The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 2

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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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02

If I were to summarize my life in one phrase, it would be this: a dragon born from a stream.
I came from a reasonably harmonious household, though we were far from wealthy. The moment I turned eighteen, a traffic accident took my parents from me. After enduring a nightmarish rehabilitation, I spent the next decade raising my youngest brother, Seo Ho-jin, as if he were my own child.

“Seo Ho-yoon, why do you live so ruthlessly?”
“To eat well and survive.”

To stay with Seo Ho-jin and survive as an orphan in this harsh world, I couldn’t afford to be merely good. To survive, I had to become a vicious creature that made everyone recoil in awe.
I ground through my studies with clenched teeth, and when I aced the interview to become a PD through the public recruitment at the broadcasting station, the world felt entirely mine.
As a rare new PD rather than a lateral hire, I was harangued and worn down by senior colleagues, yet I earned the nickname “the most vicious of the vicious” and drifted through countless documentary and variety programs.
And that was just the beginning. At thirty-three, I launched my first program under my own name—a small competition program called “Pick the One”—and what nobody expected became a massive hit.

-Wow, that teaser is insane, right?
-Won’t this get flagged by broadcast standards?

Editing tailored to trends, just the right amount of sensationalism, heartwarming stories that tug at the heartstrings, and an endless competitive dynamic!
Koreans living in this cutthroat competitive world couldn’t help but love it. Transfer inquiries and salary negotiations flooded in from every broadcasting station.
I was that genius Seo Ho-yoon, courted by everyone.

“Brother, seriously… did you really become an Idol?”

But my career went up in flames.
And I became an Idol.
An obscure one at that.

“Give me back my suffering.”
“But brother, you’ve really aged.”
“Watch your tone, you brat.”

I got up and grabbed Seo Ho-jin by both shoulders, shaking him back and forth. Judging by how he tried to match my strength, it seemed I’d raised him far too indulgently.

“Is there anything different about you?”
“Nothing at all.”

Seo Ho-jin furrowed his brow slightly and began scrolling through his phone. He explained that the assignments due to his professors remained unchanged, and the news was the same as always. After searching for another five minutes, he reached a conclusion.

“The only thing that’s changed is you, Hyung.”
“Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?”
“Would I do something like that to get myself killed by you?”

I snatched Seo Ho-jin’s phone from his hands. I searched for the Obscure Idol Tycoon app he claimed to have installed, but it wasn’t there.

“What in the world….”

Ding!

A system window appeared above.
It materialized beside Seo Ho-jin, who was bickering with me, but he seemed unable to see it.

[Quest:
You have possessed the Obscure Idol Tycoon!
We’ve prepared a play guide for you, who knows nothing.]

“…A play guide.”

At those words, the system window began scrolling downward. Simultaneously, I read the explanation that appeared with urgency.

[PD Seo Ho-yoon, who has been living by ruining other people’s lives, has possessed the Obscure Idol Tycoon.
Except for your family member Seo Ho-jin and certain individuals, no one remembers you as a PD.
To put it simply, it’s best to think of this as a parallel world.]

A parallel world?

[To escape this world and return to where you originally lived, to become a PD again, you must clear the Obscure Idol Tycoon. If you fail to conquer it, you will be permanently unable to log out.]

“What if I study again and become a PD?”

[If you deviate significantly from the main scenario, severe penalties will be imposed.]

“Hah….”

My breath caught in my throat. My original world. The reputation I had earned through all my reckless antics—it had vanished in a single day. To reclaim it, I had to clear this game.

“What do I need to do to clear this?”

[Follow the main scenario.]

“What is this main scenario?”

[You must become a first-tier idol that everyone acknowledges!]

My fist trembled. It was an absurd reality.
I collapsed onto the sofa and searched for cigarettes. As I tried to light one, a system window suddenly appeared.

[Idols don’t smoke!]

“….”

I glared at it with a murderous expression. The system window appeared again immediately.

[Obscure Idol Tycoon respects the player’s freedom of choice.]

It backed down just as quickly. I wasn’t sure whether to thank it or curse it.
After smoking a cigarette and organizing the irritatingly contradictory system messages, the situation became clear.

[Main Scenario Arrival
Will you start?

Yes/No]
A first-tier idol recognized by everyone. Although it may not be a billboard, it is eating up Asia… It means becoming an idol.

A first-tier idol that everyone acknowledges. Roughly speaking, even if not quite Billboard level, the kind who dominates all of Asia—that’s what I needed to become.

‘….’

I took a long drag on my cigarette and let my mind work. The conclusion was inevitable.

“Start the main scenario.”
[Quest arrives.]

[Quest incoming.]

“What, are you seriously doing this, Hyung?”

The question wasn’t whether I could become an idol, or whether it was possible or impossible.

“…Food.”
“….”

“Are you obsessed with food, Hyung?”
But it depends on how you do it.
Obsessed with food—I flicked Seo Ho-jin on the forehead. If I wanted to feed both Seo Ho-jin and myself, I had to make it work somehow. The outcome was already predetermined as success.

I’d raced through life like a madman, earning the nickname “demon PD” in the process. Clean methods or dirty ones—it made no difference to me. All I needed was the title of a first-tier idol, no matter the path.
“……Uh, yes.”
“Ho-jin.”

“Have you ever seen me fail at something?”

***

***
Stats can now be viewed.]

You can now view your stats.]

View my stats?

“Show me.”
[Seo Ho-yoon
[Displaying Seo Ho-yoon’s stats.]

Obscure Idol. Even if you dance on Subway Line 1, people won’t recognize you. They’ll just think you’re a subway lunatic.]

….
Dance: D-
[Singing: B
Dancing: D-
Entertainment: B+
???: ???

Charm: B+]

“These are my stats?”
But, huh? Isn’t dancing D- a bit harsh?

But wait—a D- in dancing? That seems a bit harsh, doesn’t it?

[These stats have been evaluated objectively.]

For a moment, I found myself thinking like an audition judge before I jerked my head up. For now, I’d assume the stats marked with question marks would unlock later.

“Hey, and why is my Entertainment only B+? It should be an S.”

[Being good at editing is different from actually being funny on your own!]

“…Fair point.”

I’d conceded, but the system window deliberately ignored my words and sent a Quest window instead.
‘Let’s visit the agency!’
[Quest Arrived:
‘Visit your Agency!’
We’re proud of you for accepting reality^^
Visit your Agency and listen to an explanation about the struggling group ‘The Dun’.
Hearing about The Dun 0/1

Failure: Charm -30]

“What’s this Charm thing anyway?”
Nothing has changed so there is no need to adapt. At that moment, a thought suddenly passed by.

Since nothing had changed, I wouldn’t need to adapt. The thought flashed through my mind in that instant.

“Wait, hold on! Let me go back.”

Ding!

[Why?]

“Buy lottery tickets.”

[….]
I muttered helplessly as the thoughts passed through my head.

The thought crossing my mind made me mutter dejectedly.

“My lottery, my real estate, my cryptocurrency….”

Clutching emptiness in my chest, I stumbled toward the entertainment company, but my worry about someone recognizing me proved baseless—I walked through without even a hat, and no one gave me a second glance.

Ding!

[Because I’m obscure!]
I was actually more popular when I was a producer. At that time, there were a lot of people trying to throw eggs at me. How do you develop this kind of newbie into a team of workers?
Stop reminding me how obscure I am.

Just as I arrived at the address saved on my phone, my Manager called with impeccable timing. Like the Quest, this seemed to be an early-game setup designed to kick things off.
[Did you take your medicine? What kind of PD are you?]

[Are you on medication? What PD are you?]
The voice of a man in his 30s was heard.

A man’s voice in his thirties came through.
[Seo Ho-yoon, you idiot, have you finally made up your mind?]
“This is Seo Ho-yoon.”
[Seo Ho-yoon, you bastard—have you finally made up your mind?]

[Good, well done. I’ll be right out.]
‘Daepasung Entertainment.’ I took a quick look at the company lobby, but as expected, it wasn’t a place I knew.
I didn’t understand what he meant by “made up your mind,” but years of broadcasting experience had honed my instincts enough to nod along.
‘Dae Pa-sung Entertainment.’ I glanced around the lobby, but it wasn’t a place I recognized.
It seemed this ‘Obscure Idol Tycoon’ (what a dreadful name) and the South Korea I knew had somehow merged together.

A failed agency.

“Ah, our promising prospect.”
As is my custom when doing business, I bowed politely and held out my hand.

I bowed deeply with practiced courtesy, extending my hand as I would during a business pitch.
“…So what is that concept, Hoyun?”
“I’m Seo Ho-yoon.”

“…I suppose you could call it mind control?”
When I withdrew my hand, the manager put his arm around me and naturally led me inside.

As I withdrew my hand, the Manager linked his arm through mine and naturally guided me inside.
“Yes, thanks for your concern.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks to your concern.”
“So you’ve made up your mind to come back?”

“You’re going to do The Dun with the Idol, aren’t you!”

The Dun—a group name that kept reminding me of a traditional Korean rhythm.

“The company people have been waiting. The CEO waited a whole year for you—that’s a truly extraordinary measure. The Dun is so popular.”

‘Yet the music video views seemed rather low.’

“It’s still not too late. The debut recording from a year ago is already finished anyway. Only you fell through after that… but for an idol group, you need an odd number to set up the center, right? There’s still a spot for you to fill.”

‘Or is it that no one else wants to do it?’

I swallowed my words silently and walked toward the CEO’s Office. Still, I’d gathered quite a bit of information.
2. This is an idol group that an actor management agency hastily created in response to the K-pop craze.
1. The Dun is a rookie group that’s been around for a year.

3. The group’s performance has flopped.
Knock, the manager opened the representative office with a very nervous look on his face.

Knock knock. The Manager opened the CEO’s Office door, his face tense with anxiety.
“Seo Ho-yoon?”

“Seo Ho-yoon?”
I greeted him just as politely as I did the manager.

I bowed with the same respect I had shown the Manager.
“This is my first time hearing it….”

“I’ve never heard of you….”

What? I nearly lost my composure at the absurdity, but the Manager stepped in to defend me, reminding the CEO that I was one of his managed artists.
“Ah, The Dawn. That….”

“Ah, The Dun. Well….”
Apparently, the agency failed even more than I expected.

This entertainment company was far more ruined than I’d anticipated.
“Yes, Hoyun. Honestly, it’s a big decision to come back to The Dawn. It’s not that popular.”

“Right, Ho-yoon. Coming back to The Dun is quite a bold decision. Especially when you’re not even that popular.”

He sighed and shuffled through documents without even looking at me, his tone utterly indifferent.

“Sir, sir….”
While listening to the negative reviews, I glanced at the manager. It seems like the CEO is a bit scary.

Hearing such blunt criticism, I glanced at the Manager. It seemed the CEO intimidated him considerably.
“yes.”
“Ho-yoon, as you know, we’re an Actor Management Entertainment Agency.”

“If The Dun doesn’t generate revenue, the group could be disbanded. Do you have any idea how much money it costs to maintain an idol group?”
I already know that a huge amount of money will be lost.

I already understand how astronomical the expenses are.

‘How could I not know?’

Yet he’d been subtly dismissive since the start—claiming not to know me, questioning who I was, trying to intimidate me. I rolled my eyes and scanned the CEO’s office before asking.
“what?”

“What?”
I asked again kindly and clearly.

I asked again, this time slowly and deliberately, with exaggerated politeness.
“Seo Ho-yoon!”

“Seo Ho-yoon!”

The Manager jumped to his feet. I remained composed. Intimidating a small-time agency CEO who couldn’t even properly manage his own idol roster was child’s play.

‘Just treat him the same way he treats others.’

Indeed, the CEO’s eyebrows twitched slightly, as if caught off guard.

“…It’s been a while. You’ve become quite bold?”

‘How amusing. He claimed he’d never heard of me before.’

His true intentions were transparent, but I had no desire to drag this out with meaningless pleasantries, so I steered the conversation back to the main point.
“Maybe half a year at most.”

“At most, six months.”

Six months. I turned the numbers over in my mind. In six months, we’d be lucky to release one title track and perform on broadcasts a handful of times before it all ended. What mattered was how much we could accomplish within that window.

‘Can’t we debut somewhere else instead?’

I asked the system window.
No way. When you take out the knife, you have to cut the radish.
[Additional Explanation!

It must be The Dun, without fail.]

“…All right.”

When I answered obediently, the representative looked me up and down. To be honest, I wanted to confidently make a deal now, but I didn’t know anything yet.

“…Did you get sick and come back as a different person?”
I answered obediently, and the CEO looked me up and down. Honestly, I wanted to strike a deal right now with confidence, but I still knew nothing about the situation.
“Yes, it was a bit blurry in the past… Well, that’s enough. I’ll send you the contract again. You have to apply for reinstatement.”

“Me?”
“Yeah, you were a bit hazy back then…. Well, never mind. I’ll send the contract again. You’ll need to file for reinstatement anyway.”
We’ll have to negotiate again later.

In any case, I nodded. I needed to review the contract. It was a very important matter.

In reality, it was ‘just try it again and again’, but I just ignored it.

Tiring!

At that moment, a system window appeared. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him. It didn’t feel good.

[Option
Suddenly, a system window materialized before me. I furrowed my brow and stared at him. Something felt wrong.
2. Please give me more money.
[Choice

2. Pay me more.

What about these burdensome options?
‘What is this?’
I kept my mouth shut. Then, a time attack appeared at the bottom and quickly became 0 seconds.
These burdensome options?

I clamped my mouth shut. Then a timer appeared at the bottom, and it instantly counted down to zero.

… … What is it?
“…I shall dedicate my very life to success!”

…What?
A historical drama out of nowhere. Even I was dumbfounded, unable to close my mouth, so the CEO laughed awkwardly.
“Ho-yoon! Let’s go! Ho-ho-ho!”

“No, that’s not what I meant…!”
“Seo Ho-yoon! Let’s go! Come on!”

As I opened my mouth in protest, the Manager suddenly clamped his hand over it and dragged me out urgently.

[Novice Player Tycoon has several mini games^^]

‘You say you respect freedom too, you bastard.’

[I don’t believe what the original game status window says! >//<]

‘This kid is really… .’

[Quest Completed:
"This guy really…."
I'm proud of you for accepting the challenge.
[Quest Complete:
'Visit your Agency!'
I'm proud of you for accepting the harsh reality.
Visit your Agency and listen to an explanation about the struggling group 'The Dun'.

Success. Charm +5.
Next scenario begins.]
Say hello to the members of the failed group ‘The Dawn’.
[Quest Arrived:
'Talk to the members!'
Greet the members of the failed group 'The Dun'.

Success: Next scenario begins, Charm +5.
Failure: Discord with The Dun members]

He deliberately ignored what I just said.
Irritated, I was rapidly swiping through the system window when the Manager smacked my back hard. My face scrunched up involuntarily.

"That hurts."

“Is your liver sticking out of your stomach?”
That wasn't me.
“Wow, look at this guy. His mouth is open now….”

"If they did, I'd need to go to the emergency room."

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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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