The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 270

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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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270

“Congratulations to you.”
“Senior, congratulations!”

Amid the flood of congratulatory remarks, I simply smiled brightly and moved forward. The members beside me chattered excitedly while holding the trophy.

“Should we go get meat today?!”
“Korean beef, yes!!”

While preparing for this comeback, the members had been confident in their own way, though that didn’t mean they weren’t nervous.
Having successfully completed the performance and achieved good results, they seemed utterly elated.

Today, as usual, I’d exchanged albums while greeting the members, and in the process, I’d casually skimmed through the stats of the idols. B, C, and occasionally A.
No group had stats as stable and consistently high as The Dun.
Even Jung Da-jun, often cited as the weakest among us, ranked above average when compared to others. Particularly, our maknae stood out uniquely with an A+ in variety show talent.

“Hyungs, what if we play a ladder lottery game today and whoever loses treats everyone?”
“Huh!! Me too?”
“Da-jun, you’re twenty-one now. You should experience the harsh realities of the world a bit.”
“Oh! So Jung Da-jun’s treating us today?”
“Wow, even Hyun-sung hyung?!”

At times like this, they all seemed a bit foolish.
I casually averted my gaze, pretending not to notice.

How much I’d agonized over preparing this album.
I’d visited Kang Yi-chae’s work studio countless times, and the Planning Team office’s threshold had worn thin from my constant trips.
The choreography had been meticulously crafted, and the concept was selected after thoroughly analyzing major and minor elements to find the perfect balance.

While becoming a national idol like Black Call with just this one song would be difficult, I believed we could at least lay the stepping stone for it.
As a result, there was already buzz about entering the first tier in our third year.

‘Such controversy itself is positive publicity.’

If there’s truly nothing to it, there wouldn’t be any interference.

“Ho-yoon!”

Sung Ji-won tapped my shoulder with an excited grin.

“Want to skip practice today?”
“What’s gotten into you?”
“Just because! Days like this are nice, aren’t they?”
“Seo Ho-yoon, Sung Ji-won. Should we go back to that place we visited last time?”

Our team’s practice machine was suggesting we take a break today, and I had no reason to refuse.
Leaving Kim Sung-hyun to his serious search for a good Korean beef restaurant, I draped my arm across the maknae’s shoulders.
He grumbled about how heavy I was, how I kept pressing down on his shoulders, which was why he was the shortest in the team, but I ignored his complaints and leaned in closer.
With how intensely I’d been focused lately whenever I stepped on stage, my stamina drained rapidly after each performance. Jung Da-jun knew this too, so despite his protests, he didn’t pull away from me.

I missed having Joo Woo-sung around to banter with.

Feeling a slight pang of regret at the lack of someone to tease, I twisted my stiff neck side to side when—

“Seo Ho-yoon!”

Ah, here comes my dark history.

“Oh, PD.”

Kim Hee-young strode across the hallway with a presence that made her small stature completely irrelevant.
Though she gracefully received the greetings from idols around her—her face was well-known as a PD—her gaze remained fixed on me the entire time.
The members, seeing Kim Hee-young approach, bowed respectfully and then excused themselves, telling me to take my time talking with her.
Kim Hee-young flashed me a smile and immediately fired off a question.

“What have you been up to?”
“Sorry?”
“What exactly did you do to change so much?”

Though she tried to hide it, I could see Kim Hee-young was slightly excited.
Her eyes swept down me quickly as she spoke.

“Your skin is still so radiant. And this hair color? It suits you incredibly well.”
“Ha, well, I appreciate that, but is that really all you wanted to say?”
“Your perceptiveness hasn’t changed either.”

Kim Hee-young, looking a bit sheepish as she brushed back her longer bangs than before, suggested we continue talking somewhere quieter and began walking.
Following her lead, we moved toward the outskirts of the Broadcasting Station, and before long, fewer people were around, giving way to a secluded spot.

“…There’s been a lot of talk lately, you know? And while it’s just hearsay, apparently Dae Pa-sung might be acquired soon?”
“The rumors have already spread that far?”
“Of course. I might even have gotten wind of this faster than most….”

Kim Hee-young let out a soft laugh.

“LV Entertainment is interested too.”

LV Entertainment.
The company where Yoo Ji-a, who rose from being the nation’s little sister to the queen of romantic comedies, and White Cherry are signed, and it’s counted among the most prestigious girl group agencies.
The reputation has been consistently excellent, and it’s grown rapidly recently as White Cherry gained significant recognition in the United States.
Moreover, LV Entertainment was famous for having deeper pockets than anywhere else.

“You know how it is. They seem to be struggling because every boy group they debut gets lukewarm responses.”
“I know.”

Of course, this was just one of several possibilities.
I’d also heard about several companies being considered to acquire Dae Pa-sung. LV Entertainment was new information to me, though.
After filing the information away in my mind, I asked Kim Hee-young a question.

“So that’s it?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t have any more information?”
“I just got back from vacation. That’s all I’ve heard so far….”

Kim Hee-young seemed slightly flustered, her words trailing off in an uncharacteristic way.

“That’s weak intel for a PD.”

When I threw out a slightly teasing jab mixed with humor, Kim Hee-young let out a laugh.
Though it carried more exasperation than anything else, the expression was so familiar that I couldn’t help but smile as well.

“…By the way, are you doing okay these days?”

Faced with that concern, offered after a brief silence, I couldn’t find the words to respond immediately.
I couldn’t pinpoint which aspect of my life she was asking about. There were simply too many things happening—more than I could count on both hands.
With more than a head’s difference in height between us, Kim Hee-young tilted her head slightly, making her expression harder to discern.

“Well, you know how it is. When your recognition grows, all sorts of issues pile up.”

Though she hadn’t specified directly, I had a sense of what prompted the question.
The Dun had been getting heavily criticized online lately.

How much longer will they milk that in-house production concept?
Stop using AR and pretending it’s live.
Have all the skilled idols died? What skilled performers?
And so on—….

‘She’s genuinely too kind for her own good.’

Instead of a serious answer, I simply shrugged my shoulders.
Apparently that was enough to convey my meaning, because Kim Hee-young let out a small sigh, then brushed back the hair falling across her eyes and spoke.

“Well, if you need more information later, just appear on my program once. Then I can help you find out whatever you need.”
“Whether it’s information or not, if PD Kim Hee-young asks me to appear, I’ll go anywhere.”
“Your words really do flow like water.”

Still, it didn’t seem to displease her. She said she was counting on me and turned to leave first.
I too walked slowly toward the parking lot where the van was waiting.

‘Controversy is as useful as it gets, Hee-young.’

Especially for The Dun right now, it was something to be grateful for. I’d already prepared contingencies for any potential problems that might arise.

Organizing my thoughts, I pressed the button for the elevator leading down to the underground parking lot.

Ding!

A familiar alarm sound rang out.

[Quest Arrived!
Draw positive public response to The Dun’s documentary currently in production!
Success: 10,000 Points Awarded
Failure: Significant Drop in Recognition]

[Did I do well?]

And another Quest arrives for me.

***

The community was buzzing with excitement as The Dun claimed first place on three music broadcasts in their first week back.

[Title: Are they handing out music show first places like candy these days?

My bad…
I was just trying to get attention by stirring things up

Damn… this is what The Dun really is… I’m about to lose my mind from pride..

Just a short while ago, barely anyone in the general public even knew about The Dun…
I was promoting them like crazy on my own, saying they’re handsome, hardworking, and funny, but nobody cared…
And Dae Pa-sung was absolutely terrible at his job…
But somehow the guys clawed their way up here on their own
Of course, thanks to goddess Ji-hyun,,

└Goddess Ji-hyun,, of course she’s a god,,
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m so touched that we’ve been together since Second Chanceㅠ Seeing the huge interview, it was a blastㅠㅠ
It seems like they’re resolving Dol-deok’s resentment through The Dun lol
Ugh, this is so obvious lol

By now, details about who handled which responsibilities at Dae Pa-sung and who performed well or poorly were being exposed.
Information about Lee Ji-hyun was also surfacing.

[Seriously, if I hadn’t worked so hard, I wouldn’t have been able to make it. The kids really dragged Daepaseong by the collar]

[ㄹㅇ The ability level is so crazy lol It’s been a long time since I exceeded the average, and this performance was just like watching a work of art…

└The kids thought about every single one of them ㅠㅠ
Hair, choreography, concept—literally everything..
└└Wait, seriously??]

The Dun had been preparing their regular album over quite an extended period, and YouTube was providing production support to film it as a documentary. It was a marketing strategy aimed at attracting new members—a method that modern OTT platforms favored because it could target younger demographics.
A staff member who had worked on the shoot at the time was so moved by The Dun’s passionate dedication that as soon as the documentary’s teaser dropped on YouTube, they quietly posted a review through SNS.
From start to finish. The content detailed how The Dun had weighed in on and confirmed every single aspect related to the album and songs, and the Noeul fans felt immensely proud.
However, backlash poured in simultaneously.

[Ah, these are all good, but the appeal of small and medium-sized self-production is too strong ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋ I feel embarrassed..]
“That’s what I’m saying lol. Honestly, how much could they have really participated? It’s all just products the Entertainment Company sells off anyway. They pick and choose what to receive, pretend to give their opinions, and just quickly take the results.”
Well, that alone is worth praising because you didn’t show up and listened to the company’s advice, but it’s embarrassing because the Nouls always make such a fuss ㅠ]
It’s not self-produced, it seems like self-manipulated lolol Kang Yi-chae’s genius appeal is way too much… The fact that he only does live streams from the Work Studio every time is a bit suspicious to me lolol

Watching people who had never truly looked at The Dun and had no intention to do so twist fragmented information into unconditionally cynical remarks left the Noeul fans speechless.

[To say such things about Kang Yi-chae..? That’s even more bizarre…
Our darling is… just spending time in the work studio because he doesn’t have many friends…
Wait, that’s actually true, but somehow saying it out loud makes me feel like I’m being foolish. Let me stop

Haha… I’m just stating the facts though…
└└Our fox is really kind and doesn’t bite…]

The Dawn’s fans typed ‘ㅋ’ on their keyboards with their fingers and raised their eyebrows, but they never forgot to report it.

[Title: The Dun is Hilarious

Seriously, they only stick together as a group
They’re completely like that here
They don’t have bad relationships with other groups or anything, they just don’t really care

└The only ones who are somewhat close with other group members are… Seo Ho-yoon – Joo Woo-sung… and very occasionally Kang Yeon-hu… but that’s a bit ambiguous to call close… more like business partners
Haha, what I’m saying is Kim Sung-hyun, Sung Ji-won, and increasingly Jung Da-jun—none of them come back outside, staying in that bright bedroom…
└└Da-jun is unexpected. Wasn’t he somewhat close with someone during the Shazam thing or something?
└└The group is so fun together that they’re too busy with each other
Haha, oh my baby’s bedroom, bedroom! 😭😭😭

While the Noeul fans chattered excitedly among themselves, waiting for the documentary, the notification from The Dun’s official YouTube channel finally arrived.
They rushed to access it, and there it was—a video titled “ep1. From Dawn To Dawn: Painting the World in Daybreak” had been uploaded.
The fans began watching with racing hearts.

【Our rising dawn. Yesterday, which we must release without regret. Today, which must always shine anew.】

Kim Sung-hyun’s calm voice flowed through as narration.

【And tomorrow, always together with the members.】

The closing moments of The Dun’s first concert.
The scene showed Noeul fans chanting “The Dun” while the members, drenched in sweat, bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
Everyone appeared radiant and happy.

【There are many difficult days, but how could we ever give up this joy?】

The Noeul fans were already shedding tears at the understated yet poignant words that pierced straight to the heart.

【This is my youth.】

[This is insane…]
[It came out really pretty ㅠㅠ Ugh ㅠㅠ… I feel nostalgic…]

The scene transitioned, and brief individual interviews with each member were inserted against the backdrop of the Blue Tiger Practice Studio.

【I always had to work hard. Opportunities aren’t always given to you.】
【I thought everything had to be perfect.】
【Because we want to give back to the fans more than what we’ve received.】

The Noeul fans clutched their chests, groaning with emotion, when suddenly the screen went black.

Whoooosh!

Excited squeals and the rapid friction of something rushing past filled the audio.

[What is this??]

When the screen returned, Jung Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae were riding together on a crude sled hastily made from a cardboard box on a snowy hill blanketed in white.

“Woohoo~~~!!!”

Jung Da-jun, who had been holding the box in front, released one hand and made a V-sign toward the camera before stumbling.
When he tripped over a protruding rock and lost his balance, the box flipped over, and Kang Yi-chae, who had been holding his shoulder, tumbled down the snowy slope alongside him.
After colliding with a nearby tree and coming to a stop, snow that had accumulated on the bare branches cascaded down onto both their heads.

“Kyaaaa~!”
“Collision~!!!”

[What are they doing?]
[Sudden sledding? Where did my emotional moment go?]
[Da-jun looks like a puppy with that fur hat on]

“Youth, indeed.”

As a deep voice rang out, the camera angle shifted.
The older members watching over the youngest ones came into frame.
Seo Ho-yoon sipped his cocoa and smirked.

[Is The Dun filming another sitcom?]

The Noeul fans’ tears dried up instantly.

—————
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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