The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 90

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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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90

“Hello!”
“Ah, Seo Ho-yoon!”

I walked in with a bright smile. A large U-shaped table was arranged, and Director Yu, who had been sitting at the center where all the cast members could see best, suddenly stood up and offered his hand for a handshake.

“Seo Ho-yoon! Welcome.”
“Yes, thank you for having me, Director.”

Unlike during the audition, I had been smiling continuously, so the Director looked somewhat puzzled, but he quickly patted my back and brushed it off without concern.
As I quietly took my seat at the nameplate bearing my name, the actors began entering in sequence.

“Ah, hello.”

Yoo Ji-a, who was cast as the lead character Yoo Jung-hwa, greeted Director Yu warmly before taking the seat next to mine marked with her nameplate.

“Senior Yoo Ji-a, thank you for the radio appearance last time.”
“I was quite patient, wasn’t I? My lips were itching so much to say something.”

Yoo Ji-a returned the greeting with a gentle smile.

“Many people have high expectations for you, Seo Ho-yoon. Composer Lim Hyun-sung does, and PD Kim Hee-young does too….”
“I’m at a loss for words hearing that. I was simply fortunate.”

I cast out a subtle feeler. It seemed Yoo Ji-a’s favorable impression of me stemmed from sending Today to their downfall.

“Hmm?”

However, Yoo Ji-a smiled meaningfully and tilted her head.

“Is testing people a habit of yours….”
“….”

I closed my mouth.
Yoo Ji-a was terrifying. If Sung Ji-won gained a few more years of experience, I could see him becoming like that—goosebumps erupted across my arms.

“…Yes, it’s a habit. I apologize.”
“Well, it’s not really my place to say. And I’m not asking you to apologize either.”

Fair enough—Yoo Ji-a would naturally know. I’d given her the cold shoulder far too openly on set. Yoo Ji-a scratched her cheek and drove her point home.

“I really wish I had juniors like The Dun instead.”

Instead of answering, I just laughed awkwardly. Then I turned my gaze away, and right on cue, someone opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hello….”
“Oh, hello!”

‘He’s here.’

The bracelet jingling on my wrist, crimson petals of blood scattering through the air, the piercing screech tearing through my eardrums and the vivid pain.
Whenever I recalled that traffic accident scene, my head still spun.

“Min Ji-heon, please sit here.”
“Did I arrive late…? I’m sorry. The flight was delayed.”
“No, you’re right on time.”

Min Ji-heon took the seat that had been prepared in advance. Unfortunately, it was directly across from me. When I lifted my head, Min Ji-heon met my gaze and smiled warmly.

“Hello, Seo Ho-yoon.”

Fortunately, he didn’t call me brother in a setting like this. It meant that despite his seemingly simple appearance, his mind was actually sharp and calculating.
After all, no matter how talented an actor might be, they couldn’t maintain a top star position otherwise.
But Min Ji-heon had made a mistake.
I was Seo Ho-yoon….

“Hello?”

Since I was The Dun’s official villain, I was fully prepared to deliver an absolutely despicable performance.

‘Either you die today or I do.’

***

The script reading proceeded sequentially. Since I’d already memorized the entire script, all I needed to do was match my performance appropriately.
The Manager standing across from me was staring at me with an expression of awe, thinking, ‘He never even took a single acting lesson…!’ but I tuned it out.

“PD! PD Lee Jung-hoon!”

Yoo Ji-a was the type who performed with the same intensity during script readings as she did on set, bringing each line to vivid life.

“Could we talk for a moment?”

This was the scene where Yoo Jung-hwa, played by Yoo Ji-a, followed PD Lee Jung-hoon—the role I was playing—and spoke to me.
I paused briefly, glanced away slightly, and exhaled a thin sigh. Then, attempting to conceal my weary expression, I spoke.

“Yes, Yoo Jung-hwa. What is it?”
“About the location scouting we did before—I looked into it a bit more, and I think the filming site near Gacheon might be more suitable for the mission…!”
“No, that won’t work.”
“…Excuse me?”

Yoo Ji-a looked flustered at my blunt refusal.
Naturally.
The location was already decided, and the budget had been finalized.

“The location is already set and I’ve already submitted it for approval. The budget is completely allocated. Unless something falls through, there’s no need to scout alternative filming sites.”
“Ah, but….”
“By the way, did you finish what I asked you to do before?”

Yoo Jung-hwa hesitated slightly. I seized the moment and smiled faintly.

“…Yoo Jung-hwa. Be honest with me. It’s fine.”
“….”
“You haven’t finished yet, have you?”
“…Hehe, yes.”
“Hehe.”

I slowly repeated the sound after him. Then I wiped the corner of my mouth.

“He—he.”

And now, pouring all my anger toward Min Ji-heon into it… I unleashed every conceivable bit of life acting (theatrics) that transcended the script. During script readings, everyone typically keeps their eyes glued to their pages, but this time they all sat with their mouths agape, staring directly at me.
Min Ji-heon’s eyes sparkled brilliantly, which only fueled my anger further. After delivering all my lines, I turned to Yoo Jung-hwa and asked.

“—Do you understand?”
“…Yes.”
“If you understand, why are you just standing there doing nothing? Go on, what are you doing not working?”
“…Yes.”

I then shoved the script away sharply. Yoo Ji-a, possessed by Yoo Jung-hwa who had been completely shut down by her superior, trembled with quivering hands.
The next scene was Yoo Jung-hwa’s gossip directed at PD Lee Jung-hoon, who was muttering to himself.

“Oh, what’s… what’s with Lee Jung-hoon today? Did he get slapped or dumped or something?”

Yoo Jung-hwa quivered as she hurled curses at Lee Jung-hoon. My part was finished, so I took a breath and unscrewed the cap of my water bottle, when suddenly my gaze met that of the other actors seated across from me.
…Their eyes were exhausted.

‘Where would the reputation of tormenting celebrities go?’

Where else would the nickname “Personality PD” have come from? Obviously from me. They thought I was just some idol brought in through Min Ji-heon’s connections with no expectations, so they were shocked when I actually showed some acting ability.
Lee Jung-hoon was just me.

“I’m seriously not going to live a full life because of PD Lee Jung-hoon….”

And then it was Min Seung-tae’s part, played by Min Ji-heon. Though childhood friends with Yoo Jung-hwa, he was a chaebol (an absurd setting), playful and affectionate in front of her, but in reality, he drew clear lines and was a cold-hearted person.
In other words, a character full of schemes and two-faced.
As Yoo Jung-hwa grumbled, Min Seung-tae tilted his head.

“Why, what’s bothering you so much?”
“Seriously, he seems like a complete lunatic… keeps picking on just me… lately it seems like he’s actually enjoying it.”
“Should I change places with you?”

At those words, Yoo Jung-hwa, unaware that he was a chaebol, paused for a moment.

“…When you say things like that, it actually sounds sincere and it scares me.”
“Jung-hwa, what couldn’t I do for you?”

His diction was flawless, and even if his voice had been unpleasant, it would have embedded itself naturally into my mind. Moreover, with just the slightest shift in tone, each line of dialogue conveyed something entirely different.
Min Ji-heon gazed at Yoo Ji-a with eyes that were both profound and luminous, as though no more precious existence could be found in this world.
Multiple cameras from each actor’s agency and the Drama Team were positioned carefully to avoid appearing in each other’s frames during the script reading behind-the-scenes shoot.
The camera handling the Drama Team’s internal behind-the-scenes footage focused intensely on Min Ji-heon’s face.
If I were the one editing that footage, I would have slapped on some nauseating caption like [Actor Min Ji-heon’s Affectionate Gaze ♡] and (because editing is such a hassle) simply plastered his face on screen for about thirty seconds. The explosion of comments that would follow was already vivid in my mind.

“…Stop showing off, you brat. And drop the casual speech. I’m your older sister.”
“Hehe.”
“I came into this profession because I love it… not for the money. Not for the money.”

As Yoo Ji-a continued muttering to herself like a form of self-hypnosis, Min Ji-heon finally burst into laughter. His eyes crinkled with genuine amusement, and Director Yu, observing him, wore an equally delighted expression.

‘Of course he’s pleased. Min Ji-heon is practically a box office guarantee.’

I had to work hard to maintain my composure.
And then Min Ji-heon’s solo scene script reading began. I had intended to simply ignore whatever came next….
But that proved impossible.

“So?”

His dull demeanor vanished, replaced by a voice that cut through the air with glacial precision. The supporting actor beside him grabbed Min Seung-tae in alarm.

“M-Min Seung-tae! Please. If you’re Min Seung-tae… if you’re the young master, you could tell the chairman about this, couldn’t you? I’m truly desperate. You were so fond of me when you were young.”
“Ha….”
“That I respect the chairman… and that I really didn’t do that—just say that one thing for me, please.”

It was a scene where an executive who had committed misconduct within the company desperately clung to Min Seung-tae, pleading with him.
Min Seung-tae was a character indifferent to everything in the world except Yoo Jung-hwa. Yet because he enjoyed the chairman’s singular favor, whenever trouble arose, people clung to him. They believed he would be more lenient than the chairman himself.
They didn’t realize how much worse that made things.
Min Seung-tae simply smiled.

“It’s amusing sometimes.”
“…?”

Then he spoke in a humming, almost sing-song manner.

“…Y-yes? What…what do you mean?”
“In front of everyone, you call me young master, young master… but behind closed doors, I become a fucking bastard, a worthless piece of trash, and now you’re calling me Min Seung-tae.”
“….”
“I have one name, but so many titles, don’t I?”

The Director—who I’d called Uncle when I was younger—didn’t seem bothered by Min Seung-tae’s tone at all. That was because it was I who had betrayed him first, not the other way around.
Beneath the cold gaze fixed upon him lay contempt and a hint of disillusionment.
So really, the one standing here was just… Min Seung-tae.

“Are you in such a hurry?”
“Y-yes…!”

The supporting actor—the Director—shook his head frantically. Min Seung-tae watched and let out a short hum before speaking.

“But I’m sorry, I don’t think that’s any of my business.”
“…!!”
“Fighting spirit? I’ll make sure to tell that Chairman you respect so much—this pretty little bastard will deliver the message well.”

And Min Seung-tae tapped his cheek with a long finger, breaking into a bright smile.

“Your grandson got cursed out.”

…This drama hits hard.
The moment the script ended, I watched Min Ji-heon’s sharp gaze and sarcastic tone vanish, replaced by that blank, vacant expression once more, and I swallowed.

‘Wow… Jung Da-jun would love this.’

There was a reason Jung Da-jun was so captivated by Min Ji-heon. Min Ji-heon was truly an expert at this kind of shameless acting… or so I was thinking when—

“Wait, the Screenwriter said she’d revise the next scene, so let me run through Min Ji-heon’s next scene right away!”
“…Yes.”

Min Ji-heon delivered an exceptionally poignant performance. I found myself looking over the part Min Ji-heon had just acted out once more.

[Yoo Jung-hwa senses Min Seung-tae’s suspicion. Confused, Yoo Jung-hwa tells Min Seung-tae to step back for a moment….
Min Seung-tae: (tears streaming down his face) Noona. (He wipes away the tears hastily.) I’m scared. You’re the scariest thing in this world to me. (He tugs gently at the hem of Yoo Jung-hwa’s clothes.) Don’t hate me.]

The dialogue was simpler than I’d expected. Yet watching this, I found myself reassessing Kim Sook-hee once again.

‘Pushing such a cold character with such earnest romance?’

And until just moments ago, Min Ji-heon had been the one sarcastically mocking with crude language about pretty bastards and vulgar jokes—so bluntly that listeners would be taken aback.
There would still be lingering emotions and aftereffects, so could he suddenly shed tears on command?
Wait? Could it be that for actors, something like that is a basic installed skill?

‘It’s just a script reading anyway… tears probably don’t even matter if they’re not filmed.’

But contrary to my doubts, the moment the Staff Member finished their direction, Min Ji-heon took a deep breath as if gathering his emotions, then bit his lip.
His previously vacant eyes, which had been blank after the previous scene reading, suddenly glistened and reddened in an instant.

“…Sister, I….”

And with the line, tears spilled out as if he could no longer hold them back. Beaded tears traced down his cheek and fell past his chin.

“…!!”

I was stunned.
Min Ji-heon was… extraordinary.

“Ah, damn….”

I hurriedly wiped his tears with my sleeve, but they continued to overflow. Even as I thought it pathetic of him to be like this, I feared that if I said nothing, everything would truly end, so I spoke what I felt in real time. His chin trembled from the emotions pouring out.

“…I’m scared.”

Min Ji-heon—no, Min Seung-tae—trembled as he feared this situation where Yoo Jung-hwa was cornering him, this bond that might be severed forever.

“In this world…. You’re what I fear most.”

Min Seung-tae’s lips quivered several times before he finally hung his head low. Originally, it was a scene where he would carefully grasp and pull Yoo Jung-hwa’s sleeve.

“…Don’t hate me.”

‘…I’m losing it.’

In that moment, I saw him as nothing but Min Seung-tae.
The Director stared at Min Ji-heon with a choked expression, as if he were some devoted first-row viewer, pulling tissues from a box and dabbing at his eyes.
Even more absurdly, Min Ji-heon shifted seamlessly through each scene—becoming a cocky brat one moment, then a yearning younger man gazing at only one person, then an arrogant and insufferable chaebol heir once more….
Damn it, he was absolutely flying through every role.

‘The boy breadwinner of Dae Pa-sung really lives up to his name, this bastard.’

But Min Ji-heon’s acting wasn’t what mattered right now. I had something else to verify.
While listening to Min Ji-heon’s next lines, I tapped beneath the table and quietly summoned the System Window.

“Hey, show yourself.”

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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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