The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 150

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

150

“What… what is that?”

Every member except me spun toward the source of the sound in alarm.
Kim Sung-hyun, driven by his duty as leader, was the first to spring to his feet and rush toward the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled, but it only rattled—it wouldn’t open.

“It won’t open.”
“Just now, what was that…?”

Jung Da-jun’s eyes widened as he stammered out the words.

“A… a scream! Isn’t this dangerous? We should call, call someone…!”

Then,

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Another scream pierced the air,

“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Aaahhh!”

Something dropped from the ceiling with a thud.
The leader, the youngest, and the coward—two of them—shrieked like madmen with their eyes covered.

“Wahhh! What, what is it?!”
“Back, back away, you guys! Back…!”
“Back where…?”
“Haha.”

Kim Sung-hyun tried to drag Kang Yi-chae, who flinched slightly, myself, who remained unmoved, and Sung Ji-won, who was actually laughing rather than frightened, toward the corner to escape.
But Sung Ji-won tilted his head for a moment, then strode confidently toward the swaying object.

“…This is just a dummy.”

Kim Sung-hyun slowly spread his fingers that had been covering his face, peeking out with only his eyes visible.
What fell from the ceiling was a mannequin painted red, shaped like a human figure.

“…A, a mannequin?”

While Jung Da-jun and Kim Sung-hyun huddled together, clutching their racing hearts to calm themselves, Kang Yi-chae discovered a mission card pinned to the mannequin’s clothing with a safety pin.

“It’s a mission?”

‘Kim Hee-young, I knew you’d pull something like this.’

For some reason, today she seemed unusually carefree and oddly energetic.
For a PD who was perpetually shadowed by all-nighters and relentless pressure—as constant as three daily meals—a bright, vibrant smile was as mythical as a unicorn.
It simply couldn’t exist.

Ding!

[Wow…. They really are birds of a feather….]

What could I do about it?
On the verge of tears but forcing a composed expression, Kim Sung-hyun asked carefully.

“W-w-what does the mission card say?”
“I’ll read it~.”

Correction: the leader was anything but composed.
Kang Yi-chae slowly read the mission written on the paper.

“Shining Star Season 2, Mission One begins. ‘Find the notes in the haunted broadcasting station’ mission!”
“…Huh?”

Jung Da-jun, still reeling from the shock, lifted his head sharply at Kang Yi-chae’s words while trembling in fear, crouched in the corner.

“The first meeting will be conducted with participants divided into Dance Unit, Vocal Unit, and Rap Unit. You’ll perform on stage before the public while wearing masks and hats, and the top vote-getter receives special benefits. The song choice and performance duration vary depending on each note.”
“…?”
“The notes are hidden throughout ‘Ugh! This Broadcasting Station Is So Incredibly Scary.’ Two members will explore the broadcasting station filled with ghosts harboring grudges from overtime work and find the notes.”
“Two people!!”

Jung Da-jun clenched his fists and shot to his feet.

“Then Ho-yoon and Ji-won should go!!”
“….”

Less than a year had passed since I’d said I wanted to be helpful to my brother, and now that very person was staring at me with bloodshot eyes, trying to shove me outside.

“Those two didn’t even blink! Even Yi-chae was so startled he trembled!”
“Bro, I’m scared too.”
“Ho-yoon, if you’re going to lie, at least spit in your mouth first!”
“I’m scared.”
“….”

After spitting in my mouth and speaking, Jung Da-jun glared at me daggers.

“Well, I don’t mind going.”

Sung Ji-won said reluctantly.

“But looking at what’s written here, it doesn’t seem like we can?”
“What, what is it?”

Sung Ji-won glanced at Jung Da-jun’s eyes before reading the next part.

“The targets for this exploration will be the 2 people who made the loudest noise. The production crew will designate them in order of measured decibels.”

“…!”

Jung Da-jun’s mouth fell open.
Notably, only two people had screamed loudly in this place.
Just then, an eerie mechanical voice echoed through the conference room speaker.

“[96dB Jung Da-jun, 88dB Kim Sung-hyun, please come out.]”
“…!!!”

And so both their faces went pale as a sheet.

.
.
.

[Ahhhhhhh!]
[Wooooaahhh! Jung Da-jun! Come here!]
[Brother, brother! Don’t leave me behind! Hyun-sung!]
[What, what? Then what am I holding onto right now… Ahhhhhhh!]

It was absolute chaos.
The remaining three of us followed the staff member’s guidance to a different conference room, where we were served tea and dessert while monitoring Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun in real time.

“The dancer line is being quite romantic~.”
“Look at Da-jun grabbing the ghost’s arm instead.”
“But he didn’t give up halfway through.”

We were simply having the time of our lives.
I giggled as I popped a Shine Muscat grape sitting atop the whipped cream of my slice cake into my mouth.
The scene of Kim Sung-hyun in the third stall of the bathroom, half-sobbing as he sang to the ghost with aegyo and managed to obtain a note, was a masterpiece in itself.

“Ahahaha, Sung-hyun sings well.”

After a year of being influenced by me and Kang Yi-chae, even Sung Ji-won was enjoying himself. Beside him, Kang Yi-chae laughed with satisfaction, slapping the desk with his hand.
A staff member standing across from us whispered something to Kim Hee-young after witnessing this.

“Out of all the groups so far, this is the most irritatingly hilarious laugh I’ve seen….”
“That’s good, that’s good~.”

In the end, Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun arrived at the conference room, having been chased by the ghost the entire way and running frantically.

“We maaaade it!!!”
“We arrived!!!!!”

After rolling and tumbling, both of them looked disheveled.

“Wow~.”
“Congratulations~.”

Clap clap clap.

The staff and members gave them applause that contained not even a gram of genuine enthusiasm.

Ding!

[This bland congratulation….]

“Took about 1 hour and 21 minutes. Congratulations on completing it.”
“I want to cry….”
“Someone, someone, give me a hug.”

The two cowards approached me with sniffles.
It was only possible because they were so innocent they didn’t even know the rest of the members had been excited in the waiting room.
Naturally, I ignored both of them and simply extended my hand.

“I, I don’t want to do this….”
“What did you bring?”
“….”
“….”
“What did you bring, I said.”
“This is really bad….”

I rummaged through the pockets of those guys who seemed unwilling to move with their mouths hanging open, and pulled out three slips of paper: vocal, dance, and rap.
Inside each slip was naturally written the title of a song.
I unfolded the paper labeled “Vocal Unit” and scanned its contents with my eyes.

“So we’re performing this at the meet-and-greet?”
“As the duet representative, yes.”
“…Okay.”

It was a song I’d seen somewhere before.
I folded the slip back up and looked at Sung Ji-won.
Jung Da-jun glanced at Sung Ji-won once, then looked through Kang Yi-chae and back at me.

“Huh?”

Sung Ji-won wore an ambiguous smile.

“Isn’t this a bit too underhanded?”

I think so too.
Not because it’s a familiar song.

[Sung Ji-won
Slightly tainted by Seo Ho-yoon’s influence, but still kind-hearted and angelic—a good member, and one Seo Ho-yoon thought he’d want to be with forever.]

What’s this nonsense?
I skipped the useless content and looked away.
Either way, it’s petty.

[Vocals: S0
Dance: A+
Entertainment: C-
Acting: B-
Charm: A-
???: ???]

Sung Ji-won’s vocal stat.

***

“Hey, what’s that?”

The eyes of pedestrians walking along the Han River converged on one spot.
Many people bustled about setting up cameras and constructing an outdoor stage. Some of them were handing something out to passersby.

“Looks like some kind of performance?”
“Yeah? But there’s not a single poster or banner anywhere.”
“Must be some unknown group.”

He and his friend happened to be passing by, and though his tone was indifferent, he was actually bored and lacking entertainment, so his curiosity was piqued.
He’d eaten an hour ago and was full, with nothing to do, so when someone approached and started talking to him, he was receptive.

“We’re doing a guerrilla concert today. It’s a Mask King of Song concept—each duet will perform their song in order, and you just need to pick the team you like best.”
“Oh~.”

Intrigued, I nodded and entered the outdoor concert venue with my friend. It was just about to start, as the stage’s pin lights came on.

“If they’re unknown, they probably aren’t that good at singing.”
“Yeah, it’s better not to expect much.”

Without an MC, seeing the Staff Member conduct the show suggested it wasn’t a particularly famous broadcast.
However, the moment the first song’s melody began, everyone in the audience seating let out a gasp of admiration.

【This heart growing ever more humble, I hide it from you
And I keep losing sleep through the night】

“Humble Confession!”

It was the OST from the drama that had captivated audiences throughout last year.
Moreover, since he was a fan of Min Ji-heon, having listened to this song relentlessly, his feelings about it were particularly deep.
He didn’t know which singer had performed it, but he remembered how the melancholic lyrics paired beautifully with the sweet voice, charting and lingering on the rankings for quite some time.

“Ooh~, they sang it well.”

However, his actual impression of the song was merely that.
They sang it well enough, but it lacked the unique emotional depth that Humble Confession possessed.

‘Still, since it’s a famous song, people probably choose it often.’

The song ended, and the spotlight dimmed.
Instead, the curtain that had been concealing the adjacent stage lowered, new lighting illuminated, and the second and third duets came out in sequence, performing different songs.
Even then, he thought they sang cleanly and well, but he didn’t feel any particular emotional appeal.

“They’re all not bad.”
“Yeah….”

He nodded in agreement with his friend’s comment when the fourth curtain dropped.

【Say you love me,】

This duet’s song was Yoo Ji-a’s mega-hit “Say you love me.” She had brought a rock ballad to transform her image, earning tremendous love from audiences regardless of gender.
The song was characterized by lyrics where the singer pretends not to know while asking to hear the words “I love you” from the other person.

‘Huh?’

“Oh~! Amazing.”

【I’m asking because I don’t really know】

The concert hall grew slightly restless.

“Wow, this guy’s got serious tone.”

Without a single flourish, the pitch was flawless, the rhythm locked in perfectly, and the high notes soared cleanly—leaving the audience wide-eyed in amazement.
Moreover,

“Insane. He didn’t change the key?”

He was singing “Say You Love Me” in its original key.
Even though it was a woman’s song in a lower register, it was a high range for a man—yet he delivered it with perfect stability.

【You loving me more than
Just a little bit Yes only little bit
I love you that much more】

While everyone else was captivated by the ticklish timbre, I felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu creeping in.
As someone who’d watched “Please Camera” nearly a hundred times just to scrutinize Min Ji-heon’s face, my instincts were tingling sharply.

‘What is this??’

The man standing beside the singer—hidden behind a hat and mask though he was—showed not a trace of tension. That relaxed composure and silhouette… I’d seen them somewhere before.
Somewhere very familiar.

【But I don’t like saying it so easily
You like it when I’m like this anyway】

“Wow, stable all the way through.”
“These two are the best.”

Everyone except me simply nodded along to this feast for the ears, lost in the performance.
Then, the man who’d been standing silently the entire time raised his microphone.

【You don’t know, so there’s nothing I can do
I will say this only once】

“…!!”

Chills raced up my spine in a violent surge.

【Say it again! Tell me once more】

The transition from falsetto to true voice was remarkably seamless.
Between the audience’s murmurs, the two singers wove harmonies together while gesturing. Somehow, it resembled an idol’s choreography.

【Say you love me again!
If you care for me, tell me once more】

“Wow, man, what…?”

Saying they sang well simply couldn’t capture it all.
The same electrifying sensation I’d felt at that famous singer’s concert hall years ago coursed through me now.

“This is insane….”
“Hey! Hey, hey!”

Until I’d entered, I’d harbored no expectations whatsoever, but now my jaw hung open as I stared at the stage.
Then my friend beside me started jabbing my arm repeatedly. I winced and glared at him, but my friend was so caught up in excitement that the world around him had ceased to exist.

“That person—isn’t that them!”
“What?”
“Humble Confession, that’s them!”
“…What?”

【If you don’t know well, I’ll tell you again】

Listening carefully, it really did seem to be the case.

“…Ahhhhh!”

Having watched Please Camera so many times, I’d heard the OST countless times until it was burned into my ears.
Distinguishing that familiar voice was easy.

【There’s no helping it
I’ll keep telling you until you understand】

“That’s it! That’s it!”
“It does seem right?!”

I grew excited as the certainty felt increasingly real.
Looking at everyone’s expressions, it seemed like they were all thinking the same thing.

【Say You Love Me—】

“Insane, insane!”

In that moment, I shouted and frantically mashed the voting remote.
As the duet from Humble Confession reached its highlight, the numbers displayed on the scoreboard climbed frantically as well.

[109]

First place.
Though the fifth team still remained, it was an overwhelming voting score compared to the previous teams.
Soon after, the fifth performance ended and the vote tally closed, but the rankings didn’t change.

“Ah, it has to be, right?!”
“I’m telling you it is! Who else could sing like that??”

Looking around, most people seemed equally absorbed in confirming whether the fourth duet was indeed the person they expected.

[Alright! Voting is closed. Now, please remove your masks in order!]

After that, starting from the leftmost performer and through the third, they removed their hats and masks in turn to the instrumental breaks of their songs, greeting the audience.

“Kyaaaah!”

Seeing the cheers erupt from the crowd, they appeared to be idols.
However, my friend and I were waiting for a separate introduction.

【…♫♩♬♩♪】

Just then, the opening of the song performed by the fourth duet began playing.
The spotlight came back on, and I could see two tall men on stage, their hats and masks pressed firmly in place.

[Group D! Remove your masks!]

Following the staff member’s voice through the microphone, one person removed his mask and hat first.
Then a man with brown hair and a gentle expression, his lips curled slightly upward, appeared. At the same moment, my friend muttered in an almost dazed tone.

“Insane, holy shit….”

The man bathed in white light from behind, like a halo framing his silhouette, looked like an angel even to someone who knew nothing about him.

“Hey, what? He’s ridiculously handsome.”
“Damn, crazy! I’m looking him up right now!”

My friend pulled out his phone and started searching “Humble Confession” on the portal site, then began comparing the singer’s photo with the face of the person standing before us.

“Sung Ji-won? Hey, I think this is him!”
“Yeah, it’s him!!”

But the chatter couldn’t continue.
Screams erupted from all around.

“Kyaaaaaaah!!”

When I turned my gaze forward, the person next to him was removing a black hat.
It was a face already far too familiar to me.

“…Insane.”

Please Camera’s PD.
Lee Jung-hoon.
That supporting actor with sub-male vibes!!

“That shameless PD!!”

Without realizing it, I screamed, forgetting all dignity. But since everyone around me was in the same situation, there was no embarrassment.
Please Camera’s PD and the angel exchanged glances, grinned at each other, and waved lightly toward the audience seating.

“Wow, this is giving me chills.”
“What? What? Is this a drama??”

Excitedly making a fuss with my friend,

“Gaaaaaahhhhh!!”

The roar of the audience was incomparable to anything before—absolutely thunderous, with gasps of astonishment rippling through the venue.
When I turned my head, two men positioned at the far right end were removing their masks.

“…What?”

Even half-revealed, he was an idol I recognized instantly.

.
.
.

‘Damn it….’

My eyelashes trembled slightly.
After the reveal, there were countless calculations to consider.
If we were calling Humble Confession, first place was practically guaranteed. With faces hidden, winning over the general audience required one crucial element: ‘a familiar voice singing a familiar song.’ Leveraging this advantage in competition was the obvious play.
But.

‘If we just take first place with Humble Confession, it’s boring.’

If it seemed too easy or too self-serving, the narrative would suffer.
So I’d employed a bit of strategy to craft a compelling story at just the right level.
With Sung Ji-won leading the charge—his voice was already well-known—and my participation bringing guaranteed buzz, I was confident we’d secure the narrative momentum afterward.
With Sung Ji-won’s S-rank vocal stats alone, I was certain we’d take first place regardless of which song we performed.

‘Damn it all!’

Yeah, first place at the reveal was achievable.

“Ha ha, hello everyone.”

But this was unexpected.

“We’re High Five!”

High Five.
Next-generation leading idol group, super rookies, monster newcomers.
No matter what else you added, it all sounded plausible—Black Call’s direct junior group.
They definitely weren’t on the original lineup, and honestly, they didn’t need to be….
The appearance of a group that didn’t belong in this tier.

‘Joo Woo-sung, this bastard, he deliberately didn’t tell me….’

No matter how much I pressed Joo Woo-sung this time, he wouldn’t give me an answer.

“Shining Star cast member? I really have no idea~.”
“Well then, goodbye.”
“…Consistently shameless bastard.”

The guy who’d been rattling off details about Shining Star Season 2 refused to open his mouth about the cast no matter how much I pestered him.
He just shamelessly shrugged his shoulders and played dumb.

‘I should have seen this coming.’

A High Five member glanced my way and gave a small wave.
I smiled back at High Five in return.
Of course, my mind was running cold.
At the same time, Kim Hee-young’s words echoed in my thoughts.

“You should aim for first place.”

Listen, Kim Hee-young.
You’re telling me to compete with these guys and take first place?

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