The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 401

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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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401

RESET.
To put it differently, it was an opportunity to use Points to erase my Maternal Uncle from Seo Ho-jin’s life.

All the things I had done to restore my Younger Brother’s memories flashed rapidly through my mind in an instant.
At the same time, doubt crept in from another corner—was it right to squander the Points I had painstakingly accumulated so wastefully? When nothing had been properly confirmed yet.

‘But is this really futile?’

Yet from another angle, the worst-case scenarios were seeping through insidiously.
What if that bastard Maternal Uncle had actually regained memories of his time as a PD? Up to this point, there wasn’t any particular problem. Even if he went around blabbing about it, no one would believe him anyway. They’d think he was insane instead.
My anxiety stemmed from somewhere else entirely.
I feared that if Seo Ho-jin, who had lost his memories, encountered that bastard, some kind of error might occur. That something harmful might happen to my Younger Brother again as a result.

‘…The possibility isn’t entirely zero.’

Besides, hadn’t the System Window confessed it itself?
Even after executing a format, a System that had once been corrupted couldn’t possibly function properly. It said it could no longer predict what variables might emerge.
I had never trusted that thing much to begin with, but now my confidence had eroded even further.

‘I can’t know what fatal blow might come back to haunt me if I overlook this carelessly.’

In any case, the Quests I had ignored and dismissed, along with the reckless Loans I had taken, had brought an overload upon this world.
It was fine if all of this came crashing down on me.
The only thing was, I was far too ignorant about how the countless small ripples that would exist going forward might affect Seo Ho-jin—,

“….”

And that terrified me.
I buried my face in my palms and took a moment to steady my breathing.
Yet as I thought through multiple angles and found ways to address certain situations, my turbulent heart gradually recovered its original rhythm.

‘…I suppose that’s why things have felt so peaceful lately.’

There was no way this would go smoothly.
I pushed hard against the emergency exit and forced it open.
Passing by the elevator on the first floor and stepping outside, I walked past the security office stationed at each entrance, followed the meticulously maintained flower garden, and headed toward the apartment complex entrance—where I spotted my maternal uncle sitting on a corner bench, cigarette in hand.
I quickened my pace, wringing every last drop from my already overworked mind.

‘First, let me figure out what he remembers. I can decide how to respond after that.’

I would make sure that bastard never dared show his face here again.
Fueled by this singular resolve, I closed the distance—

“Uncle—”

The moment I was about to call out to him.

“…?!”

Grab!

My shoulder was seized by a powerful grip and yanked backward.

“Huff, puff, cough…”

Ragged breathing hit the back of my neck.
I turned in alarm, and my younger brother came into view—flushed crimson from running, struggling to catch his breath.

“…Seo Ho-jin?”
“Huff, cough, hyung…”

His grip loosened, and the convenience store plastic bag he’d been holding tumbled to the ground, its contents scattering everywhere. A slice of cake wedged between the items crashed down with it.
I watched the scene unfold in slow motion, then shoved Seo Ho-jin aside to clear my path.

“Seo Ho-jin, move.”

I tried to push forward toward the bench again, but Seo Ho-jin’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“I did it!!!”

Seo Ho-jin gripped both my shoulders, his head bowed over them. After a moment of heavy breathing, I lifted his chin, and his already drooping eyes sagged further as he stared at me with a pitiful expression.

“…Hyung, you don’t have to do anything. I’ve already handled it all.”

His voice came out damp and trembling as he spoke.
I chewed over Seo Ho-jin’s words, then slowly repeated them back to him.

“…Handled?”

But I couldn’t make sense of it at all.
What could you possibly have handled?

“Yeah, so just calm down and come over here.”

Seo Ho-jin grabbed my stiffened arm and dragged me, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between me and that man called my maternal uncle.

‘Damn it, Seo Ho-yoon’s really fallen apart.’

Worrying my younger brother and forcing him to tell such pathetic lies.
I exhaled deeply, shook off Seo Ho-jin’s hand, and looked down at his face.

“…Ho-jin. Seo Ho-jin.”
“….”
“Look at me.”

You should have gone out for a while to buy a cake like I asked, not come back early and see me like this pathetic mess.

“You go back home. I’ll handle it myself.”

I tried to push Seo Ho-jin away firmly and move forward, but he still blocked my path and refused to let me pass.

“No, I’m serious! Hyung, I’ve already taken care of most of it myself! I know it’s hard to believe, but I really went through the trouble of preparing it. You don’t need to get your hands dirty.”

Seo Ho-jin, who had been laying out his desperate persuasion, scratched the back of his head roughly at my unchanged expression, then pulled out an unfamiliar phone model from his back pocket.

“Ah, damn it, I’ll just show you.”

It wasn’t the model my younger brother usually carried, so I watched with suspicion as he began moving his fingers rapidly across it.

“…What are you doing?”
“Shh, shush.”

He pressed his index finger to my lips to silence me, then pointed toward somewhere.
Following his gesture, my eyes landed on my Maternal Uncle.
He was staring at his phone when he suddenly kicked at the surface irritably and stood up. Then he strode out of the Apartment Complex with heavy steps.

‘What was that?’

It was an oddly clean exit.
My brain was still struggling to fully process what had just happened, when Seo Ho-jin let out a shallow sigh and met my gaze.

“Phew… Should we go inside and talk?”

My Younger Brother’s lips curved upward in a subtle smile.

.
.
.

Back at Ho-yoon’s House, I sat on the Sofa and listened to Seo Ho-jin’s explanation as he knelt respectfully beneath me, hearing him out completely. Then I pressed my throbbing forehead with my palm.

“So roughly half a year ago, our Maternal Uncle started contacting you, and you kept in touch with him without saying a word to me?”
“…Yes.”
“And you even fearlessly dug into our Maternal Uncle’s background, found signs of fraud, met with victims, and gathered evidence?”
“…Yes.”
“You did all of that yourself, so I shouldn’t worry?”
“Yeah!!”

His voice, which had seemed ready to shrink into the Underground, suddenly grew louder, and Seo Ho-jin wore a pleased expression.

“…Seo Ho-jin, are you insane?!!”

I grabbed him by the collar, and he let out a strange cry as I dragged him along. I shook him vigorously until my anger subsided, then threw him to the floor.

“Ugh, ah, no, of course I didn’t tell them about this place?! I was extremely careful! I suspect they might have been following me….”
“Do you think I’m angry about that?”
“Then what is it?!”

I wished it had all been nonsense, but when I scrolled through the burner phone I’d taken from Seo Ho-jin, there were text records not only with my Maternal Uncle but with several victims as well. There were even various documents and victim statements already secured.

“…Brother, please don’t be too angry. At least thanks to this, we were able to wrap everything up without major trouble.”

Seo Ho-jin, who had been fidgeting nervously while observing me, carefully added his words.
Based on everything my younger brother had recounted, it seemed my maternal uncle had no recollection whatsoever of my original profession as a PD, nor of the past when he had raised young Seo Ho-jin.

‘…Half a year ago would be around the time Seo Ho-jin lost his memories.’

When the overlapping system error caused Seo Ho-jin’s memories to vanish, it made sense that the relative most closely connected to my younger brother would also experience some abnormality in his recollection.
Perhaps he had simply seen The Dun on television by chance and realized his nephew had become a celebrity, then calculated him as a convenient target to exploit.
I exhaled heavily and roughly swept my bangs back.
Regardless, in the current situation, a reset wasn’t necessary.

“…Brother?”

Because Seo Ho-jin had secretly resolved everything so I wouldn’t have to do anything.

“Tsk.”

At the sound of my tongue clicking, Seo Ho-jin’s shoulders shrank.
Yet I felt only disgust at his exaggerated performance.

‘He stirred up trouble and now tries to play innocent.’

The scent of premeditation and calculation reeked from the cleanly arranged evidence.
Even if things worked out this time, if something had gone wrong—.
My eyes shut tightly at the dizzying possibility.

‘Damn it… Mom, I take back what I said earlier.’

I raised my son wrong.
As I suppressed the surging anger and washed my face with dry hands instead, Seo Ho-jin, whose feet had gone numb and was shifting his weight, began mumbling excuses.

“…I just thought… since you’re so busy, brother… wouldn’t it be better for you to focus on your main work? So I, having free time, took care of it myself….”
“Seo Ho-jin, I’m thinking right now, so shut up.”

As I steadied my turbulent emotions, Seo Ho-jin, anxious and gnawing at his lower lip, opened his mouth again.

“…But is this really something to be this angry about?”

I lifted my face from my palm.

“One way or another, it was something one of us had to do anyway.”

Seo Ho-jin’s brow furrowed slightly, as if he couldn’t quite align with my emotions.

“I mean, yes, the way those relatives keep shouting about money is pretty disgusting, but that’s all it is. It doesn’t bother me. It’s just that you seem uncomfortable with being involved in this at all, so I figured it’d be better if I handled it myself. That’s why I did it in secret—.”
“Ha.”

I cut off his words with a hollow laugh.
This was something he could only say because his memories weren’t intact.

“Hey.”

Because all the lingering traces of our childhood had completely evaporated.

“Do you even realize what you’re saying right now? Back then, that bastard did to you—….”

But I too couldn’t finish my words.
The sight of Seo Ho-jin’s eyes widening in surprise only served as fresh evidence that he’d completely forgotten everything.
And as I faced this younger brother who knew no fear, a thought suddenly struck me.

‘Damn it.’

Wasn’t this current state—where he’d forgotten all the useless pain—actually happier for Seo Ho-jin?
In that moment, I found myself repulsive, even abhorrent, for selfishly clawing my way up the points ladder solely to survive, solely for him.

“…That’s enough.”
“Huh? Enough of what?!”
“Never mind. I’m leaving. I’ll handle the rest myself.”

I ignored Seo Ho-jin’s bewildered response and stood up, grabbing my coat. I naturally pocketed my phone as well. I was heading straight to the Company to hand everything over to the Legal Team. If they’d been lurking around Ho-yoon’s House, they’d set things right quickly.

‘Just to be safe, I should check on all the other relatives too.’

One incident like this was more than enough.
I carelessly shoved my feet into my shoes and turned back to call out to Seo Ho-jin.

“Seo Ho-jin.”
“…Yeah….”
“Don’t contact your Maternal Uncle again. Not even once more. Or I’ll kill that bastard and you too.”

Despite still wearing a sullen expression, he nodded obediently.

“And if anything like this happens again in the future, tell me first. Never hide it from me.”
“…I understand.”

After extracting all the answers I needed, I turned to leave, but my eyes caught on the pile of shopping bags stacked beside the door. I kicked at them as I spoke.

“Take these with you.”

Seo Ho-jin, who was hastily setting upright the toppled shopping bags, asked in bewilderment.

“…Aren’t these your things? You’re not taking them?”

Irritation welled up inside me, but I couldn’t exactly take back what I’d bought for my younger brother in such a petty manner.
Seo Ho-jin watched my expression carefully and crouched down in front of the shopping bags.

“…Could these be for me?”
“You got accepted to Law School, didn’t you?”
“Huh? How… how did you know?”

How did I know?
I ran a background check on you too, you fool.

“And you’re almost certain to graduate top of your class. Why don’t you report such important things to me?”
“Well, it’s not really that big of a deal… Ah, I get it. Don’t look at me like that, you’re making me break out in a cold sweat….”

Seo Ho-jin, who was making another excuse, subtly shifted his rear backward under my gaze, then covered his mouth with his hand and let his eyes crinkle with amusement.

“Anyway, thanks.”

Then, regardless of my dumbfounded expression, he tore open the gifts and giggled.

“Wow, new shoes!”
“….”
“Whoa, an expensive-looking pen!”

Here I am, all troubled and conflicted, and you’re laughing over just a few gifts?
Unable to contain my irritation any longer, I kicked Seo Ho-jin.

“Ugh!”
“Give back the card I gave you.”

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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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