The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 371

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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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371

“Alright then, The Dun! Let’s start the either-or game!”
The Dun’s fan meeting, held at one of Yokohama’s sports stadiums, was massive—a testament to the popularity they’d accumulated over time.
The “either-or game” was a type of mini-game where each member moved to a location corresponding to their choice between two options displayed on the left and right screens.
“Here’s the first either-or question!”
[If you had to endure one person’s teasing for life, which would you choose?]
[Seo Ho-yoon, who calls you “baby” at the end of every sentence vs. Kang Yi-chae, an unstoppable aegyo runaway train]
“Isn’t that something we already deal with every day anyway…?”
“I’m going with Ho-yoon!!”
“I’d rather do it to someone else than receive it, so Ho-yoon it is for me!”
Sung Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae rushed over to Seo Ho-yoon’s side and thrust their thumbs up, triggering a roar from the audience.
In the midst of this, The Dun’s youngest member, Jung Da-jun, couldn’t shake a nagging unease. He quietly walked toward Kang Yi-chae’s option, stealing a glance at Seo Ho-yoon.
‘Something feels off…’
Yet he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was bothering him.
Jung Da-jun smiled brightly at the fans, careful not to let his true feelings show on his face.
“Now for the second question!”
[If you had to spend your entire life with someone, which would you choose?]
[Sung Ji-won, always in pre-comeback week practice mode vs. Jung Da-jun, who lovingly feeds you three homemade meals a day (no refusal allowed)]
“I’ll go with Sung Ji-won.”
Everyone jumped up and rushed in the same direction. Even Kim Sung-hyun, who had been avoiding Seo Ho-yoon just moments before, quickly turned his back and headed toward Sung Ji-won.
Watching his hyungs, Jung Da-jun pouted inwardly.
Then,
“I’ll take the maknae.”
“…?!”
Seo Ho-yoon leisurely approached him alone.
Jung Da-jun stared at him in shock. In fact, among The Dun members, Seo Ho-yoon was the one who criticized Jung Da-jun’s cooking the most.
“Eventually, you’ll serve something edible.”
“Wow, is this what true member love looks like?! That’s so warm!”
Jung Da-jun’s eyes wavered uncontrollably.
After a few more questions were submitted and the either-or game ended, they held a Q&A session with questions from Noeul in Japan, who was watching the fan meeting live.
[Q. Da-jun!! Thanks for coming. What’s the most memorable thing each of you experienced with your roommate?]
The members took turns sharing small anecdotes, and then it was Jung Da-jun’s turn.
“I share a room with Ho-yoon hyung, and he usually falls asleep the moment his head touches the pillow. There’s not really much of an anecdote to tell. Oh! But I really like sharing a room with Ho-yoon hyung! Though hyung might find it a bit inconvenient—…”
“No.”
Jung Da-jun, who had been chattering away, suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned his head. He saw Seo Ho-yoon gazing at him with a gentle smile.
“I like you too.”
As cheers erupted from the fans, a scream of terror burst from within Da-jun’s chest.
Ho-yoon was being so tenderly affectionate that it frightened me.
I clenched my fists, endlessly reminding myself that this was being broadcast live right now.
‘Ho-yoon definitely figured something out.’
Had Jung Won-ha contacted Ho-yoon as well?
Or was my lie too obvious?
With countless possibilities continuously surfacing and sinking in my mind, I was growing increasingly anxious.
After that, I couldn’t even properly remember how the fan meeting proceeded. When I came to my senses, I had somehow finished the group photo shoot and returned to the hotel.
‘Han Chae-hyuk wasn’t someone anyone could imitate….’
Han Chae-hyuk was the supremely cunning protagonist that Min Ji-heon played in “Campus Thrill Love,” a character who always manipulated those around him to achieve his goals in the drama.
Though I had modeled my actions after Han Chae-hyuk while planning this whole thing, it seemed I couldn’t even pull off a fraction of that character’s finesse.
I dragged my exhausted body along, washed up, and carelessly threw on the yellow hoodie that had been sitting on top of my suitcase. Then I turned on my phone.
[Jung Won-ha: Da-jun, if you really want to wrap this up properly, you should at least offer an apology….]
Jung Won-ha’s message appeared at the very top.
Since this had been repeating over the past few days, I could guess what it said without even reading it. I ignored it and opened the portal app, when a news headline suddenly caught my eye.
【Min Ji-heon Cast as Lead in Netflix’s Lavish Original Drama “Before the Moon Wanes”… First Filming Imminent!】
“Gasp!!!”
I covered my mouth with both hands and hurriedly checked the article.
After reading the description of it as a “Korean-style fantasy drama that unravels mysterious incidents based on exorcism,” my fingertips trembled as I set my phone down on the floor, then jumped onto the bed and punched the cushions repeatedly, then jumped back down and bounced up and down over and over.
After a moment, I finally calmed myself with deep breaths and fell into contemplation.
‘Should I… send a text?’
But unable to contain my joy, I picked up my phone and searched through my contacts.
“Min Ji-heon sunbae! Congratulations on confirming your role in the Drama Production. As a fan, I’m so happy!”
“Oh, typo!!!”
Only after pressing send in my eagerness did I spot the mistake. I tried to delete and resend, but the number next to the message disappeared.
And immediately after, Min Ji-heon called.
I looked at the saved name on the screen repeatedly, took one deep breath, and answered respectfully.
“Yes, sunbae!”
[Da-jun. How have you been?]
The voice I had heard countless times through various devices suddenly felt strangely familiar.
“Yes!! I’ve been doing well!”
[I see.]
“I’m currently in Japan—.”
Min Ji-heon occasionally chimed in with acknowledgments as I shared my recent updates.
Then one person we both knew suddenly appeared through his words.
[How is Ho-yoon doing?]
My mood, which had been soaring to the heavens, came crashing back down.
“Yes, well… probably.”
[What? Why aren’t you sure?]
I didn’t know what to say.
While I hesitated, Min Ji-heon waited quietly for an answer instead of pressing further.
“…Min Ji-heon, do you… stay in touch with Ho-yoon often?”
[Huh?]
“Um, did my brother happen to mention anything separately to you? How does he seem to you lately?”
[What? How would I know that?]
Min Ji-heon’s voice carried a note of bewilderment.
[You’re together in Japan anyway, aren’t you? Just check directly.]
“Oh… ah… yes, you’re right….”
Jung Da-jun, whose energy had instantly deflated, perched on the edge of the bed and let his shoulders droop.
[Your voice sounds like you’ve gotten into some kind of trouble.]
“…I think I have.”
[Ahahaha.]
Min Ji-heon’s laughter rippled through the phone as if he found the situation amusing.
[I don’t know what it is, but Seo Ho-yoon hasn’t mentioned anything to me separately. And if you’re curious, it’d be more effective to just ask him directly.]
“…What?”
[Seo Ho-yoon likes honest people, you know. Just like you, Jung Da-jun.]
…Like me?
Jung Da-jun repeated the words as if he didn’t understand, his eyelids fluttering, when Min Ji-heon added softly in a murmur.
[I’m incredibly honest too, so why don’t you like me?]
But Jung Da-jun was too busy turning things over in his mind to catch what Min Ji-heon said.
“Oh right, yes! Get going! Fighting for the shoot…ing….”
A few more light exchanges passed, and the call ended.
For a moment, Jung Da-jun stared at his phone, then withdrew his gaze and lay back on the bed.
‘An honest person….’
He was right.
Setting traps in different places and waiting for the other person to respond—that wasn’t who I was. I didn’t even regret talking back to Jung Won-ha.
—But,
‘At the very least, I shouldn’t have lied to my brother!’
Jung Da-jun shook his head vigorously and sprang from the bed.
Then he headed to Kim Sung-hyun’s room, where all of The Dun members were likely to be. Whenever they stayed at provincial hotels for events or had overseas schedules, they always gathered where the Leader was, without even making plans beforehand.
Sure enough, the members were huddled together on the living room sofa, with Kang Yi-chae occupying the center, plucking at his guitar strings.
“Brother!”
There was no camera set up separately, and it didn’t look like they were doing a live stream.
Jung Da-jun’s eyes darted around before he rushed inside and called out to Seo Ho-yoon.
“Ho-yoon! Brother! I have something to tell you!”
Seo Ho-yoon, lounging casually halfway on the sofa eating the snacks Jung Da-jun had bought the day before, raised his eyebrows at the sight.
“Go ahead.”
But the moment permission came, my mouth wouldn’t open.
Now that it was happening, I was terrified.
“So, my brother and I, just over there for a moment….”
“Do it here.”
Jung Da-jun, who had been fidgeting and mumbling, locked eyes with Seo Ho-yoon and hastily revised his plan. Rather than face him alone and confess the truth when he looked so cold, it seemed better to speak while everyone was present and seek their help.
“Um, brother, brothers… when you said you heard something from Senior Jung Won-ha back then… I said I held back without refuting it….”
“Yeah.”
Jung Da-jun squeezed his eyes shut, avoiding the pitch-black pupils of Seo Ho-yoon’s gaze.
“…Actually, that’s not true. I just told the senior that if he wanted to be an MC, he should appeal—that there’s no cloud fluffier than me, no cotton candy sweeter than me! That’s what I said!”
“What, what did you—cough….”
Kim Sung-hyun, caught off guard by the sudden 100% confession, choked on his words. Sung Ji-won looked at him with a slightly worried expression and handed him water, while Kang Yi-chae simply waited for what came next, his expression showing nothing but interest.
Feeling the weight of everyone’s attention, Jung Da-jun bowed deeply in apology one last time.
“I’m sorry for lying….”
“I see.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Jung Da-jun thought he’d misheard and awkwardly straightened his bent torso.
“You did well. From now on, don’t let yourself be disrespected, but be careful not to get caught doing anything wrong.”
He’s not scolding me…?
No, I’m relieved, but….
Jung Da-jun, hesitating, gathered his courage to ask.
“…So, you’re not going to say anything?”
“Why would I?”
Seo Ho-yoon, sucking on cookie crumbs stuck to his finger, shrugged and added.
“It’s time for you to handle things on your own now.”
“….”
“Da-jun came in and cut off the conversation, right? So a moment ago—.”
Just as Seo Ho-yoon began to speak and everyone’s attention was about to shift,
“Wait a second, brother.”
Jung Da-jun opened his mouth again.
“Why are you talking like that? Like you’re hurt?”
As Jung Da-jun’s footsteps drew closer to the sofa, his voice grew louder in proportion.
“Aren’t you… bothered at all? After all, you were criticized by Senior Jung Won-ha….”
“….”
“So why aren’t you angry?!”
Seo Ho-yoon slowly surveyed Jung Da-jun, whose skin had flushed red and who trembled as he spoke in choppy, emotional bursts.
“Sigh….”
Then, as if annoyed, he let out a long, heavy sigh.
That sound struck Jung Da-jun’s ears particularly hard.
“Da-jun, how old are you?”
“…What?”
“If you’re an adult, figure that much out for yourself.”
Jung Da-jun detected the irritation seeping through the depths of his tone.
“I… I…”
Where had the person gone who carried me to the hospital when I fell during “Victory is Mine”?
“I did it for my brother…”
That presence who had gently comforted me, saying everyone makes mistakes, when I messed up the competition after falling for Jung Won-ha’s trick and shed tears…
Something surged up violently, stretching to the tips of my hair. If I didn’t do something—anything—I felt like I’d go mad. My face grew hotter by the second, and my breathing became ragged and suffocating.
So in that moment, Jung Da-jun finally spilled out the truth he’d been holding inside.
“—I picked a fight with Jung Won-ha for my brother’s sake!!!”
Silence fell among the members in an instant.
While they all stood dumbfounded by this completely unexpected revelation, Jung Da-jun clenched his fists and glared at Seo Ho-yoon with blazing eyes.
“…Me?”
Seo Ho-yoon, at a loss for words, belatedly pointed at himself with his index finger and asked.
“Yes! For my brother! Because you seemed different lately, I picked a fight with Jung Won-ha hoping you’d go back to normal!!!”
“—Wait, wait. Jung Da-jun.”
Kim Sung-hyun raised both hands to stop Jung Da-jun, who was passionately declaring himself, and pressed his palm firmly against his forehead.
“What does wanting Seo Ho-yoon to go back to normal have to do with picking a fight?”
“Well, if someone picks a fight!”
Jung Da-jun puffed out his chest with confidence.
“Ho-yoon gets happy!!!”
“…”
“…”
Though it was a reason worthy of praise, the atmosphere had somehow grown even more solemn than before—or so Jung Da-jun thought at this moment.
“…Heh.”
Seo Ho-yoon’s face, which had remained composed until now, twisted. But Jung Da-jun himself had nowhere left to retreat to, so he didn’t shrink back. Or rather, he tried not to. The trembling at his fingertips was a secret.
“…Hehe, heh… ha…”
Seo Ho-yoon suddenly burst into laughter, ran a hand through his hair, then grew serious and fixed his gaze directly on Jung Da-jun.
“Jung Da-jun. Sit back down.”
“Huh?! N-now you’re pretending to care?! I saw you sighing earlier?!”
“Don’t talk back. Shut up and sit down.”
“No way! You said to do as I please! Don’t boss me around!”
As Seo Ho-yoon’s increasingly fierce aura made Jung Da-jun slowly back away, he gritted his teeth and shouted defiantly.
“I’m sorry for lying. But I don’t regret it! I won’t reflect on it! Even if my brother dies, I won’t die! I won’t! And since my brother was wrong too, I’m leaving with my head held high!!”
With that, Jung Da-jun spewed out his words in rapid succession and bolted from the room before Seo Ho-yoon could move, his eyebrows flying.
“Ahahaha, puhahaha…”
Kim Sung-hyun stood stunned with his hand on his chest, staring blankly at the entrance door, while Kang Yi-chae pounded the sofa armrest with his fist, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Sung Ji-won, wearing an awkward smile, stood up and spoke.
“Ho-yoon, I’ll go check on Da-jun.”
“…Sung Ji-won, come with me.”
“Oh, you will?”
Sung Ji-won gently patted Kim Sung-hyun, who was swaying as if drained of strength, and led him out.
Only then did Kang Yi-chae, who had been giggling alone for quite some time, wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes and stood up unsteadily.
“Ah, my jaw hurts from laughing so much… heh.”
“….”
“Isn’t our Maknae absolutely adorable?”
Kang Yi-chae’s lips curved upward as he watched Seo Ho-yoon press his forehead and exhale heavily.
“Should I go pick a fight with someone to cheer Hyung up?”
“Get lost.”
“Or maybe I should do it myself?”
Seo Ho-yoon’s expression darkened. Apparently pleased by this, Kang Yi-chae laughed even louder, his footsteps light and carefree as he disappeared toward the door.
“Damn it….”
Left alone in the quiet silence, Seo Ho-yoon tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“I never would have guessed it was for that reason.”
After the second hand of the wristwatch on the table had made a couple of rotations, Seo Ho-yoon buried his face in his hands with a long sigh, then roughly splashed water on his face and sat up.
“Fine, I’ll give our puppy whatever he wants.”
Seo Ho-yoon’s eyes gleamed with intensity.

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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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