Chapter 20 The Last Night Before Debut
Han Shangxi's mental fortitude was much stronger than Jiang Suxian had imagined.
Looking at Shang Xi, who seemed no different from usual, Jiang Suxian nodded slightly in her heart.
The outcry was so loud that no one could ignore it.
Moreover, Jiang Suxian knew the truth; Han Shangxi's situation this time could be considered a completely undeserved disaster.
The production credits for their debut album have been leaked, and the screen is filled with references to Sanghee, a first-time artist. Many people are making wild speculations without any evidence.
The matter concerning the ear was also revealed by someone claiming to be a high school classmate.
Doubts about Han Sang-hee's ability to debut have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
How can someone who is deaf in their left ear become the lead singer? And how could they possibly be the one to produce a song?
They felt that the group was a game played by royalty from beginning to end, so they decided not to debut at all.
The sit-in protesters downstairs these past two days are doing this.
Aside from borrowing YG's PR department to start collecting evidence and announcing preparations for a lawsuit, Jiang Suxian couldn't do anything else.
The act of filing a lawsuit even seems to add fuel to the fire.
What those people online are saying isn't wrong; this is indeed a game played by royalty. They've just picked the wrong people.
They were incredibly unlucky; even in a Minesweeper game where you have to choose two out of three, they managed to push the selection to the only blank one.
Jiang Suxian could only say these things to herself.
Regarding these rumors about Han Shangxi, almost everyone was subtly or overtly conveying a certain message to her.
That's fine, no need to argue or explain anything.
This is the case for Li Rongzhe, and it's the same for Professor Shen.
Are you unhappy? Jiang Suxian is definitely unhappy.
Jiang Suxian found the underhanded actions of those people, whether they were friendly or hostile, to be completely unfamiliar.
This is also the worst Jiang Suxian has ever suffered in recent years.
It wasn't just because she felt it was unfair to the victims, but also because she hated anyone interfering with her plans.
Nobody likes to be a pawn that is manipulated.
No one talked to the three who were about to debut about these strategic maneuvers.
They were only told the most superficial aspects.
—Because they are still innocent and ignorant children, we should not let their relationship deteriorate.
It would be terrible to create even more trouble for an already controversial issue.
Jiang Suxian tacitly accepted these statements.
As she reassured the three people in front of her, Jiang Suxian stopped twirling the pen in her hand.
"Never mind, come with me."
Jiang Suxian led the three of them on a tour of the company.
Today is the last day of the countdown to ETE's debut.
The lights were almost on full display, and all the relevant staff were making preparations.
"I want you to remember that ETE is made up of you and the teams behind you. Don't let down the original you, and don't let down the efforts of these people."
Since things have come to this, let's not lose anything else.
These words were spoken to the person in front of her, but also to herself.
Jiang Suxian only hopes that things will go smoothly for ETE after their debut.
"Shangxi, could you stay here for a moment?"
Jiang Suxian called out to Han Shangxi.
After reassuring his two friends, who seemed caught off guard, with a look, Han Shangxi left with Director Jiang.
You don't need to listen to what I just said.
I was saying this to Minjin and Jihye.
They are still too impetuous.
Don't worry about the comments online; the company will provide you with appropriate resources as compensation later.
For the first time, Jiang Suxian gradually lost focus while talking to someone.
She wanted to say something else, but didn't know what to say.
After he finished speaking, the office fell into a long silence.
Han Shangxi didn't take Director Jiang's words to heart.
In short, I just want to keep myself in line and not cause trouble.
This incident will bring me some compensation.
At this moment, Han Shangxi kept recalling the contents of the signs that the people downstairs had placed in front of them or held above their heads.
Perhaps she needs to find a quiet place to stay for a while.
"Director-nim, is there anything else you would like to say?"
Jiang Suxian only snapped out of her daze after Han Shangxi reminded her.
"That's all, you can go now."
She nodded to the other person, signaling them to leave.
Happy debut, Sang-hee!
Seeing Shang Xi walk out of the room, Jiang Suxian ultimately didn't say those words.
She suddenly recalled her first meeting with Shang Xi.
Jiang Suxian had long since learned to weigh things, but this time was still somewhat different.
Han Sang-hee was her biggest asset in this project.
Therefore, she felt somewhat guilty towards Han Shangxi.
In fact, Han Shangxi probably guessed what Director Jiang hadn't said.
It seems that she is once again a complete pawn.
Aside from being completely oblivious to this, Minjin seems to know something as well.
There aren't that many extremely coincidental things in the world.
How should I put it? If you insist on saying she doesn't care at all, then only a saint would do that, not her. How to care is a very philosophical topic, and Han Shangxi doesn't want to discuss it for now.
In any case, the goal should be to make more people like you.
People were still gathered downstairs, while Han Shangxi prepared to go downstairs and leave through another door to return to her dormitory.
She was a little tired and wanted to sleep for a while.
Those people really have a lot of energy.
"Sang-hee."
When he turned around, he saw the familiar GD senior and Han Sang-hee breathed a sigh of relief.
She finds it difficult to muster the energy to deal with other people now.
"Is there anything I can help you with, senior?"
She's run into her seniors a few times these past few days, but it's always been in the recording studio.
The two talked quite a lot about work and became more familiar with each other than before.
Perhaps because they shared a similar plight and were both currently the subject of heated online discussions, she was less reserved when chatting with this senior colleague than usual.
Han Shangxi's strongest impression of this familiar senior was that he was a very good person.
A very thoughtful and kind senior colleague.
Although it may sound a bit strange, among all the seniors I've met, this one is actually the most approachable when it comes to trainees.
This is the complete opposite of her flamboyant, dazzling, and unapproachable demeanor on stage.
Happy debut!
In front of Han Sang-hee, Kwon Ji-yong felt that he had maintained a good senior image.
His junior is about to debut, so it shouldn't be too much for him, as a familiar senior, to prepare a gift.
A bracelet that he had DIY'd appeared in front of the two of them.
He replaced the original central ornament of the bracelet with the sun symbol with her name on it, which he remembered.
I hope this younger generation can live up to her name.
"Thank you, senior. However, I will not accept your gift."
You can accept blessings from your seniors, but you cannot accept gifts from them.
It's not that they can't reciprocate the gift, it's just that their group's situation within the company is quite delicate.
It would be bad if someone with ulterior motives used this as an opportunity to cause trouble.
"All right."
When Kwon Ji-ryong saw that Han Sang-hee refused, he didn't insist any further.
The two exchanged a few words briefly before parting ways.
Back in the dorm, after taking off his coat, Han Shangxi looked at the bracelet that had fallen out of his hood and was momentarily speechless.
Oh my god, what was this senior thinking when he thought of doing this?
—Happy debut! May you become as brilliant as your name suggests.
A message from his senior on his phone brought Han Shangxi back to his senses.
After thanking her senior again, she stared at the bracelet for a while before putting it into her small jewelry box.
The box already contained many small accessories, some of which were gifts from others, and others that she bought herself because she liked them.
She didn't have many bracelets, only one, which she bought herself.
Han Shangxi placed the bracelet, a gift from her senior, into its designated area according to its classification.
I can start thinking about what kind of gift to give back next time.
Lying in bed in the darkness, no longer being noticed by anyone, the tear that had been hidden for so long finally slid down from the corner of her eye.
For the first time, Han Shangxi felt a little tired.
They're debuting tomorrow.
Then take a good rest.
The journey from training to debuting as an idol is filled with weighing options and calculations.
It's not that there's no sincerity, but rather that sincerity is hidden in the gaps between these calculations.
No one did anything wrong; everyone is just living for what they want.
But she was not willing to give up at all.
Unwillingness to accept defeat and a competitive spirit are the underlying traits beneath Han Sang-hee's gentle and measured personality.
Because she was unwilling to accept defeat, she still wanted to debut, even though she had failed to debut once and even though she was deaf in her left ear.
Because of her competitive spirit, she would practice and overcome her weaknesses again and again, put in twice the effort of others, spend time in the practice room, work on exercise books and composition assignments, and do her best.
That way, she can firmly grasp the opportunity to debut.
How could Han Shangxi be willing to let these things affect her condition?
She knows exactly what she wants right now.
To become an undeniable presence.
Happy debut to 19-year-old Han Sang-hee!
She said to herself.
The night before ETE's debut, crowds were still gathering downstairs at the company.
There are many negative voices online, and even those who like it can only hide in a corner.
What Han Shangxi wanted to do was not to change the minds of those who resisted her, nor did she ever think of making these people realize their mistakes and like ETE again. Instead, she wanted to make more people like ETE and let those who already liked them openly express their liking for ETE.
What they need to do is to perform well on every stage.
The idols are those on stage.
After sleeping for a few hours, Han Sang-hee returned to the practice room.
If you can't sleep, then practice a little longer.
After the summer vacation ended, the company arranged for Han Sang-hee to take leave from school.
The school, aware of the situation, expressed its understanding.
Han Sang-hee cherishes the rare opportunity to spend more time in the practice room.
Breakfast was eaten at the company cafeteria.
Watching the trainees playfully bickering, Han Shangxi thought of her past self.
Another batch of trainees left the company, and naturally, new people came in.
I heard that there were some candidates among them who were highly regarded by President Yang.
Now, she seems to be considered a senior among these trainees.
The trainee phase for Sang-hee has ended; the next phase belongs to the idol Sanghee, who will now stand on the stage.
Although there were many ups and downs before her debut, indicating that Sanghee's life would no longer be as simple as before, she was still looking forward to it all and to her first stage as ETE.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Thank you so much, my lovely angels, for reading, saving, and commenting! [cat paw emoji]
Thank you to readers "鹤球", "挖坑不填的作者抽一百鞭子", "评论区都是人才", "柚子", "o818", "白纸", "青柠气水", "我是不开心的开心", "StrawberryMilk", and "白衣小梨" for their enthusiastic support! [doge emoji with rose in hand]
This novel will be available for purchase starting with Chapter 21, which will be updated tomorrow. Thank you all for your support! [cheering emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com