The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 176

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

176 Side Story

“Perfect!”

Fourteen-year-old Seo Ho-jin began writing down his tasks for the day.

[January 30th
Finish math homework
Preview third-year middle school curriculum
Celebrate Brother’s birthday!!]

After writing that far, I pouted my lips slightly.
Brother would definitely come home late again, busy with tutoring and other things.
Staring at the memo, I jumped up, shoved money into my pocket, threw on my padded jacket, and headed out the door.
But I hadn’t gone far before someone called out to me.

“Hey! You there.”

Walking down the street, I often ran into people who knew Seo Ho-yoon—mostly women.

“You’re Seo Ho-yoon’s little brother, right!”
“…Yes.”

I studied the person before me, narrowing my eyes.

“Wow, you look exactly the same as when I saw you a few years ago. Don’t kids usually grow like weeds? Or is everyone different?”

Her words struck directly at my complex.

“I was Ho-yoon’s classmate in high school. Do you remember?”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“…Wow, look at that attitude. You’re definitely Seo Ho-yoon’s brother.”

She crouched down and met my eyes with a gentle smile.

“Tell Ho-yoon to contact me. Why won’t he answer his phone?”
“He must not want to.”
“The genes really do run true.”

When Seo Ho-jin responded with a sullen, defiant tone, the woman felt embarrassed.
Even so, she pulled out 20,000 won from her wallet and forced it into his hand.

“Here, a bribe. Go buy your brother something delicious to eat, and tell that kid… Ho-yoon to contact me.”
“…”
“Ah, never mind. Just tell him I miss him.”

Seo Ho-jin hesitated when he saw the money.
He was already worried about not having enough cash.
The woman laughed mischievously at his expression and tapped the back of his hand holding the money.

“Come on, take it.”
“…”
“It’s cold today, so be careful on your way back.”

Seo Ho-jin, who had been wavering, grabbed the woman’s arm as she turned to walk toward her friends.
Then he practically threw the money back at her and ran toward his original destination, ignoring her calls of “Hey! Hey!!” from behind.
In that moment, he remembered a similar incident from before, when his brother had relentlessly scolded him for three days and nights, asking, “If you like money from strangers so much, why don’t you just go live at their house?”
Beyond that, he was old enough now to understand that he shouldn’t carelessly accept things from people.

“Haa, ha…”

Only after turning the corner of the alley and seeing the path to the park did he slow his pace, breathing heavily.
My brother, Seo Ho-yoon, had always been a local celebrity.
Despite lacking manners, he was handsome and popular with his peers, and he was good at studying too, earning praise from parents. When he got accepted to university, he reached his peak.
He was always surrounded by people, somewhat indifferent to his younger brother, and occasionally fought with their parents—just an ordinary high school student, Seo Ho-yoon.
But after the accident, everything reversed.
Even young Seo Ho-jin had noticed that the current situation wasn’t normal.

‘…Hmm.’

If he had just taken the money, he might have been able to buy something better, but setting aside his slight regret, Seo Ho-jin entered the bakery he had spotted earlier.
He was slightly surprised when he saw the price of the cake displayed in the showcase. It was more expensive than he’d thought.
Still, with the money he had, he could afford a small strawberry cream cake tucked in the corner of the display case.
Since he didn’t know Ho-yoon’s taste anyway, Seo Ho-jin didn’t deliberate further and pointed with his finger at one of them.

“Thank you!”

Once the order was complete, the Bakery Owner seemed delighted and gave Seo Ho-jin a slightly crumbly cookie as a bonus.
I tucked the cake box securely under my arm and popped the cookie into my mouth in one bite, when the Flower Shop Owner nearby spotted me and called out.

“Oh my, isn’t that Ho-jin?”

She was someone who had been close to my mother.
Why did I have to run into someone today of all days?
I just wanted to get home quickly.

“It’s been forever. Are you in third grade now?”
“…I just finished elementary school.”
“Oh my, I’m sorry.”

The Flower Shop Owner was startled as she watched Seo Ho-jin answer with a slightly weary expression. The child before her was remarkably small for his age.

“A cake? Whose birthday is it today?”
“My brother’s.”

She quickly composed herself and asked warmly, but Seo Ho-jin simply averted his gaze and offered only a brief reply.

“So it’s his birthday today, I see. Then take these flowers with you.”

The Flower Shop Owner, looking apologetic, plucked a flower from beside her. The vibrant golden-yellow bloom was wrapped in an instant.

“Isn’t it pretty?”
“….”
“It’s the birth flower for January 30th. It’s called a calendula. Do you know what the flower language of calendula is?”
“No….”

As Seo Ho-jin shook his head, the owner smiled softly and carefully secured the flower in the cake box, then shared its meaning with me.
I found that flower language quite touching.

“Thank you.”
“Be careful on your way.”

Remembering my parents, who always valued courtesy, I bowed respectfully and turned to leave with a heart that felt somewhat full.
As I hurried home, I suddenly realized I hadn’t paid, and I quickly turned back toward the Flower Shop.

“——How pitiful.”

I overheard the Flower Shop Owner conversing with an employee.

“Their parents died in a traffic accident, and now the older brother is raising the younger sibling alone.”
“Oh my, really?”

Seo Ho-jin flinched and stopped in his tracks.

“Well, what can you do? No matter how hard the older brother tries, it’s different when you have parents versus when you don’t.”
“It must be difficult.”
“So that older brother will have a hard time raising the younger one.”

Standing quietly, Seo Ho-jin lowered his gaze for a moment, then resumed walking with long, determined strides.

“…Oh my!”

The adults conversing startled at the sound of footsteps and looked toward him.

“Why did you come back? Can I help you with something?”

Seo Ho-jin pulled out crumpled bills from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

“I didn’t pay for it.”
“…Ah! Right.”

The Flower Shop Owner laughed awkwardly. Seeing her smile, my chest sank heavily.

“But you can just take it—it’s a gift from me—.”
“And I don’t really want it anyway.”
“…Huh?”

Seo Ho-jin straightened his neck and met the Flower Shop Owner’s eyes, speaking with precise clarity.

“Whether my brother raises me or my parents raise me.”

I turned around sharply and left. She said something behind me, but I closed my ears to it.
At the trash bin in the park I cut through, I pulled out the flower that had been prettily arranged in the cake box and threw it away.

‘Damn it… Really.’

Irritation and annoyance welled up for no reason.
As I trudged toward home muttering complaints, I caught sight of Seo Ho-yoon’s figure in the distance.

“Brother—!”

Surprised by his unexpected early arrival, I quickened my pace toward him, but in that very moment—

“I told you not to contact me, damn it.”

Seo Ho-yoon was on the phone, his voice sharp with anger. Without thinking, I ducked behind the wall.

“Do people have a conscience? You contact that kid and bring up money?”
“….”

A few days ago, I’d had to face that Relative again—the one who’d taken me in briefly after the accident. Honestly, I didn’t want to revisit those memories.

“Is your brother home?”

He’d mentioned my brother with that sickly smile, then suddenly asked if I was eating well these days, if there was anything I wanted to buy.
Something about it had felt deeply wrong.

Seo Ho-yoon clicked his tongue and ran his hand through his hair, his voice turning ice-cold with threat.

“That’s enough. Show your face near my brother one more time. I’ll make sure you understand what real hell looks like.”

I crouched down and absently tapped the cake box. The call continued.

“You won’t regret this?”

Seo Ho-yoon laughed, incredulous.

“The biggest regret of my life is leaving Ho-jin with you people for even six months.”

He hung up immediately, breathing heavily. Frustration consumed him—he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, stuck it between his lips, and spat out curses.

“Bastards.”

Today was his birthday, so it should have been filled with nothing but good things.
Yet the man himself just smoked cigarette after cigarette with a gloomy expression on his face.
Seo Ho-jin peeked out just his eyes to observe him, then grabbed the box and stood up.

“Brother!!”
“…Yeah.”

Seo Ho-yoon looked slightly startled and took a step back.
At the same time, he quickly flicked the cigarette—still with plenty of tobacco left—onto the ground and crushed it under his foot. He even waved his hand frantically through the air around him.

“What? When did you get here?”
“Just now.”

Watching Seo Ho-jin tilt his head with wide, innocent eyes, Seo Ho-yoon relaxed slightly and scratched the back of his neck with one hand.

“Seo Ho-jin, did you finish all your homework before wandering around?”
“…No.”
“Pretty bold of you?”

Seo Ho-yoon grabbed Seo Ho-jin’s cheek and pulled it out.
Seo Ho-jin felt the sharp sting mixed with the stale cigarette smell, quickly swatted his hand away, and gently rubbed his cheek. Seo Ho-yoon laughed softly at the sight.

“What’s with the cake?”
“It’s your birthday, brother.”
“Oh.”

He had clearly forgotten. Even though he never forgot my birthday.

“Where did you get the money for this?”

I was about to say I’d saved up half my allowance, but I stopped myself.
I’d endured and scrimped while my friends ate tteokbokki and Pikachu pork cutlets.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask my brother for a raise in allowance—the one who lived off the money he earned from part-time work without touching a single penny of our parents’ insurance.
Even now, I was too embarrassed and ashamed of the process of buying this cake to talk about it.
So I pushed his back and urged him to go inside.

“But brother. Do you like whipped cream cake?”

I asked as Seo Ho-yoon stepped out of the Elevator and unlocked the door. He answered without even turning his gaze.

“Not really.”
“….”

Seo Ho-jin’s eyebrows drooped at Seo Ho-yoon’s blunt response. If he’d just closed his eyes and taken the money, he could’ve bought a massive chocolate cake.
From above, watching the entire scene unfold, I let out a quiet chuckle and opened the door.

“I’ll start liking you from today on.”

Seo Ho-jin glanced up at his brother’s face with only his eyes, then nodded vigorously.
I pulled out a cake from the Kitchen and placed it on the Dining Table, then lit the candles. Seo Ho-jin’s heart raced at the sight.
But no matter how long I waited, I just stared at him without blowing out the candles.

“…What?”
“Sing the birthday song for me.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“Hurry. The wax is dripping.”

He grumbled and muttered something under his breath, but eventually, pressed by my insistence, Seo Ho-jin began singing with an awkward clap.

“Happy birthday to you~. Happy birthday to you~.”
“….”
“Beloved… anyway, to my brother~.”
“Hey, you skipped the ‘beloved’ part.”
“Happy birthday to you~!”

I brushed off his correction and completed the mission.
I chuckled and brought my face close to the cake, then blew out the candles with a soft breath.

“Did you make a wish?”
“Yeah, but I’m not telling you.”
“Who asked?”

I ruffled Seo Ho-jin’s hair vigorously as he pouted, then brought over a plate and fork, cutting a generous slice of the most appetizing-looking piece and handing it to him.

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

That’s how Seo Ho-jin received a sincere word of gratitude from his brother. It had been quite a day with all sorts of unexpected events, but that single phrase made everything feel alright.
As I took a small bite of cake with the fork and put it in my mouth, a sweet flavor spread across my palate.
After eating a few more bites, I sensed the moment was right and decided to ask a question that had been nagging at me all this time.

“Brother, but…”
“Hm?”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Like that girl I saw earlier…
Seo Ho-jin blinked his wide eyes blankly at me, whipped cream smudged across one cheek.

“What?”

After a moment of silence, I burst into laughter.

“Seo Ho-jin, aren’t you a bit young to be interested in that sort of thing?”
“…What are you talking about!”

He quickly tried to correct the misunderstanding, but I was too busy giggling.

“I’m not!”
“Aha, seriously? Are you going through puberty already? Growing up so fast?”
“I said I’m not!!”

Even as Seo Ho-jin’s ears flushed red and he huffed indignantly, I showed no signs of stopping.
After laughing for a while, I covered my eyes with one hand and wheezed.

“Hehe, hey, when you do develop a crush, you have to tell your brother, okay?”
“…”
“Ah, I haven’t laughed this hard in so long… my stomach hurts.”

Seeing my little brother already sulking and refusing to meet my eyes, I picked up a strawberry with my fork and held it to his lips.
Seo Ho-jin glanced away but accepted it anyway.

“Is it good?”
“…It’s good.”

I ruffled Seo Ho-jin’s hair again, then stood up to clear the table.
Either way, I thought I’d given him a pretty decent January 30th.

“Hey, bring your homework.”
“…”

But he couldn’t do the same for himself.

.
.
.

That night, Seo Ho-jin had gone to bed early but woke in the early morning hours.
The sound of running water had pulled him from sleep.
With half-lidded eyes, rubbing his face as he stepped out of the bedroom, Seo Ho-jin was about to search for his brother when—

“…Ah, damn….”

He stopped.
In the Bathroom, light spilling from within, Seo Ho-yoon was gripping his arm.
The scarred area.

“Shit, it’s killing me….”

Watching him, Seo Ho-jin quickly retreated into his room and burrowed deep under the blankets.
Every so often, Seo Ho-yoon suffered nightmares. When he did, he would always turn on the water in the Bathroom and endure the pain alone.
My role in these moments was to pretend I knew nothing and fall asleep.
I understood that was the greatest consideration I could offer.

‘Idiot….’

My brother was always like that.
No matter what happened, he either hid it from me or brushed it off.
That’s why I was even more curious.

‘That’s why I asked if he had a girlfriend earlier.’

He took care of me, but did he have someone to take care of him?
Seo Ho-jin fidgeted beneath the blankets.
As I tried to fall asleep, the sound of water outside drew my mind to the yellow flowers I’d thrown away in the trash.

‘Brother.’

Round and fully bloomed yellow flowers.
Honestly, they didn’t suit Seo Ho-yoon at all.

‘Do you know the flower language of your birthday, Brother?’

Seo Ho-jin silently prayed that the day Seo Ho-yoon was born and its flower language were not mere coincidence.

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