The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

This chapter is generously sponsored by kingkoon.

[Crack]

[What’s going on? Crack!

(Watching someone pick something up to eat and burst into flames, then joining them and catching fire too GIF)]

The fan song teaser received quite a positive response. Upon watching the teaser, all fans were tearing their hair out.

[Oh my, from, oh my, the high teen world]

[This-this-this, that thing! Isn’t it from the Shining Star Glow series!? Cabinet!!! Letter!!! Basketball!!! Euaaaaagggh]

[Ah fuck, and it’s a 1980s concept too! This is for me, thank you]

While everyone was losing their minds, a making-of film was uploaded one after another. The making-of film showed the members holding a meeting at Daepaseong Entertainment.

– “We decided to make a fan song.”

Clap, clap, clap.

The members’ faces turned red with applause. A hint of anticipation and excitement could be seen.

Jeong Dajun raised his hand and asked a question.

– “Are we making everything ourselves?”

– “Yes. Excluding props and stage, we are responsible for the concept, composition, and camera.”

– “Ah, alright! Then I’ll record a guide with Ichae.”

– “Then I’ll… figure out the stage directions.”

Seo Hoyun naturally led the meeting, and the rest of the members volunteered to divide the parts smoothly, making fans both laugh and cry.

[It’s so nice here… But… I’m a bit flustered since I’ve been into K-pop for a long time. Do they really have to do everything from composing to concept these days?

└Unexpected softie

└No, it’s just… Daepaseong Entertainment is like this…]

[Tasting Shining Star‘s group project hard carry once again]

[Daepaseong, are you out of money? Didn’t you taste a bit of money last time??]

In fact, Daepaseong had made quite a bit of money. Especially after the Jeong Dajun incident, Seo Hoyun genuinely advised (by cursing a lot) and even intimidated the CEO to carry out an organizational restructuring. Lee Jihyeon had a very comfortable budget to execute the concepts she wanted.

However, whether they had a lot of money or not… Seo Hoyun and Lee Jihyeon agreed on one point.

Although it could be their personal taste, a fan song should have a taste that only fans and singers could feel.

It meant that idols needed to show their love for their fans!!

So, Lee Jihyeon quickly changed the original concept.

[Oh, it’s going to be a self-cam vibe]

[Ah… Okay, okay, that’s good]

It was a “self-cam atmosphere made by the members themselves.”

It matched perfectly with the beat Kang Ichae completed.

And Seo Hoyun sneakily sprinkled breadcrumbs throughout the making-of video.

– “I can’t wait to show it to Noeul.”

[Hoyun suggested making a fan song first, right?]

[Kang Ichae seems a bit sensitive today and even more like a punk… it’s driving the girls crazy]

[Seong Jiwon, don’t shine your smile like that if you’re not going to marry us; it’s driving people crazy]

Fans were overjoyed. For days, their hair was tightly clenched (and not so gently, too), and their teeth were gritted to the point of losing them because of the breadcrumbs they received.

What do you mean Seo Hoyun didn’t care about The Dawn? What nonsense was it that he wanted to be an actor rather than an idol! He was even planning it himself for the fans!

Although fans kept posting that “Seo Hoyun suggested making a fan song first, thinking of Noeul more than anyone else,” as expected, there were people who openly attacked them.

[Yeah~ Regardless, he’s a crazy bastard for individual activities~]

Of course, they were quickly silenced. Not only because The Dawn was just a prelude but also because V-Lives poured out before the fan song was released.

[Aaah, Kang Ichae made the fan song concept like this: He got inspired by marathon-watching 1980s American movies; he’s such a genius]

[He and Dajun watched a movie together, popped some popcorn at night, and got scolded by Jiwon for overdoing it… Ahㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Kim Seonghyeon was the best at skateboarding on set, even with extras… This excessively set-up man is mine]

[AhㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSeo Hoyun seems to be teasing the younger members while constantly sucking on red ginsengㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHoyun directly organized itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThe most sensitive person when teased: Kim Seonghyeon >> (Slightly)” >>>> Jeong Dajun

The person who smiles and moves on: Seong Jiwon

The person who doesn’t get teased but teases back: Kang Ichae

└Jeong Dajun grumbles beside him, saying that if you make a mistake with Seo Hoyun, you’re in big trouble because he never lets it goㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Kim Seonghyeon is already trembling and

└└Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋKim Seonghyeon is seriously sensitiveㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Moreover, breadcrumbs were constantly being dropped on set.

If a troll appeared once, another breadcrumb would suddenly be poured out, another story revealed, and another photo released.

Noeul was just busy devouring everything.

[Wow, there’s so much content here]

[I admit]

[There’s been non-stop activity and breadcrumbs since the beginning of the year… Do the kids have three bodies?]

Everyone was so distracted that there was no chance for anything to happen from the start.

[The Dawn – Will You Go to Prom With Me?]

And not long after, the fan song MV was released.

The video was like a 1980s movie, capturing such nostalgia in a beautiful way.

With Lim Hyeonsu’s sophisticated beat that made one feel a bit empty, combined with the self-cam concept planned by Lee Jihyeon, there was no way it couldn’t be good.

Jeong Dajun, waving his hand with a bright smile at someone, walked down a hallway lined with long cabinets, bustling with children. Stopping in front of one, he lifted his sports bag and opened the cabinet wide.

[Hey, are you crazy?]

There was a letter in the middle of it.

[Starting with Jeong Dajun receiving the letter ahㅏㅏ]

[Gl-o-w se-rie-s]

[I’m going crazy… This is insane… Thank you for not forgetting Glow…]

In the Shining Star version of Glow, Jeong Dajun received the letter and ended with a rather ambiguous ending. Will You Go to Prom With Me? started from that last scene.

Jeong Dajun opened his mouth, stared blankly for a moment, then hurriedly pulled out the letter and read it. Blushing slightly, he leaned his forehead against the cabinet and mumbled.

“Ha, what do I do…?”

Soon, the noisy surroundings quieted down, and the intro composed by Kang Ichae flowed.

The piano intro seemed bright and cheerful but also set the atmosphere.

Soon, the screen darkened, capturing the back of someone riding a skateboard down a narrow street. Kim Seonghyeon, who stopped in front of a small, cozy-looking house, opened the gate and entered. He awkwardly looked at the mirror hanging above the shoe rack and scrunched his nose.

“Ha, okay.”

At that moment, the refreshing piano performance changed to an up-tempo beat typical of the 1980s. The uniform drumbeat and electric guitar melody enriched the song.

“Will, will you go to prom with me?

I’ve been rehearsing, but things aren’t going as planned

Ah, let’s try it again, with you, with me, by chance, ah, truly!”

Kim Seonghyeon seemed annoyed with the reflection of his irritated face in the mirror as the camera angle moved.

Bang, bang, an old motorcycle zoomed past a yellow school bus.

In what appeared to be a college parking lot, Kang Ichae, with his red hair, stopped the motorcycle and propped one foot on the ground, biting a candy. Then, he took an old camcorder from his bag and scanned the campus.

Following that, Seo Hoyun’s passing figure was briefly captured, and the screen shifted, showing Seo Hoyun wearing a hooded sweatshirt, like a real student.

“Hi, what you doing today,

I tried to strike a conversation,

but you’re as prickly as ever today.

In fact, there’s something nice about it,

Whenever I see your face, I just start to laugh.”

The camera shook as if Kang Ichae was playing a prank while filming. Seo Hoyun, slightly annoyed, covered the camera lens with his hand. Next, Jeong Dajun appeared with dark brown hair.

Holding the letter tightly in his hand from the opening scene, he sighed in front of a flower shop.

“What—what did you say?

What is this flower called?

Rose? Lilies? Freesia? Okay, whatever, give me all of them.”

Holding a huge bouquet of flowers, with some of them falling, Jeong Dajun left the flower shop. The camera then shifted to Seong Jiwon sitting at an outdoor café table. The thin brown hair shone beautifully under the sunlight.

Twirling a thick pen, Seong Jiwon nodded with a bright smile, his kind eyes narrowing gently.

“Buying a bouquet of flowers, I carefully pour my heart into a sketchbook

With any luck, by this prom…”

After scribbling something, Seong Jiwon stood up. He had a satisfied look on his face as he examined his sketchbook.

In the next cut, the members were standing nervously at the doors of different colors. As if in a high-teen movie, the trembling before a confession was clearly portrayed.

The moment the five members in prom suits knocked on the doors,

“The words I’ve rehearsed so many times, now I want to tell you,

I will open your door and give you—”

The song paused for a moment as the door slowly opened, and Jeong Dajun’s surprised face was seen as a closed-up.

As if he had forgotten all the words he had memorized because the other person was shining so brightly.

“…Okay, I forgot.”

The screen darkened again as if to take a deliberate break from the playful scene.

Soon after, the drums rang with a thud, and the scene shifted to the auditorium illuminated with dim purple lights.

“♩♬♪?”

As each member took turns playing the drums, guitar, bass, and piano, adding richness to the sound, Seo Hoyun stood in the front, holding a standing mic, slightly furrowing his eyebrows in the bright lights, yet still smiling. Then, the melody burst forth like an explosion.

“Will you go to prom with me?”

They had borrowed the image of a band often seen in high teen movies.

Just moments ago, Seo Hoyun had been dressed casually, but now, he slicked back his hair, donned a double-breasted suit, and snapped his fingers. Behind him, Jeong Dajun, who had been (pretending to) play the drums, suddenly raised his drumstick-holding hand high.

“Say Yes!”

Beside them (playing for real) was Seong Jiwon, pressing piano keys with his long, white fingers and bringing his mouth close to the mic set up on the piano.

“Will you go to prom with me?”

Then, Kim Seonghyeon, while holding an electric guitar, leaned his upper body slightly toward the standing mic and smiled as he spoke.

“Say Yes!”

Watching him, Seo Hoyun chuckled and tilted the mic forward.

“Ah—babe please answer me,

I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Then, a shot of all the members appeared.

An American band concept?

Is this really the crazy official thing they’re serving us?

The Noeul fans could only shed tears.

Originally, the fans’ tear ducts would activate automatically just from seeing their idols smiling brightly. Seeing them happily smiling on stage like a page from their memories, they felt like they were going crazy.

“Will you go to prom with me (Say Yes!)

Will you dance with me—”

As the chorus ended, Kang Ichae’s rap part began.

The camera screen suddenly rewound quickly, showing Kang Ichae sitting outside the prom venue, nervously chewing on the end of a red plastic cup.

“Ah~, I know I shouldn’t be like this.”

He threw the cup toward the trash bin like shooting a basketball and stood up. His slightly playful behavior showed a subtle mixture of excitement and anxiety.

“But when I’m in front of you, I want to act irrationally

I wanna grab your arm and dance, my love,

I wanna put my hand on your waist, my everything.”

Kang Ichae’s rap skills, slightly off-beat to the rhythm, showed a marked improvement from before.

“I want to hold you tight, and pour out such words,

But I have to hold back

What can I do?

I don’t wanna get ditched, babe.”

Kang Ichae flipped his hair and sighed softly, a facial expression fans couldn’t usually see. The boyish charm overflowed, making the fans’ feet twitch as they watched.

“I want to look good to you, I do.”

As the chorus began again, the camera showed the members dancing wildly and joyfully, as if they were really enjoying a party under the dim lighting of a school auditorium.

“Will you go to prom with me? (Say Yes!)

Will you go to prom with me? (Say Yes!)”

Jeong Dajun playfully grabbed Kim Seonghyeon and jumped around while Seo Hoyun swayed his body and took swigs of a drink nearby. Seong Jiwon laughed as he filmed the scene with an old-fashioned camera, and Kang Ichae sat on the auditorium stage, swinging his long legs.

“Ah—babe please answer me,

I’ve been waiting a long time.”

The upbeat sound of a trumpet playfully entered, and the camera zoomed in for a close-up of Seo Hoyun. He was leaning against the auditorium wall with his head tilted back and gaze lowered. Meeting the camera’s gaze, Seo Hoyun showed a languid smile and sang the final lines.

“Yes, babe, I’m asking you.”

The drumbeat gradually slowed down. Under the purple lighting, everyone’s backs were visible as they sang the last group verse with boisterous laughter.

“Will you go to prom with me?”

Sounds of hurried footsteps and what seemed like motorcycle engines starting echoed as everyone rushed out of the auditorium.

Vroom—

The motorcycle’s exhaust roared, and just like in a movie, the credits rolled, marking the end of the video.

Although it was a suddenly produced fan song with a low budget, giving off a strong DIY vibe, it actually emphasized the unique freshness of the old high school teen atmosphere.

[…….]

After watching the entire video, Noeul’s fans remained silent for a moment.

[I… I just want to be a fan of Noeul forever.]

[If I ever stop being a fan (of Noeul), I’ll be done for. Got it?]

When stans get too emotionally invested, they lose their vocabulary. Noeul’s fans could only express their direct opinions after watching the MV one more time.

[Kang Ichae, motorcycle, fuck motorcycle, fuck motorcycle, fuck

└Shove it into the mouths of the punks riding bikes

└Yeah!]

[Ah, Seong Jiwon, ah piano, ah piano, ah

└Shove it into the mouths of the elegant beauties playing the piano

└fucking yeah!]

[Kim Seonghyeon skateboarding… Ah… I really don’t know what to be afraid of… I’m watching his skateboarding tricks for the 300th time right now.]

Within minutes of the video being uploaded, SNS was flooded with emotional reactions from fans.

[I thought the fan song would be more of a K-pop ballad style like You Are My Everything… But then they came out with an 80s American high school band concept, what’s up with that?]

[No… Guys… If they release a fan song like this, what should I doㅠㅠㅠAhㅠㅠ – And on top of that, the casting is perfect… And what’s up with Kang Ichae’s rap? Is he kidding?

Hold my arm and dance, put your hand on my waist

Ah

I can’t take it anymore

└You can lean on me for support

└Shit, I admit it.]

First, there were compliments about the concept of the fan song. Then, it went on with praises for the members.

[Jeong Dajun is so adorable when he can’t speak with the door open ㅠㅠㅠ Ah ㅠㅠㅠ He really looks like a baby squirrel, what to doㅠㅠ And when he says, “Say yes!” and lifts the drumstick, it’s insane.]

[Our rabbit tore it up, our rabbit looks crazy in a suit

Ah

I’m so pissed off

└Why are you madㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Seo Hoyun’s smirk is seriously driving me crazy. The least likely person to call me “Babe” makes me want to sue.]

[Seonghyeon, are you doing well? I went to your house to dance with you, but you panicked and called the police, didn’t you?

└Ah, how’s the prison?

└└The food is good.]

Already, clips from the fan song MV were flooding SNS.

In particular, a short video of Kang Ichae’s rap started spreading on TikTok, even though it hadn’t been many days. Muggle[1] viewers who found the video without knowing it was a fan song were leaving comments asking for the title.

[Title: The fan song produced by a small idol group, The Dawn (ta-da-!)

Will you go to prom with me?

(Basically, it means “let’s go to the party” or something like that)

It’s a 1980s American high school prom concept, but the members took care of everything from composing to filmingㅋㅋ It’s a bit low budget, but they used that to their advantage. The self-cam occasionally appears, and if it wasn’t for that, they wouldn’t have been able to capture this atmosphere. It definitely has an 80s vibe, but the beat is super modern. I looked up who composed it, and found that it’s The Dawn’s rap member. I’m at the stage of just getting into them, but I’m getting deeper

└Rap member is Kang Ichae, many compliments

└His name is Kang Ichae, thank you

└These guys… They have the ability to survive even on a deserted island…

└└That’s right, even if they were shipwrecked, Seo Hoyun would calmly find a place to stay, and Kang Ichae would be fishing beside him

└└Agreed. Jeong Dajun would carve ‘SOS’ with stones, but when he checks the next day, the waves have washed it away, and he’ll collapse in despair

└└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m going crazy just imagining it.]

The community reaction was good, as was the fan reaction. The appeal that “the members thought of Noeul and made it themselves” seemed to work quite well.

Good.

I had worked hard and had fun filming in my own way. I buried myself in one of the van’s chairs, checked various sites, and sighed in relief as I put down my cell phone.

“….”

Even when I got in the car, I still felt slightly nauseous, but I tried to distract myself by listening to music or monitoring.

Honestly, the fan song was well done. The hyperventilation symptoms hadn’t reappeared since then, maybe because I was too busy to catch my breath.

And today was… an important day.

“Hoyun, fighting!!”

When I reach the venue, not only the writer and director I saw before but also the actors will be there.

“Don’t be nervous! You got praised for your audition! You can handle this script reading! Don’t be scared!”

“Do I look scared?”

“…Uh, no.”

I stared at my manager, who seemed more frightened than me. It appeared that he wanted to say something else. He finally added another unnecessary remark.

“…Min Jiheon will be there when you go, so he’ll take good care of you.”

“Wow….”

I covered my mouth and laughed.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

And then, I got out of the van and scanned the building.

Today, I had more combat power than any other day.

I’ll somehow corner him and find out.

What the hell did that crazy Min Jiheon do to me?

[1] Muggle is a term borrowed from the Harry Potter series, meaning someone who is not involved in or aware of the activities or interests of a particular group or fandom.

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