Chapter 66
Actually, I was the one who orchestrated this meeting.
Of course, I didn’t expect CEO Hong to show up.
At most, I thought another executive from the company would come.
First, I made PD Oh afraid of the potential backlash.
Through Yeon Juhong.
I knew that with any ordinary reason, PD Oh wouldn’t side with me.
It was true that PD Oh and I had cooperated a few times, but that was simply because our interests coincided by chance.
And PD Oh was probably starting to assess the situation.
He was wondering whether siding with me would be beneficial or if staying out of it would be better.
Of course, given PD Oh’s cowardly nature, he would likely choose to avoid the hassle.
So, I gave him a reason he couldn’t avoid.
If it had been any other trainee, it wouldn’t have worked.
But Yeon Juhong was the youngest.
Seventeen years old was a surprisingly persuasive age.
Especially in very specific circumstances.
It’s the perfect age to be forced by a malicious adult.
PD Oh knew that too, which is why he was scared of Yeon Juhong’s nonsensical demands.
On top of that, I delivered the final blow.
I sent an audio file directly to PD Oh’s phone.
Probably, the reason Som was notified to go out into the hallway like that was….
It was a bit of a hint to prepare for this kind of situation.
Having experienced this dirty world, I learned that I needed to make recording a part of my life.
So, I recorded right on the spot.
I hoped I wouldn’t have to use the audio file, but….
I wouldn’t hesitate to use it when necessary.
Anyway.
PD Oh, who received the audio file, seemed to realize it wasn’t something he could handle alone.
Judging by the fact that he organized this meeting.
“…I heard a rough outline, but it’s truly astonishing.”
CEO Hong let out a cynical laugh.
“Where on earth did that young girl learn such things…?”
As CEO Hong spoke, she openly glared at Director Kim.
She probably learned from there.
Director Kim bit his lip tightly, saying nothing.
Indeed, it would have been strange for him to have anything to say in this situation.
“First, I want to apologize. Trainee Yoon Cheong.”
CEO Hong seemed quite displeased with the situation, clenching her lips tightly.
“It would have been better if the company had responded earlier. But we couldn’t grasp the exact details right away, so we couldn’t act immediately. I truly apologize.”
I didn’t respond.
Because I knew that only half of CEO Hong’s words were true.
Of course, it was true that they couldn’t figure out who was telling the truth and delayed their response.
If they acted hastily and it turned out they were wrong, the issue would escalate further.
But was that all?
CEO Hong was someone who skillfully utilized the entertainment industry’s mechanism where a bit of controversy brought attention, and attention brought popularity.
Leaving this controversy unchecked for a few days without proper investigation was….
Half out of caution and half out of a desire to stir up some buzz.
After letting the controversy grow, their intention was to debut the real victim and expel the real perpetrator.
That way, they could debut amidst enormous buzz and start with the public on their side.
Knowing this, I had kept my mouth shut for a while.
But now it was time to speak up.
After all, I had to debut in first place.
“So, how do you plan to handle this now?”
“….”
CEO Hong’s response was lukewarm.
She was probably contemplating whether to escalate the controversy or handle it appropriately.
Seeing as the real victim was staring at her with wide eyes.
“What does Trainee Yoon Cheong want? Trainee Kim Ryeo-yu’s resignation?”
“No.”
At my answer, a light came into CEO Hong’s eyes.
“What I want is the truth.”
“I believe that’s a given. The company also plans to issue a statement-”
“No.”
“?”
“What I want is….”
More than that.
***
“Sister!”
“Cheong!”
As soon as I returned to the dorm, everyone rushed out to greet me.
This was a strange sensation.
I had always come home alone.
There was no such thing as a dorm for me, just my personal house.
“What’s going on? The interview was suddenly stopped, and then you got called in and disappeared. We were all shocked.”
“I heard the CEO came?”
“Really? Why?!”
“What did the CEO say?! Are they going to explain this from the company’s perspective?”
“What about PD Oh?! What’s Mnet going to do?”
I glanced toward Kim Ryeo-yu’s room.
Everyone seemed to understand the meaning of that glance and immediately explained.
“Ryeo-yu unnie went to her parents’ house to sleep today.”
“Oh, really?”
Looks like she was in a hurry to have a strategy meeting with Director Kim.
“So, tell us what happened.”
Everyone seemed curious.
But I couldn’t say anything at that moment.
Because-
“Well. I did get called in…. but I don’t really know.”
“Why?!”
“They’re still in a meeting.”
“Oh my gosh.”
I proposed an idea.
They said they would consider it.
Now, all that was left was to focus on the stage.
“They’re going to reschedule the individual interviews for tomorrow. And they’ll tell us what the mission song is. I’m sorry that the schedule got pushed back because of me.”
“It’s not because of you! This situation is absurd!”
Yeon Juhong fumed.
I appreciated it.
Honestly, she must have been struggling with her own problems, yet she worried about me too.
“Let’s get some rest. It’ll be okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
It was Ryu Bo-ra.
All four of us turned our eyes to Ryu Bo-ra.
“Do you think this is the first time something like this has happened? I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. People getting caught up in false accusations, becoming disillusioned with the entertainment industry, and retiring.”
Ryu Bo-ra’s eyes held not just anger but also sadness.
“People don’t care about the truth. They just choose whatever seems more entertaining to them. So the company needs to respond quickly. Why are they dragging their feet-!”
“Bo-ra.”
I gently tugged on Ryu Bo-ra’s long, swaying hair with both hands.
It was both beautiful and cute.
“! Sister, are you crazy…?”
Kim Geum was more shocked than Ryu Bo-ra and reacted first.
Ryu Bo-ra, on the other hand, seemed so dazed that she didn’t even register the situation.
“You’re right. People instinctively follow what’s entertaining.”
I had seen this often during my time in the entertainment industry.
So I understood why Ryu Bo-ra was upset.
“But, at the same time…. people also seek what is right. The reason people are angry now is because they mistakenly believe it’s the right thing. The truth is obscured.”
“But-!”
“More importantly, we have our fans, don’t we?”
In the lonely and empty world of the entertainment industry, there were people who had been my solace.
No, they were the only reason I hadn’t left the entertainment industry in the first place.
“They won’t be disappointed. Don’t worry.”
I was grateful that after living as Baek Nokha in the entertainment industry for ten years, I ended up in Yoon Cheong’s body.
I knew how precious the connections with fans were.
Because I had experienced that love firsthand.
So I wanted to let the real Yoon Cheong, who might be watching all of this, know as well.
What kind of love she deserved.
What kind of affection and support her efforts should have received.
***
“I will announce the final mission songs.”
The next day, filming resumed.
Without any conclusion.
Kim Ryeo-yu looked much more haggard than the day before.
She was probably anxiously awaiting the decisions of the higher-ups.
I was just as anxious.
I hoped Hong Yeonseo was as sensible and ethical as I thought.
“The first song is….”
The moment PD Oh opened his mouth,
“Ta-da!”
“?!”
“Gasp.”
Do Hee-young suddenly appeared from behind us.
I hadn’t seen her for a while.
“The first song is one I participated in composing, so I’ll introduce it myself!”
Oh.
Senior Do really lived a busy life.
Still active as an idol, appearing on variety shows, and composing.
I couldn’t get the hang of variety shows, so I couldn’t do it.
She was an amazing person.
“Of course, I didn’t compose it alone; my member Sol did most of it.”
Do Hee-young said this and turned her head toward the large screen.
Then a song started playing along with eleven dancers.
“….”
Hmm.
Senior Do. It seemed she didn’t have an extraordinary talent for composing.
It was a deep house genre with a stylish feel, but it didn’t have any particularly catchy points.
The concept seemed to be dark yet powerful.
The lyrics as well.
It was the kind of song that would be used once in a competition and then forgotten.
Of course, it wasn’t terrible.
Everyone seemed to think the same. They nodded and kept the beat, but their expressions were soulless.
The choreography was more noticeable than the song.
“This is bad….”
Yeon Juhong’s expression soured, probably due to the level of the choreography.
The song itself wasn’t incredibly difficult…. but combining it with the dance made it a bit challenging.
“So, how is it? Great, right! Our Sol is great at composing, isn’t she!”
“Yes!”
“Wow, it’s amazing. You’re incredible, senior.”
Everyone was working hard at socializing.
I also smiled as brightly as I could and gave a thumbs up.
…I needed to socialize too.
“Next is the second song. The song you’ll each perform as a team.”
Sparkle.
Only
then did everyone come alive.
Yeah.
People get fired up when there’s competition.
This time, a song played along with five dancers.
Probably meant for us to modify the movements ourselves.
This song had a lighter feel, more of an electro-pop vibe.
It seemed much more focused on being catchy than the first song.
Light and instantly captivating.
The choreography was….
“We’re really doomed….”
You could tell from Yeon Juhong’s reaction.