The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 128

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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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128

Screams erupted from the fans.

[Kyaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!]
[Wow wow wow I had no idea omg omg omg omg omg ahhh Ji-won!!!!]

How could this be?

“Huh? What???”
“Sung Ji-won!! It’s you, you!”
“Me? Really me?”

An excited Kim Sung-hyun grabbed Sung Ji-won’s shoulders and shook him. Though he’d been nominated, Sung Ji-won genuinely hadn’t expected to win the Best OST award for Please Camera, and he stumbled backward in genuine shock.

“Go on, hurry.”
“Oh, um….”

As the members pushed him forward, Sung Ji-won finally snapped to attention and made his way onto the stage, bowing repeatedly to the thunderous applause washing over him from all sides.
Though he wore a smile, the members who’d lived practically glued to his side for nearly twenty-four hours could see it clearly—his face was filled with question marks.
By the time he reached the microphone, he seemed to have composed himself somewhat.

“Congratulations, Sung Ji-won!”

Yoo Ji-a handed him flowers, and Min Ji-heon presented the trophy.
As Sung Ji-won accepted the flowers, his face radiated overwhelming emotion and gratitude.
It probably didn’t hold any particular significance, but I found myself recalling how earnestly Sung Ji-won had applauded the moment Yoo Ji-a appeared during the Shining Star performance.

“Th-thank you so much. I’m Sung Ji-won. I truly never expected to receive this award… um, I’m really honored.”

As Sung Ji-won delivered his acceptance remarks, the members beside him bounced with excitement. On the surface, I maintained a subtle smile, but my mind was racing behind the scenes.

‘Sung Ji-won won Best OST?’

Can The Dawn win an OST award based on their recognition alone?
No, Sung Ji-won alone won’t be enough.
This year, dramas and OSTs have been generally dismal across the board. Please Camera was somewhat of an exception—the script was exceptionally well-written, and as a drama by screenwriter Kim Sook-hee, it already had a dedicated fanbase. However, Min Ji-heon and Yoo Ji-a’s acting prowess carried the show hard, playing a significant role in its high viewership ratings. Thanks to that, “A Humble Confession” remained glued to the top of the charts day and night.
Moreover, since it was the song that played whenever Min Ji-heon shed tears in the drama, it practically became the signature track closing each episode.
So if we factor in the drama’s recognition, it’s gained some mainstream appeal?

‘…Hmm.’

Truth be told, my thoughts had been drifting elsewhere.
Because the camera work had been far too blatant from the start.
Min Ji-heon and Yoo Ji-a as presenters, the Please Camera OST, and occasionally panning to me in the role of PD Lee Jung-hoon.

‘…Is this rigged?’

…I had no idea how they’d done it.
No, even if vote manipulation seemed too far-fetched, it was clear that some strings had been pulled.
From the moment Min Ji-heon, whose involvement was obvious, named The Dawn as the winner while mentioning “a place with deep ties to us,” there was no attempt to hide that this was about Please Camera.

‘Uncomfortable—.’

“…I’m truly honored. I promise to work even harder as Sung Ji-won going forward.”

‘—Don’t dwell on it!’

Watching Sung Ji-won smile bashfully, I swept the thought clean away.

‘What does it matter!’

I’d sold my conscience to hell long ago.
When offered something, you take it without hesitation.
Sung Ji-won’s “A Humble Confession” had performed well on the music charts, had decent credentials, and other idols’ OST awards had been scarce lately anyway, so I quickly decided to bury this matter.
After settling my thoughts and turning my head, my eyes met Kang Yi-chae’s. He seemed to share the same idea, offering a knowing smile.

“Nice, isn’t it.”
=This is definitely a push, right.
“Probably so?”
=Obviously, yeah

As Kang Yi-chae and I exchanged glances, Sung Ji-won finished his acceptance speech and came down from the stage. He’d spoken well enough at the microphone, but the moment he sat down, he tilted his head in bewilderment, still looking dazed.
Kang Yi-chae and I quickly shifted our expressions and spoke to Sung Ji-won.

“Congratulations.”
“Oh, thanks…!”
“With vocals like yours, us composers can actually make a living~.”
“Aha ha.”

Sung Ji-won lowered his gaze and fiddled with the flower petals. There was no need to explain the background to him. Even if he knew, nothing would change—an award was still an award.
Besides….

“…It really is wonderful.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.”

How could I tell him the truth when he was holding the flowers so tenderly and smiling like that?
Normally, Sung Ji-won would have keenly grasped the reason for the award, but now he simply smiled with an elated expression.
Perhaps he’d figure it out someday, but there was no need for that to be today.

‘…Man, the attention is no joke.’

Discovery of the Year, and now Best OST as well. People who’d been uncertain until just moments ago were gradually shifting their gazes toward something else—something tinged with envy.
Regardless, Sung Ji-won and I continued to banter playfully.

‘If you’re jealous, go win some awards yourselves and act like me.’

Don’t talk if you haven’t won awards, you bastards.
Anyway, the members embraced their trophies and enthusiastically enjoyed the remaining performances.
After a brief intermission, Part Two drew toward its conclusion.
The stage plunged into darkness. Yet the fans keenly recognized what was coming and shrieked.
It was time for the collaboration stage of the two most successful idol groups—Black Call and White Cherry.

[You make me long for you endlessly
Please tell me, whether this is love
No, this might be calamity]

When the momentum was riding high (though honestly, with them doing so well, did they really need the momentum to keep coming?), Joo Woo-sung’s face appeared on the massive screen as he performed with full dedication, and naturally, the loudest cheers erupted.

[Fireworks bursting endlessly
Like it was destiny itself]

‘…That sword dance formation was killer.’

These guys didn’t need to worry about scandals at all.
Their overwhelming skill simply crushed everything, leaving no reason for me to scheme and strategize like I did. It was the kind of stage that could bewitch anyone who watched it.
Black Call and White Cherry were already top-tier idol groups. Moreover, they’d done countless mixed collaborations throughout their careers, so their fanbases weren’t the type to waver easily.
As if to prove that point, the reactions appearing in the System Window were overwhelmingly positive.

[Wow… there’s a reason everyone talks about Joo Woo-sung, seriously]
[He was… really born to be an idol, how did he get even better than half a year ago?]
Hahaha, Han Chae-ri’s live performance is insane… How can it be better than the recording?
└I really like this girl ㅜ Rollindie is always getting into trouble with the members under the stage, but on stage, she just chews it up.
└└there’s a reason the group name is White Cherry…]
[This year’s collaborations are all the best. The Dawn & Leah Purple, Black Col & White Cherry..
└The aegyo machine vs. the fried rice guy’s century match
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ호굥은 그렇다 쳐도 쥬성 이젠 그냥 음식이야?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

As the EX-class ending pose choreography flashed across the massive screen and thunderous cheers erupted, I clicked my tongue inwardly while the members, who’d been watching without even remembering to breathe the entire performance, finally exhaled.

“—Wow, that was really incredible.”
“How do they even do that?”

Even Kang Yi-chae wiped his jaw and his eyes sparkled. Beside him, Jung Da-jun nodded his head enthusiastically before tilting it in confusion.

“But didn’t the atmosphere get a bit tense when they came down?”
“Yeah? Maybe it’s the song concept?”

Of course it did.
When you put someone on stage with their ex, things get tense.

‘Be good and live right, Joo Woo-sung.’

When I’m saying something like that, it’s serious.
Just then, I picked up the half-empty water bottle from the table and moistened my throat while surveying my surroundings when my eyes locked directly with someone’s.
I naturally turned my head away, and they too shifted their gaze in passing.

‘Right.’

And I closed the water bottle cap while thinking.

‘Wouldn’t it be strange if there were no incidents at the awards ceremony?’

.
.
.

After all the year-end performances ended, I returned to the van, changed into comfortable clothes, and stepped outside. Using the excuse that I had some business to attend to, I entered a bathroom located a bit away from the parking lot, and soon someone followed me in.

“You worked hard.”
“Ah, you worked hard too.”

That male idol who had gotten caught in a scandal with Lia Purple. He was in his third year of debut… or was it his fourth year?
I think his name was Yoon Hee-eon.
He gave off a somewhat calmer impression than I expected.
Waiting for him to speak first, I turned on the faucet and washed my hands while scanning the interior of the bathroom. There was no one around, and as for recording…

[No surrounding people, no recording, no video! No issues!]

I wish I’d used this function from the start.
I clicked my tongue softly and pulled out a paper towel roughly. As I slowly dried my hands, he finally spoke, leaning against the sink with a slight tilt.

“I watched your collaboration and performance. It was really impressive.”
“Really?”
“Congratulations on the award too.”
“Thank you.”

I gave a lukewarm response and tried to leave without offering the courtesy of saying I’d watched his performance too, but he seemed slightly flustered and blocked my path.

“Um… Seo Ho-yoon, junior.”
“Yes?”

I turned around with an innocent expression, as if I knew nothing.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you. Would you have five minutes?”
“…Sure, go ahead.”

Speaking with a somewhat reluctant tone, Yoon Hee-eon’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he soon let a smile slip across his lips as if it were nothing.
I observed him and formed a comprehensive assessment.
Well-groomed hair and style, smooth demeanor.

‘Composed, though…’

“You have Lim Hyun-sung’s contact information, right?”
“…?”

But this was a bit much.
Without bothering to answer, I simply stared at him, and Yoon Hee-eon laughed awkwardly.

“Haha, I could get it through someone else, but it seemed easiest to contact through you, my junior.”
“…Pardon?”
“These days, with all the plagiarism controversies and such, there’s a lot of talk. I’ve heard the composer is quite sensitive about it. Some say if you contact directly, she cuts off the songs entirely.”

Ah, Lim Hyun-sung.
I scratched my cheek slightly at those words.
So it came to this.
I’d expected the backlash would be severe, but the industry is so small that word spread quickly.

‘There’s no helping it.’

That’s my karma.
No news is good news, as they say.
I began speaking while thinking of Lim Hyun-sung, who was likely enduring countless waves of reality checks in California and living life energetically searching for love.

“But why through me….”
“Ah, because Seo Ho-yoon, my junior, has received many songs from the composer….”
“Yes.”
“And you know that thing?”

What thing.
As I remained indifferent, Yoon Hee-eon offered a smile.
Impeccably smooth, yet like a mask forged through countless trials and errors.
I’d seen it countless times, and precisely because of that, it made my mood all the worse.

“You two are quite special, aren’t you?”
“….”
“I also had someone who helped me out this time, but it wasn’t enough. The company keeps throwing proposals at me, but none of them feel right. I got tired of it too. If I’m being honest, I just wanted something with at least a bit of my own style in it.”

I gazed at him quietly and touched the corner of my mouth.

“Ah, so what you’re saying is….”
“Yes.”
“You saw me sell myself to get a song, and now you’re desperate to do the same?”
“….”

I rephrased his words back to him and laughed.
But my true feelings were different.

‘What nonsense.’

It had been a long time since I’d heard talk like this.
Even during my PD days, I’d often hear whispers behind my back about how I got work with my pretty face. Or the opposite—proposals would come in, pushing something at me and asking nicely. But those things always seemed to shrivel up after I faced them directly.
After my reputation rose, I made sure that kind of nonsense could never be uttered in front of me from a position of absolute power.

‘Disgusting.’

Now I understood where that smile from earlier came from. From that filthy discomfort—the sense that if I took just one more step forward, I’d sink into murky mud.

“…If you want to talk that cheaply, then go ahead.”

Yoon Hee-eon relaxed his slightly furrowed brow and nodded.

“There aren’t many reasons to suddenly blow up in this industry, are there? I was convinced after seeing you win an award like that today. So I thought Seo Ho-yoon would be the same.”
“….”
“…Well, I did too. The scandal with Lia Purple hit me pretty hard.”

I stared at him for a moment, then pulled out my phone.

“Oh, quick.”

Yoon Hee-eon smiled brightly, as if he thought I was about to contact him nicely for some reason.

“Thank you. Next time I’ll tell you something even better….”

I deliberately punched in the number right in front of him without paying attention to his words, then lifted the phone to my ear.

“—Yes, hello~!”
“…?!”
“Composer, hi.”

Yoon Hee-eon’s face went slack with confusion as his mouth hung open. I swept my gaze up and down his bewildered expression and continued.

“W-what are you…”
“Oh, it’s nothing much…. I’m with Yoon Hee-eon right now, and he asked me something. But it seems like a question I can’t answer alone.”

I pulled my lips into a smile.

“Whether I sponsored him to get a song?”
“…!!”

Yoon Hee-eon’s complexion drained to a sickly pallor in an instant.
Regardless, I kept brushing back my bangs as they fell across my forehead, deliberately raising my voice and exaggerating my words.

“Really~? Are you insane? Where did you hear such filthy nonsense? Stop spouting garbage and get out right now~!?”
“….”
“Oh my, I guess not~. Sorry for dirtying your ears~.”

I glanced at Yoon Hee-eon with a smirk. Now completely ashen, he desperately snatched my phone away.
Oh dear.

“Composer! Hello, this is Yoon Hee-eon.”

Without any resistance, I handed it over, and Yoon Hee-eon hurriedly took the call.
He must have been worried the song deal would fall through.

“What I said earlier wasn’t from me, it was….”

As Yoon Hee-eon fumbled through his excuses, his brow furrowed slightly. He realized that no matter how long he waited, he couldn’t hear the other person’s voice.
Recognizing something was wrong, he blinked and pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen.

Just the home screen with apps.
Not in a call.
In other words?

‘Of course.’

I hadn’t called Lim Hyun-sung.

“Aha, senior, you’re quite good at talking to yourself.”
“….”
“Oh, am I the same way?”

He crossed his arms and made a sarcastic remark while introducing himself.
Yoon Hee-eon blinked at me several more times before his entire body began trembling. I snatched the phone from his hand and shoved it into my pocket.

“…You didn’t call?”
“Of course I didn’t.”

Why would I need to tell someone living a comfortable, carefree life such filthy things?
My acting skills have really improved lately.

‘Hah, seriously. At this point, do I actually have talent for acting?’

Thinking such trivial thoughts, I scratched at my ear.

“Have you cleared up the misunderstanding now….”
“….”
“Unlike you, senior, I’m naive, so hearing things like this makes me feel a bit wronged.”

Lim Hyun-sung must spend his days in California without knowing anything, living carefree. That way, he can return as a genius composer again and be indebted to me.
I looked him up and down—his complexion was practically cycling through a traffic light of red and blue.
They say you only see what’s in your eyes….
I only felt sorry for Lia Purple, who’d been tangled up in rumors with this fool.
A sponsor?

‘That’s ridiculous.’

He doesn’t do such filthy things, you bastard.

“If you’re done with your calls, shall I take my leave?”
“…Wow, seriously.”

I tilted my head to the side with a sneer, and Yoon Hee-eon, who had been clenching his teeth for a while, trembled with his tightly clenched fists.
But what could he do about it?
He probably couldn’t record audio or video because he felt guilty himself, and he was being criticized for doing something shameful to a junior—what did he expect to do to me?
I came here hoping there might be something, but all I found was a pointless, unfunny incident that couldn’t be used anywhere.

“Thank you for your hard work~.”

Not wanting to waste any more time, I tried to pass by with a sarcastic remark, but Yoon Hee-eon burst into a laugh of disbelief.

“Really, you all stick together here.”
“…?”
“Even the manager was quite impressive….”

My head slowly turned back.
I released my grip on the bathroom door handle and turned my body around. Yoon Hee-eon muttered, “Now that’s an expression worth seeing,” and pulled up one corner of his mouth into a smile.

“I heard Dae Pa-sung specializes in actors originally, so is that why? You both play innocent so well.”

…Wait, is he saying he asked Sung Ji-won first?
That kid?
I recalled today’s Sung Ji-won, who showed no sign of it beside me, smiling while holding flowers.

“…Sung Ji-won?”

Even if that’s how it is with me, but him?
You asked that to a kid ten years younger than me?
My mind grew increasingly cold, and Yoon Hee-eon brushed his hair back roughly and scoffed.

“Why? Didn’t you know? He had quite the sharp tongue too.”

‘….’

“He’s good at playing innocent too, it seems.”

He passed by me and went to the door, then stopped and added one more thing.

“Acting all clean when he’s already done it….”

It seemed like he was saying that since Sung Ji-won’s former agency was D.go, there was no need to explain further.
I recalled Sung Ji-won stepping back with a complicated expression and laughing sadly in front of me a few weeks ago when we were discussing the sasaeng incident….
…The moment my thoughts reached that point, my head truly spun for the first time in ages.

Bang.

I shoved the bathroom door open and stepped out, staring blankly in the direction he’d gone before heading toward the parking lot.
Kang Yi-chae, who happened to be lingering nearby, spotted me and approached.

“Hyung. I was looking for you.”
“Is he in Sung Ji-won’s car?”
“…Oh.”
“….”
“Ohhh.”

With just that single question, Kang Yi-chae seemed to grasp what I was about to say, rolling his eyes before asking cautiously.

“So he’s…?”
“You… know?”
“I overheard it in passing. But I never thought it would come to this with you, hyung.”

Kang Yi-chae roughly ruffled his carefully styled hair and crossed his arms, facing me directly.
Looking at him, my lips trembled for a moment. I didn’t want to burden him with such ugly information, and part of me wanted to confront him about why he’d pretended not to know… but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
Just as I was about to step past him and have a calm conversation with Sung Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae quickly grabbed my arm.

“Stop, stop.”

My eyes narrowed as I looked down at my captured arm, and Kang Yi-chae smiled gently, as if coaxing me.

“Don’t go to Ji-won hyung.”
“What?”
“He probably has his reasons for not saying anything, right? Don’t go stirring up trouble for no reason.”

…The choice of words irritated me, but if Kang Yi-chae, who usually backed down and smiled nervously, was coming at me this firmly, there had to be a reason. I had no choice but to stop in my tracks.

“Sigh….”

I exhaled briefly, gathered what little patience I had left, and pulled my arm free from Kang Yi-chae’s grip.

“…Yi-chae. I’m not trying to say anything to Sung Ji-won.”
“Hmm?”
“He just lets things slide if I don’t bring them up first. So I was only asking.”

Sung Ji-won was remarkably principled.
Objectively speaking, that was true. Yet toward the members, he was endlessly soft.
He had been the first to support acting activities, and he did so enthusiastically. He was the type who acted as though it was only natural to laugh off any sacrifice for The Dawn, for the members’ sake.
So how much had Sung Ji-won lost in the process?
That was just how he was.
Damn it—his kindness was making my mood foul.

“Oh….”

An exclamation came from ahead.

“Hmm, hyung. Sounds like you’re seriously misunderstanding something.”

When I lifted my head, Kang Yi-chae, wearing an enigmatic expression, brushed his lips and murmured.

“It’s true that Sung Ji-won is unusually kind for his age, but he’s not soft.”
“…?”
“Look at your face. If you’d heard what Sung Ji-won said when Yoon Hee-eon asked him, you’d have fainted.”

Kang Yi-chae scratched his cheek, then looked at me and burst into laughter.

“Looks like Sung Ji-won’s been really good to you? Good enough to see him in such a favorable light.”

—That meant Sung Ji-won was kind and soft only to those he chose.
I didn’t know what expression I was wearing, but Kang Yi-chae realized I wouldn’t say anything more to Sung Ji-won and lifted the corners of his mouth like a fox.

“Right?”
“….”
“There must be a reason. Let’s just leave it alone.”

The perceptive bastard.
I pressed my brow firmly and swallowed a sigh.
I strode past Kang Yi-chae, unable to fathom how someone so young could be so sharp, and he trailed along beside me.

“What could it be?”
“What.”
“What’s he thinking about to make that expression? What could it be?”

Even though I already knew.
Setting aside the fact that I hadn’t told Sung Ji-won directly, I couldn’t say I wasn’t irritated by Yoon Hee-eon making a fuss with all sorts of misunderstandings.

“I need to get back to my roots.”

As I gave a vague response, Kang Yi-chae let out a hollow laugh.
Whether he cared or not, I picked up my pace while organizing where to start handling this mess.
Lim Hyun-sung and Sung Ji-won—two consecutive hits.
It was quite impressive how much they could stir things up in such a short moment.

‘How long will it take?’

With backing behind them, it would take some time.
Could they mess it up in the meantime?
The murkier and dirtier the sewage, the harder it was to expose—and the stronger the backing, the even more difficult it became.
But there was always a way. Always.

[Tch….]

As I formulated a plan to thoroughly take down Yoon Hee-eon, I decided to contact Kim Jae-yeon as soon as I got back.

[Touching Seo Ho-yoon who was staying quiet….]

That’s right.
A person should live as they always have.
I’d been soft lately, but now I was returning to my roots and doing what I did best.
Kang Yi-chae muttered as if matching a rhyme.

“Our rabbit’s getting ready to cause trouble again….”

That is, my true nature.

—————
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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