The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 94

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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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94

“…Me?”
“Yeah! It’s so confusing!”

Normally I would have dismissed it outright, but knowing it was real, I couldn’t brush it aside so easily.
I squinted and asked.

“Do I… do I look like some kind of ghost or something?”

What was he talking about to a perfectly alive bachelor? Min Ji-heon looked me up and down after hearing that. His serious expression and tilted head made me slightly tense.

“…Hmm. Well, you seem fine now. But it’s a bit hard to say for sure.”
“Min Ji-heon, you know your words change constantly and it’s all pointless, right?”
“You know your words can be harsh sometimes, don’t you?”

Min Ji-heon muttered with a hurt expression, “That’s harsh…”

“Seo Ho-yoon! Come inside now. Let’s start filming!”
“Yes.”

Leaving Min Ji-heon’s irritating words behind, I strode into the camera frame. As I was checking my blocking, Yoo Ji-a soon entered.
This was the scene of their first meeting.

“Ugh! I’m nervous too, what do I do!”
“Director, if you’re nervous, what about us! Seo Ho-yoon, you’re fine. You’re fine. Just act naturally.”

The staff and director had already displayed all the nervousness I was supposed to show, so there wasn’t much for me to say. I simply wore a subtle smile when Yoo Ji-a spoke to me from beside.

“Ho-yoon, let’s do our best together.”
“Senior, I’m counting on you.”

After preparations were complete, Director Yu gave the cue sign from behind the camera. The assistant director stepped forward and clapped the slate to mark the take.

“Take 15, Scene 1, Take 1!”

Right on cue, Yoo Jung-hwa walked toward the rooftop railing and called out brightly.

“Ugh! Let’s do our best today!!”

I never understood why dramas always included scenes where someone loudly shouted affirmations from a rooftop.
This was a scene of me comforting myself after being knocked around since my first day, making mistakes, and getting thoroughly scolded by a senior colleague.
Yoo Jung-hwa took another deep breath and cried out.

“Rookies are supposed to make mistakes! Let’s do well while looking forward to next time! Let’s persevere! Perseverance is victory! Yoo Jung-hwa, fighting!!”

…I’d heard that screenwriter Kim Sook-hee had a rather rough time at work, and it seemed like the writer’s own mindset was showing through the dialogue at about 80% opacity.

“Excuse me, do you know where the Entertainment Division is?”

When this line came, it was my turn to turn around.
Then I nod and answer slowly.

‘Yes, five floors down.’

I recalled what the Acting Trainer, hastily brought in, had instructed me to do.
Think of the character three-dimensionally and all that… I opened my mouth while reviewing the theories I’d crammed into my head.

“Yes. Five floors down.”

Yoo Jung-hwa’s eyes flickered slightly.

‘Hmm?’

Something felt off, but I steadied the emotion the trainer had emphasized and delivered the next line.

“Are you a new employee?”
“Yes. I’ve been assigned to the Entertainment Division starting this month. My name is Yoo Jung-hwa.”
“The Entertainment Division.”
“Cut!”

At that point, the Director tilted his head slightly and called cut.

“…?”

Confused by the sudden halt, I turned around to see Director Yu frowning at the monitoring screen.

“What’s wrong? Seo Ho-yoon, you were nervous since it’s your first time?”

At those words, light laughter rippled through the filming set.

‘…Huh?’

I wasn’t nervous at all.
Yoo Ji-a, who had instantly shed her character as Yoo Jung-hwa and returned to her true self, clapped her hands lightly as if to refresh the atmosphere.

“Seo Ho-yoon, shall we go again?”
“Yes, I apologize.”

Since it was a NG, I apologized quickly, and Director Yu—who still had maximum favorability toward me—waved his hand dismissively. The filming resumed immediately after.

“Are you a new employee?”
“Yes. I’ve been assigned to the Entertainment Division starting this month. My name is Yoo Jung-hwa.”
“The Entertainment Division….”
“Ahem!”

The second take failed too.

“Yes. Five floors below….”
“Cut!!”

The third take failed as well.

‘What’s going on?’

I’m doing everything as I normally would. I’m even putting in the effort.
As I stood there bewildered, Director Yu spoke.

“Well… let’s take a break for now?”

Before I knew it, I was being ushered off the set, and I strode toward Director Yu.

“Director, I apologize for the repeated NGs. Could you tell me what the problem is?”
“Ah, Seo Ho-yoon. Well, it’s nothing major. You’re doing well. You are doing well, but….”
“Yes.”
“It’s not the same as what I saw during the audition or script reading. Back then, I thought, ‘Wow! This is PD Lee Jung-hoon~.'”

Director Yu scratched his head.

“Right now it feels a bit… like you’re just acting?”
“….”
“Of course, an actor acts, but you know what I mean.”

Director Yu shrugged, sensing his own explanation lacked coherence. But he said there was no other way to describe it.
Unable to understand, I rewound the footage and monitored it on the monitor when Yoo Ji-a approached from the side.

“I think it’s because the director has high expectations.”
“I apologize, senior.”

After bowing in apology, I went to a corner of the filming set and quietly looked down at the script. Then I recalled what the Acting Trainer had said. Right, they told me to be conscious of precise pronunciation, emotion, things like that.

‘That’s strange?’

Just then, Min Ji-heon, who had been watching from somewhere, gulped down his coffee and burst forward.

“Ji-heon has arrived.”
“….”

Here we go, seriously….
For a moment, I thought Min Ji-heon and Kang Yi-chae would make a perfect pair.
Min Ji-heon sucked down his coffee and let out a yawn before asking.

“Seo Ho-yoon, did you get an Acting Trainer?”
“Pardon?”
“I think that might be the problem?”

What kind of random thing was he saying?
As Min Ji-heon’s words dragged on and he realized attention wasn’t really focused on him, he casually continued his critique.

“I mean… I don’t know what the trainer told you, but you should just go on broadcast as you are. You’ve been PD Lee Jung-hoon himself all this time. Why are you making it so complicated?”
“…!”

Wait, is that so?

“That’s why it looks awkward. When you force the acting, an unnecessary layer gets added and clouds the essence.”

…He’s right?

“Among the trainer’s advice, the only thing worth listening to is… well, vocal technique, I suppose. My diction was already good, but it’s different from how most actors approach it.”

Not a single word out of place??

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Oh, no. It’s just… shocking.”

I’d always thought of him as someone indifferent and dull about everything, but hearing him speak seriously about acting caught me off guard.

‘So Min Ji-heon really is serious about acting….’

Because only by obsessively diving into something and truly understanding it can you pinpoint exactly what someone else’s problem is and offer genuine advice.
Moreover, according to Jung Da-jun, his acting skills lately had transcended mere improvement—they’d reached an almost divine level.

‘…He might actually be possessed.’

As I regarded him with a slightly different perspective, Min Ji-heon laughed awkwardly.

“…Oh, was I being too much like a senior?”
“….”
“But I find it burdensome when someone respects me too much. I’ve been hurt too many times… I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to worry about that at all.”
“…Mm.”

I took a deep breath to settle my mind and stepped back onto the filming set.

***

Yoo Ji-a finished her makeup touch-up and entered the fourth take. Seo Ho-yoon returned from his conversation with Min Ji-heon wearing a slightly sour expression.

‘Are they not getting along?’

But the moment his eyes met Yoo Ji-a’s, his expression shifted back to normal. Yoo Ji-a let out a hollow laugh.

‘Strong presence. Skilled at concealment too, but enemies everywhere regardless. Yet he doesn’t seem bothered by it at all….’

Yoo Ji-a dismissed it casually. Having tumbled roughly through the entertainment industry since childhood, she’d developed a keen instinct—one glance told her whether someone would make it or not.
Seo Ho-yoon was clearly the former.

‘After all, he’s orchestrating the game itself. There’s no way he can fail.’

Even as she thought this, Yoo Ji-a always felt something peculiar when watching him.
He had desperation, yet not the kind driven by the thrill of the stage. But… could someone like that really throw themselves at becoming an idol with such fervor?

“Senior, I’ll do my best again.”
“Me too.”

‘How strange….’

Yoo Ji-a quite liked Seo Ho-yoon, all things considered. A junior who was clean, stayed within bounds, did his job, and showed no interest in others—that was always the best kind.

“Alright then, rolling!”

The slate dropped, and as I returned to being Yoo Jung-hwa, I splashed water on my face, then rose with determined resolve from my slumped posture. I grabbed PD Lee Jung-hoon as he passed by and spoke urgently.

“Excuse me, do you know where the Entertainment Division is?”

PD Lee Jung-hoon merely turned his gaze as he walked, glancing at Yoo Jung-hwa. She flinched at the sight of him.
Beneath slightly weary eyes lay an unmistakable indifference. He looked like a freshly-transferred office zombie wandering the halls of Yeouido.

“Yes. Fifth floor down.”

As Yoo Jung-hwa nodded with a naive expression, Seo Ho-yoon—no, Lee Jung-hoon—lowered his gaze to check Yoo Ji-a’s access badge and asked lightly.

“…Are you a new employee?”

‘Oh, what’s this.’

“Yes! I’m Yoo Jung-hwa, assigned to the Entertainment Division starting this month!!”
“…I see.”

At those words, a flicker of disappointment passed through his weary eyes.

“Entertainment Division….”

‘Wow.’

Yoo Jung-hwa marveled at the performance.

‘I have to admit, I’m a little jealous.’

It wasn’t acting. Seo Ho-yoon had become PD Lee Jung-hoon. Without a single scripted line, with just those two words—”Entertainment Division”—he had already conveyed the exasperation of someone who had weathered every petty storm that division had to offer.
It made sense.
For Seo Ho-yoon, who had already been ground down relentlessly by the Entertainment Division and would sleep without even placing a pillow on the side facing the broadcasting station, this was genuine method acting.
Observing Yoo Jung-hwa’s visible bewilderment, Lee Jung-hoon let out a short hum.

“So which program would I be assigned to… surely not yours.”
“A program?”
“…Ah, yes. I apologize for the late introduction. I’m PD Lee Jung-hoon.”
“What?! You’re that PD Lee Jung-hoon?!”
“…You know me?”

The man who looked not just handsome but remarkably kind was apparently that notorious “Lee Jung-hoon” PD—the one infamous for editing shows to favor certain people and throwing tantrums on set. Yoo Jung-hwa’s mouth fell open in surprise, stammering, and as Lee Jung-hoon watched her reaction, his eyes gradually narrowed.

“‘That PD,’ huh.”
“….”
“I’m curious where a new hire who just started would have heard about me….”
‘I’m screwed!’

Yoo Jung-hwa improvised desperately.

“You’re a PD?”
“…Yes?”
“Not an entertainer?”

Watching Yoo Jung-hwa fumble through her desperate gambit, Lee Jung-hoon’s eyes widened for a moment before he burst into laughter. His lips curved upward and his eyes crinkled into crescents, gleaming beautifully.

“You’re quite the social operator.”
“….”
“Congratulations. You’ll do well wherever you go, Yoo Jung-hwa.”

I was being sincere when I asked if you were a celebrity.
Unable to voice that thought, Yoo Jung-hwa stammered as she gazed at that radiant face.
Lee Jung-hoon offered only his greeting and, without waiting for a response, exited the camera frame without hesitation.

“He does seem rather inconsiderate….”

Left alone, she ruffled her hair roughly and spoke in a daze.

“…Will I end up burying my bones in this job?”

Yoo Jung-hwa was naive.
She simply hadn’t anticipated the fate of being relentlessly tormented by the temperamental PD in the days to come….

“Cut!”

Simultaneously, the Director called cut and raised his thumb with a gleaming gaze.

A thumbs-up.
It was an expression that only appeared when the Director was completely satisfied.

***

“This is exactly the image I wanted! Seo Ho-yoon and Yoo Ji-a were both perfect! These new talents nowadays are truly terrifying. They absorb feedback like sponges~.”
“Haha, we’re grateful.”
“Not a single flaw in the acting! Min Ji-heon as well, of course, and Yoo Ji-a and Seo Ho-yoon! It’s rewarding to hold the megaphone~!”

After the first shoot wrapped, the Director praised us until his mouth ran dry. Naturally, Min Ji-heon, who had no interest in such things, was busy depleting the filming set’s snacks.
Last time too, he ate what looked like ten servings worth of food….

‘I understand why his family took him to every hospital in the country.’

If my own younger brother ate that much, I’d probably worry he was ill and travel across the nation myself.

“How do you act so well? I heard you only recently started taking acting lessons at Dae Pa-sung….”
“Haha, that’s not it. I’m just worried about being a burden.”
“Hmm….”

Yoo Ji-a acted sufficiently well herself and possessed both ambition and a strong desire to improve, so she wanted to hear his expertise.
However,

‘There’s nothing like that.’

I didn’t need to strain myself trying to understand Lee Jung-hoon. I only had to recall all the wretched experiences I’d endured during my time as an evil-role PD.
On the day of the script reading, whenever I smiled benevolently while thinking of Director Kook, Director Yu and screenwriter Kim Sook-hee would shriek in shrill voices that it was “genuinely terrifying,” throwing themselves into exaggerated reactions.

“Anyway, thanks for your hard work on today’s first shoot! I’d love to grab dinner if I could, but we have an early morning shoot tomorrow.”
“Haha. We’ll have a celebratory dinner when the first episode airs, right?”
“That’s true, hahahaha!”

The director, still grinning from the successful shoot, disappeared. I exchanged farewells with all the staff and actors before heading back to the van. My manager was elsewhere, briefly speaking with a staff member.

Ding!

[You’re practically getting a free pass, aren’t you? And your acting is just getting by on talent too.]

It had been a while since I’d seen the System Window. I crunched on a candy as I looked at it.

“Did you have a good strike?”

[…It wasn’t a strike, you know?]

“Really? Then did you have a good vacation? Did you go to Hawaii or something?”

[Yes, it was really nice, I went surfing^^]

Surfing my ass….
Ever since I’d accepted the acting role, the System Window had been grinding its teeth at me as if harboring a grudge. I could feel that resentment so acutely even through the text.

“Let’s cut to the chase.”

[….]

“What the hell are you, you bastard?”

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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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