The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 311

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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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311

August was an excellent month for character assassination.

“Hey! Did you see this?”

Other months equally suited for character assassination included July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, October, and February.

《Idol Boy Group Today, Drug Allegations?!》
《’Assault on Civilian’ D.go Agency Today Yoo-hyuk, Shocking CCTV!》

“Are they insane?!”
“Wow, I really love Today’s songs and listen to them every day….”

First, I distanced myself from a group that had been dismissing Sung Ji-won.

[Title: Exposing Yoon Hee-eon’s True Nature

…—I dated Yoon Hee-eon for a long time, but he continued to see other women.
You’re the only one, you’re different from other women.
I believed these words with absolute certainty and gave him money all this time, and yet….

(omitted)

…He would curse at idols and juniors he didn’t like, making up lies about them without hesitation.

Seeing him laugh shamelessly on TV still makes my hands tremble—…

(end omitted)

└How many times is this exposure post now lolololol how many exes was it lolololol
└Is this a series?? lololol ah this is a parade of ex-girlfriend exposés
└Congratulations on updating this year’s K-pop’s worst scandal]

“What?! Yoon Hee-eon exploded too?!”
“Wow… this is really blowing things wide open.”

I took care of that sniveling bastard who was causing trouble on the side as well.

《Entertainment Industry Ghost Company A Exposed… Contract Termination Fraud with Minors?》
《Double Contracts Rampant Among Aspiring Entertainers!》

I also settled accounts with the scumbag fraudster who had been tormenting Jung Da-jun.
In contrast, I remained unchanged from my usual self.

[What do you think about that guy named Seo being a cat?]

My fans, as always, remained consistently loyal.

“Why does the atmosphere feel so ominous lately?”
“Right? The entertainment industry always has incidents, but recently there’s been a major news story every single day.”

The staff members were also subdued by the constant barrage of major headlines.

“Hello.”

I entered the filming set with a bright smile on my face.

“Seo Ho-yoon, you look in a great mood today. Why the cheerful greeting?”
“The weather is absolutely gorgeous.”
“Haha, Ho-yoon is our drama’s vitamin, vitamin. It’s so nice to see someone so bright and energetic.”

Ding!

[Vitamin;;]
[Are there vitamins in this world that kill you if you consume them?]

Bitter medicine is good for the body, as they say.
I silenced the System Window with a glance and moved forward.

“Hey, nice to see you~!”

Just then, Shin Hee-chan, who had recognized me first, waved his hand enthusiastically in greeting. Ha Seo-yeon, who was standing beside him, seemed to be going through a scene together and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

“I’m really excited about today’s shoot!”

Shin Hee-chan’s eyes sparkled like Jung Da-jun’s when presented with snacks.

“Seriously, every time your scenes come on, it feels like I’m at a concert?!”
“Haha, aren’t you overselling me a bit?”

I laughed and feigned modesty, but it was only natural.
Even if my skills as an idol were decent enough, as an actor playing an idol role, I had more than enough to work with.

“Wow, Seo Ho-yoon! Did you take lessons somewhere?! Your dancing is seriously amazing~! Insane, really!!”

Dancing—I had that covered.

“Seo Ho-yoon’s tone is absolutely mellifluous. And the pitch and rhythm are practically machine-level!”

Singing—that too.

“How do you find the camera so naturally? I really thought you were an actual idol!”

Even camera presence.

Everything was flawless.
The System Window kept blaring alarms about me being the greatest con artist ever, but I had nothing to feel ashamed about.

“Hyung, if you could act like this, why were you so clumsy on the first day~?!”
“…Haha.”

I couldn’t exactly tell him it was because of Joo Woo-sung’s unfamiliar presence and Ha Seo-yeon, who looked far too much like my ex-girlfriend.
Fortunately, humans are creatures of adaptation, or so they say.
After struggling for a few days, I managed to regain my original composure.
As I smiled at Shin Hee-chan, whose round eyes were rolling about in confusion, Director Joo called out to me.

“Ah! Seo Ho-yoon, come here! Hurry over! I’ve been waiting for you~.”

The other actors’ sharp gazes brushed against me before falling away.
The reason was obvious.
I approached Director Joo with an impassive expression.

“Ah, honestly, I’ve never had such a hard time finding the emotional thread in a work before. Seo Ho-yoon, what do you think about this? This scene?”

Director Joo pointed at a section of the script with his finger and asked me.
I had merely been casually listening to Shin Hee-chan consult about Jung Da-jun, but somehow Director Joo overheard that conversation and started asking me various questions, leading to this present situation.
After that, whenever the actors’ performances didn’t satisfy him, the director called out my name.
The director’s favor sometimes determined the actor’s charm captured in the camera angle, so it was sharp enough to draw daggers from people’s eyes.

“If you look at the scene where Ji Young-won is on a call with Lee Hyuk, you’ll see that Ji Young-won is kind, but he has clear boundaries, and once you cross them, he cuts decisively. He seems soft, but he’s surprisingly cold-hearted.”

Well, I wasn’t particularly concerned about it.
After all, once I corrected the errors, these people were ones I’d never need to see again.

“Is that so? Doesn’t that feel more like Sung Ju-hyun’s character?”
“Looking at how he takes care of the cast members normally and the Sung Ju-hyun-centered episodes that come later… he’s very virtuous. There was a reason he acted sharp in his first appearance.”
“Oh, that interpretation makes sense too. Your character analysis really fits perfectly, Seo Ho-yoon!”

Director Joo, who had been giving me a thumbs up, flipped through the script with a rustling sound, then lifted his head and looked at me.

“Then, what about Seo Ui-young, the PD over there? What do you think of her?”
“I don’t know.”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t remember well.”
“…Eh?”

I, who had been spouting answers like a vending machine that dispensed the right response whenever questioned, suddenly clammed up, and Director Joo tilted his head in confusion.

‘That said, it really is strange.’

The more I participated in Shining Star and the filming continued, the stranger it became. That Kim Sung-hyun, Sung Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae, and Jung Da-jun had gathered at Dae Pa-sung and formed a group together.
The roles presumed to be them in the drama quickly gained popularity through a survival competition program and easily laid the groundwork for success.
There was no guarantee this story was based on truth, but calculating it against the parallels of “Please Camera” and “Dead after Hope” that had been directed at me until now, the likelihood of it being real was high.

“Ah! Right, investors’ opinions came in suggesting we sprinkle some romance into Seo Ui-young’s character, and with Kang Ji-sung….”
“While investors are important, I believe a solid narrative is more crucial. In that regard, I trust this screenwriter will handle it well.”
“…Yes, yes, that’s right.”

I raised the corners of my mouth and indirectly conveyed that I didn’t want to discuss this further, and Director Joo, a beat late, nodded in agreement and scratched his chin.

“Well, I suppose. Adding romance this late might feel a bit awkward. Since it’s half a joke anyway, lighten up your expression! Hahaha.”
“…Ahaha!”

‘That joke was brutally savage.’

As if romance pays the bills.
I swallowed the retort that couldn’t leave my lips, replacing it with laughter instead.
Director Joo, who had been walking away with the script rolled up in his hand, suddenly turned back and tapped my shoulder twice.

“Right, and another coffee truck arrived today under Seo Ho-yoon’s name. At this rate, aren’t you becoming the king of catering trucks?”
“…Haha, the king of catering trucks…indeed.”

I had been deliberately ignoring the coffee truck that was taking up space on one side of the filming location.
But Director Joo, pushing my back and urging me to go show my face, left me no choice but to reluctantly move my feet.
Previously, they had come from The Dun members, Lim Hyun-sung, and Joo Woo-sung, but recently….

“How do you do?”

…That bastard was the culprit.
Min Ji-heon, leaning against the truck in sunglasses and grinning annoyingly, pushed his sunglasses down along the bridge of his nose with his long fingers and greeted me.

“‘Archery master Seo Ho-yoon, fighting on set’….”

I read the text written on the large panel. The message was absolutely ridiculous.

“What do you think?”
“Aren’t you bothered writing something like this?”
“Ah, I naturally have a strong stomach for these things.”

The way he was smirking, it seemed like he had deliberately searched the internet and picked the most infuriating option possible.
Including today, this was already the third time Min Ji-heon had provided catering.
Even when he sent normal messages like ‘Min Ji-heon supports you!’ or ‘Actor Seo Ho-yoon, all the way to Best Supporting Actor!’, I hated it.

“It’s my hobby these days. Sending coffee trucks to close juniors and watching their reactions. Isn’t it rewarding?”
“You’re ruining what was a good day for me.”
“That’s the best part.”

I ordered a lemonade and shot Min Ji-heon a glare.

“So why did you come? Publicity stunt?”
“—masquerading as networking. Well, I’m also curious about a few things regarding Seo Ho-yoon.”

Min Ji-heon had grown accustomed to such cold treatment, removing his sunglasses as he spoke.

“Things have been chaotic lately. Do you know anything about it, Seo Ho-yoon?”

Despite the missing subject, I understood exactly what he was referring to.
I clicked my tongue softly, accepted the finished beverage, and began walking—with Min Ji-heon trailing alongside me.

“Min Ji-heon.”

I’d already stripped away everything unnecessary from him.
There was no reason to be unnecessarily kind to someone so bothersome.

“Are you bored?”
“…Huh?”
“Or are you holding a grudge?”

Min Ji-heon blinked slowly, as if processing what he’d heard, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

“A grudge? Of course not. Though I was annoyed, I’ll admit.”
“….”
“I mean, how can someone like that even exist? I felt a bit choked up, heat rising from within….”

He seemed genuinely angry.

“Anyway, that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m simply interested in you, Seo Ho-yoon.”

A chill ran down my spine.
Interest? He conveniently distanced himself when I was coughing blood, and now he speaks of interest? How absurd.
Even as I glared at him with obvious distaste, Min Ji-heon sipped his coffee with perfect composure.

“So, Seo Ho-yoon. Did you already know Joo Woo-sung?”

One of my eyebrows twitched slightly.
Min Ji-heon, catching that minute movement instantly, curved his lips into a smirk.

“I’ve been observing Seo Ho-yoon over the past few days while sending the food truck, and it seems like he deliberately avoids Joo Woo-sung whenever they cross paths.”
“That’s not true.”
“Did you borrow money from him?”

I stood there with my arms crossed, curious to see how far this would go, but this guy wouldn’t stop—his mouth kept running without pause.

“Joo Woo-sung doesn’t seem bothered at all. It just feels like you’re the only one who knows him one-sidedly.”
“I’m a fan of his.”
“Oh, so you like idols~?”
“Yeah, I collect photocards too.”

I figured I’d counter nonsense with nonsense.
At that, a subtle smile crept into Min Ji-heon’s eyes.

“You’re fidgeting and showing it all over your face, and now you’re trying to back out? You need to at least be able to play dumb convincingly.”

It was clear he was just trying to see how I’d react.
I crunched on the ice in my lemonade while staring at Min Ji-heon.

“Should I just keep pretending I don’t know? I don’t think I can do that.”

What can’t I do?
There’s nothing in this world I can’t do.
And isn’t social life all about pretending to know when you don’t, and pretending not to know when you do—that’s the skill that keeps things running smoothly, right?

I was mentally firing back when I heard the Assistant Director’s voice from a distance announcing they’d resume filming soon.
It wasn’t a scene with Kang Ji-sung, but I didn’t want to talk to Min Ji-heon anymore, so I waved my hand dismissively and tried to slip away, but he grabbed my shoulder.

“Ah, ah, ah! I get it, I get it. I won’t say anything unnecessary anymore. I’m sorry. But you have to give me a StarStar photo verification. I need to show off that we’re close~.”
“This guy’s really going all out with the blues….”

Min Ji-heon probably wouldn’t care about these little things.
He was definitely trying to show it to his younger brother. He’d mentioned Noel in “Obscure Idol Tycoon” before.
I let out a small sigh, asked the Coffee Truck Owner for permission, got a fresh cup, and gestured to Min Ji-heon.

“Come here.”
“…Huh? Really?”

I opened the photo app on my phone and told the bewildered guy to smile, then immediately pressed the button. Then I added a caption and uploaded it to StarStar.

[Black cat emoticon] Meow^^]

“….”
“….”
“…Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have a naturally strong stomach?”

After all, any idol worth their salt must always give their best to their fans, no matter when or where.
Seeing Min Ji-heon with his face all scrunched up in displeasure—just like I’d been moments ago—felt oddly satisfying.
I turned away and walked on, leaving him behind, but the conversations we’d shared lingered oddly in my mind.

‘Well, so what. Life is something you live alone anyway.’

I scratched my ear with my finger once and decided not to make a big deal out of it.
Thinking of that precious brat still stirs up frustration in me.
But what could happen? It should be fine.
…Probably.

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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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