The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 202

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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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202

[Man, FNL was hilarious lololololol]

After “Wanna Sing With Me?”, variety show and advertisement offers had increased significantly, and with FNL joining the mix, my activity schedule was stretching even longer.

[Title: The 5-minute boyfriend bit was absolutely insane…

Kim Sung-hyun was such a well-behaved boyfriend at first, but then he’d suddenly rush off to help someone. It’s so cool but also so frustrating<<
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Comedian Ji Yu-jeong was hilarious too

Ji Yu-jeong: What… why are you suddenly helping?
Ji Yu-jeong: What's this… why do you help every 0.5 seconds?
Ji Yu-jeong: What… why do you have that satisfied look on your face?

Hahahaha, seriously?
Kim Sung-hyun was going around helping people like some superhero… man, that was seriously unhinged comedy..

└That's our Sung-hyun for you
└└Wait, Sung-hyun? Was there someone like that? I only saw the light??
Hahahahahahahahahahaha

[Title: How does the FNL production crew manage to nail these frustrating moments so perfectly?

Jung Da-jun's 5-minute boyfriend bit was seriously infuriating too

No matter how scripted it is, I've never seen a male idol pull off casual slang like this so effortlessly

Jung Da-jun: "Merlot? Uh, carry~"
Ji Yu-jeong: (trembling trembling trembling)
Jung Da-jun: "Onion? Uh, onion~"
Ji Yu-jeong: "Break up with me."
Jeong Da-jun: Yes, I’m angry~
Ji Yu-jeong: (Damn it, break up right now)

You guys… yeah, you're idols, but…
Yeah, you crazy bastards… hahahaha

True to Friday Night Live's reputation for stirring up issues with every broadcast, the comedy sketches showcased each member's charm and distinctive personality, earning nothing but praise from fans.
However,

[It's hilarious that SJW was a trainee there for 7 years lol – they must've seen it all by now. It's so funny how they're pretending to have a clean image]
[Let’s do military training togetherㅠ]

Sung Ji-won's rumors showed no signs of dying down, contrary to expectations.

"Hmm."

No matter how I looked at it, something felt off.
It felt like someone was continuously throwing kindling into the fire, deliberately stoking the flames.

'Well, I did ask Kim Jae-yeon to look into it.'

For now, all I could do was focus on my own work.
After finishing the magazine interview, I took a thorough look around the pension where our final schedule had brought us.
The Southeast Asian-style white two-story building was dotted with large potted palm trees, and beside them, the turquoise water of the swimming pool sparkled beneath the clear summer sky.

"Kang Yi-chae, we're starting the interview~."

They were in the middle of filming Kang Yi-chae's candid interview to upload to YouTube, using that scene as the background.
The Planning Team, having learned that videos showcasing idols' honest thoughts were gaining modest popularity among fans, had lightly added this content as a way to wrap up the promotional activities.
The staff members, who had frequently coordinated with The Dun for in-house content production, naturally created a warm atmosphere with Kang Yi-chae's cheerful responses.

'Kang Yi-chae, well.'

I glanced at Sung Ji-won, who was watching the scene with a pleased expression.
His complexion was no different from usual. He wasn't the type to actively search the internet, and even if he did, it seemed like he'd brush off anything about Sung Ji-won these days without much concern—yet the conversation I'd had with Chae Jung-woo kept nagging at the back of my mind.

"…Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sung Ji-won noticed my gaze and gave me a puzzled expression.

"You've been staring at me so much lately."

Since I'd already been labeled as overprotective, I decided to act boldly.

"What? Does it bother you?"
"…No, well, it's not that."

Sung Ji-won, caught off guard by my directness, wore an embarrassed smile and was scratching the back of his neck when he seemed about to say something. Laughter erupted from the filming set.

"Oh my, aren't you two having fun~?"

Whether Kang Yi-chae had cracked another joke, the staff members chuckled.

"Then let me ask one final question. There's been a lot of talk lately about your composition style becoming more mainstream. What do you think about that?"

As if he'd anticipated the question, Kang Yi-chae rested his chin on his hand and answered calmly.

"Well…."

Then he let out a playful chuckle.

"I'm always thinking about how to be loved even more."

Kang Yi-chae really does have great charm.
With that interview concluded, filming wrapped up.
The Planning Team excitedly called out that we were done for the day and quickly began gathering equipment, and I along with the members started heading toward the van, when our Manager blocked our path.

"No, no, no!"

He shook his head vigorously with both arms spread wide.

"You all are staying here and resting today!"

Wondering what he meant, I looked at the Road Manager with narrowed eyes, and he was nodding in agreement as well.
Just then, Lee Ji-hyun, passing by, added her input.

"There are no more schedules, and tomorrow doesn't start until late, so I booked this place specifically for you to get some proper rest!"
"I could rest at the dormitory, though."
"Come on~ Ho-yoon, you need to unwind in a different setting and truly relax!"

What was she talking about?
I just stared blankly without responding, and Lee Ji-hyun brazenly stretched both arms out wide.

"Plus, we're adding a shoot of 100 natural-looking photos."
"…."
"It was summer! The prime of my youth! You know, photos of a precious memory—nothing to feel guilty about stealing a glimpse of—just 100 of them, not more."

It was obvious without even looking that she planned to post them on SNS.
Right, there's no such thing as unconditional kindness in this world.
There had been some chatter online lately about how The Dun's schedule was being run too intensely.
As Dae Pa-sung, who'd fallen out of favor with Noeul, this seemed like an opportunity to provide us with a luxury resort under the guise of a vacation and post beautiful photos to soothe the fans' hearts.

"Fine, whatever."

I looked at Lee Ji-hyun, who held her head high with a prim expression, and let out a small laugh.
Since it wasn't a particularly difficult request, I agreed, and the Road Manager handed over the cameras.
Then I listened without interrupting as Lee Ji-hyun explained in detail beside me, even specifying angles and how things should be done.

"You're really seizing opportunities—you'll get promoted quickly, Lee Ji-hyun."
"That's why I work day and night. I'll swallow everything up soon enough."

Lee Ji-hyun smiled with confidence, greeted us, and quickly disappeared with the staff.
The Manager and Road Manager repeated several times that they'd pick us up tomorrow and to call if anything came up, then drove off in the van.

"I'm going to rest for a bit."
"Sure~ I'll go shopping!"

Since it was still summer, the sky held a faint glow even though evening had progressed considerably.
I went into an empty room and sprawled across the bed.
Kang Yi-chae would handle the photos well enough, and Jung Da-jun and Sung Ji-won, who'd rushed out excitedly first, would take care of groceries, so all I had to do was rest….

"…This feels strange."

It had been an endless cycle of work, work, and more work.
I usually collapsed the moment I arrived at the dormitory, so lying here like this was rare.

'What should I do?'

I was contemplating whether to sketch out some simple content I could film during this gap in my schedule when the door suddenly swung open.

"Seo Ho-yoon, what are you doing?"

It was Kim Sung-hyun.

"Just breathing."
"You're breathing quite diligently, I see."

Thinking this was perfect timing, I tossed out some ideas I'd been considering to Kim Sung-hyun.

"What about filming cooking content?"
"What nonsense. Just rest."
"Or maybe we could film a hidden camera prank?"
"You'd be better off cleaning your ears."

Even our water dumplings occasionally had a spicy pepper hidden inside when you bit into them.
I was savoring this rare barb when Kim Sung-hyun draped the blanket over me and rolled me up in it like a burrito. Then he plopped down in the chair beside the bed and looked down at me as he spoke.

"You're running yourself ragged. You need to actually rest sometimes."
"We had a break after Shining Star ended."
"Seo Ho-yoon, were you really fine back then?"

Kim Sung-hyun clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"Sometimes you seem like someone who doesn't know how to rest."

Since I had no real intention of getting up anyway, I stayed put while Kim Sung-hyun randomly pulled books from the shelf beside my bed, flipping them open and closed repeatedly.

"…About Kang Yi-chae. Did you see that interview earlier?"

In the quiet silence, I could only hear the sound of pages turning, and then after a while, Kim Sung-hyun's cautious voice followed.

"I did."
"Doesn't he seem like he's changed quite a bit?"

I glanced up briefly. Kim Sung-hyun was pulling out another new book. He wasn't reading it.
This must have been the real point.

"He's always been the type who just wants things to be fun and happy, you know?"

That was true enough.
Kang Yi-chae didn't have much desire to be loved by others, and he was the kind of guy who didn't care about people's gazes either.

"But recently his composition style has changed, and it seems like he's been thinking about a lot of things. He seems curious about how his songs come across to others."

That was something I'd been sensing too.
Kim Sung-hyun snapped the book shut with a sound and looked directly at me.

"Since he always acts so easygoing or mature, we tend to just overlook things a lot."
"So?"
"Just… let's pay a bit more attention to Yi-chae."

Why was he making such a simple thing sound so difficult?
My attention had been focused solely on Seo Ho-jin and The Dun for a long time now.
But I hid my true feelings and asked playfully instead.

"Is this about your sense of responsibility as the leader?"
"What? No."

Kim Sung-hyun laughed clearly.

"It's just that as someone who knows him, I'm concerned."

He put the book back in its place, and I heard a commotion from outside.

"Sounds like the others have arrived. Let's go eat."

I threw off the blanket and got up, running my hand through my disheveled hair when my gaze met Kim Sung-hyun's clear eyes, still waiting for me.
Feeling like I might be purified if I stayed with him any longer, I quickly bolted out of the bedroom.

***

"The meat is delicious!!"

True to their age, the heavy bags in both my hands were packed with nothing but meat.
After grilling and enjoying a hearty dinner at the barbecue setup near the pension, the sun had set, leaving only the pitch-black night sky surrounding us on all sides.

"Hey, Hyung~."
"No."
"You're seriously the master of shutting people down."

The Maknae had chattered away throughout dinner, and apparently that wasn't enough—he kept trying to start conversations.
Unlike a large dog that still had energy left even after five walks a day, he couldn't stay still for a moment, panting and bustling around until he finally found something in the corner of the living room and came scurrying over with it.

"Shocking truth!!"
"Why does he keep saying that word so much lately?"
"He wants to be a trendsetter."

Wasn't it just recently that he was only using mature language, without carelessly throwing around words he didn't even understand?

"Look at what I found!!"

Jung Da-jun pulled out the object he'd been hiding behind his back with a flourish.

"Wow…."
"Waaa…."
"Aaa."
"Waang."
"See? Your reactions are totally soulless! But barbecue! Pension! Sparklers! They're a perfect match~!"

The small firework at the end of the long stick burned with yellow flames—usually used to set the mood at the end of gatherings like this.
I scratched my ear and stared at him apathetically.

"Isn't that illegal?"
"It would be illegal at the beach, but… on private property, it should be fine if the owner gives permission?"
"There was a notice next to the TV, and it said it was okay!"

Jung Da-jun shook the bag of sparklers eagerly, whining about how much he wanted to use them.
Faced with the Maknae's relentless pestering, Sung Ji-won was the first to surrender.

"Let's go, Ho-yoon. Let's take some nice photos."
"…What's so great about a lump of gunpowder."

I'd been dragging my feet out of laziness, but when Sung Ji-won kept pushing, even Kim Sung-hyun, Kang Yi-chae, and I finally hauled ourselves up and headed toward the swimming pool area.

"Hey, but how do we do this?"

The intense heat had subsided somewhat, but the thick, oppressive humidity of summer still clung to my skin.

"Do you have a lighter?"
"Don't look at me."

Did they leave the lighter with me?
As I grumbled while everyone's attention turned to me, Kang Yi-chae chuckled and spoke up.

"Come here. If sparks fly, you might burn your hand, so let's use a torch instead."

Kang Yi-chae, holding a barbecue torch, lit the sparklers and handed them out one by one to the members.
Then we all formed a large circle and crouched down.

Whoosh, crackle.

As the wick burned, it burst into brilliant golden sparks. Jung Da-jun let out an excited cry and wiggled around, prompting Kang Yi-chae to scold him for being reckless and to hold it properly.

"Huh, hyung, have you done this before?"
"Well… my mom did."

Kang Yi-chae kept his eyes fixed on those golden flowers blooming in the darkness as he spoke.

"I did it a few times with my mom. I kept whining that I wanted to try."
"…!"

I was momentarily stunned—he'd never once mentioned his family on his own before. The other members were also staring at Kang Yi-chae with wide eyes.

"She said it was pretty and really liked it."

What?
Why was he suddenly opening up like this, so unlike himself?
As I narrowed my eyes, Sung Ji-won and Kim Sung-hyun cautiously approached Kang Yi-chae with shuffling steps and asked carefully.

"Oh, should we take a picture and show her?"
"But if she's abroad, isn't it her sleeping time right now? Where is she?"

Family matters… I guess he doesn't know.

"Hey. You guys—."

Before I could dig any deeper, I tried to change the subject and wrap things up, but Jung Da-jun suddenly jumped to his feet.

"Oh no, this is a real crisis!!"
"Why does he keep doing that?"
"I didn't put the ice cream we bought earlier in the freezer!"
"What?!"

Then, insisting that he had to eat the ice cream right now and that this was the perfect timing, he bounced up, dumped all the Sparkles into my hands, and dragged Kim Sung-hyun and Sung Ji-won away with him.
Suddenly I was holding two Sparkles in each hand.

"Jung Da-jun, really."

At the sound of a voice, I turned my head to see Kang Yi-chae laughing as he watched the direction Jung Da-jun had disappeared.

"The first thing Da-jun did when we got back from the mart was put the ice cream in the freezer."
"Hm?"
"He said letting it melt even for a moment would be disrespectful to the ice cream."

Ah.

Now I understood why Jung Da-jun had suddenly made such a fuss over perfectly fine ice cream.

"You know what, hyung?"

Kang Yi-chae's eyes widened as our gazes met.

"He might actually be the most mature one among us."

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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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