The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 53

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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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53

Kang Yi-chae and Lim Hyun-sung exchanged an elaborate high-five of the sort you’d see in trendy circles, then immediately launched into a conversation I knew nothing about.

“Since when have you two been so close?”
“Ugh, how embarrassing!”
“Goodness, we’re running late, running late.”

The way they bantered back and forth and giggled together… they were practically best friends. Lim Hyun-sung clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“Back at Shining Star, I took Kang Yi-chae as my first disciple.”
“Ah, yes…”

I wasn’t interested. I nodded with a bored expression, and Kang Yi-chae suddenly cried out, his flushed cheeks shyly covered by both hands.

“Mom, are you jealous?”

I naturally ignored him.
I led the remaining members, who were still hesitant, to the sofa and got down to business.

“We need to revise our title track.”
“What’s your budget?”
“How about a talent donation?”
“Want to die?”

As soon as I teased her, Lim Hyun-sung trembled as memories of being taken advantage of came flooding back. I shrugged and handed over a piece of paper.

“It’s a contract. Write your account number here. And jot down your desired amount in the notes section.”
“…!”

Lim Hyun-sung’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, startled by her own reaction, she pressed her forehead with her hand.

“…Damn. Was I just shocked that Seo Ho-yoon is actually paying?”
“…”
“My reputation is completely ruined…”

Fine, whatever—just write up the contract already.
I crossed my arms and stared silently. Lim Hyun-sung continued muttering curses under her breath while slowly drafting the contract. Jung Da-jun looked puzzled beside her.

“Huh? Money? Isn’t that something we naturally provide…?”
“Let’s get started.”

I quickly popped a candy into her mouth and signaled her to be quiet.

“Let’s play it back from the beginning.”

This album was a single again.
In a way, it was inevitable. We didn’t have time to produce B-side tracks.
Lim Hyun-sung played the track scheduled as the next title. It was the same hook that Jung Da-jun had been humming at B Live. It was good as is, but….

‘It needs to be better.’

That’s right.

‘The next song absolutely has to be good.’

After claiming the number one spot on Shining Star, the increased buzz and recognition brought entertainment show offers pouring in from everywhere. Honestly, I wanted to do them all, but there simply wasn’t time to accept every request. Even after carefully selecting from the schedule, the comeback ultimately took priority over group variety shows.
Having turned down so many variety appearances, the song had to be that much better.

“What if we mix just the second verse hook here… like this?”
“…Oh, that’s good?”

In that regard, Kang Yi-chae was exceptional. He possessed an innate talent for crafting addictive melodies.

Ah, Kang Yi-chae….
This guy was actually useful.
As I gazed at him with satisfaction, Lim Hyun-sung, who had been quietly observing Kang Yi-chae, suddenly asked.

“When’s the deadline?”
“One week from now. The comeback is in three weeks.”
“Wow, that’s really fast.”
“You can see the company’s intention to milk every last drop of momentum from the timing, right?”
“You’re always the same, and I really appreciate that about you.”
“You’re too kind.”

Even if I simply left Kang Yi-chae and Lim Hyun-sung to their own devices, the song revision matter progressed smoothly without any intervention.
Now, what I needed to do was….

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Win over the remaining members.
Kim Sung-hyun, sensing my gaze, tilted his head with a smile.
The System Window still lingered at the edge of my vision.

[Main Scenario in Progress…]

“…Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“No.”

‘Kim Sung-hyun is done.’

During Shining Star’s final broadcast, Kim Sung-hyun had already revealed everything to me. In other words, his conquest was complete. Simultaneously, the main scenario had progressed by fifteen percent.

‘Last time, Jung Da-jun and Sung Ji-won were strange too. They spoke as if they remembered me.’

Then it was simple enough to deduce.
Excluding Kang Yi-chae, who hadn’t dropped any hints yet, it had to be Jung Da-jun and Sung Ji-won. The Dun members all had some connection to me, and the purpose of this game was to hear each member’s past and resolve their regrets.
I’m Korean.
Which meant I’d get through this damn fast.

Ding!

[I wonder what Seo Ho-yoon is thinking so hard about~.]

I ignored the System Window’s sarcastic remark as it reappeared, having sulked earlier.
If that were true, then when I finished this, I might be able to return to my original world.
My original world. The place where I lived as a PD, where all my career remained. And….

‘…Well, whatever.’

That could be needless worry. I cracked my neck side to side and stretched languidly.
So, what’s left now is….

“Ho-yoon, practice with me for a moment.”
Sung Ji-won.
“Can I eat this??”
Jung Da-jun.
“Da-jun, pass on mine too.”
Kang Yi-chae.

So the question was: who among the remaining guys would be next? Without me saying anything, the System Window appeared as if it knew what I was thinking.

Ding!

[Not telling you~]

“Hey, I didn’t even ask.”

[….]

Either way, I’d have to go through all three of them. Following the Quest, the scenario would inevitably unfold no matter what.

‘First, I need to put out the most urgent fire.’

I opened the Item Shop. A single item floated above it.

[‘Dance’ Eyes Gleam Tracking Vision Gleam!
-Choreography absorption speed increases 3x.
-Experience points accumulate 3x faster.
Points 3,000
Duration: 2 weeks]

Experience points accumulate at 3x the rate.
3,000 points

“Seo Ho-yoon, aren’t you concentrating?”
I absolutely had to buy this.

Lim Hyun-soo, who was concentrating on composing, asked in a flirtatious manner. I shrugged my shoulders and closed the item window.
“Seo Ho-yoon, aren’t you focusing?”

The problem is where to collect ‘points’.

***

The problem was where to gather ‘Points’.
“huh?”
***
“Around 3 in the morning…?”
“Ugh…”

“What time do we have to leave tomorrow?”

“This is insane…”
“it’s crazy?”

Kang Yi-chae, who was flying wild, went wild, saying he would play the game that had been semi-forcibly banned for a week.

“Are you crazy?”
“You’re only two years older than me.”
Kang Yi-chae bounced around excitedly, practically vibrating at the prospect of gaming after a week of forced abstinence.

“Yeah, the young ones really are different.”

“…I’m going to sleep.”

I brushed off my slip of the tongue and collapsed onto the bed. I’d rather squeeze in another hour of sleep than play games. All-nighters had been routine since my PD days, but that didn’t make them any less grueling.
If you sleep now… I can sleep for exactly 2 hours and 14 minutes.
‘What glory was I chasing that I’m still suffering like this…’

But there was no escaping this fate. I sprawled across the bed, set my phone alarm, and shut my eyes immediately.

The moment my head touched the pillow, sleep crashed over me.

Ring!

Deep in slumber, the doorbell chimed. I ignored it and stayed put.

Ring-ring-ring!

…It rang persistently.
Finally, with my eyes squinted, I fumbled for my cell phone and answered the call.

“Yes, this is Seo Ho-yoon.”
I couldn’t muster a pleasant tone.
Finally, I squinted and fumbled for my phone, answering the call.

“Yes, this is Seo Ho-yoon.”
[That’s right, my precious dongsaeng Ho-yoon, the one I cherish most.]

[…] Seo Ho-yoon?]

But then a barking sound came through from somewhere, jolting me awake in an instant. I stared at my phone with a frown still etched on my face.
… Why is this guy like this?

“……dragon….”

…What the hell was he doing?

“…Uh….”

I was about to state my business when I quickly stopped myself.
It’s 2 a.m., a time when filming can begin in full swing. A sudden phone call. A disgusting voice, as if made up.
[Seo Ho-yoon! You didn’t hang up, right?!]
This guy is filming a variety show.

2 AM—prime time for filming. A sudden incoming call. A voice that sounded artificially contrived.

This bastard was in the middle of a variety show shoot.
You might hear people say that he is begging Joo Woo-sung, but it doesn’t matter. If I had to guess, he should be more popular than Joo Woo-sung.
“Yes, hyung… or rather, senior.”
As I was waiting impatiently to hurry up and hang up, Joo Woo-seong cleared his throat.

People would probably say I looked pathetic fawning over Joo Woo-sung, but I didn’t care. If they didn’t like it, they could become more popular than him themselves.
It was also a signal that I understood this was a variety show, and Joo Woo-sung on the other end seemed slightly relieved, letting out a laugh.

what?
[Ahem, were you sleeping…?]

[Ho Yoon-ah, I enjoyed watching the Shining Star program last time.]
What was this?
This sentimental tone?
[ah! Mr. Woosung, really… . (Shh! Quiet!)]

“Thank you….”
[Congratulations on first place. You’re exactly the kind of person your brother would support.]

‘It’s a phone mission.’

I think I understand what’s happening.
I shook my head. About 30 seconds have passed since I picked up the phone, and usually, if you receive a set keyword within 1 minute or 100 seconds of making a call, it passes.
‘It’s a phone mission.’

How did phone missions usually work again?
I racked my brain. About thirty seconds had passed since I answered, and typically these missions involved calling someone and passing if you could extract a specific keyword within a minute or a hundred seconds.

I give strength to ‘zone’. I think this is a hint. Korean words that start with John…
“Yes, thank you for calling me.”

‘I can’t get my head to work properly.’

…Jonnal?

‘My brain isn’t working well.’
As I was struggling to figure out what the mission keyword was, trying to combine hints here and there, I suddenly realized when Joo Woo-sung heard the voices of the cast members whispering very softly through the moment of silence waiting for my answer.

[Don’t panic!]
What nonsense was this?

‘ah.’

[You’re doing great, you’re doing great! You’re so handsome!]

‘Ah.’
Is that the mission? I was a little worried. I could be obedient and quit quickly, but… .
[…I already know what I look like.]

Jonsal—handsome.

But Joo Woo-sung had actually helped me out quite a bit, so maybe I should give him a little something in return.

‘Let me see. Sixty seconds have already passed and he hasn’t hung up, so this must be a hundred-second mission….’
I slowly counted the time in my mind and called him.

“Senior.”
Five seconds. I deliberately remained silent the entire time, and through the phone, I could sense the cast members growing impatient.

After pausing long enough that there were about 10 seconds left until the 100th mark, I asked with a straight face.

[Y-yes?]

I drew it out long enough that roughly ten seconds remained until the hundred-second mark, then spoke with a serious tone.

“Why are you suddenly asking me this?”

“You shouldn’t ask others about your own appearance. Live with independence and conviction.”
[Timeout! failure!]

Voices often heard on TV were conveyed in a noisy manner. After all, it’s a variety show shoot… .
[Hey!!]

[Seo Ho-yoon! You come out!]
Familiar voices from television broadcasts chattered excitedly through the line. So it was a variety show shoot after all….
I yawned widely, plugged in my earbuds, and got up to leave the bedroom.
[You know! You knew it from the beginning! You deliberately pretended not to know, right?]
[Seo Ho-yoon! Get out here!]

“Yeah~.”

“What?”
[Are you sure you are close with Hoyun?]
Yeah,

[Woo-sung, you’re supposed to live independently~]

[Isn’t it true you have no one to call except the members?]
“Hello, this is my first time greeting you. My name is Seo Ho-yoon.”
Bursts of laughter echoed through the phone.

[Seo Ho-yoon~, I’m greeting you late! Our motto is play, eat, and become unemployed!]

[Joo Woo-sung is going crazy right now because that phone call was the mission! You didn’t know, did you~.]
[What were you doing!]
I knew.
[Didn’t you wake me up when I was sleeping?]
“That’s too bad… If I’d known, I would’ve prepared something.”

“I was at the Dormitory.”
[Did we wake you up from sleeping?]
“No, I wasn’t sleeping.”
Why don’t you notice that?

I could hear Joo Woo-sung’s aggrieved voice saying, “Just let that bastard go back to sleep!” Seeing him so indignant, he must have been quite confident. He’d believed I would figure it out.
Woo-sung… I’m telling you again, your brother specially made sure to include your portion.
Why couldn’t you pick up on that?
“Hmm, I’m not good at trivia quizzes….”
[It’s a shame to end it here with Seo Ho-yoon, so I’ll give you a second chance! How about a speed trivia quiz? If Seo Ho-yoon gets five out of ten questions right, we’ll provide ramen for Joo Woo-sung~.]
“A trivia quiz?”

“Hmm, I’m not very good at trivia quizzes….”

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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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