The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 360

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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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360

I slipped a straw between Kang Yi-chae’s lips and moved forward.

“It’s too sweet.”

Naive. Coffee was meant to be enjoyed with sweetness. I clicked my tongue inwardly and headed toward the Practice Room where the Members would be. Just as I reached the elevator on this floor, the glass panels offered a clear view of the outside world.
Kang Yi-chae leaned his upper body to the side and pressed the button, then asked.
Kang Yi-chae leaned his upper body to the side and pressed the button, then asked.

“I need to check the unreleased concert tracks and then head to the Radio.”
“I need to check the unreleased concert songs and go to the radio.”

After a hectic period where I had to get by with barely closing my eyes for a moment in the car, I finally got a chance to catch my breath.
“It sounds like the Radio will play the album tracks too.”

“It seemed like Radio would play the song from start to finish.”
Even amid all this, Kang Yi-chae never stopped working on compositions. He’d even registered several songs that were nearly complete on the Composers Association website.

“For next year’s comeback, I want to increase mainstream appeal while trying various approaches. Elevating the artistic side as well….”

“For my comeback next year, I want to increase my mainstream appeal while trying various new things. I also want to elevate the artistic side of things…”
With a soft ding, the elevator stopped. Kang Yi-chae, who had already stepped out, suddenly turned back to look at me. In that moment, I caught the closing door with my hand and stepped out, offering a belated response.

“…Right, next year’s tracks sound good.”

The Dun would exist even without me. After all, from the very beginning, I’d always intended to take proper care of their livelihoods.

“Hey, Kang Yi-chae. What if we crafted the next title track so you could really nail the choreography?”
“Huh? I’m all for it. But what’s the occasion?”

“Hey, Kang Yi-chae. How about we arrange the song for the next title track so you can dance with really sharp, precise moves?”
“Huh? I’m fine. But what’s going on?”

Anyway, I won’t be there anyway.
As I wiped the back of my neck and shrugged my shoulders, the nearby Training Room door suddenly burst open.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

And Black Call’s lead dancer Jeon Sae-young came tumbling out with a shriek.

“Wow, the dancing is seriously sooo intense!”
“Tell me about it.”

…Followed by rappers Lee Han-joo and Chae Jung-woo.

“No, hyung. I think Sae-young hyung’s sense has completely dulled? He’s totally lost his edge.”
“Lost his edge? Nah, if I just practice for one more week, I’ll be fine, you know?”

Black Call had made their entrance—despite having no major activities, their mentions on the internet hadn’t decreased one bit.
Even though they all wore bare faces and modest clothing, they radiated a dazzling aura as if to prove they were top idols.

“Anyway, Woo-sung hyung is really impressive. I heard he went to some mountain village for a variety show and came back having trained in dancing? How does his form stay so sharp?”
“If anything, his lines seemed to flow even more smoothly… um….”

Chae Jung-woo, who had been coaxing the whining members along, finally noticed us and stopped talking. When Kang Yi-chae and I bowed in greeting, he brightened and approached us.

“It’s been a while!”

It had indeed been a while since the Workshop. Though I see their main dancer unnecessarily often.

“Hello.”
“I heard you’ve been busy lately. Is today a practice day?”

Behind Chae Jung-woo, who asked kindly with a radiant smile that spoke of his character, curious gazes landed precisely on us.

“Ooh! The Dun!”

Since this was the group where someone as troublesome as Joo Woo-sung was the least problematic, there wasn’t a single flaw to find in any of the members—neither in skill nor in character.
Jeon Sae-young, with his ponytail, flashed a mischievous grin and gave a thumbs up.

“This song was a complete hit. Congratulations.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“You composed that one, didn’t you, Kang Yi-chae?”

Lee Han-joo, who had been peeking over Chae Jung-woo’s shoulder, directed the question at Kang Yi-chae. The guy who had seemed indifferent throughout the senior group’s performance finally showed a change in expression.

“Ah, yes.”
“Could you tell me what equipment you use?”
“Equipment?”
“Well, they say a master craftsman doesn’t pick their tools, but I’d like to at least get a boost from good equipment….”
“Our maknae has been really interested in composition lately.”

Jeon Sae-young laughed heartily while ruffling Lee Han-joo’s hair as he mumbled shyly.
Finding the sight endearing, Kang Yi-chae unexpectedly opened up, sharing the information he knew with surprising detail and professional expertise.

‘Though he’ll probably turn around and ask who that was again later….’

As the conversation continued, Jeon Sae-young stared directly at me and spoke.

“By the way, I really liked Level S2. I listen to it often while driving. I honestly wonder if The Dun might be the one to take this award.”
“Aha, thank you.”

You guys, even inside the company, you’re just throwing out talk like that?

“Hyung Sae-young, why are you saying things like that about Yeon-hu?!”
“Come on, we’re all in the same boat anyway. Good is good.”

It seemed WH Entertainment as a whole didn’t dote on Kang Yeon-hu quite like a grandchild.
I glanced toward Chae Jung-woo, and he simply wore a gentle smile.

“That’s right, good is good.”

Though who knows what he’s really thinking.
In that moment of wondering whether one truly had to maintain such perfect control, hiding their true feelings even from members, to stand at the top,

“—Yeah, Seo Ho-yoon.”

A calm yet captivating low voice reached my ears, and at the same time, a solid weight settled on my shoulder.
A person I could recognize with my eyes closed, so familiar had they become.

“We even cleared our own schedule this year—what’s so difficult about it?”

Joo Woo-sung, who had stepped out of the Training Room a moment late, wiped his chin with the towel draped around his neck and smiled with his eyes before whispering softly.

“If you can’t pull this off, you’re an idiot.”

This bastard.
I shook off his arm and brushed the dust from my clothes.

“Yeah, yeah.”

I agreed that this year, without Black Call, was indeed the golden opportunity to seize the award.
Joo Woo-sung chuckled and whined to his own members.

“Come on, guys, let’s do this right? My body’s not what it used to be, you know? Looking after each of you one by one—my whole body’s aching.”
“Hyung, you were teleporting around the practice room. What nonsense is that?”

Seeing Black Call gathered again for practice, it seemed they were preparing for a comeback next year. Chae Jung-woo’s condition seemed to have improved quite a bit too.
Witnessing this directly only intensified my hunger for this year’s award.

‘Next year won’t offer another chance like this.’

Joo Woo-sung, who had snatched the ion drink from Chae Jung-woo’s hand and was gulping it down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and lightly changed the subject.

“Well… anyway. Oh, by the way, we might be able to film a variety show together.”
“Huh?”
“PD Kim Hee-young brought a good format, and she wants to film a program with all WH entertainers in an MT-style vibe. It’s not confirmed yet, but we might end up doing variety with you guys, other junior groups, and actors—everyone.”

My first instinct was awe at Kim Hee-young’s planning ability and networking power. Then came the question: ‘Why?’
Why would WH Entertainment, a thriving major agency, push for this at this particular time?

“Honestly, I’m so bored these days. I just want to hang out with anyone at this point. Seo Ho-yoon’s too busy with his activities to meet me, and Nyang-nyang finds me annoying. There’s no sense of fulfillment, no fulfillment at all.”
“Hyung, you don’t fill an empty heart with just people.”
“Wow, the maknae’s dropping wisdom now.”

Joo Woo-sung and Lee Han-joo, now quite comfortable with each other, gave light jabs. Just as Joo Woo-sung wrapped his arm around Lee Han-joo’s neck to deliver a playful flick,

“…Huh?”

Chae Jung-woo’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced at his phone, and he let out a sigh.

“Hey, Joo Woo-sung. What is this?”
“What?”

Beneath Chae Jung-woo’s soft tone of inquiry lay a sharp edge. Yet Joo Woo-sung remained unmoved.
When Chae Jung-woo thrust his phone forward, Joo Woo-sung accepted it with a displeased expression.

“…Joo Woo-sung… Actress Sim Jung-yoon in a pink-tinted romance….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“…Me? Dating?”

All the Black Call members except Chae Jung-woo wore expressions of stunned silence. I imagined Kang Yi-chae and I looked much the same.

“What, what… what is this?!”

Joo Woo-sung gasped in shock, his mouth opening and closing, before he pulled out his own phone and began checking again.

“Sigh… they said things have been boring lately….”
“Ugh….”

Whether this was the kind of vibe that came from camaraderie, I couldn’t say.
Still, since everyone had been caught up in dating rumors at least once before, no one was panicking or rushing to resolve the matter immediately.
Only the gaze Black Call turned toward Joo Woo-sung had grown colder than the Antarctic itself.

“…Hyung, when did you start dating this person?”
“Hey! No!!”

Joo Woo-sung jumped up and shook his head desperately.

“I’ve never dated this person!”

But Lee Han-joo didn’t believe him.
In fact, it seemed no one in Black Call believed him.
They’d been burned too many times.

“A romance rumor? Ugh, I’ve never even met this Sim Jung-yoon. On TV? I saw her on TV! That’s it!”
“…Yes, well, I suppose all the previous ones would say the same thing now.”
“No, we’re just acquaintances in the entertainment industry, that’s all!”
“Understood, Hyung.”

Frustrated by the cold, repetitive deflection, Joo Woo-sung struck his chest with his fist, while Jeon Sae-young and Lee Han-joo bent forward with knowing smirks.

“Yeah, nothing’s going to change….”
“People really don’t change easily, do they?”
“Ugh! That’s not it!”

Honestly, setting aside whether I cared or not, the romance rumor didn’t strike me as particularly credible.
For someone who’d dated around and gotten caught by me so easily before, Joo Woo-sung was actually quite meticulous about managing his private life. Besides, WH Entertainment was ironclad when it came to defense in these matters.
As Joo Woo-sung meticulously read through the article, he ground his teeth with a sharp sound.

“Look at this—it’s pure fiction! I’m telling you guys this so you don’t get the wrong idea, but I’m not that kind of person. You know that!”

Sure.
Just as I was thinking this was Joo Woo-sung’s karmic retribution, Chae Jung-woo draped an arm over Jeon Sae-young’s shoulder and spoke with an awkward smile.

“What was bound to happen has happened.”
“What was coming has arrived.”
“Please accept it humbly, Hyung. I’ll also clear my mind and proceed with the schedule. Let’s all be extra careful today.”
“Damn it! You guys don’t trust me?! I’ve never even met this person!!”

Joo Woo-sung thrashed about indignantly.

“If it were someone I’d actually dated, I’d be upset, but since it’s someone I don’t know at all, it’s just ridiculous!”
“….”
“….”
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that!”

That’s the problem.
Even Kang Yi-chae, who’d been reviewing the content beside Joo Woo-sung, looked slightly exasperated before pointing to a specific spot with his finger and asking me.

“…Hyung, didn’t you meet Joo Woo-sung that day?”

Everyone’s attention immediately turned to me.
I, who hadn’t properly read the details until now, craned my neck to examine the spot where Kang Yi-chae’s index finger pointed.

“Right, that was the day you went to see Nyang-nyang.”

I remembered struggling a bit because white fur kept stubbornly clinging to my black hoodie and wouldn’t come off.
My testimony made Joo Woo-sung puff up with renewed confidence, and he raised his voice.

“Exactly! See! What date would I go on, a date! You won’t even trust my innocence, and I’m genuinely so frustrated—.”
“Joo Woo-sung, be quiet. Let’s look a bit more first.”

Chae Jung-woo covered Joo Woo-sung’s mouth and scanned through the text.

“June 28th at dawn… isn’t that when you were preparing the workshop with Seo Ho-yoon?”
“Wow, dude! That’s right, that’s it!”

Jeon Sae-young made a big fuss, covering his mouth with both hands, and looked back and forth between me and Joo Woo-sung. And by sheer coincidence, he picked up the black short-sleeved t-shirt with a palm tree design that Joo Woo-sung was wearing with his fingers and held it up.

“This ugly t-shirt! This is the one your hyung bought in Los Angeles!”
“Right! I was wondering why he kept wearing something so unflattering and black, but apparently he matched it with his junior….”

Calling it an ugly t-shirt was a bit harsh, if you ask me.
The misunderstanding within Black Call seemed to be resolved well enough, but it didn’t seem like they were particularly apologetic to Joo Woo-sung. I figured it was self-inflicted.
Not wanting to waste more time, I nudged Kang Yi-chae in the ribs.

‘Hey, let’s go.’
‘Yeah.’

After confirming Kang Yi-chae’s nod, I threw out a casual closing remark to Joo Woo-sung.

“Anyway, hyung, I got it. Good luck with the dating rumor—.”
“Hey, hey!”

Joo Woo-sung quickly grabbed my arm.

“Seo Ho-yoon!”

I only glanced down at where he’d grabbed me, furrowing my brow, when Joo Woo-sung looked at me with those aggrieved cat eyes.

“I squeezed juice for you when you were sick and even made you soup, so you’re not planning to just ignore me and pretend you don’t know me, right?”

That’s exactly what I was planning to do.

“We’ve built up so much affection between us over the years… ah, no, that’s not it?!”

What am I even expecting from a junior at this point?

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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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