The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 300

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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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300

[Where the hell is this confidence coming from lololololololol]
[Lmao this actor just shouted idol choreography]

With his left leg twisted and his upper body tilted slightly forward, Seo Ho-yoon’s eyes curved gracefully as he radiated absolute confidence.

“Um, Seo Ho-yoon. Why are you so full of confidence?”
“Because I worked hard at it.”

The Reporter was more flustered watching Seo Ho-yoon than anything else.
Seo Ho-yoon rose calmly from his seat.
If you’re an idol—or any entertainer for that matter—you never skip it, no matter where or when.
If they ask, you deliver.
That was Seo Ho-yoon’s newly adopted principle.

“Wait, why are you standing up??”

Without even being asked to dance, Seo Ho-yoon had already stepped forward and begun preparing. The Reporter’s stunned face was caught in a close-up as the Broadcasting Staff’s laughter echoed in the background.

[lololololololololololol Seo Ho-yoon lololololol is this okay lololololol]
[This actor is unpredictable I’m losing it]

Seo Ho-yoon made hand gestures the way he’d often seen the red-haired rapper do, speaking softly.

“Give me the beat. Let’s Get It.”

[lololololololololololololololololol is he insane?]
[Recording preparation: on]
[Seo Ho-yoon I’m archiving this dark history thanks in advance]

From the Production Crew’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse an actor who voluntarily provided content. They quickly connected a portable speaker to a phone and placed a microphone in front of it, then started the music.

【I want to play so much with you
And fall in love with this feeling!】

The first song was one that Seo Ho-yoon had danced to during a female idol relay dance broadcast on The Dun.
The corners of my mouth lifted ever so slightly.
In fact, it was a dance that Jung Da-jun had been swaying to whenever he had a moment—whether in the dormitory or waiting room—right up until I switched over to “Unknown Actor Tycoon,” so for someone like me who wouldn’t forget it after seeing it just once or twice, the choreography was easier than eating cold porridge.
Of course, I could tell exactly what people expected from me….

[…??]

【I can’t take my eyes off you
I want to love you so much La La!】

I entered right on the beat of the chorus.
From the tips of my fingers to my gaze, every minute detail.

[???? What is this..?]

Everyone who witnessed me dancing so perfectly—as if I’d been possessed by the original idol—was utterly astonished.

【Why… is he so good?】

Subtitles scrolled beneath my appearance, which was so natural that no one would find it strange to call me an idol.

[He dances better than Gu Bon-jin]
“No, she dances better than most idols that actually exist, no lolololol no lololololololol”

“Huh? Is that all?”

Provoked by my challenge, the production staff pulled out their hidden card.

【Follow me and say it You can’t get over me
You didn’t say you hated it I know what you want】

Black Call’s “Get Over.”
A song boasting notoriously brutal difficulty—one that even most idols fear attempting and end up failing spectacularly.

Hey, this is pretty funny lol
Joo Woo-sung is also complaining that his debut song is difficult lol

Yet this too was a song I’d practiced relentlessly with Kim Sung-hyun as a unit in The Dun’s in-house produced content 《Thrilling Matching Survival!》—a song I could never forget even if I tried.

【You already know I can’t get over you
Be honest with me You know what I want】

[?????????? What????]
[No, wait…???]

Chasing the rapidly ascending beat, Seo Ho-yoon demonstrated masterful control of dynamics.
As he flawlessly executed Get Over—a song notorious for ruining covers—the Reporter on screen was captured with hand over mouth and eyes wide open, while Min Ji-heon stared at him with an expression of disbelief.

[Jiheon’s face! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha It shows what you’re thinking]
[My co-star actor was actually a born idol…?]

Seo Ho-yoon even meticulously replicated Joo Woo-sung’s closing ending pose.

Even the ending pose lol
[It’s so funny that Kim Woo-ho’s body is an ending fairy ㅠㅠ]

The Reporter returned to her seat with genuine admiration, asking Seo Ho-yoon a question.

“Seo Ho-yoon, what exactly are you?!”
“Aha.”
“Were you an idol trainee before becoming an actor?!”
“Why are you like this? Why are you so good?”

Min Ji-heon’s voice, filled with bewilderment, came from beside me.

“Ah, well…”

As if I’d been waiting for exactly this reaction, I shrugged slightly and pulled my lips into a smile.

“I suppose you could call it natural talent?”

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Did this guy just shrug his shoulders?!

Hahahahahahaha that’s exactly it!!!

It was the line that Joo Woo-sung often boasted about—the one that irritated me most, yet made me desperately want to deliver it myself.
If I’d said something like this back when I was with The Dun, they would’ve mocked me for “Clumsy’s development,” but here, no one remembered Seo Ho-yoon as the guy who couldn’t dance.

[But seriously, he dances so damn well;;;;]
Idols who can’t dance better than actors, reflect on yourselves damn it ;;
[So he really wasn’t a trainee?????]

After a wave of praise, the Reporter brought up the chemistry between Min Han-jun and Kim Woo-ho in Dead after Hope.

“The trust that blossomed between Min Han-jun and Kim Woo-ho really seemed to come across so poignantly on screen! In that spirit, we’ve prepared a speed quiz to see how well Min Ji-heon and Seo Ho-yoon actually know each other! …Wait, Seo Ho-yoon, why are you suddenly standing up again?”
“Should we give it a try?”
“Why do you just accept everything like this?!”

Seo Ho-yoon seems like such a great guy lol
[I thought he’d be a bit prickly, but he’s got great energy and such good sense]
[Min Ji-heon also takes care of me from time to time. What is this guy? Where has he been hiding?]

I simply laughed good-naturedly at the Reporter’s banter.
I’d done some investigating through Kim Jae-yeon in the past, and whenever Min Ji-heon did anything, Jung Da-jun would spend the entire day loudly shouting about it, so there was no way I wouldn’t know.

“What’s the title of the first film Min Ji-heon appeared in?”
“To the One I Love.”
“Three commercials Min Ji-heon has done!”
“H Automobiles, K Coffee, S Finance.”

Sure enough, the answers tumbled from my lips without a moment’s hesitation.
Min Ji-heon’s eyes, which had been narrowing with suspicion, gradually shifted through nine questions, beginning to fill with a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

“What’s Min Ji-heon’s favorite food?!”
“….”

A quiet silence fell over the set.

“…Ah.”

For the first time, I hadn’t answered immediately.
With everyone’s attention focused on me, I suddenly realized this exact situation had happened before.
The final quiz from the phone mission in “Let’s Play, Eat, and Become Unemployed.”
What’s Joo Woo-sung’s favorite food?

“Seo Ho-yoon, what’s the answer?”

Kimchi fried rice, but….

“He… eats everything.”
“Pardon?”
“Min Ji-heon… he eats it all.”

Hahahahahaha

Seo Ho-yoon’s expression seemed to say: ‘Min Ji-heon would probably drink lye if you gave it to him—do we really need to distinguish what he likes?’

“The correct answer was gamjatang! Ah, what a shame, Ho-yoon.”

Seo Ho-yoon, who had tilted his head slightly in confusion, looked at Min Ji-heon and asked.

“Gamjatang? You like that?”
“…Yeah, Ji-heon’s favorite is gamjatang.”
“Huh….”

[Calling him “you” informally]
No, Ho-yoon, you’re younger than Ji-hun lolololol. Why is Ji-hun speaking in third person formal speech? What is this lololololol.
These bastards are just Kim Woo-ho and Min Han-jun lol

“…Ah, on the filming set, Min Ji-heon eats everything without being picky….”
“Really? That’s a new side to Min Ji-heon!”

Since Seo Ho-yoon felt he’d already captured enough footage, he wasn’t particularly disappointed.

“But I’m not sure I even need to know that… he’s going to eat everything anyway except bricks….”

Especially since the subject was Min Ji-heon, someone he’d grown to dislike.

Hahaha hey, excuse me hahaha
“I’ve heard people say behind the scenes that Min Ji-heon eats a lot, but lol this combination is so damn funny”

“Right, I can’t eat bricks either.”

Hey Ji-heon, what’s with you nodding along like you agree with everything lol

Whenever Min Ji-heon had done interviews for promotional purposes in the past, his fellow actors would heap praise upon him while flaunting their eloquent remarks. Min Ji-heon, who had to maintain a mysterious persona under pressure from his agency’s suggestions, could only manage a small smile from the sidelines as his maximum reaction.

“Min Ji-heon, you’ve appeared in more ten-million-viewer films than anyone else, haven’t you?”
“Oh… yes, that’s right.”
“Wow, he really doesn’t care, does he.”
“Of course! They say Min Ji-heon is the actors’ actor, the role model for all actors!”
“I see… congratulations?”
“Yes, thank you so much~.”

But today was different.

[Seo Ho-yoon seems to have temporarily lost the working adult spirit he was clinging to until just now]
[HAHAHAHA so half-assed HAHAHAHA]
The point is that Min Ji-heon doesn’t have much expectation for Seo Ho-yoon’s reaction either lolololol

Seo Ho-yoon was certainly diligent during filming and drew good responses from Min Ji-heon, but he didn’t praise him. Rather, whenever answering questions about Min Ji-heon, he seemed oddly indifferent.

[Seo Ho-yoon was so friendly during the live stream that I wondered if his real personality was warm, but it turned out he was just Kim Woo-ho
The fact that he was putting on such an act drives me crazy]
[I wondered why his acting suddenly became so good, but it was just life acting… but wait, if that’s the case, then his acting when looking for his brother doesn’t make sense]

“Oh! I saw that, Ho-yoon. There were fans at Gangnam Station with your advertisement!”
“Ah, they’ve already taken it down. I took photos too, and it looked beautiful. I’m truly grateful to the fans. But… to be honest, I have to say I’m a bit worried.”
“Why is that?”
“It must have been expensive to put up at the subway station, so I’m concerned it might be okay, and whether they’re eating poorly because of it…”

The moment the conversation turned to fans, Seo Ho-yoon’s demeanor softened immediately.
When he was with Dead after Hope, he couldn’t properly express his true feelings beyond words of gratitude for fear of controversies like fan tributes, but now there was no need to hold back.

“My, Seo Ho-yoon is quite an amusing person.”

The reporter, who laughed as if he’d heard something funny, caught sight of the sketchbook held by the staff member in front that read “Time’s up,” and moved into the closing remarks.

“Then Min Ji-heon and Seo Ho-yoon, we’d like to ask for a final message each for our viewers!!”
“A message?”
“Of course! For the new fans who love Dead after Hope these days!”

Seo Ho-yoon blinked for a moment.
He looked like someone who had just realized something both familiar and unfamiliar.

“…A new fan.”

I murmured the words aloud and glanced at Min Ji-heon.
He stared blankly at me, waiting for my response as if his mind was elsewhere.

“…I hope Dead after Hope continues to receive lots of attention and… uh, no, not too much attention….”
“Pardon?”
“That….”

Uncharacteristically stumbling over my words, my eyes darted around as if I was only now searching for the right thing to say.

“…You shouldn’t like me too much.”

After spilling it all out, I belatedly realized what a mess I’d made, but it was already too late to salvage it.

“…Thank you for your tremendous support. Please continue to watch.”

Only then did Min Ji-heon deliver his usual closing remarks for interviews, and the entertainment news program moved on to the next story.

[Wait, he said not to like it too much
Is this a hint about Dead after Hope?]

[Alert: Seo Ho-yoon dropped a Dead after Hope hint

└Is Kim Woo-ho going to die???
└No, Kim Woo-ho can’t die!]

[There are characters who become perfect through death, sure
But in dramas, they should miraculously survive anyway

└Otaku moment) Rambling about something nobody asked…]

Though it wasn’t actually a hint about Dead after Hope—it was a hint about the actor Seo Ho-yoon himself.

***

On a rare day off, I sprawled across the sofa, checking reactions to the interview.

“…What a mess.”

I’d always thought the dormitory was chaotic, never offering a moment of peace, but now that the noisy members were gone, I found myself bored out of my mind.
Sitting still, my thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind, so I decided to organize the situation by grabbing some blank paper and a pen, jotting down everything that had been bothering me.

Viewership ratings
Points

After completing the Quest that appeared when I finished the first filming successfully, a new mission immediately popped up—to refresh the viewership ratings for every episode I appeared in.
The higher the viewership, the more points I earned upon settlement, which was quite substantial.
Since all the Quest points had been allocated generously so far, honestly, it felt like investing with 3x leverage in a bull market, and I wanted to hold on as long as possible while lying here.
But there were more than a few suspicious things about this….

Ding!

[Why do you have such a serious expression?]

I was tapping the paper with the tip of my pen when the System Window appeared, shimmering with blue light.

“Nothing to know.”

Too annoyed to deal with it, I waved my hand dismissively, but the System Window, unable to escape, shrank to a smaller size and popped right in front of my eyes.

[Most of the errors are being fixed. It’s still a bit away, but soon you’ll be able to return to the Obscure Idol Tycoon.]

“…You’re competent.”

And that’s exactly what’s strange.
A system that spewed out errors like casual greetings and offered only pathetic rewards—how did it resolve the glitches so quickly?
I lifted my upper body to distance myself from the System Window.

“You’ve suddenly become quite capable.”

[…Please don’t do that. It scares me.]

I twirled the pen once and added words beneath the text that read “Points.”

The Dun, Joo Woo-sung, Min Ji-heon, Jung Chung-yeon.

I’d searched to see if there was anyone who remembered me like Seo Ho-jin from the Obscure Idol Tycoon, but The Dun’s whereabouts were unknown, and both Joo Woo-sung and Min Ji-heon seemed completely oblivious.
And then there was Jung Chung-yeon, who had appeared before me so suddenly….

“Is there anyone named Jung Chung-yeon among the trainees at WH Entertainment?”
“No, there isn’t. I’ve never heard of them before… Do you know them, Seo Ho-yoon?”

Whenever my schedule opened up, I found myself visiting the WH Entertainment Practice Room repeatedly.
But I couldn’t find Jung Chung-yeon. Even my Manager didn’t seem to know who she was.

I recalled the messages that had poured from the System Window the moment I first arrived in this place.

[Since it’s early in the Quest, it’s not that difficult!]
[…The points you gather here can be used even after you return.]
[Just cooperate a little. When you think about it, it’s not really a bad deal.]

Quests handed to me effortlessly, points usable even after returning.
The more I compared it to my idol days when nothing came easily, the more suspicious it all seemed.

Hypothesis, verification.

A way to confirm my suspicions using Min Ji-heon and the System.
As the pieces began falling into place, I tossed the pen aside and collapsed back onto the sofa.

[…What exactly are you doing?]

“It’s none of your concern.”

I was rubbing my dry eyes, ready to sleep, when my phone vibrated.

“Yes, this is Seo Ho-yoon.”
[Ho-yoon!]

My Manager’s voice came through the phone, trembling with excitement.

[Don’t think it’s strange, just listen. Don’t look at the internet for a while. There’s a rumor going around that you fought with Lee Kang-seok—! A rumor—! On the internet——.]

Seo Ho-yoon and Lee Kang-seok, a clash of egos, a junior’s rude remarks, lack of manners, rumors spreading across the internet, and so on.
Details that only the people involved or those who heard the conversation directly would know.

[—The company will handle it smoothly without any issues, so don’t worry about it and don’t stress yourself out.]

With my Manager being so serious all by himself, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, whatever.”

It wasn’t anything particularly significant to me.

“Thank you for your concern.”
[Oh? Yeah, okay.]

I could already guess who had started the rumor.
I ignored the Manager’s attempt to add something and hung up the call. Then, with perfect composure, I pulled the blanket over myself and closed my eyes.

Ding!

[…Who on earth would be so reckless as to pull something like this on Seo Ho-yoon?]

“Right?”

I chuckled to myself.

“Bold of our Lee Kang-seok.”

He couldn’t resist and had to start a fight.
Not even realizing his entire hand had been exposed.

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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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