The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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105

[Min Ji-heon: Congrats]

‘As expected.’

[Me: 🖕]

I picked up my phone and sent a quick reply, then turned my head toward my Manager.

“I’m going to meet with Min Ji-heon for a bit and come back.”
“Min Ji-heon?”
“Yeah, we got pretty close while filming. He said the last shoot wrapped, so he wanted to grab a coffee.”

We’d gotten quite close, actually. Rather than finding it strange, my Manager looked at me with pride.

“That’s great! It’s good when people from the same agency get along.”
“…Yeah, we’re really close.”

Close enough that I sometimes fantasized about watching Min Ji-heon’s downfall.
I drove to the cafe Min Ji-heon had mentioned, parked, and walked in to find him in the corner, exhausted, nursing a coffee.
He’d apparently rented out the entire cafe, which explained why there were no staff members around.
As I collapsed into the seat across from him, I noticed a frappuccino waiting for me—something he’d ordered in advance.

“Hey.”
“…What?”
“Oh, just… I’m exhausted.”

His energy was noticeably drained compared to usual. I looked at him curiously, then noticed the script on the table—covered in lines and worn to tatters—and understood.
If Yoo Ji-a had been struggling this much with the emotional layers of her role, Min Ji-heon must have been going through hell.

“Your first drama shoot wrapped successfully. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I heard you’re getting insanely popular in China and Japan.”
“Ha, I haven’t really felt it yet.”

Min Ji-heon’s popularity had absolutely skyrocketed with this drama. He’d already been wildly successful both domestically and internationally, but now his recognition had reached such astronomical heights that he could command whatever price he asked in China. That’s what I’d heard, anyway… but that wasn’t the point.

“That’s enough preamble between us seniors.”

I said, removing my hat.

“You heard the news?”
“The viewership?”
“Yeah, eighteen percent. The exact number you mentioned.”

Min Ji-heon finished the remaining ice cubes from his empty coffee cup, crunching them between his teeth.

“Yeah. I figured it’d be around that.”

Terrifying guy. At this point, I think he would’ve preferred just lying around doing nothing.

“So you need to answer now.”
“Wasn’t there one more condition?”

Min Ji-heon had set two conditions for me.
Hit eighteen percent viewership, and act better than Lee Kang-seok.
I stroked my chin.

“Acting better than Lee Kang-seok.”

I’d already sent him packing.

‘Not even in the same league.’

This scandal had burned hot thanks to the audio recording. With him dropping out of the drama and all his previously filmed scenes—except for the aired episodes—being reshot with a different actor, there was no clear basis for comparison.
But I couldn’t say that… so I smiled innocently while stroking my chin.

“Didn’t I do well, though?”

People generally do better in life when they’re a bit shameless.

“Of course you’re not in my league, but for a fresh newcomer, I think you did pretty well.”
“Then I did well. Really well. The staff members really like you, hyung.”

Min Ji-heon smiled with amusement, a knowing curve to his lips.

“But I told you to surpass Lee Kang-seok’s acting, not to eliminate him entirely.”

I tilted my head as if I knew nothing, but Min Ji-heon was already playing as though he’d seen through me completely.

“You were planning to get rid of him altogether, weren’t you?”

…There’s no physical evidence.
Even if he caught me subtly dangling bait to the Camera Director back then, there’s no certainty that I directly orchestrated anything. In reality, I did nothing.

‘I just let it happen.’

I hesitated for a moment. Should I deny that I harbored such intentions, or should I actually get angry?
But before I could answer, Min Ji-heon traced his finger along the rim of the cup, now empty of even ice, and spoke.

“Lee Kang-seok, when you think about it again… it’s a shame, really.”
“….”
“He had genuine talent underneath it all. If not for this recording, or rather, if not for that inferiority complex, he would’ve had a long career just on his acting ability alone.”

‘His tone….’

I only lifted my gaze toward Min Ji-heon. With his long lashes lowered, he looked like someone who found this entire Lee Kang-seok scandal utterly unsurprising.

‘…Ah.’

Then I understood.
I looked at him and spoke.

“You knew all along.”
“….”
“From the moment you set the bet conditions… you knew Lee Kang-seok would blow up.”

Why Lee Kang-seok in the first place?
Was it truly just because I wanted to remove him?
If I wanted to compare acting, a supporting-role idol actor of similar caliber would’ve been a more fitting choice than a sub-male lead in the same time slot. There were plenty of such cases.
So claiming it was for comparison was a lie. Min Ji-heon simply wanted to place a problematic guy like Lee Kang-seok beside me and see how I’d react.
The moment I said those words, Min Ji-heon closed his eyes with delight and laughed softly. That expression alone was enough to tell me everything.
That I was right.

“Your mind works fast, hyung.”

‘Lunatic.’

Min Ji-heon wasn’t just sharp-eyed in a different way.
His ability to read people was unnervingly accurate.

“I told you—I acted foolishly when I was young and caused a lot of trouble. After that, I practiced a lot. Once you do that, you learn what kind of person someone really is.”
“….”
“The homemade carrot cake, though… that… I didn’t expect.”
“…Yeah, I didn’t see that coming either.”

Min Ji-heon actually rubbed his arm slowly, as if feeling a chill.
…But Min Ji-heon, who treated Lee Kang-seok as if he knew nothing despite being aware of the power abuse controversy, was also far removed from the category of culprit.

‘The guy who bakes carrot cake or the guy who sees ghosts….’

Maybe the former was better. At least it was cute and delicious.
Whether Min Ji-heon knew my thoughts or not, he shrugged and returned to the main point.

“Right, I knew it. If I just wanted to see acting ability, I wouldn’t need to set up a comparison. The reason I brought Lee Kang-seok along was….”
“….”
“…Well, I was testing you. To see if you’d really compete fairly, or if you’d… take shortcuts.”

‘Of course you would, bastard.’

“Your face says ‘of course you would.'”
“You left out ‘bastard.'”
“Oops.”

I’d chosen the wrong option from the start. Anger? Denial? Would that work on someone who’d swallowed a hundred cunning foxes?
I had to admit it—I’d been underestimating Min Ji-heon.
Min Ji-heon had tested me from the beginning with that talk about using Lee Kang-seok and Quests. He’d thought several steps ahead, and I hadn’t caught up to that level.

“At first, I set that condition because I was curious whether you’d take shortcuts or not… but the more I watched, the more I understood. You definitely would have. You don’t care about anyone who isn’t one of your people.”

Min Ji-heon lifted his head and spoke in a tone tinged with exhaustion.

“That doesn’t make you trash, though. I don’t think you’re quite that bad.”
“….”
“You’re just… pitiful. The kind of person who’ll never change, no matter how long you live. Genuinely pathetic.”

Min Ji-heon looked at me and offered a bitter smile.

“…Sigh.”

Pitiful or not—that wasn’t what mattered right now. I pressed my temples hard and asked.

“…So, are you calling off the bet?”
“Come on, no way. Your acting was solid, wasn’t it? I mean, the role of Lee Jung-hoon itself had the handicap of being you… but if we’re being that strict, you’d be the victim, right?”
“I would be.”
“Then you understand the feeling. You’ve worked hard, and now I’ll tell you what you want to hear.”

I finally got the answer I wanted, but it left me irritated and unsettled. It felt like my scheming nature was being dissected right in front of Min Ji-heon.

“There are three things I know. I’ll explain starting now.”
“Why three?”
“Because Koreans do things in threes.”

Regardless of my sour expression, Min Ji-heon gently shook the bracelet he’d been holding.

“Alright, let’s start with the premise. Do you know what this is?”
“No idea.”
“Just think of it like a prayer bead or something. Anyway, it’s a medium of sorts. A medium that holds my abilities.”

‘This is ridiculous….’

I knew nothing about that sort of thing, and even if it were true, the fact that it came from Min Ji-heon made me want to argue against it. Despite noticing my apathetic expression, he pressed on with his explanation undeterred.

“When I shake this, I can see the true form of a spirit. That’s why I always carry it—it helps me tell whether what I’m seeing is a ghost or an actual person.”
“And?”
“When I shook it, the spirit’s true form became crystal clear.”

Having finished his rough explanation, he snapped his fingers.

“I’ve laid the groundwork, so let me get to the main point. I used this to repel your obsession back then. This is the first thing I’m telling you about.”
“…Are you seriously spouting some kind of maniac nonsense right now?”
“Haven’t you been watching dramas? This kind of thing comes up pretty often.”

As I frowned, Min Ji-heon seemed to wrestle with how to explain it, then continued his explanation.

“How do I put this simply…? Yeah, that clump clinging so persistently to you. You can’t see it, but it’s obsession-level attachment.”
“Hmm.”

He was saying something clung to me like obsession itself. I initially thought he meant the System Window, but then something suddenly flashed through my mind.

“Was my obsession created by accumulated infamy?”
“What?”
“When I first came to this world, there was mention of infamy points being credited. It said I had the conditions to start the game….”
“…Infamy points?”

Min Ji-heon furrowed his brow before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. He laughed so hard he wiped tears from his eyes.

“Wow, that’s seriously insane…. Infamy points…. You must be crazy.”
“….”
“Hyung, try living a little more decently….”

…I’d ignore him.
Regardless of his reaction, I organized the information. If my infamy was this obsession, and if that was the condition for the game to start, then I could understand why the System Window disappeared when the obsession vanished.

“Look, I don’t fully understand what that clump is either, but I can tell you one thing for certain.”
“….”
“What I did back then wasn’t trying to show you your trauma. You said I’m crazy? I simply peeled off ‘that thing’ clinging to you.”

Min Ji-heon had been quite flustered at the time.
Judging by how he’d acted as if he never imagined I’d harbor such severe trauma, this statement was likely not a lie.

“You said you saw a past traffic accident. I don’t know why…. As a side effect, I might have touched the central trauma that defines you.”

I bit my lip. I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking.

“So, second point.”

Min Ji-heon, the one who’d caused all this, was watching me with his chin resting on one hand.

“How did the character PD Lee Jung-hoon come to exist in this world?”

The drama character was essentially copied from my own life. I’d started acting in the first place to understand the circumstances behind it, and to extract secrets from Min Ji-heon.

“Do you know why?”
“Of course.”

Min Ji-heon released his hand from his chin and pressed his eyes shut.

“Fragments of the original existence are flowing in. That’s why the drama, and the role of Lee Jung-hoon, came to be.”
“….”
“But that thing attached to your brother is desperately blocking those fragments from flowing in.”

I opened my mouth at this unexpected revelation.

“Why?”

Why would the System Window block that?

“What is it? Why is it blocking it?”

The words tumbled out without filter or calculation, caught completely off guard. I couldn’t even stop myself. But Min Ji-heon didn’t seem to mind the question. Still, I couldn’t get an answer.
He simply tilted his head.

“…I don’t know?”
“…Hey, you said you’d tell me everything.”
“I really want to tell you… but this isn’t something others can guess at. So, that’s the second end of what I know.”

Min Ji-heon smiled, brushing his lips. Then he held up three fingers.

“Then the third and final one. It’s somewhat related to what we just discussed.”
“….”
“Why does this only happen to your brother…. Why is a PD who used to live in Seoul, who regressed ten years and became an idol, struggling to live like this? It’s partly because your brother is lucky, but….”

Min Ji-heon’s smile deepened further. It looked somewhat sorrowful.

“Because you’re loved.”
“…?”
“Ah~ what can you do when you love? You can only abandon everything and cling to it. Just like everyone else….”

What on earth was this nonsense about?
Min Ji-heon, however, stirred his straw vigorously as if he’d said all he had to say. His lips pressed firmly shut, making it clear he wouldn’t answer any further questions.
I watched him for a moment, then wiped my face and added a comment.

“You said three things, and none of them helped. Is that normal?”
“…That’s a bit harsh.”

Min Ji-heon had spoken at length, but it was all speculation—ultimately, I couldn’t figure out what any of it actually meant. I had to admit, listening to his strange rambling all the way through was quite the feat.
Min Ji-heon scratched his cheek.

“Well, I’m sorry about that too.”

Still, it wasn’t a complete waste. My mind was occupied sorting through those three pieces of information he’d dumped on me, but Min Ji-heon seemed to have finished his business and stood up from his seat.

“Anyway, there’s all sorts of things in this world, but this is definitely the strangest case I’ve ever seen.”
“….”
“But one thing—you can’t change. That’s absolutely impossible.”

He’d been going on and on about “humans are selfish,” “people can’t change,” tormenting me with this nonsense, and after all this absurdity, Min Ji-heon’s final conclusion was just that.
I let out a heavy sigh.

“…Is that your conclusion?”
“Yeah, in my own way.”

…Now that I’d heard everything Min Ji-heon had to say, I figured I should speak my piece. I took a sip of the Frappuccino that had melted into liquid, then wiped my mouth.

The shoot had wrapped up without incident.
I’d heard all his nonsense (three whole points of it).
I wouldn’t be seeing Min Ji-heon much going forward…
Fine.

‘Let me try it.’

The cafe was borrowed anyway, so there was no one around, no CCTV, and Min Ji-heon wasn’t the type to record or film like I did. I called out to him.

“Ji-heon.”

I’d always cursed at him whenever I called his name, so calling him so familiarly for the first time made Min Ji-heon’s eyes go wide. I waved my hand nonchalantly.

“Come here.”
“Huh? Why?”

Min Ji-heon surprisingly complied without resistance. In moments like this, he was always so obedient.

“Lower your head a bit.”
“Mm.”

And the moment Min Ji-heon bowed his head….

WHACK!!!

“Ow!!”

I smacked Min Ji-heon’s head. WHACK. WHACK. WHAAACK. The reverberating echo felt surprisingly satisfying. Min Ji-heon shrieked and collapsed, but I stabbed my straw into my drink with irritation, stirring it aggressively.
That’s it.
Tough.
Crash.
I felt a somewhat satisfying illusion, as if an echo was reverberating through the air. Min Ji-heon screamed and collapsed, but I was annoyed, stabbing my drink repeatedly with a straw.

“Your tone is so annoying, seriously….”
“W-what….”
“You don’t know anything but act like you do—that’s not even funny. And you, you said you knew my real age. So why do you keep being so cheeky? Life treating you well these days?”

After filming ended and I wouldn’t have to see Min Ji-heon regularly anymore, I’d been mentally preparing myself to hit him just once. Now I felt refreshed.

“Why… why did I get hit?”
“You still don’t get it, Ji-heon?”

I smiled kindly.

“I told you….”
“….”

Min Ji-heon stood there dumbfounded, his expression one of disbelief, but having already said everything I needed to say and delivered the hit I’d been waiting for, I waved my hand dismissively.

“That’s enough. Let’s go.”
“…Have you heard everything now?”
“Why else would I be with you? Get out of here.”
“…You really are the worst, you know that? Your personality is absolutely rotten.”
“Don’t you get it?”

Since today’s filming had wrapped, the bracelet on Min Ji-heon’s left wrist was making its presence known. I averted my gaze with a twinge of regret, and
Min Ji-heon, unusually, frowned and touched his wrist. Yet, as if he sensed he’d been a bit snippy and had done something wrong, he made no further comment or gesture.

“Sigh….”

Min Ji-heon pressed his brow repeatedly, then suddenly draped himself across the table like a sloth. He twisted his head and looked over at me while mumbling incoherently. If a Min Ji-heon fan had seen him, they would’ve gushed over how pictorial he looked, but I was just irritated.

“…Still, let’s meet again next time. I’m curious how this ends, so I want to see it again. It’s rare for me to do this even when I’m right….”
“….”
“…Wait, is this Stockholm syndrome by any chance?”

I muttered while waving my arm.

“Hey, you… stop being so creepy….”
“If you keep it up, next time I’ll definitely bring a carrot—no, whipped cream cake.”

Min Ji-heon grumbled all the way to the end, checked the time on his phone, and stood up. I raised my middle finger toward his complaining back.

“Hey! Min Ji-heon!”
“What!”
“Being with you was disgusting, and let’s never see each other again!!”
“I refuse!!”

After throwing one more jab at the back of his head, I felt slightly better.

“That bastard Min Ji-heon, really….”

Being around him always left me feeling drained. I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking. Based on the circumstances, there were three facts I could confirm and organize clearly.

First. The System Window is an obsessive thought.
Second. When the System Window separates from me, I experience pain and trauma.
Third. My traces are flowing into that other world, and the System Window is blocking them.

These facts led to further deductions.
The reason the System Window was blocking my contact with my original world was, perhaps….

‘…No.’

This was too much of a leap. Without sufficient evidence to prove the logic, I retraced Min Ji-heon’s words. Honestly, his last statement made the least sense to me.

‘If you love someone, there’s nothing you can do about it?’

No matter how much I thought about it….

“This is absolute bullshit….”

It was complete nonsense….

Having reached that conclusion, I drained the rest of my Frappuccino. But even that couldn’t quell the anger burning inside me.
I’d gone through hell, and this was all I had to show for it.

“Hey.”

The System Window remained silent even after Min Ji-heon left. It was a form of protest—a declaration that it would never answer me again.

“Hey….”

Still no response. After calling out for a while, I gave up and buried my forehead in the table.

“What exactly are you?”

This information alone was woefully insufficient.
In the end, I had no choice but to uncover the truth by progressing through the main scenario.
This damned System Window. It spouted all those words about being for my sake, yet it had been deceiving me all along.
Even as my heart burned hotter, my mind grew colder and more rational.

‘…Don’t act hastily.’

I held no cards yet.

***

[Title: ㅠㅠIn the end, there is no such thing as a correctional couple..

I tried hard to take care of it with my husband, but…
My husband pushed for Min Ji-heon and I pushed hard for PD Lee Jung-hoon
My husband seriously asked why I like PD Lee Jung-hoon, saying he hates how he’s being pushed..
What should I do with my handsome face… ㅠㅠ
It’s unfortunate, that’s for sure.

Wow! This final episode’s main couple is seriously hilarious lol

Lee Jung-hoon ended up becoming a “mangju-sik” lolololol I told you I was a “sseop-nam”!!!!!!! I said so!!!!!!
>>>>What a waste, seriously<<<<

Did you hear that line!!!!!!
Isn't that like the #1 romantic line or something?!

I'm listening to the OST right now and I'm furious
Give back the Jeong-Jeong couple

└Calm down
└└Does it look like I can calm down
└└Wait, that's not me above
└But that line really does seem like unresolved feelings, right?? It just seems like he's genuinely sympathizing as a senior
└└It seems like I spilled the beans on purpose ㅠㅠㅠWriter Suki, you throw in a character you like so much and then stay like this until the end~!!!]

[Title: People who liked PD Lee Jung-hoon this time

Lee Jung-hoon's main body is hilarious lol, their personalities are similar

└Don't say ridiculous things, there's no way an idol would have that kind of selfish, trashy, precious personality like PD Lee Jung-hoon
└└No, it's really true. He holds back a bit these days, but everyone who knows him knows.. he's tactless and quite cute
└└Can you even call an idol tactless…?
└└It's Noel passing by… since it's true… I have nothing to say…]

[The real one is coming back in October apparently
└└Huh??????? Wow, he really works non-stop without a day off;]

The drama concluded without incident, maintaining ratings as high as 18 percent through the final episode, and Please Camera garnered far greater resonance than anticipated.
Dae Pa-sung had been tagging The Dun's videos with hashtags frantically to draw in K-drama fans from overseas, and riding the wave of those surging view counts, Seo Ho-yoon—now freed from his drama schedule—began preparing for his comeback while simultaneously uploading one additional self-produced piece of content.
But that self-produced content was (once again) bizarre.

[Mebo 1: Well, I was worried about it. Whether I could find a matching partner.]
[Sebo 1: Anyone… someone quiet. In that sense, Sung Ji-won—no, Mebo 1 would be better.]
[Rapper 1: Say hi~ I'm Rapper 1~]

It was a matching program.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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