The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 392

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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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392

To Kim Sung-hyun, Joo Woo-sung was, to put it with a touch of exaggeration, simply the sun itself—an existence that defined everything around him.
After sharing the same home for years, you inevitably learn useless things whether you want to or not, and Kim Sung-hyun’s genuine fan devotion toward Joo Woo-sung was one of them.
Kim Sung-hyun, who had quit school and worked part-time while dedicating himself to dance, had stumbled upon a dance video of a certain man by chance and fell for him instantly.
That man was Joo Woo-sung.
After that, whenever he had a spare moment, he would search for Joo Woo-sung’s choreography to reference.
Since he was the type who couldn’t hide anything and wore his heart plainly on his face, the fans had long since caught on to Kim Sung-hyun’s admirable devotion.

[Hyun-sung who respects Joo Woo-sung the most ♡
Whenever Joo Woo-sung’s name comes up, his cheeks get all red and he starts rambling… it’s seriously adorable]

There were often snide remarks too—that he’d started as a nobody, exploited Min Ji-heon, forcibly pushed his way into WH Entertainment, and now was eating from the same bowl as Black Call. But Kim Sung-hyun was such a fool when it came to Joo Woo-sung that he might just laugh it off with a silly grin, focusing on the “same bowl” part rather than getting angry.

‘Well, thinking about it… maybe Kim Sung-hyun’s the one who’s succeeded the most.’

I thought that watching Kim Sung-hyun sitting under the sofa. Dark circles hung heavy under his eyes—he must have pulled an all-nighter after hearing about the collaboration yesterday.
We’d come to Jeju Island for the Season Greeting shoot, unpacked our things at the pension, and naturally all the members had crowded into the living room.
And he was sprawled out on the sofa, enjoying his leisure as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Then a phone vibration rang out from the table.
Kim Sung-hyun, checking the contact name on the screen before I could, shuddered. It was obvious who it was without even looking.
I figured I might as well let him take the call and snap him back to reality, so I switched it to speaker.

[Ah, so you’re doing a collaboration with WH Con? Yeah, I heard. Pairing senior artists with junior artists is pretty common stuff….]

Look at this bastard acting all cocky.
Whether my brow furrowed or not, Kim Sung-hyun nodded his head frantically like a zealot, insisting that whatever Joo Woo-sung said was absolutely right.

[Since it’s come to this, let’s work hard and do it well~.]
“Yes, senior! I’ll give it my all!”
[Ha, don’t kill yourself over it. Just do your best without disrupting the schedule.]
“I’ll manage my condition perfectly and make sure not to be a burden!”

‘… Ugh, this is so fucking annoying to watch.’

Kim Sung-hyun’s fondness for Joo Woo-sung was nothing new—it had been going on for ages. I’d tried to let it slide, but the more I heard, the more it grated on me and my temper flared.

[But what about Seo Ho-yoon? What’s he doing?]
“He’s right beside me, listening intently to what you’re saying, sir!”
[I bet he’s got that annoying look on his face.]
“Well… that’s….”

Wow, how did you know?

[Did you hear that, Seo Ho-yoon? Hyun-sung does it like this, so what are you doing?]

Now he had an excuse to jab at me, and Joo Woo-sung wasn’t the type to let that slide.
I dug my finger into my ear and ignored him, but he rolled his eyes around, and Kim Sung-hyun—who was growing more anxious himself—nudged me repeatedly with his elbow as if prompting me to answer.

[That’s strange. Why can’t I hear anything? Even though you got to work with such a heavenly senior?]
“Working hard, working hard.”

I hung up the call abruptly.
Kim Sung-hyun whined beside me. I’d at least given him one response out of consideration for his effort before cutting the line.
I kept my ears covered and gestured with my chin. The System Window, which had an uncanny sense of timing in moments like these, displayed Kim Sung-hyun’s stats.

[Kim Sung-hyun]
[I think I’d respect Joo Woo-sung more than Seo Ho-yoon!]
[Vocals: B+
Dance: S0
Variety: B+
Acting: D0
Charm: A+
???: ???]

I skimmed past the useless commentary and focused on the substance.
Thanks to being teased by me consistently, his variety skills had jumped significantly, but aside from his vocals and charm rising slightly compared to a year ago, everything else felt stagnant.
Especially his dance—it hadn’t budged.

‘Why is that?’

The Dun was far from lazy. Everyone complained that Sung Ji-won was scary, yet they all crawled into the work studio and practice room on their own. Kim Sung-hyun was no exception, so he should have improved.

‘Maybe something more special is needed.’

Just as Joo Woo-sung’s abilities had skyrocketed to EX-grade after his time in Los Angeles, Kim Sung-hyun might desperately need that same flash of inspiration.
I relaxed the frown I’d unconsciously worn and draped my arm across Kim Sung-hyun’s shoulder.

“Let’s squeeze every last drop we can out of Joo Woo-sung while we have the chance.”
“Squeeze every drop?! Of course, I’d love to learn from Senior Woo-sung in every way possible… it would be an honor… actually, I’m thrilled about it….”
“Kim Sung-hyun, I’m genuinely starting to worry about you.”

Kim Sung-hyun brushed my arm away and turned the tables on me with an exasperated expression.

“Hey, you should be worried about yourself. What are you going to do caught between Senior Woo-sung and me?”
….

He was right—being wedged between EX and S-grade stats was brutally disadvantageous.
On the surface, it looked like just one rank apart, but numerically, the gap was astronomical and grew exponentially harder to close at higher tiers.
To put it simply, if the distance between EX and S was heaven and earth, then the gap between S and A-minus was earth and my core—negligible by comparison.

I’d lived without consciously dwelling on it until now, but becoming an idol had finally made me realize the truth.
Real talent actually existed in this world.
I could narrow the gap somewhat using the Item Shop, but it wouldn’t create any meaningful change anyway, and with so few points remaining and no desire to waste them here, it felt pointless.

‘I’d rather cut back on sleep and practice more instead.’

“Ho-yoon, give up and life gets easier~.”

Kang Yi-chae, who’d just brought in the pre-ordered raw fish platter, shook his head with a grin.

“Besides, remember when Ji-won tried to turn you into a dancing machine? That whole spectacle failed anyway. What’s the point now~.”
“Hey, I’m not that bad, am I?”

Even if the depth of accumulated effort and innate talent differed, my dancing was still decent compared to most idols.
I puffed out my chest confidently, and Sung Ji-won gently smiled and came to my defense.

“Yeah, Ho-yoon’s dancing has its own charm.”
“Yeah, Clunky’s got his own charm….”

I ended up smacking Kang Yi-chae’s back. He yelped and groaned as he tried rubbing the spot I couldn’t quite reach. Kim Sung-hyun, unwrapping the packaging on the table, cleared his throat with a soft cough before picking up a piece of large flounder with his chopsticks, dipping it generously in the dipping sauce, and offering it to the youngest member.
Kim Sung-hyun, who was unwrapping the package on the table, cleared his throat with a cough, then picked up a piece of large flatfish with chopsticks, dipped it generously in soy sauce and vinegar, and held it out to the Maknae.

“…Maknae, I’m sorry… You probably wanted to collaborate with Woo-sung too….”
“Huh??”

Da-jun, who had just popped a piece of sashimi into his mouth, tilted his head slightly side to side before answering brightly.

“—No way, dude!”
“Swallow before you talk.”
“Um, I’m totally fine!! Of course it’d be awesome to do it together… but this isn’t the only opportunity, and besides, our styles are way too different. If I got influenced, I feel like I’d get swept up in it. So unless it’s something I absolutely have to do, I want to avoid it for a while.”
“Oho~, the maknae thinking that deeply?”
“Yeah, obviously.”
“Wow, our Da-jun is amazing!”

Kang Yi-chae and Sung Ji-won praised the maknae and clapped enthusiastically, while Kim Sung-hyun simply nodded his head calmly.
But that was it.
All the members refocused on their food and continued the meal in warm harmony.
I glanced at Kim Sung-hyun.

‘He’s definitely been influenced a lot by Woo-sung.’

His line work, his sense of rhythm and timing, even the overall feel.
He had his own style, but he definitely carried a similar vibe.
And if his dance stat wasn’t improving despite his dedicated training….

‘Isn’t this the moment he needs a change?’

As I continued brooding alone on the sofa, Kang Yi-chae suddenly wrapped a piece of sashimi in seaweed and shoved it into my mouth.

“Here, hyung~. Eat up~.”

I chewed without thinking, and he grinned mischievously before asking.

“But hyung, can’t Woo-sung fix his footwork? Is it incurable?”
“Hey, didn’t you see at the workshop? We practiced together and nothing improved.”
“Ah, yeah… Sung-hyun’s right.”
“Damn it, I’m telling you I dance pretty well??”

I protested immediately, but my words didn’t reach anyone.

.
.
.

[Airport after so long♡
#ICHAE]

As airport sightings began trickling in one after another, Kang Yi-chae posted photos on StarStar, confirming that The Dun was heading to Jeju Island—though no one knew the reason for the trip.
Countless theories were spawning as a result.
As if to acknowledge this curiosity, a live stream notification soon chimed with the title “Let’s do Jeju Island MT together.”

[Hi ♡♡♡♡]
[You guys, we contact you more than our own parents these days]

“Haha, our goal is to show up more often than commercials.”
“We have no schedule today, so let’s keep playing!!”

One entire wall was made of glass, and the night scenery of Jeju Island reflected perfectly behind The Dun.
The members began by sharing their impressions of the fresh amberjack sashimi they’d just eaten, then moved on to casual stories about Jeju Island’s refreshing yet slightly salty air, the taste of tangerines gifted by nearby residents, and the badminton match they’d played with each other right after arriving at the pension.

[During the Hawaii MT I almost quit, but Jeju Island… finally something decent]
[Why does Hyun-sung look like a PE major today]

“Do I look like a PE major?”

Kim Sung-hyun blinked in surprise and asked back, and the chat instantly flooded with related messages.
‘PE major Kim Sung-hyun taking electives together’, ‘Sung Ji-won, the senior he has a crush on in the same department’, ‘Seo Ho-yoon, the class representative who never misses top grades’, ‘Kang Yi-chae, the mischievous classmate’, ‘Jung Da-jun, the club newcomer you want to buy meals for’.
Catering to the fans’ desires, The Dun put on a brief skit.
About an hour passed when Jung Da-jun discovered a board game in the corner of the pension.

“Wow, Ho-yoon’s brother just took a risk and now his family’s ruined….”
“Brother, you really have no luck….”
“….”

From childhood through middle age to old age. A game where a roulette wheel determined the entire course of a human life.
Since luck played such a major role in this entertainment, Seo Ho-yoon couldn’t escape last place.

“Whoa, wait a second. Ji-won, what’s your wealth right now?!”
“Ha ha… Hey, Ho-yoon. Should I give you my house?”

Hahahahaha oh my god, she’s so cute and funny, this girl…
[I need sub T.T]
[Hoyun is looking through the manual to find out how to receive a house as a gift hahaha There is no such thing in the game of life..ㅠㅠ]

The live stream continued even as Noel’s phone radiated heat like a warm hand warmer.
While questions about the members poured in at first, the atmosphere gradually settled, and the fans responded as if they were genuinely participating in the outing themselves.
Jung Da-jun, who hadn’t stopped eating snacks the entire time, popped another one into his mouth before suddenly reading a comment aloud.

“I’m in middle school. There’s someone I like, and they asked if I’m free on Christmas… I don’t know how to reply… Oh my gosh!!”
“Noel’s love advice….”

As Jung Da-jun made a fuss, Kang Yi-chae set the mood by turning on his phone’s flashlight and waving it around.
Except for Seo Ho-yoon, who fell silent abruptly, a heated discussion ensued, but most responses were along the lines of, “What do we know about love to be giving advice?”
However, Jung Da-jun refused to back down and stepped up enthusiastically.

“Alright, alright, Jung Da-jun, who has studied every romance drama, will organize this for you! First, suggest meeting under a streetlight!”
“Which streetlight exactly?”
“And since it’s Christmas, let’s pretend the streetlight is our mistletoe and confess!”
“That’s not really Korean sentiment though.”

Seo Ho-yoon, resting his chin on his hand, shot back dryly, and Jung Da-jun puffed out his cheeks, insisting he come up with a better idea instead of complaining.
Kang Yi-chae and Seo Ho-yoon, whose chemistry clicked perfectly in moments like these, exchanged smirks and each added their own comment.

[Kang Yi-chae suggests “Bump into each other in a dark alley while eating bread on the way to school”…]
[Seo Ho-yoon “Or wake up and find your bodies have switched, so you’re forced to collide with each other”]
[Kim Sung-hyun ‘Stop it, Da-jun’s going to cry’]

When Jung Da-jun hid behind Kim Sung-hyun to escape the two older members who kept poking his cheeks despite his protests, another comment appeared.

[Da-jun, what would you do if they said they were going on a blind date]

Jung Da-jun’s eyes sparkled at the sight of it, and he jumped to his feet.

“A simulation!! Let’s run a simulation for Noel!”

He then led Kim Sung-hyun to move positions so he’d be clearly visible on screen.

“Miss Kim, say something for us. And Seo Ho-yoon, you sit here.”

As if accustomed to sudden developments, Kang Yi-chae and Sung Ji-won peacefully tidied up the board game on one side.
Jung Da-jun stood between Seo Ho-yoon and Kim Sung-hyun, clenching his fists tightly as he shouted.

“Alright, let’s start the blind date!!”

[No way Ho-yoon’s actually going along with this]

Kim Sung-hyun’s eyebrows twitched with an incredulous expression, but Seo Ho-yoon, who had been silently observing the unfolding situation, grew excited at the sight of Jung Da-jun’s flushed skin, then crossed his arms and nodded.

“Hey, commoner.”

[He’s actually going along with it, damn]

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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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