The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 373

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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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373

[…W-what are you—.]

Jung Won-ha’s flustered, stammering voice leaked through the phone with perfect clarity.
Seo Ho-yoon added another measured comment, intent on stoking the other’s agitation further.

“You were dating back then, weren’t you?”
[No! That never—!]
“Do you really think I was the only one who noticed? Your group members were reading the room so carefully.”

He hadn’t made it overtly obvious, but there had been a palpable atmosphere of restraint among the TEW members at the time. It was a calculated shot in the dark, yet something about it struck a nerve—Jung Won-ha’s mouth snapped shut.

[…So what? How does that connect to you deliberately running your mouth?]
“Well, I’m curious why I might have done that.”
[Obviously. You wanted me screwed over. What else?]
“Hah, listen. What benefit would I get from Jung Won-ha being screwed over?”
[You secured first place in the competition.]

Seo Ho-yoon withdrew his smile and infused his voice with steel.

“I was confident I’d take first place without that.”

It was the truth.
If Jung Won-ha hadn’t touched Jung Da-jun, then Seo Ho-yoon wouldn’t have interfered with Jung Won-ha either. The results would have been identical regardless.

“Honestly, did Jung Won-ha get ruined because of that? You’re still active and thriving, aren’t you?”

Seo Ho-yoon exhaled wearily, his words interspersed with sighs.

“Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment. Think about it carefully. If I could just ignore you, why would I bring this up at all?”
[….]

He deliberately left the rest unsaid, allowing Jung Won-ha room to imagine on his own.
When sufficient truth tangled with adequate pretense and appropriate fiction, even nonsense sounded convincing.

“…The reason I took that call earlier wasn’t to criticize Jung Won-ha or anything like that.”
[…Is that so?]
“It’s just—….”

And this particular method of letting things slip was Seo Ho-yoon’s specialty.
Just like now.

“—Won-ha, I was concerned about you.”

Seo Ho-yoon let his words trail off vaguely.
Somewhat uncertainly, a touch sheepishly.

[W-wait? What, what do you mean?]

Jung Won-ha’s voice pitched higher, trembling noticeably.

[Geez, it’s not like you’re sleep-talking or anything… this guy is, he’s really strange, ahem….]

I sprawled across the sofa, phone pressed to my ear, waiting calmly when the voice transmitted from the other end gradually began to soften.
Unsurprised, one corner of my mouth quirked upward slightly.
Jung Won-ha was the type who judged people by their fame and was weak to the goodwill of those more popular than himself—a classic case of someone who bullies the weak and fawns over the strong. Now that The Dun was performing far better than TEW, Jung Won-ha was wary of the affection I displayed, yet couldn’t easily push it away.

[A-anyway! Even if that’s what you say, I can’t completely believe it.]

This should be about right.
Feeling like the bait had been properly marinated, I decided to cast my line.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate. I was going to tell you something good.”
[Huh?]
“Composer Chung-beom seems to have some interest in TEW—or more precisely, in Jung Won-ha specifically. Well… if you’re not interested, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
[R-really? For real?]

Since Lim Hyun-sung had said earlier, “Jung Won-ha? What’s that all about?”—it wasn’t entirely a lie.

“I happened to hear about it—.”

And so I invoked Lim Hyun-sung’s name and began peddling my wares.
Though still skeptical, Jung Won-ha seemed quite tempted by what I was saying.

[—So you’re saying Composer Chung-beom wants to give us a song? Or rather, give me one?]
“Try reaching out to him.”
[Hmm… Well, I’ll handle it.]

Jung Won-ha hadn’t completely torn down the wall between us—he drew a careful line and slipped in a comment.

[Anyway, The Dun must have it rough. Carrying around a troublemaker and someone incompetent. Is this some kind of test? How did he even pass the audition?]
“….”
[I’ll need to verify, but since you shared that information, if Jung Da-jun causes trouble, tell me. I’ll help however I can.]

Seo Ho-yoon let out a soft laugh and threw Jung Won-ha’s own words right back at him.

“Well, I’ll handle it myself.”
[What?]
“Then, I’m done here.”
[Huh? Wait, hold on—!]

And I hung up while Jung Won-ha was still bewildered. I immediately deleted the call log and set Jung Da-jun’s phone back where it belonged. Then I picked up my own phone and texted Lim Hyun-sung.

[Me: Composer, TEW will be reaching out soon. Welcome them in your own style.]
Lim Hyun-sung: *middle finger*
[Me: Japanese cigarettes]
Lim Hyun-sung: *middle fingers up*
[Me: Plus sake too]
[Lim Hyun-sung: Deal if you add cigars with the sake]
[Me: Deal]
[Me: Be careful not to leave a trail]
[Lim Hyun-sung: Screw off, I’m Lim Hyun-sung lol]

As if someone who falls so easily for cigarettes and alcohol would brag about it.

“Going in circles is annoying.”

I’d laid all the groundwork. If Jung Won-ha’s caution kept him away, nothing would happen and it would end anticlimactically. But if he approached with hope, he’d experience a fall as deep as his inflated expectations had risen.
By nature, I wanted to handle it myself so he could never climb back up. But my profession, so visible to the public, felt awkward about that.
I hoped this incident would at least serve as a warning to Jung Won-ha.
What it would feel like if he dared to touch Jung Da-jun again.

“Sigh….”

I clicked my tongue softly and ran my hand through my hair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
I hadn’t expected Da-jun to be so hurt by my casual “figure it out yourself.”
Eventually, that kid would have to stand on his own anyway….

‘Still, this much should be fine.’

I hadn’t even completed the Quests yet.
There was still time to watch and see.
Even knowing this was all self-rationalization, I decided to bury the thought for now.
While I was sprawled listlessly on the sofa, the door suddenly burst open again, and Da-jun came rushing in with bags hanging from both arms.

“Hyung, hyung, hyung! Didn’t you see my text?! Why didn’t you reply~!!”

The Maknae plopped down on the floor, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold wind, and began pulling out snacks one after another.

“Look at this, hyung! You said this was delicious last time~! This one’s bread with cream and red beans inside, so I grabbed it! And… uh, what’s this one? It looked tasty so I picked it up….”

Watching the Maknae ramble on, I pinched his chubby cheek between my thumb and forefinger and stretched it out.

“Ow! W-what are you doing!”
“When are you ever going to lose these baby cheeks?”
“It hurts! Why are you suddenly picking a fight with me~!?”

As Da-jun whined, I raised my other hand and grabbed the other cheek the same way.

***

While The Dun was busily fulfilling their schedule in Japan, word was quietly spreading back in Korea.

[Did these guys learn ninja shadow clones in Japan or something? How are they managing such a packed schedule?]

[Went to The Dun’s popup store and they dressed the stage outfit mannequins and posted it… so freaking cute… but seriously, these kids are tall as hell. I’m pretty tall myself but the pants go up to like my ribs

└There’s a reason they’re called model idols
└Height inflation is real lolol]

The Dun’s special popup store, planned to commemorate the release of their new Japanese single album, was held at a total of four locations, including Tokyo and Osaka.

≪Visited quietly~!! (bright smiling emoticon) #DAJUN≫

Among them, Kang Yi-chae and Jung Da-jun, who had stopped by the pop-up store located in Tokyo Shibuya, took verification photos and uploaded them to StarStar. Each wore loose hoodies and comfortable clothing, their faces concealed behind hats, beanies, and masks.

[Maybe I went there separately because I didn’t know ㅠㅠㅠ It’s cute ㅠㅜㅜㅜ]
[Sisters… please look behind you…]
Ugh, I can’t climb the stairs… *sob*

However, even if The Dun members thought they blended seamlessly with their surroundings, their idol aura remained unmistakably visible.

[Of course I knew. Logically, what would two tall, handsome men be doing at The Dun pop-up store?]
[Even bundled up like that, you could feel their distinctive presence. Plus Da-jun was bouncing around…]
[I desperately pretended not to notice (laughing)]

Just as the Noeul fandom was heating up with talk of the pop-up store, a promotional video for the documentary theatrical release was uploaded to The Dun’s official YouTube channel.

【THE DAWN BEHIND – From Dawn to Dawn Group Viewing】

[Ahhhh the movie promotion is up on the official YouTube!!!]
[Oh wow group viewing!!!]

The video began by showing The Dun entering a building in the bustling Tokyo cityscape. Whether they’d rented out the entire screening room, the members wove through empty seats and lined up neatly in the center.

Look at her going in all prepared with caramel popcorn and churros too lol
Haha, oh my god, so cute!

The footage used for promotion wasn’t significantly different from the documentary previously released on YouTube. It showed them practicing together, joking around, and laughing.

【…Ah, the tone quality was so good I almost fell asleep.】

Ugh, you’re really shameless lol
[It’s still cute to see it again haha]

【I’m basically the most handsome in The Dun~! Cool and great at making music!】

Watching them instantly unite and gang up on someone once they’d picked a target, The Dun themselves burst out laughing at their own antics. Toward the end, a glimpse of them preparing the ‘Last Round’ album was also revealed.
Toward the end, I felt a bit of relief while preparing for the ‘Last Round’ album.

[I want to watch it soon too, release it faster~~~]
[The Dun documentary is gonna make me laugh my ass off then cry at the end]
That documentary about The Dun was so fucking funny at first, but by the end I felt like I was about to cry.

Damn.. In the midst of all this, Japan, Noel, all of it The Dun.. ‘Oh man.. (seriously) I can see my favorite’s face plastered all over the place… Damn.. (I’m so moved) tears of emotion are flowing’ This is so funny lolololololol

└The Japanese Noeul fans are seriously so genuine]

Just as the Noeul fans’ anticipation for the theatrical film reached new heights,

【At first, I had to get my head on straight no matter what. I had to perform well. That’s all I could think about.】

Seo Ho-yoon’s interview, which had been inserted near the end of the documentary, played.

【Well, perhaps I was foolish. A person can’t do everything alone. In the first place, each of our members has exceptional abilities that I can rely on, and they all handle things so well on their own. Maybe that’s why…】

And then the faces of each member looking at him were zoomed in on.

【Now I feel reassured that they can handle anything well even without me. That’s what makes me happy.】

One by one they passed, until it reached Seo Ho-yoon’s neat profile, his gaze fixed on the screen with quiet intensity.

【It’s a dawn I must send off without regret.】

The strangely distant expression that had briefly appeared on Seo Ho-yoon’s face suddenly vanished, and as the film ended, only his usual radiant smile remained in its place.
With The Dun’s affectionate closing remarks asking for continued support, the video came to an end.

[Something feels off… just a weird feeling]
[All the Noeul fans are laughing because they’re happy, but I alone… felt nauseous and turned it off]
I’m not the only one feeling this way… I feel a bit uncomfortable too. What is this… the ending credits roll and I’m left alone, feeling abandoned.

While The Dun’s fans lingered in this strange unease, replaying it over and over, the music industry was experiencing a new and powerful wave.

【High Five – New Thrill Official Music Video】

High Five had made their comeback.

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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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