I Became the CEO of an Idol Company in a Game Chapter 107

<Episode 107>

 

[Ramos Entertainment’s Florence, internal conflict ahead of debut?

Source: Entertainment Today

News has emerged that rookie girl group Florence, which is about to debut, is suffering from internal discord.

According to an insider, “There was conflict between leader Lim Hyeju and the youngest, Park Chaeha,” adding, “Some members even shed tears during recording.” Ramos Entertainment immediately denied it, stating it was “groundless,” but some responses say, “Given that it happened right after the leak incident, it sounds more believable.”

The moment the article popped up, my fist clenched tightly.

“Ha.”

It was clearly Joo Youngjun’s doing.

Entertainment Today.

After checking their articles, it was a company that had consistently written only favorable pieces about A-Pen, but the moment contract renewal failed, they framed them as traitors.

“Impressive.”

The corner of my mouth twisted upward crookedly.

I thought he’d stay quiet for a while, but it seemed he was making a final desperate struggle.

‘No. He must have planned to release this from the start. Timed with Florence’s debut teaser release.’

Anger surged at his pettiness.

But this wasn’t the time to be consumed by anger.

I called Han Suseok.

[Yes, CEO-nim.]

“You saw the article, right?”

[Yes.]

I could feel the heaviness in his voice.

“First, release a rebuttal article. And tell Yoo Jeongyeon to stay by Florence’s side. Got it?”

[Yes.]

“And prepare something to divert attention.”

[Understood.]

 

***

 

[Exclusive] Turning even a leak into art – Florence reveals unconventional concept teaser

[Breaking] ‘Echoes of a Lost Tape’ trending… controversy over ‘noise marketing using a leak incident.’

[Analysis] Turning crisis into opportunity? Ramos Entertainment, outcome of a ‘risky choice’?

 

Florence felt depressed after seeing the articles.

“Haah….”

The dorm was filled only with sighs.

They had never expected to be swept up in rumors of discord even before their debut.

They did argue occasionally, but after enduring trainee life together, they were practically like sisters.

“The CEO sent a gift.”

Yoo Jeongyeon said brightly, trying to lift their spirits.

“Look at this shopping bag.”

She handed over a large shopping bag.

“…Thank you.”

Lim Hyeju accepted it on behalf of the group.

But she didn’t look interested.

She was just receiving it because the manager handed it to her.

“Girls. It’ll be okay.”

Even with Yoo Jeongyeon’s comfort, the mood didn’t change.

“Let’s look at the gift. Okay? We should check it.”

Seeing the once cheerful girls now sitting with drooping expressions was painful for her.

Why had rumors of discord hit these girls who got along so well?

Did she really have to just keep watching this happen?

Various thoughts crossed her mind.

“Yes.”

Lim Hyeju weakly opened the bag.

Inside were in-ear monitors engraved with Florence’s name and each member’s name.

The in-ears also had purple flowers drawn on them, matching their debut teaser concept.

If not for the rumor articles, they would have jumped in place with joy upon receiving the gift.

“Girls….”

Yoo Jeongyeon looked at the Florence members with pity.

“Why would such a ridiculous article come out?”

Mio asked, pouting her lips.

The entertainment industry had always been like this.

Everyone was shaken by malicious comments and speculative articles, and in the end, the truth often got buried.

But for Florence, who hadn’t even debuted yet, this was too cruel.

“…Let’s stay strong, everyone. The CEO believes in us and even gave us these gifts.”

Yoo Jeongyeon said with a forced smile.

“These in-ears are really pretty. Let’s make sure to wear them during performances, okay?”

“Yes….”

The members answered quietly, but their voices lacked energy.

Lim Hyeju carefully looked at the in-ear in her hand.

The small engraving: Florence.

And beneath it: Hyeju.

‘If I had received this when nothing was wrong, I would’ve been really happy. It’s the debut stage I’ve dreamed of.’

The moment that thought crossed her mind, her eyes grew slightly warm.

“Unni.”

“Yeah?”

“Will this… get better?”

“Yeah. It will get better.”

Yoo Jeongyeon answered, hoping it was true.

But a heavy anxiety settled in one corner of her heart.

“…Girls, listen carefully. I can’t promise that something like this will never happen again.”

Her words carried the harsh truth of the entertainment industry.

“In a world where attention equals money.”

It was only natural in a world where YouTube views and article clicks directly translated into money.

“But you have to endure it. You don’t need to be hurt by things that aren’t true. Soon, everyone will realize it’s not real. The company will step in too.”

At that moment, as Yoo Jeongyeon spoke, an announcement was posted on Ramos Entertainment’s official SNS account.

 

[Hello.

This is Ramos Entertainment.

We would like to state our position regarding the rumors of discord among Florence members that have recently spread through online communities and some media outlets.

First, the recent rumors of discord involving Florence are not true. Florence is a group formed by the members themselves when they came together voluntarily for trainee evaluations. They were not put together by the company, but united by their own will.

Therefore, we once again state that the rumors of conflict among the members are completely unfounded.

We are currently preparing legal action against the author of the post and the source of its distribution.

Additionally, we will respond firmly to the spread of false information that damages our artists’ honor and character, and we inform you that there will be no leniency whatsoever.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Florence remains unwavering and is doing their best to prepare for their debut stage.

We ask fans to judge based on the performances and music the members will show, rather than on baseless rumors.

We ask for your continued interest and support for Florence and Ramos Entertainment.

Thank you.

Ramos Entertainment.]

 

Yoo Jeongyeon brightened upon seeing the official notice posted by the company.

Then she showed it to the Florence members.

“See? The company will keep protecting you like this. So you just need to trust the company.”

Her voice became a little brighter.

“Of course, I’m not saying you should just stay still.”

Her voice was quiet but firm.

Inside the practice room, where everyone had their heads down, even the air felt heavy.

“The CEO has stepped forward to respond to the media, but fans and the public will probably be waiting for you to speak as well.”

Lim Hyeju carefully raised her head.

“Then… are you saying we should speak for ourselves?”

“Yeah. Us personally. About what kind of team we are, and how we prepared for our debut.”

Yoo Jeongyeon looked at the members with resolute eyes.

“Something more truthful than a company statement… is your voices.”

Silence fell for a moment.

The members looked at each other.

Mio, still teary-eyed, spoke softly.

“Let’s do it. I don’t want to just sit and take it. If we really didn’t get along, that’d be one thing… but that’s not the case.”

“That’s right.”

Park Chaeha said, clenching her fist tightly.

That night, Florence gathered in their dorm and placed a phone in the center.

Without even turning on the lights, they quietly pressed the record button.

[Florence Official – Message to Fans]

“Hello. This is Florence.”

Lim Hyeju greeted and bowed her head.

Beside her, Kang Seoa quietly continued.

“You must have been very surprised by the recent articles about us. But we… are still practicing together and supporting each other.”

“It’s not easy to correct misunderstandings once they happen.”

Mio continued slowly.

“So we wanted to tell you directly. That we’re still looking in the same direction, dreaming of the same stage.”

Lastly, Lim Hyeju smiled.

“For Florence’s first stage, all five of us will stand together. Thank you for watching over us.”

They bowed their heads slightly.

The video wasn’t long.

There was no embellishment, no editing… just a single take.

 

***

 

Clover, after hearing the news about Florence, couldn’t help but feel anxious.

 

[Our kids’ fan meeting is going to be okay, right?]

↳ That’s honestly what scares me the most too.

↳ Ha…. They prepared properly, right? My heart is pounding like crazy.

↳ No way. They must have prepared the fan meeting properly.

 

The reason for their anxiety was simple.

Ramos Entertainment wasn’t a large company.

It had already struggled just to raise Spade Joker and had only recently begun expanding by producing a new group called Florence.

But now, even before the debut, there had been a music leak and rumors of discord.

The company was surely in emergency mode.

 

[No, seriously, this pisses me off. Florence has to succeed for our kids’ activities to stay stable. Of course, I wanted them to do a bit less well than our group, but this is just wrong.]

↳ Then who’s going to prepare our kids’ fan meeting?

↳ Ah, seriously.

↳ CEO-nim… are you okay?

 

[CEO-nim’s mental state must be completely shaken. But it seems like he’s still trying to stay calm somehow.]

↳ The fact that he made a teaser right after hearing about the leak is amazing.

↳ This is truly the definition of turning crisis into opportunity.

↳ I feel really bad for the CEO. It feels like Ramos Entertainment won’t get a break now.

↳ I can’t even joke about him waving cards like usual.

 

[Ah, seriously, I was just waiting for our kids’ fan meeting. What is this? It’s not like our kids did anything wrong…. And Florence didn’t do anything wrong either, so why is there all this outside noise?]

↳ Isn’t this just targeting CEO-nim?

 ↳↳ Wow. A grudge? That seems the most fitting explanation right now.

↳ Ha….

 

The fans’ irritation and anxiety were spreading through SNS.

 

[There’s really no solution to this.]