The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 211

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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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211

[Happy Birthday, Ji-won!]

His eyes were unusually puffy today, and the area around them appeared slightly red, but since he seemed to be in better spirits than usual, the Noeul fans assumed it was just a lighting issue.
Though ridiculous rumors occasionally circulated, everyone knew Sung Ji-won wasn’t the type to be swayed by such nonsense, so the fans didn’t pay much attention to it.

[Oh my Jiwon ㅠㅠ Happy birthday]
[Thank you for singing for us, Ji-won!]

“…Haha, thank you so much too.”

I thought Sung Ji-won’s birthday would end on this happy note,

[What is this photo even?]

Late that night after the live performance ended, a single photograph was uploaded to the Community, and The Dun’s fandom couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

[What on earth is this????????]

In the heavily zoomed photograph, Sung Ji-won stood with his head hung low in front of the dormitory, while Seo Ho-yoon stood quietly watching him.
The problem was the atmosphere.
It looked like Sung Ji-won was crying.

[This isn’t even an official schedule and they’re taking photos like this on their own—it’s so ridiculous, but the photo is just so shocking that…
…
…
I can’t even be mad]
[Why would they take a photo like this?]
[The photo is weird, but I’m really curious what’s going on]
[Why is Seo Ho-yoon comforting him?]
“Oh no… I wonder if Ji-won saw something on the Internet… I’m about to lose it pulling my hair out right now.”

With no way to know what had actually happened, the Community and various SNS platforms erupted into chaos, and questions flooded The Dun’s official StarStar, Twitter, and Pop Pop accounts.

Yet the fans received no answers whatsoever.
Especially Seo Ho-yoon, who attended Pop Pop almost every day without fail, was a master at pretending to know nothing.
Even when I streamed alone with an expression no different from usual, I ignored every comment related to the photograph.

Yeah.. let’s stop asking about it.
[Stop asking directly, you idiots.. I guess he doesn’t want to talk about member stuff either]

[Ugh.. the desire to be a fan who respects an artist’s life and… the desire to head-bang to the Dae Pa-sung rhythm at full intensity are fighting inside me half and half

└The Dun rhythm pattern
Dun-gi-dun kung-duh-duh-duh-dun kung-gi-dun kung-duh-duh-duh-duh-dun
└└This is seriously hilarious
I don’t even need to show I’m a Kang Yi-chae fan]

Just as everyone was restraining themselves from getting too invested, sensing that Seo Ho-yoon didn’t want the matter mentioned at all.

“Ho-yoon!”

Sung Ji-won entered through the door, his smile blooming as brilliantly as a flower in full bloom.

“Sung Ji-won’s here.”

[For a moment I thought I maxed out the screen brightness]
[Wow, look at Seo Ho-yoon being so unfazed

└Sung Ji-won immunity activated;]

[Sung Ji-won’s floral scent is so intense,,,,,,,,

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…Ji-won, you’re my freesia, lavender, and lilac..

After Sung Ji-won settled in and exchanged a few words with Seo Ho-yoon, just as the stream was gaining momentum again, Sung Ji-won noticed a comment related to the photograph and looked flustered.

[Jiwon, did you cry?ㅜㅜ]

“Huh? Me?”

Seo Ho-yoon subtly turned his face away and picked up the lemonade sitting on the table, drawing it through the straw in one long pull.
Sung Ji-won, who had been tilting his head while scrolling through the comments as if he truly hadn’t known about this controversy, grasped the general situation and let out a small exclamation.

“Ah.”

Then he lifted the corners of his mouth mischievously.

“Ho-yoon made me cry.”
“Pfft!”

Seo Ho-yoon spewed out what he’d been drinking.
Even as the tart beverage caught in his throat and he coughed, Sung Ji-won giggled.
It had been a joke aimed at Seo Ho-yoon with a slightly sulky heart, but after rumors of discord spread, the two had to sit in front of the camera again and go live.

“Apologize quickly.”
“I’m sorry, it was just a joke.”

After uploading an explanation video saying he’d cried out of joy after hearing touching birthday wishes and receiving a promise from Seo Ho-yoon in advance that he’d give him a good birthday gift next year, the talk about the photo finally died down.
After that, perhaps finding amusement in teasing Seo Ho-yoon, Sung Ji-won was occasionally spotted pulling pranks.

By this point, the Noeul fans’ hearts, which had been like an active volcano ready to erupt at any moment, had all transformed into something warm and comforting—like steamed buns fresh from the basket.

[Is there really a colleague in this world who cries just from hearing congratulations…
We’ll never know what they talked about in our lifetime, but why does it feel so heartwarming…]
[Plus the fact that he doesn’t say anything about it being a prank is so damn good…Is this what real men are like…]

But the kids really do rely on each other a lot… It seems especially true this year.
I mean, if my agency were Dae Pa-sung, I’d have nowhere else to lean on but each other

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

The fans were delighted by the warm bond between them, capturing and spreading a gif of the surprised Seo Ho-yoon coughing.

Title: The Dun is Seriously Ridiculous——

Sigh.. I really didn’t want to say something like this.

└Why, what is it? Tell us honestly
└└I hope Ho-yoon was happy
Man, I’ve been crying since dawn over this girl.
└└What are you guys doing…]

And despite the schedule being visibly packed, The Dun didn’t stop churning out their own produced content.

[Title: It seems The Dun really needs to focus on attracting new members right now

Once people come in, these guys really grip them tight so there’s basically no escape
Seo Ho-yoon that bastard still shows up for Pop Pop while taking care of fans
There was just one week where he didn’t attend… but I still get mad thinking about it so I’ll skip it…

└When was that?
└└About the last episode of Shas 2ㅠ
└└Oh… that time, Dae Pa-sung died]

[But they really put out content consistently…
Behind-the-scenes, music video reactions, challenges
They seem to do everything that’s trending these days..
Honestly, I think Dae Pa-sung does a good job

What are you talking about?
└└I’m a Lia Purple fan…
└└Ah… I’m sorry
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅅㅂ ㅠ Don’t understandㅠ]

They were even recognized for their content production capabilities by rival fandoms.
Moreover, both Shining Star Season 1 and 2 were being serviced overseas through OTT platforms, so The Dun’s overseas influx had skyrocketed.

[A rabbit? That doesn’t make sensew
It’s definitely a cat, this one]

Though Japan was still bickering over Seo Ho-yoon’s symbolic animal.

[This is the land of rabbits
If you don’t like it, you leave

└I’m already an overseas fan so I’m not in Korea anyway
└└Oops]

[Dae Pa-sung must be living it up these days, did you see their Q2 revenue? Q3 revenue is probably going to be insane too

Wow, Min Ji-heon was a young breadwinner, and it looks like he’s formed a duo with The Dun this time.
Yeah, Min Ji-heon’s disaster movie did insanely well too. How the hell did he pull in that many viewers in this day and age? lol

In any case, since the Japan expansion had been successful, all eyes were on when and how much Dae Pa-sung would take The Dun overseas.
Some entertainment companies occasionally got so excited about excessive overseas expansion that they rotated their artists like revolving doors to foreign countries, so many Noeul fans were anxious.

Fortunately, however, there had been no announcement about an overseas tour yet.
Instead,

《Berlin K-pop Concert, The Dun Confirmed as Performer》

The Dun was included in the lineup for a K-pop concert that would be held in Europe, which had been confirmed not long ago.

[?????????]
[Sudden Europe]
[Wait, don’t they usually go to America first? Why Europe?]

Since the article had already been published, there was nothing to be done about it, but fans who harbored ill feelings toward Dae Pa-sung weren’t pleased with this development.
Still, in the official community,

[THE DAWN always thinking of Noeul first, such sweethearts <3 So cool, take care in Europe and we'll be waiting!]
[The Dun members make us so so proud!]

Such pretty words were written,

[Those bastards… overseas concert…
Who came up with this
Of course those money-grubbing assholes need to make money..]
[If it's K-pop, why can't they do it in Korea?
K stands for Korea, so when did Europe become K-Europe?]
[I think Dae Pa-sung's bastards are going overseas to test out how popular they actually are

"I can understand going to look around, but why Europe of all places?"

Behind the scenes, such comments were made.

[They're even filming a documentary]
Ugh, haha!

Noel reacted to the word "overseas" as if he were allergic to it, but he tried to calm himself by thinking that at least it wasn't a "tour."

[Ah, damn it.]

But when the lineup and order for the Berlin K-pop Concert were announced, all those efforts became meaningless.
The Dun, High Five, and Lia Purple were scheduled in that order.

[WH, you bastards~~~!!!!]

Though it was only a slight difference, the stage order was a direct indicator of popularity, making it an extremely sensitive matter.
Inevitably, The Dun's fandom had to burn with fury for quite some time.

.
.
.

I had made up my mind from the moment I headed to Incheon Airport.

'I need to avoid running into High Five as much as possible.'

But as if to betray my wishes, Kang Yeon-hu approached me at the airport entrance with a bright smile.

"Oh! Seo Ho-yoon!"
"Yeon-hu sunbae."

I could overlook it when cameras were rolling, but even after passing through immigration at the gate, he continued to pester me annoyingly.

'What is this guy doing?'

I turned to face Kang Yeon-hu directly.

"What do you want?"
"What?"
"You're someone who should know better. Why are you doing this? I could understand the last broadcast, but right now there's nothing to gain from us being seen together. Don't you realize that?"

If someone like Joo Woo-sung had such a clear difference in idol status, then even if we were close, there wouldn't be such vicious rivalry among the fandoms.
But Kang Yeon-hu came from the same survival program and was often compared to me like a rival, so there was more to lose than gain.

"Haha, it's nothing."

Upon hearing my words, Kang Yeon-hu smiled, his gentle eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I wanted to see Seo Ho-yoon flustered."
"…."

It seemed he'd accumulated more grievances from last time than I'd realized.

"Hmm."

But so what? What am I supposed to do about it?
Wearing an artificial smile, I snatched the neck pillow from Kang Yeon-hu's hands and considerately placed it around his neck, whispering quietly.

"Leave quietly before I make things worse."
"…."

Watching Kang Yeon-hu stiffen instantly, I winked at him with one eye.

"…I'm going."
"Yep, take care~."

Kim Sung-hyun, now accustomed to my antics, asked while tucking his passport into his bag.

"Why do people from WH Entertainment keep targeting you out of all people?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Stop saying such horrible things!"

Leaving Kim Sung-hyun to his exasperation, I moved at a leisurely pace while organizing my thoughts.

'Kang Yeon-hu is dealt with.'

The Dun's strategy for this European expansion could be divided into three distinct phases.
The first phase had already begun the moment we entered the airport.
Of course, Jung Da-jun, oblivious to everything, was too busy chattering excitedly.

"Hyung, hyung! When we arrive in Europe~! Foreign fans will go whoooosh~! Filling the place from here to there, cheering and all that, right??"
"…."
"Am I becoming the Asian Prince?"
"Goodness."

I pressed Jung Da-jun's lips shut with my thumb and index finger.

"Keep them closed."
"But I'm already keeping them closed."
"Shh."

I glanced at the documentary crew walking a short distance away.

"First, we need to capture the local reactions properly…."
"Right, right. I think it'd be better to start filming from the airport. We should also get shots of fans encountering Korean idols for the first time."
"And let's film interviews with the participating idols too. We can weave in some commentary about how massive the Korean Wave is. Isn't national pride all the rage these days?"
"Hahaha!"

'Just as I thought.'

I clicked my tongue and withdrew my fingers from Jung Da-jun's lips.

Phase one.
'Absolutely dodge the lethal dose of national pride.'

—————
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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