The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 168

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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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168

Kang Yi-chae had finished the composition.
A low synthesizer as the foundation, a relentless beat from the very beginning, and a rich melody that stimulated the senses.

“…This is really good.”

All the members had heard it dozens of times while recording it a week before its release, and they still let out exclamations of admiration even while dancing in the Practice Room, but recently Kang Yi-chae’s responses had become flat.
Usually, Kang Yi-chae would smoothly fire back or burst into hearty laughter at such times, but recently his reactions had been dull.

“…I’m glad you like it?”

The timeline from music production through recording to audio submission had been tight, so we’d proceeded as planned, but it seemed Kang Yi-chae still wasn’t satisfied.
The timeline was tight from music production to recording to submitting the audio file, so they proceeded as planned, but it seems Kang Yi-chae is still not satisfied with it.

“I don’t know whether I should curse at Lim Hyun-sung or thank her.”

In the end, everyone became intoxicated with the song and kept adding more practice sessions to synchronize once more, continuing through the dawn and even after sunrise, finally leaving the Practice Room at 6 PM with pallid faces, dragging our feet.
In the end, everyone got caught up in the song and kept adding more practice sessions to try it again, continuing through dawn and even after sunrise, until finally at 6 PM they left the Practice Room with pale, exhausted faces.

“The composition?”
“Both the composition and the practice….”
“The song is like that, and the practice is like that too…”

I wasn’t sure if that was a positive sign, but either way, all I could do now was give my best effort.
Episode 4 had aired a few days ago, and since I’d been too busy with competition preparations to check the reactions, looking at them now seemed like it would give me a sense of where the rankings stood.
It just so happened that episode 4 aired a few days ago, and since I was busy preparing for the competition, I hadn’t been able to check the reactions. I thought if I looked at them now, I’d get a sense of where I might rank.

“…Let’s just sleep for three hours first.”
“Okay….”
“Yeah…”

I pushed away Jung Da-jun, who was whining and clinging to me saying he was sleepy, and took out my phone.

“…You guys go on ahead.”
“Huh?”
“I need to swing by home for a bit.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”

The members’ surprised gazes turned toward me.
As I scrolled through our messages, I realized it had been months since I’d had a proper conversation with Seo Ho-jin—not just quick replies. I felt a bit embarrassed about that.

“I need to pick up some clothes.”

I’d never been one to call frequently anyway.
If I didn’t act on the impulse now, I’d probably put it off for ages, so I figured I should at least stop by for a quick visit.
Leaving the members nodding in understanding behind me, I pulled my cap down low and headed home for the first time in a while.

‘I wonder if that kid’s been eating properly.’

I punched in the door code automatically.

Beep, beep, beep…
Ding.

As I pushed the door open and stepped inside, the house felt oddly quiet.

“Seo Ho-jin.”

No answer—he must have gone out.
I glanced at the family photo on the TV stand, then slipped off my shoes and headed inside.

“Seo Ho—.”

[Do you know what happened last Friday??]

Then I heard a voice coming from the master bedroom.

‘Oh, he’s here after all.’

He was on speakerphone, so I could hear the entire conversation.
Since there was no real need to go interrupt him with a greeting, I headed to the Kitchen instead and opened the Refrigerator to see what was available.

‘The kid eats pretty well, doesn’t he?’

There was rice in the cooker, and side dishes were scattered about.
He was taking care of himself properly.
I grabbed a drink from the refrigerator and sat down at the dining table, taking a sip, when Seo Ho-jin—still unaware of my arrival—was on a call.

[I went to a meeting, and you know what that guy from the Fashion Department said? He’s asking me to introduce him to the incredibly handsome student council president from the International Relations Department.]

Seo Ho-jin was a student council president?
Why was he doing something so bothersome?

[I literally spat insults at him, told him not to be fooled by appearances, that he’s a guy with rotten character. But he looked at me like I was pathetic. Damn it. It’s fine that victims keep piling up, but does he really have to interfere with my love life too??]

“Stop spouting nonsense… you’re giving me a headache.”
“…??”

I’d accidentally overheard and nearly spit out my drink.

‘…Why does he talk exactly like me?’

It wasn’t just similar—it was my speech pattern exactly.
The days when I’d watched my language around him had ended long ago. Since Seo Ho-jin was an adult now, I figured he could manage his own habits.
Continuing to eavesdrop on his call felt wrong, so I set the can down on the dining table and kicked the bedroom door open.

“Hey.”
“…?!”

Seo Ho-jin, who’d been sprawled on the bed like melted jelly, shot up.

“Oh, you’re here??”
[Your brother?]
“….”
“What, when did you even….”
[Wait, Seo Ho-jin, you have a brother??]

His friend’s confused voice continued crackling through the phone.

“Hey, don’t say useless things—just send me an email.”

Seo Ho-jin hurriedly switched off the speakerphone, rattled off a stream of words, and hung up.
I leaned against the door with my arms crossed, simply watching the spectacle unfold.

“What’s this about? You show up without a word.”
“This is my place. You’re a tenant who doesn’t even pay rent, aren’t you?”
“…I know.”

Watching Seo Ho-jin pout and grumble, I plunked myself down in the chair in front of the desk.
I shifted my gaze to a framed photograph occupying one corner of the desk—a picture of our parents and Seo Ho-jin, the three of them together.

“Nothing’s wrong, is there?”
“Nothing.”
“Really?”
“Nothing.”

Seo Ho-jin laughed at my expression as if to say I was being ridiculous.

“The worry is…. Ah, Hyung. You mentioned filming some program?”
“Yeah. The finals are coming up soon.”

Even as I answered, something felt off.
He was putting on a brave face, but Seo Ho-jin’s entire body was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was ragged.

“Are you sick?”
“I probably just overdid it…. There’s been a lot to do since the semester started.”

What was this guy doing? If he was sick, he should rely on modern medicine, not sit here struggling alone.

“You’re twenty-four years old—doesn’t anyone take care of you?”
“I manage just fine on my own~.”

Still, the fact that he kept talking back meant he probably wasn’t that sick.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“I already went a couple of days ago.”

He’s doing better than I am.
Now that I thought about it, there were torn medicine packets and a half-empty water bottle sitting on the bedside table.
I was about to let it slide, thinking he’d handle it on his own, when Seo Ho-jin exhaled in ragged breaths, his face flushed red. His condition seemed to have worsened—he lay sprawled across the bed, buried beneath the blankets.
Wondering if I should take him back to the Hospital right now, I turned on my phone and searched the area.
I thought there was a place that offered late-night consultations.
I scrolled down the phone screen lazily and asked casually.

“What did the Doctor say? A cold?”
“…Um.”

Seo Ho-jin hesitated for a moment.

“He said it’s nothing serious.”

I was checking the name of a Hospital when my eyebrows twitched.

“…Nothing serious?”
“Yeah, seriously. He said it’s stress-related, blah blah blah. Who doesn’t experience stress anyway?”

Seo Ho-jin pushed his damp bangs upward and furrowed his brow.

“He told me to just take some medicine, so I did. I feel a bit better now.”

Thump, thump.

I felt my heart beginning to beat irregularly.
For some reason, I became anxious.
Because his symptoms seemed somewhat….

“…Hyung?”

…They seemed similar to the symptoms I had when I was penalized for abusing the System.
Seo Ho-jin, noticing something off in my demeanor as I stood frozen without saying anything, got up from the bed.

“What’s wrong? Your expression….”

As he approached me, his complexion suddenly turned ashen, and he quickly covered his mouth.

“…Ugh.”
“…!”

I held my hand beneath Seo Ho-jin’s mouth, half-expecting him to vomit, while a chill of dread crept down my spine.

“Move, get out of the way.”

I watched blankly as Seo Ho-jin shoved me aside and bolted toward the Bathroom.

“Retch… hack….”

As the sound of Seo Ho-jin retching filled the air, a certain possibility began creeping insidiously through my mind.
In the chilling silence that descended, I remained rooted to the spot—unable to move, unable to follow and comfort him by rubbing his back.

“…Hyung.”

A moment later, Seo Ho-jin emerged after rinsing his mouth, the sound of water still echoing, and collapsed onto the edge of the Bedroom.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

He watched me with a pallid face, searching my expression for clues.
I forcibly swallowed the words threatening to spill out and quickly composed myself.

“Why? Got something on your conscience? If you do, spit it out right now.”
“No, it’s just… you made such a strange expression—.”
“Never mind that. You look worse. Go back to the Hospital.”

Seo Ho-jin’s eyes widened as if he’d been wronged, and he pouted his lips while mumbling reluctantly.

“It’s not that bad, though….”
“I said never mind. I found a Hospital with night hours. I’ll send you the map via message—go. I’ve got a schedule, okay? Here, Taxi fare.”

I pulled out my wallet from my back pocket and thrust all the bills into his hand without counting.

“You’re retching like that—looks like indigestion. Don’t just eat whatever garbage you find, got it?”
“That’s not it.”
“If you can’t go to the Hospital alone, we’ll go together.”
“Just go.”
“…Fine.”

I checked my complexion one more time in the mirror before heading to the entrance.
As I put on my shoes and adjusted the laces, Seo Ho-jin shuffled out after me and stood awkwardly at my side.

“Hyung, that….”
“Yeah.”

Hearing Seo Ho-jin’s voice trail off, I deliberately undid the shoelaces I’d just finished tying.

“You’re not hiding something from me, are you?”

I fidgeted with my fingertips before tying the laces tight again.

“…Ho-jin.”

Then I sprang up and turned to face him.

“Why do you keep pestering me like that? Do you want something bad to happen to me?”
“That’s not what I meant.”

Seo Ho-jin with that dumb expression on his face.
I don’t know who he takes after, but the kid’s intuition is annoyingly sharp.

“Your brother’s going to the finals—don’t you have anything to say?”
“…Hmm.”

Seo Ho-jin stared at me with his arms crossed.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“That’s not it, you bastard.”

I gently brushed back Seo Ho-jin’s sweat-dampened hair and smirked.

“I’ll come back with first place.”

And without hesitation, I left.

Thud.

The door closed. I walked to where the elevator was, pressed the button, and waited with my hand pressed to my forehead, but I couldn’t hold back any longer and took the stairs down instead.

“….”

My composed expression crumbled in an instant.
My rapid descent slowed gradually, and before I knew it, my feet had stopped moving altogether.

“Damn it….”

Why did I feel so unsettled?
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no major problem—yet with each step, I felt as though I were trudging through thick, clinging mud.
I tapped the railing with my fingers before summoning the System Window.

“What did you do to my brother?”

The System Window, which I expected to immediately protest its innocence or flee, crackled with static before slowly materializing.

[What do you mean??]

Was it truly ignorant? Could I even trust it?
I leaned my back against the wall and exhaled heavily.

“If you touch that bastard, I won’t let you off easy.”

I slowly sank to the floor, running my hands through my hair in frustration.
Seeing my brother after so long, injured as he was, made everything I’d been doing feel suddenly distant—the stages I’d performed on surrounded by members, the meals we’d shared, the jokes and conversations all seemed to fade away in an instant.

‘So what have I been doing all this time?’

I would complete all the Quests successfully and return to my original world.
With a heavy heart, I turned on my phone and searched for Shining Star, High Five, and The Dun.
The songs were undoubtedly good, and the performances would surely be impressive.
Yet no matter how many probabilities I calculated or how many times I revised my plans, the outcome remained singular.
It was a game we were certain to lose, no matter how anyone looked at it.
Though The Dun had gained considerable momentum, we were fundamentally outmatched by High Five in both fandom and capital.
Moreover, since the final competition would be decided by pre-released audio scores and live broadcast voting, The Dun would be at an even greater disadvantage.
A Quest window hovered beside me.

[Claim 1st place in Shining Star Season 2!
A survival program returns after a long time!
Seize 1st place in Shining Star Season 2.
Success: Vocal stat increases significantly
Failure: Seo Ho-yoon’s confidential information leaks]

“…These heartless bastards.”

It was a penalty that had truly abandoned all conscience.

‘…I really didn’t want to use this method.’

My mother came to mind first, and then I pictured Seo Ho-jin’s face—the one that resembled me so distinctly. The image of young Seo Ho-jin crying whenever our parents were mentioned surfaced as well.
I weighed the future scenario against what I would have to do, placing each on opposite sides of a scale.

“…Haaa…. Fuck….”

When had I ever been selective about what needed to be done?
Even as I thought that if it was necessary, I should do it, I couldn’t bring myself to commit so easily.

“…Ah….”

I rubbed my face roughly with my hands, then licked my parched lips with my tongue.
That’s right.

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

Let’s do it.
Having made my decision firmly, I picked up my phone. The dial tone hadn’t lasted long before the other person answered.

[…Huh? Hello?]
“Yes, PD. It’s me.”
[What is it? What’s going on?]
“Do you have time?”
[…Why?]

Leaving Kim Hee-young—who was clearly on guard—aside, I rubbed the bridge of my nose once.
If it’s the PD, she won’t be able to resist my story. Though I’ll need to employ a bit of strategy.

“That’s—.”

I started to speak based on that judgment, then paused for a moment.

‘…That’s not me, right. True.’

It would be better to just deceive them.
I quickly revised my plan and smiled faintly.

“Let’s meet up for a moment and talk.”

A slight twinge of guilt and self-loathing crawled up my throat, but it wasn’t difficult to continue speaking as if I were at ease.
And for good reason.

“About boosting the ratings.”

I had long ago sold my conscience to hell.

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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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