The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 122

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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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122

[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Lia Purple?]

…She’s uncanny, reading my mind like that.
I let out a quiet chuckle and waited a moment.

[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: First of all]
[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Absolutely]
[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Do NOT touch them under any circumstances]
[Me: lol]

I sent back a reply that conveyed the message: Are you saying I’m crazy?
It was something both Lia Purple and I already knew well.
What I wanted from Lee Ji-hyun was a way to make the Bluetooth Circus Troupe look somewhat presentable, even if it meant forcing some concept onto them.

[Me: You know what I’m asking for, right?]
[Me: Ah, I’m really looking forward to this one too]
Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Hm.

Lee Ji-hyun’s response paused for a moment.
She wasn’t the same Lee Ji-hyun from before—the one who used to light up with sparkling eyes in front of the team lead, excitedly spilling out all her favorite ideas.
She’d leveled up. Of course, in the dark attribute.

[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Um.. Ho-yoon]
Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Honestly, I’ve been so swamped with work lately that I’m pretty exhausted;;
Lee Ji-hyun from the Planning Team: Another favorite event started this time, and I missed out last time too.
[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: To get even one SR card of our Heavenly Aviator, I’d need to do at least 100 pulls.. and that’s still not enough for a full pity..]

‘What is she talking about….’

…Was she asking for a bonus? I barely managed to interpret it.
I didn’t care whether Lee Ji-hyun pulled the cards she wanted from her game or not, and I didn’t even understand several of the words she used, but I was willing to give her what she wanted.
Of course, it wasn’t my money. It was company funds.

[Me: Representative A]
[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: Is a double also possible?]
[Me: Haha, what do you think of me?]
[Me: Of course I’ll get your favorite printed, Lee Ji-hyun]
[Me: No matter how many copies^^]
Lee Ji-hyun from the Planning Team: Ah.
[Planning Team Lee Ji-hyun: I’ll organize it right away and send it by email^^! The Dun’s top visual really gets things done fast, the best~]

“Lee Ji-hyun’s fun, isn’t she?”

I chuckled and turned off my phone.
It was gratifying to see that my groundwork within the company—establishing my position through the Jung Da-jun incident and subsequently maintaining it through consistent antics—had paid off.
At the same time, I was celebrating Lee Ji-hyun’s awakening since joining the company, enjoying the slightly cool breeze with a pleasant mood, when I sensed a presence behind me.

“What is it?”
“…Oh.”

Assuming it was one of our members, I turned around expressionlessly, and there stood Lia Purple Main Dancer, fidgeting with her fingers as she deliberated how to approach me.

“Ah, hello!”
“Hello.”

Even though there was no one else around, Lia Purple Main Dancer still seemed anxious, glancing around and exhaling quietly. Anyone watching would think she’d stumbled upon a crime scene.

“Um, well… I’m sorry. This must be frustrating for you. I came out to apologize because it feels like our agency is causing you trouble.”
“No, it’s not Lia Purple’s fault either.”
“That’s… well, but The Dun must be uncomfortable with this.”

If they were going to do a collaboration, I wished they’d at least drop the sexy concept.
Lia Purple Main Dancer lowered her gaze and spoke in a slightly deflated voice.

“…We’re actually the Bluetooth Circus Troupe, you see.”

I knew that already.

“There’s no helping it! I’m really sorry! If we try to make the stage pretty and get touched up, we’ll get caught in a scandal versus being mocked as the Bluetooth Circus Troupe, right??”
“Yeah, that’s the dilemma….”
“Right??!!”

Though he had brought it up himself, once we actually started dancing together, he seemed to realize there was no easy solution—his complexion had turned pale. When I gave a slight nod of understanding, the main dancer scratched his cheek and finally broached what he really wanted to say.

“I’m not asking for your sympathy or anything, but… the truth is, we had a scandal break two years after our debut.”

I knew. It was a scandal.
For an idol group, it was a fatal issue. Not only was it baseless, but the fact that they’d been linked with a male idol who was quite famous at the time made it explode viciously, making recovery nearly impossible.

“‘Victory is Mine’… you know that show, right? Well, of course you would. Seo Ho-yoon was famous back then…”
“Yes, I know.”
“When we appeared on it back then, we only exchanged brief greetings with the other group involved, but somehow it got edited in a misleading way and uploaded online.”

Just thinking about it seemed to exhaust him—the main dancer’s body trembled slightly.

“Rumors spread that we were matching couple items with members of that idol group to deceive fans. Ah, well, we did have those items, but honestly, some of the members just thought they were pretty and we bought them together. …We were doing pretty well after our debut, but after that, everything fell apart spectacularly.”

Right, I knew that too. When I searched for Lia Purple, those related keywords still came up.
They’d apparently made efforts to clean up the associated search terms, but back then all sorts of crude words had appeared alongside the group’s name, and things hadn’t changed much even now.

“Didn’t you deny the rumors?”
“We did, of course.”

And then he let out a heavy sigh.

“But… who’s going to care after that? We just fell apart.”

That’s how it goes. That’s just how this industry works.
The moment there’s something to criticize, people swarm like carnivores sensing prey, but when someone tries to explain themselves, nobody listens.
Lia Purple’s main dancer laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

“We got lucky when one of our songs charted unexpectedly early this year and barely survived. We really think this is our last chance… so I hope you’ll understand that even if we react oversensitively like we’re following quarantine protocols, there’s absolutely no ill intent behind it!”
“Mm.”
“Our kids are really desperate! I mean, Su-min really does dance incredibly well!”
“Yes.”
“Sil-li has the most beautiful vocal tone! If you listen to the drama OST she did last time, you’ll understand…!”

And so began Lia Purple’s main dancer’s passionate declarations about his members (which I interpreted as fanboy enthusiasm rather than professional assessment), which went on for quite some time. I offered appropriate responses and encouragement, but once it stretched past five minutes, I was starting to lose interest.

“…You really do love your members.”
=Stop it.
“Our stubborn kids don’t listen to a word, but we do love each other! We’re not particularly close with other groups, and especially after getting caught up in a scandal just from one greeting, we got so fed up that we end up hanging out with the members all the time…. Ah, yes. I apologize.”

Only then did Lia Purple Main Dancer seem to realize she’d gotten a bit carried away, and closed her mouth.

‘Wow….’

It really did seem serious. But I agreed with her sentiment. That’s exactly why we’re proceeding with choreography that avoids any contact at all right now….
The moment I was pondering this, my phone rang again. Lee Ji-hyun had finished organizing and sent me an email. I checked it briefly and burst out laughing.

[Email Subject: Emergency Escape Number One Attached]

“Ah, this is seriously hilarious??”
“Yes?”

Somehow our sense of humor matched, so I suppressed my laughter and opened the email. She said she was in a hurry so she was just sending the basic concept for now, and would send a cleaner version later.
I opened the file and skimmed through it roughly, nodding my head at content that wasn’t much different from what I’d been thinking, and looked at Lia Purple Main Dancer.

“Still, it feels like a waste, doesn’t it?”
“…Yes?”
“It’s a year-end stage performance.”

I left Lia Purple Main Dancer lingering beside me, caught between awkwardness and apology, while I gathered my thoughts on how to phrase this beautifully.

‘Hmm, good.’

“Should we change our direction?”

It would be such a shame to waste this year-end stage opportunity by doing it half-heartedly out of fear of the scandal.

“…Yes? Ah, but our song is already decided, so we probably can’t change it.”
“No, I’m not talking about changing the song.”

I smiled with that particular expression the members truly despised. The so-called harmless and gentle smile.

“What if we change the concept a bit?”

***

‘What am I supposed to do about this?’

Lia Purple Maknae sat crouched in the corner of the practice room, her expression hollow.

‘They’re juniors, but The Dun has gotten so popular lately… if we get tangled up with them, aren’t we basically saying goodbye to the world?’

No matter how well they maintained a two-meter distance on the collaboration stage, if they performed with a sexy concept—and worse, to a song by Lia Purple’s agency senior—the criticism would rain down on Lia Purple like arrows finding their mark, and she could bet her life on it.

‘No, no. Criticism is fine. I’ve gotten used to being cursed at anyway… I just hope we don’t get caught up in anything this time…!’

People who want to curse will curse regardless. She just hoped they wouldn’t fall into some weird narrative and have a scandal explode like last time.

‘Wow, I really thought the world was ending back then….’

Lia Purple Maknae stared blankly for a moment, then glanced around at the other members. Most of them seemed to be wrestling with similar worries, their expressions gloomy.
Just then, Sung Ji-won, who had been talking with The Dun members on the opposite end of the practice room, took a sip of water and their eyes met directly. Sung Ji-won reflexively widened his eyes and offered a fresh water bottle.

“Would you like some water?”
“Oh, th-thank you… ahhhhh!!”

There was no ill will whatsoever, but when her fingers nearly brushed his while reaching for the bottle, she reacted almost like she had an allergy. She clutched her heart as it pounded with tension and stepped back, and Sung Ji-won slightly lowered his eyebrows and smiled.

“I’m, I’m so sorry.”
“Ha ha…. It’s fine.”

Then he slid the water bottle over and sat down at a distance, tapping the floor rhythmically with his fingers. He seemed to be reviewing the choreography.
Watching him, the maknae felt a slight sense of admiration. She wondered if he could even think about reviewing choreography in a situation like this.

“…Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Pardon?”

‘Oh no!’

She’d told herself to be careful, then immediately blurted out what she was thinking. When Sung Ji-won turned around, she desperately tried to explain herself.

“Oh, no. I just thought it was impressive. I knew you were famous for practicing hard… but seeing you work hard even in this situation.”

It was one hundred percent sincere, but the more she spoke, the more it sounded like sarcasm. Just as she was about to wish she could sew her mouth shut, Sung Ji-won laughed awkwardly.

“It does bother me, it really does….”
“….”
“But it’s fine anyway.”
“…Huh?”

The response felt oddly cryptic.
Kang Yi-chae, who had been sprawled out some distance away, lifted his upper body and swept back his disheveled hair as he spoke.

“Ah~, about time he showed up, right?”
“If he said he was going out for some air, it’s a hundred percent certain.”

The Dun members each chimed in with their own comments, and I found myself sinking deeper into confusion. Regardless, Kang Yi-chae rummaged through his pocket, popped a candy into his mouth, and crunched away.

“Who’s he upset with this time?”
“Either the Planning Team or Composer Chung Beom.”
“Probably the Planning Team. Didn’t you say the Composer went to the United States recently?”
“Huh? Why?”

However, my question was quickly answered when Seo Ho-yoon returned shortly after, accompanied by Lia Purple’s Main Dancer.
Seo Ho-yoon spoke matter-of-factly.

“Let’s have a quick meeting.”
“Sure thing~.”

When everyone gathered in the center of the Practice Room, Seo Ho-yoon opened his mouth.

“I think we should start by reconsidering our concept.”
“You’re dropping the sexy concept?”
“No, that’s not it…. I was thinking, what if we added another concept on top of it?”

What Seo Ho-yoon began saying seemed like absolute nonsense at first, but with each additional word he spoke, I found myself drawn deeper into the logic of it.

“Huh?”

…was how the reaction had started,

“…wait, actually that makes sense??”

…shifted entirely.
Using Lee Ji-hyun’s concept as the foundation, Lia Purple and some The Dun members (namely Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun) found themselves mesmerized by Seo Ho-yoon’s eloquent persuasion and charismatic delivery.

“The song is genuinely excellent, and this is such a precious opportunity to perform on a major stage. It would be such a shame to let it slip away like this.”

Certainly, this approach would preserve the song’s concept while keeping them clear of scandal.
It was like catching two birds with one stone.
Seo Ho-yoon concluded his pitch while declining the candy Kang Yi-chae offered.

“—So, what do you think about doing it that way? The lyrics work perfectly for it, too.”
“Yes!!”
“Let’s do it that way!”

Everyone nodded enthusiastically. Kang Yi-chae in particular was thrilled, popping the candy Seo Ho-yoon had rejected into his own mouth while scribbling notes about how to rearrange the piece.

“Then let’s proceed with that plan. We’ll meet again in two days.”
“Thank you for your support!”
“Yes, thank you for your support.”

Seo Ho-yoon exchanged light greetings and stood up with The Dun. Beside him, Kim Sung-hyun nudged him curiously.

“Was it Lee Ji-hyun? So what did she give you?”
“I don’t know, something about card game illustrations. If she wanted it that badly, couldn’t she just take a screenshot?”
“Ah, she must want to collect it.”

Kang Yi-chae chimed in from the side. “By that logic, couldn’t people just print our photo cards too?” “Ah, I see what you mean,” they murmured as The Dun filed out of the practice room.
The Lia Purple Maknae, sprawled out alone on the floor of the bustling practice room, finally recalled what The Dun members had been saying and sighed wistfully.

“Now I understand why The Dun is so popular….”

It was remarkable.

“There really was a breakthrough.”

Unaware that this solution had come at the cost of offering Lee Ji-hyun a mobile game gacha bonus, she simply marveled at Seo Ho-yoon’s brilliance.

.
.
.

And Seo Ho-yoon, who had proposed this breakthrough, encountered an unexpected crisis from an entirely different direction.
It was because of the news the Manager conveyed in an excited voice the moment they got into the van.

“Ho-yoon!! Such wonderful news just arrived! Yoo Ji-a and Min Ji-heon have each been nominated as male and female candidates for the Acting Awards! And to commemorate it, Please Camera is holding a special performance, and you’re going to be part of it!!”
“…What did you say?”
“I’m saying the three of you—Yoo Ji-a, Min Ji-heon, and you—will perform together at the awards ceremony!”
“….”

Seo Ho-yoon’s expression darkened instantly.

‘Min Geu-ro and performing together?’

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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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