The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 39

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Chaebol’s Daughter Debuted

Episode 39

Ah, even I think this isn’t the kind of fear one person should handle alone.

I thought that and muttered as if talking to myself.

“I passed the audition fair and square, but I’m being treated like a parachute hire…”

It was the tone of a young child expressing their hurt feelings. Choi Gyo-young, who had been lost in thought and hanging his head as if trying to burrow into the ground, flinched.

“I made time despite being busy with practice, and then you’re late.”

“Ah, I postponed a meeting to come here too. Father’s going to scold me.”

Ryu Jae-geum casually added. The smile that had disappeared from Ryu Jae-geum’s lips had returned.

“You keep sending emails trying to threaten us with such trivial information. This is troublesome, Reporter. You can’t beat us in a public opinion war anyway.”

That’s also true. How would Hong Jin have hidden Ryu Ji-ye so thoroughly? Being Hong Jin, he must know many reporters.

‘Of course, they’re reporters who have no connection to the entertainment section.’

I put down my spoon and checked the time.

The bodyguards standing outside the door had done their job well. Since the reporter seemed to have already lost his fighting spirit, let’s get to the main point and wrap this up.

As I told him, I need to practice, and Ryu Jae-geum needs to return to the company.

“So, Reporter. Instead of doing that, how about helping me?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Choi Gyo-young and Ryu Jae-geum both looked at me simultaneously.

Choi Gyo-young aside, even Ryu Jae-geum seemed not to have expected such words to come from my mouth.

He even looked disgusted, as if he really hated the idea.

Ah, wait a minute. How convenient would entertainment industry life be with connections to major entertainment reporters?

Not just for future controversies related to Hong Jin either.

I spoke while avoiding Ryu Jae-geum’s gaze.

“You’re good at shaping public opinion. You have good entertainment industry connections too. I heard you’re a very famous reporter in this industry.”

“Well… I am the best at it.”

Choi Gyo-young’s eyes regained some focus. Even if nothing else, his expression showed confidence in aggro and entertainment industry information.

I really don’t want to use Hong Jin as my backing, and I don’t have an entertainment agency to get information from either.

Even if my identity gets revealed and I receive excessive criticism, I don’t know how to report this in a way that’s favorable to me.

Moreover, considering the public opinion war that will happen between agencies later, Choi Gyo-young’s abilities were more necessary to me than I thought.

I smiled slyly and said.

“If you help me well, forgiving this rudeness is natural, and I’ll pass along good information when I get the chance.”

“…Good information?”

As expected of a reporter, he seemed more tempted by the promise of good information in the future than by forgiving the rudeness.

“Oh.”

Ryu Jae-geum looked at me as if surprised. I shrugged my shoulders at him smugly and said to Choi Gyo-young with a beaming smile.

“You’ll cooperate, right?”

If you don’t, Hong Jin will become your enemy.

“Haha…”

At my question, Choi Gyo-young let out a hollow laugh, then twisted his lips up in a sly manner.

“I have to, don’t I?”

***

Some time passed after meeting with Reporter Choi Gyo-young.

We didn’t exchange any separate contact after meeting him that day, but from then on, he agreed to publish articles following the press releases I provided based on facts.

Aside from articles directly commissioned by UNET, he agreed to mobilize all his connections for articles related to Start Plan to induce favorable reactions toward me.

Isn’t this quite a good result for enduring brief rudeness?

Because of that day’s events, it seems like Ryu Jae-geum’s surveillance of me has decreased somewhat compared to before.

Anyway, now I’ve got insurance after the profile reveal.

“Heave-ho!”

I got up from the sofa where I’d been lying down all day.

Now I need to practice.

While I was resting to recover my condition that had collapsed, the group song filming date had approached right up close.

I received the song and choreography in advance, but they said we’d handle team and group practice all at once on the group song filming day, so I was quite worried.

***

Chapter.7 Group Song

Time passed quickly and it was already the day of Start Plan’s group song filming.

“From A Team to F Team, gather by teams and stand!”

“No chatting! Don’t talk and wait!”

The brief group practice and rehearsal went relatively smoothly.

Since there was enough time to practice in advance, there were no trainees who couldn’t keep up with the practice and rehearsal.

However, since there were so many people, there were trainees whose movements stood out, and such people had to move to the back row and dance under the director’s supervision.

On the other hand, trainees with outstanding visuals or those likely to catch viewers’ eyes were pulled to the front row.

Our team also had a member who was pulled to the front row like that.

“I’m standing center here when I never stood there once in 6 years after debut.”

Han Da-min spoke as if feeling deeply moved.

Han Da-min was chosen to take center for our Flora team. Originally we stood in a formation that was a moderate modification of the previous Horizon formation, but the director specifically picked out Han Da-min and put her in front.

The most famous among us was Choi Song-i, who had made her face known through various variety shows, but they seemed to judge that Han Da-min was slightly more suitable for center in terms of being a senior idol and making a comeback.

Behind Han Da-min were Choi Song-i, and Min Ha-young who became famous as the villain of Love Me Idol.

And Seo Ra-eun and I were placed on the sides of the very back row.

We were pushed to the very back row for not being famous, but it doesn’t matter.

‘I got proper close-up shots!’

It’s still rehearsal, but if it goes like this during actual filming, I can draw enough attention.

I worked hard throughout the last filming to create impactful screen time and was quite successful.

Moreover, being a member of the group that took the high ranking of 2nd place, I thought not only I but all the members would get at least one close-up each.

And as expected, we could get minimum individual screen time twice total – once during the 2nd and 3rd place parts, and once during the ending.

In a situation with this many people, unless you’re the 1st place team, this amount of screen time is by no means small. The groups from 4th to 6th place who have to stand below the stage get so little screen time that even group shots are precious.

Anyway, for our Flora, having each of the five members’ faces appear large on screen once was enough.

‘If it goes like this, I can easily succeed at the third mission.’

It’ll probably be after the performance video gets uploaded to YouTube, but even if interest has dropped, it’s UNET’s flagship program.

At least ten thousand people will show interest in the members who took 2nd place.

“How are you feeling today?”

I turned my head at the voice I heard while waiting for the next rehearsal.

“Oh.”

A camera was thrust right in front of me. I hesitated for a moment then quickly smiled.

“I’m so excited.”

They said it’s a behind-the-scenes camera that will be uploaded to Start Plan’s official YouTube channel.

When we started group practice earlier, the production staff gave advance notice that they could conduct interviews anytime.

“This is my first time seeing such a big stage.”

I looked around the venue with sparkling eyes.

It really was my first time. My group was a completely failed group and I had no experience standing on such a big stage.

Who would have thought I’d experience this with this body?

“Did you practice a lot?”

I nodded at the cameraman’s question.

“I practiced enough that I wouldn’t make mistakes even if I danced in my sleep.”

“Then you must not be nervous?”

“Oh, but I am still nervous.”

Actually, I wasn’t nervous at all. The choreography itself was so easy that it took less than half a day to memorize, and I don’t usually get nervous on stage anyway.

But right now, it would be better to just say I’m nervous, right?

“Now that I’m about to go on stage, I’m trembling.”

Then someone wrapped their arm around my shoulder from behind.

“Really? You don’t look nervous at all.”

It was Han Da-min. Han Da-min naturally positioned herself next to me. Then she looked at the cameras and pointed at me.

“Doesn’t her expression look too peaceful? Our Ji-ye looked exactly like this during the individual trainees audition too.”

Huh? She really did watch my audition.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————