The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 379

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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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379

“Huh, Brother?”

Min Ji-heon stared at me with startled eyes.
After hearing what the Acting Teacher had to say, I’d brushed it off as someone I didn’t know and stormed out of the Practice Room, immediately contacting Min Ji-heon to ask where he was.
Once I’d regained my senses, I realized I was already unlocking his apartment door. The pure white puppy that always greeted me first was nowhere to be found, and Min Ji-heon sat amid scattered scripts sprawled carelessly across the middle of the messy Living Room.

“That’s what the doorbell is for. You can’t just punch in the code and waltz in like it’s your own place—it IS your own place, isn’t it?”

I didn’t respond, striding forward with purpose. The haggard-looking guy tilted his head slightly in confusion.

“Huh…?”
“…”
“…Why do you look angry?”
“Min Ji-heon.”
“W-wait, I haven’t done anything recently, I swear!”

I grabbed Min Ji-heon by the collar with both hands and lifted him up. The tall guy dangled like a paper doll, flailing helplessly.

“Are you insane?”
“Why, why are you doing this?!”

This wasn’t someone who’d listen to reason.
As the saying goes, the law is distant but the fist is near.

“What, YOU’RE the one who’s insane?! Barging into someone’s home like this—what kind of thuggish behavior is this?! You’ve been so well-behaved lately, so why are you acting like a gangster aga—”
“Jung Chung-yeon.”
“…—in now, I get it…”

Min Ji-heon, who had been trembling and gripping my fist while squealing indignantly, suddenly fell silent.

“I need to hear an explanation.”
“Okay, okay, just let go for a second, please.”

I swept my gaze over him with evident displeasure, then released my grip on his collar as though discarding him. Min Ji-heon, sprawled on the ground, grabbed his shirt collar and brushed it off with quick pats while glancing up at me.

“…W-who told you….”
“….”
“No, no—that’s not what matters right now. I’m sorry.”

Min Ji-heon mumbled and avoided my gaze. He probably had something to feel guilty about.
After returning from Unknown Actor Tycoon, I’d called him to ask about Jung Chung-yeon’s whereabouts.
His answer back then had been this.

“But I’m not certain… honestly, I was out of it back then…. After I took my brother to the hospital and went back to look, she was gone. It felt like I’d seen a ghost or something….”

The bastard lied like it was nothing.

“You said you didn’t meet her. You said you looked but she was gone.”
“Ha, well, I forgot to tell you… w-wait! Okay. I’ll be honest!”

As I began looking around as if searching for something, he raised his hand to stop me, his expression twisting with reluctance.

“The truth is… I did talk to her briefly after taking my brother to the hospital. She seemed pretty confused, so I told her we’d talk next time, just took her contact info, reassured her, and hurried her along. I didn’t know anything back then, so what more could I have done?”
“And?”
“Just… well, I met her once more while my brother was collapsed….”
“But.”
“…She didn’t remember anything.”

Min Ji-heon let out a heavy sigh and roughly brushed back the long bangs that had fallen across his forehead.

“She had this bewildered look and said she had no idea why she was even there that day. She looked completely clueless about my brother.”

I hadn’t been entirely unprepared for Jung Chung-yeon not remembering me.
The System had deliberately arranged for us to meet, and it had sent me to Unknown Actor Tycoon, after all.

“Why didn’t you tell me until now?”
“What’s the point of bringing up someone I barely know anything about?”
“….”
“Besides, I didn’t want to get more entangled. When I saw her again, she seemed unstable—really intense. She was yelling and threatening even though I was the one she was dealing with… and you weren’t in a good place during that time either. I thought it’d be better if you two didn’t see each other….”

I listened to his pathetic string of excuses for a moment, then extended my hand.

“…Huh?”

I raised an eyebrow at Min Ji-heon’s stammering and spoke.

“Your phone.”
“…Why?”
“Jung Chung-yeon’s contact. You said you got it.”

Min Ji-heon hesitantly picked up his phone from the table in front of the sofa, unlocked it, and handed it over. His lock screen displayed a photo of his younger sister Kang Chae-yeon and the fluffy Malang together. I navigated to the contacts and found Jung Chung-yeon’s name among the many entries.

“…Where did you meet her?”
“…At the cafe where she works.”
“Where’s that?”
“Near the company….”

After hearing the detailed location, it wasn’t far from the WH Entertainment New Building. I memorized Jung Chung-yeon’s number and tossed the phone onto the sofa. Ignoring Min Ji-heon, who seemed to have plenty more to say, I moved toward the entrance. Then a loud question came from behind.

“Are you going to meet her?”

But what the hell was this guy doing, constantly getting in my way?
I turned my head irritably and looked at Min Ji-heon.

“Hey.”

Min Ji-heon’s shoulders visibly flinched.

“You’ve been annoying me since earlier. Don’t cross the line.”

Whether something was wrong with Jung Chung-yeon, whether her memories had vanished, whatever.

“I’ll make the judgment.”

I could verify it myself.

***

“Uuuaaahhhhh.”
“Ughhhhhh….”

The Dun members collapsed one by one.
With five more year-end performances still ahead, each requiring roughly fifteen minutes of differentiated choreography, they seemed to be burning out quickly.

“Is this even something humans can do?”
“Well, we’re doing it anyway…”
“The hell from Second Chance is coming back to me…”

As if we’d returned to our trainee days, everyone looked like they were dying.
Kang Yi-chae, who had been tormented for quite some time by Sung Ji-won, the tyrant of the practice room, whined with an exhausted expression.

“Ugh, my blood sugar’s crashing…”
“Don’t you have anything sweet?”
“I haven’t been able to leave the company building because of year-end preparations. Every time I try to go out, Ji-won hyung asks to do it again.”
“Where did human rights go?”

True to his nature as a practice machine, Sung Ji-won laughed without showing a hint of strain.

“Haha, well then, shall we take a break here?”
“Yes!”
“Please!! Ho-yoon hyung is literally dying over there!”
“Be quiet. I’m too tired to even groan…”

While the others made a fuss, I lay sprawled in a corner with my head buried in a sports bag. Jung Da-jun approached quietly and poked my forearm with his fingers.

“Hyung, you’re really not going to show me the script?”
“If I do, I’ll go to jail for spoiler crimes.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”

Jung Da-jun’s cheeks puffed up indignantly.
The truth was, I’d hidden the fact that a funeral scene was included in the filming because I knew he’d cause a commotion the moment he found out. Once the maknae knew, I wouldn’t be able to keep it secret from the other members.
Fortunately, WH Entertainment seemed to be treating my solo activities as my personal project and hadn’t shared the detailed circumstances with the members.
I gathered strength throughout my sweat-drenched body and moved my trembling legs. I felt this was the perfect timing.

“I can’t do this. I’m going to get some fresh air.”
“Can you even stand up?”

I kicked Kim Sung-hyun’s thigh sarcastically. Then Sung Ji-won raised himself halfway and asked, following me.

“Ho-yoon, want to come with me?”
“No thanks. You must be tired—get some rest.”

I’d dropped enough breadcrumbs that thirty minutes away wouldn’t seem suspicious, so I headed outside. But through the crack in the door, I could hear Da-jun whining.
Something about why I only looked after Ho-yoon, and how he wanted to try having cool air in his nostrils too.
With Ji-won’s amused voice telling him to either leave or stay quiet, I pulled my cap down firmly and climbed the stairs.

‘That cafe….’

It was fortunate that it was nearby.
The System Window, which had been pestering me constantly lately, had been silent ever since I met with Min Ji-heon.

‘Well, there shouldn’t be any problem.’

If seeing Jung Chung-yeon had been dangerous, the System Window would have appeared with a warning just like it had when I was told not to meet Min Ji-heon back then.
The location Min Ji-heon had given me was a cozy private cafe not far from the company. Since it was an awkward time in the afternoon, it was quite empty.
No one paid attention to me in my drab training clothes and mask. I slowly scanned the interior of the shop, wondering what to say first.

‘Even if her memory is gone, maybe seeing me will help her remember.’

I planned to coax her somehow and probe into what she’d experienced.
As I organized my thoughts and slowly turned my head toward the menu board, Jung Chung-yeon emerged from a side door carrying small boxes.

“Oh, a customer!”

Upon spotting me, she set the boxes down haphazardly and hurried over with quick little steps.

“Sorry for the wait! I’ll take your order.”

With Jung Chung-yeon right in front of me, all the words I’d rehearsed countless times seemed to fade away.
Her long hair, which she used to tie up high, was now cut short around her neck, and her face, which always wore heavy makeup, was bare and plain.
I took in this unfamiliar appearance and quietly pointed at the menu with my finger.

“…One yuzu tea, please.”
“Yes~ Would you like that hot? Is this for takeout?”
“Yes.”

Jung Chung-yeon handled the register with practiced ease.
I hesitated for a moment, then brought my hand to my mask.
At that instant, Jung Chung-yeon asked again.

“Would you like to sign up for our coupon card? Collect ten stamps and get a free Americano.”
“No….”
“Pardon?”

I started to decline out of habit, then stopped. I could see the confusion crossing Jung Chung-yeon’s face.
With a soft sigh, I pulled my mask down, simultaneously removing my hat with one hand while running my fingers through my hair with the other.

“Oh… oh my! Oh my goodness!”

She recognized me, as expected.

‘I knew this would happen.’

There’s no way she wouldn’t remember.

“Excuse me, Jung—.”
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Seo Ho-yoon!!”

Just as I opened my mouth to try to calm Jung Chung-yeon, grinding my teeth inwardly, she covered her mouth with both hands and bounced excitedly, making a fuss.

“Seriously! My friend is a huge fan of yours! I mean, I can’t believe I’m seeing Seo Ho-yoon here!! Wow, I had this feeling from the moment I saw you that I’d seen you somewhere before! This is crazy, what do I do!!”
“….”
“Oh no, I’m sorry, was I being too loud?!”

Jung Chung-yeon glanced around nervously, then stamped the coupon card multiple times with loud thuds before lowering her voice considerably.

“I heard there’s a WH Building nearby, and I guess it’s true! Still, I never expected to see such a famous idol here! Please come by to earn stamps. This one’s on the house~! Since this is a private café, we use really high-quality beans and the taste is excellent! I’d love to spread the word that you’re a regular, but~. Oh right, I’ll bring you your yuzu tea right away. Just a moment~.”

In her brisk manner, I could no longer find any trace of the wounded, sharp-edged trainee Jung Chung-yeon.

“…Yes.”

I tried to leave the café, seeing no need to continue the conversation, but my feet wouldn’t move.

“…The atmosphere here is really nice. Do you run this place yourself?”

I asked Jung Chung-yeon, who was pouring what looked like homemade yuzu tea into a disposable cup.

“Oh goodness, where would I get that kind of money? It’s one of my aunt’s cafes. Still, I’ve been working as a manager full-time for nearly five years now, so I’d say I’m the real power behind the scenes here.”

Five years. Even subtracting the time I’d spent as an idol, it was quite a substantial period.
On the wall where the clock hung, Min Ji-heon’s autograph was displayed right alongside it.

“Thank you so much, please come again~!”

I accepted the warm yuzu tea Jung Chung-yeon handed me and stepped out of the store.
There was something in her expression suggesting she wanted my autograph, but I didn’t have the audacity to oblige her.
I put my cap back on, wandered through the street, then turned into a narrow alley where few people ventured and took a deep breath.

No matter how well Min Ji-heon could act, he couldn’t turn someone else into an acting prodigy overnight. In other words, everything he’d told me was the truth.

Jung Chung-yeon had truly lost her memory.

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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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