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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: 57
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For now, we decided to trust Writer Kang.
They even promised to persuade them. If it doesn't happen, it's on them.
"How about we arrange it with a more acoustic and emotional feel?"
We were all startled.
Ryu Bo-ra… was the first to proactively offer an opinion.
Normally, Ryu Bo-ra would only indicate her likes or dislikes when others shared their thoughts.
Something like, "I don't think that's right," or "That sounds good."
But to be the first to clearly state an opinion?
Even I was surprised, but Kim Geum looked even more moved.
Right, they said they'd been close since they were kids.
But… they seem like complete opposites, what kind of connection do they have…?
I'll have to ask later.
"That sounds like a good idea."
"It would be even better with a nice acoustic guitar strumming!"
"Does anyone here know how to play guitar—"
Kim Geum was about to scold Yeon Ju-hong but paused.
"Unnie Cheong… No way… You can play, can't you?"
She looked like she was wondering, "No way, you can do this too?"
It seemed like she was begging me to say no, but…
"Of course, I can."
Unfortunately, I knew how to play the guitar.
In my past life, I tried my hand at everything. I lived a tough life, you know.
"To what extent?"
"Just, you know, adequately…"
"Play it right now. This song."
"Where's a guitar here?!"
I balked at the ridiculous demand.
Am I an ATM, where everything just pops out when you press a button?
"Didn't we have a guitar in the dorm… living room?"
And you just *had* to mention that, didn't you?
At Ryu Bo-ra's remark, Yeon Ju-hong swiftly darted into the living room.
Exactly 15 seconds later, an acoustic guitar was in my hands.
"No, this… Wasn't this just for decoration? The tuning, too…"
"Writer Kang said she tuned it all up, just in case someone might play it."
This is why I hated those M-Ten jerks.
Usually, they're so sloppy with their work that spoilers are always circulating.
They should put [Yun Cheong] in the subtitles for my part's lyrics, but sometimes they just *have* to put [All].
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
They can't do anything important, but they're pointlessly meticulous in places like this.
"But you can play it even without sheet music?"
Yeon Ju-hong asked, looking puzzled.
"She can, right?"
Kim Geum asked, as if she knew everything.
"If she can, that's just annoying in itself."
Ryu Bo-ra was sulking again on her own.
Are you telling me to do it or not?
"...I can do it."
It might not be perfect, but I could listen and figure out the chords.
"You're such a show-off…"
"I won't do it then?"
"No, no. Please do."
I checked the guitar over.
It really was all tuned.
Just as I was about to play the guitar,
"Just a moment."
Writer Kang entered.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Yun Cheong trainee, you're going to play the guitar, right?"
"Ah, yes. Is that not allowed?"
"No. If you're going to play, come out here and play. We can get some screentime out of it."
Ah, I really feel pressured.
Things were getting way too big.
It had been too long since I played the guitar, so I wasn't that confident.
I hope I don't end up embarrassing myself by saying I know how to play.
"Great! Unnie, hurry and go play it!"
Sigh.
We eventually went out into the living room.
I sat on the living room sofa. Then I listened to the song and roughly got a feel for the chords.
Since it's come to this.
"Are you ready?"
I'll do my best!
***
▶ [│Episode 8 Preview - ♬Yun Cheong's Unexpected Charm☆ Even Acoustic Guitar Skills?! ]
OMG Make a New Color preview is out
Huh, acoustic guitar?
Acoustic guitar????? Yun Cheong???? Cheong-guitar?!!?!
Ugh... I hate it when people half-ass playing guitarㅋㅋㅋ Just sing, pleaseㅠ
Let's Leave? What song is that? Someone tell me pleaseㅠ
└You're a grade-schooler, aren't you? How can you not know this absolute masterpiece...
└└?ㅅ? Are you happy being old?
└└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Isn't Yun Cheong the main vocal? She can just sing, why bother with acoustic guitar too?
Ahㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I'm going to watch Cheong-guitar right now
But why is she playing acoustic guitar? Is it another individual mission?
└Didn't you see the guerrilla concert preview?
Worried reactions, anticipating reactions, and even hostile reactions.
Amidst their various responses, people ultimately pressed the play button.
Wherever your feet may land,
Leave your sorrow there.
When you return,
I'll give you my happiness.
And after a very short climax and Yun Cheong's performance ended.
Holy cow, wow?!
The reactions exploded.
WTF, why is she so good LOLㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Whoa, I only watched her fancams, but this is insane.
Where's the jerk who was raining on our parade earlier? Come out.
I'm a long-time fan of Nakdong River Band..^^ Thanks to Yun Cheong, I'm lost in old memories.. This song may seem easy, but it's actually quite difficult.. I'm looking forward to it..^^
She should debut as a solo artist, not in a group;;;;
It's not even 30 seconds including the intro, but she just killed it.
It's my first time hearing this song, but it's so good. Yun Cheong is the best.
Unnie, I'm thirty-seven, but now I'm seven, *goo-goo ga-ga*. I'll call you Unnie.
└That's enough.
At the same time, expectations for the main performance grew.
Of course… this preview aired after the guerrilla concert had already concluded.
***
The next afternoon.
Kim Ryeo-yu returned much later than expected.
But her expression was very poor.
Didn't she go to rest? Why does she look so upset?
"...Doesn't Unnie Ryeo-yu seem a little upset?"
Yeon Ju-hong seemed to think the same thing, as she whispered to me.
I nodded.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Still, we were performing together, so I couldn't just ignore her because she looked upset.
"Ryeo-yu. You heard from Writer Kang about the guerrilla concert, right?"
Besides, the cameras were on.
Public opinion still hadn't fully cleared Jo Hui-on of suspicion, so I didn't want to create more rumors of discord here.
There were already many people suspicious of the relationship between Kim Ryeo-yu and me, so there was no need to give them an excuse in front of the cameras.
"...I heard. That you and I are on the same team."
"Yeah, Ju-hong, Bo-ra, and Geum are all on the same team too."
"You already picked a song, they said."
Oh, surprisingly, there was no opposition to being on the same team.
...Is it because she already heard everything?
"Yeah. The song we're doing is by the Nakdong River seniors. Do you know that song?"
"...I know it."
"Is it okay to do this song?"
"It's already decided, so. Can't be helped. It's fine."
Huh?
The four of us glanced at each other.
Kim Ryeo-yu was… surprisingly compliant.
It was a relief, but why did it feel so unsettling?
Our expected dialogue was,
'Guys, still… couldn't you have decided on the song together? It was only one day… Couldn't you have waited for that long?'
Or,
'That song… doesn't it not really suit me…? Can I ask why you chose that song?'
That was the kind of scenario we'd imagined.
And for good reason, because Kim Ryeo-yu's preferences, as we'd seen them so far, didn't match this song at all.
Kim Ryeo-yu only wanted to do what she was good at.
It's natural for people to want to do what they're good at.
But she took it a bit too far.
She insisted only on a sexy concept, or if not that, then other concepts with just a drop of sexiness.
It's not that a sexy concept is bad, but idols need to be able to pull off various concepts.
"But this isn't final. If you want a different song, we can change it anytime."
"...No. I like this song too."
She likes this song?
It was unexpected, but a relief.
"Did you divide the parts?"
"No, I thought it would be better to do that with you."
"...Thank you."
Did the sun rise in the west today…?
Unable to adjust, we could only tremble.
However.
In truth, Kim Ryeo-yu had her own circumstances.
***
"Have a seat."
Actually, Kim Ryeo-yu hadn't gone to rest yesterday.
She had been called by CEO Hong and gone to the Colors headquarters.
At first, she thought she had been called for encouragement.
Because CEO Hong was generally lenient and not harsh on trainees or artists.
But it wasn't that at all.
"It seems there have been an unusually high number of controversies related to trainee Kim Ryeo-yu recently."
"Those are all just rumors—"
"I'm not talking about rumors circulating among the public. I'm talking about the rumors coming from *within* the company."
"!"
Something felt off.
Kim Ryeo-yu nervously eyed Director Kim, who had also been called in.
But Director Kim also seemed unusually quiet today.
Director Kim, who would normally have stood up to CEO Hong, was particularly silent today.
She didn't even seem to want to lift her head.
"There's been a lot of talk about trainee Jo Hui-on's contract termination this time too."
"That was because Hui-on's health…"
"Do you take me for a pushover?"
"...Pardon?"
Kim Ryeo-yu flinched in surprise.
It wasn't just because CEO Hong, who had never used informal speech with trainees, had suddenly done so.
It was because, for the first time, she looked truly terrifying.
"I left it alone, thinking you'd handle it internally."
CEO Hong said that, glaring at Director Kim.
"But you keep crossing the line."
No way… No way, does she know everything?
Kim Ryeo-yu grew increasingly anxious.
Did she know the whole story about the peanut powder incident too?
Did Yun Cheong tell her?
No. That couldn't be.
"I asked trainees who transferred to other agencies about trainee Kim Ryeo-yu. And about this incident."
As soon as the words "trainees who transferred to other agencies" came out, Kim Ryeo-yu winced.
Because all this time, Kim Ryeo-yu had bullied every promising new trainee who seemed likely to debut.
Naturally, many trainees left Colors because of such bullying.
That's what Kim Ryeo-yu had wanted all along.
"And they all said it was obviously because of you."
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