Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 242

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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 34.

Whenever I see Seo Baek-young, I’m reminded of that first moment we met.
The way she looked at me with subtle wariness mixed with a hint of pity and exhaustion.
And then comes the memory of Seo Baek-young’s eyes from the moment she first opened her heart to me.
Eyes mingled with peculiar curiosity, a touch of concern, and deep trust and affection.
What about now?
Ah, yes, that’s right.

“You’re hiding something… aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”

That was the look in her eyes as she gazed at me.

“There’s nothing like that. You know too, don’t you? When would I even have time to hide something?”
“You’ve always had little secrets since way back, Yun Chung.”

A faint smile played across Seo Baek-young’s face in the gathering dusk—barely perceptible unless one looked closely.
Now that I think about it, we’ve never had a conversation like this in daylight.
No wonder I always feel caught.

“What about you, then?”
“Hm?”
“Are you hiding anything from me?”

When deflecting, turning the question back on the other person is always most efficient.
I took a subtle step backward.

“No. Nothing.”
…

She’s someone who can’t actually back down like that.
What lie could possibly work against someone who speaks with such unwavering eyes?
She truly has no deception in her—that’s why she speaks like that.

“I have one.”
“…!”
“Something I’m hiding.”

For the first time, I spoke the truth plainly.

“That… what is it?”
“If I could talk about it, I wouldn’t have hidden it in the first place.”

I answered matter-of-factly.
The reason I never revealed the existence of the Cotton Ball Entity to my members?
There was only one reason, of course.
I was afraid that if my members ever found themselves in a corner, they might contract with the Cotton Ball Entity instead.
Just look at what happened with Kim Geum.
If Kim Geum had known about the Cotton Ball Entity’s existence, she would have immediately made a contract with it herself and shouldered everything alone.
What about the other members?
No. The others would probably make the same choice.
Because I made that choice first.
They’re the kind of people who would contract without hesitation, not just for themselves, but for another member’s sake.
So it absolutely cannot happen.
I alone am enough to bear the burden in this group.

“Can you at least tell me why you’re hiding it?”

The can in Seo Baek-young’s hand crumpled a little more as she asked.
Relax your grip, Baek-young….

“Because I alone am enough.”
“!”
“You’re someone who would suffer just knowing a secret exists, aren’t you?”

If it were Seo Baek-young, she would probably keep the secret well even if I told her.
Perhaps if I asked her never to contract with the Cotton Ball Entity—absolutely never—she would honor that promise.
Because that’s the kind of person Seo Baek-young is.
Someone like an elder sister who values her members’ convictions more than her own beliefs, and tries to protect them all.
Someone who would keep her promise to me even if it tormented her to death.
I could use that.
I’m not refraining because I don’t know how to use it.

“But it doesn’t bother me.”

I’m choosing not to do it because I don’t want to.

“So please, just leave this to me.”
“…Are you really not bothered?”
“Yes.”

Rather than answer immediately, Seo Baek-young gently clinked her can against mine.

“Really?”
“….”

Why does she keep asking when I said it doesn’t bother me?

“Really.”

I exhaled softly and clinked my can against Seo Baek-young’s.
I could tell her anything else, but not this.

“Then if nothing’s bothering you, why did you sneak out here alone tonight?”
“…I was just waiting for the Billboard 200 chart top 10 announcement.”
“You came out with beer you don’t even usually drink, waiting for that? Is it really that important?”

Seo Baek-young’s eyes clearly showed she couldn’t understand.
Why the sudden obsession with international charts, right?

“There are nights when sleep doesn’t come. I’m not a perfect person. The only perfect person in this world is you, unnie.”
“…What? Haha.”

Only then did Seo Baek-young’s expression soften slightly.
But it’s the truth.
There’s only one perfect person in this world, and that’s Seo Baek-young.
…The other members aren’t perfect?
Well. Only Seo Baek-young is perfect.

“I understand. I won’t ask anymore.”
“Okay.”
“But Yun Chung.”
“Yes?”
“Whenever you can’t sleep like this, just wake me up.”

Seo Baek-young turned her body away from me, gazing forward. Without thinking, I followed her lead and turned as well.
Then our reflections appeared on the dark TV screen.
My bewildered expression and Seo Baek-young’s unwavering, resolute face.

“Just promise me that. Even if you can’t confide your secrets to me, you can at least share how you’re feeling.”
“….”
“Not for your sake. For all of us.”
“How is that for all of us?”
“If you fall apart, we cease to exist.”
“!”

At Seo Baek-young’s words, my eyes widened slightly.

“So let me support you before you crumble.”
“….”
“You’re the one holding all of us up. So please.”

I couldn’t respond to Seo Baek-young’s words.
I simply nodded and drained the beer in my hand completely.
That’s how we sat in silence, sipping beer for a long while.
But that alone was enough.
Perhaps that’s why.

“…Yun Chung.”

When I opened my eyes again, it was morning.

“?!”

What?
When did I fall asleep?
I jolted awake, rubbing my eyes frantically.

“Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah. You were sleeping well.”
“Why didn’t you wake me!”
“Why would I wake you when you’re sleeping so soundly? Do you know how difficult it is to get you to sleep?”

Seo Baek-young spoke as if the answer were obvious.
This woman… talking like she’s actually put me to sleep before.

“Never mind, never mind. What time is it now?”
“10 o’clock.”
“Oh no!”

Yun Chung frantically searched for her phone. I had to check the Billboard site right away…!

“Looking for this?”
“Huh?”
“Here.”

Seo Baek-young held up her phone screen in front of Yun Chung’s eyes.
The screen displayed the updated Top 10 list on Billboard.

Billboard
…
TOP 2. UN:MUTED
StillBlue

“!!!”

Yun Chung rubbed her eyes once.
Wait. This… this is real, right?

“Am I seeing this correctly? We ranked 2nd on Billboard… 200?”
“That’s right.”

Seo Baek-young chuckled and ruffled Yun Chung’s hair.

“Congratulations, Yun Chung. Now you can finally relax a bit, right?”
“Of course…! Wait, unnie, aren’t you happy about this?”
“Of course I’m happy.”

Seo Baek-young let out a foolish laugh before setting her phone down.

“Of course I’m happy, but I’m even happier that your worries have finally disappeared.”
“!”

Really, this woman.
I let out a soft chuckle.
At that moment.
Ding!

[Success!]
[Proving Kim Geum Is Not Weak Ⅱ
Condition 1: Even if Kim Geum hasn’t fully recovered her hearing, she will succeed with the next album.
Condition 2: The measure of success is ‘Billboard Chart Career High’
Reward: Recovery of the remaining half of her hearing]
[Condition Met: Billboard 200 Chart Entry – TOP 2!]
[Congratulations! You’ve achieved remarkable results.]
[Your reward has been granted. Please verify it!]

The message window I’d been waiting for finally appeared.
At last…!
I exhaled a breath tinged with slight emptiness.
Finally.
This damned Cotton Ball Entity. Finally.

“Unnie.”
“Hmm?”
“Haven’t the other members woken up yet?”
“No. It’s their first day off in a while, so I let them sleep.”
“Then let’s go wake them up now.”
“Huh?”

I grinned widely.
I wanted to see Kim Geum’s joyful face. That radiant smile without a trace of shadow—I wanted to see it.

“We should have breakfast.”

Quickly.

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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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