The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 260

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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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260

On a certain day in February, when the biting cold wind still blew fiercely.
The Dun’s regular album preparation was progressing smoothly.

“Ugh… kill me….”
“…This is so hard….”

It was self-evident that the harder they worked and the more effort they poured in, the better the external response would be, so despite their groans of exhaustion, The Dun was immersed in practice every single day.
Coincidentally, all the variety shows they appeared on showed excellent results, and the collaboration with IRIX wrapped up well too.
Riding high on this momentum, The Dun decided to stake everything on this year’s regular album.

‘At this point, we’ve probably gathered enough initial sales momentum.’

From the title track to every B-side, everything had been selected brilliantly.
Now all that was needed was endless practice and a bit of luck.
Just when I thought everything was going smoothly,

《Surprise Announcement! Joo Woo-sung Comeback Showcase….》
《Writing the history of male idol solos… Joo Woo-sung, ‘I Still Have a Long Way to Go’》
《Doing great on my own ‘A New Leap’》

Joo Woo-sung had made his comeback.
And it was as a solo artist.

“Wow, he’s seriously insane….”
“He’s so incredible that he seems like an AI now.”
“He’s not on a human level.”

I’d vaguely heard that he was preparing for a solo, but I didn’t know it would be at this time.
After checking the showcase date, I took a break from practicing with the members and searched for the stage video while eating cup ramen together.
As the intro played and before the first lyric even started, my stomach began to twist.

“I’m really glad we avoided a comeback clash with Joo Woo-sung.”
“Hey! Aren’t you going to use the honorific?”

I chewed on Kim Sung-hyun’s words.
The thought that a solo album might hold its own evaporated the moment I saw the first-week sales figures.

【The distance between you and me is merely a single breath
Can I stare your eyes】

Joo Woo-sung had already transcended humanity on the Showcase stage.
Whether the album’s concept drew from mythological masterpieces, Joo Woo-sung stood alone, radiant beneath the lights—surrounded by back dancers in elaborate costumes, his body’s contours fully visible in a simple white turtleneck and form-fitting white slacks.

【I want to be simple before you
Can I hold you tight】

It wasn’t particularly a mainstream song, yet it was a track that unmistakably proclaimed his identity as Joo Woo-sung of Black Call, proving both his popularity and his abilities.
Sung Ji-won, watching alongside me, gasped in genuine admiration.

“Senior, your singing is really incredible.”
“Right, right! Honestly, when Woo-sung hyung and Ho-yoon hyung are together, he just seems like a friendly neighborhood older brother… but seeing this, he looks like a Hollywood star.”
“And he even participated in writing the lyrics!”

Kim Sung-hyun added to Jung Da-jun’s words, his eyes sparkling with the most excitement.
With his charm amplified to its maximum and his vocal abilities—previously overshadowed by Chae Jung-woo during group activities—finally on full display, people went absolutely wild for Joo Woo-sung.

“He’s seriously amazing…”

And The Dun was no exception.
Jung Da-jun, increasingly mesmerized by Joo Woo-sung’s performance and growing quieter by the second, had even forgotten how to breathe.
Once the four-minute video ended and I scrolled through the reactions, my irritation only deepened.

[Absolutely insane, I’m just sitting here with my mouth hanging open]
[When Black Call rehearses, all the idols waiting around come watch… and half of them are there just to see Woo-sung lol he’s really got them hooked]
[A genius who keeps developing even further, so cool
That kid acts all pitiful backstage too.

Honestly, it was well-received.
As a solo release, the sales were naturally weaker than Black Call’s existing album numbers, but if The Dun got involved, there was no question we’d lose.

“Ugh.”

‘Now that I think about it… this is pissing me off.’

Though Joo Woo-sung was said to be the most popular male idol currently, the fact that he couldn’t win against just one person was staggering.
He was truly writing the history of male idol solos, just as the article’s headline suggested.

“Hey, guys!”

Seo Ho-yoon splashed water on his face to hide his irritation, while Sung Ji-won, thoroughly provoked, asked the members a question.

“Should we practice more?”
“No, I’m heading to the dormitory.”
“Oh…”

When Seo Ho-yoon, who had recently become a practice machine and always stayed late in the Practice Room with them, flatly refused, Sung Ji-won’s expression grew slightly dejected.
However, Seo Ho-yoon had his own reasons for needing to return to the dormitory.

“Good work!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Seriously, the Company should lock the doors or something. I’m worried you’ll all damage your health from practicing so hard.”

In any case, they decided to call it a day and quickly tidied up the Practice Room.
In the van heading back to the dormitory, the newly assigned Road Manager lamented how The Dun practiced like a debut group every single time.
After Seo Ho-yoon showered and emerged, exhaustion weighing on his body, Sung Ji-won was already sprawled across the bed with a drowsy expression, slowly setting an alarm as he asked a question.

“What time do we need to wake up tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow we can sleep in a bit. Set it for around 10 AM.”
“But aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Of course I’m going to sleep.”

Seo Ho-yoon also set his alarm on his phone and lay down on the bed.
Soon, only the sound of Sung Ji-won’s ragged breathing filled the bedroom.

‘Joo Woo-sung is supposed to appear on Racing Me.’

Racing Me.
It was a variety show that enjoyed the highest popularity not only in South Korea but throughout the Chinese-speaking regions, famous for presenting diverse missions each time that left viewers with no room for boredom.
In particular, there was a mission that occasionally appeared where invited guests were asked to recruit close friends—it had been silent since last summer, making now the perfect timing for it to resurface.
Most importantly, with Joo Woo-sung appearing, no PD would let slip such a golden opportunity, and Joo Woo-sung would have no one else to call but Chae Jung-woo or himself.

The moment his body felt heavy and fatigue wrapped around him entirely,

Zzzziiing— zzziing—

My phone vibrated insistently.
I checked the time: 5 a.m.
Slipping quietly out of the bedroom so as not to wake Sung Ji-won, I made my way to the kitchen and filled the coffee pot with water.

‘The call should come soon.’

With that calculation in mind, I sipped my coffee to shake off the drowsiness and waited for the call.

‘—Right about now.’

As if on cue, my phone lit up with an incoming call.
The moment I saw the caller ID, my lips curved upward.
I downed the americano that never sat well with me in one shot and switched into my business voice.

“Yes, Hyung.”
[….]
“….”
[…Oh. My apologies. I seem to have dialed the wrong number.]

Click.

The call ended just like that.

‘This bastard?’

Irritation flared for a moment, but I quickly suppressed it.
The moment that bell rang, my going out was already decided.
By the time I’d pulled on Kang Yi-chae’s hoodie that had been tossed on the living room sofa and laced up my shoes, my phone rang again.

“You said you dialed the wrong number?”
[…It’s Seo Ho-yoon.]
“Get to the point.”

Mixed with Joo Woo-sung’s voice—slightly heavier than usual, as if he were tense—came the murmur of ambient noise.

[I’m in the middle of a variety show shoot right now, so I don’t have much time—let me explain quickly. The reason I called is—.]
“Okay.”
[—Huh? …Okay?]

It was clearly a last-minute casting call, so there was no reason to hear more explanation.

“I’m heading out now.”

After all, you have to seize good opportunities when they come.

.
.
.

After explaining the situation, my Manager came to pick me up even at this ungodly hour.
He said that appearing on a public broadcast variety show alongside the main group made time irrelevant.
Without even stopping by the shop, I arrived at the filming location looking disheveled, where Joo Woo-sung—who was radiating an aura all to himself as he entered his active period—greeted me.

“You’re disgusting….”
“Hahaha.”

In Racing Me’s irregular “recruit a friend” missions, new challenges were typically given from the moment the guest and the last-minute recruit met.
So before the sun even rose, I was dragged to the sea, rolled around in the mudflats, played word chain games with the staff, pulled out octopuses, and did group jump rope.

“Seo Ho-yoon, are you a variety show genius?”

Of course I am.

“Wow~!! Seo Ho-yoon, you’re incredible, seriously! How did you pull out that octopus?”
“Wait! How are you so good at word chains?”
“No, Seo Ho-yoon. Why are you so athletic too??”

Joo Woo-sung didn’t lift a finger, handling everything from my end.
The morning shoot ended with Joo Woo-sung riding the “Seo Ho-yoon” bus, just cheering enthusiastically from the corner.

“Okay, we’ve wrapped all the morning missions! Thanks to Seo Ho-yoon and Joo Woo-sung, we got the footage really quickly! Let’s grab lunch and continue shooting.”

Though a grueling schedule was expected, the progress moved faster than anticipated, and the staff members, anticipating an early wrap, passed by with bright smiles and friendly greetings toward me.

“Seriously, wow…. That guy….”

Joo Woo-sung muttered with a slightly exasperated expression.

“He ignores messages all the time, but he never misses something like this.”
“When did I ever ignore your messages?”
“The PD said this is the first time in Racing Me history that a casting was completed before he even mentioned the project.”
“Come on, hyung.”

I replied with a bright smile.

“When Woo-sung hyung calls, I have to drop everything and run.”
“Hyung? Hyuuung?? Excuse me, Seo Ho-yoon. I’m sorry, but I only have a younger sister.”

And I only have a younger brother, you bastard.

I glanced away, and my Manager seemed busy talking with the PD. I lowered my voice slightly and asked something I’d been curious about.

“Why did you call me?”

I’d been waiting for the call, but honestly, the odds were fifty-fifty.
There was also the option of Chae Jung-woo.

“The PD mentioned beforehand that since you’ve already done a solo, pairing you with a Black Call member might not feel fresh. And Jung Woo’s been swamped lately—his schedule doesn’t line up. The fans might give you some grief, but you’ve always been good at variety shows anyway.”
“Are you rapping?”
“Don’t be sarcastic.”

Joo Woo-sung, who’d been fumbling through his excuses as if he’d prepared them beforehand, looked slightly embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck with his palm before adding a few more words.

“It’s just. Lately, seeing the members’ faces feels a bit awkward. I’ve been thinking a lot about things. And I regret some of the times when I wasn’t in my right mind.”

I understood.
The staff members who’d finished their preparations began moving one by one. I heard they’d made a reservation at a famous local restaurant nearby, and everyone seemed to be heading there.
I was about to suggest we leave too when Joo Woo-sung’s lips twisted slightly.

“I hope I do well.”
“Huh?”
“For the members, for the fans.”

The shadow of long lashes trembled slightly beneath my eyes.
For some reason, I saw my own reflection in him. I too had moments when I felt sorry toward my fans.
And the image of his face when he looked at the fans during Black Call’s comeback as Kings came to mind.

“You’re doing well, you know.”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

“Huh?”
“You’re doing well without getting distracted.”

Watching such a talented guy made me irritated and bitter for no reason, yet Joo Woo-sung’s performances were never anything short of spectacular.
Feeling oddly uncomfortable, I shifted my gaze away.

“After seeing your solo performance, I thought you were insane.”

What I meant was that Joo Woo-sung also put in the effort.
He blinked a few times at my words, then let out a hollow laugh.
And soon, his expression grew serious as he spoke.

“Hey. Stop talking informally to me.”
“Yes, Hyung.”

I chuckled and naturally steered the conversation elsewhere.

“So what are you filming this afternoon? You said there are two major missions. One must be a spontaneous recruitment, so what’s the other?”

Whatever it is, it’s all within my grasp anyway.
It was something I said casually, but the answer that came back was unexpected.

“Yeah. A variety show PD experience.”

…Sometimes I feel like the world is playing a hidden camera prank on me.

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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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