The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 181

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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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181

After the reality show aired its third episode, the response began to heat up considerably.

[Title: Hey, have you guys watched The Dun variety show?

Why didn’t anyone tell me these guys are absolutely hilarious?
I’m feeling betrayed right now
You didn’t know I love this kind of B-grade charm??

└Were you living in a cave? The Dun has been famous for being crazy since way back..
└└No, I’ve just been focused on my main group…]

Throughout their activities, The Dun had showcased incredibly entertaining self-produced content, but it was primarily uploaded to YouTube or fan community platforms that required subscriptions, making it difficult for non-Noeul fans to access.
However, this time it was a reality show broadcast nationwide on free television.
Moreover, tvK had scheduled it before their popular programs, so more general viewers were tuning in and continuing to watch.

If it had been banal content about trendy hotspots or travel, viewers might have simply passed it by, but with handsome young men earnestly exchanging witty banter and the show progressing with content that kept them desperate to see what happened next, once people started watching, they became completely absorbed.

As a result, posts like this began appearing regularly not just in idol cafes, but in fashion, beauty, and general hobby cafes as well.

[Title: The reality show on tvK at 5:30 is so fun

These guys are the idols who ranked first on Shining Star, right??
I haven’t watched Shining Star since I’m not interested, but..
I was turning on the TV with my daughter and I happened to see it and I kept giggling~ haha
I told her to bring home handsome young men like them as husbands, and she got serious saying where on earth would she find guys like that~~^^

It had that nostalgic feel of old Saturday variety shows, and it was fun. I remember being surprised because Seo Ho-yoon was that friend who had a lot of issues going around about his parents passing away.
Oh really~~? I didn’t get that feeling at all.. People say you have a bold personality and you’re really warm-hearted^^ I keep wanting to see you more hehe]

[Title: I was shocked watching Seo Ho-yoon’s reality show

Seo Ho-yoon, you’re so different from what I imagined. I’m honestly taken aback.
I’ve seen Shining Star before, and I thought you were someone who spoke carefully and gently.
I thought you were someone who lived diligently.
But instead… the way you push the members around.
It’s like you brought Lee Jung-hoon PD from Cabu here or something???

└The way you push them around reminds me exactly of my military senior. It’s giving me chills.
└└So Lee Jung-hoon PD was just acting in his daily life. Lol

The Dun’s fans were searching for entertaining reviews and giggling among themselves.

Hahahahahahaha… damn, this is so funny. People are finally starting to figure out who Seo Ho-yoon really is…

[Yeah, Ho-yoon is… well… he does treat our Noeul well… but his actual personality…

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ So now he knows that his personality has been revealed, but it’s so funny how he’s acting so stubbornly lolㅠㅠ]

Seo Ho-yoon, whose mind was always sharp when it came to The Dun, couldn’t possibly not know that his personality had already been completely exposed.
Yet he continued to speak only kindly to the fans.
Once at a fan sign event, a Noeul fan even asked him why he did that. Caught off guard, he couldn’t answer, and the photo was taken, causing quite a stir across various online communities.

[There’s a reason why he and Sung Ji-won are called fan sign angels… except he’s actually a devil lol]
“You could say it’s a fake listing.. lol”

The Planning Team, observing this situation, was smiling at how the reactions were unfolding according to plan.
Everyone was gradually realizing that the person they’d only seen as pitiful was actually someone with a sharp personality who loved teasing people most of all.

[Anyway, at least… this image shift seems to be working well]
[ㅇㅇWould it be okay if a few more terrestrial entertainment shows appeared??]

Just as the public opinion that ‘Seo Ho-yoon is crazier than expected’ was forming, I needed to drive the nail in more decisively.

‘It’s totally doable.’

Lee Ji-hyun eagerly seized the proposal I casually threw out and planned like a madwoman.
The moment it was completed, she shoved the proposal at tvK, and they gave the OK immediately.

‘This should do it.’

It was a stage where I could demonstrate not just my hunger, but that I was a mad dog—a crazy bastard.
The opening of the final long-form project had begun, one that would invest the largest capital of any The Dun variety entertainment to date, including self-produced content.

[Oh, it’s starting]

Boom-boom! Boom— boom-boom!

With the BGM and partial slow-motion effects, five men in dark sunglasses—some with jackets unbuttoned, others draped over their shoulders—were captured on screen slowly ascending the staircase.

[Whoa, wait, could this be!!!]

【The Dawn’s Five – Casino Royale】

As the logo was embedded and descended, Sung Ji-won lowered his sunglasses slightly with a wink, and the opening began.

[Ohhhhhhhhh~~~~~~~]
[This is insane, is this a heist movie
1)
concept???]

[Champagne Kim Sung-hyun
Enrique Kang Yi-chae

└How did Yi-chae end up like this
└└ It’s my desire, I’m sorry]

The Dun’s fans, who already had plenty of devoted enthusiasts, were ecstatic about this concept and rushed in. General audiences also found the variety show, inspired by such a famous film, intriguing and watched with a sense of “Oh, this looks fun.”

Shuffling cards, snapping gum, turning a safe’s dial, sweeping back hair with lethal intent, resting chins while studying the master plan board.
Each scene appeared in succession, cutting between them.

【The Dawn’s Five】

Card shark Kang Yi-chae.
Skilled dealer with acting prowess, Kim Sung-hyun.
Tightrope genius, infiltration and safe-cracking specialist Sung Ji-won.
Honeypot and intelligence gathering, Jung Da-jun.
Leader orchestrating and commanding the entire operation, Seo Ho-yoon.

Ugh, damn it, Jung Da-jun’s beauty trap is driving me crazy lololololololololololololololololololololol
[Wait, he’s skilled at acting? Is that even possible? This is Kim Sung-hyun we’re talking about

└Is this right.. is this right…hahahahaha]

[Why is Kang Yi-chae so good at shuffling cards and doing one-handed fanning? Did he live in Macau?]

Then the five profiles appeared on screen one by one, each stamped with ‘WANTED’ before shattering and vanishing with a crash.
Soon the dark screen gradually brightened, and as The Dun came into view gathered around a circular table in a studio, a mechanical voice echoed.

【Welcome to The Dawn.】
【The Dun successfully robbed the casino. However, due to a betrayal by one team member, all the jewels and gold bars have disappeared.】
【You don’t even know the location of the jewels and gold bars, nor the password.】
【There are only three things you need to know: the location of the jewels and gold bars, the password to the locker containing the jewels, and the mission code you must speak to obtain the password. Only the traitor knows the password.】
【Each of you must fulfill your role, deduce who the traitor is, and retrieve the jewels and gold bars.】

“So once we figure out who the traitor is, we just go to the public telephone and make a call?”
“Okay~.”

The Dun members murmured after hearing all the rules.

[It’s definitely Seo Ho-yoon]

Just then, the total prize money was announced.

【If the person who finds the jewels or the traitor wins, the traitor receives a total prize of 5 million won.】

[Wow]

[Where does he have that kind of money..

└It must be tvK’s money…
└└Ah~]

After the explanation wrapped up and the situation was clear, The Dun members stood up from their seats, watching each other carefully.

“Let’s split up first.”
“What if we divide into teams—solo rooms versus roommates?”
“Sure. We can figure out who the traitor is at the end anyway.”

Without much fuss, we divided into teams far more quickly than expected and parted ways coolly. We already understood our respective roles without needing to say anything.

As expected, The Dun is seriously the best when it comes to group project assignments.
[These guys surprisingly didn’t fight and acted so mature]

The camera followed the solo room team first.

Thud.

The moment Kim Sung-hyun got in the car and closed the door, he spoke as if there was nothing more to measure.

“It’s Seo Ho-yoon.”

[Excuse me]

“There’s no need to say it….”
“Why state the obvious?”

Kang Yi-chae scoffed as if it were obvious, and beside him, Jung Da-jun nodded so vigorously his neck nearly fell off.

【Traitor Deduction!
Kang Yi-chae, Kim Sung-hyun, Jung Da-jun ▷ Seo Ho-yoon】

Then the screen naturally shifted to the roommate team, where Sung Ji-won and Seo Ho-yoon appeared peacefully eating street hot dogs.

“It’s obviously Kang Yi-chae.”
“Aha, wouldn’t it be strange otherwise?”

【Traitor Deduction 2!
Sung Ji-won, Seo Ho-yoon ▷ Kang Yi-chae】
【The Dun:
Generally lacking trust in one another.】

[How hasn’t this group disbanded by now?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

While the Noeul fans giggled witnessing The Dun members’ touching display of true friendship, the mission began.

【Obtain a hint about the traitor!
Acting segment.】

Following the Staff Member’s instructions, the solo team moved to a different studio and only after searching thoroughly did they discover a small message card.

‘Perform the designated movie scene as the character assigned to that role.’

That legendary scene.
The one where they’ve found the jewel but notice the special forces approaching the building, frantically considering an escape route, when the building’s pipes suddenly burst—and they seize the opportunity to pose as a victim and flee.

“Wow~~~!!!”
“Kyaaah~! Do you have abs~?”

Except for Kim Sung-hyun, who was singled out by the message card and had the concept of being ‘skilled at acting and a deal specialist,’ the younger members were already thrilled at the thought of teasing their hyung.

[tvK where are you, I’m going to buy stocks right now]
[The production crew are educated people, their credentials are dragging on the ground]

“…Really? Me?”

Kim Sung-hyun paused for a moment with his face buried in both hands, then let out a deep sigh.
Having made up his mind, he removed his jacket. Ignoring the younger members’ squealing beside him as much as possible, he headed toward the marked location.
Multiple takes were repeated, and subtitles appeared on screen.

【After an hour of filming, we barely managed to capture it.】

Whoooosh—.

The pipes burst and water sprayed, the camera panned upward from below, revealing vivid blue veins running up his hand, toned forearms, sharp collarbones visible through the black sleeveless shirt, and a sharp jawline along his neck.
Kim Sung-hyun filled the screen, brushing back wet hair that obscured his vision, his gaze lowered as he met the camera’s lens.

[Holy shit…]

Everyone watching the mesmerizing scene dropped their jaws.
Kim Sung-hyun’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he shook the water from his hair.

[Sorry but I’m drooling

[lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol]

[Hyun-sung, you still don’t know how harsh the world can be, and yet…]

Thanks to Seo Ho-yoon’s relentless coaching, Kim Sung-hyun only needed to keep his mouth shut for his facial expressions to carry the scene convincingly, and everyone was mesmerized watching it unfold.

“Ugh…gasp.”

However,

“Sh…show…er is scary. Thought…I was dying.”

“Hyun-sung, please give yourself a moment to be amazed by your own body.”
Is this even right, damn it lol

As Kim Sung-hyun descended the staircase carefully in his bathrobe, delivering his line, the entire atmosphere shattered.

“I’ll escort you.”
“Th…ank…you.”

The moment Jung Da-jun, dressed in special forces makeup, extended his arm toward Kim Sung-hyun while suppressing laughter, Kim Sung-hyun swayed as if dizzy and leaned against Jung Da-jun’s chest.
Though he had to bend his waist and lower his head due to the height difference, Kim Sung-hyun’s expression remained infinitely serious.

Is this even right lol

【Kim Sung-hyun Mission Success!】
【Traitor Investigation Clue Obtained.】

Even the Production Crew thought it was poor acting, so they displayed a mission success caption with additional explanation.

【※Viewership appears to be rising, so the Production Crew unanimously approved it.】

[Ah, I think my heart’s about to burst

└From laughing?
└└You know… I’m not that naive..
└└I was just asking once…]

While Noeul fans were flipping out over a scene that was both cool and hilarious—one they could squeeze for content for a lifetime—non-fan viewers were delighted watching Kim Sung-hyun’s clumsy acting and his ears flushed red.
They found it endearing, thinking he was genuinely trying his best.

Having barely completed the mission, Kim Sung-hyun dried his hair with a towel and read the hint handed to him by the staff.

“‘Just as it once happened to me, for me it only happens once.'”
“Ah! See, it’s Ho-yoon!”

It was Seo Ho-yoon’s part from Kill the Lights.
Like the other members of The Dun, the fans had expected it to be either Seo Ho-yoon or Kang Yi-chae, but with the result revealed without any twist, there was a slight sense of deflation.

[What is this
For real? How anticlimactic]
Hahaha but in terms of image, Seo Ho-yoon is definitely the most suitable…

While Kim Sung-hyun examined the paper front and back to see if there was any other content, Jung Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae’s eyes met.

=You good?
=Yeah.

The moment Kim Sung-hyun sensed something suspicious and tried to look up,

“Hyung, we’re sorry!!!”
“My bad!! The numbers don’t divide evenly among three of us!!”
“…What?”

Before he could even extend his arm, the youngest members bolted out of the studio.

“Hey, hey!!!”

Kim Sung-hyun, frozen with his hair still wet and clothes soaked, tried to chase after them too late, but the stylist clung to him with all their might.
Eventually he faded out, and Kim Sung-hyun’s profile appeared with a ‘Blank’ stamp stamped across it.

【First betrayal occurs!
Kang Yi-chae and Jung Da-jun betray Kim Sung-hyun.】

Ahahahaha guys, this is what you call teamwork hahahaha
[They were blinded by money…]

【Meanwhile, the Seo Ho-yoon and Sung Ji-won team….】

Bright sunlight streamed down onto the cafe’s terrace seating.
Seo Ho-yoon dipped a generously cut slice of honey bread into whipped cream and shoved it into his mouth in one bite. Across from him, Sung Ji-won sat with his sunglasses loosely pushed down below the bridge of his nose, leisurely sipping his iced Americano through a straw.
His phone’s notification alerts rang incessantly, and calls poured in, but he ignored them all, savoring a moment of leisurely ease.

[Hey]

“Sung Ji-won, is it good?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
“Good to hear.”

[Why are you two filming a couple’s show]

The scene was far too peaceful.
1) Derived from “heist,” meaning ‘robbery’ or ‘theft,’ this is a subgenre of gangster and crime films that portrays the process of criminals plotting to steal something and executing that plan through complex plotting. ≒caper movie

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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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