Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 7

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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 7.

MEN and Colors’ ambitious new project, “Make a New Color”.
Commonly called MANC—what was the reception like?
During the teaser phase, it had only managed to draw modest interest from a niche audience.
Fans of Colors’ existing idols had mixed feelings about Make a New Color’s announcement.
Half anticipation, half resentment.
Who else would they debut?
The existing idols were doing fine—why introduce new ones?
Yet fundamentally, everyone harbored “some” curiosity.
Let’s at least see what they look like.
And once the self-introduction videos began in earnest—

★
Ryu Bora: Be beautiful
Me: I’ll die
#Today’s_weather_is_Bora_rainbow
I can’t look at Geum anymore. Geum looks like a woman to me now. And I’ve fallen in love with that woman. Knowing it’s impossible, I’m trying to tear out my heart that loves Geum.
Ryeo-yu, I’m sixty years old. How do I live without Ryeo-yu?

The response completely flipped.
Colors truly was Colors.
Most agreed that the girls they’d selected were nothing short of exceptional.

A guide to which MANC member’s video to watch.GEUL

No need to watch all 12 trainees (though Colors fans can if they want)—this is written for the general audience.
Ryu Bora – Her face is seriously good. Honestly, she’s the visual center. Just watching her face for a minute is worth it. Skills are solid too.
Seo Baek-young – As expected from 10 years of trainee experience, skills are solid. But somehow she seems like she’d attract more female fans than male fans.
Yeon Ju-hong – Not exceptionally skilled, but there’s something charming about her. Cute. Tugs at the heartstrings of the devoted fans.
Kim Geum – Her rap is solid. Not sure about the die-hard fans, but the mysterious hip-hop fans are getting won over.
Kim Ryeo-yu – Despite the center controversy, she’s actually good? Her skills are solid. Honestly, she’s in the top three.
Jo Hee-on – Balanced type. Worth watching.
★★Yun Chung★★
– Sorry, I actually stirred up drama to promote her.
She’s definitely the main vocalist, no question.
A main vocalist who can dance and has a face that works?
But the most surprising thing is she’s good at composing too.
She performed an original song and it was genuinely good.
Honestly, most original songs are flops, but this one was really good. I don’t know why it’s good, but I really hope MEN releases the full version soon.
Just give it a try. Seriously, try it.
She seems like she’ll be the next main vocalist type for Colors.

What is this, you obsessed fan?
General audiences don’t even watch stuff like this.
└ Only Colors fans would watch this lol (Colors fan)
But honestly, Yun Chung is seriously incredible. That’s undeniable.

Of course, the one who got the best reaction was—

Who is this Yun Chung girl?; I watched without expectations but she’s insane;

Me.

★
Seriously, the one we had no expectations for is the best; Colors really does have main vocalists…
Did you see Yun Chung’s one-minute self-introduction? It was crazy.
A Colors trainee who performed an original song in her one-minute introduction.

***

Today was a day without filming for the first time in a while.
Of course, that didn’t mean it was a day off.
A day without schedules was a day for practice.
That was the natural rule.
Besides, I had to prepare for the upcoming shoot as well.

“Hello.”

I greeted everyone as I opened the Practice Room door.

“Oh, hey Yun Chung.”
“Hello!”

The atmosphere in the Practice Room had definitely changed.
Before, they’d barely acknowledge my greetings, but now everyone responded warmly.
At the same time, I could feel their attention turning toward me.
This was why OTube, SNS, and online communities were terrifying.
Reactions went live in real-time, raw and unfiltered.
And there was no way the trainees hadn’t seen them.
It was directly connected to their debut prospects.
I acted as I normally would.
A brief moment of attention didn’t mean anything significant.
This was just the beginning.
One misstep here, and I could be back to being a bottom-tier candidate.
After warming up, I played the choreography reference video again.
The choreography for “Rainbow,” the first main track of Make a New Color.
The main stage that would appear at the start of Episode 1.
True to the Colors name, even the first song had to be about rainbows.

‘The center position is crucial for this one.’

Apparently, the center had been decided without any discussion whatsoever.
By Director Kim himself. Without any explanation.
Completely unfairly.

‘Isn’t this too much? You know how important the center is, yet you decide so unfairly…’
‘It’s not just once or twice. The favoritism is so obvious it’s infuriating.’
‘Hey, someone might hear you.’

Perhaps that’s why there was considerable discontent among the trainees.
…I heard about it on the way here earlier.

“Unnie!”

It was Yeon Ju-hong.
According to Yun Chung’s memories, she was the textbook definition of a “maknae”—affectionate, bubbly, and devoted to her seniors.
Though apparently, there were moments when she seemed oddly unsettling.
…I’d need to observe more to understand why. It didn’t feel like genuine fear, exactly—there seemed to be something else beneath the surface.

“Hmm?”
“Did you hear who our center is?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Isn’t that insane? How could they decide on a center without consulting us at all?”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m definitely coming back as a silver spoon baby in my next life, for real.”

Yeon Ju-hong didn’t seem to expect a real response from me—she just chattered away energetically before leaving.
She’s like a whirlwind, that one.

“…You heard, right?”

This time it was Seo Baek-young.
I was wondering why everyone suddenly seemed so friendly with me, then it clicked.
Because I’d become a strong debut candidate.

“About what?”
“That she became center.”
“Oh, yes.”

Seo Baek-young sighed.

“You don’t seem angry about it?”
“Oh, well. I was never really a center candidate anyway.”

At my honest words, Seo Baek-young flinched.
You at least had a shot at being considered—Yun Chung wasn’t even in the running.

“Right, what’s the point of telling you this anyway? Sorry. Let’s finish practice.”

I nodded vaguely and continued with the choreography practice.
So, who exactly is that center?
Well, obviously there’s only one.
Kim Ryeo-yu.

***

“Let’s do a quick mic check before we go!”

This was one of MEN’s studios.
Normally it was used for music broadcasts, but today it seemed to be specially reserved for the music video.
They’d put together a pretty decent set.
Since the song was titled “Rainbow,” the set had been designed with a rainbow concept.
It could have easily looked tacky, but it didn’t. If anything, it felt fresh and youthful.
I suppose that’s what happens when a major label throws money at a concept—they simply bury any potential tackiness under capital.
I found myself thinking back to my original agency.
I hadn’t come from a major label. I’d come from a small-to-mid-sized agency. Small-to-mid-sized was being generous—”micro” wouldn’t have been an exaggeration.
…Though now it was being called a mid-to-large agency.
Of course, that was thanks to me.
When I debuted, it was just a tiny operation. I was the only artist under contract.
There was no money, obviously, and even less business acumen. Representative Seo, the agency head, had nothing but grit and hunger going for him.
Actually, since he was the one who discovered me, I suppose you could say he had an eye for talent.

“We’re going to do a rehearsal, so everyone knows the basics, right? You need to look at the camera with the light on.”

Oh PD was rolling up his script and pointing it at the trainees like a baton.
His personality really is….
I glanced at the camera.
The light was on, so this was being filmed too. I needed to stay sharp.

“Alright, everyone check your positions! Watch the space carefully. The set isn’t the same as the Practice Room.”

I nodded and looked over at Seo Baek-young.
It looks like it’s your turn now.

“Listen up, our stage is a bit dangerous, so pay attention. There’s a ledge here, so be careful not to step outside of it. If you trip and twist your ankle out there, you’re done for, understand?”

As expected, Seo Baek-young, true to her seniority, was giving each of the other trainees individual pointers.

“Gyeong-a and Yun Chung are at the very end, so be extra careful. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Su-in and Hee-on. Watch your spacing. Your gaps aren’t aligned right now. Just because there’s no mirror means you can’t match your positions?”

Seo Baek-young started with the people at the edges, then gradually moved toward the center.

“Ryeo-yu, since you’re center, you know you need to be the best, right?”

Oh, there’s a bite to that comment.
Oh PD, apparently thinking the same thing, called over one of the cameras and pointed it at the two of them.
Irritating bastard.
Honestly, I was puzzled at first when I heard that Kim Ryeo-yu had been decided as center without any discussion.
Center selection was prime material for broadcast content.
The competition and passion among trainees, the skills displayed during auditions.
All of it was content.
Yet he gave up on such easy material to exploit and just straight-up assigned Kim Ryeo-yu as center?
That Oh PD? Why?
But I soon understood the reason.

“Of course I will. Thank you, unnie.”

Oh PD was planning to extract content from this very ‘predetermined’ decision instead.
But something feels off. I naturally assumed Oh PD would be in cahoots with Director Kim. Or is he not?
Well, Oh PD… he’s the type who can’t see anyone above him, after all.
Pride over money, then. I stopped wondering which of these two prideful men would win.
Either way, it didn’t seem like I’d feel good about the outcome.

“What’s there to thank me for? If you’re grateful, just perform well.”

The two of them smiled brightly in front of the camera, but their words carried barbs.
And with good reason.
If center were to be decided by dance, it should have been Seo Baek-young.
If it had to be decided by visuals—even if preferences vary and you couldn’t pick just one—it wouldn’t be Kim Ryeo-yu.
I surveyed all twelve trainees.
Right.
If I had to pick by visuals alone, it’d be Ryu Bora.
The most striking physicality, and with her acting background, her expressions were excellent too—above all, her face was unmatched.
The ideal center material, you could say.

“Are you ready? Let’s head to rehearsal now!”

In any case, Yun Chung still lacked the standing to take center position.
Though she was considered main vocal material, the consensus was that everything else remained bleak.
Besides, people’s evaluations weren’t typically overturned by a single performance anyway.
…And right now, I had no need to take center.
I’d rather decline it.
Center? Fine. It’s the perfect spot to catch eyes at first glance.
But a debut center is a double-edged sword.
If someone qualified occupied that position, they would shine—
but I knew all too well how appetizing an unqualified center made for the wolves.

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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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