The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 328

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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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328

The day of WH Entertainment’s in-house workshop.

“Ahem, microphone test—. Good day, everyone. I’m Kim Myung-hyuk, CEO of WH Entertainment. It’s a bit embarrassing to be introducing myself again at this point, haha! This year marks WH’s 25th anniversary. We’ve planned quite an elaborate workshop to commemorate the occasion, and I want to express my gratitude to all of you who work so diligently—….”

Chae Jung-woo let the tedious speech go in one ear and out the other while maintaining a composed exterior. Years of accumulated experience in the entertainment industry had honed his ability to manage his expression flawlessly—he simply kept a serene smile on his face and clapped along.
Lee Han-joo, the youngest member who’d just wrapped up an all-night shoot, was nodding off beside him, but rather than wake him, Chae Jung-woo discreetly shielded him with his body.
However, a camera being operated for internal promotional purposes suddenly began moving closer.
Chae Jung-woo stretched his leg beneath the table and gently tapped Lee Han-joo’s calf to wake him.

“I’d like to extend my gratitude to Black Call, our pillar of strength who has been actively promoting us overseas since last year.”
“CEO! Han-joo loves you too!”

As if he hadn’t been sleeping moments before, Lee Han-joo’s eyes snapped wide open with a bright gleam, and he raised his arms overhead to form a heart shape.
Warm laughter rippled through the auditorium.

“…Phew, hyung, thank you so much for waking me. I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”
“Not at all.”
“Ugh, getting called out like that out of nowhere….”

Lee Han-joo’s dark circles were visible even beneath his heavy makeup.
The innocent, naive kid from before had become an idol for several years now, and his instincts and reflexes had become remarkably sharp.
Had Lee Han-joo actually been sleeping, Kim Myung-hyuk would have fawned over him even more, marveling at how hard he must be working.
In truth, WH Entertainment had been steadily declining before Black Call’s debut. It was once a prestigious idol group company, yes—but that was ancient history.
Back when the broadcasting industry dismissed WH with a casual “WH?” as if it were nothing, Black Call debuted and almost immediately swept up every award, rapidly ascending to the peak of success.
So naturally, the CEO adored them.
Of course, to the youngest member, Kim Myung-hyuk was probably just a busy, exhausted man who unnecessarily held workshops.

“Hey, Chae Jung-woo hyung, Han-joo, hi there~.”

Just then, a youthful man with shoulder-length hair tied back in a short ponytail, possessing an open and cheerful appearance, approached with long strides and took a seat at their table.

“Oh, Jeon Sae-young’s here.”

It was Jeon Sae-young, Black Call’s lead dancer.
Today, he’d come with the rapper Lee Han-joo and lead dancer Jeon Sae-young. The lead vocalist was in Japan for a fan meeting, and while Joo Woo-sung hadn’t shown his face, he was probably somewhere in Korea.
Despite arriving last, Jeon Sae-young carried himself with such confidence that he pulled over a sandwich from the neighboring table and took a bite.

“Well, we’ve recently achieved a successful merger with Dae Pa-sung. This has significantly strengthened our acting division at WH Entertainment. As our independent subsidiary label, Dae Pa-sung….”

What good was calling it an independent label?
These days, nobody saw The Dun as belonging to Dae Pa-sung anymore—they were all WH now.

“…and we’d like to extend our gratitude to The Dun as well. Congratulations on wrapping up this activity successfully.”

Applause erupted as if on cue.
Everyone’s attention converged on a single point. When I glanced over, The Dun members were there.
Jeon Sae-young stuffed the remaining half of his sandwich into his mouth and let out a soft whistle.

They wore coordinated outfits—similar designs with only the colors and a few details varying—but Seo Ho-yoon stood out entirely in black from head to toe.
Now that I thought about it, I’d sensed his aura had shifted subtly in recent times, but it hit hardest right now. He seemed calmer yet somehow burning with intensity from within.

“Jung Woo hyung, Sae-young hyung. Did you see The Dun’s comeback? It was insane.”
“Yeah, they were pretty good.”
“Their practice room—the lights literally never turn off. They’re going at it like trainees waiting for debut team assignments.”
“Ugh, if they asked me to do that again, I’d just quit being an idol.”

Jeon Sae-young, who’d crossed paths with Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun during the dance program, added another comment.

“But Sung-hyun really can dance—I mean really. Da-jun’s pretty solid too.”
“Really? Seriously?”

With the considerable distance between tables, the Black Call members gossiped freely.

“WH Entertainment is experiencing an unprecedented boom.”

Min Ji-heon as an actor, Black Call and High Five and The Dun as idols.
Kim Myung-hyuk’s words weren’t wrong.
Especially for a K-pop boy idol group, it was exceptional.
Black Call had broken records with every album, and despite currently being on hiatus, they were still raking in money hand over fist.

“Hey.”

It was late last year, one of those rare days when we all gathered together for practice.
Joo Woo-sung had been frowning deeply, his brow furrowed in displeasure as he kept glaring at Chae Jung-woo, and then he followed me out to say this.

“You need to go to the hospital.”
“What?”

I wondered why he’d say something so out of the blue.
Reluctant but unable to ignore Joo Woo-sung’s unusually stubborn insistence, I went to the hospital, and sure enough, something was wrong. Vocal cord nodules.
After that, Black Call’s hiatus was arranged swiftly under Joo Woo-sung’s initiative.
WH Entertainment was very accommodating about it as well.

“But I still don’t understand how Seo Ho-yoon managed to get Woo-sung’s head on straight.”
“Woo-sung has really changed a lot, hasn’t he?”

As Jeon Sae-young spoke while observing The Dun closely, Lee Han-joo nodded vigorously in immediate agreement.

“Last time I saw him hesitantly talking to me, I dropped the ice cream I was eating, you know? He tried to hide it, but it was all obvious—apparently he’s cut ties with all those people he used to hang around with. These days he’s just locked in the practice room… I’m telling you, that hyung seems like he’s gone back to his trainee days. He’s practically inhuman again.”
“Exactly what I’m saying.”

The kids chattering away no longer even bothered to look forward. Chae Jung-woo kept his eyes fixed on the Cafe Owner who was still speaking, shifting his chair slightly to create a blind spot in their line of sight.

It might have been a somewhat arrogant assessment, but unless Black Call made a comeback in the second half of the year, everyone at WH Entertainment believed the year-end award would go to either The Dun or High Five.
Chae Jung-woo was no exception.

‘Even setting aside bias, it’s one of the two.’

Either the group that included the benefactor who’d transformed Joo Woo-sung into a new person, or the group with the admirable junior I’d watched since his rookie days.

Chae Jung-woo, who’d been tapping the table with his fingers, suddenly stopped. He’d realized that whichever side he chose wouldn’t affect the outcome anyway.

“…—Wait, Woo-sung hyung isn’t coming? He’s skipping the workshop again this time?”
“Who knows?”

Lee Han-joo asked while stealing one of Jeon Sae-young’s sandwiches.
In Black Call’s first year after debut, workshop participation had been mandatory for new members.
That experience had left a strong impression on Joo Woo-sung, and since then, he’d never attended a workshop even once.

“Woo-sung hyung… you’re scary when you hold grudges. Was that stage really so embarrassing?”
“Han-joo, what do you think you would’ve done?”
“I would’ve just had a blast.”

Back then, after the song was selected, there’d been constant pressure about which Black Call member would go. They’d settled it with rock-paper-scissors. Joo Woo-sung’s face had turned ashen when he lost. Jeon Sae-young had rolled on the floor laughing.

“Woo-sung hyung, you ended up placing first anyway….”
“That’s what I’m saying.”

He’d made every excuse under the sun about not being able to do it.
Yet when it came down to it, he’d prepared meticulously—costume, blonde long wig, false eyelashes and all—and had delivered a flawless performance of an overseas artist’s song.
Of course, the moment he stepped off that stage, he’d cursed it as a “complete embarrassment,” and even the mere mention of the workshop sent him into convulsions.

‘Looking back on it now, I guess we were pretty innocent back then….’

Finally, the endless speeches concluded, and lunchtime arrived. People bustled about to network and exchange greetings.
The Black Call members, who’d been wearing their public smiles and bowing in unison, visibly relaxed the moment they encountered The Dun members.

“Oh, Kim Sung-hyun, Jung Da-jun~.”
“Senior, hello.”
“I told you to call me hyung! And hello to the rest of you guys.”

Jeon Sae-young draped an arm around Kim Sung-hyun’s neck and acted affectionately, and while Lee Han-joo chatted with the other members, Chae Jung-woo’s eyes met Seo Ho-yoon’s.
Seo Ho-yoon smiled first and approached.

“Chae Jung-woo senior, hello.”

Chae Jung-woo found Seo Ho-yoon quite likable.
So he responded with genuine warmth, his eyes brightening.

“Seo Ho-yoon, how have you been?”
“Very well.”

He glanced around briefly, then lowered his voice and spoke in a hushed tone.

“Senior, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Of course, anything.”
“I heard you’re hosting the talent show MC tonight.”

How did you even find out about that?
Chae Jung-woo maintained his smile and answered calmly.

“That’s right, how did you know?”
“By the way, do you happen to know the list of performers?”
“No, I haven’t received it yet either. I doubt they’ll hand it out until right before it starts.”
“Hmm….”
“Why? Is Seo Ho-yoon performing?”

In that moment, Seo Ho-yoon’s face took on the expression of a mischievous seven-year-old plotting something.

“Who knows?”

What on earth was he planning?
The Seo Ho-yoon that Chae Jung-woo knew was somewhat eccentric, but not the type to pull reckless stunts.
Yet from a distance, watching Seo Ho-yoon’s expression, Kang Yeon-hu found himself breaking into a cold sweat, visibly anxious.

.
.
.

By the time I’d endured the pointless workshop procedures and conventions with a forced smile, evening had already arrived.
The auditorium attached to the building the company had rented entirely was already set up as a talent show stage.

‘This is my You You Bank for today.’

Brimming with confidence, I draped my arm across Jung Da-jun’s shoulder.
Jung Da-jun, whose cheeks had grown noticeably rounder after devouring eight plates from the buffet dinner, tilted his head curiously.

“Hyung, you seem to be in a great mood today.”
“Of course I am.”

I wonder if my Yi-chae appreciates this noble effort of mine.
But I hadn’t told the members about performing in the talent show. I figured the surprise would double the emotional impact.

‘But why hasn’t this bastard shown up yet?’

It would be starting soon, yet Joo Woo-sung was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh, Hyung! Did you see the prizes this time?! Travel vouchers, resort passes, department store gift cards… it’s seriously insane. Except for that weird second-place prize CD. I have no idea where that came from.”

How could a layman understand a fan’s taste?
And that strange second-place prize—I wanted it.
I glanced back over my shoulder. Kang Yi-chae was giggling with Sung Ji-won.

“Oh right, right! I heard that usually managers and directors participate a lot in the workshop talent show, but this time the lineup is supposedly incredible!”
“What? You heard that?”
“I didn’t catch all the details… just bits and pieces.”

While Jung Da-jun chattered on, the seats had filled up completely and the lights came on.

“Hello, I’m Chae Jung-woo~.”
“Wahhh! Chae Jung-woo! Chae Jung-woo!”
“Top-tier! Top-tier!”

If Joo Woo-sung was the man who built half of the WH Entertainment Building, then Chae Jung-woo was spoken of as the figure who captivated half of South Korea’s population.
The employees, thoroughly intoxicated from the wine and champagne that had been flowing all evening, erupted in fervent cheers for him.

“Well, today certainly felt long, didn’t it? You’ve all worked so hard. Now it’s time for something fun~?”

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Joo Woo-sung.

[Me: When are you coming, Hyung?]
[Me: I miss you.]

Still no reply.
So he’s really ignoring me, huh.
I closed my phone and turned my attention back to the stage, where a neat-looking man with slightly reddened ears had taken the stage.

“Hello, I’m Kang Yeon-hu from High Five.”

A rival had appeared.

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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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