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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Aftermath
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Confetti exploded, showering down.
Before Do Hui-yeong could even finish her ment, Lee Ju-seon threw herself into my arms.
“Waaahhh.”
And she cried so bitterly.
...She got first place, why is she crying?
She should be smiling.
But somehow, I found myself sniffling and crying along with her.
This was just because Lee Ju-seon was crying so heartbrokenly.
Right.
I'm not the type to cry when I'm happy, you know.
“Congratulations, both of you.”
Do Hui-yeong even clapped, congratulating us.
It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen her smile so brightly.
I also sniffled and bowed towards the audience.
“Thank you...!”
Ugh.
I wish I could speak as well as Seo Baek-yeong.
Strangely, only a nasal whine came out.
I had no choice but to nudge Lee Ju-seon.
I'm no good. You, at least, hurry up and say thank you, give your speech—
“Waaahhh. *Hiccup*. Waaahhhhh.”
...It's hopeless.
Lee Ju-seon is beyond hope.
Finally, I wiped away my tears and grabbed the microphone.
“Our vocal team. Thank you, thank you... thank you so, so much. And Ju-seon, too, and to Team B of the Dance Position, I want to express my gratitude.”
I stammered as I continued speaking.
At least saying something helped calm my mind a little.
One hundred members of the public. Nearly a third of them chose me.
...Me, who was even late.
“I'll take it not as you choosing me, but as you choosing our team. I will always remain humble, remember this moment... and work even harder to reach out to our Colorists. Team Sonkkeut, fighting!”
As I looked at the camera, conveying my feelings to those who would be watching this scene—
“I...”
An uninvited guest intruded.
“...I, I know I don't have the right to do this....”
An uninvited guest no one expected.
“I, I just want to say one thing....”
Jo Hui-on.
Instantly, both the trainees and the stage fell silent.
Jo Hui-on had truly appeared out of nowhere.
Just a moment ago, she had been looking up at us from the audience seats.
Now, she was looking at me from the center of the stage.
“Cheong. I'm sorry.”
Offering an apology I didn't even want.
“You're a good person... but I feel like I've only done bad things to you.”
“!”
I saw PD Oh frantically waving his hands, his face a complex mix of emotions.
Regardless, Jo Hui-on stubbornly continued speaking.
“Me leaving like this might not be the best gift for you... but I hope it serves as at least a small apology.”
Coward.
“I'm sorry. I'm quitting here....”
In the end, Jo Hui-on couldn't expose Kim Ryeo-yu.
She merely ran away.
***
As I was coming down from the stage in a daze, someone grabbed my wrist.
Surprised by the immense strength, I turned around.
This couldn't be anything less than pure malice...!
It was Director Kim.
“Trainee Yun Cheong. Follow me.”
Director Kim pushed me into an empty waiting room and then began speaking as she pleased.
“You're just going to debut.”
“...What did you say?”
“And bury this incident.”
Director Kim leaned back on the sofa arrogantly and spoke.
“Isn't this what you wanted? Debuting. I also got rid of Jo Hui-on. It was clear you'd complain loudly about not wanting to debut with her, so I got rid of her first.”
“Your words are a bit harsh. You shouldn't refer to a person as 'getting rid of' them like that.”
“We'll roughly coordinate the narrative with PD Oh and release it. I promise you won't suffer any particular damage.”
They really must be an unhinged family.
Kim Ryeo-yu was bad enough, but Director Kim was no better.
“Jo Hui-on is leaving due to health issues. The reason she apologized to you is because you worked hard even when you were sick, but she couldn't endure and had to leave. They were rivals at first, but now they're the best of friends. Good narrative, right? It's nothing but beneficial for you; there's nothing bad about it.”
“What about Kim Ryeo-yu?”
“What?”
“Is Kim Ryeo-yu debuting? With me, in the same team?”
Why would she omit the most important part?
She's the root cause of all this.
You can't just leave out someone like that.
“That, I don't know.”
“!”
Director Kim smiled slyly.
“Ryeo-yu? She'll definitely debut. But whether she debuts in the same team as you, that's unknown. That's something she can only do if she performs well.”
“...!”
“I have no intention of manipulating the votes. I considered meddling at first, but surprisingly, PD Oh is quite sensitive about that sort of thing.”
Director Kim sneered, as if finding it beneath her.
“There's no need to go as far as vote manipulation. You can just make Kim Ryeo-yu resign.”
“Why would I?”
Director Kim's eyes changed abruptly.
“It seems you're still young and don't understand. The world doesn't let you have everything you want. I've given one concession, so you shut up and give one back. If you're so confident in yourself, then you can just defeat Ryeo-yu on your own and debut.”
Director Kim looked directly at me and spoke.
“I can halt the production of this program right now. If that happens, you'll be blocking the debut path for all the other kids, won't you?”
I sat down across from Director Kim.
“Concession?”
There was no reason for me to stand alone and listen to her nonsense.
“What exactly do you claim to have conceded?”
It was absurd.
“That you haven't halted production? From the start, halting production isn't entirely up to you, Director. I know that too. In a company as massive as Colors, things can't be handled solely by one person's opinion.”
Although there were aspects where it was run as haphazardly as a mom-and-pop store, Colors was still a publicly traded company.
How would you explain that to the shareholders?
And what would you say to CEO Hong?
I knew Director Kim could never halt it.
I could feel Director Kim gritting her teeth.
However, I, too, was truly furious for the first time in a long while.
“I'll keep my mouth shut for the sake of the other girls, but it would be best if both Ryeo-yu and you, Director, properly apologized to me.”
Director Kim scoffed, a sneer on her face.
“And if I don't, what are you going to do?”
I didn't answer.
In that case, I'll just have to make you regret it to death in a different way.
***
[‘Make a New Color’, an unprecedented situation… 000’s sudden departure, why?]
[Make a New Color Production Team, “Health reasons… prioritizing trainees’ health”]
[Colors ☞ Clarifies ‘discord rumors are not true’, where does the truth lie?]
(Major Spoiler) A trainee has left the show.
I went to the live recording and a trainee left LOL
OMG who?
└ J.H.O
└└ OMG why are they leaving...?
└└└ I heard it from staff talking amongst themselves so I don't know the exact reason ㅜ
★
No way, why is Hui-on leaving...? And voluntarily...?
Damn it, no, the Hui-Ryeo combo was my favorite!
Please RT ㅠㅠ #Protect_JoHuiOn_AtAllCosts #Oppose_JoHuiOn_Departure
No, it's weird, as soon as she joined Team Sonkkeut, she says she's leaving #MakeANewColor_Explain #Protect_JoHuiOn_AtAllCosts #Oppose_JoHuiOn_Departure
Articles poured out in a rush.
Even people who didn't usually watch the program gathered when the controversy erupted.
I heard Yun Cheong bullied her...
I heard Jo Hui-on completely called her out when she left?
Those of you who went to the live recording, come here.
I know you weren't there, but did you hear anything in the hallway??
Idk ㅠ We were only there for the MVP announcement, Jo Hui-on probably appeared when they were deciding the MOM.
└ F**k, did Yun Cheong ostracize Hui-on in Team Sonkkeut?
Nothing's been said yet, why are you all acting crazy? Just wait LOL
Jo Hui-on voluntarily left, why blame someone else...? Have you gone crazy from stanning too hard?
└ No, we're the ones stanning, but muggles are giving advice LOL Just move along~!
└└ She must have left due to personal reasons, and you want the production team to explain it LOL Ugh... The production team is so pitiful. From their perspective, Jo Hui-on is causing a scene;
Naturally, the atmosphere in the dorm was far from good.
Everyone was gloomy. No matter which room the trainees were in.
Our room was no exception.
“Why did she leave so suddenly? And what was that about apologizing to Cheong Unnie?”
Kim Geum had a truly bewildered expression.
It was understandable.
Aside from Jo Hui-on, the only ones who knew the full story were Kim Ryeo-yu and me.
Ah, by now, Director Kim must have heard everything too.
I checked the real-time reactions on my phone.
Only a hollow laugh escaped me.
I was the victim, yet I was being portrayed as the perpetrator.
Is this what they call 'first strike wins'?
“Cheong Unnie, perhaps—”
“Read the room, Kim Geum.”
Ryu Bo-ra stopped Kim Geum, who kept asking questions.
“...I'm going out for a bit.”
Feeling suffocated, I went outside.
*Click*.
Damn it.
“Oh my.”
As soon as I stepped out, I ran into the last person I wanted to see.
Kim Ryeo-yu was drinking water, a triumphant look on her face.
“Cheong, are you okay?”
“...What about?”
“Everyone thinks Hui-on left because of you, right now. Well, it's not entirely wrong, is it?”
Can you believe this insane person?
I was so dumbfounded, only a scoff escaped me.
“Well. If we're talking about who caused it, isn't it honestly more on your end than mine?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Cheong. Hui-on specifically apologized to you, Yun Cheong, before she left.”
Kim Ryeo-yu smirked and approached me.
“I heard everything from Auntie. That if Auntie and I just apologize, you'd keep quiet.”
Kim Ryeo-yu tilted her head back, trying to look down on me.
“Apology? I can give you one anytime. I'm so, so sorry, Cheong. Okay?”
“Wow.”
I barely managed to suppress the urge to grab Kim Ryeo-yu by her hair.
I wanted to know how on earth that family conducted their home education.
“You call that an apology? What are you going to do if I don't stay quiet?”
“Jo Hui-on, and you too, we'll all be ruined. Want to run your mouth, Cheong? But listen. Jo Hui-on will never take your side. At most, she'll just keep her mouth shut. So will people believe you, who had a bad relationship with Hui-on, or will they believe me, who was always closest to her?”
Kim Ryeo-yu grinned, then pretended to stroke my head, messing up my hair instead.
“So please, let's just make this end nicely while I'm being generous and covering it up. Okay?”
I shook off Kim Ryeo-yu's hand.
“Nicely?”
It was beyond absurd.
“I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. Kicking away the opportunity your Auntie worked so hard to create, like this. Does your Auntie know about this? Don't push your luck and just be quiet, seriously.”
Even when I try to let things go, they just won't leave me alone.
I walked past the trembling Kim Ryeo-yu and out of the dorm.
First, meeting Jo Hui-on is the priority.
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