The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 289

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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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289

“Brother’s here, damn it.”

I kicked open the studio door and strode inside.
This exclusive work studio, provided by WH Entertainment to Kang Yi-chae, had become The Dun’s new headquarters. Kang Yi-chae had even moved the sofa he’d been using at the Dae Pa-sung studio here as-is.
As always, the members were planted on it like it was their rightful place.

“Why are you bursting with energy today?”
“I’m in a bad mood. Hey, I brought snacks.”
“Awesome!!”

I set the convenience store bag on the table and flopped onto the sofa.
Watching the members huddle together to peek inside, I recalled what a certain Mr. Joo from WH Entertainment had said. The individualist had shaken his head disapprovingly at how we stuck together like glue, asking, “Don’t you guys ever get tired of each other?”

“The Melona ice cream I asked for should be… yeah, no way. Instead, I grabbed some ginseng drinks.”

Has Jung Da-jun rubbed off on Kim Sung-hyun?
Kim Sung-hyun, who’d initially clicked his tongue disapprovingly at buying ice cream, was now hunting for Melona just like the youngest member.

“It’s good for your health. Drink it.”
“Yeah….”

Meeting my gaze, Kim Sung-hyun quietly took the ginseng drink in hand.
As I was settling my nerves and downing the drink, Sung Ji-won, who was handing a ginseng drink to Kang Yi-chae, turned to me with a question.

“But Ho-yoon, why are you in a bad mood?”
“Good question.”
“Haha.”

I raised my index finger.

【Reels capture this moment right now
When I speak, hit Repeat….】

“Because of this.”

The BGM filling Kang Yi-chae’s Studio was High Five’s new track, ‘Reels’.
Jung Da-jun clapped his hands with sparkling eyes.

“High Five seniors, this song is really great!”
“Damn, we’re only a few months apart. Don’t call us seniors.”
“And today Ho-yoon’s being extra irritable too!”
“Tell me about it.”

I dismissed Kim Sung-hyun’s polite remark that a few months’ difference did make them seniors, and made my displeasure abundantly clear.
Currently, High Five’s song was sweeping all three major music charts daily.

‘These bastards performed better than expected.’

Reels was a track composed by Lim Hyun-sung.
It was a song that enhanced High Five’s signature bright and refreshing image while being uniquely charming and captivating.
It had done reasonably well at first, but the trajectory wasn’t as strong as it was now. After a delayed start, it showed no signs of dropping in the rankings.
Honestly, their performance was better than ours back then, and it stung.

‘I should have teased Kang Yeon-hu more.’

I clicked my tongue and picked up my phone to send Lim Hyun-sung a message.

[Me: Composer, what’s going on?]
[Lim Hyun-sung: What;;;]
[Lim Hyun-sung: Why again;;]

I left the message unfinished, letting Lim Hyun-sung stew in anxiety.

[Lim Hyun-sung: Why won’t you finish your sentence, you bastard]

“What? Because the performance is good?”

Then what other reason could there possibly be to feel annoyed?

‘We had momentum, but now we’re falling behind.’

I’d let my guard down since Black Call wasn’t active this year, and now this happens.
I casually probed the management team earlier, and it seems High Five will be releasing another song this summer.
Our album, which we’re actively working on right now, is scheduled to drop in June.

‘They’re the same company—shouldn’t they show a little respect, right?’

As I tried to suppress the frustration bubbling in my chest, Jung Da-jun—who’d grown considerably—casually draped himself across my arm like a hanging ornament.

“Ho-yoon, by the way… aren’t you and Yeon-hoo pretty close?”
“No.”

Close, my ass.
When do I even have time to worry about that guy?

[Jung Da-jun
Our adorable maknae, still diligently training.

Vocals: B-
Dance: S-
Entertainment: B+
Acting: C-
Charm: A-
???: ???]

After successfully completing the Icarus version of Connected stage at the IRIX new season launch, Jung Da-jun’s dance stat rose to superhuman levels.

“Hey, what’s with asking who Seo Ho-yoon is close with and all that?”
“Well, I suppose that’s fair.”

The members’ abilities were well-balanced with each other, and our camaraderie remained strong.
Good-natured, obedient, well-behaved….

“Joo Woo-sung, you mean?”
“Are we… close?”

…I’m not sure, but at the very least, I’ve raised them to be self-sufficient no matter where they’re thrown.
The Noeul fans even joke that The Dun could survive being dropped naked on a deserted island or in a desert and somehow make it back safely.

‘Regardless, I won’t let my kids fall behind anywhere.’

I no longer had to wander across the nation performing at countless obscure events I’d never even heard of. Our tier had changed. The settlement ratio was decent too, thanks to negotiating favorable terms early on.
Still, before I disappeared, I wanted to build a more solid foundation. I had to maintain the members’ livelihoods afterward, didn’t I?

“Sigh….”

Kang Yi-chae, who had played Lim Hyun-sung’s new High Five track over and over, collapsed face-first onto his desk.

“…I can’t do it.”

Then he began tracing circles on the desk with his finger, muttering to himself.

“I’ve seriously been agonizing over this for a full twenty-four hours straight.”
“Even while sleeping?”
“And I’m not lying—I genuinely can’t think of anything. I guess this is my limit.”

Kang Yi-chae didn’t even seem to hear Kim Sung-hyun’s jab in the middle, already beginning to dig a hole.
As for the members’ reaction to Kang Yi-chae’s declaration that his inspiration had died today and requesting a tombstone be erected—it was like this.

“Is today garbage day??”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Brother, can’t we go buy some ice cream later?”
“Pay attention to me~!”

In truth, Kang Yi-chae had been cycling through good moods, depression, and throwing tantrums lately.
However, since the members had already experienced Kang Yi-chae in a similar state during Shining Star Season 2, nobody took it seriously.
He whimpered with fake crying sounds for quite a while, then sniffled and called out to me.

“Ho-yoon….”
“What.”
“Can you throw all the unreleased tracks I sent last week into the trash?”

This guy definitely had high self-esteem and confidence, and he was well-equipped with a sharp tongue too.
So why did he become like this whenever Lim Hyun-sung was involved?

“Why don’t I have talent?”
“Other people would cry listening to it, man.”
“Other people?”

Kang Yi-chae let Kim Sung-hyun’s consolation go in one ear and out the other, exhaling a long sigh and muttering to himself.

“Except for composer Lim Hyun-sung, all the songs other people are putting out these days….”
“….”
“…are all garbage.”
“Hey, just ignore him. His character’s still underdeveloped.”

Kim Sung-hyun finally couldn’t hold back and spoke without a filter.
While the youngest member beside him subtly nodded in agreement, Sung Ji-won switched the song to one of Kang Yi-chae’s compositions.

“Yi-chae, I really love your songs.”
“Ji-won hyung…!”
“What? You two became roommates and got all sentimental?”
“I don’t know… I hate seeing it.”

Kang Yi-chae gazed at Sung Ji-won with glistening eyes and hugged him tightly.

“Ji-won hyung’s praise is so sweet…. But Ho-yoon hyung, give me honest feedback.”

I rewound the song he’d worked on back to the beginning.

“Hmm.”

I listened carefully, and the moment the chorus came on, I stopped the song and looked at Kang Yi-chae.

“Sounds like you spent all day saying you didn’t want to work, messing around with games, then actually worked for ten minutes and threw this together.”
“…!!”
“…!”
“What?! I wasn’t even working then… but how did you know so accurately….”
“That’s creepy!! How did you know, Ho-yoon hyung?? Did you install a CCTV in Yi-chae hyung’s studio?”

When your mentor is Chung Beom, what else would you learn?
It was obvious without even looking.
The members, brushing their arms as if they had goosebumps, shook their heads and got up from their seats.

“Alright, we’ve hyped him up enough. Let’s head out.”
“Yeah, if we leave him alone, he’ll come up with a good song on his own.”
“…and you guys call yourselves hyungs?”
“Hey, Yi-chae hyung, I’ll go get us some ice cream!”

Kim Sung-hyun, Sung Ji-won, and Jung Da-jun left without a moment’s hesitation. Only I, who still had proposal documents to review, was left behind in the work studio with Kang Yi-chae.
Kang Yi-chae turned off the computer and popped a candy into his mouth, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling.

“I need a muse.”
“A muse, this nonsense….”
“Will you be my muse?”

Kang Yi-chae’s relentless demands for attention were beginning to wear on me, and I found myself regretting that I hadn’t fled with the other members.
Eventually, as he sprawled across the sofa whining and complaining, I offered him my solution.

“Make money your muse.”

At that, Kang Yi-chae’s eyes widened and he shot upright.

“Hyung! How does inspiration come from money?! How can you say such a thing? You’re so materialistic!”
“That person you admire, Chung Beom, said something like that.”
“Ah… wow, now that’s wisdom.”
….

This guy—looking at him, it seems like he likes Lim Hyun-sung more than me?
I turned off my tablet and reached into the right pocket of Kang Yi-chae’s pants, which hung limply as if melting, and pulled out his phone.

“Huh? What are you doing?”

Even joking aside, he genuinely looked like he was struggling, so I thought showing him a more concrete example would help.
Since the other members treated each other’s phones like public property, I unlocked it with ease and found the banking app.

“Check your bank balance and console yourself, you punk.”
“Wait, hold on….”

But Kang Yi-chae suddenly jumped up in what seemed like panic, and his forehead collided with my jaw with a sharp crack.

“Ow!”
“Ugh!”

Clutching his head in pain, he quickly looked up and checked on me.

“Sorry, Hyung. My bad.”

This damn blockhead….
A sharp pain radiated from my jaw. I clenched my teeth, bearing through the ache, when I turned my gaze away,

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Just before our heads and jaws collided, I’d simply tried entering the phone’s unlock pattern on a whim, and the banking app was already open on the screen.
And….

“…You….”

Ding!

[?????????]

No….
No, what is this?

“…Why do you have an extra zero?”
“….”

Kang Yi-chae’s expression hardened as if his hidden secret had been exposed, seeing his phone screen in my hand.
Being in the same group, we members roughly knew how much each other earned.
Of course, we all knew well that Kang Yi-chae, who had written and composed many of The Dun’s songs, possessed greater earnings.
However, having heard roughly what Lim Hyun-sung made and having discussed all manner of topics with her, even to my eyes, the amount displayed in this bank account seemed excessive.

‘What?’

There was an extra zero added beyond what I had estimated.
The guy who belatedly retrieved his phone from me tossed it far away and let out an awkward laugh.

“—Ah, it’s not that much. You must have misread it?”
“My vision is 20/10.”
“Lucky our hyung has such good eyesight….”

When I was thirty-three, I couldn’t even distinguish faces without glasses from constantly monitoring and editing every day, but thanks to my rejuvenation, my eyes had become crystal clear.
Realizing that lies would no longer work, Kang Yi-chae scratched his head vigorously, looking flustered.
From the fact that he’d studied abroad and could play multiple instruments, I’d suspected he might be from a well-to-do family.

‘Why is he like this?’

There was nothing particularly wrong or flawed about him, yet Kang Yi-chae seemed to be reading my expression carefully.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and grabbed his shoulder.

“As your close brother, I’m just going to ask you one thing.”
“…What is it?”
“Kang Yi-chae, you….”

I could feel his nerves tensing up, as if he were on edge.
I continued slowly.

“You’re not going around committing fraud somewhere, are you?”
“…What?”
“You know, those guys who go around using celebrities’ names.”

Kang Yi-chae, who had been standing there with his mouth open in silence, let out a sigh as if deflating. At the same time, he looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Why did the conversation turn into that?”
“Well, because you, Kang Yi-chae, were being evasive.”
“There’s a reason for that…. Anyway, it’s not that!”

I tapped his shoulder, which I was still holding, as he kept insisting it wasn’t.

“I need to know what you’ve done so I can either help you or clean up the mess, right?”
“What?”
“So, did you sell the group’s name?”
“Ugh, seriously!”

Kang Yi-chae sprang to his feet and paced anxiously around the studio before finally collapsing back onto the sofa.

“…It’s just uncomfortable, that’s all. Just uncomfortable!”

Why would having a lot of money be uncomfortable?
As I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows, he realized I wasn’t accepting his explanation at all, and with a deep breath, he added more.

“I was born without lacking anything from the start.”
“….”
“No, really. I have some land under my name… Wow, why am I even telling my brother this?”

Kang Yi-chae ran his wet hands roughly over his face and swept his hair back.

“Just prove it’s not fraud. That’s all there is to it.”

He gestured toward me—offering neither affirmation nor denial—then walked toward the computer. After rebooting, he accessed the cloud and pulled up the scanned documents.

“This is under my name.”

In that moment, the Kang Yi-chae I knew—twelve years my junior, forever wearing that childlike demeanor—vanished in an instant.
With each click, the documents scrolled endlessly. The System Window’s gasps of astonishment, witnessing this shocking revelation alongside me, continued without pause.

[Wow….]

“This one, and this one. This too. See the dates? Before debut. How could anyone commit fraud without fame?”

[Whoa….]

Then the irritated clicking of the mouse suddenly stopped.

“…Wait a second.”
“….”
“…Now that I think about it, you’re messing with me right now, aren’t you?”

What had started as a desire to probe Kang Yi-chae’s true intentions—his needless wariness—had long since evaporated into thin air.
I affixed the most benevolent smile I could muster to my face.
And I gently placed my hand on his shoulder.

“…Yi-chae.”

Kang Yi-chae’s eyes wavered.

“…What.”
“Brother—.”

Our rapper was no silver spoon.

“—Just buy me an ice cream first.”

He was a diamond spoon.

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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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