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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Leader of the Doomed Girl Group
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51화.
★
It was Colors, after all! Colors, you absolute bastards, I seriously love you, please, ah, I love Make a New Color, where did you find such god-tier babies…
Yun Cheong: See that? I've been baiting you all this time just to show you this...
Me: Please, bait us every week.
@@@ That psycho seems unable to function in daily life.
@@ Beep boop, that's normal. You've caught the 'Fingertips' disease.
Damn, this is hilarious. As a hardcore fan, I'm straining my brain to *not* put on my delusion filter, and my mom next to me asks if they're dating. The objectivity of a normal person... Of course, I'm just gobbling it all up, lol.
StillBlue is amazing, but please, you *have* to see PurpleApple! Our god-tier PurpleApple babies caused a stir! No, I watched this duo on my knees. Please, both of you debut. My bank account is ready, Unnie.
A combination I can't get enough of... a concept I can't get enough of... a stage I can't get enough of...
Now, historical drama PDs, enough is enough, play 'Fingertips' as an OST... Hurry up and cast our kids...
Ah, Bo-ra ㅠㅠㅠ How can you *not* love our Bo-ra?? Our Bo-ra, full of talent and hard work, how can you not love her? Teach me how! #GodPurple #GodBlue #BluePurple #PurpleBlue
YunBlue sings so well, can they really act this amazingly too?? And dance??
Even though only the first verse had ended, the reaction was tremendous.
Of course, there were also those who didn't view the team favorably.
★
But isn't the concept a bit too obviously aiming for something? Haha.
Ugh, disgusting... No subject.
What's with the East Asian concept?; It totally overlaps with Greyish Spider Lily's concept...?
Ugh, they're really ripping off concepts again just because they're from the same agency; Stop stealing the Spider Lily concept, lol;; Even sitting and singing ballads, it's exactly the same, haha.
Oh, the Make a New Color kids are clashing with our FlowPo kids right now? Haha. They're from a different company, but they're really crossing the line, aren't they? The outfits are just like Baekilmonghwa's? Did they just take our kids' outfits as is? Are they the same stylists, lol?
└No, they say it's not, lol. KingCo is in charge of BamBam, not Colors' kids right now.
However.
The second verse was beginning.
The four people set down everything they were holding.
And they glided towards the center of the stage.
The moment the fingertips of the four gathered in one spot.
Even if I turn to a handful of ash
I will throw myself into your flames
So with your fingertips
Lee Gyeong-a and Yun Cheong's chorus.
And responding to them,
Cover my eyes
All I feel are fingertips
Ryu Bo-ra and Jo Hui-on's response.
At the same time, Ryu Bo-ra covered Yun Cheong's eyes, and Jo Hui-on covered Lee Gyeong-a's eyes.
Yun Cheong and Lee Gyeong-a took the hands covering their eyes and pulled them towards themselves, while simultaneously pushing them away.
And then, the chorus again.
Extend your fate
What touches is your fingertips
Extend your destiny
If only they can entangle, fingertips
After the chorus ended, the full-fledged choreography and singing began.
If the initial atmosphere was simply mournful, it was now much more powerful and strong.
As if to overcome all the trials given.
As the song approached its end—
My love
Buckwheat flowers glow in the full moon
And we finally meet
Jo Hui-on stood beside Lee Gyeong-a,
Oh, flame
I will become a butterfly
My beloved
I will become your beloved
And touch you again and again
Ryu Bo-ra clasped Yun Cheong's hand tightly.
And so, the stage ended.
***
We just in love hate
You wanted me to sacrifice
You call me
Medea
Dance Position Team B's stage also ended much more successfully than expected.
"Lee Ju-seon's hitting first."
"My thoughts exactly. She's a real dark horse."
"She changed after getting tutored by Cheong."
The trainees each commented on Lee Ju-seon's unexpectedly strong performance.
Lee Ju-seon, who usually only advocated for 'innocent, innocent,' completely changed her image and perfectly portrayed a resentful witch.
"Look at her eyes. The fierceness is different."
"Right. It's good to see."
I am another bullet
Here's another bully, brrrrr!
"As for Geum, there's nothing more to say."
"What's amazing is that because Geum is so good, Ha-eun also looks pretty decent."
"Geum must have pushed them hard."
"Seriously. They pulled all-nighters every day. Of course, it was due to Kim Geum's unilateral training."
This was praise of a different kind.
However, there was one stage that was undeniably recognized by the trainees.
"I really... find it amazing... How could Cheong Unnie... change so suddenly like that? Honestly, when Unnie didn't show up for rehearsal, I thought, 'Ah, she finally ran away.'"
"Me too."
Shin Yu-hyeon and Bang Su-in said, agreeing.
"But then, *ta-da*, she appeared like some phantom thief and just crushed the stage."
"Now that you mention it, where did Cheong Unnie go?"
The trainees looked around.
All the other trainees had returned after their stages, but three were missing.
Namely, Kim Ryeo-yu, Jo Hui-on, and Yun Cheong.
"Hui-on Unnie and Cheong Unnie are on the same team, so it makes sense they'd go somewhere for a bit... But where did Ryeo-yu Unnie go?"
The trainees couldn't possibly not know.
The strange tension between Kim Ryeo-yu and Yun Cheong.
Even their fans weren't on good terms with each other, and the individuals themselves weren't either.
When the cameras were rolling, they'd laugh and get along, but the moment the cameras turned off, things immediately turned cold.
No, Kim Ryeo-yu was unilaterally cold.
Kim Ryeo-yu was originally an object of fear for the other trainees.
It wasn't just because she was Director Kim Mo-gyeong's relative.
Though she tried to manage her image, her true character couldn't be hidden.
Just when you thought, 'Is she an okay person?' small acts of 'power-tripping' would emerge.
Watching those acts of power-tripping, the trainees thought.
That's trash.
We need to avoid her.
The fact that Kim Ryeo-yu particularly disliked Yun Cheong was something even the most oblivious trainee knew.
There were probably many reasons.
Though none of them could be justified.
So, the fact that all three were missing simultaneously meant—
"Looks like something big went wrong, doesn't it?"
"Seems so."
"Everyone keep quiet back at the dorm..."
"Who else is in Ryeo-yu Unnie's room?"
"Ju-hong."
"What about Ju-hong? She was already having a hard time in that room."
It hinted that a major incident had indeed occurred.
And that was true.
***
"...What?"
Outside the stage.
In one of the waiting rooms.
The two, no, Kim Ryeo-yu, had dragged Jo Hui-on and me into an empty waiting room.
"I told you to confess."
"Confess?"
Kim Ryeo-yu scoffed.
"Cheong-a. You said you were sick, but did something really happen to your head? What do I have to confess?"
However, I couldn't laugh like Kim Ryeo-yu.
Because of her, I had to take a very long detour.
I couldn't even participate in the rehearsal for the third stage, and I had to make my other teammates tremble with anxiety.
Of course, I hadn't wanted it either.
"Jo Hui-on, don't you have anything to say?"
"…!"
I looked directly at Jo Hui-on and said.
I knew.
Kim Ryeo-yu ordered it, but Jo Hui-on carried it out.
"Could someone please explain at what point I'm supposed to forgive you?"
A moment ago.
I was dumbfounded watching the argument between Jo Hui-on and Kim Ryeo-yu.
Who said anything about forgiveness?
Why should *I* forgive you?
'You...! How could you...!'
Kim Ryeo-yu visibly faltered.
'Why? Was this not part of your plan?'
'…!'
'From now on, I'll make sure only things not in your plan happen.'
But that was for later.
Right now, something more important than revenge on Kim Ryeo-yu existed.
I turned my body towards Jo Hui-on, regardless of Kim Ryeo-yu's dismay.
'Jo Hui-on. You. Look at me.'
'…!'
'First, focus on the stage.'
'Cheo-Cheong-a.'
'If you mess up this stage,'
I took a deep breath.
'you're messing up *your* career, not mine. You'll lose the debut opportunity you wanted so badly, even resorting to such bad deeds.'
Anyway, you shouldn't expect guilt from someone like her.
Just tell her to do as she always does, selfishly take care of her own stage.
That was the only way to keep this stage from being ruined.
'We'll talk later, for now, just focus on the stage.'
Perhaps my words worked, because thankfully, Jo Hui-on showed a condition not significantly different from practice.
She didn't do particularly better than usual, but not enough to ruin the stage.
That was one big hurdle overcome.
Now, what remained was—
"..."
These two people.
I fiddled with the memory card in my fist.
All the evidence was inside.
How did it end up in my hands?
I knew that if Jo Hui-on or Kim Ryeo-yu were to put peanut powder in anything, they'd put it in my chicken breast.
Because from the start of the training camp, I intentionally barely touched anything else.
I also knew that if they were going to put it in, it would be in the early hours of the morning.
Because that was almost the only possible time.
So every dawn, I would secretly turn on a camera, and if nothing was recorded, I'd delete the video.
And on the day the video was captured.
'...Ha.'
I immediately secured the camera's memory card and copied the video.
Then I sent a screenshot of a scene from the video to PD O Baek-gyeong.
PD O Baek-gyeong
Wha-wha-wha-what is this???
Ugh, damn it, I got startled awake this morning;;;;
Get your ass to the studio right now.
PD O Baek-gyeong's reaction was, of course, explosive.
I explained the general situation to PD O Baek-gyeong.
And I asked for his understanding. I asked him to play along.
'...So what's in it for me?'
Of course, PD O Baek-gyeong wasn't someone who would just grant my favor.
'If the day comes when this video needs to be released, I'll let you be the only one to release it exclusively, PD O Baek-gyeong.'
'No, why should I rely on such an uncertain possibility? I could just release it right now, couldn't I?'
'A mere screenshot won't be enough for you. I have the full video. Don't you think you'd need at least this much to create a broadcast?'
'No, what if it never gets released? In that case, I get absolutely nothing out of it, right?'
This person is truly not an easy one to deal with.
'What do you want?'
'You'll probably debut, you know.'
'...'
'And you'll probably get quite popular too, you know?'
'...'
It's the first time I've felt so annoyed hearing that I'll probably debut.
'When I say let's film a reality show then, you'll film it without a word.'
'You know that's something the agency decides, not something I can decide.'
'When you get popular. The celebrity is the boss. Don't you know that? Don't *I* know that?'
'...'
Seriously, where did this person go wrong?
'...Alright.'
'If you really blow up, do you think I'd push some crappy show on you? If you're only moderately popular, then maybe.'
PD O Baek-gyeong flashed a sly smile.
I really hated that smile.
But in the end, I had to accept it.
Because at that moment, I was the one in a difficult position.
And so, because of these two people, I had to shake hands with the devil.
"I saw everything. All the things you crept in and did in the early morning."
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