geum.”

Ryu Bora spoke in a low voice, her gaze never leaving the window.

“Being locked away like that all the time, she can’t even run away properly—all she knows how to do is imprison herself.”
!
“If she’s going to run, she should at least flee somewhere overseas. It’s infuriating that she’s too foolish to even do that, and all she manages is to lock herself away in her room alone….”

At Ryu Bora’s words, all the members fell silent. Not just the members, but Baek Ju-ha, who had volunteered to come because she insisted a manager couldn’t be absent on a day like this, and the other managers were equally speechless.
They had never thought about it in that way before.

“Of course, I know it’s an idol’s fate that we can’t go to crowded places. I know we shouldn’t complain about it. We chose this path, and in return, we’ve gained so much because of it.”

Love and attention of a magnitude most people could never experience, success at such a young age.
I know all of that. But….

“Still, I hate how foolishly she acts. If she’s going to run away, I just want to at least teach her how to do it properly.”
“When you talk like that, you’re scary, Bora….”

Baek Ju-ha smiled sadly, looking genuinely frightened.
Well, from the Company and the managers’ perspective, the idea of an idol learning how to properly escape wouldn’t sound particularly appealing.

“Even if she knew the method, that girl wouldn’t actually run away anyway, would she?”
….

That was a fair point, so Ju-ha fell silent as well.

“That’s why I want to help her escape this way. She can’t run away on her own, so someone else has to help her get out.”

All the members fell silent at those words, each lost in their own thoughts.
Yun Chung was no exception.
She couldn’t escape on her own, so Kim Geum needed others to help her get out….
Why hadn’t I thought of it that way?
I really don’t deserve to be a leader. Yun Chung berated herself over and over.
Even now, I’m only worried about sasaeng fans and photos being posted on SNS….
Of course, those are legitimate concerns, but I shouldn’t focus only on those.
We’re idols, but we’re also people at the same time.

“…Everyone.”

Yun Chung spoke with difficulty.

“Today, let’s make sure we have the best time possible, no matter what.”
“!”
“Since we’re already going to owe the staff an apology, the least we can do is enjoy ourselves properly, right?”

At those words, Ju-ha stepped on the brake and turned around to look at the members.

“Don’t apologize to us. Why would you apologize?”
“!”
“I’m doing this because I want to.”
“That’s right. I’m getting extra pay too, so it’s good for me~”

The other manager laughed and spoke.

“You all worked so hard—of course you deserve a day like this to let loose a little.”
“It’s not like we’re committing crimes and ending up in the news, we’re just sneaking off to the Fireworks Festival. This barely counts as breaking the rules….”

Ju-ha spoke with an indignant tone for some reason.

“Just telling us and going is enough. I’d rather cooperate properly like this.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
“Just don’t cause any trouble at the Fireworks Festival. You’re dressed a bit too conspicuously right now….”

The managers’ thoughtfulness made StillBlue’s heart swell, and we laughed together.

***

That day too, Kim Geum lay motionless on the bed.
I knew it. Lying here like this and avoiding the situation wouldn’t solve anything.
But….

‘I don’t want to think about anything….’

I didn’t even have the energy left to solve the problem.
Besides, it’s not a problem I can solve in the first place.
I just wish I could disappear like this and turn to dust—
Bang.
—or something.

“?!”

Kim Geum jolted upright at the sudden loud crash coming from the door.
It was a noise so thunderous that even someone with poor hearing couldn’t miss it.

“Ryu, Ryu Bora?”
“Yeah.”
“?!!?”

Ryu Bora grabbed Kim Geum’s arm and pulled me up completely.
Kim Geum rose without understanding what was happening, glancing once at Ryu Bora and then at the members standing behind her.
Wait, why were they all dressed in athletic gear like that…?
Did they come to ransack our place…?
Regardless of Kim Geum’s confusion, Ryu Bora rummaged through my wardrobe.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

The flustered Kim Geum tried to stop Ryu Bora, but she gestured lightly to the members as if she’d expected this reaction.
Then the members each grabbed one of Kim Geum’s limbs. Very skillfully.

“W-what are you all d-doing?”

The moment Kim Geum’s limbs were seized and she began to struggle.
Ryu Bora, with unhurried grace, placed a hat on Kim Geum’s head, pulled out an oversized jersey and dressed her in it, then fitted a black mask over her mouth.

“?!?!!”
“Something’s still missing.”
“W-what could possibly be missing…?”
“No matter what I do, I can’t hide that precious face of yours.”
“…Are you finished talking?”

The moment I get free from this, just you wait. Kim Geum’s eyes snapped open with feline sharpness.
Ryu Bora shrugged at the sight of her, then retrieved a pair of oversized horn-rimmed glasses—hopelessly outdated—from somewhere in Kim Geum’s closet and placed them on her face.

“Perfect.”
“Perfect what.”
“You look like some neighborhood elementary schooler now.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight?”
“Yeah. Come on outside so we can fight.”
“What in the world?”

As Kim Geum protested in disbelief, Ryu Bora let out a soft laugh.

“Let’s go see the Fireworks Festival.”

It was a radiant smile that nothing in the world could conceal.

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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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