The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 165

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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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165

[Guys…ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

On SNS, the reaction to Jung Da-jun’s performance was explosive.

[I was so, so worried about Da-jun, so I tried to tell him that whatever he did was the best… but in the end, there was no need to worry… hahahahahahaha!!!!!!! ㅜㅜㅜIt makes me crazyㅜㅜㅜ]
[I literally cried so hard.. but I’ve never felt this happy while crying.. I teared up at the end with the hand kiss.. it’s insane…]
[I didn’t intend to love you this much, but I’m so overly immersed, it’s beyond amazing, it’s heartbreaking, sad, funny, and oh, I just fucking love you so much, Jeong Da-junㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

It seemed the fandom had been divided in their opinions about the Second Round Competition.
Since there had been no pre-release or broadcast yet, everyone was careful with their words, but rumors that “Jung Da-jun absolutely tore up the stage” couldn’t be contained.

“This is delicious.”

While fans were secretly going mad searching for spoilers and crying, Jung Da-jun was busy eating the meat that his Manager and Road Manager were grilling diligently and that his members were eagerly bringing to him.

“Is it good?”
“Yes!!”

After the Third Round Competition filming wrapped, the Manager declared that on such a momentous day, they absolutely had to eat meat—and waving his corporate card above his head like a triumphant general, the members of The Dun followed him to the BBQ Restaurant.

I glanced up just with my eyes to see the stat floating above Jung Da-jun’s head.

[Jung Da-jun
I’m so incredibly proud that I want to feed him only Korean beef.]

Did you raise him, Da-jun?

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

Watching him, I began to understand why Jung Da-jun had been so anxious.

‘Stats aren’t everything, are they?’

As I pondered where the difference lay, Jung Da-jun—still holding a bone and gnawing on the ribs—swept his eyes across the members.

“Brothers.”

He set down the bone he’d cleaned thoroughly and spoke.

“It’s nice having a maknae, right?”
“Of course~!!”

Sung Ji-won beside him placed a fresh bone laden with meat into Jung Da-jun’s rice bowl and showered him with praise. Jung Da-jun grinned with satisfaction.

In the group performance, Jung Da-jun had truly dominated the stage. High Five’s main dancer hadn’t faltered, but everyone else visibly hesitated in comparison.
In audience votes, High Five had pulled slightly ahead, but in the expert judges’ scores, Jung Da-jun had the edge.
In the end, The Dun claimed first place in the Performance Unit.
High Five took second, TEW took third.
The maknae had won first place, surpassing all those with tremendous recognition.

“Eat plenty.”
“Yes!!”

Well, he’d cried quite a bit, so he must be famished.

“But how did you perform so well? You were much better than in rehearsal.”
“Oh, that! Ho-yoon gave me some advice.”
“….”
“He told me to think of all the other performers as complete trash….”
“Wait a minute…!”
“Hey!! You told him that too??”
“Well, he’s an adult now anyway….”

Kim Sung-hyun, who was pouring cider into Jung Da-jun’s glass, looked at me with a disgruntled expression. Jung Da-jun glanced between us before quickly continuing.

“W-well, there’s more to it than that… Besides that, there was also what you said back then about lying in bed and thinking when you feel wronged….”
“…Just sleep first?”
“No, it’s not that….”

Jung Da-jun, who had been struggling to remember, simply tore at his hair before giving up and grabbing a lettuce leaf.

“Ah, forget it. What does it matter?”

He placed about five pieces of meat on top, added some kimchi with practiced ease, and popped the whole thing into his mouth in one bite.

“I did well, didn’t I?”

Jung Da-jun chuckled.
I laughed back at him.

“Look at our maknae all grown up now~.”

What followed was a delightful meat party.
Because of it, the food bill came to more than expected, so instead of watching the Manager tremble nervously, I swiped the corporate card and headed outside the restaurant.
Company meals really do taste the best.
As I contentedly patted my stomach, Kang Yi-chae was hanging onto Jung Da-jun in front of the van, whining. Jung Da-jun was muttering something while brushing his chest, apparently annoyed by the pestering.

“Da-jun, you’re an adult now, an adult. Let’s just brush off this kind of provocation….”
“Yeah, yeah~.”
“…Let’s ignore it.”
“If you’re an adult, you should let this slide~.”
“…ignore….”
“Our Da-jun is such a cool, awesome adult~”
“Ugh!!! Seriously!!”

After observing the guys bickering as usual, I turned toward Sung Ji-won, Kim Sung-hyun, and the Managers.

“I’m going to stop by the Company first, then head to the Dormitory.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I need to meet with the Planning Team for a moment.”

Having calculated things through the Shining Star Season 2 competition, I had something I needed to think about.

“Then go with your Manager. It’s dangerous to go alone.”

I wanted to brush him off and move on my own, but the Manager wasn’t wrong.
When I agreed, the Manager whispered something to the Road Manager.

“See you at the Dormitory later.”

After exchanging farewells with the members, I caught a taxi with the Road Manager.

With the Final Round approaching, the outcome was becoming clearer in my mind.
We’d managed to recover somewhat through the Cross Unit in the Second Round Competition, so our current score placed us in second, right behind High Five.
Ber and Try were locked in a tight battle for fourth and fifth place and didn’t seem likely to climb higher, but TEW remained unpredictable.

“…Hmm.”

It was because of the Final Round’s scoring system.
Until now, all rounds had used on-site voting, but the Final would rely solely on live voting. Moreover, since the points were nearly tripled, there was no way to predict how the rankings might shift.

‘Is first place possible?’

No—it had to be.
There wasn’t an absence of methods to secure first place with certainty.

‘…But.’

This was… just.

“…Your performance today was impressive.”

Perhaps because I’d been quietly staring out the window, the Road Manager spoke up. He was usually the taciturn type, handling his duties without fanfare, so this felt somewhat unfamiliar. I wondered if my expression had looked troubled.

“Ah, thank you.”
“I mean it sincerely.”

With that, the Road Manager turned his gaze forward again and said nothing more.
After a short while, the Company Building came into view.

“Ah, please drop me off here.”

After getting out of the taxi and entering the Company Building, I sent the Road Manager off to clock out, then made my way toward the Elevator on the first floor—where I discovered someone crouched nearby.
It was Min Ji-heon, sipping coffee through a straw.

“Oh!”

I tried to brush past him, but Min Ji-heon stood up with a bright smile and deliberately blocked my path.

“Wow! The timing is perfect—I was just about to text you.”

It had been almost half a year, hadn’t it?
His light brown hair swayed gently.

“Who is it?”
“Wow~, I really missed that prickly tone of yours.”
“What do you want?”
“Aha, so we only see each other when there’s business to discuss?”

Of course.
Min Ji-heon rummaged through the beverage carrier he’d set on the ground and pulled out a Frappuccino, holding it out to me.
He wasn’t the type to joke around with food, so I took it, but he dragged out the moment instead of getting straight to the point.

“Even if we’re both busy, seeing each other only once every six months is too much, don’t you think?”
“I’ve seen you plenty.”
“Huh?”

Jung Da-jun had secretly rewatched Min Ji-heon’s movie at the dormitory and cried over it.
In the disaster film, Min Ji-heon played a college student dreaming of becoming a firefighter, and true to his guaranteed box office appeal, he had managed to hit ten million viewers.

“—Oh!! So you watched my movie?”
“No, I didn’t watch it because I don’t like you.”
“….”
“Da-jun watched it.”

Seeing Min Ji-heon pout with his lips jutting out as if he were sulking, I felt my mood brighten.

“Did you come to get an autograph because of your brother?”
“…How did you know?”
“You came rushing in with shopping bags—how could I not notice?”

Besides, he’d specifically chosen my favorite drink and was waiting right in front of the company building.
I sucked on the straw and extended my hand toward Min Ji-heon.

“Give it.”
“???”

At that, Min Ji-heon’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.

“Before I change my mind—hurry.”
“…Oh, yes.”

I quickly rummaged through the shopping bag, pulling out albums and bromides with practiced efficiency.

“You’ve got quite a collection here.”

I opened the pen cap with my teeth and began scrawling signatures, when Min Ji-heon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Since when are you so cooperative?”
“I’d never do this for you. I’m only doing it because your sister is Noel.”
“Hmm. Thanks, then.”
“If you’re grateful, take Jung Da-jun out for a meal sometime.”
“…What?”
“He’s a devoted fan of yours.”

Min Ji-heon blinked, then covered the corner of his mouth slightly.

“Wow, what’s that about?”
…
“Haha, did you actually develop feelings for the members? I always knew you were soft-hearted, but isn’t this a bit fast?”
“Min Ji-heon, you’re really in top form with your nonsense today.”

I handed over the signed items with a smirk. Min Ji-heon accepted them with a slight frown, carefully placing them in the shopping bag.

“Well, it’s good to see you looking healthy. It’s nice when there are good people around you.”
…
“I was actually a bit worried. But you seem fine?”
“Why would you worry about me?”
“I care about you too, you know~.”

Min Ji-heon replied matter-of-factly, then took another sip of his coffee.

“Anyway, thanks. Chae-yeon’s going to love this. She’s been struggling lately because of the competition.”
“Is that so.”
“She should just be happy with me. Why does she have to worry me like this?”
“That’s just how younger siblings are….”

I replied without much thought, then quickly closed my mouth.
But unlike my careless behavior, the sharp one caught that word in an instant.

“Younger sibling?”

I’d made a mistake.
I never bring up my younger sibling at work. I have no way of knowing what kind of repercussions it might cause.
As I deliberately turned my gaze away, Min Ji-heon’s eyes followed me persistently.

“…You have a younger sibling?”

That’s when it happened.

“Wow~!! What are you two doing here?”

Startled by the new voice cutting between Min Ji-heon’s and mine, I turned around to find the Manager staring directly at us.

“…Manager, what are you doing here? I thought you were heading home after stopping by the Dormitory?”
“I haven’t reported yet….”

The Manager trailed off and glanced sideways at Min Ji-heon. Following his gaze, Min Ji-heon, who had been silent moments before, suddenly broke into a smile.

“Oh, hello~.”
“Hello, Min Ji-heon! I watched that movie you were in recently and cried so hard!!”

Since when was the Manager a fan of Min Ji-heon?
Oblivious to my pointed stare, the Manager’s face flushed as he shook hands with Min Ji-heon.
At this rate, he’d keep waving his hand endlessly, so I pulled the Manager back and nudged Min Ji-heon.

“If you’re done here, let’s go now, Min Ji-heon.”
“Yes, that’s what I was planning.”

But contrary to his answer, Min Ji-heon hesitated even after gathering all his shopping bags.
He acted as if he had something more to say.

‘Just go already.’

“Is there something else you need to do?”

The Manager asked with sparkling eyes.

“…Haha, no, I should get going.”

Min Ji-heon’s gaze flickered toward me before he shrugged his shoulders.

“Sign, thank you~.”
“Sure.”
“Call me if anything comes up.”
“…?”

I was about to furrow my brow when Min Ji-heon dropped a bombshell as he walked away.

“Fighting, Hyung.”

‘Damn it!’

That bastard never let anything slide gracefully, not even once.
I clicked my tongue, glaring after his retreating figure, when the Manager’s voice reached my ears.

“…But why are you calling Ho-yoon ‘Hyung’??”
“….”
“Ah!!”

The Manager was startled.

“Is this… method acting?”
“Sigh….”
“You two still slip into your Please Camera roles whenever you meet?”

Sometimes it’s convenient to have a manager who lacks perception.
I let out a deep sigh and conveyed my exasperation through my expression, but our Manager simply gazed at me with eyes full of admiration.

“Min Ji-heon’s method acting is incredible, but Ho-yoon is truly amazing too!!”

‘It’s not the level of method acting—it’s the level of being a lunatic….’

Watching our Manager gush about how The Dun is the best, I made a face like I’d bitten into an unripe persimmon.
In any case, Min Ji-heon was genuinely a difficult bastard.

‘Why does it always feel so unsettling whenever I see him?’

Regardless, there was something far more pressing than Min Ji-heon.
After parting ways with the Manager, I headed toward the Planning Team Office, my mind already spinning with ideas for how to make the final performance unforgettable.

The announcement for Shining Star’s final round competition arrived soon after.

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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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