The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 320

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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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320

“Ho-yoon?”

Jung Da-jun’s head tilted slightly to the side.

“What do you mean, Ho-yoon?”
“Just a candy, buddy.”

I unwrapped a piece of candy from the bowl on the table in front of the sofa and tossed it into the youngest member’s mouth. Even as he chewed, I could feel his confused gaze on me.
Kang Yi-chae, still wearing a dissatisfied expression, carelessly tossed the microphone he’d been holding and clung to Sung Ji-won with a whine.

“Ji-won, open this for me. I’ve been sick for ten days and I don’t have the strength….”
“Yeah, really?”
“Ugh, my wrist feels like it’s going to break!”
“Ha ha.”

Sung Ji-won examined Kang Yi-chae’s sturdy wrist as he whined while holding the drink, smiled gently, and subtly pulled away. It was a firm refusal.
Then Kang Yi-chae turned his face and switched targets to Kim Sung-hyun on the opposite side.

“Sung-hyun, I’m so delicate….”
“I’ll open it, so shut up.”
“Yes~.”

Kim Sung-hyun opened the can dutifully, though clearly reluctant.

‘Oh, Kim Sung-hyun.’

That was the problem.
Lately, Kim Sung-hyun had become the member of The Dun who suffered most at Kang Yi-chae’s hands—the only one who actually gave in to him.
Kang Yi-chae seemed to be venting his stress, endlessly poking and prodding and tormenting Kim Sung-hyun.
When Kim Sung-hyun sent a desperate signal for help as the harassment resumed, I ignored it. Moving as far away from them as possible toward the corner, Sung Ji-won tapped the empty spot on the sofa.

“Ho-yoon, you’re here? The test results were fine?”
“All clear. We’re talking about the recorded tracks today?”

Jung Da-jun interjected, rolling a candy around in his mouth.

“We’ve finished preparing all the B-side tracks.”

Kim Sung-hyun, who had been pushing away Kang Yi-chae’s dangling forehead with his finger, added his own comment.

“You had a meeting with the company during your last hospital checkup, and apparently Kang Yi-chae brought feedback revisions. That’s the reason I put up with this behavior.”
“Aw, come on~.”

Kang Yi-chae finally backed off with a pout and retrieved his laptop.

“Let me play one for you then.”

His long fingers pressed the spacebar, and a melody both familiar and strange poured out.
I hadn’t heard it in nearly a year.

【This is a little difficult
Keeping the distance between you and me
Managing my expression like nothing’s wrong
Can we stop for a bit?】

It seemed they’d altered only the beat and arrangement, lacking time for a full re-recording due to the schedule.

“It sounds good.”

Despite the subtle changes, it sounded completely different. I nodded along with the rhythm, and Kang Yi-chae played the next track.

【When the sun blinds your eyes
Breathe in the dawn once
And run to the beat of your heart】

“The beat has such a sophisticated vibe. Are you insane? Hyung, are you insane?! Did Mozart possess you or something?!”
“Mozart in my body….”

Jung Da-jun shivered, rubbing his arms as goosebumps rose. Kang Yi-chae continued playing the tracks.

“This one’s a new song.”

【Within the time that’s cracked】

He’d already finished the lyrics and even recorded a perfect guide with his own voice. The song was light, befitting summer, yet had an oddly melancholic dampness seeping through the beat.

【Without even questioning inventory
I just wish you’d tell me honestly】

“…Wow.”

The candy tumbled from Jung Da-jun’s gaping mouth in surprise.

‘Insane….’

I was just as shocked.
The lyrics were unmistakably aimed at me.
While everyone else was caught between shock and admiration, only Kang Yi-chae was smiling knowingly.
When the music ended, Sung Ji-won was the first to applaud.

“When did you come up with this? You couldn’t have had time to work on it.”
“Well, over ten days?”
“…Over ten days?”

The fox-like bastard turned his gaze toward me. Then he narrowed his eyes with a sly smile.

“You certainly had plenty of time.”

So he was going to take jabs at me like this, was he?
I pretended not to hear and asked Kim Sung-hyun.

“Kim Sung-hyun, we can bring this to the next meeting, right?”
“Absolutely we should.”

Kim Sung-hyun, who was savoring the melody from the beginning again, spoke.

“…This absolutely has to be on the album. The timeline is a bit tight, but I think we can pull it off with quick recording.”
“Right. Yi-chae created an amazing track—we need to make a strong pitch for it.”

Kim Sung-hyun, discussing how to appeal to Sung Ji-won and the company, reached over and patted Kang Yi-chae’s head.

“Kang Yi-chae, well done.”

Kang Yi-chae’s eyes widened before he ran a hand through his disheveled hair and broke into a sheepish grin.
Then,

“…This won’t do.”
“Huh?”

Jung Da-jun, who had been pressing the spacebar repeatedly with his lips pursed, suddenly shot to his feet.

“I’m going to practice!! I can’t lose to Yi-chae!”

His energy was infectious—his booming voice made my ears ring. At the word “practice,” Sung Ji-won reflexively smiled.

“Da-jun, want to go practice with us right now?”
“Yes! I’m conquering the practice machine today!!”
“What? Haha!”

Sung Ji-won, the practice machine who rarely laughed so loudly, stood up following Da-jun and extended the invitation to me as well.

“Ho-yoon, want to come with us?”
“No, I have to head to the Broadcasting Station in a bit.”
“Oh right. You have that trainee survival program shoot, don’t you?”

I nodded vaguely.
The survival program that still aired periodically. I’d already locked in my schedule as a guest appearance months ago.

“I don’t want to go….”
“Huh? What’s gotten into our Ho-yoon?”

I unwrapped a candy and popped it into my mouth, avoiding Sung Ji-won’s puzzled gaze.

.
.
.

Damn it. Is there really no other PD in the world who handles survival programs?

“Well, well, who do we have here~?”

Why did I keep running into her so often?

Oh, Hee-young. Hello.

“Hello, PD Kim.”

I bowed respectfully on the surface, and Kim Hee-young shot back, asking why I was being so formal all of a sudden.

“Thank you for visiting me in the hospital.”
“Are you feeling better? If it weren’t for Joo Woo-sung, I wouldn’t have even known Seo Ho-yoon was sick, honestly.”
“Ha, well, Woo-sung’s good at looking after things like that.”

Late that day when I opened my eyes, Joo Woo-sung arrived at the hospital and proceeded to list off all manner of complaints. As if that were the sole reason he’d come.
Still, as the senior, I tried to understand with the same broad-mindedness and treated Joo Woo-sung well.

“It’s nice to see you two are as close as ever. Oh, speaking of which, Joo Woo-sung mentioned recently that Seo Ho-yoon seems a bit strange. Said you’re being too affectionate….”

This bastard Joo Woo-sung….
Just then, a Staff Member who’d been waiting for an opening to interject spoke up cautiously.

“Um, PD, this….”
“Oh, just a moment.”

Kim Hee-young continued to receive questions from various staff members throughout the conversation.

“Are you the main PD?”
“No. It’s been a while since I stopped being main after Shining Star Season 2 ended.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’m fed up with it. I wonder what I’m doing with all these kids. I’m seriously thinking about transferring to the Culture and Education Department. At least they maintain proper broadcast standards there.”

What was she saying.
Someone who’d be buried in the Entertainment Division even in death.
She knew someone who worked there, and their work-life balance didn’t look too bad, so she’d been rambling on about wanting to edit nature documentaries. Kim Hee-young smacked her lips.

“Truth be told, I’m not that different. Sigh, I just have to accept reality.”
“Accept it? Senior…. You had it out with Director Kook just last week.”
“…Why would you say that in front of the cast. How embarrassing.”

The Staff Member, who’d been muttering in disbelief without realizing it, quickly covered her mouth with her hand at Kim Hee-young’s words. Kim Hee-young, looking sheepish, pushed the Staff Member’s back and said let’s go. I smiled quietly at the sight.
At that sight, I smiled softly to myself.

“You know the trainees are covering The Dun’s song for this mission? They’ve really become superstars~. It feels fresh, you know? Anyway, I’m sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you even though you came as a guest. Let’s talk leisurely next time.”
“It’s fine, you have work to attend to. See you later.”

Kim Hee-young, having heard my response, wore a satisfied expression and waved lightly before leaving.
The trainees who had been glancing sideways at me since I entered the set then approached.

“Senior, hello!”
“Hello!”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”

I responded automatically to the endless greetings and continued walking.

“Seo Ho-yoon senior, hello. I’m Han Young-jin!”
“Yes, do your best today.”

Just as I tried to pass by, a strong grip caught my arm.

“Ah, senior. Wait a moment.”

When I turned to look, the trainee called Han Young-jin flinched before quickly flashing a smile.

‘What’s with this guy?’

It was obvious he wasn’t your average trainee.

“I always watch your performances closely. Ah, I’m nervous so I can’t speak well… Thank you so much for coming today!”

Every word, every gesture dripped with artificiality.
I could tell right away what type he was.
The kind who smiles to your face but stabs you in the back.
Curious about what his angle was with all this flattery, I crossed my arms and looked down at him.

“If you don’t mind, senior, could we talk for a moment…?”
“Seo Ho-yoon.”

At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.
I turned around to see a man with a composed expression standing there. His face showed uncertainty about how to approach me.

“It’s been a while.”

It was the entrance of yet another guest for today’s broadcast.
I put on my business smile.

“Hello, Senior Yeon-hu.”

Kang Yeon-hu let out a brief sigh, then approached slowly and nodded at Han Young-jin.

“I need to talk to Seo Ho-yoon….”
“…Oh, yes!”

Despite his courteous expression, the coldness in his voice made Han Young-jin take a step back.
Seeing him, Kang Yeon-hu gestured to me with his eyes before walking ahead. I matched his pace and asked.

“So what did you want to say?”
“Before that—how’s your health? Are you doing alright?”
“It’s just a cold.”
“You’re calling it a cold to keep it quiet, but anyone who matters already knows.”

Kang Yeon-hu entered the waiting room reserved for guests and sighed as he sat on the sofa.

“That trainee who approached you earlier—I know them through connections, but it’s better not to get too close.”
“Why?”
“They’re pretentious and calculating. They don’t know fear and have a dangerously loose tongue.”
“Did they say something insulting to you?”
“Yeah. And to you too.”
“What did they say?”

Kang Yeon-hu, who seemed uncomfortable even bringing this up, merely stroked his chin before responding.

“Do you really need to hear it?”
“Yes.”
“…Just stuff like how did The Dun get into WH, how lucky they are, how their rise has been too fast for their abilities, things like that.”
“Sounds like it’s been filtered.”

Unwilling to elaborate further, Kang Yeon-hu shrugged.

“That’s why you shouldn’t get tangled up unnecessarily and end up in weird rumors. The Dun’s doing really well these days anyway.”

I knew Kang Yeon-hu well enough to recognize he wasn’t the type to fabricate stories, so instead of pressing further, I simply nodded.
Once the waiting room fell silent, Kang Yeon-hu—who had been stealing glances at me—scratched the back of his head and spoke again.

“Isn’t this all proof of your popularity? Seo Ho-yoon, you’ve really made it.”

I was merely sitting quietly because I had nothing more to say, but Kang Yeon-hu seemed to think I was upset and went off on a tangent entirely of his own making.

“In this industry, people gauge hierarchy by recognition, you know? Juniors paying attention and seniors being cautious—it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It all comes from genuine interest, after all.”
“Are you being cautious of me too, Yeon-hu?”
“….”

He blinked for a moment, then averted his gaze and wiped his cheek.

“…It would be a lie to say otherwise, wouldn’t it?”

I stared directly at Kang Yeon-hu.
He had a sharp mind and quick instincts, but unfortunately, his character was far too soft.

“Honestly, yes. But don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of scheming behind your back….”

I chuckled as I listened to his flustered excuses.
Now I understood why Chae Jung-woo cherished him.

“I see, I see. So Yeon-hu is starving for my attention.”
“…No, why are you twisting my words like that?”
“Don’t be so obvious about it.”
“When did I ever show it?!”
“Oh, so you do want attention?”
“Hey!!”

As Kang Yeon-hu shot to his feet and cried out, he realized he’d been caught in my trap, and his ears flushed an even deeper crimson.

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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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