The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 164

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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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164

While Seo Ho-yoon was scheming and thrashing about in the Vocal Unit to lay down the groundwork, Jung Da-jun was suffering greatly.

“Alright, let’s try matching it one more time!”
“Jung Da-jun, just a bit more to the side….”
“…Why can’t I get this?”

Every section of the Performance Unit’s group choreography was plagued by repeated mistakes. Part of it stemmed from unfamiliarity—these weren’t the members I always trained with—but

“This is really strange, isn’t it?”

the territorial behavior was no joke either.
Except for the High Five Main Dancer, who tilted his head with an ambiguous expression, the dancers from other groups made a habit of sneering whenever the cameras weren’t rolling.

“Not used to it? I suppose that’s what happens when you’re not training with your regular members?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
“Sigh….”
“I’m sorry.”

They were deliberately crushing my spirit.
Unable to say anything more, Jung Da-jun wiped the sweat from beneath my chin.

‘Hyun-sung said I had talent… that there was something special about me!’

Jung Da-jun wasn’t unaware of the reactions after the Second Round Competition either.
If Seo Ho-yoon had known, he would have scolded me to practice more instead of wasting time, but I was just an ordinary person—afraid yet unable to resist checking what people were saying about me.

[Jung Da-jun is just mediocre]
[The hyungs are too lenient with him too lol. They say everything he does is fine, so he seems to be practicing lazily]

‘Lazy? Me?’

I had long since realized that being the youngest meant my mistakes were readily forgiven across the board.

“Da-jun!”

Should I extend my right arm at this moment?

“Sigh… Jung Da-jun.”

No, can I turn my head like this?

“Da-jun!!”

Wasn’t I the one holding back my brothers right now?
Perhaps The Dun would have fared better with four members instead of five.
Every time such thoughts tangled within me, I faltered. For a moment, the fearless courage of youth that had driven me forward without hesitation vanished, and I truly learned what fear meant.

“….”

The High Five Main Dancer, noticing me biting my lip firmly, approached and gave my shoulder a gentle tap.

“—Um, uh… Would you like to go rest for a bit?”

But.

“No.”

I couldn’t stop here.

“I’ll keep going.”

If I did, I felt like I’d truly be left behind, isolated and alone.
Endless practice was better than that.
I moved without a moment’s rest. So much so that Joo Woo-sung, who later came as my mentor, grew slightly weary of it.

“Jung Da-jun, standby!”

At the Staff Member’s call transmitted to the Waiting Room, I took a deep breath and rose from my chair. Kim Sung-hyun beside me grabbed my arm.

“Jung Da-jun. Want a Cheongsimhwan?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“…Really?”
“…Yes.”

My hands were still trembling.
I wanted to whine to my older members right then and there that I wanted to quit.
But Jung Da-jun didn’t do that.

“A little nervousness is… good, that’s what Joo Woo-sung said.”
“…!”
“I don’t want to go out there looking too relaxed.”

As Kim Sung-hyun made a peculiar expression, I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly.

“Sung-hyun, I practiced hard. …So I’ll do well and come back.”
“….”
“And Yi-chae, give me a victory chant….”

Kang Yi-chae stepped closer and hooked my neck with his arm, whispering into my ear.

“Jung Da-jun, no matter how many mistakes you make.”
“Yeah.”
“You won’t embarrass yourself as badly as Ho-yoon did.”
“…You guys can really do this?”

Seeing Kim Sung-hyun’s suspicious expression, I let out a short laugh, my tension easing slightly.
After meeting eyes with Kim Sung-hyun and Kang Yi-chae, I left the waiting room.

‘It’s a shame I can’t see Ho-yoon and Ji-won before going on.’

“Jung Da-jun, we’ll do a final costume check.”
“Jung Da-jun! Standby over here.”

After passing through calls from many staff members, I stood backstage in the darkness.
Deep shadows covered my platinum blonde hair and swept down across my face.

“Da-jun.”

With my head bowed, trying to calm my mind, the TEW Main Dancer approached me.

“Don’t be nervous! You can do this well.”
“….”
“Even without the members, you have to do well on your own, right?”

I couldn’t tell whether the interest people showed me was genuine goodwill or malice wrapped in pretty packaging.

‘This is a bit confusing….’

As an only child who had been showered with love from extended family to parents, I had never needed to read people’s moods. Even after entering the entertainment industry, I was hopelessly bad at this sort of thing.
I’d learned a lot through my time with Seo Ho-yoon and experiencing various situations, but I couldn’t always grasp what was really going on.
Besides, I had four older brothers who were seasoned professionals at this. They always covered everything before my turn even came around.
But now, I was alone.

‘Is this person sincere, or not?’

Honestly, I still didn’t have confidence that I could do well in the Performance Unit. People don’t change overnight, after all.

“Jung Da-jun, do you feel wronged?”

I sometimes recalled the moment when the dual contract scandal had exploded.
Always with that sullen expression, his words were rough, but no matter what happened, he always stood by my side.
He had said something like that back then.

“If you feel wronged, ignore everyone when they start their nonsense on the sidelines and live with as much confidence as your conscience allows. Then someday it’ll be forgotten, or things will actually work out.”

At that time, I felt suffocated.
What good does it do if I live righteously alone? Nothing actually got resolved in the end.

“But when your heart still aches, when enough time has passed yet you lie in bed and just thinking about it makes you feel so wronged and miserable—there’s exactly one way to feel genuinely satisfied.”

Yet Seo Ho-yoon delivered the answer lightly, as if speaking of something very simple.

“Prove that you’re right. Simple, isn’t it?”

And he truly demonstrated it through action.
The image of Seo Ho-yoon walking through Dae Pa-sung’s door with that contract became a memory etched deep into my entire life.
So,

“Phew….”
“…?”

Just as Seo Ho-yoon had proven it, I wanted to demonstrate it too.
That I truly belonged to The Dun.
That my brothers were right to take pride in me.
That if my brothers acknowledged me, then I must be the right person too.

‘That’s right.’

I stopped trying to read something from the face of the TEW Main Dancer standing beside me.

‘Just accept it as it is.’

I nodded.

“Right?”

The man standing in front of me wore a puzzled expression, but I didn’t mind.

“Honestly, I’d be a bit worried without my brothers.”
“…?”
“But they said I have talent. More than anyone here. And… I trust everything my brothers say unconditionally.”
“What….”
“So!”

I lifted my face up brightly. Then I exhaled a long breath and smiled radiantly.

“So I’m going to do well.”

Overwhelmed by my momentum and left speechless, the TEW Main Dancer stood there dumbfounded as I winked at him with one eye.

“Wahaha! Thanks for the support. Fighting!!”
“…??”
“Jung Da-jun! Come on, let’s flip this stage upside down!! No matter how badly I mess up, it won’t be as embarrassing as Ho-yoon’s brother!!!”

I felt the TEW Main Dancer’s gaze, but I turned my head away sharply. There was no need to think about it anymore.
I took a step forward without regret.

“Let’s go, Da-jun!!”

To the stage.

***

“Hey, the maknae already went out??”

The first thing that caught my eye upon returning was Da-jun’s empty spot. He must have already headed out to standby, as he was nowhere to be seen.
I collapsed onto the waiting room sofa and took a sip of water, while Kim Sung-hyun was groaning beside me.

“…Ugh.”

I’d maintained composure in front of Da-jun, but my anxiety was impossible to hide. My restlessness was written all over my face.
Kim Sung-hyun stared at the television in the waiting room, his face cradled in his clasped hands, eyes squeezed shut.

“…I should’ve gone out there instead.”
“What are you talking about?”

I said that, but I wasn’t exactly calm myself.

‘I hope the Performance Unit takes first place.’

But more than that, I was worried about Da-jun’s mental state.
Swallowing a sigh and turning my gaze away, my eyes met those of Kang Yi-chae, who had been whispering with Sung Ji-won.

“What?”
“Nothing, just thinking you’re being overprotective.”
“…What did you just say?”

Kim Sung-hyun and I shot Kang Yi-chae an incredulous look, and Sung Ji-won nodded knowingly.

“Ah. It’s starting.”

A famous pop song with a fast tempo and crisp beat perfectly suited for the Performance Unit began to play.

【Whatever you say
Nothing can stop this feeling now!】

From the very beginning, the High Five Main Dancer’s commanding presence only amplified my anxiety.

‘…He’s really good.’

If a hundred years could be compressed into a single day, then twenty years was still a time when dawn hadn’t broken. Clumsiness and inexperience were inevitable at that age.
I had always thought it was only natural that someone beside him would guide the way.

“Da-jun’s coming up!”

But that conviction shattered completely the moment Jung Da-jun took the stage for his solo performance.

Boom, boom-boom, boom….

Jung Da-jun stood alone beneath a cascade of white spotlights that poured down onto a stage draped in darkness.
Ripped indigo jeans, a sleeveless white t-shirt, a black leather jacket. The outfit was simple—more like everyday wear than stage costume—but that very simplicity made his lines of movement clearer, more captivating.
The fans’ cheers gradually subsided as Jung Da-jun, standing motionless with his cap pulled low, slowly lifted his head in time with the beat.

Boom, boom-boom.

His eyes gleamed with an unfamiliar intensity.
In a way, they carried the same commanding presence as Kim Sung-hyun’s, yet his calm, settled gaze resembled Sung Ji-won’s. There was a hint of composure that felt distinctly like Kang Yi-chae.

“…What?”

Raising his right arm in time with the beat, Jung Da-jun tapped the brim of his cap twice. Then he flashed a playful smirk.

Kyaaaaaaah!

A deafening scream erupted all the way into the Waiting Room.
Simultaneously, a fierce rock beat exploded, as if swallowing everything whole.
Without a single syncopation, Jung Da-jun’s movements were razor-sharp as he swung his left arm in a wide arc, his expression cutting.

【The moment you see me, it’s like lightning strikes!
You won’t be able to do anything
You’ve never seen something like this】

I had been amazed when he performed rock with Kang Yi-chae in the self-produced content before, but Jung Da-jun’s pre-recorded voice fit the song as naturally as if he had been born wearing it.

【I know you’re pretending otherwise
That you’ve been waiting for me all along】

A Staff Member positioned in the Waiting Room approached with a camera to capture our reactions, but we were too mesmerized to muster any broadcast-worthy response.

【I will give you ride!
You can’t hide your shock
I know, Nothing can stop me now】

I was transfixed by Jung Da-jun, watching him as though possessed by a spirit. He was simply that good.

“What is he doing?”

Even without the hedgehog filter, even if I erased his face entirely, it remained the same.

【Hey babe! I will give a ride
You can’t get off, just gripping the handle tight?】

Though still rough around the edges and unpolished in places, his sense of rhythm and dance instinct were unparalleled.

【Breath in and out in and out
Don’t be afraid, you wanted to ride anyway】

Then Jung Da-jun tossed his hat high into the air, kicked his leg forward and fell backward, only to spring back up with the rebound and snatch the hat mid-air. With a grin spreading across his face, he hurled it toward the audience seating.
Then she pulled up the corners of her mouth and tossed her hat into the audience seating.

That everything would end like this
But once you told me】
But once you told me】

Boom boom boom!

【You are with me now!】

Her platinum blonde hair swayed, suffused with blue light.

【I will give you a ride, babe!】

The drums rushed wildly as if announcing they were running toward the end of the song. Jung Da-jun forcefully kicked his right foot toward the camera and jumped into the center of the stage.

Ahhhhhhh!

Someone in the audience seating was waving Jung Da-jun’s hat excitedly. When Jung Da-jun caught sight of it, he smirked and walked past—the moment captured perfectly on camera.

【Or give me your kiss,
that also works!】

Backup dancers dressed in outfits similar to Jung Da-jun’s rushed in from both sides of the stage. Yet despite their numbers, Jung Da-jun remained undeniably the brightest presence.
As numerous performers divided their formations and executed precisely controlled krumping with masterful dynamics, the effect was utterly overwhelming.

【What are you waiting for?
You’re already with me
What are you waiting for?
Ooh please, don’t be afraid】

“…Wow.”

The electronic guitar melody was dazzling.
Jung Da-jun swung his arms as though driving his fists into the floor, lowered his waist, gazed directly at the camera, and dragged his tongue across his lips.

【I will give you
Ah what?】

With Jung Da-jun at the center, the backup dancers surrounded him, their choreography synchronized as one unified body.

【Tell me once more
I will give you Ah what?】

As the backup dancers’ hands covered Jung Da-jun’s eyes, he mouthed along with the lyrics, and the Noeul fans erupted in screams.

【Yes, that’s right!】

Jung Da-jun curved his lips into a smirk, locked eyes with the approaching camera, and thrust his hips with one hand planted on his thigh.
Following the increasingly explosive, thunderous rock melody, he delivered powerful, controlled movements with commanding presence, then lifted his head and flashed a radiant smile, his distinctive canines prominently displayed.

“…Wow.”

【♫♪♩♬】

Jung Da-jun’s violent movements ceased, and with them, the music stopped and the lights went dark.
After the fifth performer—the TEW Main Dancer—finished their act, a group performance began, set to a song by the hottest overseas boy band of the moment.
Jung Da-jun shone the brightest there as well.

【Believe me, won’t regret!】

When the Performance Unit’s group stage ended, the camera zoomed in one by one on the ending poses each group member had taken.
When it was Jung Da-jun’s turn—still seated—he spread four fingers wide while keeping his thumb folded, as if encouraging votes for his number, four.
Then, playfully, he brought his lips to each finger, blew kisses, and even threw in a wink.

“….”

The Waiting Room fell silent.
Among the members who had watched the entire performance, only stillness lingered. They all seemed to be carefully choosing how to break the ice.
Cheers for their favorite idols echoed from outside.
It was no coincidence that Jung Da-jun’s name rang out particularly loudly.

“…Hey. That guy—.”

But in the end.

“—He must’ve practiced that ending to death.”

Only awkward, roundabout remarks came out.

“Right, Yi-chae must’ve taught him.”
“The student surpasses the master~.”

Kim Sung-hyun, who had been silent until now, looked flabbergasted and scratched his head vigorously before laughing for a long while as the tension dissolved. Then, wiping his mouth, he murmured.

“There was nothing to worry about.”

I collapsed onto the sofa with a somewhat deflated expression.

“What do you think, Brother?”

Kang Yi-chae leaned toward me with a playful laugh.

“You admit you’re being overprotective, right?”
“I’m not, though?”

——And then,

“Ta-da!!”

It was thirty minutes later when Jung Da-jun returned, his face streaked with tears and snot, holding the Unit Championship trophy aloft in one hand with a radiant smile.

“Here comes the completely amazing grown-up Jung Da-jun!!”

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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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