The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Its delicious~.

Haha, right. Glad you came.

While munching on the grilled eel that Kang Ichae sang praises for, Seong Jiwon was acting as he usually did.

He laughed often, hummed tunes occasionally, and even made sure to take care of all the members. His kindness peaked when he took out cup noodles from his bag for the whining members who claimed to be hungry even after the meal.

Eating cup noodles when youre starving is seriously the best.

Wow~, our youngests seems to have lived a full life already

As the younger members gleefully anticipated the noodles Seong Jiwon had taken out, he just chuckled and quietly stood up.

Thats when it happened.

Where are you going?

Seo Hoyun, who seemed to be in a particularly bad mood today, asked. Jiwon rolled his eyes slightly but responded lightly.

Arent you thirsty? Ill go buy us some drinks.

Hyung, its late~.

We can order room service.

Theres a convenience store close by, right? Ill just go and get some fresh air. Ill be back soon.

Jiwon-hyung, should I come with you?

As Kang Ichae tried to get up, Seo Hoyun suddenly grabbed his arm. Kang Ichae frowned as they exchanged glances. But Seong Jiwon, whose mind was already elsewhere, failed to notice.

Ill be quick.

Seong Jiwon offered a faint smile to the other members and stubbornly went outside. Even though no one followed him, his steps quickened as he moved further away from the hotel.

The smile that had lingered on his lips faded away.

Ah.

He had acted nonchalant in front of the noisy members, but in truth, Seong Jiwon was anxious.

It seemed the members hadnt noticed yet.

Seo Hoyun had asked if it was a sasaeng but hadnt brought it up again. The other members didnt even mention it.

Seong Jiwon reviewed his memories, trying to figure out if he had made any mistakes.

No news is good news, I guess.

The members would still be joking around and bickering back at the dorm, and he could return as if nothing had happened, blending in naturally. Just the thought of it was satisfying and made him happy.

They were nothing like the trainees from D.go Entertainment.

No, maybe it wasnt the trainees fault.

They hadnt always been like that.

In D.gos competitive environment, where scores and rankings dictated everything, trainees were subtly coerced to keep up or risk feeling worthless if they fell behind. This left them with little choice.

Jealousy, envy, endless rumors, and the torrent of criticism that sometimes choked you up. And the filthy, sticky mud pit that felt like it would drown you if you stepped in.

Having seen, heard, and experienced all of this, Seong Jiwon really

Annoying.

This time, he absolutely did not want to compromise.

Determined to finish quickly and return to the members, Seong Jiwon stood in a narrow alley a little away from the hotel, staring at his phone which shone brightly in the dark night.

In fact, Seong Jiwon hadnt changed his phone number. On the contrary, he had tried hard to remember that sasaengs number.

Zzzing!

As the vibration continued, he coolly sorted out his thoughts with an unusually cold expression.

It wasnt about whether to cut off the sasaeng or not.

It was about whether he had the courage to take the risk and dig deeper into this issue.

However, his contemplation on the question was shorter than he thought.

Of course, I want to know.

Clutching at fleeting memories, Seong Jiwon drooped his tired gaze.

But this isnt right

And just as his finger was about to touch the phone.

!

Seong Jiwon.

Someone abruptly stopped his hand.

Startled, Seong Jiwon almost dropped his phone, but it was deftly caught by

What are you doing?

It was none other than Seo Hoyun, who had been moody all afternoon, now looking at him with piercing eyes.

***

Has this guy gone crazy?

Just in case, Hoyun had followed Jiwon after a short delay.

But sneaking out here without the members knowing just to answer a sasaengs call?

I was so dumbfounded that I just stared at Seong Jiwon.

Seong Jiwon looked at me with shocked eyes as if seeing a ghost. Then he blinked.

Uh, Hoyun. When did you get here?

What are you doing?

Me? I was just going to buy some drinks

Drinks?

I burst out laughing. It certainly wasnt out of joy. My mood, which had been somewhat tolerable until just now, had plummeted in an instant.

Seong Jiwon, you

Do you find lying fun?

I had always been relatively gentle with Seong Jiwon. Seeing me speak so bluntly made Seong Jiwons shoulders flinch.

I pressed my fingers to my forehead to suppress my rising irritation.

Sigh, can you just stop pretending not to know and answer properly from now on?UppTodated from

About what?

You were about to answer that call just now.

Seong Jiwon moved his lips as if to say something, but then averted my gaze. It was as good as an admission, and he knew it wouldnt do him any good to deny it here.

He hung his head low and after a while, Seong Jiwon mumbled hesitantly.

I just wanted to know something.

My eyebrows twitched. Seong Jiwon raised his head again and met my gaze head-on.

Being cautious, lying, hiding I did all that because theres something I want to know, Hoyun.

Everyone has something theyre desperate for

It felt like I was being admonished.

Ah.

I cursed inwardly after hearing his words.

Damn it

My head throbbed as if I had been smacked on the back of the head.

Only then did I realize that Seong Jiwons current situation, as he looked at me squarely, wasnt all that different from how I had been treating the members all this time.

Everyone has something theyre desperate for?

Is he actually threatening me now?

If he was just doing the trifecta of being cautious, lying, and hiding, that would be a relief.

Me? Ive threatened people, insisted on my way, swallowed my pride, and flirted shamelessly. Because I also wanted to know something.

So this is your move, Seong Jiwon.

It was clear I was at a disadvantage.

The laughter and chatter with the members until just now felt like a lie and vanished. So, I lowered my head for a moment.

Could I really claim a double standard without telling them, thinking I could get away with it? Did I really need to borrow the power of an item?

While furiously tapping away at the mental calculator in my head Seong Jiwon tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe.

Hoyun.

Lets do this. I was planning not to contact them, but not changing my phone number was madness in itself, so Im grateful you stopped me. Really I wont go any further than this.

Seong Jiwon slowly sorted out the situation.

So, you

Seong Jiwon pulled out his trump card.

He clearly knew I was hiding something. And I knew that Seong Jiwon had something on his mind as well. With both of us understanding the situation, there were only two possibilities.

Either spill everything or bury all secrets.

Just as I had done with countless others, including Kim Jaeyeon.

I looked at him, contemplating the terms of the deal I could offer

Just give me a little more time.

when Seong Jiwon made his request.

What?

Sorry to bother you when youre busy, and for asking this favor.

Seong Jiwon looked troubled. But unlike me, who couldnt grasp the situation, he seemed to have already sorted out his thoughts as he nodded.

I just cant bring myself to say it now. When Im ready, Ill tell you first.

It sounded a bit deflating.

Is it too shameless to ask?

I couldnt find the words to respond.

Seong Jiwon just

Just let go of my issue.

All the conditions I was weighing in my head just evaporated.

Seong Jiwon finally smiled faintly after studying my face.

Youll listen to me.

Despite the fact that I hadnt said anything.

In the silence that piled up and settled heavily, I, who hadnt properly placed my bet and felt like a cowardly loser, bowed my head But I still felt the vibration from Seong Jiwons phone, which I was still holding tightly.

[Seonghyeon]

It was Kim Seonghyeon.

After looking at him hopelessly, I sighed and handed the phone to Seong Jiwon. He glanced up to check my reaction and cautiously accepted the phone.

Ah, uh Seonghyeon. Yeah. Ill be right there. Yeah, Hoyun is here too.

I stood there listening to the noisy chatter coming from the other side of the phone while Seong Jiwon spoke gently as usual. After ending the call, he took a step towards me.

Um, Hoyun.

And he really watched me like a hawk.

I avoided his kind eyes and answered,

What?

Dajun wants me to buy cola.

Jeong Dajun

This damn maknae

The moment I heard that, my simmering irritation exploded, and I turned and strode away, leaving Seong Jiwon behind. The frustration wasnt with Seong Jiwon; it was with myself.

Seong Jiwon called out behind me with a noticeably flustered voice.

Should I buy it by myself?

Do whatever you want.

Okay!

I felt like a single cigarette would have cleared my frustration, but when I instinctively reached into my pocket there wasnt even a piece of candy, let alone a cigarette, that Kang Ichae used to give me. I tilted my head back and exhaled a heavy sigh.

Ha, seriously, nothing is going right

My luck today was absolutely terrible.

I ended up going back to the convenience store for candy after almost getting close to the hotel, but I regretted not going to one further away because I ran into Seong Jiwon, who was awkwardly smiling as he reached for a cola.

Ah.

Are you going to pay for the cola?

Seriously my luck today was the worst.