The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 118

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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 118

 

 

Choi Gyo-young and Gu Beom-tae had left messages.

 

It seems preparations on their end were complete while I was at the training camp.

 

The two were monitoring the situation, ready to spring into action as soon as I gave the signal after the competition ended.

 

“Really now, no matter if it’s filming, you shouldn’t come crying the night before a competition! Look at this, Ji-ye is perfectly fine. Idols need to manage themselves like this.”

 

The stylist who had been lecturing Seo Ra-eun for a while examined my face, which didn’t have a single sign of puffiness, and smiled contentedly.

 

“I’ll make you look absolutely stunning. So much so that viewers will vote for you just based on your visuals.”

 

Unnie, we still won’t win even if you do that.

 

I felt sorry for the stylist who had grown attached to us and was burning with enthusiasm to make us win.

 

Thanks to that, this makeup and hairstyle perfectly matched our concept while being my favorite style throughout all the competitions.

 

After finishing styling and various rehearsals, we spent time filming selfies, challenges, and comment videos that the production staff requested.

 

As expected for the final broadcast, there wasn’t a moment’s rest even during standby.

 

We were called here and there for quite a while before finally being able to catch our breath after completing the final rehearsal.

 

“Ugh… Oh.”

 

Min Ha-young was about to lie down on the waiting room sofa when she noticed the stylist’s gaze and hurriedly straightened her posture.

 

We had just returned to the waiting room after finishing the group photo card shoot that would be distributed as a fan event.

 

“Why is today so exhausting? Is it just my imagination? The competition hasn’t even started yet.”

 

Min Ha-young muttered.

 

She had the best stamina among the members and rarely complained about being tired. If she was saying this, it meant she was really struggling.

 

“Right. Today does seem really busy.”

 

Instead, it was Han Da-min who seemed excited by this busy situation.

 

‘Da-min likes it when she’s busy.’

 

Since we had so many days with nothing to do, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand that feeling.

 

“Are we done with everything now? Is there nothing else?”

 

I chuckled at Han Da-min’s excited question and tidied up my slightly disheveled hair.

 

Usually during rehearsals, there would be minor mistakes or parts that needed correction.

 

But today’s rehearsal was absolutely perfect.

 

Of course, I had only glimpsed the other teams’ stages, so I couldn’t compare.

 

But at this rate, we could show a ‘championship-worthy’ stage to those who suspected our score manipulation.

 

“Did you see earlier? May Rookie’s stage.”

 

“I saw it, I saw it. I only caught a glimpse, but wasn’t it amazing?”

 

“There seemed to be about thirty backup dancers.”

 

As expected, large corporations are different.

 

Choi Song-i and Min Ha-young spoke with admiration.

 

Since it was the finale, their momentum was definitely different.

 

Whether in numbers or skill, their determination to show their true power was formidable.

 

‘Of course it would be.’

 

SU Entertainment must be aware of the current atmosphere too.

 

The recent noisy controversies and buzz about Flora.

 

Fans who came to check out Flora because of the controversy and ended up staying, plus existing fans who sharpened their knives seeing Flora being unfairly criticized.

 

Flora was considered a legitimate championship candidate for Start Plan.

 

Of course, there were people who dismissed even the visible view counts and fan enthusiasm as manipulation.

 

‘No, actually there seem to be more of those people right now.’

 

Anyway, because of this, May Rookie was now in a situation where they had to prove themselves.

 

According to the plan, they were supposed to win, but if they showed signs of being pushed back by Flora and U&Da in popularity or stage performance, the manipulation controversy would shift to them instead.

 

‘Since Flora won’t win, they’ll naturally distance themselves from suspicion.’

 

Their attitude of taking it easy and non-desperate behavior, trusting only SU Entertainment and U-Net until now, had ironically put May Rookie on trial as the competition neared its end.

 

So May Rookie had prepared with serious determination.

 

 

I hummed quietly, recalling the message Gu Beom-tae had sent about a week ago.

 

But information about the stage they had prepared had already been passed to me long ago, so I wasn’t particularly worried.

 

 

With Young Il-lin from U&Da’s message to the Plan&Shoe group chat, I put down my phone for a moment.

 

“Let’s move to the Flora set.”

 

Then I headed to the set studio with the members, following the production staff.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“Hello.”

 

“Haha, hello…”

 

As we entered the set studio, U&Da and May Rookie greeted us awkwardly.

 

The set studio felt particularly empty and quiet.

 

Chairs arranged in only three areas while maintaining the eliminated teams’ spaces as they were.

 

The empty areas seemed to announce that Flora, U&Da, and May Rookie had survived through fierce competition.

 

Because of this, the space that had become familiar now felt more solemn and nerve-wracking.

 

The cameras were still preparing to film, and we just sat quietly, watching each other.

 

Perhaps because of the atmosphere, it wasn’t easy to look at the other teams.

 

‘I want to check their outfit concepts.’

 

After hesitating for a moment, I casually turned my head and made direct eye contact with Young Il-lin from U&Da sitting across from me.

 

‘Ji-ye~’

 

Young Il-lin nudged Ji-ah, and soon both of them were cheerfully waving at me and Seo Ra-eun.

 

Seeing that, my stiff expression melted away as well.

 

But both U&Da and I quickly hid our expressions.

 

“We’re starting soon!”

 

The production staff shouted.

 

Today’s competition was a live broadcast, not a recording.

 

There were fans waiting for us on stage, and Choi Gyu-jin, who usually entered playfully to ease our tension, would be waiting on stage, not here.

 

Soon our appearances would be broadcast in real time.

 

“Whew…”

 

I don’t usually get nervous.

 

But live broadcasts are nerve-wracking no matter how many times you do them.

 

Shortly after, the production staff began the countdown.

 

“10 seconds until filming starts…”

 

I straightened my posture and steadied my breathing.

 

Of course, since the live broadcast focused mainly on the stage, they wouldn’t show the set studio right away.

 

“Let’s do well, everyone.”

 

I nodded at Han Da-min’s quiet whisper and clenched my slightly trembling hands into fists.

 

And shortly after.

 

“Five, four, three… Cue!”

 

With the production staff’s shout and Start Plan’s signature opening BGM, the live broadcast began.

 

The stage on the screen installed in the center of the set studio went dark, and soon the opening VCR started playing.

 

All the countless practice videos and tears shed so far.

 

And the happy smiles after taking first place, as well as the tearful final comments from eliminated teams.

 

It flowed cleanly, as if showing the story of Start Plan.

 

Right, that’s how we were.

 

As I was getting somewhat nostalgic watching it, another sound echoed throughout the set studio space through the speakers, behind the voices in the VCR.

 

“Ah.”

 

My mind snapped to attention.

 

For the first time, I could hear the fans’ voices so loudly that they nearly drowned out the VCR audio.

 

Right. This stage wasn’t just for us alone, of course.

 

Since it was the final, countless fans were watching the stage to cheer us on.

 

Only when their cheers reached us this loudly did it truly hit me that our Flora was standing before fans for the first time.

 

Just as all the cast members froze once again, the VCR ended and Choi Gyu-jin appeared on stage.

 

-Hello to all the viewers and fans who love Start Plan! I’m announcer Choi Gyu-jin, hosting Start Plan.

 

Having already hosted several competition programs, Choi Gyu-jin skillfully continued the broadcast despite it being the first live show, drawing enthusiastic responses from the audience.

 

-The journeys we’ve shared with six teams of talented members are still vivid in our memories. Now these passionate times have come down to just the final round.

 

At his words, disappointed “Ahh…” sounds could be heard from the audience at the venue.

 

Choi Gyu-jin made a regretful expression in response, then smiled brightly and said.

 

-But don’t be too disappointed. Since it’s the final, the members are waiting with their best stages prepared. Actually, I caught a glimpse of rehearsal earlier and it was truly amazing…

 

Choi Gyu-jin rambled on with flattery, smoothly appeasing the fans just as he had done with us, then received a signal from the production staff and checked his cue card.

 

-Now, let’s officially begin the final round.

 

Choi Gyu-jin briefly explained the final round’s theme, evaluation method, and the performance order rules while pointing to the box of balls in front of him.

 

The performance order was a simple system where groups would perform starting with whichever group’s name Choi Gyu-jin drew from the box.

 

-Now let’s officially begin Start Plan’s final round!

 

At Choi Gyu-jin’s shout, spectacular lighting poured onto the dim stage along with majestic background music.

 

After a moment of quiet, Choi Gyu-jin reached his hand into the box on stage.

 

-The first performer of the long-awaited final stage is!

 

Choi Gyu-jin rolled the balls around in the box, then grabbed one and held it up high.

 

As the ball in his hand was shown in close-up on the screen, the audience cheered loudly.

 

“Ah…”

 

Meanwhile, the cast members who saw the team name on the ball let out small sighs.

 

 

 

[May Rookie]

 

 

 

-The group that will grace the first stage is! The rookies carrying all of SU Entertainment’s expectations! May Rookie!

 

At the name displayed large on screen, not only May Rookie themselves but also U&Da and our Flora made complex expressions.

 

May Rookie looked tense from the burden of being the first performers on the live broadcast, and the remaining cast members…

 

‘I can’t tell if this is good or bad.’

 

It was impossible to gauge what effect May Rookie performing first would have on the other teams’ stages that would follow.

 

May Rookie had definitely said they were coming with a large-scale stage.

 

‘…Or maybe not. It’s better than May Rookie going second?’

 

Either way, whichever group came after May Rookie would definitely bear a huge psychological burden regardless of their own stage quality.

 

-May Rookie, please move backstage.

 

Shortly after, following Choi Gyu-jin’s words, May Rookie left the set studio.

 

Meanwhile, a VCR for May Rookie began playing on the screen.

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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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