The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 388

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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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388

“Hey, toss me a mandarin.”
“Just throw it?”
“Yeah.”

My younger sister, her hair tied up in a topknot, tossed me a single cold mandarin from the veranda, then plopped down beside me with the entire basket in her arms.
We were two sisters in our early twenties, born just a year apart, supporting different groups. I was devoted to The Dun, while she was a fan of High Five.

“Did part two of the Green Music Awards start? When do our groups come on?”
“Not sure. Maybe in about an hour?”
“Why do you say you don’t know and then watch anyway?”

The Green Music Awards we were watching today had a total of eight awards, including three in the acting category. Because it spanned multiple fields, it carried slightly less prestige than other award ceremonies, but an award was still an award.
I peeled the mandarin and popped it into my mouth in one go, then reached into the basket my sister was hugging. She tried to block me with her body, but when that failed, she sighed and pretended to give up.

“Tell you what—if your group wins the Grand Prize today, I’ll buy you chicken. Deal?”
“What if both of them win?”
“Then we eat two chickens. Simple as that.”
“Deal. At least we won’t starve.”
“You’re just doing whatever it takes to survive, aren’t you?”
“You little brat—since when did you get so philosophical after picking up that part-time job?”

‘I wonder if our groups are last.’

I’d learned the performance order in advance through the community, so I was able to switch the channel right around the time High Five and The Dun would appear.
Just then, an interview with the singers in the waiting area was underway.

【—Yes, hello! I’m Sung Ji-won from The Dun.】

“Oh my god, are you serious?! Sung Ji-won!!”

The moment I saw that fair, beautiful face fill the screen, I spat out the mandarin I’d been chewing and grabbed my light stick, waving it frantically. My sister beside me yelped in alarm, insisting I not touch the official High Five light stick with my dirty hands.

【It’s snowing heavily today, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the fans who came to see us. I also want to tell the Noeul fans watching at home how much we miss you all.】

“Hey, seriously though—isn’t he incredibly handsome?”
“That pretty-boy face isn’t my type. Kang Yeon-hu over there is a hundred times better.”
“Yeah, whatever~.”

Kang Yeon-hu was certainly decent enough.
But a true man possessed a refined face paired with a sculpted physique, a measured tone underpinned by unwavering composure.
My younger brother shook his head, insisting he was still too young to understand such things, when I heard grumbling from beside me.

“If you’re going to pick based on looks, you should at least like Kang Yeon-hu. Where else would you find someone who’s been a trainee for so long, racked up so much experience, yet still works this hard with such desperation?”
“Hey, did he come from some wealthy background, or did his agency forcibly kick him out? Sung Ji-won is the best.”
“Huh? What?! So it’s really true that Sung Ji-won left D.go Entertainment on his own terms?”
“Pretty much official.”

It was a rumor that a fan who’d supported Sung Ji-won since his trainee days had shared anonymously online. Because of that, most The Dun fans already knew about it.
I hadn’t known Sung Ji-won well during his D.go Entertainment days, but at the very least, the Sung Ji-won of now always seemed happy. That’s why I wanted to support him even more.

‘I understand now why Sung Ji-won cares for and cherishes the members so much….’

I tossed the glow stick to my younger brother and popped the tangerine that had fallen on the floor back into my mouth, scratching my belly, when the camera angle shifted and Seo Ho-yoon appeared on screen.
In that instant, my breath caught without my realizing it.
Even the atmosphere in the awards ceremony venue seemed to ripple through the television screen.

【Hello, I’m Seo Ho-yoon from The Dun.】

‘Seo Ho-yoon really is something else.’

When he’s around actors, he definitely gives off idol energy, but when he’s among idols, he radiates an actor’s aura.
His singular distinctiveness commanded attention effortlessly.
My younger brother, who had been peeling a tangerine and gasping in admiration, tilted his head curiously and asked.

“Why didn’t you pick based on looks? If I’d been into The Dun, I would’ve liked Seo Ho-yoon. His smile is pretty.”
“Well, I mean… they’re all good, but sometimes he’s a bit scary….”
“Scary?”
“It’s like… he reminds me of dealing with the shift manager at my part-time job sometimes….”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”

A sharp tsk sound accompanied a fierce glare directed at me.
Though Min Ji-heon was my rival, he was quite generous toward me—I got along well with Kang Yeon-hu and often drew out different facets of myself through our interactions.
While I answered questions from MC Yoo Ji-a, the camera occasionally panned to Min Ji-heon. It seemed to be a deliberate choice, acknowledging the connection between us.
Min Ji-heon, whose expression had seemed cold at first glance, softened his eyes into a smile when our gazes met through the camera, waving his hand. In response, I offered an awkward smile and bowed politely.

“By the way, unnie, are Min Ji-heon and Seo Ho-yoon still close?”
“Close? More like… we just know each other well?”
“That’s what being close means.”

My younger brother, who had scoffed earlier, suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something.

“Oh, did you know? Seo Ho-yoon’s nickname is ‘Star Catnip.’ Top-tier celebrities famous for their arrogance apparently chase after Seo Ho-yoon because they like him.”
“Catnip…?”

It sounded like a nickname created by a small faction that compared Seo Ho-yoon to a cat.
I thought of him as a rabbit instead.
Just as I was about to console my dissatisfied feelings by snatching the peeled tangerine my brother was eating,

【…—Now let’s see this year’s Actor of the Year nominees!】

The final grand prize in the acting category was about to be announced.

【They’re all truly outstanding, aren’t they?! So, let me announce this year’s Actor of the Year!】

Being the most prestigious award, everyone naturally assumed Min Ji-heon would receive it.

【——Ha Seo-yeon! Congratulations!】

But the name that came from Yoo Ji-a’s lips was someone else entirely.

“What?! Ha Seo-yeon? Not Min Ji-heon?”

Too excited to notice the crimson juice splattering everywhere from my mouth, I shrieked.

“I mean, sure, Ha Seo-yeon’s weekend drama was absolutely entertaining too. She did well. But if that was going to happen, they should’ve at least given Min Ji-heon one of the earlier awards! Honestly, doesn’t everyone think Min Ji-heon deserved it?!”
“Right?! Min Ji-heon, obviously?! And he’s the type who gets greeted barefoot by everyone when he shows up at the traditional market!”
“You think it’s just there?! Anywhere he walks, the whole neighborhood comes out offering him food and saying how much they love him!”

Min Ji-heon, diligently pursuing his craft, swept up countless awards each year. Yet no one complained.
The reason was simple.

“Wow! That’s ridiculous! They’re passing on Min Ji-heon?!”

The opposition was none other than that very Min Ji-heon himself.
This year alone, not only had “Daffodils in Bloom” been a massive hit, but “Before the Moon Wanes,” still airing on cable channels, had become a phenomenon as well, garnering tremendous popularity. Even critics who had harshly evaluated him in the past wrote that they felt as though they were witnessing a sacred rebirth—an actor who seemed stuck in his ways breaking free from his own constraints—and expressed anticipation for his future.
Yet he hadn’t received a single award at the Green Music Awards.
Despite not being a Min Ji-heon fan, I felt an inexplicable sense of injustice, and anger flared up within me.

【Yes, hello… I’m Ha Seo-yeon. This award feels far too generous for me, and I still can’t quite believe it… I feel a bit overwhelmed…】

“Could it be because the drama hasn’t ended yet?!”
“Besides that, there are the dramas and films he’s done. They could’ve given it to him for one of those titles!”

Ha Seo-yeon’s expression as she briefly shared her thoughts and descended was stiff and rigid. She, too, had been more than deserving of the award.
Not to provoke, but Min Ji-heon was caught on camera again, and he smiled broadly, seeming to genuinely congratulate Ha Seo-yeon.
Reality didn’t change just because I was displeased.
Pouting my lips, I rummaged through the basket of tangerines again when an unfamiliar male idol appeared and performed.

“Who are these guys?”
“No idea.”

If even I didn’t know them, their recognition was truly rock bottom.
Curious about who they were to be performing in the latter half of part two, I flipped through the cue sheet I’d captured beforehand.

“Ah, these guys—they’re from the same agency as White Cherry and Lia Purple. Their seniority is actually longer than expected?”
“Seriously, they’re LV Entertainment? Figures for an agency famous for throwing money around.”

Since I had no interest in the group, I half-watched the TV. I also glossed over my younger brother’s story.
Album of the Year, Performance of the Year, Global of the Year, Song of the Year, Artist of the Year.
Among all these categories, The Dun would surely take at least one.
Ideally, I hoped it would be Artist of the Year.

【Album of the Year! Lia Purple’s “Like Too”!】

The first award in the music categories went to Lia Purple, who had recently achieved excellent results. The moment her name was called, Yeon-ri of Lia Purple burst into tears.

“Phew, that worked out well, really well.”
“Seeing her cry like that is heartbreaking. Though you don’t usually worry about celebrities.”

Everyone in the K-pop fan community knew how much Lia Purple had struggled since their debut, so both I and my younger brother sat in the living room and applauded.
After that, two more awards were announced in succession.
Performance of the Year went to TEW, and Global Artist of the Year went to Ber.
And before the biggest awards—Song of the Year and Artist of the Year—were revealed, High Five took the stage for a performance.
My younger brother went wild for their rock-arranged version of ‘Reels’, waving their light stick frantically.
I’d said it didn’t matter if we didn’t win, that the awards ceremony was just beginning, but now with only a couple of awards left, my leg was trembling with anxiety.

‘Could they win something? I mean, High Five is talented, but….’

As Kang Yeon-hu relaxed under the glittering lights, his eyes narrowing with ease, my anxiety spread faster through my entire chest.

“…Is it our kids’ turn to get an award now?”
“Yeah, there are exactly two awards left.”
“So Manager Jang will either buy us chicken in a good mood, or we’ll be gnawing on free rotten chicken legs….”

My younger brother, who had opened a delivery app to order chicken in advance, seemed oddly composed.
Yoo Ji-a returned to the MC podium and grabbed the microphone.

【—Next, we’ll show you the nominees for Song of the Year.】

“Please, please, please!!!”

I squeezed both hands together tightly, eyes shut.

‘Our kids really worked hard this time, so it would be nice to take home the Grand Prize from their first awards ceremony….’

But my hopes were dashed spectacularly.

【…——Song of the Year is! ‘Bossy’ by White Cherry!】

“Huh?!”
“What?!”

The confusing part was that White Cherry hadn’t even participated in the Green Music Awards.
An announcement followed: “Unfortunately, White Cherry will not be attending this awards ceremony due to overseas schedule commitments.”

“Wait, does that even make sense?”
“No, fuck, so now there’s only one award left?!”

I’d been absolutely certain that The Dun and High Five would split the awards evenly across all this year’s ceremonies.
Just as I was staring through the screen with eyes blazing in fury, wondering if WH had decided to push only one group, the final award winner was revealed.

【——And this year’s Artist of the Year is…! Congratulations, Ravish!】

“….”
“….”

A grand BGM echoed through the venue.
The Ravish members sitting in the artist waiting area cheered and rushed onto the stage.
However, the state of the audience seating that flashed across the screen in that moment was absolutely striking. Everyone wore bewildered expressions.

“…Who?”

My younger brother and I felt the same way.

“Do you know them?”
“No, I don’t… Oh, ah! Aren’t they the ones from earlier? The male idols from White Cherry’s agency that you mentioned?”
“What?! Insane!!”

Whether it was High Five or The Dun.
If either one had won, I would’ve been annoyed, but I would’ve acknowledged it as a good match and prepared to grumble until the next awards ceremony before buying chicken.
But Ravish, of all groups.
It felt like I’d been blindsided from a completely unexpected direction.
As I collapsed pathetically to the floor in despair, I saw The Dun taking the stage in their assigned final position.

【Sending my heart upon the flowers
Like a rainbow floating gently up】

The Dun performed the Lantern Festival from their regular album “Wish” and the B-side track “Dive”.
On a set where blue light rippled like waves, Sung Ji-won’s crystalline voice dominated the audience with an almost sacred presence.

【Let us dive till the end
Until we surface to breathe at the ocean’s face
We cannot remain trapped in loneliness forever】

Moreover, it was stunningly beautiful. Beautiful, and yet….

‘Damn it all….’

Perhaps that was why.
My heart burned darker and darker still.
After the Green Music Awards ceremony ended, I logged into SNS to find trending searches flooding the feed.

‘Grand Prize Winner’
‘What the hell’
‘Hidden Camera’
‘This bullshit’
‘The Dun Award’
‘High Five’
‘Who is Lavish’
‘Some nobody’
And so on.

“…Can anyone explain how this isn’t LV Entertainment throwing money around?”
“Impossible to explain.”

The home had grown cold and suffocating—hardly the atmosphere for eating chicken.
I cursed under my breath and stood up, nodding my head as my younger brother immediately rose and grabbed his coat.

“Damn it! Fuck LV!”
“Did you fight with WH?!”

The two of us headed to a local bar and spent hours venting our fury at LV Entertainment and Lavish.
What began with “I had a bad feeling ever since Min Ji-heon didn’t win any awards” stretched on for a full five hours until we reached the conclusion “Still, the Green Music Awards isn’t that important of a ceremony anyway….”

And the next day.

[Wait, do you hate Kang Yi-chae from Lavish?]

A new controversy had been added to the mix.

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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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