The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 36

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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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36

[…Seo Ho-yoon.]
“I already told you. I would have structured and released it the same way.”
[I don’t understand? It’s better to cut it while public sympathy is on your side. If you keep dragging this out, the tables will turn in an instant. And you’ll get unfairly criticized again?]
“PD.”
[Yes.]
“As you know, this development isn’t bad for you either.”

If I continued to fuel the competitive narrative, the viewership surge would accelerate exponentially.

[What do you want?]

I burst out laughing. It was something I’d heard ad nauseam over the past few months.
From Lim Hyun-sung, from Joo Woo-sung. And now even from Kim Hee-young.

“A rice bowl I can eat from comfortably.”
[…Are you messing with me?]
“I’m serious.”
[Ha…. I understand.]

Kim Hee-young let out a sigh so deep it seemed the earth would collapse, then spoke to me.

[I’m going to drop something on today’s broadcast… Don’t regret not stopping now.]
“I won’t.”
[Aren’t you even curious?]
“No.”
[You’re really a strange person, Seo Ho-yoon. You don’t need a title like ‘Dae Pa-sung Planning’s madman’?]
“I think I already have that nickname.”
[Goodness.]

I chuckled softly. It was about time to hang up, but I hesitated. There was one thing—just one thing—I wanted to say to her.
It required courage, but even now the right words wouldn’t come.
I exhaled so faintly she couldn’t hear it, closed my eyes, and spoke those words.

“Go for it.”
[…Huh?]
“….”
[…Oh, yes. Thank you.]

After that final exchange, a brief silence settled between us before Kim Hee-young hung up.

‘Damn it….’

I regretted those last words—I should have left them unsaid—but it was already too late to take them back.
I picked up my phone and checked the time.
It was time to head out.

***

“Hello everyone, I’m Yoo Ji-a, the MC for Shining Star.”
“Wooooow!”
“Yoo Ji-a! Yoo Ji-a!”

The roaring cheers were loud enough to reach the waiting room, though there was a slight delay compared to the live monitoring broadcast on the television.

“Everyone, thank you so much for participating today. The combined scores from rounds one through three will determine who advances to the final Shining Star stage. Before we begin the first round, I’ll announce your voting scores.”

As Yoo Ji-a spun around, enormous numbers appeared on the stage display.
Audience evaluation: 9,000 points.
An overwhelming score. Jung Da-jun swallowed hard.

“That’s a remarkable 9,000 points. Combined with the judges’ evaluation of 1,000 points, today’s first round rankings will be determined. Now you understand just how crucial your role is, don’t you?”
“Today!!”
“Mars!”
“The Dun, fighting!!”
“Ha ha, yes. The cheers are already pouring in. The group that takes first place in the first round will receive a special privilege. I’ll let your imagination run wild with what that might be.”

Yoo Ji-a winked playfully.
Just hearing “special privilege” was enough to spark curiosity about what it could be.
During Mars’s performance—the third group to take the stage—when the main vocalist belted out the highlight, Sung Ji-won gasped in admiration.

“Wow, they’re really good.”
“They really are. I got chills.”

Seeing the Marz Vocalist, I recalled the conversation I’d had with Sung Ji-won before, and my face stiffened involuntarily.
The Marz Vocalist was talented, certainly, but Sung Ji-won was no less capable. Under different circumstances, he could have been far more popular—he simply had the misfortune of poor timing.
It irritated me.

“Ugh, Ho-yoon! Don’t furrow your brow like that.”
“Oh, I apologize.”
“What do you think? I added some red under your eyes and sprinkled glitter. Doesn’t it look a bit more striking? It really suits the concept so well….”

Honestly, I didn’t catch the rest of what she said. The only “liter” I knew was a unit of measurement for water.
I simply nodded vaguely and offered my thanks.

“Thank you, ma’am.”
“My, look at how polite this one is.”

The Makeup Artist laughed warmly.

“Do well out there.”

After receiving her encouragement and bowing once more, Sung Ji-won grabbed my arm and led me forward. He smiled softly.

“Looks like our fans are here.”
“Quite a lot came.”

After all, we’d set things ablaze even while taking eggs to the face.
I thought it was only natural, but the feeling was different nonetheless.
As I led the members out of the Waiting Room and walked down the long Hallway, Sung Ji-won whispered.

“Ho-yoon.”
“What.”
“You’re not… scared or anything, right?”

What nonsense was this now.
I looked at him with an incredulous expression, but Sung Ji-won was serious.

“Well, you acted that way during the guerrilla performance last time, so I was wondering if maybe you’d developed some trauma… if you might be frightened.”
“Do I look that way to you now?”
“…No. Not at all.”

Sung Ji-won spoke decisively. Then he glanced at me again, subtly.

“So were you nervous? You said you were last time.”
“A little.”

Truth be told, irritation was far stronger than nervousness right now.
Sung Ji-won’s eyes crinkled with amusement at my response, and he let out a soft chuckle.
Fourth. That was our turn. The final stage naturally belonged to Today.
Mars emerged from the stage they’d just finished, wiping sweat from their brow. A staff member beside them held up a walkie-talkie to report.

“Yes, The Dun has arrived.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”

Kim Sung-hyun, walking beside me, greeted Mars first. Mars broke into a broad smile and bowed ninety degrees to us. Despite being our senior, they were clearly conscious of the cameras.

“The Dun, fighting!”
“Fighting!”
“Yes, thank you.”

The Marz Vocalist, whom I’d spoken with before, looked back and forth between me and Sung Ji-won. They seemed curious whether we’d talked.
Just as Sung Ji-won noticed their gaze and began to look puzzled, Kang Yi-chae suddenly interjected from the side.

“Senior, that was amazing!”
“Huh? Oh?”
“Especially the rap section—we were all impressed.”
“Ha, thanks.”

Whether Kang Yi-chae did it intentionally or not, they’d cut the conversation off at just the right moment.

“We’ll head up now. See you later, seniors.”
“Yeah.”

The vocalist nodded awkwardly.
They bowed respectfully and followed the staff’s guidance up onto the stage.
Yoo Ji-a caught sight of us and smirked. Then she turned her attention to the audience.

“We are The Dun!”
“Ahhhhh!”
“The Dun, fighting!”

As I greeted the audience, the roar was unnaturally loud—even more overwhelming than during our last guerrilla concert.
I barely straightened my back and looked out at the crowd.

‘What’s this?’

Nearly half the audience was holding blue banners—our official color that had solidified since our first album. At first glance, there seemed to be more of them than the yellow ones for Today.
That couldn’t be right, though. Our fanbase was far smaller than Today’s.

“Ho-yoon, fighting!”

I heard the audience shouting. That’s when it clicked.
Our fans had made the effort. They must have distributed banners to the general audience members who had been selected through the lottery, promoting us in the process.

‘…I’m grateful.’

I bowed once more. Then I turned and grabbed the microphone. Today was probably seething with frustration, watching the stage with clenched teeth.
All of my members seemed to share the same sentiment. Every eye was burning with determination.
That’s when my gaze met Kim Sung-hyun’s as he glanced over at me.

‘Hey.’
‘What.’
‘Just focus on the camera.’

As I moved my lips, Kim Sung-hyun let out an exasperated laugh. Then, as the intro began to play, his expression hardened instantly.
It was time to unleash what we’d prepared.

***

Boom, boom, boom.

An upbeat song began to play. The fans all wore confused expressions.

‘What? This isn’t Second Chance?’
‘Didn’t they say this was the representative hit song for today’s performance? What song is this?’

But The Dun’s fans—especially those who had been following us since before the reorganization into a five-member unit—covered their mouths.
Could it be, could it really be….

‘Glow!’

It was a song that had come out with a high-teen concept but was so subdued it was buried almost immediately. The kind of song where fans would fall into nostalgic absorption just hearing the intro—the one that didn’t even chart and whose music video views never exceeded three hundred thousand.
But here, now, at Shining Star, it was being performed again.
Kang Yi-chae and Kim Sung-hyun walked out while grumbling.

[He still hasn’t come to his senses?]
[Tell me about it.]

‘You guys!! So it’s a high-teen musical format with school uniforms?’

Watching them converse, the original fan clutched their head. The Agency was actually doing something!

[They need to figure it out soon.]

Kim Sung-hyun slowly stood up, grabbed a basketball, spun it around, then smirked and tossed it at the hastily assembled hoop. The ball swished through with a satisfying beep.

[Hey, what are you looking at.]

Kang Yi-chae snatched the ball from underneath, dribbled it, then bounced it to Jung Da-jun.
Jung Da-jun caught it with confusion, glanced around, and the song began.

[It won’t work, it just won’t
I’m going to get my head straight]

Jung Da-jun threw the basketball aside and bolted forward, deliberately ignoring Kang Yi-chae’s giggling stare beside him. That was pure acting, by the way.

[You and I can’t be together, I’m telling you
I know it, but you keep talking to me]

Seo Ho-yoon and Kang Yi-chae sauntered forward to block his path. Jung Da-jun ignored them too, weaving smoothly past—and when Kang Yi-chae bent down as if to tie his shoelace, Jung Da-jun planted his foot on his back and vaulted over him in perfect rhythm.
He then pulled a book from the cabinet beside him, his expression turning sorrowful.

[My heart feels like it’s about to burst from my mouth]

Sung Ji-won naturally took the book from Jung Da-jun, then leaned against the cabinet and ran his hand through his hair messily.
Seo Ho-yoon sat beside him with an indifferent expression, resting his chin on his hand and adding vocal ad-libs.

[I just spout nonsense (huh?)
I say the sky’s pretty today (but it’s raining?)
Ah, I should just stop talking, what can I say]

The camera pulled away from Sung Ji-won and focused on Kim Sung-hyun. He sighed while spinning a basketball on one finger.

[I can’t, I can’t do this
I need to get my head straight
I must be insane]

Kang Yi-chae suddenly popped out from behind Kim Sung-hyun. He playfully snatched the basketball away and tapped Kim Sung-hyun’s cheek teasingly.

[All our friends say
you’re different from us
I know it too, but I keep, keep getting drawn to you]

‘Guys! This refreshing concept is killing it!’

Since it was arranged as a musical number, it felt far more energetic than the original. The fans looked ready to faint from satisfaction, but
the song wasn’t over yet.

Screeeech!

Suddenly the stage darkened, and moonlight descended.
It was the group choreography section where everyone gathered toward the center. As they hunched their backs like wolves and swayed their bodies, the music abruptly stopped, and all the members froze, as if waiting for something in tense silence.
Then a wolf’s howl pierced through the air—oooooo.
The fans were startled.

‘This part wasn’t in the original song?’

Kang Yi-chae burst forward in front of Kim Sung-hyun, who was clawing at the floor with his nails raised.

[Again, moonlight comes
I stop being myself
My head spins and my instincts awaken]

It was a newly added rap section to Glow’s original song.

‘What the hell….’
‘Is he a werewolf?’

The fans looked ready to faint. Of course, it wasn’t just the fans—everyone’s jaws dropped at this completely unexpected turn of events.
So that’s why he told us to come to our senses.
Because it can’t happen between the same kind of being!

[In this distant place at the end of the full moon, I found you
You see, I can’t stop thinking about you,
even in this light.]

As Kang Yi-chae’s part ended, Seo Ho-yoon appeared lying on the table. A member lifted the table from below. When the pure white light shone brightly on Seo Ho-yoon, he looked almost like he wasn’t human at all.

[At dawn, I keep thinking of you alone]

Seo Ho-yoon slowly touched his lips by himself.
As if all these emotions had become regret, as if he continued to waver.

[Can we be together?
or not?
Can we stay together?
or not?]

“Ho-yoon! Let’s live together!”

A fan couldn’t hold back and screamed. Whether Seo Ho-yoon heard the cry or not, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and the fan looked ready to pass out.
Seo Ho-yoon slid down from the table and swept his hair back.

[But it’s already over anyway
My mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of you
Please, hold my hand]

At the same time, he slid to the side.
The stage brightened instantly, and with the sound of wolf howls, the atmosphere shifted back to a high-teen vibe.
Jung Da-jun appeared last, smiling at the corners of his mouth.

[(No she’s not one of us)
Even your whims are beautiful
(You gotta listen to me)
I know, I’m gonna regret this
At a single text message, I jump up and head to your place]

Sung Ji-won layered in the chorus at the end. It was far higher than the Mars song from earlier, yet remarkably clean.

[I want to throw everything at you]

The fan couldn’t contain the overwhelming emotions surging through their chest, clenching their fists as they watched Sung Ji-won and Seo Ho-yoon lock eyes and weave their harmonies together.

[Can we be together?
or not?
Can we stay together?
or not?]

Jung Da-jun emerged with a stutter matching the intro, then slowly kicked the basketball.

[I’m not sane, I know
But I have to ask]

As he opened the cabinet, he froze slowly. He picked up the letter written inside and muttered blankly.

[Can you really be with me?]

Trendy high-teen narrative,
Delightful twist,
Provocative storytelling.

It was truly a shocking first-round performance.

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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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