The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol-Chapter 290

The day of the university festival performance.

We spent the morning in the company practice room and then headed to the shop for makeup in time for the event.

Just as the members were finishing up their hair styling, we were waiting for the manager, who had gone ahead to bring the van around.

“Handsome conman, entering!!”

From behind, Kang Ichae shouted playfully, stretching both arms wide, a blue diamond-shaped jewel stuck under his eye.

Yesterday, he’d been so dazed he obediently bought me ice cream. Today, he was perfectly fine again.

“Oh, my bankbook arrived?”

“Wow, you just won’t drop it, huh.”

Sung Jiwon tilted his head slightly, confused, but soon turned his focus back to the paper with the stage directions. Since we had to perform at the festival without a rehearsal, his nerves were on edge.

Meanwhile, Kim Sunghyun and Jung Dajun were completely absorbed in watching videos about university festivals, excited like kids.

“These days my hyungs don’t pay me any attention...”

His eyes turned sulky.

Total crocodile tears.

“We never did.”

“...Right.”

Kang Ichae’s antics continued until the manager’s call came. The members were already used to it and didn’t react at all.

On the way to the university, pushing through the traffic, Jung Dajun’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Hyung, is it always this far from the station??”

In my day, you had to hike thirty minutes uphill just to reach the entrance. Now they’d built a station nearby.

“Oooh, look at that shiny building?!”

A building I’d never seen before.

Paid for by student tuition, blood, sweat, and tears, no doubt.

“Wow, what’s with that ugly statue?”

That statue had always been considered hideous by everyone who passed through this school...

I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. Instead, I muttered internally like an old man with a latte in hand, only to clutch my forehead as reality set in.

“Hyung, are you sick??”

“My stomach hurts, my stomach...”

As the familiar scenery slowly passed by outside the car window, a strange feeling grew heavier.

Back then, I’d attended university while working part-time nonstop, maintaining grades, preparing for jobs. Taking care of Seo Hojin on top of it all.

It had been nothing but backbreaking hell.

We crossed the familiar campus and entered the sports field, now transformed into a festival stage.

“Hello!”

Guided by security, we were welcomed warmly by several students from the festival committee.

“Wow! Welcome!!”

“Hello!”

“Thank you so much for coming.”

Immediately, they went over the previous performance’s information and checked for any last-minute changes.

With not much time left before going on stage, everyone was busy with final checks—but my gaze was fixed on one thing: a person mixed in among the students, wearing a rabbit mascot costume.

“Oh, the bunny’s cute.”

“Looks super hot in there.”

The members showed mild curiosity and quickly lost interest.

Judging by the lack of reaction from security or the manager, their identity had already been verified.

‘Suspicious.’

“Hey, Hoyun hyung!”

Even as I was getting my outfit straightened one last time and putting on my in-ear monitor, I kept sneaking glances at the mascot. That’s when Jung Dajun bounced up to me.

“What.”

“Everyone here is reeeally smart, right?! Then that means Hojin hyung too! So when did he start being so good at studying?!”

“Don’t know.”

“Our Hoyun hyung... too indifferent.”

Well, that kid was sharp from a young age.

Even when I had teacher consultations about Seo Hojin, all I ever heard was how diligent and sincere he was. I’d never worried much about his grades. I just vaguely assumed he’d manage fine.

Part of me also thought it didn’t matter much—since I’d be around for him anyway.

But after the college entrance exam, even after checking his provisional scores, he didn’t ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) report anything back. When I asked if he failed—

“No, I did okay.”

That was all he said.

This bastard’s going for a retake, huh. Recognizing the signal, I immediately started researching academies. Then, while I was sprawled on the sofa after another day buried in work, he shoved his official exam results at me.

One single mistake in math. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

‘Back then, I was proud of him....’

I turned my head, staring hard at the rabbit mascot.

“......”

They inched closer, then flinched, pretending to look elsewhere.

Waaaaah—!

A huge cheer roared from outside. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

At the same time, one of the committee students, holding a walkie-talkie, shouted:

“The Dawn! Time to enter!”

“Yes.”

We stepped onto the stage together. With summer approaching, the daylight still lingered bright.

Bowing deeply to the cheering audience, we took our starting positions for the first song.

Soon, the intro of Connected began to play.

.

.

.

“Did you enjoy yourselves?”

After greetings and short talk, we sang four songs in total, including the pre-discussed encore, filling our allotted thirty minutes to the brim.

“We were The Dawn, thank you!!”

After the performance, instead of leaving right away, we were rushed back to the waiting room. According to the manager, too many people had gathered, and they couldn’t get the car out. We’d have to wait a while until things calmed down.

“Your hair’s messed up here.”

“How about mine?!”

The members busied themselves checking each other’s appearance for photos to post on Stargram, while I collapsed on the sofa, exhausted.

‘These kids really have stamina.’

I held a portable fan to my face, glancing around lazily. The rabbit mascot was nowhere in sight.

Then, faintly, I caught someone’s voice outside on the phone.

“—Uh... what? Why aren’t you—? Ah, the kids are taking photos— —?”

“......”

“All kinds of shit... bastard... ———.”

Before long, the waiting room door opened quietly.

It was the same student who had first greeted us.

“Haha, thank you so much for coming today.”

“No, no. We’re more grateful for the invitation.”

Kim Sunghyun and the student fell into the awkward trap of thanking each other endlessly.

“—Really, our campus has so many IRIX players! Even aside from that, your popularity is amazing! In the survey we did during planning, The Dawn was the number one choice everyone wanted invited! Our budget was so tight, we had to cut and cut again, but...”

Yeah, that tracked. This university was infamous for being stingy and boring compared to others.

All about money.

“And, uhhh~.”

Listening silently, I noticed the student’s speech grew longer, more rambling, drifting off topic.

“Ah! I saw that Over-Immersion Leader clip, Seo Hoyun-ssi, you were incredible, haha! If you weren’t an idol, you’d have been one of us, right?”

“Haha.”

Well, technically, yeah.

Though I’m from an older class year.

I smiled politely, eyes curving.

But strangely, the student grew even more flustered.

“And, um, this year the festival’s earlier than usual, normally...”

By the time they were rambling about which department’s bar was the most popular, the road manager’s call came through. The manager waved us over after answering.

“Let’s go now~.”

“Yes~.”

At that point, I could already guess what this student was scheming. But regardless, it was time to leave.

“It was nice talking, even briefly.”

“Wait, wait! Uh??”

“You worked hard!”

“Thank you!!”

“Just one second!! Sorry, just, just one second!!”

Flustered, he couldn’t physically stop us, only stomping his feet in frustration. That’s when the manager, leading us out and swinging the door open, suddenly froze.

“The rabbit...?”

Craning my neck, I saw it too. The rabbit mascot stood there, making its presence known.

“They’re here! Finally!!”

A voice of relief leaked out from behind.

The committee student rushed forward.

“Ahhh, this friend is also on the festival committee—our promotions lead! But they’re such a huge, huge, huge fan of The Dawn. Especially a fan of Seo Hoyun-ssi...”

“Ah.”

Just as I thought.

“A fan of mine, huh~.”

“Yes! Yes! Could you maybe take just one photo, only one second! It’s their lifelong wish!”

Aside from Jung Dajun, who was already fiddling with the bunny ears and tail, all eyes turned to me.

I smiled brightly.

“...Well, why not?”

So that’s how you want to play it.

As soon as I answered, the members moved in close and posed. But the rabbit mascot just stood awkwardly, keeping distance from me.

“Okay, here we go! One, two, three!”

The committee student, now holding the mascot’s phone, threw himself into photographing us, even rolling on the floor for angles.

“Perfect! I’m busy, so I’ll leave now!!”

He practically tossed the phone back to the mascot and bolted.

My eyes followed the phone.

Yes, that phone.

“Hello.”

I blocked the rabbit mascot’s path as they tried to hurry after the student. They flinched and stepped back.

“Excuse me.”

“......”

“Excuse me?”

One step forward, one step back.

“Are you really Noeul? Hmm, are you just shy? Or too hot in there?”

“......”

Still, no response.

“Our dear student... won’t you answer?”

“......!!”

I smiled sweetly. The mascot’s head shook violently side to side.

Glancing around, I saw only the manager checking his watch, the members sneaking looks, and the guards waiting impassively.

In one swift motion, I grabbed the rabbit’s tail and yanked. Off balance, they stumbled toward me.

“But there’s one thing I’m curious about. Can I ask?”

They struggled, a beat too late, trying to escape. But I was faster.

With my other hand, I seized the rabbit’s ear and tore the headpiece off.

“Ugh!!”

I cracked my neck and looked down at the face revealed before me.

“Seo Hojin.”

The one who was supposed to be at the library studying—why was he here?

“Does this look like a library to you?”