The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

I could already see Lim Hyunsoo grabbing the back of her neck and collapsing.

 

“… I apologize in advance~”

 

“Ahaha, what are you going to do with an apology?”

 

I wasn’t particularly sorry, but it was an apology for the broadcasting.

 

I sat on the chair and brushed my hair up.
I held the microphone, not forgetting to sigh with Lim Hyunsoo’s unique irritation.

 

“Jung Dajoon-ssi.”

 

“Uh, ye… yes.”

 

“Why do you think a beat exists?”

 

Jung Dajoon was startled as if he were surprised.

 

“I-I’m sorry.”

 

“You shouldn’t be sorry to me, you should be sorry to the viewers.
After watching such a low-quality stage in the evening, the taste of their food will drop.”

 

“Ahahaha!”

 

Yoo Jiah already burst into laughter.

 

By the way, the lines I was acting out were actually what Lim Hyunsoo had said.

 

Super Singer lasted until season 5, and Lim Hyunsoo was the judge in every season, so even the other idols were seen holding back their laughter.

 

However, Jung Dajoon shed tears and lowered his head.
I didn’t know if he was acting or serious.

 

“I’m sorry, I… I should have practiced with the recorder harder…”

 

“Practice hard?”

 

“What?”

 

“If you’re going to practice hard, why does talent exist?”

 

“Hahaha! It’s so similar!”

 

“Oh, no… I… My cheekbones hurt.”

 

At this point, Yoo Jiah was almost crying with her head on the table.
Come to think of it, Yoo Jiah seemed to be close to Lim Hyunsoo.

 

After shocking not only the production team but also the members, we finished the skit.

 

“No, how can you be so similar?”

 

You could if you watched the same edit 30 times or more.

 

“Because she’s someone I admire.”

 

I turned to the camera.

 

In order to prevent controversy, I pretended to be close and drove a wedge.

 

“Composer-nim, I admire you a lot.
Thank you always!”

 

I winked at the camera.
Jung Dajoon looked at the camera and bent 90 degrees as if he was still scared of Lim Hyunsoo.

 

I found out later, but it was funny that Lim Hyunsoo’s direct comment [Hoyoon-ah, let’s stop contacting each other now] was posted in the caption.

 

Anyway, Yoo Jiah laughed for a long time and managed to pick up the microphone.

 

“Oh, if I had the right to vote, I would have voted here.
Thank you very much.
Personally, I think it’s the most synchronized impersonation of Lim Hyunsoo.
I guess it’s because we know each other, so I was really into it.
Oh, my stomach hurts.”

 

Yoo Jiah raised her head while muttering.

 

The idols who came up next were nervous and focused only on image management, so they didn’t get reactions as good as we did.

 

Especially, Today.

 

“That… I…”

 

“Yes, Yoohyuk-ssi.
Have you decided on your personal skills?”

 

“Aegyo, I’ll do aegyo!”

 

He couldn’t dance and sing so he was going to throw in aegyo?

 

Well… it wasn’t a bad choice.

 

If this wasn’t a team competition audition program.

 

Yoohyuk winked with his eyes wrinkled and clenched his fist.

 

“Hey! Can I say that?”

 

“….”

 

“Can I say you’re mine?”

 

“Wow…”

 

“I need a nickname that only the two of us know.
Baby, baby, be mine from today!”

 

Can I close my eyes?

 

Everyone slid their eyes away and was quite embarrassed.

 

In particular, Today’s juniors were deeply concerned about how to respond to Yoohyuk’s show, which lasted about 30 seconds.

 

I admired Yoohyuk, who completed the action by making a heart with his fingers and biting it.

 

‘Still, Yoohyuk is working hard!’

 

“…Wow~….”

 

All that was left on the set was a cold silence.
The polite juniors tried hard to clap for Today.

 

“That’s cute…”

 

“Um… As expected, seniors are different.”

 

Yoohyuk did his part and lowered his face, perhaps ashamed.

 

No, well.
Today’s fans might like it.
Idol’s aegyo was still a good meme.

 

However, it wasn’t a picture that the staff wanted in this fierce competition program.

 

Kim Heeyoung was already cursing with her eyes.

 

I bet Kim Heeyoung would put this in every scene where he clearly picked a fight.

 

“Hahaha, really…”

 

“…”

 

“It was a good aegyo.”

 

Yoo Jiah was on the set, so she couldn’t bear to say more, but she picked up the next card with a look that said ‘Heh…’.

 

“Okay then.
Shall we vote?”

 

The voting for the talent show was held under three rules.

 

You cannot vote for the group you belong to.

 

Voting will be conducted according to the maximum number of members.

 

The group that receives the most votes wins first place.

 

Thinking that it was an obvious result, I entered the ticket on the terminal I had received in advance.

 

After some time passed and all the idols finished voting, Yoo Jiah smiled and made a set comment.

 

“Then, I will confirm the honorable No.
1 that will receive an exclusive additional broadcast.”

 

The huge monitor, which she gestured with her back turned, recalled the letters that seemed to be written urgently.

 

Gulim font.
Fortunately, it wasn’t gungseo font, but if I were you, I’d fire them.

 

“The Dawn!”

 

“Whoaa!”

 

“Hyung, additional broadcast!”

 

As soon as our group name was called, Jung Dajoon hugged me.

 

The other members surrounded me and jumped around, but I felt like I was going to die from the frenzy.

 

“Hey, calm down.
Calm down.”

 

When I removed Jung Dajoon and escaped from the members, Yoo Jiah stuck out her thumb, and an unknown expression passed by Kim Heeyoung’s face.

 

A face that said, ‘Don’t be too happy.’

 

I turned my eyes from there.
Fortunately, the break came just in time.

 

“Let’s take a break until the next performance!”

 

And as soon as the camera was turned off, Yoohyuk, whose face turned red, came straight ahead as if he had waited for it.

 

“Ah, sunbae-nim.”

 

“Hey, you bastard.”

 

I greeted him politely, but he roughly grabbed my shoulder.

 

“Wow.”

 

Next to me, Kang Yichae uttered an exclamation.
Even if the camera was turned off, how could he behave so confidently in front of the staff? Yoohyuk asked with a huff.

 

“Are you guys planning to fuck with me?”

 

When I was about to answer, Kang Yichae intervened.

 

“Eeh, what are you talking about?”

 

“What, you again?”

 

“Sunbae, was it because we were too funny?”

 

What’s this? It was unexpected that Kang Yichae stepped forward.
The guy who always laughed next to me and just sat on the sidelines.

 

Kang Yichae smiled.

 

“Don’t get mad.
Our Dajoon will play the recorder for you again~”

 

“This bastard…! You guys knew beforehand, right? That you’re not allowed to sing and dance at the talent show! You already that if you write first place, you’ll get a second chance, don’t you?!”

 

“My goodness.
What do you see with your eyes?”

 

I picked my ears.

 

Then Yoohyuk, whose eyes flashed, reached out his hand in an instant.
At this moment, Kang Yichae, who was caught in the middle, opened his eyes wide.

 

“Come here!”

 

I struck out Yoohyuk’s hand and grabbed Kang Yichae and pushed him back.

 

“Huh.”

 

Go back.
Noticing that, Kang Yichae slightly frowned and obediently moved away.
There was no need for the members to get caught up with a guy like that.

 

Because I got this covered anyway.

 

 “Hey.”

 

“…What? Did you just say hey?”

 

“Are you scared?”

 

“…!”

 

“If you wrote it down, wouldn’t you win first place too? You get slapped in Jongno and go to glare at the Han River [1] , why is that?”

 

Yoohyuk opened his mouth after taking the single shot.

 

I thought about provoking it a little more, but this was enough for now.
All the attention was drawn this way.
I was satisfied because this was what I intended.

 

The fact that the relationship between The Dawn and Today was bad would spread better.
I didn’t expect that Today would fan it like this.

 

Yoohyuk, this bastard, he’s quite useful?

 

He was stupid.

 

“…You, you…!”

 

It seemed he couldn’t speak easily because he didn’t expect that a distant junior would speak informally, but I didn’t miss the chance.

 

“Well, then, have a good day.
We’re going to get ready for the stage.”

 

“Hey, hey… Stand there!”

 

Ignoring him, I grabbed Kang Yichae and walked away.
I thought Kang Yichae would laugh and tease me as usual, but he didn’t say anything.

 

I looked at him, wondering if he had been hit somewhere earlier.

 

“What is it? Where did you get hit?”

 

“No…” 

 

Kang Yichae narrowed his eyes and looked at me.
Then he shrugged his shoulders and went ahead.

 

I wondered why he was being like that.

 

I supposed it was puberty.

 

I thought he was going ahead first, but Kang Yichae turned around.

 

“What are you waiting for, hyung?”

 

“…”

 

“Let’s get ready.”

 

Then he smiled brightly enough to show his teeth.

 

* * *

 

Kim Heeyoung looked at the atmosphere on the set.

 

It was a joke from the beginning, so the atmosphere was eased, but with this additional broadcast added, thorns were sprouting.

 

Behind sweet words and pretentious smiles, they hid the fact that they kept each other in cheks.
Viewers wouldn’t know that either.

 

‘It will be a real fire…’

 

Kim Heeyoung would live for a long time when the show aired. Because she'd get cursed at by the fandom [2] .

 

But it was an inevitable choice.
No matter how harmonious it was these days, this was a place where broadcasters only survived by drawing attention and igniting a controversy that didn’t exist for ratings.
Maybe she thought like this because it was the only thing she had seen and heard so far.

 

So Kim Heeyoung’s eyes turned to Seo Hoyoon.
Among the rookies who were nervous or pretending to be tough, he was the only one remaining calm.

 

‘Seo Hoyoon, what’s with him, seriously?’

 

Basically, all the performers wore microphones.
So all the informal words he said to Yoohyuk were included.
If people around had him recorded it, The Dawn would be over because of the controversy over his personality, but why.

 

‘Is it because he’s a golden spoon… Does he have a place to believe in?’

 

Kim Heeyoung thought so, but she couldn’t take away her interest from Seo Hoyoon.

 

If she did a good job, a good picture might come out, but did she really have to push a kid like that to the fire? Kim Heeyoung felt skeptical.

 

“PD-nim.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

“The first mission stage will start soon.
I’ll just watch the rest in the waiting room.”

 

“Okay.
hmm… .”

 

Kim Heeyoung, who was lost in thought for a moment while watching the assistant director deliver the next schedule and the stage, suddenly opened her mouth.

 

“You said Today came out last, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Change it to The Dawn.
Let’s push Today right before them.”

 

“What? But… Investors and Today’s fans won’t leave it alone.”

 

“Are they going to fire me for changing that order? They won’t be able to tell when it gets broadcasted anyway.”

 

Kim Heeyoung looked down.
The kids who were more famous than The Dawn were fierce.
But…

 

“When Today performs, we will focus on The Dawn’s reactions, and when The Dawn performs, we will focus on Today’s.”

 

“PD-nim, that means… .”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Sorry.

 

Kim Heeyoung was eventually pushing young kids, who were in their early twenties at best, into hell.

 

Although feeling guilty, Kim Heeyoung’s head gradually drew a picture of the first episode.

 

“Let’s make a confrontation between those two.”

 

She didn’t want to be swayed by the agency.

 

She couldn’t change the first-place winner, but she would try to stir up a riot here.

 

* * *

 

“Yes?”

 

“W-We’re the last ones?”

 

Kim Sunghyun’s voice stammered in astonishment when he heard that the order had been changed.
I thought we would come out first, so I was getting ready to go out.
The camera focused on our surprised faces.

 

I sat in the back and burst out laughing.

 

It ended up like this, Kim Heeyoung.

 

“It happened because the filming got a little twisted.
Today comes out next.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“You can prepare for it, right?”

 

“Yes.
It’s not like we’re being pushed ahead of time.”

 

“There might be a lot of pressure because you come up last, but fighting.”

 

They said that on purpose.

 

At the words ‘last’ and ‘pressure’, a storm of anxiety, anxiety, and concern was sweeping through Jung Dajoon’s eyes.

 

“H-Hyung, what should we do?”

 

“Well, isn’t it obvious?”

 

Sung Jiwon jumped to his feet.

 

“It means we can practice more.”

 

“Hey, that’s right.”

 

“That being said, Kang Yichae, come here.
You don’t seem to fit here.”

 

“Argh!”

 

Kang Yichae was taken as a scapegoat.
Everyone turned their heads with a face that said, ‘It’s fine as long it’s not me’.

 

While Kang Yichae was caught and tormented by Sung Jiwon, Nightmare’s performance began.

 

The story was about Cinderella and female idols not going home even if it was already 12 o’clock.

 

[Don’t go, our party starts here]

 

The lyrics were a little tacky, but the stage itself was well-decorated.
Perhaps because they were all young, the concept of a younger man asking the other person not to go home was expressed in a cool and refreshing way.

 

“They’re good.”

 

“Wow, how did they do that?”

 

While the rest of the members were reacting hard, I glanced at the camera that focused on The Dawn.

 

‘It’s Kim Heeyoung’s fault.’

 

She changed the order.
It had a tremendous impact on the stage.
It wasn’t for no reason that  the most popular idols at Music Bank or at the year-end music awards were put last

 

It was a period when even the viewers who watched it from the middle of the show could watch.
It was a determination to attract the attention of many viewers.

 

It was the same with the competition programs.

 

Even if it wasn’t for the influence of the agency, Today would most likely be organized last.
Because they were more popular than other groups.

 

We would have been in the second or third order at most in terms of popularity.
However, in this situation, it was normal for The Dawn to perform last, and it was obvious that the rest of their fandom would grind the rest of our fandom to dust.

 

Is it a PD pick or manipulation?

 

‘There’s someone else who manipulates it.’

 

Kim Heeyoung must have expected that far, but she decided to push us into the pit of fire.

 

It was obvious that the more we got cursed, the better the ratings would be.

 

“Today sunbae-nims are performing.”

 

Jung Dajoon murmured.
Sung Jiwon’s eyes were infinitely serious as he stopped pressuring Kang Yichae and looked at the stage.

 

The group where Sung Jiwon might have debuted together.

 

The hit song that everyone knew, White Cherry’s beat came out.
The arrangement was only adjusted to a male key.
The concept of a mermaid that everyone was familiar with also looked good.

 

How good are the skills of Today’s members?

 

Is it befitting of their reputation?

 

[Right okay,

 

You capture me in an instant]

 

The Dawn members looked at the stage in silence.

 

The stage effect that popped under the colorful lights, the fluttering confetti, and the money-grinding set.

 

After the three-minute stage, Today’s members took a breathless ending pose in the center of the stage.

 

“Let’s move.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

The camera turned off, and we walked into the dark hallway behind the stage without saying anything.

 

I ran into the Today members who were coming down the stage.
Yoohyuk gestured with his eyes and shrugged.

 

“Hey, did you see that?”

 

“See what?”

 

“Honestly, you don’t dare to mess around, do you? Have you ever worn something like this?”

 

Yoohyuk giggled.
Come to think of it, their costumes were luxurious from head to toe.
In addition, the rich beat and set composition were honestly so spectacular that anyone could tell they were jaw-dropping.
It was the financial power of so-called large companies.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry.
You’re from a filthy agency, so you guys don’t get boosts like this, right? Do you have a practice room?”

 

“Watch your words.”

 

Kim Sunghyun moved forward in anger.
Falling for Yoohyuk’s provocation, Kim Sunghyun quietly glared at him.

 

I snatched the back of Kim Sunghyun’s neck and pulled him back.
Kim Sunghyun stepped back saying, oh.

 

Yeah… Our practice room looked like shit.

 

“Honestly, I don’t dare to mess with you.”

 

“Do you finally get it?”

 

“Your skills are so bad.”

 

“…!”

 

Today members’ skills were not bad.
The stage wasn’t bad either.
They poured in money, so I thought they would look pretty on the camera to some extent.

 

But unfortunately, they…

 

They couldn’t do group work.

 

Ring! 

 

I was going to be done with it, but when I saw the option appearing, I stopped smiling.

 

[Choice

 

– That’s too bad, sunbae-nim☆  Please work harder.

 

– You’re still so bad even if they take care of you, just~ kidding~

 

– Sunbae-nim, your words were too harsh just now.
Please be a little considerate in the future.]

 

Finally, an option that made sense and was very polite came up, was what I usually would say, but I didn’t want to choose it.

 

“It’s such a pity that you’re still so bad even if they take care of you.”

 

“…What?”

1. It’s a Korean proverb meaning venting your anger on the weak after being attacked by the strong. 2. There’s a saying in Korea that if you get cursed at, you’ll live longer