The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 233

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

233

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted me.

“….”

There was a time I’d wanted to use this phrase.
Experiencing it again felt utterly miserable.
I blinked away the heaviness from my eyelids several times before pushing myself upright.
Though the fluorescent lights were off, daylight filtered through the window, keeping the surroundings from complete darkness.
Only then did the sharp scent of disinfectant register, and the IV drip dangling from my arm made it clear I was in a hospital room.
My first priority was locating my phone to confirm nothing catastrophic had occurred while I was unconscious.

“…Ugh.”

It lay neatly on the small nightstand beside my bed, next to a fresh water bottle.
Just then, my phone buzzed to life.
When I turned it on, a flood of missed calls and concerned messages filled the screen.
At the very top was

[Tough Guy: You alive?]

A message from Min Ji-heon.
Now that I thought about it, Min Ji-heon’s first aid had worked remarkably well.
The relentless headache that had been pounding away was gone, and moving my body felt manageable.
Everything seemed to be returning to normal.

Still somewhat foggy, I skimmed through the messages first.
It didn’t seem much different from the last time I’d collapsed, so I turned off my phone and pressed my palms against my stinging eyes, when another vibration came through.

[Tough Guy: Looks like you’re alive. Congrats on making it back safely lol]

‘…Made it back safely?’

[Ssae-han-saekki: I was completely freaked out because he wasn’t coming to his senses for so long….]
[Ssae-han-saekki: He didn’t see anything strange, did he?]

Something strange?

Ding!

[Clear the game through Idol activities to obtain a new life!]

“Ha!”

The moment I saw that, my head spun violently.

“—Damn it.”

Seo Ho-jin!
My heart suddenly raced like mad. My vision swam in circles, and my mind seemed to stop functioning entirely—no thoughts came. I immediately pulled up the System Window, which seemed most likely to have answers.

“…Hey, hey!”

Would my younger brother be alright alone there?

“What happened to my brother?”

Anxiety crept up from my toes, spreading through my entire body.
I splashed my face with my dry hands as I asked.

“Damn it, is he really alone in that place?”

Was he crying by himself?
I hoped for some message, but the System Window displayed nothing except the text: “Clear the game through Idol activities to obtain a new life!”

‘Seo Ho-jin.’

I clenched my lips and stood up.
I needed to confirm with my own eyes that the Seo Ho-jin in this place was safe—nothing else would satisfy me.

“Ugh!”

As I walked toward the door, something tugged sharply at the hand holding my phone. When I turned my head, the IV line hanging from the bed was pulled taut.
Just as I reached to remove the obstructive IV, the hospital room door slid open.

“Oh!! You’re awake…!”

Sung Ji-won, who had startled in surprise, soon squinted his eyes with a gentle smile. But the moment he saw my hand still gripping the IV needle, his expression hardened completely.

“What are you doing?!”
“Move, just for a second.”
“No way, Ho-yoon! Calm down for a moment!”

Since I’d only just woken up, my hands lacked strength. I tried to grip and pull as hard as I could, but Sung Ji-won cried out in alarm and stopped me.

Zzzzz. Zzzzz—.

Then, a call came through.

[Little Brother]

“…!”

I checked the caller ID and answered quickly.

[Hyung? Hyung?! You’re awake?]

A voice filled with worry—similar to mine, yet somehow warmer.
It was really Seo Ho-jin.

[My class just ended! I stopped by this morning too…]

…His voice wavered slightly, but it was definitely Seo Ho-jin.

[I’m on my way to the hospital now. Why do you keep collapsing like this lately? Too much work? Being an idol isn’t something just anyone can do, seriously…]

Yeah, there was way too much work.
I’d entered the Unconscious Mind, encountered a version of you from childhood, witnessed the world crumble, and experienced another traffic accident.
Even though I’d died, all I could think about was your worry, left alone.
And yet, it was funny.
Hearing my brother’s voice directly,

[Brother?]

I felt reassured.
The wet, repulsive voice of a grown man—damn it—my scattered thoughts finally settled.
Reason returned, and I remembered the small boy here, Seo Ho-jin, who had asked me to grab a meal with him.

“Want me to buy you dinner?”

The words tumbled out through my hoarser-than-usual voice.

[Huh?]
“Let’s go eat something damn delicious. When do you want to go?”
[What’s suddenly… No, why?]
“Just because. I want to eat with you.”
[…Why are you giving me chills like this?]

Seo Ho-jin stammered in confusion.
He grumbled about what good food he was talking about when he was a patient, saying he should just eat hospital food and get better, but then rattled off his schedule anyway.

[Midterms end soon anyway… the day after tomorrow… no, tomorrow works too.]
“Got it.”
[What?! Can’t you eat regular food yet?!]
“Be quiet. You’re giving me a headache.”

Hearing the flustered boy’s voice, I chided him, but my anxiety eased a little.

[Why are you like this? Is something really wrong?]
“Why are you being so clingy with your brother, you grown man?”
[Wh-what?!]

I hung up while Seo Ho-jin was still stammering.
My heart, which had been pounding heavily, finally found its normal rhythm again.

‘Seo Ho-yoon, get yourself together.’

Even if the other me died, my tasks ahead remained unchanged.
The System Window made it clear: if I clear the game through idol activities, I’ll gain a new life, a new existence, and return to where I came from.
I couldn’t understand what this was or why it had saved me, but for someone like me who’d been given this second chance, such questions weren’t really important.

‘I need to finish this quickly and get back.’

If I was anxious about leaving Seo Ho-jin alone on the other side, then the solution was simple: finish quickly and return.
Ultimately, if I was worried about my brother, it meant I had to commit myself entirely to being an idol.

‘Then I’ll do it.’

No matter how much it sucked.
With a clear answer and a defined goal, my fighting spirit surged rather than my anxiety.

“Hey, Sung Ji…won….”

Only when I had a moment to look around did Sung Ji-won come to mind. I turned my head to apologize, but my thoughts froze in an instant.
Tears were streaming down from Sung Ji-won’s brown eyes.

“…What, what are you doing?”
“…Can’t you tell by looking?”

Well, I could tell, but….

“Why are you crying?”

I quickly pulled out tissues and offered them, but Sung Ji-won shook his head side to side and pushed me toward the bed.

‘Why is he being so dramatic?’

It’s not like I can’t collapse for a day or so.
Besides, my body seems perfectly fine.

“Hyung, we’re here! Ho-yoon Hyung, wake up…!”

The members, dressed in training clothes from practice, burst through the door.
Jung Da-jun, whose eyes met mine first as I awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed, had tears streaming down his face.

“Hyung! We thought you were dying!!”
“What are you talking about? Don’t exaggerate. Why would I be dying?”

I had actually died.
I figured there was no point in mentioning it—it wouldn’t do his mental state any good.
Sung Ji-won covered his eyes with his hand while his nose twitched, and Kim Sung-hyun hung his head low, his shoulders trembling.
A bunch of grown men gathered together crying like this was quite the spectacle.
I grabbed the water bottle I’d set out on top of the dresser and gulped it down before speaking.

“Why are you all making such a fuss? It was just a short nap.”
“…What?”

The members stared at me with bewildered expressions.

‘What’s going on?’

“Wait.”

As I furrowed my brow in confusion at their reaction, the members’ gazes crossed. Then Kim Sung-hyun raised his right hand.

“Seo Ho-yoon, do you know how long you were unconscious?”
“…How long has it been?”
“Nearly two days.”

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t properly checked the date and time while going through my messages.
The moment Kim Sung-hyun finished speaking, I checked my phone again. It hadn’t even been two full days since Kang Yi-chae’s mentor performance.

“…Wow, I really slept a lot.”

As I awkwardly fumbled for an excuse, the hospital room turned into a sea of tears once more.

“…Stop it. Seriously. Anyone would think I nearly died.”

Of course, I had died, as I said.
Sung Ji-won gently bit his lower lip before releasing it and spoke.

“Ho-yoon, you really did nearly die. …Your heart stopped for a moment.”
“…Cough, hack!”

I choked involuntarily, coughing.
I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
My heart had stopped?

‘Damn it, they found out about that too?’

“Wait, this didn’t get out to the public, did it…?”
“The Entertainment Company desperately suppressed it. Everyone knows you collapsed and were rushed to the Hospital, but…”

It was a story far more terrifying than any urban legend.
‘Idol S from a certain Group collapsed while watching a fellow Group member perform on Stage, and his heart stopped…’ If news like that had broken, I wouldn’t have the confidence to contain it, no matter how much of a noise marketing genius I was.

“Wow, you really dodged a bullet there.”
“…You!!”
“It’s fine, I don’t have any underlying conditions. It was just stress.”

Can stress really stop your heart?
I was uncertain, but in moments like this, there was nothing to do but insist.

“…Brother…”

Jung Da-jun trembled at my light remark, thrown out to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

“…Are you really that stupid, Brother?! Do you have any idea how worried we were after you were rushed to the Hospital? When Ho-yoon called to say you collapsed here, we all went pale…”
“Wait, hold on.”

Kim Sung-hyun calmed him down and stopped his words.

“Maknae, that’s enough. Seo Ho-yoon just woke up.”
“…”
“Hey. What do you… need?”
“I’m thirsty.”

I, who had been watching the atmosphere and only rolling my eyes, quickly grabbed the lifeline Kim Sung-hyun threw me.

“And I’m hungry too.”

For now, there was nothing more I could say, and honestly, nothing I could say at all.
As if he understood that, Kim Sung-hyun nodded without much response and rose from his seat.

“Wait a moment. I’ll ask if you’re allowed to eat.”
“Thanks, our baby.”
“Ugh, you crazy bastard…”

Kim Sung-hyun, rarely one to curse, let out a helpless laugh, patted my shoulder, and stepped out of the hospital room.

“Jung Da-jun, stop crying and come here.”
“…Sniff.”

I had to look after Jung Da-jun too.

‘Too soft-hearted for his own good.’

Jung Da-jun, who had been glaring at me with fresh indignation, trudged after Kim Sung-hyun with heavy, deliberate steps.

“Sniff!!!”
“….”

He seemed deeply offended.
And at the hospital room door, he let out one more defiant snort.
Only when the Leader returned and physically dragged the Maknae away by the scruff of his neck—who kept peering back into the room—did the situation finally end.
Sung Ji-won continued to shed tears silently before leaving without a word.

‘What is this atmosphere? I feel like a traitor.’

Still, after talking with Seo Ho-jin and seeing the members’ faces, I felt oddly better and sprawled across the bed.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Because of one person stubbornly remaining in the hospital room with an expressionless face, I still felt a bit awkward.

“….”

Kang Yi-chae simply stared at me without answering.

“Are you really angry?”

At my quiet question, Kang Yi-chae stroked his chin for a long moment before suddenly throwing a question back at me.

“You’re not asking?”
“…What?”
“You’re not asking who brought you here.”

My body went rigid in an instant.
I stared at him without even blinking, but Kang Yi-chae’s gaze traced downward along the long IV line.

“Someone so obsessed with their public image—I’m curious whether a fan discovered this or a staff member did.”
“….”

I was at a loss for words.

‘This bastard’s like a ghost.’

Kang Yi-chae was sharp and perceptive, but above all, he was sensitive with instincts that surpassed the ordinary.

‘His intuition is on a beast’s level.’

I knew he had his own temperament, and despite being a stubborn teammate who rarely listened, he was making genuine efforts to get along smoothly with everyone. I felt somewhat sorry for that.

“Kang Yi-chae, what I mean is—.”
“I’ve said it enough times to bore you. Don’t worry me.”

As long as you’re living healthy and happy, I respect whatever you do behind the scenes. So let’s actually talk and live together.

Click.

Kang Yi-chae rose from his chair and approached closer.
Lying in the bed, I squirmed backward, and he leaned over me with one arm braced against the headboard, looking down.

‘…Damn it.’

“Just so you know.”

Cold sweat broke out as I saw his expression stripped of all warmth.

“Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?”

Shit.
This bastard’s eyes had gone mad.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————