The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 342

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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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342

[Where are you?]
[Ditching another blind date setup?]

Woo Kyung-un sighed heavily as he reviewed the messages he’d exchanged with Seo Ho-jin a few hours earlier, then dragged himself into the Club Room. Normally, that bastard would’ve fired back some half-hearted response like “lol” without a shred of sincerity, but this time—nothing but radio silence.

“Senior Kyung-un, you’re back again?”

Woo Kyung-un, who had been sprawled across the entire sofa for a while now, felt an inexplicable unease creep over him. He propped up his upper body and asked the junior who had stopped by to kill some time before meeting his girlfriend, glancing at the nearby table.

“…Hey, where’s Seo Ho-jin? I heard he practically lives here even during breaks. Where’d he go?”
“Oh, Ho-jin? I think he was heading to the Department Office earlier?”
“Not the library?”
“Looks like something came up with the Student Council today.”

At university, Seo Ho-jin was famous for two things.
His devastatingly handsome face that rivaled celebrities, and his notoriously difficult temperament.
With skin as pale as porcelain—as if he’d never seen sunlight—jet-black hair, and cold, piercing eyes, everyone who met him for the first time was overwhelmed by his presence. And behind his back, they whispered endlessly. That he must be from some chaebol family. That he was probably an aspiring entertainer.
But such rumors didn’t last long. Instead, a new epithet took hold: that he was a complete bastard. Because Seo Ho-jin had revealed his true nature.
Woo Kyung-un actually liked him quite a bit.
Even if he acted like an ass in front of people, he never discriminated against anyone, and he was the type who knew how to work toward what he wanted. Of course, it was irritating how annoyingly good he was at studying.
There was one mystery that still remained unsolved: why would Seo Ho-jin, who calculated profit and loss meticulously before acting, voluntarily take on the position of Student Council representative?

“Why would a fourth-year do that? Especially during break. Can’t they just handle it with an announcement?”
“How would I know? Someone must’ve caused trouble again. His face looked absolutely demonic. Senior, you should probably keep your distance if you can.”

The junior shook his head and turned his attention back to his phone.
There had been an anecdote about Seo Ho-jin becoming even more famous around last year, but it was less important to those around him than the mystery surrounding the Student Council position.
Woo Kyung-un flopped back onto the sofa with a thud and groaned.

“Ugh, this won’t do. I’ve got an episode from today that’s absolutely legendary—I need to knock back a drink and spill it.”
“Senior Kyung-un, you really are something….”

The junior left with a cold expression, saying he had to meet his girlfriend.
After scrolling through SNS and various messages, Woo Kyung-un suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbed his bag, and made his way to the department office. When he carefully opened the door, he spotted the back of a head leaning against a desk in the corner, with major textbooks stacked like a tower.

“Hey, Seo Ho-jin. Why aren’t you answering?”

Woo Kyung-un approached slowly and tapped the tip of Seo Ho-jin’s shoe with his foot.

“….”
“It’s not like today’s special or anything—pack your stuff already. You’ve basically finished your exam prep anyway, so you can study tomorrow. I seriously bombed my blind date today. If I don’t drink, I’m gonna say something stupid, so let’s at least disinfect my throat with some soju first. That place we went to last time had great side dishes. Where was it again—.”

A dismissal, or an acknowledgment that it was pathetic but understandable.
By now, some kind of response should have come back long ago, but there was nothing but silence.
Woo Kyung-un, who prided himself on being Seo Ho-jin’s closest friend among their university cohort, sensed something was wrong and bent down to examine him.

“Seo Ho-jin?”

At that, Seo Ho-jin, who had been completely motionless until then, stirred and sat up. His eyes were darkly shadowed underneath, his cheeks flushed as if he had a fever, and he looked slightly gaunt.
The unmistakable appearance of someone who was ill made Woo Kyung-un alarmed.

“…What.”
“Jesus! Is this what a person looks like?”
“…What do you mean.”

After the Law School Admission Test in July, when he’d blown off evening plans saying he was going to eat meat with his brother, I’d thought maybe he was finally getting some breathing room. But then he got caught up in the chaos of writing his law school personal statement and interview prep, and it seemed he’d finally collapsed.

“Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?”
“Have you been to the hospital?”

Seo Ho-jin waved his hand dismissively, pushing Woo Kyung-un’s face away, and picked up another book.

“I’m fine. I took medicine.”
“So our Ho-jin’s dream wasn’t to become a lawyer but a doctor? You should have said so from the start. I had no idea. When did you become such an expert on the human body? But you know, the direct cure for pain is an injection, right? If your face’s feng shui isn’t good, go to the hospital right now.”
“Shut up, a little….”

He irritably brushed his hair back and picked up his pen again, resuming his writing.
The fact that he had the energy to curse suggested he was still somewhat intact.
Woo Kyung-un, clicking his tongue while being a bit sarcastic, filled the electric kettle with water, thinking he’d brew some green tea from the mountain of unused tea bags piled in the corner of the department office. He figured that if something warm went into his stomach, Seo Ho-jin’s pallid complexion might improve a little.

“You’re disgusting. Who cares if you rest? Your schedule has no humanity to it. Even after one night of sleep, if you’re not in good condition tomorrow, you’re going straight to the hospital. What are those idiots in the department going to say? If they run their mouths, I’ll just cover it with my handsome face anyway.”

The fact that there was still no response suggested his condition was indeed quite poor.
As I was tearing open a tea bag into a cup and turning to switch off the electric kettle,

“No, wait. I’ll take you there anyway… Huh? What?! Seo Ho-jin!!”

Seo Ho-jin’s body began to tilt slowly,

and crashed down with a thunderous bang!

He collapsed to the floor along with his textbooks.

“Hey! Hey, Seo Ho-jin!!!”

Woo Kyung-un rushed over, sweeping the books aside to check Seo Ho-jin’s consciousness.
No matter how much he shook him or tapped his cheeks, his tightly shut eyes showed no sign of opening. The skin beneath his palm was burning hot in every place he touched.
Woo Kyung-un’s heart pounded violently.

“Damn it! Stupid bastard!”

Even as curses poured out endlessly, his trembling hands were calling the Rescue Team.
After that, everything became a blur. When I came to my senses, I was already in the ambulance, and before I knew it, I had followed him into the Emergency Room.

“What is your relationship to the patient?”
“Oh, uh, we’re friends.”
“Then, would you happen to be able to contact his guardian right now?”
“I, I’ll, I’ll try.”
“Please do so quickly.”

No matter how hard I tried to calm down, my eyes were wide with panic. At the same time, I regretted the foolish time I’d wasted in the Club Room and grew irritated with myself for not dragging him to the hospital immediately.
I managed to get Seo Ho-jin’s phone, but when I faced the password pattern, dizziness washed over me.
After a moment of deliberation, I pressed the emergency call button. It was a desperate attempt—hoping there might be an emergency contact saved, given the circumstances I’d inadvertently learned about. It was like grasping at straws.

[My Brother]

“Found it!”

Fortunately, it was registered, and the call went through.
The problem was that the other person simply wouldn’t answer.

“Damn it! They’re not picking up! Is my friend actually dying?! Seo Ho-jin isn’t dying, right?!”
“Please leave, you’re in the way!”
“Wait, just a moment!!”

Seo Ho-jin remained unconscious with his eyes closed, and the call wouldn’t connect.
I was being ushered out by the nurse, gnawing at my nails in anxiety as I attempted the thirty-seventh call.

[Huh, why.]
“…Huh? Hello? Finally got through! Are you perhaps Ho-jin’s older brother?”

Despite hearing a cold voice, I felt oddly reassured.

“Oh, I’m not some strange person—I’m Seo Ho-jin’s university friend! That’s not the important part though! I’m at XX Hospital right now! Why weren’t you answering your phone?!”

As I hurried to inform him of the hospital and nearly pleaded for him to come quickly, a calm response came from the other end.

[——I’m on my way now.]

The call ended, and I walked with sluggish steps to one of the chairs lined up at the Emergency Room entrance and collapsed into it.

“Sigh… What in the world is this…. Woo Kyung-un’s life legend moment.”

All strength drained from my body at this first-time experience. I leaned my back against the wall and buried my face in both hands. There was only one thought circling through Woo Kyung-un’s mind right now.

‘Please let him be okay.’

If I were to add one more,

‘I hope this older brother gets here soon.’

Seo Ho-jin, still unconscious, had to undergo various tests as he was moved from place to place.
Just as I was watching him with a heavy gaze, commotion erupted near the entrance.

“——Yoon, is that you?”
“…—Wait, why are you here?”

Following the sound, I turned my head and saw a man entering with long strides. In that instant, all the stray thoughts that had been consuming Woo Kyung-un’s mind evaporated at once.

I’d thought I would never see anyone more handsome than Seo Ho-jin in my lifetime….

‘Is he even human….’

Ever since the incident when his older brother—an idol who had elevated Seo Ho-jin’s reputation at university—became the subject of nationwide gossip, even when catching glimpses of Seo Ho-yoon’s photos, my impression had been nothing more than ‘Of course, Seo Ho-jin’s older brother. Incredibly handsome.’ But seeing the real person transcended anything language could adequately express.
The reality far exceeded what mere words could convey.
Watching Seo Ho-yoon sweep his bangs back similarly to Seo Ho-jin and head toward the nearby nurses, Woo Kyung-un finally regained his composure and approached, calling out.

“Hyung!!”
“…?”
“Hyung, your younger brother apparently has overwork exhaustion! Probably! They said the detailed test results haven’t come back yet.”

Seo Ho-yoon merely glanced at him before addressing the nurse.

“I’m the guardian of patient Seo Ho-jin. Would it be alright if I heard an explanation of the situation?”
“Ah, please wait a moment. The doctor will be here shortly.”

As the nurse passed by, Seo Ho-yoon simply stood there, looking down at his younger brother. The sound of his fingers tapping against the bed rail seemed distinctly audible even in the rather chaotic Emergency Room.
Just as I was contemplating whether I should offer some words of comfort, the doctor arrived.

“Is this the first time he’s lost consciousness?”
“Since becoming an adult, yes. When I was younger, I had severe febrile illness and collapsed several times.”
“Any underlying conditions?”
“None.”
“For now, the basic tests and CT scan don’t show anything significant, but just to be safe, I’d recommend getting a detailed examination. If you’d like, we can proceed with admission procedures.”
“Yes. I’d appreciate that.”

Seo Ho-yoon appeared remarkably composed while conversing with the doctor.
Since it didn’t seem like the right moment to interject, I could only roll my eyes around, when another man with a warm impression appeared, as if taking over from the doctor.

“We need to take care of this.”

The man quickly drew the curtain as if to block others’ view, then handed his phone to Seo Ho-yoon. As he accepted it, Seo Ho-yoon’s gaze turned toward Woo Kyung-un.

“A friend of Seo Ho-jin’s?”
“…Huh? Oh, yes!”

Despite my momentary bewilderment and stammering, I extended my hand forward with professional composure, offering a handshake without the slightest shift in expression.

“Thank you for reaching out. I’m Seo Ho-yoon, Ho-jin’s brother.”

I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge that we were brothers even in moments like this.
We looked strikingly alike. Realizing this, I grasped his hand with an awkward smile.

“I’m Woo Kyung-un, a university friend of Seo Ho-jin’s….”
“You’re the one who called the Rescue Team as well?”
“Ah, yes. Well, um, we were together in the Department Office….”
“Is that so? Was he alright then?”
“His complexion was pale—he didn’t look well. Still, we chatted a bit, but I never expected him to suddenly collapse like that. Oh! That phone call—I didn’t know his number. I found it in the emergency contacts and called from there!”

I nodded as if I understood.

“If it weren’t for you, Kyung-un, things could have gone very wrong.”
“Ah, no. It wasn’t that serious….”
“Manager.”

The man beside me—apparently the Manager—pulled a wallet from his back pocket and pressed a business card into Woo Kyung-un’s hand.

“I’ll make sure to repay you. And if anything happens again in the future, please contact me at this number.”
“…Yes.”

Woo Kyung-un memorized the three characters of the name and the number on the card, then glanced at the quiet Seo Ho-jin before murmuring.

“Um, but… Seo Ho-jin still hasn’t regained consciousness… will he be alright?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“Should I stay here as well?”

My lips, which had remained pressed in a firm line until now, curved up ever so slightly.

“No. You’ve been through quite a shock too. Please go home and rest. I’ll stay.”
“…..”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll contact you if anything comes up. Manager, could you see him out?”
“Of course!”

The well-built Manager wrapped a reassuring arm around Woo Kyung-un’s shoulder and led him outside.

“I’ll have the company send a formal thank you later. If you have any questions, there’s a contact information below my business card—….”

I let the Manager’s endless words go in one ear and out the other, turning back just in time to see Seo Ho-yoon bow politely before closing the curtain again.
I, merely a friend, had shed tears and snot alike, yet my older brother—family—remained composed throughout.

‘He certainly seems impressive….’

I knew we were the same age, yet something about him felt subtly foreign, perhaps because he’d begun his harsh professional life so early.
His manner of speaking, his demeanor—everything felt different.

“…—and just to be safe, you can’t upload this anywhere on the internet—….”

‘Doesn’t he seem worried about his younger brother at all?’

Woo Kyung-un felt a lingering unease as he left the hospital with the Manager.

***

The curtain swished shut.

“Damn it.”

The moment I saw Seo Ho-jin’s friend out and closed the curtain, my breathing came ragged and uncontrolled. I barely managed to grip the bed’s headboard with trembling hands, steadying my swaying body.

“Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.”

I collapsed onto the folding chair, roughly splashing my face with water, muttering curses harshly through gritted teeth.

“It’s fine. It’ll be fine.”

This isn’t anything serious….

“It’s fine….”

But what if….

“….”

…What do I do then?

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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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