The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 34

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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 34

The sound of their footsteps echoed particularly loud and heavy.

The judges with their merciless gazes, the trainees watching without being able to utter a word, the cold and quiet atmosphere with dim lighting.

Even the cameras capturing all of this.

To Romance Story, all these moments must have felt like torture.

As Romance Story went down to the stage, spotlights poured down on them.

Only then could their expressions be seen. They looked like they were about to die from being crushed by all the stares.

Really… Even if this is broadcasting, I thought this was too cruel of a production.

So-hae looked at their faces expressionlessly and picked up the microphone.

“I think Romance Story knows best why they’re in 6th place.”

The members’ heads hung low.

“Overall, it was sloppy and showed many shortcomings. Above all, I think you really need to practice hard. Whatever else, your skills are your own shortcomings that you can’t blame on anyone else. I hope we can see better performances on your next stage.”

“Thank… you.”

Romance Story gave their thanks in a crawling voice, but the hellish time wasn’t over yet.

Lee Si-ah, who had been listening to So-hae’s evaluation with displeasure, picked up the microphone.

“So-hae spoke really kindly. To be honest, this stage was really disappointing.”

Oh my.

I unconsciously drew in a breath.

When I watched the evaluation right after the stage, she didn’t say anything so I thought she had no comments, but it seems she was just speechless from being dumbfounded.

“To be honest. I think debut group friends from entertainment agencies have much more advantages than individual trainees. I don’t care if I get criticized for this statement. Because it’s the truth.”

She’s right though. Individual trainees don’t have choices.

When a theme comes out, they can only decide concepts and arrangements within the support that mentors and broadcasting companies have set up.

Plus, they’re just now getting in sync with members, and at best they can only get help from writers and mentors for directing and planning.

Whatever they do, it’s true that they’re at a disadvantage compared to trainees with agencies.

“But despite that, having a first round stage that’s worse than individual trainees who just entered the industry – I really think you need to reflect on this.”

“What do we do. They’re getting scolded…”, “But she’s right though.” And so on. Even the debut group trainees who had been quiet until now started muttering one or two words each.

It seems everyone had their own thoughts while watching Romance Story’s stage.

Eventually, one of the Romance Story members started crying again.

Only then did Lee Si-ah finish her brutal advice that cut to the bone.

“For the next stage, I hope you engrave in your minds that this is a competition and prepare with your best effort. This time it’s just 6th place, but next time it’s elimination.”

“…Yes.”

“Don’t cry.”

“*sniff*, Yes.”

The fact that must not be forgotten is that this broadcast is strictly a tournament competition with an elimination system.

From the next round, last place just gets eliminated.

Romance Story shouldn’t be feeling sorry for themselves but should consider it fortunate that today’s 6th place doesn’t mean elimination.

“…Yes, but still, Romance Story, you really worked hard.”

When the judges finished their comments, Choi Gyu-jin guided them to the edge of the stage and lightened the atmosphere that had become too stiff.

“Today you received a disappointing ranking, but there’s still another chance, isn’t there? As the judges said, work harder! We’ll look forward to your revenge after preparing. Now, next, please announce 5th place.”

Following Choi Gyu-jin’s hosting, the rankings were announced in order.

As a result, 5th place went to I Meet You, who received criticism that their song choice didn’t match the group’s image, and 4th place was decided as First Grade, an individual trainee team.

First Grade’s stage was quite good too, but I think they fell behind because the remaining teams’ skills were outstanding and they lacked in directing.

Anyway. With this, our team did get into the top 3 as we wanted, but…

“Next, for 3rd place, we ask Judge Lee Si-ah to make the announcement.”

The 3rd place announcement that followed.

From then on, my chest started to feel stuffy.

Indeed, human greed knows no bounds and leaps ahead.

Now that we had entered the top 3, I wanted to go even higher.

The remaining groups were MN’s U&DA and SU’s May Rookie.

They were all strong opponents, but the group we could possibly overcome would be May Rookie.

‘No, May Rookie did really well too.’

I shouldn’t think we could win just because they received a little criticism from the judges.

When I unconsciously gripped Choi Song-i’s hand that I was holding even tighter.

“3rd place is.”

Lee Si-ah looked at the trainee seats and opened her mouth.

“3rd place is… U&DA.”

“…”

The trainees murmured.

“Yes, U&DA who took 3rd place, please come down to the stage.”

I almost let out a hollow laugh.

‘Well, of course any ranking wouldn’t have been strange.’

In terms of skills, U&DA would have definitely been 1st place.

Of course, the judging criteria included not just skills but also star quality and directing among many things to consider.

But even considering all that, U&DA being 3rd place was hard to accept.

Rather, it would have been more fitting for May Rookie, who received criticism for being more boring than expected after the intro, or our team, who gave up on ranking ambitions to focus on making a first impression, to take 3rd place.

Something felt off…

“It’s a bit unexpected that U&DA is in 3rd place.”

“Right. I thought they would get 1st place.”

“The other teams did well too, but…”

Our team members and the trainees who had gone on stage earlier seemed to have similar thoughts as whispers could be heard here and there.

But U&DA themselves got up from their seats as if they expected this and calmly went down to the stage.

‘Ah…’

Only after seeing their resigned expressions did I realize the identity of this strange feeling.

‘Of course it wouldn’t be fair.’

Moreover, this isn’t an individual survival but a team survival.

The individual trainees selected by the broadcasting station aside, the debut group trainees may call it competition among trainees, but isn’t it actually survival between companies?

Next-generation artists that each company put forward with their pride on the line.

Especially large agencies would grind their teeth and try hard to get good evaluations, so they wouldn’t have avoided pulling strings beforehand.

MN is also a big company if you consider it big, but no place has had as long a corrupt relationship with UNET as SU.

‘I wondered why SU would send out trainees.’

That high-nosed company wouldn’t readily send trainees to an audition program.

“Now all that’s left are the 1st place team and 2nd place team who will take the main stage for this round. Well then, Judge Ji-hoon, please announce today’s 2nd place team first!”

“Yes, I’ll make the announcement. The team that took 2nd place in Start Plan’s first round is!”

Anyway, if SU really did pull strings beforehand, then 2nd place would naturally be.

“FLORA. Congratulations!”

Our team’s.

“Wh-whoooa!”

The members let out sounds close to screams and all stood up at once. Choi Song-i’s hand holding mine also tensed up painfully.

“Un-unnie. We’re 2nd place!”

The members simultaneously rushed over and hugged each other.

‘…Well.’

It’s not like there wasn’t a feeling that our ranking got higher as a side effect of SU trying to check U&DA.

For now, putting the unpleasant feeling aside…

“Yes! FLORA! A team of individual trainees has achieved such excellent results and risen to 2nd place! Please come down to the stage.”

“Yes!”

Since we rose all the way to 2nd place. Let’s enjoy this moment as much as we’re happy.

Finally, the spotlight fell on us who had been waiting in the dim area.

We proudly headed to the stage, receiving applause from the cast members.

“Congratulations to FLORA. Could we hear a brief comment? From Da-min, the leader.”

“Ah, yes!”

Han Da-min, whose soul had been half knocked out from how nervous she’d been until hearing the rankings, picked up the microphone with a completely relaxed smile.

“Um…”

And soon Han Da-min’s expression became strange.

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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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