"On the day of Hadas' debut showcase, 'Ladies' is also holding a comeback showcase?"
"What's Ladies?"
"What's that?"
Jiyeong sighed as she looked at her clueless mother and brother, who didn't grasp the gravity of the situation she was explaining.
"Ladies is an idol group under Taein. They were produced by Ellis."
"Wait... are you saying they're trying to bury Hadas' debut with their comeback showcase?"
"Exactly."
Jiyeong gave her quick-witted brother an approving thumbs-up.
"Why would they bother? What's the point?"
"Taein always acts petty when artists leave their roster. Ellis went independent to produce idols elsewhere, so they're sabotaging her."
"Are Ladies really that influential? I mean, I've heard the name..."
"They're massive."
Ladies was the idol group Ellis had produced during Taein's decline—a former top-three agency now clinging to relevance. Taein had bet everything on them.
The gamble paid off.
Even now, as the industry entered its 4th and 5th generations, Ladies—often called 3.5 gen—remained top-tier.
Despite their stubborn commitment to childish, so-called "cringe" concepts, their marketing mastery guaranteed chart dominance with every release.
Sharing a showcase date with them?
Disastrous for Hadas' debut.
Ladies' comeback would completely overshadow the rookies.
"But why does it matter? They do their thing, Hadas does theirs."
"You don't understand."
"How would I? I'm going to bed."
As Jihun left, their mother Heo-ok retreated to her room.
Alone, Jiyeong bit her nails—a habit she'd thought broken.
"Taein's petty bastards."
This was clearly targeted sabotage against Ellis and Hadas.
Unrelated groups might coexist, but these two shared Ellis' legacy—Ladies from her Taein days, Hadas from her new independent venture.
Perfect tabloid fodder for click-hungry journalists.
Hadas couldn't possibly compete with Ladies' stature.
Reporters would drag Ellis through the mud, framing Hadas as her failed project.
"What about Yeonwoo?"
Jiyeong stared at his closed bedroom door.
Though he'd succeeded with Kim Beom-shin, she feared how he'd take failure—Fly High was his first true composition.
Next morning.
When Jiyeong anxiously mentioned the scheduling conflict, Yeonwoo remained unshaken.
"My song's good. We'll be fine."
"But even good songs—"
"We're fine."
He met her gaze steadily.
"Actually, this works in our favor."
"Where's this confidence coming from?"
"I wasn't satisfied with Fly High's arrangement. The new version's better. This will crush them."
"You tweaked it again? And it's better now?"
They say over-editing ruins good work.
Yeonwoo shook his head.
"I've improved since then. This version's superior."
"Well... six months of composing beats two, I guess."
Jiyeong had to concede. The boy who'd stunned professionals within two months now operated on another level entirely—she learned more from him than she taught.
But my own songs still suck!
She opened her mouth to argue, then heard his rearranged Fly High.
"Wait... this actually is better?"
No empty boasts—Yeonwoo had infused the track with addictive beats inspired by trot's lively rhythms, elevating its catchiness.
Jiyeong knew beating top-tier idols was near-impossible. Yet listening to this, hope flickered.
Why?
"He resurrected Kim Beom-shin's dead career. Who says he can't launch rookie idols?"
Yeonwoo had already written one chart-topper.
[Can Ellis create another miracle?]
[What defines Hadas—the rookie group produced by Kim Beom-shin and Ellis?]
[Ladies' comeback vs Hadas' debut: Clash of the showcases]
[Is it Taein's Masterstroke or Mere Coincidence?]
[A Clash Between Two Groups Created by Genius Producer and Former Idol Ellis]
[Can Ellis Surpass Her Past Self?]
As Jiyoung had predicted, people began comparing Ladies – the girl group Ellis created and led to success under Taein Entertainment – with Hadas, Ellis' newly formed group.
-No matter what, Ladies are still untouchable (넘사지)
-As long as Ladies don't disband after their 7-year contract, Hadas stands no chance lolol
-Agency tiers are different. Since when does BSK measure up to Taein? LOL
-They'll get crushed by marketing alone
-Ladies were made from Taein's most cherished trainees. Comparing big company 1st-tier trainees to mid-sized company ones is a joke LMAO
-Wasn't Ellis just carried by Taein from the start? Haha
-But she succeeded before Taein too?
-That was her own group's hype. Their visuals were insane back then
-Ladies' fandom is massive. Why compare them to rookies? ROFL
-For real. Do they think Ladies are pushovers?
-They're just piggybacking on Ladies' fame for clout
-Ellis is 100% riding Taein's coattails
-But didn't she learn vocals from Kim Beomshin?
-Taein's vocal trainer lineup is stacked anyway
Most reactions toward Hadas were negative.
This was inevitable given Ladies' colossal fandom. As Taein's most heavily promoted group from a company renowned for cultivating fandoms, Ladies boasted the largest domestic fanbase among girl groups.
Truthfully, even BSK never expected Hadas to surpass Ladies. Their only hope was avoiding complete obscurity despite sharing showcase dates. The real issue was journalists capitalizing on Ellis' involvement, drawing unfavorable comparisons from the start.
Ellis wore a stormy expression even on their debut showcase day, feeling responsible for everything.
She wasn't alone.
The members, preparing staff, and BSK's entire atmosphere mirrored this gloom.
Except one person.
"At least Hadas made headlines. That's enough. Let's drink after this."
Only Kim Beomshin radiated positivity in the suffocating atmosphere.
"Hyung. Read the mood."
Park Sangcheol quietly approached Beomshin, who chuckled alone amidst the tension.
"What? Should we mope on our debut day? Everyone, wipe those scowls off! How many groups blow up instantly? Play the long game!"
Instant post-debut success only happens with mega-agency backing.
A debut album builds recognition. Real battles come with the second or third release after establishing presence. Even this strategy only works for mid-sized companies like BSK – smaller agencies often disband groups before they gain traction, unless a song miraculously chart-reverses.
From this perspective, Ellis and Hadas members were being naive.
Beomshin would know – he'd failed two debuts under his real name before finding success, enduring years of obscurity.
"But Daydream wasn't like this, hyung."
Beomshin grinned at Sangcheol's remark.
"Daydream was... let's call it a lottery win."
His eyes shifted past Sangcheol, lighting up at a new arrival.
"Look, our lottery producer's here! Shin Jiyoung!"
"Senior."
"Brought your nephew again? Such devotion!"
Beomshin bent down upon noticing Yeonwoo staring while clutching Jiyoung's hand.
"Long time. You well?"
"Hello, mister."
"Hmm... How about 'uncle' instead?"
Yeonwoo whispered to Jiyoung, who burst out laughing.
"Is he shy? What'd he say?"
"He dislikes it because you're older than his dad."
"Seriously?"
"You're practically a grand-uncle age-wise, senior."
"But... people have kids past forty these days."
"Others become grandfathers at your age."
Am I there already? Beomshin froze.
Ellis approached them.
"Senior."
"Yeonwoo, greet her properly."
"Hi, Aunt Ellis."
"Thanks for coming, Yeonwoo."
Ellis forced a smile before turning serious.
"Ladies' showcase started."
"Already?"
"This time, it's their first full album, and they’re even releasing a double title track along with one of the b-side songs."
"So it's finally their first full album, huh?"
Ellis nodded.
"The interference was so relentless that I never considered making a full album. But with me gone, it seems Jung Young-do took charge and produced it."
At the mention of Jung Young-do, Kim Beom-shin cocked his head.
"That guy... He's from my era, right? And he's producing now? I bet he's peddling some outdated concept."
"He probably pretended to oversee everything while treating his staff like slaves. That man couldn't produce anything on his own if he tried."
Ellis knew Jung Young-do's true nature. He was incapable of producing anything unless he mimicked the style Tae-in forcefully championed.
In his youth, he might have had an eye for talent—stealing songs and exploiting young producers to build Tae-in's career. But now his vision had deteriorated long ago, far beyond ordinary age-related decline.
"Their showcase started. They're kicking it off with the title track's music video."
The moment Ellis spoke, Ji-young pulled up the live stream on Ladies' official YouTube channel. Everyone huddled around her smartphone.
After an introductory video for the comeback showcase, one of the double title track music videos began playing.
Against Tae-in's trademark absurdly chaotic backdrop, the members of Ladies emerged.
Their center member—adorned with bizarre fusion-punk makeup—widened her eyes confrontationally as the song started.
The overwhelmingly flashy beats and melody paired with razor-sharp choreography. Nearby, BSK's team, preparing for their own debut showcase, watched in scattered groups.
"Typical Tae-in. Flashy as ever."
"Already 40,000 concurrent viewers."
"Wow, did 40,000 people really flood in this fast just to watch the MV live?"
While others debated Tae-in's garish yet compelling concept and the viewer count, Yeon-woo poked Ellis.
"Hm? What?"
Yeon-woo gestured for Ellis to lean closer.
As Ellis bent down, Yeon-woo whispered ticklishly into her ear:
"Auntie, we won."
