The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 291

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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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291

After the world left only Seo Ho-jin and me, those days became a tapestry of poignant narrative and heart-wrenching emotion so perfectly interwoven that had they been packaged into a program and broadcast, they would have instantly become a ratings phenomenon.
A twenty-year-old caring for a ten-year-old proved far more difficult than I’d imagined. Every day unfolded the same—outwardly composed and indifferent on the surface, while inwardly crying out for our parents.
Still, I take pride in having done my best at that time to ensure Seo Ho-jin wouldn’t feel the absence of our parents, or at least not too keenly.
Even amid my hectic schedule, I never missed a single event involving Seo Ho-jin, and there wasn’t anything other kids his age did that I didn’t have him experience.
Though I’ll admit, I wasn’t always gentle about it.

When he was in elementary school,

“Hey, you’re not eating your vegetables?”
“….”
“Ten seconds. Unless you never want to see eggs and ham again, finish everything.”

When he was in middle school,

“Why don’t you know this?”
“…Well, that’s….”
“I’m calling them now. You’re starting hagwon tomorrow.”

When he was in high school,

“Brother, I think I don’t need English tutoring anymore….”
“Everyone at your school does it.”
“Just because everyone does it doesn’t mean I have to. The tutoring fees are too expensive anyway….”
“What are you, a kid, worrying about money? If you don’t want to study, you don’t have to—just figure it out yourself.”
“But…!”
“Shut up and take the tutoring.”

Was I too overbearing?
He’d been obedient when he was younger, never talking back more than twice.
But now? Look at the state of him.

“Wake up.”

Rather, it was the thick-headed bastard who was causing trouble.

“Wait, just a moment….”
“….”
“Hold on! Just give me a second!!”

I watched quietly as Seo Ho-jin, still bracing himself on the floor with his palms, caught his breath and wiped the sweat streaming down his face.

“I went to watch Brother’s stage performance, and then people kept asking me to take photos with them. It’s been exhausting….”
“That’s your own doing.”

Why didn’t he listen when I told him not to come?
The members watched Seo Ho-jin from a step back with sympathetic eyes.
Sitting collapsed on the floor in a round, plump rabbit mascot costume, gasping for breath, Seo Ho-jin cut quite a pathetic figure.

“Go ahead, make some excuse if you can.”

Of course, it wouldn’t work on me anyway.

“You said you were going to the library. What are you doing here?”
“Why! I can come see Brother’s face if I want!!”
“That’s ridiculous. If you miss my face that much, just turn on the television! Watch YouTube!”
“Are we strangers?!”
“You crazy bastard, if you hate that so much, just open your photo album!”
“I don’t have one!”

I narrowed my eyes for a moment.
Seo Ho-jin, his face flushed red as he gasped for breath, shouted abruptly before slowly lowering his gaze.

“I don’t have one. I’m pretty sure there were photos of the two of us together, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any.”

After hearing from me that he shouldn’t participate in the festival, he organized his photos at home.
Yet despite searching thoroughly, he couldn’t find a single photo of the two of us together.
So he asked a friend who had become part of the Festival Preparation Committee to arrange this.

As time passed, Seo Ho-jin had forgotten that all the photos had disappeared except for my solo shots.

“Sigh….”

An indescribable emotion surged up unexpectedly. I forced myself to look away from Seo Ho-jin before he could catch me.

“Hey.”

I held out my phone to the members and spoke.

“Take just one photo for me.”
“Yeah, sure.”

Kim Sung-hyun approached and took my phone from my hands.

“Come on, get close together.”

What appeared on the screen was ridiculous.
Me in heavy makeup and idol costume, and Seo Ho-jin in a rabbit mascot suit.
Yet Seo Ho-jin smiled contentedly, finding it perfect.

“That’s good?”
“…Not even appreciating your younger brother’s noble gesture.”

He really does love that word.

“Send me those photos your friend took earlier.”
“Huh?”

Since the photos had my face completely hidden by the mascot suit, it seemed fine to upload them to SNS or keep them.
Others might not know, but at least I and everyone here would recognize that this rabbit was my younger brother.
Kang Yi-chae let out an admiring sigh as Seo Ho-jin, tilting his head in confusion, obediently sent the photos.

“Brother really is serious about that rabbit.”

I cheerfully ignored that remark and put the rabbit head back on Seo Ho-jin.
Then, thinking of the Manager who had been pitifully glancing at his watch the whole time, unable to say anything and just reading the mood, I told the members it was time to leave.

“Brother, take care.”

My younger brother’s voice came through the mascot suit, slightly muffled. I turned my head and gazed at the rabbit waving at me before waving back.

“Seo Ho-jin.”
“Huh? What?”
“Come here.”

I kept my eyes forward and moved my feet, knowing without looking back that Seo Ho-jin was following me.

“You know I’m not the type to hold grudges, right?”
“…I’m not really sure about that.”
“I’m going to decide whether I’ll hold a grudge based on what you do from now on.”

Before stepping outside the building, I spun around to face Seo Ho-jin and flashed him a grin.

“Since you’re already wearing that rabbit costume, why don’t you give your brother some really enthusiastic cheering?”

I gave his shoulder a light pat and followed the members who had already started walking ahead.
People crowded around both sides of the van parked near the entrance of the building. The moment we stepped outside, everyone’s phones instantly turned toward us.

“Ho-yoon! Ho-yoon! You were so cool today!!”
“See you later~~!”

I quickly switched on my professional expression and waved back, responding to the fans’ enthusiasm.
Just as my attention was about to drift toward the rabbit costume trailing behind us, I stopped before boarding the van and called out.

“Thank you so much for coming today!”
“…?”

It was something I said to the fans, but it was also a signal to Seo Ho-jin.

“Your support meant so much to me.”
=Start cheering right now.

Seo Ho-jin’s bewilderment was perfectly captured in the trembling rabbit ears.
Even though his face wasn’t visible at all, I could sense his thought: ‘Is this hyung insane?’
I simply smiled quietly and waited.
The members, the manager, the fans, and even the students who had been taking photos all gradually followed my gaze and glanced at Seo Ho-jin.

“…More…?”

A high-pitched squeak escaped from the rabbit costume as it wavered, seemingly torn over what to do.

“….”
“…The Dun, The Dun fighting!!!”

The cheer came out completely off-key.
The members gritted their teeth, stifling their laughter.

“Oh, thank you so much~.”

But I burst into genuine laughter and climbed into the van.

***

[Title: Seo Ho-yoon bursts out laughing at the male fan’s off-key cheer

Seo_Ho-yoon_S_University_Festival_Leaving_Work.avi

Hahahahaha oh my god that’s so funny hahahaha
I was watching Seo Ho-yoon looking handsome as always, but then he laughed really hard at the male fan’s loud off-key cheer

└Wow so cute
Seriously why is he so cute
Why are you filming a youth manga today lol… Ho-yoon must have been in a really good mood today.
Seo Ho-yoon’s genuine laugh lol

[Title: Seo Ho-yoon uploads photo taken with the rabbit mascot

With_Rabbit_The_Dun.jpg

Our Ho-yoon… he’s being sincere…

Lol seriously, we’re obsessed with moe-fication too, but apparently we couldn’t beat the person involved…
└But seriously the S University synchronized chant was amazing… I didn’t know they could do it that well
Jung Da-jun was absolutely flying
└Right!! It’s so rewarding to see such a good response..
└└The IRIX song was a hit after all
└└I’m listening to the song and when T..D..W (The Dun) comes on I’m mimicking The Dun’s hand gesture]

I was scrolling through the reactions to the S University Festival stage performance. Just in case any more rumors about Seo Ho-jin surfaced.
I’d asked Lee Ji-hyun to double-check as well, and fortunately it seemed quiet.

‘Yeah, nice.’

I was sprawled out in the rest room next to the practice room, sipping my iced chocolate latte through a straw.
I was savoring the pleasant mood when,

“Brother, hey~.”

An unwelcome voice pierced my ears.
When I lifted my gaze, Min Ji-heon—now even more radiant—came walking over, scattering flowers in all directions.

“Bye.”
“Man, you’re always the same. Really something to see.”

I’d been glad not to see him for a while, but here we were, running into each other.
Even though I waved him off curtly, Min Ji-heon plopped down on the sofa across from me with that ever-present smile.

“You know, the WH Entertainment in-house cafeteria is no joke. The company got acquired and I’m genuinely moved—.”

He didn’t seem to have anything particularly important to say.
Just as I was about to get up with a small click of my tongue, sensing he was about to ramble uselessly,

Ding!

[WARNING!]

A System Window appeared, tinted red.

“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”

I froze and stared at Min Ji-heon.
Most of the time when I got tangled up in situations like this, he was involved.

“What? Why? …No wait, why are you looking at me like that again?”

But this time it wasn’t him.
He was exactly as usual.

“Min Ji-heon.”

He didn’t seem to be scheming anything.

“Look, I’m going to be straight with you, just—”

Ding!

I was briefly considering dragging him somewhere quiet to shake the truth out of him when the System Window’s warning flashed through my mind again.

Ding!
Ding!
Ding ding ding!

Drawn by the gleaming red light as if it were beckoning me to look, I turned my head.

“…Huh.”

A person I’d seen countless times through monitors and filming sets during my PD days—.

“No way.”

—Jung Chung-yeon was walking toward me from the end of the hallway beyond the System Window.

The trainee I’d met for the last time just before entering this world.
The one who’d hurled curses at me.

‘Why is she here?’

Was she a trainee at WH Entertainment now?
Originally, she’d been with a modest but solid entertainment agency.
The ominous state of the System Window combined with her sudden appearance made my heart flutter with unease.

‘Still, nothing serious should happen.’

She wouldn’t remember me anyway.

“PD.”

That’s why I could remain composed at the title coming from right beside me. Unless I was being paranoid, there was no one here who would call me PD.

“…PD?”

Nonsense kept swirling around my ears, creasing my brow, while Min Ji-heon blinked rapidly, his eyes darting between me and the space behind me.

“…Hey.”
“….”
“They’re calling your brother the PD.”

Damn it.
I hadn’t misheard.
My head turned with a stiff, creaking motion, as if someone were forcibly wrenching my neck.

“So it’s true after all….”

[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]

“PD Seo Ho-yoon.”

Jung Chung-yeon’s face, which had worn a faint smile, gradually flooded with bewilderment.

“Wait… but why… do you look so young….”

[E R R O R]

Simultaneously, my crimson vision flickered and pulsed.

[You face the speaker of the final infamy point.]
[The trigger activates.]

The moment I saw text I’d never encountered before flash across my vision, something surged violently from deep within. My throat burned as if being seared, and the familiar taste of blood filled my mouth.

“Ugh!”

My body lurched sideways, and in my distorting vision, Min Ji-heon’s shocked face and Jung Chung-yeon’s gaze—still fixed directly on me—stretched out like a warped videotape, unfolding in slow motion.

[The world’s ■■ trembles.]
[The ■■ed world grows weak.]
[Selecting worldview setting….]
[…Selection complete!]

Even as the System Window continued to materialize before me, a hollow laugh escaped my lips.

[‘Actor’ is selected!]

This is fucking….

[Seo Ho-yoon, congratulations! You have been selected as the Player for Unknown Actor Tycoon.]

…Another new pattern.
And then consciousness slipped away.

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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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