The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

“Hello, I’m PD Kim Hee-young, who is in charge of planning Shining Star.”

Kim Heeyoung had a unique pronunciation. Soft while dragging the end of her words. Besides, even though she was in her mid-30s, her face looked so young that she could be called a college student.

With those characteristics, everyone who encountered Kim Heeyoung for the first time thought like this.

Oh, this chick must be easy to handle.

“Hello! We’re The Dawn.”

“You came an hour early today?”

“Ah, yes!”

“I told you to come on time because the schedule ahead is tight.” 

And that thought was shattered within five minutes.

“Do you have foreign members? Can’t you understand Korean?”

“PD-nim! The camera is on here.”

“We’re going to edit it out. What are you afraid of?”

“PD-nim!”

‘She’s still the same…’

When everyone was at loss for words, the assistant director softly looked around. Then the manager waved his hand in astonishment. Because she was not an unknown idol, but a well-known producer.

“My apologies, we must have misinterpreted it.”

“I hope you come on time next time.”

People usually got scolded for coming late, but we got scolded for coming in early?

Everyone’s faces were saying that, but it was clear that Kim Heeyoung was annoyed for nothing because she had stayed up all night. No, before that, she acted like someone who was unhappy with the program itself.

Kim Heeyoung, who had been called out from the break room, kept yawning and fluttering the proposal.

“Well, since you’re here, let’s start… First of all, you said you’re The Dawn from Daepasong, right? You were a hot topic.”

“Yes, the Dawn members are really hard workers.”

“You shouldn’t work so hard.”

Kim Heeyoung sighed deeply. The faces of the members hardened as they realized what she meant.

“From left to right, Sung Jiwon-ssi, Kim Sunghyun-ssi…”

Still, Kim Heeyoung slowly recited, apparently trying to do her job. I, who was suddenly mentioned last, tried to be as calm as possible.

“…and Seo Hoyoon-ssi.”

“…”

“Well…”

Kim Heeyoung tilted her head and looked at me for a particularly long time.

‘What’s wrong?’

A cold sweat started to run down my back.

Did she recognize me?

No, it was impossible.

Lim Hyunsoo and Joo Woosung all lost their memories of me. This was not the world where PD Seo lived but the world where the unknown idol Seo Hoyoon lived.

Sure enough, Kim Heeyoung nodded.

“Seo Hoyoon-ssi… You’re very handsome.”

“…Thank you.”

“I think you’ll look good on camera. You’ve got a fierce look on your face….”

You…

She murmured quietly to herself.

The members kept glancing at me with faces saying ‘Hyung, what’s wrong with you?’, ‘Since a while ago, your expression…’. I must have a rather strange look on my face.

When Kim Heeyoung’s gaze slipped out, Kim Sunghyun, who was next to me, noticed and tapped my side.

He was telling me to come back to my senses.

No, I wanted that too. I wanted to come back to my senses, but my ex-girlfriend, Kim Heeyoung, was staring right in front of me, what can I do?

“Well… Let’s cut to the point. I think you’ve seen the whole plan.”

“Yes, it’s so interesting!”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, I’m glad that The Dawn’s members like it. Honestly, I sure as fuck don’t.”

“PD Kim!”

The assistant director next to her was startled and stopped her.

“Are you crazy, PD-nim? Seriously, what’s wrong with you? If you talk like that in front of young rookies, what will they think of you?”

“Ah… I don’t want to be like this either.”

“Then why are you being like this?”

“I don’t like it, so what can I do? Crazy higher-ups told me to do this~ Do that~ They’re interfering. Do they think people are expendable? Fuck…”

 Kim Heeyoung continued to murmur like a madman.

The faces of everyone except Kim Heeyoung and me turned red and blue like the lights of a laser show, changing every second.

‘Ugh… I don’t want to talk to her as much as possible.’

I was the only one who could stop Kim Heeyoung from running wild here. Eventually, I let out a deep sigh and cautiously opened my mouth.

“Excuse me, PD-nim.”

“…Yes, Hoyoon-ssi.”

“You said you would tell us the summary of today’s first recording and the mission.”

“I did.”

“Can we hear that first? We didn’t come here to hear PD-nim talk about this.”

After saying that, the faces of the members, who were already trembling at PD’s words, turned even paler. The manager flashed his eyes, as if saying, ‘We already don’t look good to the PD, but why are you picking a fight? Seo Hoyoon has finally gone crazy’. If I said one more word here, he would hit me in the head.

However, Kim Heeyoung blinked and nodded slowly.

“That’s true. I’m sorry. I’ve been out of my mind lately.”

Only then did everyone, who had been frozen, took a deep breath and their faces relaxed.

Kim Heeyoung was called the crazy bitch of this cable station area, but she was able to come this far because she was reasonable in her own way.

She slowly handed out the materials for the project.

“It’s a project with a lot of staff changes, so the recording schedule is a bit rushed. The first recording is in three days, so please take good care of me. At that time, we plan to pick out 120 seconds of each stage, I hope you prepare yourself.”

“In three days?”

“Yes. Ah, bring out the drawing lot.”

The Dawn members frowned slightly.

It was a drawing lot that would adjust the preparation, so they must have contacted Today a month ago

Kim Heeyoung’s expression hardened as she received the two drawing lots handed to her by the assistant director, but she quickly pretended to be calm.

“Now, who will pick?”

“Ah, I’ll do it.”

Naturally, leader Kim Sunghyun picked the lot.

“There are five songs by girl groups in the music industry. I wanted to do something unique, so I made a list of girl groups rather than boy groups. You’re going to compete with the songs that you each pick.”

“What songs are there?”

“White Cherry, Like Girls, Merimi, Rosemary, Itchu. Check out the song for yourself.”

All of them were outstanding girl groups. At her words, the members smiled meaningfully.

Glancing at them, Kim Heeyoung held out the drawing lot in her right hand.

“And here, you pick a note with the performance concept written on it. Fairy tales are the motif, so you will choose one of many fairy tales. Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

When Kim Heeyoung gestured, the camera came close. Nervous, Kim Sunghyun picked out the song and then the concept.

Everyone looked at him and said nothing.

“…”

[Like Girls – Want You]

The most difficult.

The song that I thought would be the most difficult.

Jung Dajoon clapped.

“Wow. Oh. Oh.”

“It. Is. Really. Brilliant.”

“Oh?”

Kim Heeyoung giggled at our awkward atmosphere.

“You guys are cute.”

The editing will look good, Kim Heeyoung murmured with her eyes curved.

* * *

“Hoyoon-ah, wait here. I don’t know where all the kids have scattered.”

“Yes. I’ll stay here.”

I didn’t know if they were a little shocked, or if they were running over to the van, but they all had scattered.

After roughly sending the manager away, I trudged around the broadcasting station. As I walked along the street not thinking of anything, my footsteps headed to the smoking area.

It’d been a while since I came here. I used to smoke here every time I came here…

I also often ran into Kim Heeyoung here.

…Right when I felt uneasy and was about to turn my steps right away.

“…Huh.”

Kim Heeyoung was really a tiger.

At this timing, I ran into Kim Heeyoung. Kim Heeyoung, who was openly smoking in front of the broadcasting station, greeted me more warmly than I expected.

“If it isn’t Hoyoon-ssi.”

“…Yes.”

I couldn’t ignore the main producer.

I approached Kim Heeyoung like a cow dragged to the slaughterhouse.

“Are you here to smoke?”

“No, I don’t smoke.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Heeyoung, seen on the outside, looked a little bit more lively than the one I saw inside. It seemed she had become more lively after inhaling nicotine.

I felt a stab in my conscience.

Kim Heeyoung was a light smoker… For some reason, she turned into a heavy smoker.

Ring!

[Oh my God, oh my God!]

‘…’

[Gotta pull out some popcorn!]

Be quiet.

I was thinking about what to say and how to naturally distance myself, but my eyes met Kim Heeyoung’s.

Hoo, blowing the cigarette smoke into the air, Kim Heeyoung smiled at me.

“No matter how many times I see it, Seo Hoyoon-ssi is very handsome… Why didn’t I know?”

“Thank you…”

“Of course, the other guys are handsome too, but, um, how should I put it… Seo Hoyoon-ssi has a bewitching atmosphere. At first glance, it hits the strike zone of people who like sensitive looks.”

She had said that she wanted to break up with this strike zone while swearing at me. I had to desperately stop her from splashing water on my face and slapping my cheek.

“Ah!”

Kim Heeyoung waved her hand as if she interpreted my bitter face. 

“It doesn’t mean anything special. I’m sorry if I offended you. I’m the main producer. When you’re a producer, it becomes your job to evaluate people, I can see I am being rude.”

“No.”

I hastily denied it. With the years we spent together, I could understand what she meant. I knew that the clumsy and potentially rude remarks were her way of giving compliments.

“PD-nim said I’m handsome, how can I be offended?”

“…Wow, that’s a great comment.”

When I smiled, Kim Heeyoung couldn’t take her eyes off the smile and cleared her throat loudly.

“Anyway, I like Seo Hoyoon-ssi. Idol kids these days are afraid of getting caught, so even though I talk harshly, they can’t even say anything and just pay attention. In that regard, Seo Hoyoon-ssi was refreshing and nice earlier.”

“Rather than afraid of being caught, aren’t they more afraid of PD-nim?”

“Ha ha, I even crack jokes. Aren’t I nice?”

Now I know how the kids felt when I appealed to them by saying, ‘I’m nice’.

Kim Heeyoung giggled.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. This project doesn’t really care about The Dawn, it’s the same for me. I told you the mission late this time…”

Telling us late, you probably thought we didn’t know anything.

In fact, if Joo Woosung hadn’t told us, we would have noticed that all other teams started practicing three days ago.

I shook my head slowly.

“No, it’s all right. It’s enough already.”

“No, you will definitely get treated worse.”

Kim Heeyoung laughed bitterly. As if foreseeing the future. She looked exhausted.

“I’m sorry, really.”

“…”

“It’s not that easy in this world.”

You couldn’t tell just by looking.

Kim Heeyoung was a successful producer. Even if she gave up and said that she had gotten tired of entertainment, people begged and clung to her.

Talented, confident.

Though not lacking anything, Kim Heeyoung was exhausted.

What am I supposed to say here?

I wasn’t the Seo Hoyoon that Kim Heeyoung knew.

“…”

I opened my mouth, but finally closed it without saying anything.

Kim Heeyoung just took a deep smoke of the last cigarette, rubbed off the tip, and smiled.

“Well, I’ll try to call you as much as I can if I have to next time. I’m saying this because I like Seo Hoyoon-ssi.”

“…PD-nim.”

“Hn?”

I took out the candy Kang Yichae had stuffed into my pocket. It was the candy Kang Yichae gave me to make sure that I succeed in quitting smoking.

When I put it in Kim Heeyoung’s hand, her eyes widened.

“…What is it?”

“Candy.”

“I can tell by looking at it…”

Kim Heeyoung looked at me, wondering what kind of futility this was.

“In other words, a bribe.”

“…”

She looked dumbfounded.

Then I heard the manager calling me in the distance. I turned my head and looked over there, then I looked at Kim Heeyoung again.

We had made a bet on quitting smoking.

Kim Heeyoung was always confident. She had boasted that she would quit faster than me, a heavy smoker.

I smiled faintly as I remembered the old days.

As I was reflecting on my memories by myself, an ominous sound rang out in my ears.

Ring! 

[Choice

– Pretty Hoyoon will come again♡

– Think about me while eating the candy ♡

– Then I’ll leave now–]

‘You bastard!’

 It only appeared in such an exquisite moment.

Seo Hoyoon chose his options so quickly that he had never made a decision this fast in his life.

Cold sweat was dripping down my back.

“Then I’ll leave now!”

“…Yes?”

“I wish you all the best.”

Kim Heeyoung’s face changed from incredulity to embarrassment, and now she looked as if she looking at a crazy person, but I turned around and moved away from there. Saying any more would only increase my embarrassment.

She might think I was crazy, but I couldn’t stop smiling after seeing her for the first time in a long time.

You don’t have to be sorry, noona.

We’re going to win first place.