Talent Blossoms

The fallout.

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There was no way this wouldn't blow up.

Yoon Sora had been one of the most popular contestants on Dream Girls. Even after her elimination, the fan devotion hadn't faded. She'd left that strong an impression.

The latest issue. For fans who already knew her, it was almost impossible to believe. On broadcast she'd been coolness itself. Her tireless work ethic had drawn praise too.

But her everyday behavior? She wasn't perfect either. Everyone has at least one secret they'd rather not talk about.

At first the debate split into camps. As time passed, evidence surfaced one piece after another, and it became clear this wasn't just a rumor.

And it wasn't necessarily a bad direction. The gap between her image and reality felt fresh. Her fanbase was different from the other contestants' — centered not on agencies, but on community boards.

Positive reactions dominated. Community users felt a sense of kinship. Her speech patterns and behavior got picked up by mischievous netizens and fans alike, spreading like catchphrases.

Fun gossip. Some criticism existed, but the overall mood was to laugh it off. The timing, though, was terrible. Right as her baffling elimination from Dream Girls was drawing attention — the story broke.

It spread across community after community. Contestant Yoon Sora's recent activities, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that is.

Countless people found out. No — the scale was inevitably nationwide. Dream Girls had drawn massive buzz. In Korea, there was almost no one who didn't know about it.

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Even in Japan. The show had featured popular Japanese idols like AK47. Japanese fans naturally rooted for the Japanese contestants. But among the Korean ones —

— there was a contestant they rooted for. Yoon Sora had been the most popular Korean contestant in Japan. She wasn't a trainee. That very fact had struck a chord with Japanese sensibilities.

The culture was different. Japan tended to prefer "growth-type idols."

"If you want to succeed as an idol, it's better to be only moderately good at dancing and singing — that way you look cuter." — Sashihara Rino (AKB48)

Watching an incomplete idol grow. That was what they considered the joy of being a fan. And she fit perfectly. Having grown steadily from episode one, she was popular in Japan as well.

The buzz continued even after her elimination. Countless Japanese fans were curious about what she was up to. All that trickled through were rumors. And then real news from Korea finally got out.

It became an issue in Japan too. Dream Girls may have ended, but her story was still going.

Shit…….

She just wasn't happy about it. Back from her trip, Sora steeled herself and turned on her computer.

She'd known before this. Her friends had given her a rough outline of the situation.

Good thing I raised my threshold gradually.

If she'd taken this hit completely unprepared? Her mental state would have gone boom— and shattered. The trip had helped too. Just as her senior had said, catching her breath had definitely worked.

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Even so, hard was hard. The moment she opened YouTube, sure enough, teasing comments were piled on in massive numbers. Her head throbbed. Her eyes squeezed shut. What made her open them again was the voices of her fans.

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There were messages of support too. Looking at the overall atmosphere, her worries seemed to have been unfounded.

It's not like I committed a crime.

She was just a little embarrassed. And she'd prepared herself thoroughly enough to endure that.

Gulp.

Even so, she hesitated — that was the truth. Being mentally ready and actually doing it were separate things. Maybe doing nothing would be better. Just ride the real-life gate as is. Study as one ordinary student. She knew that was the easier path. But—

Tap. Click!

An investor couldn't be afraid of risk. Without risk, there was no return.

Right. It's not like I'm a virgin anymore.

That had been thoroughly taken care of. She'd been told it happened while she was drunk, which she couldn't believe — until the confirmation kill. She'd slept with her senior. It still didn't feel real, like just an extension of the things they usually did.

"Hello! This is Sora……, the channel that explores the joy of economics."

But her courage seemed to be building. She felt like she could do anything. A live stream. Something she'd always wanted to try at least once. A way to convey her intentions without room for misunderstanding.

"If you look at the videos uploaded to this YouTube channel, you'll know I've always been interested in stocks……."

Why she'd been on that community board. Why she'd used that peculiar way of speaking. She explained each point one by one.

The viewers seemed to accept it. Looking at the chat, Sora felt relieved.

They do seem a little bored though…….

Nothing she could do about it. She didn't know how to stream entertainingly like BJs or streamers. That wasn't why she'd gone live anyway. She'd been satisfied just clearing up the recent controversy. Then—

"???"

A forced reaction went off.