The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 278

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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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278

“Ah… capital?”

I turned my gaze away from Jung Sun-ui, who was nodding as if he understood what I was getting at, and gave Lee Ji-hyun a meaningful look. She promptly handed over the documents she’d prepared.

“This is The Dun’s activity plan for this year.”

It was a plan I’d already completed back around November of last year.
I didn’t expect every single detail to be accepted as-is, but it was a kind of declaration of intent.
This is how we intend to operate.
Jung Sun-ui, the Planning Team Lead, quickly skimmed through the plan, then closed it with a sharp sound and set it on the table.

“What about comebacks?”
“We’re planning on two more, going forward.”

After hearing Lee Ji-hyun’s response, Jung Sun-ui tapped his finger against the paper as if weighing various considerations.

“We’d like to push the overseas tour to next year.”

As Dae Pa-sung added their input, the expressions of the WH Entertainment staff members hardened slightly.
Noticing this, Jung Sun-ui’s smile deepened at the corners of his mouth.

“For detailed discussions, we’ll need to hear from our WH Planning Team and each management team as well, so this doesn’t seem like the right setting for such matters.”

She gathered the plan and stood as if to signal the meeting’s end.

“And please avoid going live whenever possible. WH doesn’t determine content on a whim, and besides, we can’t have anyone’s mental state shaken by strange comments during a time like this.”

My eyebrows twitched.
It was unmistakably a subtle power play.
Even beneath her courteous tone, there was a clear implication that I should be prepared to give as good as I got.
In a way, even in moments like this, she was being compared to Dae Pa-sung.

“Sincerely, we welcome you to WH Entertainment. We look forward to The Dun’s future activities.”

As WH staff members and Dae Pa-sung employees exchanged handshakes and greetings one by one, Jung Sun-ui spoke up as if he’d just remembered something.

“Ah, is The Dun still living in temporary accommodations? If you don’t mind, how would you feel about moving into new dormitories that we provide? We’re rather particular about security.”

The words were phrased as a suggestion, but the underlying message was clear: you should move.

“That sounds perfect.”

There was no real reason to object, after all.
Before my Manager could open his mouth, I beat him to it with a smile and answered first.
The number of people camping outside our current dormitory had only been growing, and Dae Pa-sung’s security measures were woefully inadequate.
I thought the first meeting would wrap up more smoothly than expected, and as we turned to leave the meeting room, Jung Sun-ui called me back.

“Seo Ho-yoon, do you have a moment to talk?”
“Of course.”

Following him, I found myself in a rest room furnished with comfortable-looking sofas and vending machines offering complimentary drinks.
After offering me a seat, Jung Sun-ui settled onto the sofa across from me and spoke.

“It’s nothing major, but I’ve noticed you tend to speak through others rather than directly.”

Impressive.

“Haha, I’m not sure what you mean?”

His perception was sharp too.
As the Planning Team Lead of a major entertainment company, he certainly had the experience to back it up.

“During the meeting just now, the Dae Pa-sung staff kept looking only at you whenever I spoke. I also watched The Dun’s documentary that YouTube sponsored and produced last time, and it seems you’re quite involved in the group’s operations.”
“My, I’m honored you watched it.”
“…Mm. You’re quite skilled at deflecting, too.”

Jung Sun-ui dropped his smile entirely and met my gaze head-on with a serious expression.

“WH and Dae Pa-sung are quite different. We’ll do our best to accommodate you, but I can’t promise that The Dun won’t have to make one-sided adjustments to align with us. Still, and I mean this sincerely, we have high expectations.”
“I see.”
“You might feel it’s difficult to express your opinions directly, but as artists, your perspectives are always welcome. I’ll read through the plan you submitted carefully.”

With that addition, Jung Sun-ui glanced down at The Dun’s activity plan resting on his lap.

“But… there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why did you schedule such an intensive activity plan?”

In truth, once an idol’s recognition rose to a certain level and they accumulated enough experience, the standard approach was to reduce activity frequency to prevent image fatigue, while instead focusing on elevating the quality of each album.
But,

“To target the Daesang.”
“…Pardon?”
“The Daesang.”

As I repeated it clearly and deliberately, Jung Sun-ui’s eyes widened slightly before she lifted her gaze toward the ceiling.

“…Well, yes. I understand Seo Ho-yoon’s intentions for now.”

She clearly thought it was impossible.
But rather than add more words, I simply curved my lips upward slightly.
Whatever calculations were running through her mind, she smiled as well and abruptly shifted the direction of the conversation.

“By the way, Seo Ho-yoon, have you thought about acting? Your performance in ‘Please Camera’ was really impressive—.”
“No.”
“…But you’re so good at acting—.”
“No.”
“…Really?”
“No.”

Why would I, anyway?
For whose benefit?
Of course, whether it was dramas or films, increasing my solo activities would expose The Dun’s name one more time, but spending that time on group variety shows, shooting in-house content, or pouring effort into preparing other albums was far more worthwhile.

“You’re quite the iron wall.”

As I rejected her with a gleaming business smile, Jung Sun-ui clicked her tongue regretfully. Yet her eyes still held no sign of surrender.
Sensing that staying longer would become tedious, I rose from my chair.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”
“Yes, take care on your way out. And please take good care of yourself.”

As I exited the Rest Room and turned the corner at the end of the hallway, the System Window surfaced in my mind.

[Still, it looks like things will go better than expected at WH Entertainment too!]

“No.”

Apart from what the Dormitory and WH Entertainment provided as standard, I hadn’t received any definitive answers.

“Jung Sun-ui, the Planning Team Lead, is a total raccoon.”

He maintained that perpetually gentle smile, but his skill at dodging questions and stalling was no joke. His insistence on carefully reviewing the proposal probably meant he was assessing whether it was worth investing in.

Even with the multi-label system in place, WH Entertainment’s influence would inevitably reach Dae Pa-sung.
If The Dun failed to prove our worth, we’d be coldly discarded. There were plenty of other idols worth nurturing in a place like this anyway.
That’s why the members and fans couldn’t simply be happy about it either.

‘Well, I know this type well enough.’

But handling people like this was also one of my specialties.
I knew exactly what approach would work on them.

The moment I turned my body toward the elevator, walking along the corridor with its full-length windows offering an unobstructed view of the Han River,

“…Huh? Seo Ho-yoon?”

I spotted Kang Yeon-hu.
Tears streaming down his face in little droplets.
Faced with such an absurd situation, a question tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

“Are you crying?”
“…What?”

At my gesture, Kang Yeon-hu flustered and quickly wiped beneath his eyes with the back of his hand, then looked at me and held up the artificial tears he was holding.

“I had LASIK surgery, LASIK. Why would I be crying? And more importantly, why are you speaking informally to me?”
“Huh? Me? When?”

True enough—someone who’d endured such a long trainee career and managed to debut through WH Entertainment, surviving all this time, wouldn’t cry over something like this.

“Ha….”

As I played dumb and feigned innocence, Kang Yeon-hu sighed and stuffed the artificial tears into his pants pocket, then noticed my cast and gestured to the windowsill beside the elevator, telling me to sit.
I graciously accepted his kindness and added playfully,

“I thought you were crying because you were happy to become family with us, senior.”
“You really do speak strangely. So you’re happy about this?”
“Of course. We’re WH Entertainment.”

As I replied calmly, Kang Yeon-hu’s brow furrowed slightly before quickly smoothing out again.

“Even with all that chaos among the fans?”

I shrugged, and Kang Yeon-hu exhaled a long sigh once more.

“Sigh….”

Multiple emotions seeped through that sigh.

“There’s a lot of talk going around….”

He didn’t elaborate on what kind of talk, but I could roughly guess without hearing it.
Probably stuff like whether High Five was abandoned, whether they’d stop investing now, whether they’d given up—that sort of thing.
For now, the invested money would keep support flowing, but High Five would constantly be compared to The Dun, and if they fell behind, the risk of being discarded by WH Entertainment would be significant. Of course, The Dun would face the same anxiety.

“I don’t know how it came to this… but what can we do about the company’s decision?”

This was the first time I’d seen Kang Yeon-hu looking so anxious since the “Wanna Sing With Me?” variety show.
He was always skilled at masking himself.

“We’re really going to grit our teeth and prepare for this.”

Yet his eyes still sparkled.
Like someone who hadn’t lost sight of their goal.
I laughed at those spirited words.

“Of course. Yeon-hu, you love the stage anyway.”
“….”

Kang Yeon-hu froze like a robot with a corrupted command, then after a moment, murmured quietly in the silence.

“…Now I understand why Jung Won-ha fell for it so easily.”
“Who’s that?”
“You know exactly who. That poor guy who got deceived by some dark-hearted schemer on Shining Star Season 2.”

But right now, I meant every word of it.

“…Thinking about it just irritates me. I’m leaving now. Let’s just keep our distance as much as possible.”
“Why? If you cry, I can lend you my shoulder.”
“If I cry, I’ll cry with my members!”

Kang Yeon-hu, clearly fed up, turned his back and walked away quickly.

‘Still, it’s nice to see him so spirited.’

I chuckled softly and pressed the elevator button, replaying my conversation with Kang Yeon-hu in my mind.
I’d said I didn’t know how things had come to this, but truthfully, I wasn’t entirely ignorant.
Broader IP expansion? Pursuing diverse values?
Of course, these were the kinds of added value WH Entertainment sought to gain through this acquisition and merger.
But ultimately, the truth was simple.

‘It’s money, kid.’

In any corporation, the most important thing was profit—first, second, and hundredth priority alike.
Or rather, the targets that could generate such profit.
As the elevator arrived at my floor and I stepped inside, my thoughts continued.

‘If The Dun is to avoid becoming a forgotten relic….’

While it was still difficult to judge with certainty, based on the rumors circulating in the industry and what I’d felt today, it seemed WH Entertainment would invest appropriately if something proved profitable.
It didn’t matter whether it was another group of similar standing or a multi-label venture.
All that mattered was recording high returns relative to the investment.

And soon, Dae Pa-sung’s first quarter sales figures would be released.
The sales from the 【Dim Light】 album.
Moreover, once we migrated to the global fandom platform, the influx of overseas fans would grow even more than it already had, and that would translate into sales as well.
As I arrived at the parking lot in the basement of the building and headed toward where the van was parked, Sung Ji-won spotted me and waved with a bright smile.

“Oh, Ho-yoon~!”

At the same time, the members’ gazes turned toward me.
Reflexively, I smiled back at them.

“Why?”
“Ho-yoon, listen! I said we’d head back right away, but the WH Planning Team wanted to have a quick word with the Dae Pa-sung staff, so we have some time. That’s why the members and I were talking about touring the company a bit. Want to come with us?”

I pushed away Kim Sung-hyun’s hand as he drew near to support me, while Jung Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae were already brimming with excitement.

“Hyung! Hyung! This is insane! They say every meal here is a full buffet!! Can we have dinner before we leave?!”
“Can I, can I check out the Composition Studio?!”
“Then can I also see the Practice Room where Joo Woo-sung trains?!”

His face looked the same as always, but even Kim Sung-hyun’s ears had turned crimson—he seemed to be in a state of excitement.
I smiled gently.

“I don’t want to.”
“….”
“….”
“Ho-yoon’s leg hurts.”

The members’ mouths snapped shut in an instant.

“…What? Is Ho-yoon being difficult?”
“I have no idea anymore….”

Their spirits dampened, the members grumbled as they climbed into the van.

Wait for it, you bastards.
A cunning schemer like me always has a plan.

***

Dae Pa-sung was acquired by WH Entertainment at lightning speed—faster than roasting beans over a flash fire.

[WH must have been waiting for this]
[In my K-pop life, I’ve never seen an acquisition happen this fast lolololol was everything already decided?… Plus they’re moving the headquarters gradually]
[Right?… But the WH New Headquarters is massive]

Even as it came under WH Entertainment, The Dun continued to operate under the Dae Pa-sung name as a multi-label, a development that captured the attention of not just Noeul fans but many others invested in K-pop.
With the exception of Black Call’s fanbase, Bloi.

[What’s Joo Woo-sung up to these days?]
[I wonder if I’ll get to see Joo Woo-sung do a one-on-one live with a member before I die… The awkwardness between them would be so damn cute…]

└How can you find something like that cute?
└└What do you even know about Joo Woo-sung?]

Black Call’s fans didn’t react as much as expected.
While WH Entertainment was already a major agency, it had grown rapidly after going public and Black Call’s debut—so much so that people joked that Black Call had built half of the WH Entertainment New Building.
Moreover, since there was such a massive gap between The Dun and Black Call, it was only natural that people’s conversations centered on The Dun and High Five instead, making the disparity even more pronounced.

[But both groups’ members are surprisingly quick to pick up on things
They don’t say anything in particular… The company probably gave them a heads-up, but they’re still really careful

└No, I feel like the kids are paying too much attention to meㅠㅠ I’m a little worried thoughㅠㅠ
└└There’s nothing I can do about itㅠㅠ]

[High Five might not have much recognition domestically, but they’re really popular in Southeast Asia, and The Dun is big in Korea, the United States, and Japan…]
[I just hope that both groups do well, but honestly, I’m worried.. It’s natural that people around me will talk a lot ㅠ]
[You guys… I’ve been drinking again today…
My own transfer wouldn’t have been this stressful…]

Naturally, in this situation, the sunsets were anxious.

[WH I ask…]

In particular, The Dawn was also full of worries as it was obvious that their activities would be restricted and interfered with by former WH Entertainment idols.

[UNTRANSLATED LINE 304]
[So, The Dawn is the king of communication, but if it goes that far, it would be really annoying..]

However, since it was impossible to change what had already been decided, the sunsets did not want to lose their cheerfulness even though it was a time of concern in many ways.
But since the decision had already been made, there was no changing it. Despite the worrying times ahead, the Noeul fans tried not to lose their cheerfulness.

[No, but I do this
[Wait, but I was thinking about this
I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before

I’ve seen that face somewhere before, so I tried to think about it.
└Forehead slap!!!!!

Forehead smack!!!!!
Oh right hahahahaha that’s hilarious lol

[Occasionally, trolls show up asking if it’s not fortunate that The Dun escaped Dae Pa-sung’s cobweb-covered building,

As they were exchanging subtle jokes, The Dawn’s live alarm popped up on the entertainment platform owned by WH Entertainment.

【The Dawn High School Talent Contest】

The title of the live performance was unusual.

[Holy shit]

The first thing that caught the eyes of those who logged in was a practice room equipped with bright LED lighting and the latest sound equipment. It was definitely not the shabby and dark practice room of Daepa Castle that they knew.

[New Hull building]

Next was Seo Ho-yoon’s face, which suddenly popped out from the side and came closer to the camera.

[Holy Yongan]

At first, I couldn’t fully interpret the information that came through my eyes and was so shocked that I stuttered, but eventually the sunsets grabbed the back of my neck.

“Hello, Sunset.”

Because he came back with black hair. Even neatly dressed in school uniform.

“Hello~~!!”
He had returned to black hair. And he was even wearing a neat school uniform.

“Hey~~!!”
“Hello.”

The members followed, poking their faces out one by one.

Seo Ho-yoon said, curling the corner of his mouth.

“—We are planning to present a girl group dance relay.”

Seo Ho-yoon is making a fuss again.
“—we’re planning to showcase a girl group dance relay.”

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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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