The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 331

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

331

Joo Woo-sung had been born as the sole ruler of heaven and earth.
Blessed with beauty, showered with love since childhood, and gifted with natural talent that made everything come easily, he had nothing to fear in this world.
That remained unchanged even after his debut with Black Call.
But just once.
Forced to attend a workshop as a new recruit, Joo Woo-sung was dragged into a talent show, and with his stubborn eyelashes and long blonde hair getting in the way, he realized for the first time in his life that not everything goes according to his wishes.
At least the video hadn’t spread—that was something to be grateful for.

“Hey~, if you don’t go with me, who will?”

After that, Joo Woo-sung would jump at the mere mention of the word “workshop.” But this shiny-faced bastard with his polished top kept grinning slyly and opening his mouth again, clearly scheming something.

“Yeah, get lost.”

He raised his middle finger, but Seo Ho-yoon didn’t bat an eye and simply turned on a song on his phone.

【Holy Shit Your Body
I Can’t Take My Eyes Off】

A hip-hop track from about a year ago that filled all three minutes and forty-three seconds with descriptions of physiques. He remembered it being popular at festivals, especially for the provocative choreography chemistry with the back dancers, though it wasn’t his personal taste.

“Let’s go with this—….”
“Are you insane? Are you joking right now?”
“I can handle the back dancer part.”
“So what?”
“Just set aside your prejudices about the song and the workshop, and think about it again. This song would look amazing if you performed it, trust me?”

Lim Hyun-sung, who had lost interest in the WH Entertainment workshop after failing to find a way to get the band’s CD, and Kim Hee-young, who had finished eating and was lounging lazily, were both too busy whispering to each other.

“Look at this, look. It’s the original artist’s video, and well, I mean, it’s good of course, but if Joo Woo-sung did it, it would be five times cooler, right?”
“…Five times? There’s no comparison.”
“Ah, this guy… Fine, I’ll be generous. Ten times then.”

Knowing full well they were trying to coax him, he felt a strange ambivalence—irritated yet oddly excited.

‘This bastard really wants to get out of here….’

“…I’m busy.”
“Come on, even if you’re busy, this is nothing for a genius like Joo Woo-sung. Just take a quick look and you’re done.”

Seo Ho-yoon had rarely shown positive signals about me, so I wasn’t particularly offended. And it didn’t seem like he was lying either.

“Joo Woo-sung, you just need to do one thing. Stand next to me that day and enjoy the stage. That’s it.”

And Seo Ho-yoon smirked, told me to think about it, then brushed off his seat and left.
Back home, I played hunting games with Nyang-nyang using a fishing rod while quietly turning over Seo Ho-yoon’s words in my mind.

But no matter how much I racked my brain, there was nothing to gain.
In that moment, it occurred to me that this might be a golden opportunity to utterly humiliate Seo Ho-yoon, who had blackmailed me.

[Crazy bastard: I’ll handle all the hard stuff]
[Crazy bastard: You don’t trust me?]

When I saw a text from Seo Ho-yoon arrive like clockwork, irritation flared up.

[Crazy bastard: If it really doesn’t work, just do it with our leader or whatever]

Kim Sung-hyun, whose dancing skills had been noticeably improving lately, was the junior I’d been most carefully watching these days. He definitely knew and was doing this on purpose.

“Damn bastard….”

After swinging the fishing rod wrong and taking Nyang-nyang’s punch as usual, I tumbled to the side and clenched my fists with resolve.

I can’t go down alone.

I would carve a shameful dark history into Seo Ho-yoon while simultaneously claiming first place and snagging the overseas gift certificate.
Through Chae Jung-woo, a member of Black Call from the same group who was hosting the talent show MC for this workshop, I’d already confirmed that the first-place prize couldn’t be exchanged for prizes of other ranks.
I wore a sly smile.

‘This workshop will be your memorial day!’

Once I’d organized my thoughts, action came swiftly.
I contacted Seo Ho-yoon immediately to set a meeting time. While Seo Ho-yoon might need practice, I certainly didn’t. A quick run-through of the choreography once or twice would suffice.
But let me be clear—while I didn’t need it, Seo Ho-yoon absolutely did. Whenever our schedules miraculously aligned, I never missed the golden opportunity to give him a hard time about it.
Before long, the workshop day arrived.

Joo Woo-sung arrived at the hall right on time, casually changing into a white shirt that let his skin show through slightly beneath the song’s choreography, and approached the stage area in good spirits.
That’s when Chae Jung-woo looked at him with an expression that screamed, “Has this bastard finally lost it?” Joo Woo-sung raised an eyebrow dismissively and turned away.

“Senior, you’re absolutely radiant today from head to toe.”

I snorted derisively as Seo Ho-yoon showered me with such hollow praise.

“…Haha, next up is a truly fascinating pairing! A WH Entertainment legend! Every employee at WH Entertainment has witnessed these two bicker at least once, yet remarkably, they’re always inseparable—that very duo! Black Call’s Joo Woo-sung and The Dun’s Seo Ho-yoon!”

Cheers erupted.
Whistling softly, I walked to center stage with measured steps. Seo Ho-yoon stood facing me with his lips painted slightly darker than usual and half his bangs swept back and pinned in place. Like me, he wore no wig or false lashes.
It felt off somehow, but I decided to let the senior’s generosity slide.

It would all fall apart anyway.

As I waited for Seo Ho-yoon to be pulled into what would become an embarrassing historical moment, ready to smirk, he suddenly locked eyes with me and tilted his upper body forward slightly.

“Joo Woo-sung. Do you know what?”
“Huh?”

Then his low, resonant voice tickled my ear.

“I actually only practiced your part.”

Of course I only practiced my own part… what?
The corners of Seo Ho-yoon’s red lips curved upward sharply.

“You can handle both parts, right?”

Before I could even respond, Seo Ho-yoon grabbed my arm and yanked me. In an instant, our positions reversed, and he surged forward, singing.

【Wherever you go, people only stare at your body, hoo
Sorry, but I can’t remember your eye color】

Despite it being a rap, he delivered it with a rhythmic flow, digesting the song in his own unique style.
Joo Woo-sung, suddenly burdened with a position he hadn’t wanted, squeezed his eyes shut.
Yet abandoning the stage without doing anything and simply walking away was a choice he could never make in his entire life.
Opening his eyelids once more, he bit the inside of his cheek firmly and began the choreography.

.
.
.

“Damn it… damn it… damn it….”

I offered my applause toward Joo Woo-sung, who muttered curses like a chant.
The audience seating erupted into a frenzy. The hall was filled with Joo Woo-sung’s name, making it feel like his personal concert venue.

“Wow~! That was truly the best performance!!”
“Woo-sung! You were absolutely incredible!!”
“I also… our Woo-sung… *sniffles*, it felt like he’d reclaimed the passion from his first year, and tears just came out, *chuckles*… you know? Ah, look, Sae-young over there is wiping away tears while cheering too… *sniffles*….”

Chae Jung-woo, gauging Joo Woo-sung’s mood, tried desperately to suppress his laughter, but it kept slipping through the gaps in his words in weak bursts.

“You have Black Call’s pride, so you should’ve placed first.”
“Shut up….”

I chased after Joo Woo-sung, who ran down the staircase with his head cradled in both hands, returned to our table, handed him a hat we always kept on standby for emergencies, and left him to his embarrassment.
Since we were apparently the last performance, the rankings for the talent show were announced shortly after.

“Third place——! Kang Yeon-hu!”

At the sound of Chae Jung-woo’s voice, Joo Woo-sung’s eyes gleamed.

“Second place——! Seo Ho-yoon and Joo Woo-sung!”

Second place—easy, right?
I concealed my joy inwardly while feigning disappointment on the surface.

“We came in second.”
“….”
“Ah, so Manager Jang took first. His wave technique was certainly impressive. It’s a shame.”
“….”

However, Joo Woo-sung merely offered a quiet gaze from beneath his cap brim, showing no reaction whatsoever. I’d expected him to throw a fit, given his pride—surely he wouldn’t accept anything less than first place.

“…Joo Woo-sung?”

Puzzled, I lowered myself to check his face, but he buried his face in his hands and rubbed it vigorously before chugging water and letting out a sigh.

“Seo Ho-yoon, you absolute idiot moron bastard anemone.”
“…Huh?”
“You haven’t fully grasped WH’s information yet, have you?”

What do you mean?

“Manager Jang is our CEO’s cousin. That means he’s got a silver spoon, so to speak. Well, it’s something only the higher-ups know about.”

I blinked at this news I’d never heard before.
At WH Entertainment, I hadn’t investigated or dug into things the way I had with Dae Pa-sung. There was no need—the structure and system here were nothing like those Dae Pa-sung days, where the company only moved when I took direct action and The Dun benefited as a result. Most matters were resolved through Lee Ji-hyun or Jung Sun-ui’s channels.

“Plus, he’s an incredibly generous person. He believes in giving back as much as he receives. Even when I participated in a workshop before, he placed third.”
“What are you getting at?”
“So.”

Something felt off about the way he was dragging out this explanation so deliberately.
Joo Woo-sung tilted his head and pointed behind him.

“Huh?!”

The hall stirred at that moment.
Manager Jang had declined the first-place prize.

“Haha, my goodness!”

Manager Jang chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“I already went last week! I’m sick of it, absolutely sick of it. What would I do going again? It’d be better if our WH’s pillars went and got some proper rest~.”

Watching my expression crumble in real time, Joo Woo-sung twisted his lips and whispered.

“You gave up the prize back then too. You said you’d prefer for another employee to receive it.”
“Manager Jang! Manager Jang! You’re more handsome than Joo Woo-sung~!!”
“Oh, you people!!”
“That’s why I kind of like Manager Jang.”

Manager Jang waved his hand frantically at Joo Woo-sung.

“Woo-sung, have a great trip to Hawaii~!!”
“Yes, thank you so much, Manager Jang~!!”

Joo Woo-sung, delighted by my visibly rotting expression, removed his hat and pressed it onto my head, then threw a heart sign with his hands toward Manager Jang.
As a result, everyone’s rankings shifted down by one—Kang Yeon-hu received a signed CD, while Kang Yi-chae and Sung Ji-won received the third-place prize of composition equipment.

“Congratulations!”
“Wow! Yi-chae!!”

Sung Ji-won hugged Kang Yi-chae and bounced up and down excitedly.

“We got third place!”
“The rap training really paid off, hyung!”
“Right! All that hard work was worth it!!”

So that’s what they’d been practicing.
Actually, Kang Yi-chae, you already have all that stuff anyway.
Despite how clearly uninterested they both were in the prizes, their faces melted into pure joy.
Just then, Manager Jang approached Joo Woo-sung and me, tapping our shoulders lightly.

“I’m always rooting for The Dun. Today’s performance was really impressive too. You two looked so good together. How about you take this opportunity to rest and travel together, and have the planning team film a vlog to show the fans? That would be amazing~.”

I felt something ridiculous rising all the way up my throat, when suddenly someone from the planning team popped out from the side.

“That’s actually a great idea?! We could send a few staff members along so it wouldn’t feel burdensome!”
“No, that’s….”
“The long-standing friendship between Black Call and The Dun! Come to think of it, Seo Ho-yoon, you already knew Joo Woo-sung before rejoining The Dun, right?! That’s huge! I can already picture it~!”
“….”
“….”

I made an effort to maintain my smile by utilizing my acting stat to the fullest.
A Hawaii travel vlog featuring The Dun members and Black Call members—who on earth was this even for?
As long as the fans didn’t curse us out, I’d consider it a win.
I’d been planning to visit Kang Yeon-hu and have a friendly negotiation session to exchange prizes, but someone beat me to it.

“Yeon-hu hyung~.”

It was Kang Yi-chae.
He grinned as he approached Kang Yeon-hu and held out a MIDI controller.

“Hyung, let’s swap this.”
“…Really?”
“Of course! They said everyone except first place can trade prizes with each other. Ji-won hyung said it was fine too.”

Kang Yeon-hu, who had been tilting his head in confusion, carefully accepted it, thanked him, handed over a CD, and then walked toward the High Five Junior Member with a slightly excited spring in his step.
Joo Woo-sung, who had witnessed the entire situation, grabbed my shoulder and held it firm, speaking with intense emphasis.

“Man! Kang Yi-chae’s got it made! Seo Ho-yoon pulled such a stupid move and lost second place, but he’s still getting his prize anyway!”
“Huh?”

Don’t say it.

“Seo Ho-yoon! Do you know how much you tortured me saying you’d give me this CD, ugh!!”
“Mmmph… mmph… mmmgh…”

I said don’t say it.
I clenched my teeth and kicked at the prize panel with my leg to signal him to shut up, but Joo Woo-sung stubbornly kept shouting.

“You said you wanted to give this CD to the one and only senior, and you really played him hard, but in the end you couldn’t give it to him yourself—what a shame!!”
“Huh?”

Kang Yi-chae, who had only been blinking, answered in confusion.

“I don’t even like this though?”
“….”
“….”

A shocked Joo Woo-sung pointed at the CD with his finger, and Kang Yi-chae nodded again in confirmation.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts before asking.

“…So why did you come out for the talent show then?”
“Huh? Composer Chung-beom likes this, so I wanted to give it to him as a gift.”
“I heard you were digging through the auction day and night singing about how much you wanted it?”
“That’s because the Composer wanted it, so I was trying to help. This song isn’t really my style.”
“….”

My jaw trembled slightly.
Overwhelmed by the absurdity, the travel package panel I’d been holding slipped from my fingers and fell.
Joo Woo-sung, whose pettiness ran deeper than his years in the entertainment industry, shot me a sidelong glance and muttered.

“You absolute idiot… going to Hawaii like this….”

Shut up… you….
Kang Yi-chae, who had been alternating his gaze between me and Joo Woo-sung, narrowed his eyes. Then he tapped the CD against his own palm repeatedly.

“Ho-yoon went on stage to give me this?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————