Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 73

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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 73.

That was it.
Voting would begin after the trainees’ individual interviews and stage performances.
And instead of selecting four through live voting and one through the judges panel, all five would be selected through live voting alone.
These changes were what Yun Chung had demanded.
And what Hong President had approved.
In truth, I wanted far more than just those two things.
Expanding Yeon Ju-hong’s individual interview segment, or not including so many of Kim Ryeo-yu’s excuses, and so on.
But all the minor requests had been rejected.
It seemed I hadn’t expected much from them anyway and had simply thrown them out there to see what stuck.
The most important thing was the ‘voting’.
Hong President hadn’t found my requests particularly difficult.
The judges panel selection was originally a rule Director Kim had inserted as a safeguard in case Kim Ryeo-yu failed to make it through live voting.
It wasn’t particularly necessary for Hong President.
Of course, limiting the voting time wasn’t a request he favored.
Reduced voting time meant there was a risk of decreased revenue from voting.
However, it wasn’t a request so difficult he couldn’t accommodate it.
If handled properly, it could actually cause voting participation to skyrocket.
So then, only one thing remained.
Who would debut?
Or rather,
Who would I make debut?

“…Do you have a trainee in mind?”

Of course he would.
Oh PD asked the question himself, then immediately regretted it.

“What are your thoughts on trainee Yun Chung, Oh PD?”
“….”

Oh PD chose his words carefully.
Yun Chung.
In truth, Oh PD neither particularly liked nor disliked Yun Chung.
However, compared to the other trainees, he preferred that Yun Chung debut.
He’d already established a “connection” with her.
In Oh PD’s eyes, Yun Chung was destined to rise.
It wasn’t simply because she sang well or overflowed with charisma.
Yun Chung possessed a talent more important than singing.
Quick thinking.
Oh PD had witnessed countless times that only idols with sharp minds could endure to the end.
And Yun Chung was a trainee who knew how to use hers quite well.
Just the fact that she casually tried to make a deal with him proved it.
But there was no need to voice his opinion.
Connections were best kept hidden.

“Well, I do think she’d be popular if she debuted. I mean, she’ll get plenty of narrative this time around.”
“That’s true. She’s crafted that narrative quite well herself.”
“…And Hong President approved that narrative as well.”
“It was a narrative that seemed like it would sell well. Good versus evil. There’s no narrative people love more than that. A trainee who sacrificed for her fellow trainees defeats an evil villain and debuts. Not bad at all.”

Hong President chuckled.

“Then… what’s the problem?”
“If there is a problem.”

Hong President sighed.

“Idols who rise on character fall on character just as easily.”

A trainee who gained public favor by appearing to have good character is a double-edged sword.
A virtuous image secures endorsements and regular schedules.
But.
The moment even the smallest mistake, flaw, or rumor emerges.

“Everyone will be waiting for her downfall.”
“….”
“She rose because she seemed kind, but she’s actually not kind? The moment that label sticks… the damage is far greater than for celebrities who never had a good image to begin with.”
“Because she disappoints people.”
“Exactly. She made money off that image, and then she delivers the disappointment that the image was false… the sense of betrayal is enormous.”

That’s why Hong President disliked the titles of “good” idols or “virtuous” celebrities.
An idol should rise on charm alone.
Their own talent, charisma, and appeal—if managed well, they never betray you.
A solid core fanbase builds naturally.
Even if a character scandal erupts, it can actually give fans an opportunity to become even more devoted.

“That’s why I’m a bit worried. Whether we should debut her at all. If she makes even one mistake… the entire team could suffer the fallout.”
“Did you conduct a thorough background check?”
“The investigation is complete. Fortunately, her past is spotless—almost pitifully so.”

Despite her unfortunate circumstances, she had endured with stubborn determination.
Without family, she survived her trainee years alone, always treating others with kindness.
She had never bullied anyone, not once.
If anything, she was the one bullied.

“Then wouldn’t proper management suffice?”
“Have you ever managed people?”
“Just subordinate staff?”
“Did it go as planned?”
“No. It didn’t.”
“Managing full-grown adults for eight hours a day is already incredibly difficult. Now imagine managing teenagers for ten years—twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. Their entire private lives?”
“You have to. You’re making an astronomical amount of money from it. If I earned that much, I’d manage it somehow.”

Hong President laughed instead of answering.
That was a fair point too.

“Well, anyway. So the conclusion is.”
“You want to exclude Yun Chung?”
“No. That won’t work.”

She would be the goose that laid golden eggs.
Of course, that goose was perched on an incredibly terrifying cliff.
But there were plenty of reasons to raise her.

“I just hope you don’t give her too much narrative.”
“Hmm.”
“Especially minimize the character-building marketing. Don’t make her look like a victim. Just include some explanation regarding Kim Ryeo-yu. Make it seem like nothing more than a misunderstanding between kids.”

Oh PD thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“I’ll try my best, but it won’t work. The public isn’t that foolish.”
“I know. It won’t gain any traction. But.”

Hong President rubbed the back of his neck and continued speaking.
Lately, his neck had been stiff far too often.

“Couldn’t we at least disperse the focus away from those two and toward the other trainees instead?”

Oh PD pondered for a moment.
It wouldn’t be easy, but he thought it might be possible to scatter attention somewhat.

“Which trainees exactly are you referring to?”

Hong President looked at the whiteboard in the corner of the conference room.
Eleven photographs were pinned to the whiteboard.

“Probably toward the ones Colors wants to debut.”
“Excuse me. I can’t help with such blatant manipulation.”
“I never said anything like that, Oh PD.”

As he spoke, Hong President quietly removed several photographs from among the eleven.
He placed them on the desk.
One was a photograph of Yun Chung.
Oh PD examined the remaining four photographs and widened his eyes.

“Are you serious?”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“No, I mean, setting aside everything else. I think you placed this one by mistake?”

Oh PD pointed to one of the photographs.

“No. I didn’t place it by mistake.”
“But….”

You want to debut her?
Are you insane, or are you losing your mind?

“Please do your best with the filming. I’ll probably contact you with more details soon.”

Hong President smiled faintly and stepped out of the conference room.
Now only Oh PD remained inside, visibly stunned.

“…This won’t be easy, Yun Chung.”

***

And so, after a one-minute commercial break.
The broadcast resumed from the team mission preparation phase.

Caption: Team Winners in discussion, centered around trainee Kim Ryeo-yu.
Caption: Team Winners has chosen the concept “Little Devils.”

“About our positions.”

On screen, Kim Ryeo-yu appeared far more composed than anyone else.

“I think Lee Gyeong-a should be the main vocalist.”

Lee Gyeong-a had already reached an agreement beforehand, so she showed little reaction.
But for those watching the broadcast, it was another shock.

Why is Kim Ryeo-yu suddenly acting nice..?
Pretending to reform at the end of the broadcast… just go your own way now

Then, a personal interview segment was inserted.

Production Team: Why did you recommend Lee Gyeong-a as the main vocalist? You must have wanted to be the main vocalist yourself?

[Ryeo-yu: For the sake of teamwork.]
[Ryeo-yu: Rather than standing out more right now, I think teamwork is what matters most. At first, I only thought I was talented, and I believed showcasing my charm was the priority. I was just too immature.]

Production Team: Was there a specific moment that triggered this change of heart?

[Ryeo-yu: Actually, Yun Chung became my biggest motivation.]

The production team immediately showed past broadcast footage of Kim Ryeo-yu and Yun Chung conversing warmly together.
Naturally, the internet’s reaction was ice-cold.

Haha, look at them trying to connect the dots now
Stop with the forced shipping, you Colors fanatics
So is MEN garbage or is Colors garbage…?
└Both

Regardless, Kim Ryeo-yu’s interview continued.

[Ryeo-yu: Actually, Yun Chung joined Colors the latest. So I didn’t really know her well. Just… a girl who could sing well and had recently joined, you know?]
[Gyeong-a: Yun Chung? For us trainees, she was like a sudden shift in the landscape. Word was a girl with great vocals had joined. But she was so good that she even made it to the debut lineup candidates. I was incredibly nervous. I was aiming for the main vocal position myself.]
[Yu-hyeon: Since someone who just joined suddenly made it into the debut lineup, everyone was unsettled. Plus, Yun Chung is such a quiet person that she didn’t really stand out. So we didn’t even know what kind of person she was. We were wary, but what could we do? It was hard for all of us.]

Caption: Misunderstandings that accumulated in an unavoidable situation…

Honestly, I get it too lol I know she didn’t do anything wrong and it’s not even my jealousy… I was just genuinely hurt
└For real, when a new person joins and they’re better at the job than you and get promoted faster… that’s infuriating
└└Yeah… especially if Yun Chung was quiet like that, there’d be no communication between them so misunderstandings would pile up like crazy
They’re all so young… most of them are only 19, 20, 21… if you think of it like entrance exams, it’s definitely a sensitive time

And so,
public opinion began its reversal, very slowly.

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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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