The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 1
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Chaebol’s Daughter Debuted
Episode 1
Back when everything I did was pretty, well done, and praised—that’s when I became an idol.
‘I shouldn’t have done that.’
It’s been 7 years since I entered the industry. My passion for dancing, singing, and performing was earnest, and I was told I had quite a bit of talent.
Though I’d self-deprecatingly call it a handful of bean-sized fans, I did have my own fanbase.
So I endured and persevered.
But I shouldn’t have.
If I had known that with the sudden notice of disbandment, my entire life would be thrown into the middle of the road like this.
“Ugh… ugh…”
My vision turned red.
I don’t mean that metaphorically—everything around me was literally red.
“Ah…”
The pain gradually deepened until eventually I couldn’t feel any pain at all.
Only then did I realize I was dying.
‘Why…?’
I had just been feeling miserable enough to want to die, but I never actually intended to die.
Watching the blood slowly stain the asphalt, I let out a shallow breath.
I really lived my best life, and now I’m dying like this.
“Ah, miss, open your eyes. No, no! I, I called an ambulance, so please! Stay conscious! Don’t die! If you die, I, I’ll be!”
A murderer.
The man who hit me with his motorcycle was screaming and shaking my body.
But I seemed to really be dying—it didn’t hurt anymore, and I couldn’t hear his voice clearly.
In my head, countless misfortunes I’d experienced were flashing by like a revolving lantern.
My childhood debut at a small company with nothing, unable to even get proper costumes.
Back then I at least received some small attention, but was that lukewarm popularity the problem?
“Just come by briefly, show your face and leave. Show up, say hello, and if you do just that much, he’s a good person so he’ll take good care of you.”
Rejecting the sponsorship offer that came through the company was the beginning of my misfortune.
The comeback schedule that had finally been prepared after 2 years was suddenly canceled and all schedules evaporated.
Even begging for any schedule at all was useless.
The only thing I could do was live broadcasts to communicate with the fans who remained by my side despite having no activities.
Eventually, around my 5th year since debut, I even went out to perform on the streets with songs and choreography I made myself.
Anyone could see it was clearly retaliation for rejecting the sponsorship, but there was nothing we could do.
We were young and had no company to protect us, no power, no popularity, no money.
And finally today, we received notice of disbandment from the company.
Some members who had felt their contracts like shackles said they felt relieved, while a few including myself got angry and stormed out.
I ran outside and wandered the streets aimlessly.
Then I collided head-on with a motorcycle, which led to this current situation.
“Hah…”
Tears forced their way out.
My dried-up emotions came seeping out, so wretchedly.
I want to live. I don’t want to die.
If I die like this, my life would be too pitiful.
If I die like this, all my struggling to somehow succeed would become ridiculous.
I’ve lived doing nothing but dancing and singing since I was young. I endured thinking this was the only path, and it’s all I know how to do.
The resentment I’d been desperately holding back and suppressing for so long quickly consumed my mind.
‘It’s okay even if I have to live harder.’
I don’t want to die.
‘I wanted to have our concert too…’
‘I promised the fans we’d definitely make a comeback…’
But contrary to my thoughts, my consciousness slowly grew dim.
Ah.
‘Even in this situation, no one recognizes me.’
Feeling tears flow down my temples, I slowly closed my eyes.
‘If there’s a next life, I hope to be born as a rich and powerful chaebol…’
It was death.
***
Chapter. 1 The Chaebol Family’s Youngest Daughter
The thick smell of disinfectant stung my nose.
‘…Huh?’
I didn’t die?
I felt a sticky pain in my head and severe headache, my whole body ached as if my bones were shattered.
Ah, I’m alive.
I was feeling complicated emotions while slowly grasping at the consciousness flowing in with my eyes closed.
“Hah… This idiot.”
A man’s voice I’d never heard before snapped me to attention.
Come to think of it, someone had been holding my hand this whole time.
Crazy, what the hell. Who’s holding my hand?
‘What, what is this! Who is it!’
My eyes shot open.
I hurriedly turned my head to check the man holding my hand.
…Who are you really?
Some young man I’d never seen before in a suit was holding my hand with both of his, his head deeply bowed as if praying.
It was a truly shocking situation.
I wanted to scream and slap his hands away immediately, but my body was as heavy as a stone and I couldn’t.
For now, I squeezed out a voice with all the strength I had.
“Excuse me…”
You crazy bastard, get your hands off my body.
A completely hoarse voice came out.
Then the man suddenly raised his head and began examining my complexion with disbelieving eyes.
“You, you! You’re alive…!”
Then he felt relieved on his own before suddenly frowning deeply.
“Hah… Ryu Ji-ye, hey! You idiot! Please get your act together and live! I knew you were crazy but geez, really…”
“…”
What bullshit is this. Who comes to someone else’s hospital room calling them crazy…
…Wait, is this really a hospital room?
I suddenly felt something was strange and looked around.
The bandages wrapped around my body, the IV drip, this disinfectant smell—it’s definitely a hospital, but for a hospital, this room is a bit too big.
Plus the interior looks less like a hospital and more like a hotel suite room?
‘Where is this place?’
Then the man, who seemed still angry and was muttering while pacing around the room, sat back down in the chair beside the bed and glared at me.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
“Ryu Ji-ye, if you were going to cause an accident, you should have done it without getting hurt yourself.”
“…What?”
Ryu Ji-ye? Who is that supposed to be?
My name is Hong Yeo-eun, not Ryu Ji-ye.
When I looked at the man with a bewildered expression, he frowned even deeper.
“I can help clean up the trouble you cause, but I can’t follow you around taking care of you every time you get hurt.”
Oppa?
At that moment, my gaze unconsciously drifted toward the window beyond the man’s shoulder.
‘Huh?’
The reflection in the window wasn’t me.
A face much younger than mine, long wavy black hair unlike my short bob, a pretty woman with an innocent expression.
Making the same expression as me and sitting in the same spot as me.
Who is this?
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
When I belatedly realized something was terribly wrong.
The headache that had persisted since I woke up disappeared, and new memories began flooding in to fill its place.
‘What the hell…’
My head was spinning.
Memories I didn’t recognize.
They were fragmentary information and memories of the person named Ryu Ji-ye that this man had just mentioned.
Ryu Ji-ye, twenty years old.
The youngest granddaughter of the chairman of Hongjin Group, one of South Korea’s leading conglomerates.
The man before me was Ryu Ji-ye’s older brother, Ryu Jae-geum. Despite being busy with important duties at Hongjin Subsidiary Companies, he seemed to act as Ryu Ji-ye’s guardian.
‘And I am.’
My reflection in the window was.
I had become Ryu Ji-ye, the youngest granddaughter of that great conglomerate.
“Ryu Ji-ye? Are you okay? Should I call a doctor?”
As I stared blankly at the window in this absurd situation, Ryu Jae-geum, who had been lecturing me thoroughly, hesitated and looked at my complexion with concern.
I answered with half-slurred pronunciation.
“No…”
“…Why are you suddenly speaking formally? No, you look like you’re in bad shape. I’ll call a doctor.”
“I said no…”
Forget doctors and everything else, I need time to think.
When I earnestly shook my head, Ryu Jae-geum, who had been about to press the Call Bell, gritted his teeth and said.
“They told me to call when you woke up.”
For some reason, his voice sounded like he was suppressing anger.
“But let me say what I need to say first before calling them. Hey, please stop acting so emotionally. What kind of state is this? Why didn’t you go to School… No, this is something to discuss when you’re better. If you keep this up, you’ll really get kicked out of the house.”
“Uh…”
“Grandfather nearly fainted when he heard about you. Anyway, you’re dead meat once you’re discharged. If you don’t have dreams, at least live a normal life, seriously.”
I could only keep my mouth tightly shut and listen to the pouring lecture.
It wasn’t my fault, but if I had truly become this person called Ryu Ji-ye, then it was indeed a situation where I had done wrong.
The Ryu Ji-ye in my memories was someone who had been spoiled too much, and no matter how you put it, couldn’t be called a person with a good personality.
Even though she had family members who said they’d support whatever she wanted to do. This blessed young lady had kicked away those good opportunities with her own feet and went around causing trouble diligently.
There were no illegal activities or crossing major lines, but she was the type to pick and choose petty troublesome things to do.
Today too, she got caught skipping School during a self-study period, got scolded by her mother, rebelled, and ended up in this state after tumbling down the stairs by herself.
‘What is this, really…’
So why did I become that Ryu Ji-ye?
“Hey, you’re really hurting a lot, aren’t you? Seeing how quiet you are. Sigh, fine. What more can I say to someone who’s sick.”
Just as my head was about to hurt from confusion, Ryu Jae-geum’s phone rang at that moment.
Ryu Jae-geum let out a deep sigh, pressed the Call Bell, then left the hospital room to answer the phone.
“What is this…”
It was when I, finally alone, was trying my best to understand this situation.
Ding!
Something strange appeared before my eyes.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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