The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 57

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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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57

After wrapping up the variety show, I threw myself into preparing for our comeback in earnest.

“Hyung, let’s do a common knowledge quiz battle!”
“Just pack your things.”
“Yi-chae? What are you grabbing now?”
“The gaming console… I should leave that behind! Yeah!”
“Hey! We need to get going! The Manager will be waiting.”

The morning had been absolute chaos from start to finish.

Ding!

[Just like always!]

Well, that was true.
After finishing all my preparations alone, I sprawled across the sofa to check YouTube reactions and let out a yawn. It was exactly as expected.

[Sudden Quest Complete!
Appear solo on a variety show and receive positive reactions.
Success! You have earned 3,000 points.]

“Seo Ho-yoon, let’s go!”
“Oh, you done?”

Kim Sung-hyun tapped me repeatedly. I grabbed the suitcase I’d packed earlier and headed outside.
The spring breeze had begun to carry hints of early summer. Stepping out of the dormitory and loading my suitcase into the van, I finally sank into a seat and caught my breath.

“Everyone ready? Do you all have your passports?”
“Huh?! I don’t have mine!”
“Oh no, I forgot!”

Kang Yi-chae glanced back and forth between the panicking member and the Manager.

“Why would you need a passport to go to Jeju Island?”
“Oh.”
“Ah.”

‘Good grief…’

Amid the commotion, Kim Sung-hyun gazed out the window with an animated expression.
Well, I suppose I’d be excited too. It was our first location shoot.
We were filming a music video for a new song.

“I’ve never been to Jeju Island before!”
“Really?”
“Hyung, have you been there before?”
“Well…”

I think I went a few times back in the day to help with some shoot. When I answered indifferently, Sung Ji-won suddenly grew animated.

“Don’t worry, Ho-yoon!!”

Without warning, Sung Ji-won thrust his face determinedly through the gap between the seats. He pulled out a Jeju Island guidebook that was already falling apart.

“Jeju Island is famous for black pork. Oh! And we have to try bomal kalguksu too. I’d love to visit Hallasan Mountain, but I’m not sure how it’ll work with the music video shooting schedule…”
“Black pork… I wonder if it’s good.”

‘…He’s really excited.’

Kang Yi-chae teased Sung Ji-won from beside me, deliberately taking the opposite stance. I’d leave this to him. Jung Da-jun casually struck up a conversation with the Manager.

“Manager, is Min Ji-heon hyung filming in Jeju Island too?!”
“Oh, how did you know? It just happens to overlap with the same period.”
“I heard it through the grapevine at the company. Ah, I really want to meet him! I haven’t seen him lately since he’s been doing overseas shoots.”
“Min Ji-heon hyung? Why?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Jung Da-jun. When Kim Sung-hyun asked, Jung Da-jun excitedly slapped his knees.

“He’s filming ‘Cider Please’ in Jeju Island! Ah, I was already a fan from before~. But after watching it recently, it’s seriously so entertaining.”
“Oh, the one that airs on weekends? He really is a great actor.”
“Yeah. I heard it’s become really popular in Asia lately. I think they’re filming at the location as part of promoting Jeju Island.”

I’ve been hearing a lot about Min Ji-heon lately.
And that meant the CEO was pushing only Min Ji-heon. When the tide comes in, you have to row—but this bastard was completely hopeless.
I’d have to try some persuasion soon.

“Alright, everyone. We’ve arrived.”

Before I knew it, we’d pulled up to the airport entrance. The Manager couldn’t shake his worry about us as he parked the van.

“Whatever you do, don’t panic! Smile nicely, but don’t get too caught up in the fans’ energy! Follow the security guards closely!”
“Come on, Manager. We’re not that popular.”

Jung Da-jun answered cheerfully. The Manager scanned each member through the rearview mirror with concern before opening the door.

“There! Over there!”

A reporter holding a camera at the entrance pointed toward the van. Before Jung Da-jun could even react, the reporters swarmed toward us.

“Jung Da-jun! Just look this way once!”
“Give us a smile!”

I quickly caught Jung Da-jun as he floundered and pulled the members closer.

“I’m… moved…! I thought this was a drama…! But hyung, you’re not supposed to grab people’s wrists like that. Even in dramas these days, grabbing wrists is kind of…”
“Stay quiet. Smile.”

I’d expected something like this, but I hadn’t anticipated this many people. The other members looked equally dazed, waving their hands and bowing their heads, but their expressions were uniformly awkward.

“Ah, hello.”
“Hello!”
“Sung-hyun! Yi-chae!”

As we moved deeper into the airport, a loud voice rang out. People pushing through the reporters’ crowd came into view, holding professional cameras and snapping photos.
They were clearly our fans.

“Sung Ji-won! Have a safe trip!”
“Ho-yoon―. Be careful on the plane!”

Among the reporters, security guards, and surging fans, the fan managers skillfully positioning themselves in the gaps and snapping away with their cameras were nothing short of artistry.
I felt genuinely grateful and apologetic. After showing mechanical smiles to the reporters, seeing the fans made me break into a real smile.

“Ho-yoon! Have a safe trip!”

They’d come all this way—the least I could do was give them a good photo. I strode forward with purpose and waved at the camera, making sure to look my best.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The Home Master shrieked with excitement while frantically snapping photos, refusing to miss a single moment.
Pushing aside the strange feeling that lingered, I bowed slightly and barely made it through the gate. Everyone clutched their tickets tightly, staying silent until we passed through and the fans were no longer visible. Only then could we speak in hushed voices.

“Wow, that really surprised me.”
“Right? I thought stuff like that only happened to other people.”

Sung Ji-won scratched his cheek bashfully. Kang Yi-chae, walking beside him, chuckled and leaned in to whisper.

“Hey, you guys know what?”
“What?”
“When Joo Woo-sung came to the airport, the whole place shut down. It was packed with people from here all the way over there.”
“Seriously? Well, but that’s Joo Woo-sung…”

He was one of the leading idols driving the Korean wave boom, not just domestically but internationally as well.
Which made what I’d just witnessed even more remarkable.

‘With people like that around…’

Why would they bother coming to take photos of me?

“Ho-yoon, what are you thinking about?”
“…You’ll be fine.”
“Huh?”

Sung Ji-won tilted his head with a smile. Well, Sung Ji-won had practically broken abilities from the start anyway.
We continued through the gate.
The flight was about an hour, but I immediately crossed my arms and got ready to sleep. I left the other members to their excitement about the fans.

***

“Wow! Black pork! Black pork~!”

After barely sleeping for an hour, we arrived just as evening fell. We’d rest up at the accommodation and start filming tomorrow morning, so today was free time. Apparently we were going to play by the sea later—it felt like a school trip.

‘I’m not going.’
‘Huh!’
‘Seriously, hyung?’
‘Y-you’re serious?’
‘…Fine, I’ll go.’

Just one word, and I’d become the villain. I had no choice but to agree.

‘I was planning to sleep more.’

I sighed deeply and popped a piece of perfectly grilled black pork belly into my mouth.

“I think I was born just to eat this, wasn’t I?”
“Yeah….”

If I’m eating anyway, might as well have some soju….

Ding!

[Meal Provider Special) Actually doesn’t take care of himself well]

“Why are you saying something?”
“Huh??”
“Never mind.”

I was about to ask the Manager if I could drink, but the System Window vanished more urgently, as if afraid of future consequences. Then the restaurant door burst open.

“Huh?”

A group in black padding rushed through the open restaurant door.
No matter how I looked at it, they were people armed with padding for filming. When the Manager suddenly stood up as if discovering something, one person in the padding group visibly startled.

“Huh? Why is Kim Manager here?”
“We came to film The Dun music video.”
“Oh! My goodness, where’s my head? Hello.”

The other man smiled brightly and bowed his head.
We all stood up and bent at the waist in greeting, and Jung Da-jun’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

‘…Who is this?’

“I’m Kim Sung-chul, Min Ji-heon’s road manager.”
“Oh, hello.”

Kim Sung-chul, a manager from the same Entertainment Agency, had a friendly demeanor and extended his hand warmly first. After shaking hands with each member of The Dun, he turned his head back toward our manager.

“Wow! There are plenty of black pork restaurants on Jeju Island, but we end up meeting at a place like this.”
“Right? What brings you here?”
“We finished filming and came by for a quick after-party.”

The managers were chatting away like old acquaintances when someone walked in from the back—a man yawning widely, with “I’m an actor” practically written across his face.

‘Min Ji-heon.’

The guy the CEO doted on so much had arrived.

“Hyung…, where’s our table….”
“Whoa!”

Jung Da-jun let out a shriek, and Min Ji-heon’s gaze turned toward us. Our maknae, despite being a celebrity himself, made an absolutely over-the-top fuss as he approached Min Ji-heon. I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows.

“Min Ji-heon sunbae!”

How irritating.

“Min Ji-heon sunbae! I’m seriously seriously seriously a huge fan of yours!!!”
“Um… yeah.”

Min Ji-heon gave a small nod.
He’s famous for his mystique, so it’s rare to encounter him face-to-face like this in everyday life… but since the CEO raves about him so much, I’m already annoyed. Min Ji-heon studied Jung Da-jun for a moment, then clapped his hands together.

“Jung Da-jun, nice to meet you.”
“Huh, you even know my name…!!”
“…haha.”

But Min Ji-heon wasn’t like the cold, intelligent image I’d seen on TV. He seemed a bit slow-witted and half a beat behind.
Jung Da-jun, seemingly moved, covered his mouth with both hands, then with a reddened face, stammered excitedly on his own.

“I-I’m watching Cider Please so much! I-I want your autograph, but I don’t have paper… would it be okay on the back of my shirt?”
“Sure. That’s fine, right?”
“Then, could you maybe sign my forehead too?”
“Should we…?”
“Hey, what do you mean ‘should we’!”

Min Ji-heon nodded obediently, but Manager Kim Sung-chul immediately put him in a headlock and ruffled his hair roughly. “You rascal, you rascal,” he said, pinching Min Ji-heon’s cheeks—the manager clearly had a soft spot for him.
In stark contrast, Min Ji-heon’s face gradually twisted into a grimace.

“…It hurts.”
“Ugh, just give Jung Da-jun a clean signature on paper later.”

What’s wrong with this guy?

‘Hey, when are we sitting down?’
‘Just wait a bit.’

While Jung Da-jun was running wild, the rest of the members sat awkwardly, unable to join the conversation, just watching the scene unfold.
Of course, I was doing calculations.
Whether there’d be anything to exploit once we got closer, or not.

‘…There isn’t.’

I’d received the trait, but I wouldn’t have any reason to act anyway.
Just as I finished my assessment and was about to shift my attention to the grilled pork belly that was cooking nicely, my eyes met Min Ji-heon’s.

“…?”

Min Ji-heon, who had been blank-faced, suddenly furrowed his brow sharply and scanned me from head to toe.

“…I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“…Pardon?”

Was he picking a fight? I fired up my delinquent instincts, ready to fire back the moment he said anything else, but Min Ji-heon’s manager grabbed my arm.

“Hey, Ji-heon. Let’s not interrupt our meal.”
“Yeah… Sung-chul, I’m hungry.”
“Right, you punk. I know damn well you’re a glutton, so go eat already.”
“Can I eat like ten servings?”
“Ugh, do whatever you want.”
“Yes!”

Min Ji-heon grinned and bid us farewell without a shred of hesitation.

“Well then, I’ll be going…”
“Senior! Next time for sure! An autograph!”
“Of course…”

He blended in seamlessly with the staff, and soon laughter and chatter echoed from the other room.

“Ho-yoon, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”

As I ate, whether from self-consciousness or the massive database of shamelessness I’d accumulated over thirty years, something felt oddly off. A prickling sensation at the back of my head.
I shoved grilled pork belly into my mouth while Jung Da-jun returned to his seat looking dejected, chewing on lettuce.

“I wanted an autograph on my forehead…”
“Da-jun, please snap out of it.”
“If even Sung Ji-won is saying that, you really need to reflect. This is serious.”

Following Sung Ji-won, Kim Sung-hyun similarly lectured Jung Da-jun (or rather, condemned him, as I’d interpret it).
Kang Yi-chae, having caught the PD bug, thrust a camera forward and conducted a heart-felt interview with Jung Da-jun about missing out on the forehead autograph.

“Cider Please is my life drama, and Min Ji-heon senior is just… radiance…”
“And your ultimate bias is?”
“Of course it’s our Noeul!”
“Yaaay~!!”

‘Seems like no one noticed.’

(Except for Jung Da-jun) The Dun members have exceptionally sharp instincts. These guys—including those from Today—can read a person’s face and exchange knowing glances instantly.
But the fact that no one, not even Kang Yi-chae, said anything…

‘Maybe I was just imagining things?’

And that assumption shattered the moment we stepped outside the restaurant, exactly one hour later.

“Huh?”

Min Ji-heon was standing there.

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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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