The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 51

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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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51

“Waaahhhhh!”
“The Dun! The Dun!”
“Hyun-sung!!”
“Seo Ho-yoon!!”

Outside, the crowd’s roar crashed down like thunder.
It seemed they were playing a VCR before The Dun’s stage performance. I could hear Sung Ji-won’s voice from the interview.

[The Dun was actually on the verge of disbanding. Our performance numbers weren’t good. Everyone was thinking, “There’s nothing we can do,” or “We should be grateful for this much,” you know?]

Next came Jung Da-jun.

[I just trusted my hyungs and followed them! Is that what you call self-made? Or is it a cottage industry? Anyway. Kang Yi-chae hyung composed, Hyun-sung hyung created the choreography, Sung Ji-won hyung handled the vocals, and Ho-yoon hyung led us!]
[Huh? Da-jun says he followed us with nothing but trust? Ha, that kid. What about me? I just did it because it was fun. Living with the members was enjoyable, and the fans were wonderful.]

After Kang Yi-chae came Kim Sung-hyun’s interview. He deliberated for a long time, fell silent, then offered a slight smile.

[To those who believed in me, I feel like I’ve incurred a debt I can never repay no matter what I do.]

Good editing.

“Waaahhhhh!!”
“Moving into position!”

The staff member shouted at the top of his lungs.
I nodded and stepped forward toward the wall blocking the stage. Once the VCR footage ended, the wall would split open and reveal us.

“The Dun!”

The roar of the crowd grew louder and louder, drowning out the VCR audio in places. The members standing beside me looked slightly tense yet exhilarated, their faces flushed with excitement.
The final VCR segment was mine.

[Seo Ho-yoon, tell us your resolve for this final stage.]

It was Kim Hee-young’s voice.
My laughter rippled outward.

[Of course,]

My voice echoed through the hall.

[We’ll do great.]

Kim Sung-hyun turned to look at me. His mouth twitched slightly.

‘Let’s do well.’

It was exactly what Sung Ji-won had said to me before, so I smiled faintly.
Of course.
After all the preparation we’d put in.
The stage opened. Walking forward from the dark backstage, brilliant lights cascaded across my vision.
As my eyes adjusted to the dazzling illumination, an incredible sight unfolded before me.

Waaaaaaah!

Countless fans filling the audience seating, waving The Dun’s slogans.

Seo Ho-yoon! Seo Ho-yoon!

Cheers erupted. The fans went wild the moment I appeared on stage.
The effect of a 6 percent viewership rating was tremendous. Even I felt overwhelmed.
Simultaneously, the intro ended and the beat of the song Kang Yi-chae had composed for the first time filled the air.
The song’s name was Kismet.
It meant destiny beyond the grasp of human hands.

‘They say that for a star to be born, fierce friction is necessary from the beginning.’

I substituted The Dun as the star, and applied all the hardships we’d endured as the process of its birth.

‘What does that mean?’
‘It means our suffering was inevitable.’

After all, we were destined to become stars.

[No, sir. There is nothing here.]

The transmission began with the crackling of wireless static and the voice of an astronaut communicating through the speakers.

[Only little clouds of dust.]

The signal cut out with a sharp pop, and the projection of the spaceship approached us.
We lay sprawled across the stage in five directions, looking just like stars scattered across the cosmos. Among us, Sung Ji-won lifted his upper body and reached out his hand.

[In this vast universe, I found you—a miracle
Enchanted by you, I reach out my hand
But I am far too small]

Behind Sung Ji-won, a cosmic nebula bloomed brilliantly across the screen. A gentle smile graced his face.

[But you told me,
that I can be a star]

In that instant, we all sprang to our feet with a sharp sound.
The song shifted into a faster tempo. Unlike the wistful performance before, the funky rhythm felt refreshingly upbeat.
Kim Sung-hyun stepped forward.

[Lift your head, open your eyes through the dust]

The moment the camera caught him, the crowd’s roar intensified.

“Kyaaaaaaa!”
“Kim Sung-hyun! Kim Sung-hyun!

Kim Sung-hyun—the greatest beneficiary and hero of this arrangement—had arrived.
The response was absolutely overwhelming.

[They all warned me
To be born, I must dive into the storm]

Watching Kim Sung-hyun on the massive screen, I had to admit he looked incredibly impressive.
Every drop of sweat he had shed had been for this moment on stage.

[It’s okay, I’ve already made up my mind, I want to see you
I’m fine even if I burn
I know things gonna be alright]

Kim Sung-hyun swung his arm wide and bowed his head. Kang Yi-chae suddenly burst out from beside him and spat out a rap with a mischievous grin.

[You see, the stars gather
Plunge into the storm and withstand gravity
This collision is nothing
After all, this is the path to you
Birth of a star]

Hitting the beat, Sung Ji-won touched the in-ear and started the sax. I matched him with an ad-lib double in response.

[Brilliant light bursts forth
Don’t let it slip away
This is it (Well, I told you)
The moment a star is born]

The response was solid. At the same time, Jung Da-jun rushed to center stage while the rest of us scattered to both sides.

“Da-jun!!”

[I’m running toward you
I want to tell you proudly
Because you exist, I became a star]

The audience seating below the stage rippled beautifully. Fans cheered and waved their lightsticks.
When Jung Da-jun made a gesture of turning the camera that had come close, the focus locked onto me.
Blue light illuminated me brightly.
For a moment it was so dazzling I squinted, but I thought that it was like…
the future of these simple-minded, foolish guys.

[Don’t panic, you just need to do one thing]

These words are for the fans who believed in The Dun until the very end, even through all the turbulent times.

[Hold onto me and follow
You showed me the way]

A small token of gratitude we can offer.
I want to show them that someday it will become something far greater.
The wavering slogans undulated like waves. My heart pumped fiercely, as if it would burst at any moment.

[Now I’ll become the light and show you the way]

A smile escaped me. Another scene I would never forget in my lifetime had been added to my collection. As Seo Ho-yoon, who became known as Idol, unfamiliar emotions and experiences accumulated within me, layer upon layer.
As we returned to the full formation, fireworks erupted brilliantly across the stage.

[I will dance all night to please you
Until the star’s heart grows cold
I will sing all day only for you (only for you)]

Sweat streamed down my face. There was no time to wipe it away, no moment to rest. I brushed my hair back and maintained my focus until the very end.

[It’s okay, I’ve already made my decision]

As we all sang together, the camera locked onto Sung Ji-won. As he strode forward and playfully drew a star with his hand, the crowd erupted in cheers naturally.

[I don’t mind burning until the very end]

The song was rushing toward its conclusion.
The crackling sound of static came through once more.

[Wait, There is something going on.]

We held our heads high, gazing forward with both arms stretched wide. Our palms, spread in perfect alignment, reached toward the fans undulating like waves.
And finally, there was our protagonist—Kim Sung-hyun.
Kim Sung-hyun gazed forward with an unwavering gaze.

[Because you told me,]

Kim Sung-hyun smiled brilliantly.

[That I can be a star.]

***

“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Thank you, thank you for your hard work!”

After that, I honestly don’t remember much. As I tried to head to the Waiting Room after finishing the Stage, everyone kept approaching me with words of praise.

“This is the highest viewership angle! The Program’s highest viewership!”
“Senior, you were so cool!”
“We’ll just do one post-Stage interview! It’s going up on YouTube!”

I felt like I’d walked into a bustling marketplace. I responded with hurried greetings, and just as I was about to catch my breath, the announcement time arrived.
As I headed to the Stage, bright lights turned toward me. Yoo Ji-a, smiling brightly, announced the rankings in order.

“Fourth place! Refined.”

The Refined members walked out smiling as if they’d expected it. It wasn’t bad, but among such fierce performances, they were inevitably overshadowed.

“Third place, Nightmare!”

Lee Han-sung from Nightmare let out a surprised shriek. Laughter erupted. He made such a fuss, so satisfied with third place, bowing repeatedly before finally giving his acceptance speech with tears streaming down his face.
I had a feeling Nightmare would climb even higher in the future. Yoo Ji-a smiled gently.

“Now only first and second place remain, right? Mars and The Dun—who will secure the advancement to Shining Star Season 2!”

My eyes met the Marz Vocalist’s. He smiled with slight resignation. Yet acknowledgment gleamed in his gaze.
The long wait characteristic of live broadcast voting—for commercials and viewership—continued, but everyone standing on the Stage already knew the result. Then Yoo Ji-a slowly raised the microphone.

“Receiving 7,220 points this round….”

An overwhelming score.

“For a total of 13,420 points…!”

Even with just this much said, the fans’ minds were already racing and they were already screaming. I broke into a radiant smile.

“The Dun!”
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“The Dun takes first place!”

Boom!

Fireworks burst overhead, and paper confetti fluttered down in a gentle cascade.
I’d anticipated this moment, yet seeing it unfold felt surreal—my members’ faces bore that same dumbfounded expression of disbelief, adorned with scattered bits of paper confetti.

‘Idiots, the lot of us.’

Though I couldn’t claim my own expression looked any different from theirs.

“W-we….”
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!!”

Ding!

[Quest Complete!
You’ve claimed 1st place at Shining Star.
Congratulations!]
[All stats increased by 50.]
[You’ve acquired a Hidden Trait.]
[Would you like to check your Hidden Trait?]

‘No—I need to savor this moment first.’

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

The crowd’s cheers erupted endlessly. Below the stage, fans waved their light sticks with frenzied passion, tears streaming down their faces. I wished they wouldn’t cry, yet the emotion was undeniable.
Even Yoo Ji-a was swept up in the fervor of the moment, her words tumbling out in excitement.

“The Dun has earned the opportunity to participate in Shining Star Season 2!!”

‘Perfect.’

I was about to turn to my members to pass the spotlight to Kim Sung-hyun when someone suddenly crashed into me.

“Hyuuuung!”

It was Jung Da-jun.

“Hyung! We got first place!”

At the same time, Kang Yi-chae tackled me. Sung Ji-won and Kim Sung-hyun did the same. I felt like I was being crushed.

“First place! We actually got first place!”
“Ho-yoon!!”

I hadn’t said a word, yet my hair was being ruffled, my body pushed and pressed from all directions—it was absolute chaos.
I barely managed to shake them off and opened my mouth.

“I told you it would happen.”
“Hyung, you know I really believed in us, right?!”
“Enough. Kim Sung-hyun, take the mic. Hurry.”
“Ah, yeah. Yeah.”

Kim Sung-hyun, overwhelmed with emotion, hugged me and bounced around in a way that didn’t suit him. I calmed him down and handed him the microphone I’d received from Yoo Ji-a.

“Um, well… I’m truly grateful to all the fans who voted for us. Really, truly—I never imagined this would happen….”

I watched Kim Sung-hyun speak earnestly.
The fans continued waving their hands through tears. I found myself smiling again without realizing it.

“First, I’m always grateful to our company, and to our members who worked so hard. Sung Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae, Jung Da-jun. And… Seo Ho-yoon.”

Kim Sung-hyun hesitated, putting weight into each word as he spoke.

“I’m really, truly grateful.”

The way Kim Sung-hyun rambled yet spoke with composure. The way he tried not to cry for fear the fans would grieve, yet collided with honesty anyway.
Just as someone said—.

“I’m truly happy to be standing here as The Dun. …We’ll work hard going forward.”
“Thank you!”

—he really looked like a hero.

***

“Shining Star’s final viewership rating was 7%!”
“Wooooow!”
“And when was the peak viewership?”
“During The Dun’s stage! No wait, during the first-place announcement!”
“During the first-place announcement! It was 7.6%!”

Kim Hee-young absolutely did not cry.
Kim Hee-young (though she’d always been this way) had no interest whatsoever in the sudden title of star PD or any such accolades. She was simply grinning ear to ear, satisfied by the changed ending.
I know for a fact—she’s thrilled because she got rid of Today rather than because the program succeeded. One hundred percent.

“Seo Ho-yoon! This genius idol! Congratulations on first place!”
“Ah, PD. It’s all thanks to you.”
“Don’t thank me! Thank that face of yours!”
“….”
“Ugh! PD! You’re really something else!”
“Wahaha! Did you see that, you guys? Hilarious, just hilarious!”

Kim Hee-young laughed boisterously, apparently a bit tipsy. She quickly passed herself off to a nearby staff member.
She cleanly abandoned Kim Hee-young and headed to The Dun’s table, only to be caught by another troublemaker.

“You guys, I was wrong! I’m a sinner!”
“Why is everyone like this all of a sudden?”

This time it was the Manager.

“Manager, who got you drinking?”
“They called for a deputy.”
“Just take the van and bolt like last time! I won’t stop you even if you do it ten times!”
“What do we do about this?”
“Leave it. He’s drunk.”

Sung Ji-won sipped his drink and spoke. He hoped someone would handle the cleanup.
He was replying to messages from Joo Woo-sung, Lim Hyun-sung, and Seo Ho-jin when he heard the frenzied shouts of the staff members.

“Bonuses! Bonus vacation days!”
“Let’s put it on the company card today!”
“Kyaaaa! We’re going to a fourth round!”

Seeing people want to go to second, third, and fourth rounds over breaking the 7% viewership barrier, he was thoroughly sick of it.

“Jung Da-jun’s already here anyway. Let’s slip out quietly.”
“What about the Manager?”
“Leave him be? He looks like he’s having fun over there.”
“Right. He’s worked hard—he should enjoy himself today.”

Kang Yi-chae tapped Jung Da-jun, who was still sipping cola, and gestured toward the exit.
Jung Da-jun, still a minor, nursed his cola with half-lidded eyes, but his expression seemed content.
He’d always been warm-hearted and kind, quick to befriend others, and through this competition, he’d grown particularly close to the Nightmare members.

“Da-jun! Get going!”
“Thanks for your hard work, hyung!”
“The Dun, thank you so much for everything!”

As we exchanged farewells and stepped outside the store, the night air bit cold. My mind cleared instantly.

“Should we grab a taxi?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”

I was heading toward the main road to catch a taxi without thinking when my eyes met Kim Sung-hyun’s. Seeing his hesitation, I remembered what he’d asked earlier.
He’d asked me to make time.

“I’ll walk to clear my head from the alcohol. The dormitory isn’t far from here anyway.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Hyung, let’s walk together!”

The moment I casually mentioned it, Jung Da-jun’s eyes snapped open. He’d been muttering about being tired and wanting to go home, but suddenly he was clinging to me like glue.

‘How am I supposed to shake him off?’

The dilemma didn’t last long. Sung Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae, quick to read the room, exchanged knowing smiles and grabbed the maknae by the scruff of his neck.

“Our young friend here needs to get some proper sleep~.”
“Right, right?”
“What? Why are you guys doing this?”
“Come on, hyung’s exhausted~.”

They dragged Jung Da-jun into a taxi without ceremony. Sung Ji-won poked his face out the window.

“See you later! Don’t come too late.”
“Okay.”
“You did great today.”
“You too.”
“Really.”

As Sung Ji-won smiled and closed the window, the taxi quickly disappeared into the distance. Kim Sung-hyun and I were left alone on the empty street.

“Should we go?”
“Yeah.”

Walking in silence, I began to regret the decision.
Having just finished an incredible performance hours ago, there was that peculiar emptiness that always followed—but that wasn’t all.

“F-freezing.”

It was absolutely bitter cold.

“How much longer are we going to suffer like this just to have a genuine conversation?”
“…Ugh, should we have just taken a taxi back to the dormitory?”

As the alcohol wore off and my mind cleared, chills ran through me. Kim Sung-hyun rubbed his hands together and glanced around, spotting a street food stall. Our eyes met.

‘Let’s go in.’
‘Let’s get inside, fast.’

I gestured to Kim Sung-hyun, and we quickly ducked into the street food stall. Since it was early morning, there weren’t many people around.
Most of those who were there seemed drunk, and the owner, who appeared to be older, didn’t seem to recognize us, which meant we could talk freely.

“Want some fish cakes?”
“And tteokbokki.”
“Then I’ll get blood sausage too.”
“Soju?”
“Absolutely.”

We quickly agreed and took our seats to order.
Soon the soju arrived first, and I opened the bottle and poured it into our glasses. I downed the drink in one smooth gulp and spoke.

“You did well.”
“…Yeah. You too.”

Kim Sung-hyun fidgeted nervously before calling out to me.

“…Ho-yoon.”
“What, that’s creepy.”
“No matter what you say…. Never mind.”

Goosebumps prickled across my arms. It wasn’t Sung Ji-won acting like this—it was Kim Sung-hyun, and I couldn’t quite adjust to it.
When Kim Sung-hyun failed to set the mood, he glared at me and let out a series of heavy sighs.

“That’s the thing, see.”

Kim Sung-hyun knocked back his soju. Then he spoke to me.

“I met up with Jung Kyou yesterday and had a talk with him.”

Ah, Kim Sung-hyun’s friend.
So he really did come back in a hurry like he said.

“…How did you get Jung Kyou’s number? You said you’d completely cut ties with Korea.”
“Ha…. You don’t know what your brother did….”

That dark history came rushing back, and I downed another shot of soju. Kim Sung-hyun tilted his head.

“So did the conversation go well?”
“Yeah, well. It ended fine. Thanks to that. We cleared up the misunderstanding, and he thanked me.”

Kim Sung-hyun sighed and began poking at the freshly arrived tteokbokki with his chopsticks, hesitating.

‘He’s not drunk enough yet.’

“Want another?”
“Yeah.”

Then he needs to get drunker. That’s when his tongue loosens up.
I poured soju generously. As I kept feeding him drink after drink without a word, Kim Sung-hyun grew progressively intoxicated and more talkative.

“To be honest, things were really tough back then. I kept questioning whether I’d truly made a mistake… and the activities I was trying to start fresh with just weren’t working out.”
“Yeah.”
“So I was really… impatient. That’s why I was so harsh to you at first.”
“Was that it.”

Harsh? As Kim Sung-hyun, I thought that was just a natural response.

‘Coward.’

Unaware of my clicking tongue, Kim Sung-hyun wiped at his eyes. The one who’d been the sharpest with me from the very beginning had somehow let down all his defenses and spoke a single sentence.

“I was sorry back then.”
“….”
“And… thank you for really caring about me.”

I exhaled softly for a moment.

‘The word “hero”… it really does suit him.’

Those who know how to humble themselves are braver than anyone else.
At a loss for words, I silently chewed on my fish cake, but the sight that soon appeared made me spit out what I was eating.

“I’m a real bastard.”

Kim Sung-hyun’s tears streamed down relentlessly.

“I’m really, truly sorry. Because of me, you’ve suffered for nothing.”
“It’s, it’s okay.”

Damn, how do I fix this?
I’m not someone who panics when others cry, but seeing this usually stoic guy like this is completely bewildering. With a faucet in front of me and my mind blank, I just blurted out whatever came to mind.

“We’re doing really well anyway right now. That’s enough.”
“I, I ruined the whole mood… and you guys got cursed for nothing….”
“Stop it, I would’ve faced hardship anyway without you. We’re doing great, then suddenly everything flips. We get cursed and fail, then suddenly things flow smoothly again. Right?”
“Is that so…?”
“Since we don’t know what’ll happen, we just do it. And you did more than enough. Better than anyone. So stop crying. …Hey, what if you cry more?”

Ding!

[Are you just spouting off whatever comes to mind because you’re flustered?]

Be quiet. I pulled out a tissue and tossed it, then quickly turned my head away.

“Cafe Owner! Two more bottles of soju, please!”
“Oh my, you young men doing alright?”
“Yes, we’re fine!”

And then we both got completely plastered.
Damn it, I’d offered a toast trying to calm things down, and by the time we were drinking together, I’d gotten drunk myself.

“I’m actually pretty good at dancing, aren’t I?”
“Of course! You’re decent enough! You’ve improved a lot, really a lot.”
“As much as Joo Woo-sung?”
“Don’t cross that line.”
“What the hell. You’re not drunk or anything.”

The moment I mentioned Joo Woo-sung, Kim Sung-hyun’s expression darkened instantly.
Ugh, whatever.
Just when I thought the mood was getting nice and warm, Kim Sung-hyun suddenly dropped his head and collapsed onto the table. He kept muttering that he could keep going with his head planted right there, but by then the alcohol had risen all the way to my throat, so I wasn’t in my right mind either.

“Want some more fish cakes?”
“I’m full….”
“Come on, eat, eat. You need to eat something warm. You’re drunk right now and not thinking straight.”
“That goes for you too, Seo Ho-yoon.”
“Ha ha, is that so?”

As I laughed lightly, Kim Sung-hyun stirred.

“…It’s strange.”
“What is.”
“You’re oddly similar to that hyung….”

Kim Sung-hyun, still not lifting his head from the table, suddenly mumbled something out.

“When I look at you… for some reason I sometimes remember him.”

Just drunk rambling again, I suppose.
I held two fish cake skewers in each hand, alternating bites between them, while debating whether to order another bottle of soju.
Kim Sung-hyun continued speaking regardless of whether I was listening.

“Back then, after I dropped out and was heading home exhausted, I stopped by a street food stall.”
“Mm.”
“I was standing there thinking about what to order when suddenly tears started streaming down my face. My situation felt so pathetic.”
….
“Then this stranger standing next to me suddenly handed me five thousand won without a word and bought me fish cake. He even ladled broth for me.”

Ding!

[Some ‘memories’ are being unlocked.]

I stiffened. A memory that had seemed fuzzy suddenly became crystal clear.

-Cafe Owner, could I get more broth please?
-….

I nearly dropped the half-eaten fish cake in my hand.
A memory of a cold day flashed through my mind.
I recalled someone in a high school uniform, tears streaming down their blurred face.

“That hyung stayed beside me until I stopped crying. So I kept eating the fish cake through my tears until it was all gone….”
….
“He was about to pay and leave. So I grabbed him right away. I wanted to at least say thank you.”

I remembered what that crying high school student had said.

-Thank you.

“But he just looked at me without saying anything, and then he said this.”

Chills ran down my spine.
I looked at Kim Sung-hyun’s face. The blurred features gradually matched up.

[Some ‘memories’ are being unlocked.]

-Keep fighting.

“Keep fighting.”
“….”
“It was such a simple thing to say, but I survived because of those words. I could keep going. I made it this far, and I started to believe in myself more. I’m happy, I really am happy, but…. Am I an idiot?”

I set down the skewer I’d been eating onto the table.

“I can’t remember his face very well….”

Kim Sung-hyun trailed off after that, his consciousness slipping away.
With his head bowed and not a muscle moving, he appeared to be asleep.

Ding!

[You have obtained Kim Sung-hyun’s complete trust.]
[Infamy points decrease.]
[You have heard all of Kim Sung-hyun’s past. Hidden information is now unlocked.]

Without a word, I cracked open a fresh bottle of soju and downed it in one go.
The warm, sharp burn sliding down my throat made me grimace as I gazed down at the sleeping Kim Sung-hyun. A status window hovered above him.

[Kim Sung-hyun, The Dun Leader and Main Dancer]

“Hyun-sung.”

I held my hand to my forehead, taking time to organize my thoughts. No matter how much I thought about it, the conclusion was always the same.

“…That hyung is me, isn’t it.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Ding!

[Note: The former player Seo Ho-yoon helped him continue his idol career. Once again, through Seo Ho-yoon’s strength, Kim Sung-hyun rose to his feet, and he gained the power to move forward, leaving his painful past behind.]
[Main Scenario 15% Complete!]
[Proceeding to the next main chapter.]

Now it’s starting to make sense.
Why I was possessed into this damned game.

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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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