The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 63

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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 63

There’s no more effective clarification than when the person who threw the stone into the lake speaks up themselves.

I lowered my eyebrows glumly and spoke in a hurt tone.

“That’s what I’m saying. I just auditioned and got in. The production staff probably don’t even know I’m from Hongjin Group yet.”

Probably.

My expression right now must be the most wronged expression I’ve had since becoming Ryu Ji-ye. The members’ expressions wavered.

No, I’m really telling the truth!

I wasn’t sure if I needed to explain this, but understanding the members’ feelings of having no choice but to be suspicious, I earnestly clarified.

That’s when Choi Song-i muttered.

“If they were going to debut you from the start, they wouldn’t have put you on our team. They would have tried harder to put you in May Rookie. With the winner already decided, why would they put you on a team that’s going to be eliminated?”

“….”

What? What did you just say?

I froze at those unbelievable words.

A team that’s going to be eliminated? No, more than that, the winner is already decided?

A different kind of silence followed than before.

The moment I saw the members’ expressions, I could tell.

‘Ah, the team being on the verge of collapse…’

The team’s crisis wasn’t about me being Hongjin Group’s daughter, nor Choi Song-i’s attitude problem.

The fact that the winner was already decided.

Those words meant there would be no meaning or reward in working so hard and wearing ourselves down for debut.

“What do you mean…”

“Song-i, what are you saying? The winner is completely predetermined? Not just being pushed a little?”

No matter how hard we try, there’s no reward coming back. We can’t even debut.

Then what are we supposed to continue this competition for?

No matter how hard we try, we’ll end up being arranged and edited as supporting characters for the predetermined winner.

In the past, Love Me Idol was like that.

Seo Ra-eun, who briefly gained attention for her looks, was completely edited out from the next episode.

Min Ha-young, who was getting positive reactions for her dancing, was witch-hunted through evil editing.

We were just being used like chess pieces on a board for the broadcasting station’s benefit.

Having experienced that, this news was indeed information that could cut our passion by 70%.

“Hah… Really? There’s a predetermined candidate?”

Then the Start Plan secret written in Choi Song-i’s status window must be this.

“You really didn’t know, unnie…”

“Of course I didn’t know. I did everything honestly.”

Though there was that incident where Ryu Jae-geum found out the audition results in advance.

After that, I firmly refused, so he never brought up anything about it again.

When I spoke firmly, Min Ha-young’s expression finally softened.

“Ji-ye, I’m sorry. For being suspicious… I know you’re skilled enough to pass the audition on your own, but I still…”

“No, I understand. You had no choice but to be suspicious. It’s a well-known fact that Hongjin invests in UNET and does PPL. Audition participants are sensitive about such things.”

But that’s not what’s important right now. You’re saying the winner is predetermined?

Those UNET bastards are playing money games with trainees again!

Well, I can guess who that winner is, but I asked Choi Song-i for confirmation.

“Who is that winner? And how did you find out?”

Choi Song-i said casually.

“They’ve been in first place the whole time. May Rookie. My dad heard it when he went to a countdown meeting. They made a comeback recently. My dad did.”

A sigh escaped me involuntarily.

So to summarize.

Start Plan was planned from the beginning as an event to debut May Rookie through an agreement with SU.

According to Seo Ra-eun and Min Ha-young, who had experience appearing on Love Me Idol, UNET wasn’t originally this messed up.

While competition programs always had their share of prior agreements, manipulation, and coordination, they didn’t decide winners from the very beginning.

“Until now, even when there were controversies several times, they just got buried and passed over. This time they probably took a much bolder approach.”

Han Da-min said through gritted teeth.

What was more surprising was that several teams, including U&DA, already knew about this situation but still participated.

“Other teams know this but just go along with it?”

“Even if they can’t win, they get their faces on broadcast. Since they’re going to debut anyway, it’s beneficial.”

It meant that teams with agencies had the main purpose of appearing on UNET’s flagship program to make themselves known.

That makes sense.

Since the debut of debut group trainees is already confirmed, appearing for publicity would at least help secure some fans before debut.

‘But not for us.’

Individual trainees don’t have confirmed debuts.

Moreover, even if we secure fans in this state, the fandom will scatter instantly when the group disbands.

The idol industry these days is so harsh.

Even if you participate in a competition program, if you end with mediocre results, it’s hard to receive the halo effect of the competition show even if you manage to find an agency and debut.

“Hmm…”

It was the long-awaited first broadcast day of Start Plan, but the atmosphere became gloomy before it even started.

In an atmosphere that seemed impossible to recover, I held back another sigh that was about to come out and asked.

“Is there any possibility of it being overturned based on buzz? This is a voting competition.”

No matter how much UNET it is, they can’t blatantly manipulate and get away with it.

Unfair judging would reduce fans’ interest and damage buzz, sales, and even the image of future competition programs.

Then if there’s a group that obviously surpasses May Rookie’s popularity, wouldn’t there be room for the winner to change?

…As if. That’s not going to happen.

‘What kind of stupid question am I asking.’

After experiencing this industry so much, I’m still having such hopeful thoughts.

There are plenty of ways to manipulate votes or control popularity through editing.

Sure enough, Han Da-min shook her head bitterly.

“There probably won’t be such a case. May Rookie were popular trainees from the beginning anyway.”

“Right, there won’t be such a case.”

Choi Song-i said definitively.

“I only heard it from my dad, so I don’t know the details. But they’re already in talks and preparing for the debut show?”

“Wow, they’re really shameless.”

Min Ha-young, who had been listening quietly, turned bright red and hit her knee with her fist.

“They decided everything behind the scenes! They’re preparing for the debut show, but in front they act surprised and happy about being in first place! That’s really too much.”

Ah, exactly! Hearing this makes me angry too.

Even though I thought it was inevitable since this industry is full of manipulation and backdoor deals, it’s still infuriating.

Fine, let’s say the debut groups participated knowing about it.

But what about us? Are we really just going to be used and then eliminated?

That’s too unfair.

Actually, Song-i and I might be okay.

Even if we get eliminated here, there’s a high chance we’ll get casting offers through the broadcast.

If I really want to, I could even consider starting a company.

But what about the other members?

What if Min Ha-young, who participated to recover her ruined image, becomes a victim of evil editing again here?

What about Han Da-min and Seo Ra-eun, who can’t think of a next chance if they fail here due to their age?

“Haha… hahaha…”

“Ji-ye…”

A hollow laugh came out naturally.

Can you feel passionate after hearing such facts? At the same time, my chest boiled with anger.

The room filled with silence again. It was as if we had returned to that first day when we had our awkward first meeting.

What should I do about this?

I quietly turned my head to look at the faintly blinking Emergency Mission Window.

This place has already become a defeated army’s dormitory, hasn’t it?

What am I supposed to do?

“Haah….”

I interlaced my fingers and fidgeted for a long while before finally calming down and opening my mouth.

“Since there are many experienced people here, I have something I want to ask.”

“Oh, what is it?”

I asked Min Ha-young, whose voice had lost its energy.

“We came in 2nd place, right? In both the 1st and 2nd rounds. We’re also the Individual Trainee Team, and the reaction to our Group Song wasn’t bad either, so it seems like we’d get quite a bit of attention.”

“That’s true, but….”

“Then how do you think our team will be portrayed on the broadcast?”

At first, they’ll pretend to be fair and try to show all teams and all members equally and favorably.

I’m expecting that too.

What I wanted to ask about was what comes after that.

Once we enter the full-scale competition, what kind of team will we FLORA be edited as?

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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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