The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 261

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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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261

Kim A-ri, a screenwriter who had been a devoted fan of Joo Woo-sung for four years—a “Black Call devotee”—was currently losing her mind.

‘Today’s guest is Joo Woo-sung!!’

I actually managed to book Joo Woo-sung!
I’d only been trying to earn every last penny I could to support my kids.
Becoming a screenwriter for a thriving popular public TV program and actually getting to work alongside Joo Woo-sung—it felt surreal.
Before heading to work, she’d even bowed deeply to her most treasured Joo Woo-sung bromide.

‘Insane… what if Chae Jung-woo shows up as a last-minute guest today?’

The moment that thought crossed her mind, her heart began racing erratically. Kim A-ri quickly swallowed some herbal medicine she’d bought days ago.
And then she arrived at the broadcasting station.
She conducted a handover with the morning team who’d been working since dawn.

“Seo Ho-yoon has been booked.”
“Oh~, he’s really hot right now. That’s great.”
“Right? But apparently Seo Ho-yoon accepted the booking in just 5 seconds?”
“5 seconds?!”

‘Ah… so it’s not Chae Jung-woo.’

Though it was a variety show appearance for his solo track promotion, she’d been hoping Chae Jung-woo would appear….
The Main PD had mentioned wanting to book someone Joo Woo-sung was genuinely comfortable with, so he’d called Seo Ho-yoon right away.

“Still, Woo-sung…”

At least he had a friend close enough to call at dawn. That was something to be grateful for.
She recalled when Joo Woo-sung was a rookie on a quiz show and had used his lifeline to call Chae Jung-woo five times in a row—and tears welled up slightly.

‘Come to think of it, he’s really been working hard lately.’

About two years ago, there were occasional rumors circulating that Joo Woo-sung was seeing someone. Back then, the fans’ reactions seemed to validate it, and I genuinely thought there was some credibility to the gossip.
However, at some point, he meticulously cleaned up his surroundings and handled things so well with fans that such talk was relegated to mere idle speculation from obsessive followers.
His main work was flawless, as always. And there was nothing wrong with being close to a junior from another group, a.k.a. Seo Ho-yoon.
Seo Ho-yoon’s image wasn’t bad either.

“Didn’t Joo Woo-sung call Seo Ho-yoon during a variety show before?”
“They really do seem close. But both of their images are so likable, you know? Fans say they hate male idols hanging out together, but these two are kind of an exception. Even when paparazzi chased them around, they’d always just go eat fried rice… ugh, A-ri, why do you have that expression?”
“It’s nothing…”

Even as I thought that, a slight sense of disappointment crept in.
Why couldn’t he get closer to his own group members instead?

“Hello, Joo Woo-sung!”

But that feeling was short-lived. The moment Joo Woo-sung appeared before me, my mind went blank and my heart raced wildly.

“Oh, hello.”

I couldn’t see anything around me, and it felt as though radiance poured down from the ceiling while angelic voices sang from somewhere unseen.
Still, this was work, so I desperately tried to keep my composure and greeted him with feigned nonchalance.
Soon, Joo Woo-sung began conversing with the Main PD, and whenever his gaze met the screenwriters’, he flashed a bright smile.

“Thank you for your help today.”

‘Oh… damn… I’m getting LASIK done…’

Beneath his neat, dark brows, the slightly raised corners of his eyes folded softly.
He used to feel colder before, but now with more experience and composure, he seemed much gentler.
Just then, a man appeared carrying a full coffee carrier.

“Brother.”

It was Seo Ho-yoon.

“…Huh? What?!”

Joo Woo-sung looked slightly flustered, and when Seo Ho-yoon handed him a green tea latte, he accepted it awkwardly.
Then Seo Ho-yoon distributed coffee to the staff members with a gentle smile.

“Hello, Screenwriter. I’m Seo Ho-yoon.”
“Ah, yes.”

When it was my turn to meet him, Seo Ho-yoon’s face was far more handsome than I’d expected.
It wasn’t my type, so I didn’t have much interest, but it was clear the camera didn’t capture everything about him in person.

“How did you know I liked this?”
“Just a guess.”

Next to Joo Woo-sung, who was sipping his green tea latte with bright, delighted eyes, Seo Ho-yoon glanced around the broadcasting station with an oddly stiffened expression.

‘But how did they get so close?’

Black Call’s fans couldn’t help but know.
That Joo Woo-sung was selective about people and kept his distance.
Seo Ho-yoon’s sudden appearance on Joo Woo-sung’s StarStar channel, along with that title of “close junior,” didn’t quite add up.

“Alright, let’s start filming!”

Kim A-ri watched Seo Ho-yoon with hawk-like eyes.
And she gradually picked up on something suspicious.
First of all.

“This mission is to find a fake PD among variety show producers! You need to find the actor among the PDs working at the designated location.”

Seo Ho-yoon’s demeanor was far too composed.

“Haven’t you seen all the PDs’ faces today?”
“Several variety show PDs from our broadcasting station have agreed to help.”
“…Then how are we supposed to know?”
“Haha, you only get one chance. If you fail, you’ll have to work overtime at the broadcasting station with us, deal?”
“…”

As the difficulty of the mission sank in, Joo Woo-sung’s blinks accelerated, yet Seo Ho-yoon simply sipped his hot chocolate with leisurely composure.

‘Suspicious.’

A distinct scent emanated from his behavior.
A thick, fishy smell of doubt.

Next, the second suspicious thing.

“We’re screwed, totally screwed. At this rate, I’ll have to head home early today. I need to play with Nyang-nyang.”
“Brother. Not that way, this way.”

It was oddly suspicious how well Seo Ho-yoon knew the broadcasting station’s layout.
Even for celebrities, it was difficult to know the ins and outs of a place unless you were regularly filming on set.
Yet this was already the third time Seo Ho-yoon had grabbed Joo Woo-sung’s arm as he grumbled and corrected his direction.

‘What’s going on? Does he know someone who’s a PD or something? How could he know the place this well?’

Had he dated a PD?
The suspicions only deepened, and meanwhile, Joo Woo-sung was flashing bright smiles at the PD, trying to extract even the smallest hint. Seo Ho-yoon watched from beside him, clearly amused.

Finally, the suspicious point—the third one.

“This is how editing is done.”
“Oh~.”
….

Every time the PDs edited, Seo Ho-yoon’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
He showed nothing else on his face, but Kim A-ri, who had been watching him intently, caught that subtle shift.

“Then I’ll show you the rough cut screening.”

A rough cut screening was a kind of meeting where the first-pass edited footage was reviewed by directors, screenwriters, and others to identify the entertaining and boring parts and determine the editing direction.
Throughout the rough cut screening, Joo Woo-sung kept poking at the innocent PDs, thinking things like ‘This guy’s opinion is so bland, that’s suspicious’ and ‘That person is completely awkward, right?’
Meanwhile, Seo Ho-yoon sat with his lips sealed, scribbling something on a blank sheet of A4 paper.

“Today’s edit was done by a new PD, and they don’t seem to lack skill. They did pretty well. Haha.”

The main PD of Racing Me added what amounted to praise.
However, as the rough cut screening progressed, Seo Ho-yoon’s face grew dark, as if he’d witnessed something unbearable.

‘…Huh?’

It was the kind of expression a man outside the window might have—looking pitifully and thinking, ‘Oh no, this won’t do…’
Moreover, as Seo Ho-yoon kept fidgeting with his pockets, Joo Woo-sung leaned his body slightly and whispered softly.
Of course, Kim A-ri, whose ears were perked up, heard it as clearly as if he were speaking through a megaphone.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so restless today?”
“…Huh?”
“And you keep stammering about something.”

After a long silence, Seo Ho-yoon finally opened his mouth.

“…I’m looking for candy.”

Candy?
Joo Woo-sung tilted his head slightly and asked.

“Do you want some candy? Should I get you some?”

Muttering that I must be sick somewhere, Joo Woo-sung raised his hand and said he’d be back after a quick bathroom break, then left the conference room. A Staff Member with a camera followed him.
Moments later, Joo Woo-sung returned with an armful of snacks.
He handed drinks and snacks to the others in the conference room, and pushed a bag of candy directly into Seo Ho-yoon’s hands.
Kim A-ri’s eyes gleamed.

‘Wait.’

The moment her instincts clicked into place, Seo Ho-yoon, who had popped two candies into his mouth at once and was mumbling, nudged Joo Woo-sung.

“Pick one. Do you want more footage?”
“Huh?”
“Or should we call it a day early?”

At my confident remark, the main camera subtly shifted and focused intensely on Seo Ho-yoon.
I could already picture the caption: “This guy’s got style… a heart-breaker in the office!”
Joo Woo-sung, who would have failed the mission alone, looked at Seo Ho-yoon with glistening eyes and covered his mouth.
All the Staff Members burst into laughter at the sight.

“Should we wrap up and head out early?”

.
.
.

And in just one second, Seo Ho-yoon identified the fake PD.

“Aha, my apologies. Did I cut too much of the footage?”

I laughed casually as I apologized. At that sight, hearts literally sparkled in the eyes of every staff member.

“Seo Ho-yoon, you’ve become human, you’ve really become human….”
“No wonder you’re so popular with the staff. I haven’t even finished yet but you’re clocking out—it’s been forever since I’ve left this early. And the footage is packed.”
“Phew, you should all head home soon.”

From behind, Joo Woo-sung watched Seo Ho-yoon’s casual demeanor with a subtle gaze.
Kim A-ri, reluctant to let Joo Woo-sung leave as things stood, spun her thoughts rapidly before opening her mouth.

“But since we’re calling this a PD experience, it feels like a shame to just end it here. PD, what if we let these two actually taste what it’s like to be a real variety show PD—just a little sample?”

There were still things I wanted to verify about Seo Ho-yoon.

“Oh! That’s a great idea. If we film something short for YouTube’s early release, that’d be perfect. Come to think of it, when I saw The Dun’s self-produced content being edited, you were incredibly skilled at it.”
“…Ha ha. I’m not that skilled, but thank you for saying so.”

There it was.
Seo Ho-yoon’s response came with that characteristic half-beat delay.

“So, want to give it a try? How about you, Joo Woo-sung?”
“I’m completely hopeless with technology—my phone’s only good for calls and texts. I’ll just watch him do it.”

Once the additional shoot was confirmed, everyone moved to the editing room.

“So what would work well? Cross-editing of idols has been trending lately—what about something like Black Call cross-editing? Maknae! You said you’ve been doing cross-editing as a hobby lately, right?”

The designated Maknae PD hesitated before stepping forward, then slowly explained the editing controls to Seo Ho-yoon.

“You can’t use too many inserts. And for cross-editing, it’s important that the transitions flow naturally….”

My lips, which had initially curved upward, gradually began to fall.

‘What could it be?’

Every time the New PD said this wasn’t right, I tilted my head with innocent eyes, and reflected in the mirror behind me was my own image muttering: “Black Call? I don’t really know them… They’re famous these days, right? Blo-i? What’s that? But Chae Jung-woo? Joo Woo-sung? Solo track MYTH? What were the first-week sales?”
Given my line of work, I hated gossip getting out, so I was thoroughly hiding the fact that I was a Blo-i.

“Ah, no. Before tackling something difficult like that, you should learn how to cut cross-cutting scenes first, right? Haha.”
“Hahaha.”

Seo Ho-yoon’s laughter wasn’t really laughter. His eyes weren’t smiling.
Watching that, my suspicion gradually hardened into certainty.
Seo Ho-yoon was obsessing over something.
If he’d learned video editing because of that obsession, then all of Seo Ho-yoon’s behavior up until now made sense.
His composure could be his natural temperament, and how well he knew the broadcasting station’s layout was still a mystery.

‘So that’s it.’

In an instant, my wariness toward Seo Ho-yoon melted away, and I felt a sudden warmth toward him as a person.
Seo Ho-yoon, who had been listening intently to the New PD’s continued explanation, bowed deeply as soon as the explanation ended.

“…Thank you for the kind explanation. Then I’ll give it a try.”

And the moment Seo Ho-yoon sat down in the chair, his eyes turned sinister.
The original intention was to create a heartwarming, cute short clip and a video to upload to YouTube for promotion….

Click.
Click-click-click.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!

“…!!”

As the sounds of the mouse and keyboard echoed, the production staff gasped in shock.

“Wow! Wait, what? Seo Ho-yoon, what was that just now?”

Ignoring the murmurs around him, Seo Ho-yoon finished the work in an instant, then blew his bangs out of his face with a breath and played the video from the beginning again.
Joo Woo-sung, standing behind him, watched curiously at his edited appearance.

“Wow, you made Kings look like my solo performance.”
“Hey. Ho-yoon, you can do this too?”
“What…. Wait. Ho-yoon. Did you really memorize my choreography?”

It was clearly a cross-cutting edit of Black Call Kings, but it had been transformed to look just like Joo Woo-sung’s solo performance.
While Joo Woo-sung was moved once again, Kim A-ri, standing outside the camera’s view, was equally touched.

‘Jackpot….’

Nowadays, foot cam shots were rare, but the camera work was still often excessive or focused too heavily on faces, making the choreography hard to see—something that had frustrated me as a fan countless times.
However, this video scratched that itch perfectly, methodically correcting those issues and presenting everything in pristine condition.

‘Seo Ho-yoon, I have no idea what you’re actually selling, but you’re clearly a devoted fan.’

He was at least at the level of a YouTube editor with hundreds of thousands of cross-cut edits under his belt.

“So we’re done now, right?”

Joo Woo-sung asked the Main PD, thinking the additional shooting should wrap up around here,

“Where do you think you’re going.”

A sharp, cutting voice rang out.

“…Yes?”

Joo Woo-sung, who had been about to lift himself from his chair, froze in an awkward posture and looked at Seo Ho-yoon, whose mood appeared decidedly grim.
Seo Ho-yoon, who had been fixing sections of the video with his eyes fixed on the monitor, stopped his clicking mouse.

“…Ah.”

A cold silence descended over the surroundings.

“―Haha.”

Turning his head slowly, Seo Ho-yoon instantly composed his expression.

“Oh my, I’ve been keeping you all here, haven’t I? I’m so sorry.”

With a smile as radiant as flowers scattering in the breeze, the tension dissolved as if nothing had happened.
Seo Ho-yoon continued smiling as he repeatedly pressed Ctrl+S, then stood up from his seat.

“Thank you for your hard work. Today’s shoot was really fun.”
“Yes! Ho-yoon, Woo-sung, you both worked so hard~!”

Seo Ho-yoon glanced somewhat reluctantly at the computer before bowing respectfully to the staff, and Joo Woo-sung, after greeting them as well, quickly grabbed Seo Ho-yoon’s arm and pulled him away.

“Get out of the editing room quickly. I’m scared being here with you.”
“…You’ve got good instincts.”
“Huh?”

Kim A-ri watched the two bickering and playfully squabbling as they walked away, her eyes warm with amusement.
Once they turned the corner and disappeared from view, Kim A-ri turned her gaze back toward the editing room, where the staff members had gathered and were whispering among themselves.

“Where is it? …Oh, this is really clean and sophisticated. Isn’t this Senior You’s work?”
“It’s not mine? This is so skillfully done—could it be this senior’s? I should ask later.”

However, that storyboard had actually been sketched in a corner by a second-tier Idol who was watching a preview.
And this truth only spread quietly within the broadcasting station through the Racing Me’s New PD, who had played back the footage for editing, let out a startled cry, and shouted in surprise.

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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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