The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 14

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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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14

[Title: Is Joo Woo-sung joining StarStar?

I’m not a Black Call fan, but I follow Joo Woo-sung
Isn’t he famous for not uploading videos? His fans are always crying about it
But then suddenly yesterday he uploaded a video

‘Joo Woo-sung and the kitty.gif’
‘Seems to like me more.gif’

Who is this person??? As far as I know, there’s no trainee like this at Black Call’s agency
Is he just a regular person?

└Seems like a regular person
└└Wait really?? But he doesn’t look like a regular person??
└└Forreal
└At least there’s no trainee like this among the announced rookies
Lol seriously Woosung… just upload a picture of your face already lol
“Hahaha this is real…”

[Title: J.W.S uploading to StarStar again

Why is he suddenly uploading so many videos????
He posted his face because fans kept asking him to, lol. Suddenly he’s turned over a new leaf, haha.

‘Photo of Joo Woo-sung with a cat.jpg’
‘Video of him teasing a trainee and looking sulky’

But this time too he’s in it with that trainee? Regular person? together
They have such great chemistry and timing together lol, they seem really close and it’s so cute

└I got it!!! This guy is a member of The Dun Entertainment
└└The Dun??? Sorry, I’m not familiar, can you explain what that is?
└└The Dun (debuting soon)
└Who the hell is that?? Never even heard of them
I was just passing by… I’m a fan of The Dun… There’s someone named S.H.O… They didn’t debut due to health issues, but they did participate in the recording. They’re kids who work hard. I hope you’ll look upon them kindly…
└└Ah… (respectful silence) My apologies, fighting!]

[Title: Joo Woo-sung and The Dun’s Seo Ho-yoon Summary

My friend is a fan of this obscure group (sorry) The Dun, and they went crazy when they saw Joo Woo-sung on StarStar this time
Let me break it down for you
1. The Dun’s first album debut seems to have flopped pretty hard, but they still have a handful of fans.
2. The Seo Ho-yoon who appeared on Joo Woo-sung’s StarStar is a member of The Dun, but has never performed on an official stage
3. Joo Woo-sung and Seo Ho-yoon are weirdly close; not sure where they suddenly came from
It suddenly became hot so I checked it out lol Seo Ho-yoon has a fox+rabbit face and it’s more my style than expected, so I’m summarizing this. There’s talk of a comeback soon, I’m looking forward to it

└Thanks Speedwagon!
└└No problem!
└Oh thanks
└Hmm, but I’m not really feeling it lol seems like an obscure group is riding on Joo Woo-sung’s coattails
└└Seo Ho-yoon didn’t even appear on StarStar, Joo Woo-sung posted it himself, so what’s the problem..lol
└└Yeah they seemed close, they really looked like they’ve known each other since way back
└Black Call fans are currently drowning in the flood of new Joo Woo-sung content, and it’s the first time we’ve seen him this comfortable with anyone outside his group members lol
└└ㅇㄱㄹㅇ.. I am very grateful to this friend. Joo Woo-sung’s scrunchy side is so cute for the first time.ㅜ]

[The Dun’s Comeback, Noise Marketing?]
[The Trainee Who Appeared on Joo Woo-sung’s StarStar, Is It the Company’s Strategy?]

“Ho-yoon!”

I lay sprawled on the practice room floor and picked up my phone to assess the situation. It seemed we were becoming quite the topic on internet communities and social media. Of course, I was getting hate too, but for viral marketing, this wasn’t bad at all.
The choreography checks with the choreographer, movement rehearsals, and part distributions had all been roughly sorted out. About three weeks remained until the showcase.

‘This level of firepower isn’t enough.’

It was time to start preparing other content. I tucked my smartphone away and looked at Kang Yi-chae.

“What?”
“Drink this.”

Kang Yi-chae tossed me a water bottle. On the verge of complete exhaustion, I gratefully gulped it down. Kang Yi-chae clicked his tongue and asked.

“Why are you practicing so recklessly, hyung? Do you ever sleep?”
“I sleep.”
“That’s a lie! You only sleep three hours a day! And that’s in the Rest Room!”
“What, is hyung Napoleon? Only sleeping three hours a day?”

When Jung Da-jun tattled, Kang Yi-chae clicked his tongue again. I was too exhausted to respond, so I ignored him.
Sung Ji-won, who had just entered the Practice Room, looked at me with concern upon hearing that.

“Hmm… Ho-yoon’s dancing has improved, but…”
“….”
“It’s still not enough… Why? How can I make it better?”
“Hyung Ji-won… isn’t a ghost possessed by someone who died from overtraining?”

Jung Da-jun shuddered. I felt a chill run down my spine and rubbed my arms.
Sung Ji-won was not someone to be underestimated. I’d thought he was a gentle person, but now his eyes were wild—the comeback stage was all that mattered to him.
Kim Sung-hyun came in next, and we put on the music and worked on the formations more.
Once we finished distributing the parts, we adjusted the choreography slightly so that each member’s assigned part would stand out.

[Ooh, Pick a card, a clearer future coming into view
You’re anxious about the low odds, but there’s no need to be]

[Let me say it again—we’re starting fresh
I will come back everytime
You fear this strange sense of déjà vu
No need to wander aimlessly
I’ll find the way for you]

After dancing and singing live through the song a few times, by the third run-through, we were all so exhausted that we collapsed onto the floor.

“Are we going to die before we even get to perform the comeback stage?”
“…Want to take a break? It’s getting close to lunchtime anyway.”

Finally, Sung Ji-won gave the okay. Jung Da-jun sprang to his feet.

“Let’s go to the Convenience Store, the Convenience Store!”
“I’ll clean out my wallet for you all, so get ready!”

Jung Da-jun pulled out a crumpled thousand-won bill and spoke.

“I got my allowance!”
“….”
“The hyungs will buy.”
“Ah, we can at least buy ice cream!”

A thousand won these days wouldn’t even get you that….
Kim Sung-hyun, Sung Ji-won, and I exchanged bewildered glances before patting each other and heading out.
The moment we arrived at the convenience store right in front of the Entertainment Agency, the younger members bounced around excitedly.

“I’m going to get cup ramen with Samgyeop!”
“You gotta add cheese to the spicy chicken, are you clueless?”

These kids….
I was beginning to understand why Kim Sung-hyun and Sung Ji-won had matured so much.
Kim Sung-hyun quietly looked after the younger members, while Sung Ji-won handed me a cup of ramen. As the five of us stood huddled at the bar table installed in the convenience store, slurping our ramen, someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned around to find a woman wearing a mask standing there restlessly, holding her phone out toward us.

“Oh! Are you Seo Ho-yoon?”
“…? Yes.”
“Just a moment, just a moment. The people next to you are all The Dun members! My friend is a fan of The Dun… could you wait just a second?”
“A fan, you say?”

Sung Ji-won’s eyes widened. I hoped he wouldn’t say anything unnecessary.
This person seemed to be taking pictures of us with their camera. Fortunately, Sung Ji-won just nodded enthusiastically with an excited expression.

“Of course. We’ll wait.”
“Thank you so much!”

To be honest, the reaction probably would’ve been the same even if there was no camera. Strictly speaking, The Dun was a celebrity group, yet these guys looked at ordinary people who recognized them as if it were something remarkable.

‘…You guys. You’re still celebrities, at least.’

Even competition program participants weren’t this unpopular, so…. A wave of sympathy washed over me.

“You’re Sung Ji-won, right? I knew you since your trainee days! How are you so handsome? Why are you so tall?”
“Ha ha, thank you.”
“How old are you, noona?”

Kang Yi-chae spoke up first with a carefree attitude. The woman responded shyly to his approaching words, but she answered faithfully.
With the camera rolling, we had to be careful with our words, but there was no real concern with Kang Yi-chae. He was someone who knew how to read the room.

“…?”

I gave a suitable response and turned my gaze away, when I caught sight of something odd outside the convenience store.
An elderly woman was walking while clutching her bag tightly, and a masked man was cautiously following a few steps behind her, glancing around. It looked like he was about to snatch the bag.

“Hey.”
“What?”

I called out to Kim Sung-hyun. He immediately turned his head to look at where my gaze was directed. His face then hardened with alarm.
We set down the food we were holding. Sure enough, the man suddenly rushed forward and snatched the elderly woman’s bag.

“Oh no, oh no! Thief!”

Robbery still happens these days!

‘Damn bastard.’

I furrowed my brow deeply. I had my suspicions, but I never imagined it would actually come to this.
Kim Sung-hyun and I immediately burst through the convenience store door and took off running. We were going to catch that shameless robber.

“Stop right there!”
“Get lost!”

The thief glanced back at the sound of our rapid footsteps approaching him, then began running faster.
But who were we? We were proud idols of South Korea, after all. With our daily practice routines that stretched into the early morning hours, our stamina was far superior to that of the average man.

“Freeze!”

Kim Sung-hyun in particular was exceptional when it came to physical prowess, and he instantly lunged forward to grab the man.

“Got him!”
“Hey, Kim Sung-hyun!”

I caught up a step behind and kicked the hand of the man who was drawing out a utility knife.
With a sharp clang, the knife clattered to the ground. Kim Sung-hyun’s face turned pale as he looked at the man, then he gritted his teeth and held the robber firmly.

“Ow, ow, ow! Let go, you bastards!”
“Are you insane? Where the hell is your conscience?”
“Kim Sung-hyun, hold him down tight.”

I helped Kim Sung-hyun stomp on the robber’s leg. When I glanced back toward where the Elderly Woman had been, I was relieved to see that Sung Ji-won and Jung Da-jun, already grasping the situation, were helping her to her feet.

“Are you alright, ma’am?”
“Oh my, thank you, thank you so much….”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, oh my… I’m fine. I’m more worried about you young men.”
“We’re okay, ma’am.”

Meanwhile, Kang Yi-chae was waving his hand frantically while making a call inside the Convenience Store. It seemed he’d called the Police.
Soon after, the wail of a police siren pierced the air.

“Wow, the South Korean Police sure are fast.”
“I said let go!”
“Stay still, you punk.”

Muttering to myself, I pressed down firmly on the robber’s nape.
I turned to check if the Police had arrived yet, and instead spotted a woman still holding her phone, filming us with a blank expression on her face. When I turned my head, my eyes met Kim Sung-hyun’s.

“….”

We were thinking the exact same thing.
Oh no, this could be—.

***

“My goodness, you’ve done a great deed. I was followed after withdrawing money from the Bank. I even went out of my way to find a spot without CCTV, but if you young men hadn’t been here, something terrible would have happened.”

After handing the robber over to the Police, the officer praised us several times over.
I glanced toward the Elderly Woman. It didn’t seem like she was injured anywhere.

“Thank you so much, you young men. I can’t thank you enough.”
“No, ma’am. It was the right thing to do.”
“This is money my daughter sent me. She’s been saving it little by little for hospital bills… Without this, I couldn’t get treatment. I really can’t thank you enough.”
“You really did have a close call, ma’am.”

Sung Ji-won lamented with regret. From what I could gather, it seemed Sung Ji-won had been raised by the Elderly Woman. His eyes remained fixed on her, unable to look away, as if his heart continued to weigh on him.
I tapped Sung Ji-won on the shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go. The Elderly Woman needs her rest too.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was holding her up too long.”
“I’m the one who should apologize for taking up you young people’s time.”

The Elderly Woman continued to nod her head repeatedly. Watching her, I suddenly thought of my own grandmother, and my mood became strangely complicated.
I bowed respectfully, and once the situation was settled, I led the members out.

“Wow, that was quite the ordeal.”
“Kim Sung-hyun almost got hurt. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Seo Ho-yoon blocked it for me…”
“Right, the comeback isn’t far off, so be careful.”
“Come on, hyung. That was cool though.”
“Being cool isn’t everything.”

Sung Ji-won flicked Jung Da-jun on the head for being so reckless. Jung Da-jun grabbed his head and whined, but the sense of camaraderie that had settled among the members couldn’t be erased.

“Good work out there, guys.”
“Ho-yoon hyung looks like he’s in a good mood too.”

Well, I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment.
But there was something else I was anticipating.
Kim Sung-hyun probably noticed it too.
After returning to the Practice Room and continuing our training for another two or three hours, the Manager suddenly burst through the door.

“Guys!!”

As expected.

“Whoa, you scared me.”
“Guys, you caught the Robber?! Why didn’t you tell me!”

The Manager grabbed Jung Da-jun’s shoulders in excitement and shook him. Jung Da-jun, unable to process the situation, clutched his dizzy head.

“W-well, I was planning to tell the Manager about that later. But how did you find out?”
“You guys just hit it big, right now!”
“What?”
“The video of catching that robber went viral online—we’re trending right now!”

Bing.
The Manager thrust his phone right in front of my face. I slowly read the glittering title on the screen.

[Today’s Robber Arrest: An Ordinary Male Idol of the Korean Peninsula]

…The title was certainly catchy.
My eyes met Kim Sung-hyun’s across the circle of members, all wearing expressions of disbelief.
We both broke into grins.

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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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