The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 210

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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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210

‘Am I screwed right now?’

Sung Ji-won stared at me with unwavering eyes.
Overlaid on that gaze was the younger face of Sung Ji-won from three years ago.

At the time, I’d been planning a new program, and I’d thought that with a person and story like his, it would be easy to stir up buzz and make him successful, so I’d told him not to abandon his idol dreams.
But the program had been shelved and delayed multiple times, and by the time the planning was finally confirmed and an air date was set, I couldn’t find Sung Ji-won anywhere.
Whether that was because he’d debuted as a failed idol at Dae Pa-sung, or whether my memory was playing tricks on me—I couldn’t say.

‘No, that’s not what matters right now.’

Either way, I’d been forcibly summoned into a game Sung Ji-won had orchestrated.
I could sense why he’d acted so unusually and dragged me here—he was testing me in the same place as back then, trying to gauge my reaction.

“…Ho-yoon.”

The person Sung Ji-won was looking for was definitely me.
The PD I’d been back then.
But logically, my face back then couldn’t have looked like a twenty-one-year-old. Plus, I’d thought I’d subtly given off the vibe of someone connected to broadcasting, yet now Sung Ji-won was so utterly certain. Why?

“….”

Even if I were the person he thought I was, there were too many contradictions to simply accept it.
My mind raced with the urgency of needing to escape this situation by any means necessary.
The System Window that had displayed ERROR had vanished after alerting me that Sung Ji-won was suspicious of me, and it hadn’t appeared since.
Excluding today, ERROR had appeared only twice before.
Once when Min Ji-heon had used his ability to try to separate the System from me, and once when I’d voluntarily leaked the penalty in Shining Star Season 2.

‘This can’t continue.’

The System Window’s words from not long ago lodged in my mind like an irritating splinter.
That the System was becoming unstable and that what would happen next was becoming increasingly unpredictable.
A warning that it would never be good for the Player.

“Sung Ji-won.”
“…Y-yes!”

I quickly assessed the situation, then deliberately furrowed my brows and rubbed the end of my eyebrow with my index finger as if troubled.

“Is he as handsome as me?”

It was time to put my specialty to use.
Deflecting and insisting on my version of the truth.

“That’s strange. Even if I’m somewhat plain, my face isn’t exactly common.”
“…But Ho-yoon.”

Sung Ji-won spoke while lowering his gaze slightly.

“Your face isn’t common, but it’s just… so strange. You’re really similar. Your manner of speech, your aura, even the location of your scar, the way you look. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve lost my mind.”

‘Of course you would, since it’s me.’

“Wow, that’s fascinating.”
“…Fascinating….”
“So I look really similar to him?”

No matter what excuse I offered, no matter how I tried to force the pieces together, the timeline didn’t align.
It was only possible because I had crossed a span of ten years.

“…A similar person?”

Sung Ji-won tilted his head slightly to the side and murmured softly.
His tone was mixed with lingering doubt and a hint of deflation.
Still, Sung Ji-won seemed to understand that his own thoughts were closer to speculation.
Just as I thought he might give up, Sung Ji-won suddenly pulled out another card.

“That’s not all. Ho-yoon, you asked me three questions on Christmas, remember? I wondered how you could know those things so precisely….”

“Does he work at the Broadcasting Station?”
“The one who smokes?”
“That guy’s got no manners, right?”

I’d asked that question expecting the main scenario to pop up.

“But what if…. What if you were that person—.”

I cut off his stammering words cleanly, as if he were grasping at straws.

“Hey, I’m hurt.”
“…What?”

Two specialties seemed insufficient, so I decided to add one more.
Namely, the “Am I really all I am to you?” strategy.

“I understand that person helped you, but what about me?”

I lowered my eyes sharply and pouted my lips.

“I really treated you well while we were active in The Dun.”

Since it had been a while since I’d used this skill, I glanced up to check if it was working properly, stealing glances at Sung Ji-won’s expression.

“I get that person is really your benefactor, and I’m not trying to stop you from looking for them, but listen to me too. I’m not just that to you, am I?”
“….”
“Hmm?”
“…Yeah.”

Sung Ji-won, who had been quietly listening to me, slowly nodded his head.
His expression revealed nothing of what he was thinking.
Figuring things were settled enough, I stood up with the cake I’d bought earlier, and Sung Ji-won awkwardly followed suit.
Even as we paid with a card and slipped out of the Lobby, he said nothing.

‘I feel a bit sorry.’

Lying was nothing to me, yet something felt off about it.
I hadn’t even been particularly kind to him, so why was he so desperate to find me?

Honestly, I wanted to tell him that yes, I was the person he was looking for.
But not knowing what lay ahead, and with the System unstable, I didn’t want to add another variable—the possibility of Sung Ji-won discovering my true identity.

“Let’s head back. The others are waiting for us.”
“…Ah, ah, yeah.”

Sung Ji-won, whose response came a beat too late as if his mind were elsewhere, offered a gentle smile as he carefully folded away the emotions threatening to spill over.

“The kids will love this cake too. Let’s hurry back and eat.”
“Yeah.”

We crossed the Lobby, chatting softly as if nothing had happened.

“What will you do when we get back?”
“Maybe I’ll watch your birthday live stream.”

We hailed a Taxi through the app and headed to the Dormitory.
Rain began to fall gently from the overcast sky thick with clouds.

“It’s raining.”
“Yeah, really is.”

I was debating whether to ask the driver to drop us right in front of the Dormitory instead of the main street, when Sung Ji-won rustled beside me and pulled out a small three-fold umbrella from his bag, offering it to me.
He seemed a bit dispirited, so I spoke in a joking tone.

“Wow, you even brought an umbrella?”
“Yeah.”
“You really are so dependable, just like you look….”

The moment the words left my mouth, I bit the inside of my cheek in regret.

“…dependable.”

“You’re exactly as dependable as you look.”

Those were the same words I’d said to Sung Ji-won on a day just like this, when rain fell in that same gentle patter.
I turned my face away, fixing my gaze on the car window where raindrops clung thickly, pattering softly.
A sharp premonition that something was terribly wrong sent cold sweat trickling down my spine.

Sung Ji-won was silent too, lost in thought.
I’d never felt silence weigh so heavily.
The moment we arrived at the Dormitory, I quickly stepped out of the Taxi and strode forward into the rain with long strides.

‘I should run. If I get caught, I’ll just play dumb.’

Behind me, I heard the splashing sound of footsteps in puddles.

“Ho-yoon!”

Sung Ji-won grabbed my shoulder from behind and spun me around. Breathing slightly hard, he tilted the umbrella he held toward me.

“Ho-yoon, listen.”

My heart trembled, my mind in turmoil.
I was acutely aware of what words might spill from Sung Ji-won’s lips, how I should respond, every nerve on edge.
And yet,

“You might not realize it, but I’m actually….”
“Huh? What?”
“Jealous, greedy, and my personality is pretty terrible.”

What Sung Ji-won said was completely unexpected.

“But for some reason, from the moment we first met, I genuinely wanted to treat you well.”

If I’m remembering correctly, that was the day I went to Dae Pa-sung and caused a scene demanding Chung Beom’s song. Sung Ji-won was the only one who welcomed me.

“Maybe it was because you resembled that person so much, like you said.”

The increasingly heavy rain soaked Sung Ji-won’s shoulders.

“Don’t be hurt. Now you mean more to me. It’s just… I wanted to tell that person how truly grateful I am.”

Sung Ji-won’s downcast eyelashes slowly lifted, and his clear eyes turned toward me.

“For some reason, those words you said back then—about seeing each other again—held great meaning for me. I endured by holding onto that memory—.”

Sung Ji-won’s voice flowed without hesitation, as if he had rehearsed this countless times.
I kept my mouth firmly shut, struggling to keep my expression from crumbling.

“—which is why I’m here now.”
“….”

Soaked through himself, Sung Ji-won carefully brushed away the raindrops that had splattered on my shoulder, then met my gaze.

“Thanks to you, Hyung.”

And he offered a slight smile.
His expression held a mixture of tension and relief.

“I wanted to promise that I’d definitely repay this debt somehow, but… haha.”

Repay what?
I swallowed a sigh as I looked at him.

“Hey.”

I pushed the umbrella handle toward Sung Ji-won as I spoke.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but let me set this straight.”

There was one particular comment that grated on me.

“You would’ve stayed in this position even without him.”
“…Huh?”
“Look in a mirror. If you don’t become an entertainer with that face, who would?”

Setting aside my own preferences, even objectively turning it around 360 degrees—it was genuinely true.
Charisma, talent, looks.
Having just one of those is enough to make a living with effort, but Sung Ji-won possesses charisma, talent, and looks, and on top of that, he works twice as hard as anyone else.
The reason Dae Pa-sung’s practice room is bright every single day is entirely because of Sung Ji-won.

“You’re just someone born that way, kid.”

Sung Ji-won, who had been staring blankly at my words with wide eyes, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ah…”
“…”
“Man, Seo Ho-yoon, seriously.”

The laughter that continued for a long while soon transformed into quiet sobs.

“That’s right. I was born to be an entertainer.”
“Obviously.”

Ji-won would probably continue to doubt me. Actually, judging from our earlier conversation, he seemed already convinced.
But as long as I remain here, the truth is singular and eternal.
The Seo Ho-yoon of that day is not the Seo Ho-yoon of now.

‘There’s no helping it.’

That’s what life is.
Sometimes there are things you must pretend not to know, burying them deep within.
Just as I pretend not to hear Ji-won’s quiet sobs mingled with the sound of rain.

“…Ho-yoon.”
“Hmm?”
“By the way, I left the cake in the taxi.”
“That explains why you bolted out so frantically.”

As I played along, Ji-won wiped the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand and let a faint smile touch his lips.

“It’s fine. I’ll buy you something even more delicious for your next birthday.”
“…Okay.”

Though the scenario prevented me from recognizing him, we’ve met again like this.
Either way, I’ve kept the promise I made.
I called out the name of the boy whose eyes and nose were flushed red.

“Ji-won.”

To a selfish bastard like me, Ji-won remains ever kind.

“Happy birthday.”

You don’t have to keep your promises.

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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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