Became The Leader of a Girl Group Destined To Fail - Chapter 13

When her name was called, Yeon Juhong stood at the front with a face struggling to hold back tears.

I frowned. Yeon Juhong is in 9th place? No matter how subjective the judgment is, 9th place?

In this evaluation, Yeon Juhong should have been at least 6th.

I wasn’t the only one who thought that way, some doubts also popped up on the faces of other trainees.

Apparently, there’s been some ‘slight’ manipulation in the rankings.

I swallowed my anger inside.

Despite witnessing many dirty things in the entertainment industry, it’s truly impressive how it never stops

Do Heeyoung announced the rest of the rankings with a heavy voice.

11th place, Park Haeun

10th place, Lee Juseon

9th place, Yeon Juhong

8th place. Bang Suin

7th place, Shin Yuhyeon

6th place, Jo Heeyon

“Now, next for 5th place. I will announce it.”

Starting from the fifth place was the ranks eligible to debut, adding a heightened sense of tension to the proceedings.

“This trainee has consistently demonstrated stable skills from the moment they entered Colors.”

I already know who it is without her name being mentioned. I can even hear the next comment coming.

“But.”

Exactly. The ‘but’ needs to appear.

“The world of true professionals is ruthless. You must show more than just stable skills. Today, you made it into the debut eligibility, but you should know you can’t be at ease. Please step forward.”

With Do Heeyoung’s comment, the screen changes.

5th place, Seo Baekyoung

“Trainee Seo Baekyoung.”

Sure enough, Seo Baekyoung didn’t look happy at all despite being within the debut ranking.

To the extent that you can see that she is trying to pretend to be happy.

“…Thank you. I will continue to work hard and show you better performances.”

Still, Seo Baekyoung managed to conclude her thoughts quite well. The stiffness around her eyes is undeniable, but she’s still a trainee after all. It’s only natural to be inexperienced.

The most terrifying disappointment in the world isn’t someone else’s disappointment

but rather your own.

Seo Baekyoung must be feeling a complex mix of emotions right now. The frustration with oneself for not being able to stand out more than expected and the dissatisfaction with the agency for being unfair.

No emotion in this situation is easy to overcome.

Other trainees also seemed to understand Seo Baekyoung’s feelings; there was a collective sense of subdued emotions.

The rest of the rankings were not surprising.

4th place, Ryu Bora

3rd place. Kim Geum

2nd place, Kim Ryeoyu

Except for me, that is

12th place, Lee Kyeongah

1st place, Yun Cheong

***

“How cheap and dirty.”

Returning to the goshiwon [1] , I threw myself into the bed.

“Seeing them go to such lengths to restrain, it looks like there’s a group supporting the debut lineup.”

Those who originally debuted as Still Blue were as follows.

Kim Ryeoyu, Seo Baekyoung, Yun Cheong, Kim Geum, and Jo Heeyon.

I think this group lineup was pushed by colors.

“Whoever sees it knows that Kim Ryeoyu wasn’t supposed to be second place, but they’re saying she was chosen as second place [2] .”

I think it would be perfect if the rank of Kim Ryeoyu and Seo Baekyoung were swapped.

When it was pushed too openly, it actually seemed less genuine.

But something’s weird.

Let’s say that the reason Yeon Juhong is not there because they sprained their eyes.

…Why didn’t Ryu Bora debut?

Isn’t Ryu Bora the most popular among them?

I tried to recall memories about Ryu Bora.

However, Ryu Bora did not debut as an idol.

Not only Colors, but she also did not debut under other agencies. At least in Baek Nokha’s memory, it was like that.

That didn’t mean that she was active as an actress.

She just disappeared quietly from some point on.

I saw it during the mid-term evaluation earlier, and it wasn’t that she lacked skills.

At least she was much better than Kim Ryeoyu or Jo Heeyon.

…Did something happen?

It’s not like I can remember every single thing that happened ten years ago. I wish.

I glared at the handphone, but it was silent.

Is it not yet the time for me to know?

“By the way, seeing that they’ve postponed the mentor presentation… I get the feeling they might be up to something fishy.”

What tricks are they going to do?

I sighed.

Even though I ranked in first place, I wasn’t happy at all. Being recognized as an adult among newborns [3] , what kind of pleasant thing could that be?

If not coming in first place is considered humiliating, then it was a situation of being humiliated. Rather than that, I was more concerned about the next broadcast.

And I am concerned about the overall atmosphere.

Judging from today’s atmosphere, it seems that Director Kim’s influence is stronger than I thought. Even though it’s obvious that certain things are staged, considering the alignment between the judges’ comments and the rankings

Well, Kim Mokyeong wasn’t an average person when it comes to being sharp, even in a past life.

I glared at my handphone once again.

I’m trying to overcome the tyranny of such a person and debut at number one, can’t you help me a little more? Give me some hint.

It’s so frustrating. The next shooting day is in two days.

How can I wait until then?

***

Staff: How was the mid-term evaluation?

[Ryeoyu: I was a bit disappointed. I could’ve done better.]

[Staff: Although you ranked 2nd, you still feel disappointed?]

[Ryeoyu: I’m always disappointed if I’m not in first place. During the actual evaluation, I must come in first.]

[Geum: I’m satisfied, it’s good enough]

[Baekyoung:… The ranking was lower than I thought, but that’s because I’m lacking. I need to make up for it during the actual evaluation.]

[Juhong: Hehe….]

Subtitle: Yeon Juhong, who can’t hold back tears in the end…

[Juhong: To be honest, I’ve heard those words a lot before, so it’s okay.]

[Staff: What words did you hear a lot from before?]

[Juhong: Always ambiguous? I feel like I’ve heard those words before. That I don’t have anything unique of my own…]

Juhong blinked with reddened eyes as if about to cry, but she chuckled and smiled again.

[Juhong: It’s not that I’m upset about the ranking. I think even 9th place is a ranking I don’t deserve. It’s just that despite receiving the same evaluation every day, I’m frustrated by my inability to progress….]

Subtitle: Trainee Yeon Juhong who had to hear the same thing every evaluation time

[Juhong: I… have to work harder! Please look forward to it! I’ll come back with my own weapon someday!]

Staff: What did you notice about other trainees’ performances?

[Ryeoyu: Trainee Ryu Bora. She’s so pretty. She shines more even if you do the same thing]

[Heeyon: Trainee Kim Geum. Surely… she’s good at rapping.]

[Geum: Trainee Yun Cheong. Doesn’t everyone pick trainee Yun Cheong? They didn’t? WHY??]

[Bora: That… she was on a different level.]

[Yeon Juhong: Why didn’t that unnie debut earlier? She seems to be capable enough to debut.]

Subtitle: Trainee Juhong, if you laugh after crying, will hair grow on your butt. [4]

I think it’s a common Korean joke?

[Kyeongah: …I have a skill level that makes being in 12th place not feel unfair at all? I need to work hard to catch up]

[Yuhyun: I’m really looking forward to the actual evaluation]

[Suin: I think that she could be the judge]

Staff: On the contrary, were there any trainees that made you feel a bit disappointed?

[Ryeoyu: Baekyoung unnie?]

[Ryeoyu: Ah, it seems like I keep coming across as a really bad person. But that’s not it.]

Subtitle: You already know…?

[Ryeoyu: It’s just that unnie was originally really talented. So, her ranking is quite shocking. She must have been shocked herself, right?]

[Geum: It’s Ryeoyu]

[Staff: Didn’t Ryeoyu rank 2nd place?]

[Geum: That’s right]

[Staff: Then why?]

[Geum: Honestly, that’s not a second place performance, is it? I think it’s about 5th place.]

Subtitle: Candid Generation MZ….

[Johong: Ay, You can’t ask me that!]

[Staff: If you had to pick one?]

[Juhong: …Ryeoyu unnie? She did well, but to the point of being 2nd place…? As expected, I wondered if the judges had a different perspective, but it seems like they do.]

[Suin: Well, I expected it. The fact that Ryeoyu will be in the top 3.]

Staff: Why?

[Bora: (laughs)]

[Kyungah: Because she’s a relative of Director Kim. They say she is his niece, isn’t she actually his daughter?]

[Heeyon: Are you asking if Ryeoyu received special treatment because she’s related to Director Kim? No, not at all.]

[Staff: But other trainees think differently?]

[Heeyon: Could it be jealousy towards Ryeoyu? I genuinely believe that Ryeoyu must debut. It’s not because she’s my best friend; truly. There’s no one else who works as hard as Ryeoyu.]

Staff: What do you think about the preferential controversy?

[Ryeoyu: ….]

Subtitle: Tears that burst again…

[Behind-the-scenes stories that have been hidden… What is the true intention of trainee Kim Ryeoyu?]

[Please tune in next week at this time to find out!]

***

And, as PD Oh predicted, ‘Make a New Color’ drew a lot of attention.

– No, What exactly is Yun Cheong

– No, it’s not because I’m Korean, it’s not a ‘no,’ but a real ‘no.

– I knew Bora were really pretty, but they really can’t compete with her in terms of looks

– Ah, our Juhong-ie ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Juhong-ah unnie is cwying ㅠㅠㅠ (gif)

– Look at Yun Cheong’s face, if it’s done, listen to her song, if it’s also done, it’s time to see her dance, kyaa it’s crazy

– It’s Cheongbong Tea House [5]

– Talking about Yoon Cheong in all of Tamra is making me laugh ㅋㅋㅋ. So, can you please share some Yoon Cheong memesㅠ?

– But KRY [6] seems a bit intense, right? Haha, from what I’ve heard from other trainees, they say this person is quite intense

└ She went all out with intensity, ㅋㅋ It’s already the second episode, take it down a notch a bit, ㅎㅎ.

└ ㄹㅇ [7] don’t become forest friends again, ㅎㅎ. TL/N: refers to people who seem to be overly invested or enthusiastic about a specific topic or fandom, often to the point of being overly serious or intense.

– Seems like they came out with strong confidence in their Kim three-letter name, ㅋㅋ. Truly a case of ‘Korea’s academic connections and bloodline

That’s awesome.

So, the second episode of ‘Make A New Color’-

achieved a viewership rating of 1.8%.

***

As the date of filming the meeting with the mentor was pushed back, the final evaluation date was naturally pushed back by a day.

Most of the trainees were grateful that they had one more day to practice.

Of course, I wasn’t very happy.

I was already skilled in practice, and the more incomplete other trainees were, the more I would stand out.

…Well, that’s expected.

“One, two, three. No, that’s not the right tempo.”

“Do you want to keep making moves, Heeyon-ah?”

“Juhong. What did I say? I told you to break the habit of going offbeat at the beginning.”

I feel pathetic because I feel competitive with them.

All the people here are like fledglings, and I’m a seasoned veteran

…Let’s not be so petty.

“Baekyoung-ah, why don’t you pull yourself together? The day after tomorrow is your evaluation!”

“Ryeoyu. You suddenly feel weak from the second verse.”

This is Colors’ practice room.

Today was not an important filming day, but it was a filming day where trainers watched the trainees perform.

The two trainers who participated as judges were also teaching trainees because they were actually Colors trainers.

I kept practicing like other trainees.

…If there’s anything else, I’m rarely pointed out.

I think it’s going to be a problem if I stand out too much.

Let’s pretend to make a little mistake.

“Cheong-ah, you have to concentrate. It’s off pitch.”

As expected, when I intentionally changed the pitch slightly, it was pointed out right away.

“Yes!”

“Don’t let your guard down just because you won first place during the mid-term evaluation. What’s really important is the main evaluation.”

“Yes.”

This was the first and last pointer I received today.

If there was anything strange, there were no compliments at all.

It’s as if they’ve decided to treat me like I don’t exist.

1. A small room designed for students preparing to take exams, it has low rent
2. at the mid-term evaluation (I thought it was the debut rank, incase you do to)
3. meaning she was a veteran among rookies
4.
I think it’s a common Korean joke?

5. It’s a satirical way of pointing out that something is being overly hyped for no substantial reason.
6. Kim Ryeoyu
7. fr