The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 151

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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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151

High Five. A six-member junior group under Black Call’s agency, they were now in their third year since debut.
And they were being hailed as the next generation leaders of K-Pop to succeed Black Call.
Well, most people would know that much.
These were guys who had no business being here.

‘Shameless bastards….’

As I meticulously greeted other groups and staff members while walking toward the waiting room, Sung Ji-won tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

“Ho-yoon.”
“Yeah.”

I turned my head to the side, following Sung Ji-won’s gaze, and spotted High Five.

“Hello.”

The moment our eyes met, High Five’s leader spoke up as if he’d been waiting for this.

“Wow, that was truly amazing just now. Congratulations on first place.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“I’m Kang Yeon-hu.”
“I’m Seo Ho-yoon.”

Kang Yeon-hu, High Five’s leader, smiled with an easygoing charm.
While exchanging greetings with their leader and main vocalist, I could feel the members of other groups around us stealing glances.
Yet Kang Yeon-hu seemed completely oblivious, his attention fixed solely on me.

‘This guy….’

I was starting to get a sense of what this was about.
I wiped my expression clean and offered a subtle smile.

“I enjoyed watching High Five’s performance, seniors.”
“To be honest, the ranking is a bit disappointing, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Sung Ji-won, you were really impressive.”
“Aha, thank you.”
“Still, we won’t lose next time either, right?”

Kang Yeon-hu, playfully scrunching his nose, offered no unnecessary words and drifted away with his members.
Sung Ji-won watched his retreating figure before slowly opening his mouth.

“He’s quite sociable.”
“Right.”

I brushed back the hair that was escaping from under my cap, poking at my eyes.

‘Woo-sung.’

The appropriate distance, the right words, and polite laughter to boot. So—.

‘Your junior’s a bit damp.’

He was the type who clearly understood how to act and present himself to others—unmistakably a long-term trainee through and through.
At the very least, he wasn’t some thoughtless fool like Today, carelessly scattering his own weaknesses everywhere.

‘Do I need to revise my strategy?’

I organized my thoughts as I walked slowly.
Working at a broadcasting station meant inevitably rubbing shoulders with people. Especially in variety entertainment, crafting and refining the cast’s characters was just as important as planning a good program.
In conclusion, having rolled around in this game long enough, I took pride in my fairly accurate eye for reading people.
Which is why I could say with certainty—a guy at that level would be hard-pressed to find even a speck of dust if you tried to shake him down.
Not that he was flawless, but rather his self-management was meticulous.

“Ho-yoon.”

At that moment, the person beside me—also a long-term trainee with exceptional perceptiveness—called out to me.

“Hmm?”
“Don’t think strange thoughts.”
“…What. When have I ever?”

After a brief pause, I brazenly turned back to Sung Ji-won with a question.

“You really didn’t do it?”
“I swear on my conscience.”

Since I had no conscience to begin with, I could swear away without hesitation.
Sung Ji-won let out an amused chuckle at my audacity, when his phone rang. The moment he answered, Jung Da-jun’s excited voice poured through.

“—Dance unit placed second.”
“Really?”

Second place in the dance unit stat? That was unexpected.
Kim Sung-hyun’s dancing ability was objectively excellent.
In fact, I’d assessed that he’d shine even brighter without the “idol” label, or if his face were hidden.
So naturally, I’d expected Kim Sung-hyun to win….

“Surprising, isn’t it?”
“Yeah… ah.”

I made a mental note to dig into the details of this unexpected result when we met, but a brief report from Kang Yi-chae had already arrived in our group chat.

[Kang Yi-chae: Rap unit 1st place]
[Kang Yi-chae: ^^V]

“Wow.”

Of course it was Kang Yi-chae.
Rap unit first, vocal unit first, dance unit second.

“A solid start.”

Sung Ji-won broke into a wide smile and started walking. I followed behind him, poking his back as he bowed respectfully to every staff member we passed.

“Sung Ji-won, I have to say—I’m impressed by you.”
“…Huh?”

Growing up so upright among such shady bastards—that took real character.

***

The meeting had concluded, but no news about Shining Star Season 2 leaked anywhere.
So the Noeul fans remained blissfully at peace.

[Title: Hey, did you guys see the text that went up on The Dun’s official account?

It’s hilarious
Kang Yi-chae posted a photo with the caption “Brother, you’re really too much”

Yi-chae: Kyaa, praise me quickly please><
Ho-yoon: Thx
Da-jun: Wow!! For Ho-yoon, that's actually pretty sincere
Hyun-sung: He actually replied

I guess that counts as praise
Look at these kids marveling at those two letters—Seo Ho-yoon, how have you even lived your life like this?
Kang Yi-chae complained that Seo Ho-yoon was being insincere, so Ho-yoon got annoyed via text and posted a few more

Yi-chae: You seem like a truly fun and kind person
Sometimes I'm left in awe of you, Seo Ho-yoon

Hahahaha why is Kang Yi-chae really like this? Hahahaha

And then Seo Ho-yoon actually replied

Ho-yoon: Thanks

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

But Ji-won was crazy too

Ji-won: Praise!!

Hahahahahahaha is this supposed to be "praise"?
Ji-won, please don't do this

Haha, oh my god, the fact that they transferred the crazy energy is so funny lol
└└But seriously, why is Sung Ji-won like this these days?
└Last time, Da-jun said on the B App that Ji-won wanted to get a The Dun tattoo…
└└That's actual insanity..
└└Even Kang Yi-chae would be taken aback
└I'm most worried about Hyun-sung these days…
The rest are all their usual selves, but Hyun-sung is… laughing
└└How does he even survive in that Dun jungle…

Everyone was joking around with the official photos as usual.
Until one post went up.

[Title: But that text asking for praise

Isn't it related to Shining Star? I heard they're having unit competitions
Did Kang Yi-chae's rap unit do well?]

Even the Noeul fans who had dismissed it as "no way" began to get fired up at the surprisingly accurate prediction.

[Shit… is this real?]
[Ugh, survival shows again, my PTSD is acting up..]

They'd been burned too many times before.

[Do we really have to watch them getting their hair pulled like that… I'm already disillusioned]
[It's annoying, but I don't think going is bad. Thanks to the last Shining Star, their initial sales skyrocketed… I think it'll go up even more this time]
[Honestly, they don't even need to do this. Can't they just be happy and active?
—No, that's nonsense. Give it everything you've got!!!
Let's support them like this is the last time!!!]

Opinions were divided.
But since they'd already won Shining Star Season 1, it was certain they'd participate in Season 2, so the Noeul fans' attention suddenly focused.
And so, when the news dropped.

[Shining Star Season 2 is back!]

The Broadcasting Station's server crashed.

[Yo, the server actually crashed

└Real glass server lmaooo These bastards still have no intention of fixing it]

It was inevitable, as not just The Dun's fans but all fans of every group on the lineup flocked to the site.
Shining Star Season 1 had achieved tremendous success, and the pre-released Season 2 lineup was equally impressive, so the interest was bound to be enormous.

[Shining Star Season 2
Star Will Shine Again!
High Five
Verse
TEW
Try
The Dun]

At the same time, the majority of idol group fans on the lineup felt their heads spinning.

[High Five???????????]
[This is ridiculous corporate tyranny… Their initial sales are only this much, they don't need to be here at all]
"These guys are on a different scale when it comes to capital lol (of course, they're kids raised with money Black Call earned;;) Why do we have to get involved with something like this lol"

Naturally, criticism toward High Five intensified.

[We're pissed too lol]

High Five's side was equally frustrated.
As a result, the fandoms only escalated their hostility.

[It hurts my pride to be stuck with kids who are not in the right grade. What should we do with our kids?

└Yeah, your idol's trash
"Are you fucking stupid?"

As the official website went live and promotional videos began airing on YouTube at a terrifying pace, the Noeul fans who had experienced Shining Star Season 1 trembled with anxiety amid the increasingly hostile atmosphere.

【Say you love me-!】

Of course, that anxiety lasted only until the highlight reel pre-released before Episode 1 aired.
The moment Sung Ji-won sang the opening verse, you could see the audience stirring even through the screen.
The Noeul fans felt exhilaration surge through their bodies.

[Ah!!! Ji-won!!! Ho-yoon!!!!!!!]
[There's no way they don't take first place]

The overwhelming sense of raw skill was undeniable.

[Sung Ji-won's really leveled up lately. Is he really the next K-pop god following Black Call's Chae Jung-woo..?]
[He is Korean…]

While fans obsessively rewatched the video countless times, the rap unit footage was uploaded next.
Despite the black mask, cap, and hoodie pulled low, the drained grapefruit-colored hair peeking through was unmistakably Kang Yi-chae.

【It's chasing!】

And he was truly something else.

[Wow…]

Even in the short video, technique and performance flowed seamlessly as he commanded the stage with absolute freedom.

[Kang Yi-chae's seriously a genius sometimes I get tired of it… Not just composing, songwriting, and producing, but like;; his rap is insane]
[The vibe was insane…
He definitely did it with ease, ugh he's driving me crazy]

As for the dance unit's Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun, while their flashy breakdancing captured attention, the reason for their loss was painfully obvious.

[Ah]

High Five's main dancer had flashed his abs.

Hahahahahahaha
[Damn it, I gotta admit this one]

Since voting happened on-site, unless there was a massive gap in dancing ability, a stage that left a powerful impression was nearly impossible to beat.
In the end, High Five took first place by an overwhelming margin.

[This got first place???

└ That's what I heard
Haha damn it, that's such a shame, I agree.

[Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun performed insanely well, but they said they couldn't beat the abs idol]

Hyun-sung, why did you have to be like that too at this opportunity?

└Subtly rooting for Noel..]

Then, a post predicting the rankings for the meet-and-greet appeared on a community site.
It was the result of a combination obtained by reviewing feedback and edits from the general public who participated in the unit voting, and examining the comments.

[Title: Prediction]

Dance Unit 1st Place: High Five
Vocal Unit 1st Place: The Dun
Rap Unit 1st Place: The Dun

└You guys, don't pay attention to this
└——-silence silence silence——]

Contrary to the comments attached, the atmosphere among the already heated sensitive fandoms was stirring with tension.

[Seems right though?]
[Yeah, I'm still reviewing it and it seems right. The Dun's dance unit is 2nd place]

Upon hearing that news, the Noeul fans tried to act indifferent, but they couldn't hide their smiles even in the posts going up on SNS.
After all, it meant they won purely through skill via blind voting.

[Well, we won't know until it airs]
[I liked the song this time ㅠㅠ Genius Idol]

However, given that the atmosphere was already tense, there was no reason to stir up more controversy, so everyone tried to let it pass quietly.
But that was short-lived.
When someone leaked the Shining Star meet-and-greet planning, everything flipped completely.

[You guys
1st place gets 1,500 points per unit apparently]

That was right.
1st place in the respective unit meet-and-greet was allocated 1,500 points each, and 2nd place got 1,000 points.
The anger from fans excluding Noeul poured out across various websites.

[The Dun: 4,000 points
High Five: 1,000 points???]
[아 씹ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ아이돌은 인지도도 실력이거든요?! If you pick one, it must be popular!! The production crew still hasn’t come to their senses, right?!!!!!]
If you wanna be the mask king, you gotta go there, you bastard~~ lololol Are you kidding me? You son of a bitches???

Only the Noeul fans remained peaceful everywhere.

[Oh my??]

Having already weathered countless obstacles, they were skilled at masking their composure, so they quietly slipped into private accounts to avoid stirring up unnecessary conflict.

[Guys, I heard you voted based on your skills. Don't be too angry~ㅠㅠ]

Ugh… let me not say anything about this… honestly, other fans could easily feel upset seeing this, right? I mean, it's such a ridiculous way to do things lol
But I'm Noeul
But our babies are 1st place

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I wonder what she'll do since the Idol has no talent..? So curious hehe

└It's not like they have no skills… But our kids… their faces are heavenly… so it's scary;;ㅠㅠ It's really hard…ㅠㅠ]

[Ah~ If Seonghyun only worked out his abs, he would get 4500 points, but that's a shame haha ​​Hey Seonghyun, let's show it at the gala concert later!]

Their skill at backhanded compliments was truly masterful.

[Ugh.. every time I'm disappointed, I want to quit K-pop

└The ones who say they're quitting stay the longest
Lol I'm dying of laughter, ah I'm melting
└└The ones who actually leave don't say anything and just ghost
└└Like this~~~!!!
This is just a temporary love..
The Dun fans just stick around to see them take 1st place…]

However, separate from Noeul's mental fortitude, tension was building between the fandoms.
And so came the day of the Shining Star filming.
The moment Seo Ho-yoon stepped onto the filming set, he sensed a subtly cold atmosphere.

"Hello! We're The Dun."
"…Ah, yes. Hello."

Whoever I greeted responded by putting up a thorough wall, as if looking at a stranger.

"Hello~."
"Oh! It's been a while."

All the idols gathered here had accumulated enough seniority to know each other, so they exchanged greetings warmly.
Of course, subtle jabs were exchanged among them as well.
But toward The Dun?

"Ah, The Dun? Yeah, we know~."

It wasn't quite hostility—not quite like we were ghosts—but rather the treatment of small fries, something I hadn't felt in a while.
Whether it was the influence of ranking first in face-to-face viewership, or simply that they didn't want to let us into their exclusive circle.

Seo Ho-yoon glanced at them with a slight raise of his eyebrow but said nothing.

'Ridiculous.'

To Seo Ho-yoon, now thirty-four years old with all the life experience that came with it and a former PD, it was nothing but pointless and unhelpful childishness.

"When will our Da-jun grow up~?"
"He'll grow taller than you, he'll definitely grow taller than you…."
"Are his growth plates still open~??"
"They're still open!!"

I clicked my tongue softly and turned my head toward Kang Yi-chae, who was already seated and playfully pressing down on Jung Da-jun's head.

"Kang Yi-chae, stop that. What do you want to drink? Tell me quickly."
"…Huh?"
"??"
"???"

For a moment we stared at each other in confusion, then Kang Yi-chae burst out laughing.

"…Ah, you've already picked up the habit??"
"Ah, ugh…."

Ever since falling ill in Japan, Seo Ho-yoon had grown accustomed to reading Kang Yi-chae's moods and catering to his whims—a habit so ingrained it had become second nature. Now, cursing under his breath, he rose from his seat. Kang Yi-chae, never one to miss such a golden opportunity to tease, scurried after him.

"Yi-chae's happy now, Ho-yoon the troublemaker~."
"Never call me that nickname in front of me."
"Why are you being so touchy lately?"

Jung Da-jun, having escaped Kang Yi-chae's clutches, smoothed down his hair with a bright expression.

"Ugh… Does this hyung get tongue-tied if he doesn't tease someone for even ten seconds?"
"Jung Da-jun, we're just sacrificial lambs in this group… Give up."
"As long as we're in a group with Seo and Kang, there's nothing we can do about it, right??"

The Dun's excessive composure drew disapproving glances, but the members themselves remained completely unfazed.

"Sigh… Let's just endure it, Da-jun. We should focus on what we're eating later."
"What do you want to eat, Da-jun?"
"Well, I want what Ji-won hyung is having~."
"Stop lying and be honest."
"…Korean beef."
"There we go."

Kim Sung-hyun glanced around with a slightly sharp demeanor, but Sung Ji-won and Jung Da-jun were too busy resting their chins on their hands, browsing meal options on their phones and chatting away.

'Can you believe this?'

The TEW Group Vocalist standing beside them found the sight distasteful.
TEW had seniority to spare, so he kept a low profile to avoid unnecessary gossip, but watching these rookies—who should have been trembling with anxiety after less than two years—carrying on so loudly rubbed him the wrong way.

'Back in my day, I couldn't even drink water without watching my seniors' faces.'

"Hello?"

So he struck up a conversation.

"Oh, hello."

But the person he'd chosen to address happened to be Sung Ji-won—someone with a mental fortitude so unshakeable that not even a needle could pierce it.

"Aren't you nervous? Phew~, my hands are literally shaking!"
"Aha, of course. I'm quite nervous."

'…Hmm?'

Seeing Sung Ji-won respond with a laugh, showing not a trace of nervousness, he quickly shifted his target.

"Jung Da-jun, you must be trembling too, right?"
"Huh?"
"Ah, I haven't eaten a single meal. I'd get indigestion if I did~. For such an important occasion, it's better to approach it with gravitas, don't you think?"
=Can you even swallow right now?

Jung Da-jun's eyes widened.

'That's right.'

"Let's work hard, everyone."
=Read the room, lol

Watching that pure sincerity written all over his face, I thought I'd chew through him in no time.
The moment Kim Sung-hyun's eyes sharpened as he caught the corner of his mouth lifting diagonally,

"Hoo…."

An ambiguous exclamation escaped Jung Da-jun's lips.

'…What?'

A year ago, Jung Da-jun would have been pale and flustered, either floundering helplessly or failing to catch on and accepting it as genuine.

'What's with him?'

But over the past year, he'd spent time beside Seo Ho-yoon.
Like fried rice sizzling in a hot, oiled pan, The Dun's youngest member had been thoroughly tempered by such situations.
Living with an extreme provocateur meant he felt nothing at all from such crude provocations.

"Yep."

As a result, his response was remarkably lukewarm.

"Well, I suppose that could happen…. Good luck, Senior~."
=Then don't eat it….
"…."
"…."
"But seriously, what should we eat, Brother?"
=I'll eat anything

This was precisely why one had to watch their words around younger members.
Though Seo Ho-yoon had gone to great lengths to protect his innocent youngest member like a blank slate, his efforts proved futile—Jung Da-jun had long since mastered the art of clever wordplay.

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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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