The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 363

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

363

“…Seo Ho-yoon, let’s be careful. We’re in a sensitive period right now.”

He was still the same as ever.
After throwing that warning at me, Kang Yeon-hu pretended nothing had happened and acted coy. I let the members’ chatter wash over me as they busied themselves gossiping among themselves, having grown accustomed to this landscape—where I scratched at someone’s nerves—without feeling the slightest emotion. I tilted my head innocently.
Over time, I had grown accustomed to scenes where I scratched at someone’s nerves, and without feeling even a hint of emotion, I tilted my head innocently while letting the Members’ chatter—busy gossiping amongst themselves—go in one ear and out the other.

“….”
“….”

Kang Yeon-hu, whose furrowed brow twitched slightly as his expression management failed, clenched his teeth and whispered like a ventriloquist.

“What did I do?”
“What did I do?”

Once the filming preparations were roughly complete and the gymnasium had grown quieter than before, I stepped outside.
After the filming preparations were roughly finished, I scanned the now quieter School Auditorium and stepped outside.

“—Damn it….”

Not long after I’d taken a few steps, I spotted Kim Hee-young rummaging through her pockets near the row of vending machines nearby.
A few steps later, Kim Hee-young came into view, rummaging through her pockets near a row of vending machines.

“PD Kim.”

Instead, I inserted bills and pressed the button for the coffee she usually enjoyed drinking. Then I took out the can and handed it to her.

“…Wow, Seo Ho-yoon, you looked just like an advertisement model a moment ago. If I were the advertiser, I’d definitely extend the contract for another six months, seriously.”
“Wow, Seo Ho-yoon just looked like a total advertisement model. If I were the advertiser, I’d definitely extend the contract for six more months, seriously.”

Concealing my true thoughts, I smiled gently and broached the real reason I’d sought out Kim Hee-young.
I hid my true feelings and smiled faintly as I brought up the real reason I came to find Kim Hee-young.

“I was genuinely shocked this time. Not only did you bring in Black Call wholesale—which is difficult enough to recruit even a single member from—but you also convinced WH Entertainment, famous for their arrogance, to put their name behind the broadcast. I was truly impressed by your abilities, PD.”
“….”
“Before this, it was LV Entertainment, but is this kind of thing common? I’ve only ever seen PD pull off such groundbreaking concepts….”
“Seo Ho-yoon, we know each other well enough. Stop beating around the bush and just ask me directly.”
“Aha ha.”

Kim Hee-young brushed her bangs back with her fingers, combing them away from her face as she spoke matter-of-factly while opening a can.

“WH Entertainment contacted us first.”

WH Entertainment initiated contact?
Kim Hee-young let out a soft laugh seeing my expression.

“Try to hide that look on your face—the one that says the executives got shot in the head. It’s pretty common for entire groups to participate in promotional activities.”
“But artists from the same agency don’t usually appear en masse like this.”
“True, but… is it really that strange for rival idols to appear together?”

Kim Hee-young tilted her head slightly, then shrugged, dismissing the topic as if it were nothing.

‘As expected.’

I’d already figured out roughly why WH Entertainment was doing this.
The moment I heard that we had approached Kim Hee-young first, the pieces fell into place naturally.

WH Entertainment had an inflated sense of pride. They practically reached toward the heavens with it.
They never sold their artists cheap.
Everything ultimately came down to money for them.
In other words, these bastards were weighing us and High Five on a scale, trying to see which of us would bring in more money.
Who would be the more profitable ones.
If problems arose, they figured that by presenting themselves as ‘WH Entertainment’—the agency that had provided the bulk of candidates—they’d wear that as armor, making the attacks less severe.

‘Not surprising, but… damn it.’

Kim Hee-young, who had been glancing at me, scratched the back of her neck.

“Our production crew is all on high alert this time too. I’ll edit everything as cleanly as possible… I really don’t want any more controversies coming from my program.”
“Really?”
“I’ll bet ten packs of my cigarettes on it.”

With a suitably solemn expression and even a cigarette produced, it seemed genuine.

“…Anyway, Seo Ho-yoon will have quite the rough time until the end of this year.”
“Exactly, PD. My heart already aches for him.”

Kim Hee-young, bursting with laughter, crumpled the empty coffee can in one hand.

“In any case, we’ve put considerable effort into planning the WH segment and I’m confident we’ll execute it well, so work hard. Though I don’t need to nag you about it—you’ll do great anyway.”
“I’ll do my best.”

Having finished her piece, she waved her hand dismissively and disappeared back into the gymnasium.
I let out a small breath and fed fresh bills into the vending machine. Just in case someone had witnessed that exchange, I needed a cover story—that I’d simply stopped by to grab a drink and happened to run into the PD.
As I pressed buttons in succession, my reflection in the vending machine’s glass showed a face that wore the idol’s appearance far too naturally.

‘Well, it’s been quite the journey.’

Thinking that this too wouldn’t last much longer, I stacked the cans carefully and returned to the waiting room for performers.

“Everyone, let’s do great today.”
“Yeah! We’re definitely taking first place in everything!”
“Can we promote our songs too?”

I could see Kang Yeon-hu offering encouragement to my group’s younger members with their naive enthusiasm. I smiled faintly before turning my attention to toss drinks to each of the members.

“Hey, drink this.”
“Whoa, what’s this what’s this~? Our Ho-yoon being considerate… wow, they’re all Sol O brand….”

***

“Unfortunately, today High Five’s Kim Chae-jun will be unable to participate due to personal circumstances. Therefore, we’ll be dividing into four teams of four members each.”

Some actors were unable to appear due to scheduling conflicts, and only Black Call, Min Ji-heon, High Five, and The Dun would be participating in ‘Let’s Go on a School Trip’.
After all the performers gathered, changed into school uniforms, completed the opening shoot, exchanged light greetings and introductions, we divided into teams.

I checked the paper I’d randomly drawn and sat down next to Min Ji-heon. Among Black Call, it appeared Chae Jung-woo had been selected for the same team, but I caught him slipping the paper to Joo Woo-sung.

“Hey, Woo-sung. You’re the odd one out?”
“….”

Joo Woo-sung hesitated for a moment while looking at Chae Jung-woo, then eventually moved his feet and shuffled over here. When our eyes met, he began to ramble as if making excuses.

“No, Chae Jung-woo told me to come….”

I raised one eyebrow slightly, then turned my head without responding. On the High Five side, Kang Yeon-hu intercepted the note that the Maknae was holding and came over.
Kim Hee-young was deliberately pretending not to notice whether it was okay if the teams weren’t divided according to the draw.

“…Joo Woo-sung, hello….”
“Ah, yes, hello. Min Ji-heon….”

Min Ji-heon and Joo Woo-sung, who were surprisingly shy despite their appearances, awkwardly exchanged words.
I had worried that only the most recognizable members would be concentrated on one side, but if those two kept quiet, it seemed like a reasonably appropriate arrangement.

‘It wouldn’t be good to stand out too much here.’

In any case, the viewership was already guaranteed just from the news that Black Call was making a rare appearance on a variety show.
There were already so many rumors circulating, and if I acted clumsily, my image would definitely take a hit. I even imagined a post title like [Title: Seo Ho-yoon’s been acting so disrespectfully to Kang Yeon-hu lately lol], then clicked my tongue inwardly and shook off the stray thoughts.
This was definitely a moment where I needed the technique of hitting and retreating appropriately.

“Senior, I appreciate your help.”
“Yes, me too.”

Kang Yeon-hu seemed to be thinking something similar, but for some reason he wore a solemn expression all by himself.
Once all the teams were classified and things became a bit noisy, Min Ji-heon pulled his chair forward slightly.

“So, shall we decide on our team name?”
“Wasn’t it the Leftover Radish Team?”

At my unenthusiastic retort, Min Ji-heon chuckled. He seemed to find the current situation quite amusing.

“Aha… let’s come up with a cute name.”

Kang Yeon-hu, wearing an awkward smile, interjected between Min Ji-heon and me as if mediating. Joo Woo-sung seemed completely uninterested in the team name.

“Hmm, let’s see… what about combining each of our surnames—Seo-Min-Kang-Joo?”
“….”
“….”

Pathetic.
Just as I was about to dismiss Min Ji-heon’s hopeful gaze entirely, Kim Hee-young gracefully announced the start of the game.

“We’re beginning the first mission: Conditional Running!”

Conditional Running.
A mini-competition where participants spun once in place at the Start Line, then searched for the person or object matching the conditions written on a slip of paper, with the first to cross the Finish Line claiming victory.
There were three rounds total, with one person designated from each team per round, and no one was allowed to compete twice.

“You’ve all probably done this at least once during school athletic festivals, right?”
“Yes.”
“The team whose member arrives first receives 3 points! Second place gets 2 points.”

The rules were refreshingly simple.
I shifted my gaze toward where The Dun Members had gathered.
I could already anticipate the banter that would unfold depending on which member was paired with which condition.

Kim Sung-hyun removed his school jacket, apparently volunteering himself as the first-round competitor.

“Maknae, hold this for me.”
“Huh?!”

Jung Da-jun, accepting the jacket, lowered his head sheepishly, his cheeks flushing red.

“Now that’s what I call male cunning…”
“Maknae, stop fooling around with Kang Yi-chae.”

Kim Sung-hyun cut off the nonsense decisively and took his position at the Start Line. At the sound of the starting whistle, he spun rapidly and drew his slip of paper. His speed was extraordinary compared to the others.
After reading his slip, Kim Sung-hyun immediately sprinted toward Joo Woo-sung.

“Senior!!”
“Huh? Uh? Me?”

Joo Woo-sung, who had been sprawled lazily in his chair the entire time, stammered in slight confusion. Kim Sung-hyun shouted at him, “I’m honored to do a three-legged race with you, Senior!” and dragged him straight to the Finish Line.

‘Ugh, how irritating.’

After belatedly checking his slip, Joo Woo-sung scratched his cheek with one hand while giving Kim Sung-hyun’s shoulder a light tap with the other as he bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
I could already guess what was written on that slip without even looking.

“Hey, hey, Seo Ho-yoon.”

Joo Woo-sung, already grinning with excitement, deliberately brought over that scrap of paper and unfolded it before me.

“Looks like your Members like me more than you.”
“Oh, really.”
“What can I do? I’m more popular.”
“Oh, is that so.”
“You’re jealous, right? I’m so perfect even as a senior—truly amazing.”
“Oh, sure.”
“…Are you going to keep answering without sincerity?”

In the next round, a High Five Member saw the mission card that read “person who performs well on stage” and glanced at Kang Yi-chae, then turned Kang Yeon-hu’s complexion deathly pale. Still, they didn’t completely miss the cue, and it was settled when they took Black Call’s Chae Jung-woo instead.

‘This much is nothing, really.’

So far, there was nothing that seemed like a major problem.
If things continued like this, the Program would flow beautifully.

“What do I do—I haven’t been called even once~.”

Ignoring Joo Woo-sung’s boastful voice—he’d already been called multiple times—I was busily tapping away at the calculator when,

“Ho-yoon!”

Sung Ji-won, who had gone out as the final round’s contestant, came running toward me, calling my name.
Raising a dumpling-faced baby like that was utterly useless after all.

“He definitely cursed me out.”
“Probably thinking something like, ‘Kim Sung-hyun’s useless to raise, and Sung Ji-won is way better…'”
“Turn off the provincial broadcast.”

Kim Sung-hyun and Jung Da-jun, who had been fidgeting near me, whispered to each other. I gave them a look to be quiet, but Sung Ji-won asked breathlessly, his breathing rough.

“Ho-yoon! Can you come with me?!”
“Of course.”

I immediately dashed off with Sung Ji-won and claimed first place.

“Thanks! Ho-yoon! We couldn’t have gotten first place without you!”
“Don’t mention it.”

But Kim Hee-young, who was checking the note, let out a deflating whistle through her lips.

“Um, Seo Ho-yoon, do you know what’s written on this paper?”
“Huh? What? Wait a moment!”

Sung Ji-won’s face flushed rapidly, and he waved his hands frantically as if flustered.

“I… PD, do we really have to reveal what the note says?”
“Sung Ji-won, it’s fine.”
“Hmm…”

There was no reason for us to feel embarrassed about each other now.
I spoke leisurely with my arms crossed.

“Let’s see… bring the smartest person here?”
“Wrong.”
“Bring the most handsome person here?”
“Wrong.”

What other adjectives could describe me, I wondered.
No matter what compliment came out, I’d already anticipated it all.

“Bring the person you like the most?”
“Wow, Sung Ji-won, you completed the mission perfectly.”

Kim Hee-young, laughing heartily, held the paper forward.
As I unfolded it, Sung Ji-won continued to fidget nervously. I offered what I hoped was a benevolent smile.

“Hey, it’s okay. No matter what it says, I won’t tease you—”

Rustle.

[The most shameless person here]

“…”

The Dun Members’ laughter echoed loudly through the gymnasium as they subtly craned their necks to peek at the contents together.

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