The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 332

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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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332

In the end, I came away empty-handed with nothing to show for it, so I tried to keep my mouth shut. But Joo Woo-sung, delighted to have found something to tease me about, showed no signs of stopping.

“Of course! Do you have any idea how much he pestered me to get that for you? I agreed to go on stage with him after all his begging, and what does this junior do? He just goes and changes his part on a whim! Can you believe it?!”

As I listened to Joo Woo-sung’s mocking words, Kang Yi-chae scratched the bridge of his nose with his index finger.

“Hyung, I really don’t understand what you’re thinking sometimes.”
“…”
“Where did you even get the idea that giving me a CD would make me happy?”

He then examined the CD in his hand, turning it left and right as he spoke.

“Hey, has Hyun-sung ever said something like that to you?”
“What?”
“That this place is… comfortable to come back to…”

Come back to…?

“…”

He didn’t continue further.
Instead, he merely swept back his red hair and exhaled a faint sigh.

“You’re too materialistic, Hyung.”
“…Do you think the phrase ‘materialism’ came about for no reason?”

I heard Joo Woo-sung mutter under his breath from beside me, “I think it’s better to just stay quiet.” The other members around us seemed to be glancing over, gauging the mood.

“I’m done with gifts and CDs like this anyway…”

Kang Yi-chae deliberately waved the CD around for emphasis.

“I wish we could take photos together every year, just us members. To cherish the memories.”
“Every year?”
“Yeah.”

We see each other constantly—why would we need to do that?
But following Joo Woo-sung’s advice, I stayed quiet. Then he added something a beat later.

“Five years… or maybe ten….”
“That’s quite a long time.”
“Until the members no longer have the strength to press the shutter….”
“….”
“….”

Joo Woo-sung’s gaze drifted off into the distance, and I opened my mouth to respond but closed it again without saying anything.

“Anyway, thank you~.”

Kang Yi-chae giggled and tapped my arm with the CD before heading back to where the other members were. He leaned against Sung Ji-won’s shoulder with a playful expression, then feigned surprise upon spotting the scratch on his jacket, making a fuss about it.

‘I have no idea what you’re thinking either.’

How am I supposed to deal with him….
As I watched him with a lukewarm gaze, Joo Woo-sung nudged me from beside.

“Kang Yi-chae is seriously creepy…. But what did you do wrong to him? Why are you so nervous around him?”
“…There is something I did wrong.”
“Really?”

Joo Woo-sung widened his eyes slightly, as if surprised by my straightforward answer, then shrugged and spoke.

“The way he looks at you reminds me of how Chae Jung-woo used to look at me back then….”

Why are you bringing up that lunatic’s gaze here?
Joo Woo-sung picked up a panel and handed it to me.

“Anyway. Since we’re already going, let’s have a change of pace. You’ve been pretty free lately, right?”
“I should look into refund policies.”
“I want to refund our relationship, you bastard.”

Have we even reached the point where we’d get a refund?
Ignoring Joo Woo-sung’s grumbling, I turned my attention to the bustling surroundings. Everyone seemed ready for a second round after the workshop ended, crowding near the entrance.

“Hyung!”

Black Call was no exception. Lee Han-joo, the youngest member of Black Call, called out to Joo Woo-sung while raising both hands high.

“…Hmm, let’s talk about this later. They’re calling me.”

Joo Woo-sung, feeling embarrassed yet slightly proud, straightened his shoulders and was about to leave when—

“I wanna know your eye color!”
“Lee Han-joo, that bastard….”

Hearing the teasing that followed, he snapped and walked away quickly, shouting.

“Do you think I’m easy to mess with now? Huh?”
“Ahhh, Woo-sung hyung~, you were seriously cool earlier! Shouldn’t we go grab a drink together?!”

As Joo Woo-sung mingled with the members of Black Call, he no longer looked out of place. Chae Jung-woo, who had worked hard as MC today, offered me a gentle smile and nodded. I returned the gesture with a glance and turned around.
I acknowledged him with a nod and turned back.

“Ho-yoon hyung! Come quickly.”

As expected, The Dun was waiting for me.

“I’m going to meet Min Ji-heon for a moment. You all head to the dormitory first.”
“Huh?! Are you getting an autograph?!”

I chuckled at Jung Da-jun’s words and moved on.
Everyone had left so quickly that the area near the stage was empty. Min Ji-heon was sitting on the staircase leading up to the stage. Beside him was a pile of Korean beef sets.

“Our PD has arrived.”

Despite my nature of never regretting the past, filming a drama with this guy was something I’d regret for a long time.
Min Ji-heon slyly shifted to the side and patted the spot next to him, but I just stood at an angle and stared at him.

“Somehow this feels like I’m back to my theater days.”
“What you were saying earlier.”

There was no one around anyway, so I didn’t need to bother with a polite response.

“Try again.”
“…This guy really doesn’t understand small talk. Ah, fine. Remember when we shot that variety show together last year? You were coughing up blood at the broadcasting station, trembling like a leaf?”

How could I forget?
I nearly died that day.

“Your condition looks similar to back then. Or more precisely, those sticky, gooey masses clinging around you. They were always strange, but they seem more unstable and distorted than usual.”
“….”

I remember that time vividly.
I’d barely managed to restore the malfunctioning System through my unconscious mind because of excessive debt and nearly being discovered by Sung Ji-won.
And now I could easily deduce where my current abnormality stemmed from.

‘Is it Kang Yi-chae….’

I thought that since I’d severed things cleanly, time would handle the rest on its own, but the System doesn’t seem to have that kind of patience.

“…But you look so perfectly fine….”
“So?”

Min Ji-heon, who had been tapping the Hanwoo box with his finger, uncharacteristically avoided my gaze and offered a sheepish smile.

“You might want to check your surroundings. Just like I shared your pain, someone else might be bearing your burden right now.”

His words suddenly overlapped with what Min Ji-heon had said back during the “Unknown Actor Tycoon” incident—that whenever you receive something important, an equivalent price will inevitably follow.
The guy who’d been sitting silently stood up and dusted off his rear, then looked at my face, let out a small sigh, and added one more thing.

“Live long.”

I, who had been watching silently, called out to Min Ji-heon as he tried to take the Hanwoo with him.

“Min Ji-heon.”
“What.”
“Leave the Hanwoo.”
“….”

Min Ji-heon stared at me with a cold, hardened expression.
Since my conscience hadn’t yet returned from its runaway, I felt fine about it.

“I won this fair and square.”
“Yeah, thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
“They say when you save a drowning man, he demands your bundle—there’s not a shred of truth lost in that old saying….”

After all, it was a prize I’d won by invoking “Ho-yoon” and “daffodil,” so wasn’t half of it rightfully mine?
The pig kept glancing back every three steps, lingering with regret, but ultimately had to leave the meat behind and depart.
Left alone in the quiet, I fidgeted with my phone for a while before dialing a number. The dial tone rang, and not long after, the other person picked up.

[Oh, what’s the occasion?]

It was Seo Ho-jin, whose voice was similar to mine yet somehow unfamiliar.

“Can’t I call?”
[You said you were busy today. Don’t you have a schedule?]
“Just finished. Have you eaten?”
[Here we go again. Of course I have. What about you?]
“I had some wine.”
[What? Wine? You need to eat proper food!]

Seo Ho-jin’s nagging about skipping meals and drinking only wine continued for quite some time.

“Seo Ho-jin, you… you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
[Hurt? No, I’m not.]
“Really?”
[Why are you like this? Is something wrong? I’m telling you, I’m fine.]
“Be honest with me. I won’t scold you for hiding anything.”

From raising Seo Ho-jin, I’d learned that my younger brother had a tendency to endure pain without showing it, doing his best not to worry me even when he was suffering.

[I’m telling you the truth. And why would you scold me? I’m 25, hyung.]
“You just graduated from the bottle yesterday.”
[Ugh, seriously….]

Seo Ho-jin grumbled and muttered back through the phone.

[You’re the same age and yet you’re so fussy.]

To avoid an awkward silence, I redirected my gaze and brought up a different topic.

“Don’t you want to eat Korean beef?”
[Korean beef?]
“Want to grab some now?”
[Huh?]

I told the bewildered Seo Ho-jin to bundle up and come to the dormitory, then ended the call. Fortunately, he sounded fine over the phone.
Scratching my head as I stepped outside the hall, I heard the murmur of conversation nearby.

“So Sung Ji-won, why exactly did you go on stage? Kang Yi-chae said he was giving this to Composer Lim Hyun-sung?”
“Haha, I got our precious memory instead.”
“You… I really trusted you….”

I told them to go ahead, but here they were.

“But Ho-yoon got the travel voucher! I’m so jealous of Hawaii. Can’t we all go together to celebrate our debut anniversary?!”
“That’s something to think about…. Wait, Kang Yi-chae smells like alcohol. Who gave it to him?”
“After the talent show ended, Ji-won was drinking with him.”
“Sung Ji-won….”
“Oh, Yi-chae suggested drinking first!”

As I stepped closer, Jung Da-jun, who noticed my presence first, suddenly lifted his head and came rushing over.

“Our Hawaii ticket arrived!! Hyung! Ho-yoon Hyung!! Please put it in that suitcase!!”
“You’re too heavy now, that won’t work.”

I pushed Jung Da-jun’s forehead back and held out the Korean beef instead.

“I called Seo Ho-jin. Let’s all eat together.”
“Sounds good.”

The members, who had been waiting for me, began chattering away again and matched my pace as we walked.

***

After the WH Entertainment workshop ended and High Five’s album activities wrapped up successfully, peaceful days continued on the surface.

[At least Black Call did well with live performances during their hiatus and shot good commercials… otherwise I would’ve burned down WH Entertainment]
[Three months since I became a fan… and now a hiatus…? My oppas really are training me harshly]
[Joo Woo-sung is seriously seriously seriously seriously seriously seriously good]

In particular, Black Call’s fandom, Bloy, was peaceful—more than peaceful, it was serene and tranquil.
From a fan’s perspective, there simply wasn’t much to sink their teeth into.
Then, in that very moment,

[Heard WH held a workshop]

Right before the eyes of those who searched endlessly for something new each day, a fresh and tantalizing morsel dropped—the WH Entertainment workshop.

[Wow workshop?!!?! ㅅㅂ I always cursed so much for holding a workshop without even working, but suddenly I miss you so, so, so much.

└Sorry, but I don’t think Woo-sung would want to be seen…
Oh right, I fucking hate Joo Woo-sung’s Workshop lolololol I had to crossdress when I was a rookie lololololol
└└That’s seriously the #1 video WH needs to release
It’s basically become an urban legend now… just rumors floating around about rookie Joo Woo-sung’s #1 workshop video…
└└Joo Woo-sung lived hard…
Hahahahahahaha lol hahahahahaha

[Ugh I’m so curious who came this time, what they did for their talent, what they ate, who they talked to…]

Just as interest was climbing higher, a single post appeared on an anonymous bulletin board.

[Title: My cousin works at WH

Lol, apparently almost all the idols showed up this time.

The Dun Hapab had perfect attendance, and Black Call attended except for Lee Beom-hyun who had a Japan schedule!

This talent show was seriously fierce

└Wow can you tell us who performed?? Not a single photo was released this time
└└Lots of employees performed… and for idols, as far as I know, Joo Woo-sung, Seo Ho-yoon, Kang Yeon-hu, Sung Ji-won, and Kang Yi-chae—that’s 3 pairs!!
MC was Chae Jung-woo and Min Ji-heon also appeared briefly]

Then reactions of disbelief poured in.

[Joo Woo-sung participated in the workshop?? That’s bullshit, total nonsense]
[Suddenly lost all credibility like a dog]
[If Joo Woo-sung really went out with Seo Ho-yoon, I’ll eat my shoe—such a consistent and hilarious friendship]

After everyone determined it was a lie and things quieted down, the original poster uploaded a new post.

[Title: After grilling my cousin thoroughly, I discovered one more fact

Joo Woo-sung Seo Ho-yoon
‘Eye color’ switched
Joo Woo-sung in the back dancer part

Lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oh my god hahahaha
└That ‘eye color’ I know?? Hahahahahahahaha
└It’s a lie.. There’s no way that Joo Woo-sung would do the back dancer part… That guy hates workshops so much…
Haha, I heard they might release the full video later? Let’s hold out for it.
“Yo, if this is real, I’m going on a pilgrimage there lol”

Some High Five fans who saw this frowned in disappointment.

[Why are they doing a workshop during their active period]
[Crazy bastards just want to play around, instead of suing the haters during this time]
[Ah, they’re so oblivious, seriously…]

As various reactions mixed without clear information being provided, each fandom struggled to get their bearings,

[What the hell is this]

An airport departure photo suddenly surfaced.
Of Seo Ho-yoon and Joo Woo-sung.
Beneath the photo of Seo Ho-yoon dressed entirely in black from head to toe and Joo Woo-sung dressed entirely in white from head to toe, both staring blankly in different directions, the article headline read:

《WH Entertainment’s ☆ Heads to Hawaii… “We’ll return healthy and well”》

[Excuse me?]

Seo Ho-yoon and Joo Woo-sung,
The beginning of a Hawaii vlog shoot.

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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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