The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 15

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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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15

[Title: Today’s Ordinary Male Idol on the Korean Peninsula Caught a Robber

Insane, insane, insane
I saw The Dun catch a robber today
*I’ll just write casually for now

To explain the situation, I’m someone who only casually follows idols, so I only know the top-tier groups. Black Call, maybe?
But my friend suddenly went crazy and started following this new group called The Dun

Who are they? Well… initial sales… 100 copies…
(I’ll skip the explanation here…)

So I was watching them with pity when Seo Ho-yoon and Joo Woo-sung appeared on StarStar not long ago, right? That’s when my friend’s excitement reached its peak….
But today I!!!
Saw The Dun at a convenience store!!
I didn’t recognize them at first; there were just five handsome guys gathered together, and they all looked even better in person;;
I was going to show my friend, so I recorded a video on my phone and talked to Seo Ho-yoon
Seo Ho-yoon… up close, he’s really handsome. I’m not lying, but I actually forgot what I was saying for a moment because of his face. He had this sharp fox-like appearance that intimidated me a little, but when he smiled, he looked absolutely mesmerizing.. (a.k.a. the type who’s popular at school but suddenly greets you out of nowhere and walks past)
The other guys are all handsome too, so.. I want to talk about it, but that’s not the point of today, so I’ll skip it for now
Below is a transcript of our conversation

Me: Sung Ji-won, why are you so handsome? You’re so tall
Sung Ji-won: Oh, thank you hehe
Kang Yi-chae: How old are you, noona?

We were just chatting like that, and I was happy talking to handsome guys after so long.
But that’s when something important happened.

Seo Ho-yoon: (suddenly stops talking and looks outside)
Me: (Why is he like that?;; Did I do something wrong?)
Seo Ho-yoon: (nudges Kim Sung-hyun) Hey.
Kim Sung-hyun: What?
Kim Sung-hyun: (looks outside and his face hardens)

But then suddenly both of them bolted out like maniacs.
The rest of us were stunned watching, and outside some lunatic was snatching a bag from an elderly woman and running off;;;; Seo Ho-yoon and Kim Sung-hyun saw it happen.

Sung Ji-won: Just a moment!
Jung Da-jun: Let’s go together!
Kang Yi-chae: I’ll call the police.

Everyone just bolted the moment they saw it;; I was standing there dazed, but they all had their roles perfectly divided; the two who went first caught the robber with insane athleticism and even wrestled away the knife he pulled out. (Check the video for details)
The two who went after were checking on the elderly woman who’d collapsed, asking if she was okay… and Kang Yi-chae was already on the phone with the police.

Me: Wow.. what’s happening..
Kang Yi-chae: (talking to the police) Yes, this is the convenience store in front of the XX District Love Building, and we’ve caught a robber….
Me: Are you guys really okay? What do I do;;?
Kang Yi-chae: (glancing at me) Yes, thank you for your help.

I’d never seen anything like this before;; and there was a knife too, so I was genuinely worried they or the elderly woman might be hurt..
So I was anxiously pacing when Kang Yi-chae hung up and said something to me.

Kang Yi-chae: Noona, it’s okay.
Me: Huh? Um..
Kang Yi-chae: We’ll handle things here. You must have been shocked—why don’t you head back inside first?
Me: (flustered, I just agreed)
Kang Yi-chae: Oh, right. Sorry we couldn’t wait for your friend. Let’s definitely meet next time, okay?

Even though Kang Yi-chae was younger than me, the way he instantly took control of the situation and calmed me down was incredibly cool..
Everything I wrote is in the video I’m uploading below. Check the full video for the details. I’m not lying—these guys are seriously insane;;
My friend is crying right now saying why you got lucky instead of her..
Sorry, I’m becoming a The Dun fan starting today.
I’m ordering their album right now.

└I came here to curse them out as a fluke, but damn, watching the video… it’s real
└Insane;;;; How do you even catch that? What’s with that black-haired guy’s physique? How did Seo Ho-yoon block that sword again?
└└He’s seriously a prophet..
└This needs to be uploaded. Doesn’t matter if they’re nobodies or not. This is seriously insane
└In the meantime, Seong Ji-won? Why can’t you take your eyes off this old lady? She’s so sweet.
└Why are the kids eating cup ramen???ㅠㅠㅠ
└└Their agency must be broke…
Who’s the one stacking five Samgyeops and pouring them into cup ramen lmaooo so cute
└└Jung Da-jun!! The maknae and sub-dancer, nationwide gum smile collector
└└Auntie, stop fawning and get out of here]

[Title: The reason I called you here today is for this

As of today, The Dun is signed to StarStar

“Personality is god”
└└Stop doing character marketing
└Honestly, I don’t get what the fuss is about; their faces are just average and their singing wasn’t that good..
“Their debut song was absolutely terrible lol, and it seemed like they just had a brief moment of shine before fading away”
└└Hey guys, are you fans of other new idol groups? Already on guard? Scared?
└Honestly, they’re all handsome;;; Especially Kang Yi-chae is my type, he kept calling me noona in the video but I’m just gonna put in my dentures and pretend to be 99
Am I crazy lol
Hahahahahahahaha what the heck hahahahahaha
└I’m going for Kim Sung-hyun;;; He’s got that wolf-like vibe? His physique for catching robbers is insane
“My older sister is a wolf too, so I caught her lol”
I just called 112 for the tofu a moment ago in the bedroom.
Hahahahaha you bastard, see you at our prison^^hahahaha

***

“Tsk, it’s really gone crazy.”

Joo Woo-sung was in a terrible mood. Every article flooding in about The Dun seemed to include Joo Woo-sung without fail.
It was because of the promotion through StarStar. The endless DMs pouring into StarStar asking who they were, or the manager suddenly nagging him about why he was promoting another idol group—it all irritated him.
But the most irritating of all was Seo Ho-yoon, who had appeared like a comet.
Seo Ho-yoon, Seo Ho-yoon.
What exactly was this guy?

[Lunatic: Joo Woo-sung]
[Lunatic: Come to Dae Pa-sung Planning]

A week into the blackmail, Joo Woo-sung wanted to ignore the message, but he found himself driving toward Dae Pa-sung Planning as the threats continued to escalate.
How had it come to this? If I told my Manager, he’d probably handle it well, but then I’d have to confess that my romantic entanglement had been exposed….

‘I don’t like this.’

Joo Woo-sung sighed heavily, closed the car door, and headed toward Dae Pa-sung Planning.
He’d said to wait in the Lobby, and judging by how they didn’t stop him despite him not being Staff, it really was a small-time company.
Still, hadn’t there been quite a stir about them recently?
Joo Woo-sung himself had promoted them on StarStar, and not long ago they’d caught a Robber—there was an overflow of heartwarming stories about it.
They’d suddenly become famous and would probably face criticism, but the publicity seemed genuinely solid.

‘Where the hell did this bastard go.’

Joo Woo-sung approached irritably, searching for Seo Ho-yoon. I spotted him hunched deeply into a sofa in the corner of the Lobby. Joo Woo-sung’s expression twisted sharply as he approached.

“Hey, am I a dog? You’re calling me around like I’m some mutt.”
“….”
“Seo Ho-yoon, hey, Junior.”

Seo Ho-yoon didn’t respond. Joo Woo-sung poked at him, and Seo Ho-yoon lifted his head, his complexion ashen. Joo Woo-sung faltered.

“What, what’s wrong. Why are you like this.”
“Oh, you’re here….”

Did I hurt him by poking him?
Joo Woo-sung examined Seo Ho-yoon from different angles, guilt gnawing at him. No matter how I looked at it, all the color had drained from his face—he was in no condition to be here.

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not, you look like you’re in pain.”
“I’m fine, Joo Woo-sung.”

I sighed deeply and stood up. Joo Woo-sung seemed more cowardly than expected, his eyebrows twitching subtly.
Yeah, damn it. I was in pain.
I hadn’t slept in days and had been struggling, but the real problem was this System Window.

Ding!

[Seo Ho-yoon, please proceed with the Quest now!]

‘Get lost, you bastard.’

A Quest had arrived, and by ignoring it and pushing forward, I was already sensing the harbingers of failure creeping in.
I stared silently at the Quest description floating before me, then looked away. Joo Woo-sung flinched in surprise.

“Do you know why I called you?”
“What is it?”
“We’re shooting our music video tomorrow. I was hoping you could watch our choreography until then. You’re a pro, Joo Woo-sung, so you’d know better than anyone.”
“You called me just for that?”

Joo Woo-sung looked utterly dumbfounded.
Well, Joo Woo-sung was notorious for not managing his juniors. He was the type to assume they’d figure it out themselves—the kind of guy who’d neglected even his own group members, too busy with his dating life.

“Oh, it’s Joo Woo-sung!”

I straightened my drooping body and led Joo Woo-sung toward the practice room. The moment I opened the door, the Manager, who’d been filming the members practicing near the entrance, startled and greeted us.
The members, their hair dyed in various colors as they danced, saw Joo Woo-sung and bowed at a perfect hundred-degree angle, like protractors.

“Hello, Senior!”
“…Yeah, okay.”

I felt Joo Woo-sung’s glare on me. Sorry, but don’t back out now.
It was behind-the-scenes filming for the comeback preparation. The Planning Team Lead had pushed for it, and I’d agreed, so it happened rather abruptly.
Joo Woo-sung stared awkwardly at the members, then put his arm around my shoulder. To anyone watching, we must have looked close.

“Hey, you didn’t mention there’d be filming.”
“Have we met once or twice?”
“…Haven’t we met once or twice?”

Ah, right. He didn’t know about my time as a PD.

“I’m saying you should understand my style. Joo Woo-sung, just pretend to be friendly with me and drop some tips.”
“This is really! If only that photo hadn’t existed!”

Joo Woo-sung let out a deep sigh. Then he withdrew the arm he’d draped around me and silently collapsed onto the sofa in the practice room. I was satisfied that he’d followed my instructions so perfectly.

“Yes, well… I appreciate your time. As you know, Ho-yoon and I are very close. I’m here at our talented Ho-yoon’s request, so I apologize for the intrusion.”
“We’re the ones who should be grateful!”

Every time Joo Woo-sung spoke, the members bowed in perfect unison, and I found it grating to watch.
Still, the New Group’s earnest desperation seemed to work—Joo Woo-sung nodded and his eyes sharpened with interest.

“Then let’s cut to the chase and see what you’ve got.”
“Yes!”

At the members’ loud response, the Manager immediately started the track, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
For four days straight after the robbery incident, we’d been practicing relentlessly. Time was running short, and we had no choice but to master the choreography.
Sung Ji-won, who handled the first part, began to sing.

[Give me, Give me, Give me Second Chance
This ringing sensation in my head—in other words, I’m back
I clench my fists, I can never let this chance slip away]

Sung Ji-won’s nervousness was plainly visible, yet he continued singing with practiced ease. In truth, all of us had been pulling all-nighters for the entire week, so it was more accurate to say we were barely conscious.
Sung Ji-won twisted his head and moved forward. I rose from my seat behind him, and the surrounding members crossed their arms to form a table shape in front of me.

[Ooh, Pick a card, a future that becomes clearer
You’re anxious about the low odds, but there’s no need to be
It’s okay, I’ll lead you]

“….”

Joo Woo-sung’s gaze on me was sharper than the one he’d given the other members. But I wasn’t nervous.
Neither was I—between the endless all-nighters and the System Window’s penalties, I was barely functioning. As I sang the final verse, Jung Da-jun rose with a harmony layered beneath my voice.

[Come to me, Come to me,
Don’t be Afraid, come to me
I have my second chance]

We climbed into the chorus without a misstep. In that instant, Jung Da-jun bent at the waist and Kim Sung-hyun placed his foot over him as he began to sing. The wavering live performance solidified into something pitch-perfect and robust.

[I won’t let this sensation slip away]

After that, Kang Yi-chae delivered his rap, and in the final section, Sung Ji-won, myself, and Jung Da-jun layered our harmonies to bring the song to a close.
We’d poured everything we had into the performance, leaving nothing on the floor, and now we gasped for breath like mudskippers flailing outside the water.
Honestly, I felt like I was going to throw up because of my abnormal condition.
Damn this System Window. This infernal penalty.

“….”
“Huff, gasp….”
“Phew….”

Joo Woo-sung looked at us. He fidgeted with his feet for a moment, then pointed at me.

“Ho-yoon.”
“Yes.”
“Are you hurt? Or are you just naturally stiff?”
“I’m naturally stiff.”

I answered matter-of-factly, hiding my pain, and Joo Woo-sung burst into laughter. Then he hastily switched to an expressionless face.
Jung Da-jun, who’d been watching from the side, quietly chimed in.

“Our stiff hyung has actually improved quite a bit.”

Was that a compliment?
I turned my gaze toward Jung Da-jun. This wasn’t a Competition Program, so growth wasn’t what mattered.
An idol is judged entirely by just 3-4 minutes on stage. So no matter how much fuss was made about growth, ultimately the final product was what counted.
Joo Woo-sung slowly got to his feet.

“Overall it wasn’t bad. But sometimes there are gaps in the choreography during individual parts, you know? In those spots, you usually need to fill in every corner nicely with gestures.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Let me show you how I do it.”

Joo Woo-sung slowly stood up as if some wind had blown through him and demonstrated the gestures. I thought he’d just do it casually and wrap it up, but even the slightest pose showed a completely different level of skill.

‘This guy….’

So Joo Woo-sung wasn’t just getting by on his face. I watched intently and worked hard to keep up.

“No, no. That’s not it there. Watch me once.”
“You dance well, but you’re putting too much tension into it. You need to relax your shoulders here.”
“You seem to have some natural talent—try to bring that out more. Imagine there’s a camera.”

When it came to my turn, Joo Woo-sung—who had been dispensing advice to each member down to the smallest detail—hesitated for a moment.
He wore an expression that clearly said “how am I supposed to deal with this clumsy one,” before launching into his critique with meticulous precision.

“Seo Ho-yoon, when you dance in your individual part, it becomes painfully obvious how much you lack skill. Instead, use your charm to bridge the gap between you and the other members. It’s a temporary fix, but it’s better than fumbling around like this.”
“Yes.”
“And your singing—you’re better than I expected, but you still lack emotional depth.”

Emotion. I’d heard that criticism from Lim Hyun-sung before. My members had pointed it out multiple times as well.

“From what I can tell, you’re playing the role of someone who knows everything in this song, but you’re singing it too literally. There’s no flavor to it. Try again.”

I sang my part again. Joo Woo-sung shook his head in frustration, striking his chest.

“No, again.”

I sang it once more.

“What is it? What’s the problem? Why can’t you put emotion into it?”

Ah, this natural-born talent…

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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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