Echoes of Stardom

2

Jang Wonhu's POV

In the bustling world of Enchantica, where glitz and glamour were as common as the morning sun, Jang Aeri stood out like a dainty daisy in a field of towering sunflowers. From my recollection, she was a petite figure amidst our towering heights of 173cm, her slender frame a stark contrast to our more robust builds. Not that I harboured any fondness for the idea of being slim without any ass – trust me, I had ass; we all did.

Let me introduce you to the leading ladies.
First up, we have Kim Sunhi, our main vocalist. Picture-perfect with a voice that could melt even the coldest heart. And those dimples when she smiles? Utterly adorable.
Then there's Wang Jia, our main dancer. A sultry siren with moves that could set the stage on fire. But don't let her resting "you-know-what" face fool you; she's as fierce as they come.
And last but certainly not least, Kim Sowon, our main rapper. Effortlessly seductive with a flow that could hypnotize. Together, we made quite the ensemble, though our style didn't quite align with the cutesy image our company was keen on pushing.               

Despite their undeniable charm and undeniable talent, I won't speak for the original owner of the body, we weren't exactly fitting the cute concept our company was pushing. Our lack of interest translated to a lack of performance prowess. Our saving grace? Our faces. But alas, every day, the netizens would lament our supposed lack of talent. Controversies seemed to follow us like shadows, and our performances were lacking the spark they once had. Even our loyal fans were beginning to question our worth, directing their frustrations at everything from our supposed lack of talent to the mere number on the scale, with a special focus on Kim Sunhi's delectable, yummy, creamy thighs.
                     
“Tell me you didn't summon us here in the dead of night just to ogle at my thighs," Kim Sunhi spat, clutching a pillow protectively. Her voice, normally pitched high for reality TV, was now soft and silky—a tone I secretly adored. were gathered in the cozy confines of my apartment's living room, a setting unfamiliar to us all. It was the first time any of us had ventured into each other's personal spaces, and they looked anything but comfortable.

"What if I did?" I teased, unable to resist her adorable pout.

"You..."

"Wonhu..." Wang Jia's warning cut through the tension. I held back, sensing their mood. I never really fancied the age structure and we were all born in the same year, but cracking jokes right now didn't seem appropriate given the circumstances.

“Celestial Entertainment will soon send agents to us to persuade us to transfer our contracts to Starlit Entertainment…" I said with a peaceful smile,  according to the novel, this happened.

“What!"
“WHAT!"
“What!!”

The collective gasp that followed was enough to make the walls tremble.

“That is not fucking possible, We're one of the top earners for the company," Kim Sowon protested. Starlit Entertainment may have been under Celestial's umbrella, but it was still a fledgling label, lacking the financial backing of its parent company. It was new and created only to pacify the fans of a popular manager who has worked in celestial entertainment for a long time and the company still had use for him, it was an independent label, and the company wouldn't direct much funds into it.

"Truth is, the board's fed up with us and our constant controversies," I interjected. "It's practically a daily ritual now. Our only saving grace, Jang Aeri, has defected to another group—one that's constantly being compared to us." My words struck a chord, even with Wang Jia, usually aloof and indifferent, clenching her fists in frustration.

"Fans and anti-fans alike are bombarding the company with protest vans, demanding our ousting or threatening to boycott the remaining groups," I continued. "Celestial Entertainment will do what's in its best interest."

“But you can stop them…" Wang Jia interrupted.

“I can,” the girls let out sighs of relief, although Celestial Entertainment is a popular company in Korea, its entire net worth does not even light a candle to Jang's family business, they were terrified to annoy me because my background could make the whole company disappear in less than a week. This was what the original Jang Wonhu did in the novel but…

“I can but I don't want to…" Imagine threatening a whole company when you are not loved at home, who gave me that power and authority? I would soon be thrown out, I can't afford to make promises I can't attest to.

"Why?!" Kim Sowon and Kim Sunhi whined in unison, their desperation palpable. Kim Sowon lived for the celebrity lifestyle, relishing the influence and popularity it afforded her. Meanwhile, Kim Sunhi longed for the chance to showcase her vocal prowess, an opportunity she'd been denied in Jang Aeri's shadow.

“Are you not tired of the false aegyo and the stupid things you have to do on camera?” I challenged, feigning irritation. Lies. According to the novel, Jang Wonhu did this three times before the CEO of Celestial Entertainment got annoyed and booked a meeting with her uncle who denied ever knowing her, to ruin her, the CEO made it known public that she was just using the name of her family when they don't really like her at home and she was a shame to the family

     "Why endure all that when you have the chance to shine and showcase your true talents?" I posed the question, letting it hang in the air. "Do you really want to keep moaning 'oppa' in every song, Sunhi? Aren't you tired of performing mindless choreography when you could actually do better, Jia-ssi? Kim Sowon, don't you like rapping again?”
        The room fell into heavy silence, tension thickening the air, broken only by the sound of our collective breathing. Finally, Jia spoke up, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "You had a plan before calling us here, didn't you?"
       
“True, but I need everybody to make the plan work out…" more silence, ugg, this was getting boring, “We need to be a real team for this to succeed,” help, I almost said family, ew, “We all want to make Jang Aeri regret leaving the group right? And we also want to make netizens regret saying we are nothing without Jang Aeri, right?"
...

Perhaps I should've led with the promise of revenge. After all, nothing galvanized a group of girls quite like the prospect of vengeance. As for me, I needed to make some strategic moves, starting with selling this apartment. Our joint decision to purchase a house for the sake of "building relationships" was merely a facade—I couldn't risk revealing that it was the most cost-effective option for me, considering my current financial situation. And as for the wardrobe overhaul and investment opportunities, well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Thank God the original owner's idea of fashion is so against mine.  I also needed to invest in some things I know will make money according to the novel, fuck it. I needed money terribly and I couldn't ask home because they would get suspicious.

Celestial Entertainment and Starlit Entertainment did come knocking a few days later. And through a carefully crafted deal, we secured our future—a future that, with any luck, would finally showcase our true talents and silence the doubters once and for all. Hopefully.