The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

A short while later, the recording studio door swung open.

“Hello, this is Ichae.”

It was Kang Ichae, who now seemed a bit more normal.

He brushed back his hair, which had been a mess from being squashed under the hat, and lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“Haha, this is The Dawn’s Kang Ichae.”

“What about the pineapple hat earlier?”

“It’s the resident spirit of the recording studio.”

“Come on, hyung. Resident spirit? More like a lovely fairy.”

I brushed away Kang Ichae’s hand as he playfully poked my cheek and turned around to speak.

“…?”

Kang Ichae widened his eyes at my tone, then glanced at Kang Yeonhu, the staff, and the camera.

“Aha.”

He seemed to quickly grasp what was going on, as if he were a perceptive little rascal.

With an amused expression, he narrowed his eyes and bent toward me, speaking in a low voice that the audio would definitely pick up.

“Was I not enough?”

“Ichae, why are you saying something so upsetting?”

Ding!

[Poke my eyes out]

[Please, just stop, you two!!]

Honestly, Kang Ichae should have written the script of this program’s romance subplot.

As we chuckled at the impact of each other’s words, one of the camera staff zoomed in on the pineapple hat discarded on the floor.

“If only you could love me just the way I am~?”

Meanwhile, Kang Ichae sat cross-legged on the chair, energetically turning his body this way and that as he laid down beats and melodies.

Since it was a familiar sight, I didn’t think much of it, but Kang Yeonhu seemed unable to focus.

I had no choice but to leave him be for a while and engaged in some small talk with Kang Ichae.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say Bang Bang was coming today?”

“He said he’d be at the practice room with Seonghyeon-hyung. I guess he changed his mind~?”

“Bang Bang?”

“It’s our maknae’s nickname.”

At Kang Yeonhu’s muttering, Kang Ichae glanced over and answered.

“Shouldn’t you call me HouHou too, sunbae?”

“…”

When I grinned and added my comment, Kang Yeonhu immediately scooted to the edge of the sofa.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Kang Ichae turned on a beat and started humming.

“Hoo~ Hoo, not a ramen you blow on, what kind of nickname is that~.”

“…”

“Where did your naming sense~ go~?”

His teasing was utterly baseless.

Only after I gave him a light smack on the back did Kang Ichae start working seriously.

“Alright, pick, pick~! Hoyun-hyung mentioned last time that he wanted something that matched the seasons, so I picked out a beat that would suit the summer~.”

The melodies flowed out one by one.

Kang Yeonhu, who had been quietly listening until the end, carefully took out a notebook from his bag and offered it forward.

“These are just some lyrics I’ve scribbled down so far, in case they might help….”

“…Oh?”

Although he was helping because I asked, Kang Ichae had been restless about having to create a song for a unit that included a member from another group but widened his eyes after what Kang Yeonhu said.

“Sunbae, you’re well prepared, aren’t you?”

He seemed to like it quite a bit.

“I also like that it’s analog. Can I tweak it a bit?”

“Of course.”

Having found some composure, Kang Yeonhu smiled for the first time here.

Kang Ichae looked over the lyrics, tapping the table with his pen as if keeping time, then started crossing out lines and changing the melody with a pen between his lips.

“Hmm, the high-teen concept is nice, but given the members, should we try to bring out a bit more of the bad boy vibe?”

“Why are you looking at me when you say that?”

“Then should I look at Yeonhu-sunbae?”

As he got down to work, the smile disappeared from Kang Ichae’s face.

But satisfaction was evident in his sharp eyes.

After making several more revisions to the lyrics and tweaking the melody and beat here and there, we finally reached a point where things seemed organized.

At that moment, Kang Ichae smirked and gestured with his chin.

“Let’s record.”

“Okay.”

“…Just like that?”

“Yep, we do it right away.”

Known for their self-produced, in-house creations, the small-company idols left Kang Yeonhu, a product of a major agency, bewildered by the chaotic and spontaneous process.

Yet, somehow, he managed to finish the recording in a daze.

“It seems like we’ve got enough footage from the recording, so I’ll see you next time!”

“Yep, great work.”

Having finished earlier than expected, the staff, excited by the early wrap-up, quickly packed up and left.

After seeing them off and returning to the recording studio, I resumed my usual demeanor, prompting Kang Ichae to chuckle beside me.

“Let me do it one more time, just a moment.”

After saying he wanted to finish up a bit more, Kang Ichae listened to the recorded file, made some adjustments, and then, after reciting the rap lyrics a few times, went back into the booth to record again.

Kang Yeonhu muttered as he watched him go.

“Fascinating.”

“What is?”

“The members are lucky, but I also thought how impressive it was that they follow you.”

Kang Yeonhu, who had been watching Kang Ichae rap intently, turned to me.

“How did you manage that? You don’t seem like the type to be overly nice.”

“What a harsh thing to say.”

Kang Yeonhu exhaled in disbelief.

“Seo Hoyun, you make it hard to tell if you’re a good person or a bad one.”

“Confusing?”

Knowing that wouldn’t change anything, however.

“I can’t figure out what you’re thinking. Why are you doing this?”

That, too, was the same.

I chuckled as I flipped through Kang Ichae’s tattered songwriting notebook filled with rap lyrics.

“Yeonhu, I’m human too, so sometimes I want to do good deeds like everyone else.”

“…”

“…Oh dear.”

He was not buying it.

Kang Yeonhu had a look that said, “What nonsense are you spouting so seriously?”

“Why doesn’t anyone ever believe me?”

“You should have done something more believable.”

[Good deeds spread through word of mouth ~!

You can let others spread your good deeds as if someone else spread them.

Seo Hoyun, let’s do good deeds and create a positive image together!

※ The target of the good deed is limited to a third party unrelated to the player, and the standard of goodness is based on general consensus.

※ The designated good deeds are automatically exposed to random individuals in different forms.

※The conditions for “good deeds” have not yet been met.]

I closed the notebook and glanced at the blinking system window in my peripheral vision before turning back to Kang Yeonhu.

“Yeonhu, it’s a shame you’re so wary.”

Well, it didn’t matter.

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[…Conditions have been met.]

[Lea Purple’s “Yeonri” is relieved to see no romantic tension in the footage.]

[Lea Purple’s “Yeonri” is touched by your good deed of delivering romance lines on her behalf.]

The insurance was working perfectly.

[You can spread your good deeds related to Lea Purple’s “Yeonri” to the outside world.]

“At least someone believes in me.”

Seeing me smiling widely, Kang Yeonhu moved away from me again.

***

The first episode of Wanna Sing with Me? aired at five o’clock that Saturday.

[Title: Didn’t expect much from the Wanna Sing episode, but why is it so funny?

I turned it on without much thought and ended up watching it without even going to the bathroom.

When I saw Yeonri and Guchan paired together, I thought, is this a romance? And it got so awkward… ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Yeonri: Sa… Jjajangmyeon!

Guchan: If it’s a bit thicker, it’s jjajangmyeon…

Yeonri is really on another level…

Seeing her being restless but also really good at her job and working hard is just too cuteㅋㅋㅋㅋ Guchan’s random comments…

└They don’t seem to talk about anything personal… Just work talk between them.

└It makes more sense to say there’s romance between me and my boss.

└└…Oh, that’s creepy as hell.

└└Ah, this is hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Title: What is Seo Hoyun even doing?

I already thought he was unusual from his personal content, but

What is he doing to Kang Yeonhu?

Did you see Kang Yeonhu’s eyes shaking?

└Looking at how they were paired beforehand, it seems the producers were aiming for Yeonri & Guchan as the best couple, but Seo Hoyun stole the show.

└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋAhㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Most of the viewers were laughing as the first episode passed the halfway point.

In the beginning, Seo Hoyun didn’t have much screen time except during the unit announcement, and he wasn’t very talkative either.

But at some point, it seemed like he was subtly flirting with Kang Yeonhu, and the final scene took it to a peak.

– Hoyun: “I’m excited.”

Originally, the producers intended to pair Mars’ main vocal with Lea Purple’s maknae.

However, instead of a fresh and youthful tension, all that was left between them was a solemn camaraderie, as if they were just trying to survive together.

Instead, an unexpected jackpot hit elsewhere.

There was no reason for the producers to reject it since the cast set the stage and even added humor on their own.

Thus, the scene where Seo Hoyun delivered his guilty line to Kang Yeonhu became the finale.

It was even edited like a drama ending scene, with sweet music playing as the BGM.

[I’m excited

Clatter… I’m excited… Clatter…]

[Honestly, I’m really taken aback, Hoyun…

You always ignore and laugh off any attention, so why are you doing this with another group? I’m really taken aback, but… you know what… do whatever you want]

[Seo Hoyun’s guilty remarks are so well-delivered that the Noeuls are just blinded.]

Then, videos titled “Seo Hoyun’s Guilty Remarks Compilation” started flooding YouTube.

Most of them were from self-produced contents or comments casually thrown at his fellow The Dawn members during V-Live, or whispered conversations with Noeul at fan sign events.

There was even a video edited from the single episode of Wanna Sing With Me? showing “Seo Hoyun being nice to Kang Yeonhu.”

[Why is this guy acting like this???]

It wasn’t just his words; his actions were noticeably different.

Like pouring water first, holding the door open, or looking with eyes dripping with honey, and so…

– Yeonhu: “Ha…”

Every time, Kang Yeonhu’s awkward smile gradually stiffened, and in the end, it turned sour.

In contrast, Seo Hoyun’s smile became even brighter.

This contrast became a hot topic on SNS and various communities.

[Hey, Kang Yeonhu is becoming increasingly distrustful]

[Is Seo Hoyun teasing Kang Yeonhu? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWhy is this combo so cute? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└He can’t even argue since he’s genuinely being niceㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Kang Yeonhu eventually said, “Why are you doing this to me…?”]

[It seems like Hoyun is sucking the energy out of Yeonhu right now]

An unexpected chemistry emerged between the groups that competed for first place in Shining Star Season 2.

[Title: Yeonhu isn’t trying to shed his boring image this time

He seems genuinely pissed at Seo Hoyun

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋIt’s so cute seeing him get flustered by his dongsaengㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ We always saw him so composed in the team. ㅠㅠㅠ So cute ㅠㅠ

└└ But if I were in his shoes, I’d be flustered too if Seo Hoyun acted like that with that face.]

As a result, the tense relationship between the fandoms, like a rubber band about to snap, softened just a bit.

The Noeuls were somewhat accustomed to Seo Hoyun’s peculiar antics that only appeared on variety shows, so they just laughed it off.

But the High Five fandom was ablaze with Kang Yeonhu’s unexpected side.

[Yeonhu, I think this is the first time I’ve seen you so flustered since your debut. My heart is burning black…

└Haha… Well, it wouldn’t be WH Entertainment without at least one person like Joo Woosung with his eternal dorkiness… So cute, seriously…

└└Ah~~!! Seo Howhow, I really hated you during Shining Star, but now I’m bowing to you in all directions, fuck. You’re a bad guy, but thank you.][1]

Amidst such positive reactions, the second episode aired.

After the first episode, the MC panelists were aware that the chemistry between Seo Hoyun and Kang Yeonhu was more popular than that of Mars’ main vocal and Lea Purple’s maknae, so they weren’t going to let that golden opportunity slip by.

– MC Ji: “You two have been showing great chemistry lately… Do you keep in touch privately as well?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Kang Yeonhu hesitated briefly before answering.

Normally, he would have glossed over it, saying they kept in touch occasionally, but for some reason, seeing Seo Hoyun smirking beside him made his blood boil.

– Yeonhu: “When we get back…”

– MC Ji: “Yes~!”

– Yeonhu: “Seo Hoyun doesn’t reply to my texts.”

Kang Yeonhu decided to make a bold move to mess with Seo Hoyun, but the studio was turned upside down by his statement.

– MC Park: “Ah, this is Seo Hoyun’s fault~!”

The atmosphere was almost like, “Our Yeonhu was really upset with Hoyun~?”

– Yeonhu: “Wait a minute, I’m serious! Hoyun only treats me well when the camera’s rolling!”

– MC: Ahahaㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Even as Kang Yeonhu, looking very flustered, passionately argued things like, “He plays with my emotions,” “I can’t tell what he’s thinking,” and “He has zero interest in me”—all of which were 200% true—the more he spoke, the more the panel looked at him with affectionate eyes and simply nodded along.

In the end, a frustrated Kang Yeonhu clammed up, but later, the caption “25-year-old Kang Yeonhu, craving love and attention” was added to the scene.

– MC Ji: “At this point, we need to hear Hoyun’s side of the story! Hoyun, what do you think after hearing Yeonhu’s words??”

Seo Hoyun, who had been consistently listening to Kang Yeonhu’s story, slightly lowered his eyebrows.

– Hoyun: “Our story… I’d rather not share it with others.”

– MC Park: “Why not?”

– Yeonhu: “Huh??”

As all eyes focused on him, Seo Hoyun took a moment before speaking slowly.

– Hoyun: “Because I want to keep it just between us.”

– Yeonhu: “…!”

At the same time, two skull marks appeared next to Kang Yeonhu.

[Seo Hoyun, you crazy bastardㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

With the rosy caption “A world of their own…” the scene transitioned to the main vocal of Mars and the maknae of Lea Purple.

– Yeonri: (Doom-chit-doom-chit) “Sunbae. Really. Looking forward. To the stage.”

– Guchan: (Doom-chit-bak-chit) “Let’s. Do well. Together.”

[What is this, it’s so absurd it’s hilariously funny]

[Ah ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋ큐ㅠㅠㅠㅠ What are these two doing ㅠㅠㅠㅠ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

They were doing their best within their capabilities, but their awkward tone and beatboxing from a distance only made it funnier.

At this point, one might wonder if there was any point in following the script, but the humor derived from the gap between the scripted lines and their awkwardness made it not bad for a variety show.

Of course, not all opinions were positive.

[It’s funny, but… am I the only one feeling uneasy ㅠ

Seo Hoyun and Kang Yeonhu were awkward during Shining Star.

If they wanted to bond, wouldn’t it have been better to do it during ShiStar? Hoyun isn’t so clueless that he wouldn’t know this, so why is he acting this way??

└But you really can’t tell what he’s thinking… Just when you think you’ve understood his character, he does something completely unexpected…]

While the various fandoms were buzzing, a certain photo appeared on a community site before sunrise.

[What the hell]

Everyone was left speechless.

[Title: Wanna Sing With Me? Script Leak]

[WTF;;;;;;;]

[What is thisㅋㅋㅋㅋYou crazy bastardsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

.

.

.

A few minutes earlier, Seo Hoyun, leisurely sipping coffee at the dorm while ignoring texts from WH Entertainment-affiliated celebrities (Joo, Kang, and Chae), looked at the spreading post with satisfaction and put his phone down.

[You have activated an item.

The player’s good deed is spreading to the outside world.]

The system window flickered above his gaze.

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[Processing…]

[…Processing complete.]

Then, a new window appeared.

[To announce the player’s good deed, a part of Wanna Sing With Me?’s script has been leaked.]

[1] HowHow – That’s how the poster spelled Hoyun’s original stage name.