Top Girl Group Scenario Rewritten with My Own Hands - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 56
JION
Today’s Fun Story
Yesterday Hyun Jae-yi was chatting away with me, so she didn’t go up to the top bunk and played instead, then fell asleep on Go Hyun-seo’s bed, so Go Hyun-seo had to climb up to the top bunk
The state was too raw to photograph, so I can only share it as a story, which is a shame😅
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Hyun Jae-yi, Hyun Jae-yi!
Such a cute little sister, please look after her, everyone 😘💖💖💕💕
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JION
The thing is, it’s not just a one-time thing, you know? ㅎㅎ
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Go Hyun-seo
Just counting what I’ve seen, it’s gotta be at least five times…
***
Look at this.
[‘Ashcode VS Evergreat’ Determining the Best Rookie…… VMA Female Rookie Award Competition Heating Up]
[Who’s the hottest rookie this year? Ashcode VS Evergreat duopoly solidifying…]
Even when it comes to entertainment news in general, they don’t usually pay this much attention to rookies.
Articles like these aren’t common at all.
Either two rookies have emerged that could shake up the entire year, or one side is attempting media play. It’s got to be one or the other.
And right now it is…….
[Ashcode breaks through 300,000 initial sales with mini album ‘BURN’…… solidifying position as strong rookie award candidate]
The probability that P.E.N. is behind the media play is probably over 90%.
Tap, tap. Only the sound of my fingers lightly drumming on the desk echoed through the studio.
Even I, who tends to be conservative with possibilities, can say one thing with certainty.
The way for Evergreat to definitely win against Ashcode in the rookie award race is through domestic music sources and public appeal—in other words, positive recognition.
Ashcode made a bad first impression and still can’t shake the image of being a conglomerate-backed rookie that can’t even perform live in Korea.
To make matters worse, this comeback was overshadowed by Daylight, who swept the number one spot in activity period while also dominating music source popularity, leaving no opportunity to overturn that live-performance image. Even if there had been a chance, I’m not sure they could have succeeded, but…….
In terms of album sales, though, Ashcode’s weight class is nothing to ignore. Our second single, ‘Summer Signal,’ had initial sales of 140,000 copies.
And Ashcode’s ‘BURN’ album initial sales figure is 300,000 copies. More than double the score.
But here’s where things change when you add music sources into the equation.
Even if the Lemon Chart doesn’t carry as much weight these days, “Right Now” has a good chance of ranking in the top positions for the year. When it was trending hard, it even hit number one on the daily chart repeatedly—it’s a song that succeeded that thoroughly in music sources.
In Ashcode’s case, both their debut track “ALIVE” and their current comeback track “ASHES” haven’t even hit the daily top one, let alone real-time one, until recently—and even now they’ve only managed to do that a couple of times through overseas fandom streaming power.
A girl group that sold 300,000 initial copies, but the music sources are considerably weak.
In contrast, a girl group likely to crack the annual chart top thirty, but relatively weak on albums.
An objective comparison of which group is doing better between the two is impossible.
But the public’s perception is different.
The public tends to favor whichever side has released music they’ve actually heard before, music that’s well-made, music that matches their taste.
When each side fights with their respective album and music source records as weapons, the so-called industry consensus that album sales are just trade talk means the public-friendly music sources side gets the thumbs-up.
That’s why I thought if public opinion is reflected in the judging panel’s own scoring, it might actually turn out okay…….
Though I didn’t hold great expectations, given the opponent is P.E.N. and V.Net, P.E.N. clearly wants to take the VMA Female Rookie Award no matter what.
P.E.N.’s media play is probably aimed at averaging out the public’s perception. To add “album sales” as justification to Ashcode’s award.
If they put out articles like this in advance, then when the major award ceremony gives the rookie award to Ashcode, people searching it up would think “I guess so?” and accept it.
For a conglomerate like P.E.N., the idea that they don’t have friendly media outlets doesn’t even make sense. There are naturally pro-P.E.N. entertainment journalists, and there are quite a few reporters who’ll write articles just as P.E.N. asks them to.
And it’s not like P.E.N. is doing anything they can’t do. They’re just doing what a company is supposed to do.
Media play is work, capital is ability, and small noise is star power. I don’t particularly like it, but that’s how this industry is structured.
In that respect, Music Proof is…….
‘Really incompetent. Seriously.’
How much must it be that even our senior members complain about the PR team not doing their job whenever they see them around the company…….
No particularly intimate or friendly media outlets, a useless PR team with barely any presence to speak of, and they’re supposed to go head-to-head with P.E.N.? The system is truly fucked…….
It would’ve been different if I’d been given the Lemon Music Award Rookie Award as a mission instead.
There, we could’ve aimed for an award with just our team’s abilities, since it purely adds music source performance entering the Lemon Chart and judging scores.
No, the Lemon Music Award Rookie Award is practically confirmed even now.
Even in idol communities obsessed with tearing down all idols using negative language like “that’s not it,” “who knows,” and “punching up,” it’s assumed without question that Evergreat will take the Lemon Music Award Female Rookie Award this year.
But for an award ceremony like VMA that combines both album sales and judging scores, especially one where P.E.N. has a thick rapport, it’s really not easy.
When P.E.N. is putting so much focus on the rookie award, where the judging scores will go is too obvious. Plus, the ceremony itself doesn’t seem to care much about credibility, which bugs me even more.
‘Win so overwhelmingly that they don’t even dare try to manipulate it, something like that…….’
So how, exactly.
How are we supposed to do that.
Even now we’re doing our best and holding our own, but how are we supposed to! Even being told not to overwork (I don’t actually want to overwork!) I’m still trying—
Honestly, this isn’t something I need to worry about. Media relations are the company’s job, and I can’t get involved with the PR team’s work.
[▷ Objective: Success of Idol ‘EVERGREAT’]
[▷ Current Mission: Win the Female Rookie Award at VMA this year!]
If there’s a problem, it’s just this.
Why did I ever sign that strange contract in the first place.
Today too, my doubts only deepen…….
***
Early November—voting for the VMA Rookie Award finally opened.
No matter what they say about credibility or trustworthiness, if you’re a fan, you want to give an award to your idol.
Using the fact that voting was limited to one vote per account per day, fans were creating unlimited accounts to vote and more, so the VMA award ceremony voting this year was overflowing with tricks.
But then!
삐🔒 @bbi661bbi
hey guys tell me if i’m just too obsessed with this or if this is actually weird objectively
vma rookie voting opened but there aren’t many public fandom fans pushing votes hard
am i really just this obsessed with awards or what
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미밍🔒 @mmmiming00
bbi chill lol if it were me id be going crazy about this
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삐🔒 @bbi661bbi
exactly so its not me being crazy its the evergreat fandom just talking a big game about it vote guys stream guys seriously
Im Ji-su had wondered at one point. Was she just obsessing over achievements like some kind of fanatic?
But after hearing what her Twitter friends had to say, Im Ji-su was far from being a fanatic. The more she heard from her male-idol-fan Twitter friends’ stories, the more convinced she became!
In fact, the strong rookie award rival Ashcode already had their fandom united as one.
They’d formed an alliance with same-agency senior idol fandoms who came up as popularity award candidates with 100% fan community voting, and even now, just after voting opened, they were exchanging rookie award votes and popularity award votes back and forth.
She’d been confident that Korean fans were stronger in numbers…… but if they fell behind in global voting and Korean fandom remained quiet and complacent, they might actually lose the VMA Rookie Award!
삐🔒 @bbi661bbi
but seriously think about it evergreat fans
right now theyre trending for top 30 on annual charts but if we lose the vma rookie voting because of votes that would seriously hurt evergreats image
♥8
Im Ji-su suddenly felt heat flare through her and burst her emotions onto her Twitter account.
Im Ji-su was genuinely frustrated! Sure, the album initial sales can’t be changed at this point, but voting and streaming are things we can definitely still do. But the current state of affairs just felt lukewarm…….
Ugh, whatever. Im Ji-su sent DMs to friendly Named Evergreat fans asking them to push for rookie award voting, then logged out of Twitter.
If I keep looking at SNS like this, I’ll go crazy—better to just not look at Twitter!
…Of course that escape lasted less than five minutes.
A Named Evergreat Twitter friend had sent her a reply DM.
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : yeah honestly
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : theres a lot of young fans in the public fandom
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : so as someone whos basically an adult now i dont wanna call them out but
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : but like how am i supposed to deal with firepower not coming through ugh ㅜㅜ
these days even 1Nth graders are on twitter –
saw a 1Nth grader the other day in an evergreat twitter community –
reality check ㅅㅂ –
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : so are we supposed to nag 1Nth graders to vote?
but i did vote in award ceremonies even in elementary –
cause older fans kept nagging me to –
so i thought i guess i have to –
just went with it –
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : ㅋ
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : thats a good story to share
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : gotta maybe instill some sense of urgency
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : with more impactful wording
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : let me think it over and post it
thanks –
named fans really are different –
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : does 500 followers count as named?
youre over 1000 now anyway ㅋ –
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : thats true…
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : but youre a home master
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : maybe try like a voting verification event or something
ooh?!
Why didn’t I think of that!
Im Ji-su was genuinely impressed by 쮸’s idea. So this is what comes from being a Named account operator’s brain……?
i hadnt even thought of that –
what do kids these days like anyway –
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : just throw whatever out there ㅇㅇ
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : anyway youre a home master
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : doesnt matter what you do on your home master account
– 쮸 (status: let’s engage with evergreat) : probably wont get called out for it
true,,,, –
thanks so much ill try doing something –
What Im Ji-su had overlooked, carrying her camera around half-heartedly with tastes that didn’t quite match the other Home Masters, was that she was already a Home Master.
It meant she already held a position that could influence the fandom atmosphere.
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𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕟 @focusmyon
📢 Let’s vote for VMA Rookie Award
Let’s all vote hard so that Evergreat, who’s worked hard all of 202X, gets the Rookie Award for sure
Among those who verify voting for Evergreat in the VMA Female Rookie category in the replies, we’ll draw 3 winners to receive a 30,000 won Olive Young gift card
Voting link direct access ↓↓↓
www.vnet……
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Once Im Ji-su posted the voting verification event on her Home Master account, the post spread at rapid speed.
One of the ways you could really feel that Evergreat was building fandom well these days.
I really want to give them the VMA Rookie Award.
I mean, whatever people say about VMA, it’s still supposed to be the biggest K-pop award ceremony, right!
Im Ji-su closed Twitter with that thought.
It was just, purely, the heart of a fan.
Rewriting the Top Girl Group Scenario by My Own Hand
Author
: Nam Seo-rang
Production Date
: January 30, 2026
Publisher
: AcesMedia Inc.
Editor
: AcesMedia Editorial Team
Address
: 4F, Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam District, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work is published by AcesMedia Inc. under contract with the copyright holder,
and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and the author.
This e-book is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized copying or reproduction may result in legal liability.
UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260102083.0056

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