Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Her Debut (2)
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The party atmosphere began to ripen gradually.
In the midst of it, Lian Rose member Miha took an interest in the relationship between Kang Han-do and Choi Ye-hee.
“How did you end up meeting sunbae-nim, Ye-hee unnie?”
“A while back, when I was working part-time at a PC bang, Han-do ssi approached me first. That’s how we’ve known each other ever since.”
“Oh my, that’s... um...?”
Miha’s eyes narrowed.
Kang Han-do must have approached Choi Ye-hee out of romantic interest.
It was exactly the kind of statement that could easily lead to misunderstandings.
Kang Han-do shook his head.
“It’s not like that. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“So sunbae-nim isn’t interested in unnie?”
“Well...”
He couldn’t deny it.
He had approached her because he was interested, after all.
Choi Ye-hee shot Miha a sharp look.
“Don’t put Han-do ssi in a tough spot. Just eat your food.”
“Tch, fine.”
Miha pouted and returned to her meal.
The Lian Rose members looked like they owned the world whenever they ate.
And there was a good reason for it.
“We’re always on strict diets and controlling our meals,” Choi Ye-hee explained.
Kang Han-do immediately followed up.
“But can you eat all this food here?”
“Yeah. We got permission just for today.”
The path of a girl group was grueling.
Not only the tough choreography practice, but also meal control for body management.
Yet they had a reason for not giving up on this road.
They wanted to become singers.
No—they wanted to be singers.
That dream allowed them to walk this arduous path without complaint.
Choi Ye-hee was no different.
“Once we debut, we probably won’t be able to meet as often, right, Han-do ssi?”
Choi Ye-hee looked regretful.
But Kang Han-do didn’t think of it negatively.
“Just think of it the other way. We’ll be in the same industry, so we’ll at least see each other at work. Who knows? You might even appear as a guest on one of my shows.”
“You’re right. There’s no reason to think of it badly. Thanks. You always cheer me up, Han-do ssi.”
Just as Choi Ye-hee was Kang Han-do’s light, he became her sanctuary to lean on.
The two drew one step closer as indispensable presences in each other’s lives.
* * *
News of Lian Rose’s debut stage began to spread far and wide.
Simply being the girl group ambitiously prepared by LC Entertainment was enough to draw public interest.
Lian Rose.
A group that hadn’t existed before Kang Han-do’s regression.
Even he couldn’t predict what growth path they would take.
‘Whether they succeed or flop, it’ll depend on Ye-hee ssi and the members.’
How much they had practiced, and how polished a stage they could deliver.
That would determine their fate.
Finally, debut day arrived.
Even though it was his day off, Kang Han-do hurriedly got ready to head out.
The broadcasting station he usually visited for work.
But today was different.
Fans heading to Music Festa were already lining up.
Kang Han-do waited nearby for the person he planned to watch Music Festa with today.
“Hey, Kang Han-do.”
Oh Min-tae spotted him right away.
“You’re late. You should’ve come earlier.”
“Hey, this is early for me. Anyway, has entry started yet?”
“Looks like it’ll start soon.”
“Yeah? But do we have to buy tickets and line up like everyone else? Can’t we just go in? You know Kang Young-nam PD, right? If you ask him, he’d probably let us in with a free pass.”
“I don’t want to bother Kang PD-nim with personal favors. It might cause trouble for him.”
“Hmm. I don’t see it that way.”
Oh Min-tae thought Kang Han-do was overreacting.
In any case, they lined up like the fans and headed to the Music Festa seating area.
Some fans recognized Kang Han-do and Oh Min-tae.
“Kang Han-do ssi!”
“Look over here too!”
The fans cheered at the celebrities’ appearance.
The atmosphere suddenly heated up.
Kang Young-nam PD’s attention turned to the commotion in the audience.
“Min-cheol-ah. Is there a problem?”
He asked a passing assistant director, who replied nonchalantly while checking camera paths.
“I saw Kang Han-do ssi earlier.”
“What?! Han-do ssi is here? Why didn’t he tell me!”
“You didn’t ask.”
“Argh, you frustrating guy!”
Kang Young-nam PD paused his work and headed to the audience.
He immediately spotted Kang Han-do and Oh Min-tae.
“Han-do ssi! Min-tae ssi’s here too. Come this way, both of you.”
Kang Han-do and Oh Min-tae meekly followed Kang Young-nam PD’s instructions.
After leading them backstage, Kang Young-nam PD finally exchanged greetings.
Then he asked why they had come to Music Festa today.
“You’re not here for work... So what brings you?”
“We came to cheer for Lian Rose’s debut stage.”
As Kang Han-do explained, Oh Min-tae showed off his Lian Rose cheering picket.
Kang Young-nam PD let out a small sigh.
“You should’ve told me ahead of time. I could’ve gotten you good seats.”
“That would be imposing.”
“It’s fine. No big deal. Plus, having a famous person like you, Han-do ssi, in the audience could cause chaos there. Like just now.”
“Ah... You’re right. Sorry. I didn’t think of that.”
“No, it’s okay. It happens.”
Oh Min-tae teased the apologizing Kang Han-do with a ‘See? I told you so.’
This time, Oh Min-tae was right.
It was Kang Han-do’s first time in such a situation, so he hadn’t considered it.
“The Lian Rose members are in the waiting room right now. Why don’t you go say hi? They must be nervous. Hearing some encouraging words from a sunbae like you would give them a lot of courage.”
Kang Young-nam PD knew better than anyone the jitters of rookie singers on the cusp of debut.
He had watched their starts and growth from the closest vantage point for decades.
Kang Han-do nodded.
Choi Ye-hee had always cheered him on...
Now it was his turn to cheer for her.
* * *
Knock knock.
After knocking on the waiting room door and hearing “Come in,” Kang Han-do turned the handle.
“Hello.”
“S-sunbae-nim?!”
The Lian Rose members jumped in surprise.
Choi Ye-hee was no exception.
She hadn’t expected him to come all the way to the waiting room.
Which made her even more shocked.
Choi Ye-hee shot up and approached Kang Han-do.
“What brings you here?”
“Came to cheer you on. Min-tae’s with me.”
“Long time no see, Ye-hee ssi. You didn’t forget me, right?”
“How could I? Oh, right—the Driving License Academy skits. I watch them all the time. They’re so fun.”
“Han-do put a lot of effort into the ideas. I just followed his lead. Haha!”
It was Oh Min-tae’s first time meeting a girl group.
His body was tense with excitement.
Seeing Lian Rose reminded Kang Han-do of VSLine’s debut.
‘The atmosphere was like this back then too.’
A strange tension. And trembling.
But VSLine had debuted successfully, reaping the rewards of their hardships all at once as they walked a flowery path.
Kang Han-do hoped Lian Rose would follow the same trajectory.
“Your first stage must be nerve-wracking. Just recall your usual practice in your head, and enjoy the performance. The audience will respond naturally. The most important thing is to create a stage that you yourselves find fun and enjoyable. Always keep that in mind.”
“Yes!”
“Thank you, sunbae-nim!”
The Lian Rose members bowed deeply to Kang Han-do in gratitude.
A moment later.
A staff member told them.
“Next up, Lian Rose. Get ready.”
The moment had arrived.
Kang Han-do exchanged a brief farewell with Choi Ye-hee.
Lian Rose slowly made their way to the stage.
The dream Kang Han-do had helped create for Choi Ye-hee finally bloomed fully on stage.
* * *
Lian Rose’s debut stage was a resounding success.
It drew even more attention than VSLine.
The title track was catchy and great.
They ranked in the top 10 on various music charts right upon release.
Who knew it would hit this big.
Even Kang Han-do hadn’t anticipated such a smash hit.
Yet in a way, it made sense.
‘Looking at each member’s skills, this success feels almost inevitable.’
Things blow up for a reason.
With Choi Ye-hee’s visuals and vocals alone, Lian Rose had more than enough to stand out.
But now the real work began.
They were scheduled to appear on various broadcasts to promote Lian Rose.
How well they could make themselves known to viewers on variety shows—that was key.
Then, an unexpected opportunity came to Kang Han-do.
On a Star House recording day.
Kang Han-do arrived early at the station and checked the studio recreating actor Jo Hyun-woo’s room, today’s main feature.
Oh Sin-hoon hadn’t arrived yet.
He’d gotten word that schedule conflicts meant he’d arrive just before shooting started.
In the meantime, Kang Han-do decided to look around the studio alone.
He also reviewed the info he’d researched on Jo Hyun-woo.
‘His OCD makes his room incredibly neat.’
No clutter in sight.
Only essentials.
And a ton of cleaning supplies. You could feel Jo Hyun-woo’s intolerance for even a speck of dust.
If the recreated studio was this pristine, how spotless was the real thing?
He suddenly grew curious.
It was a question that popped up every Star House shoot.
How different was a real star’s room from the studio version?
He’d seen photos from the writers, but photos and the real thing were worlds apart.
He scoured every corner for ad-lib material.
That’s when Star House head writer Na Won-young approached Kang Han-do.
“Han-do ssi. Busy?”
“No, what’s up?”
“The guest for next week’s Star House is set. Thought I’d let you know early. You probably haven’t heard of them. It’s a rookie girl group that just debuted.”
For a moment, Kang Han-do thought, ‘No way?’
His hunch was spot on.
“It’s the girl group Lian Rose.”
A connection with Choi Ye-hee formed far, far sooner than Kang Han-do had expected.
What an unbelievable coincidence.