Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

Chapter 153: Confirmation of Performances (2)

After I confronted Jang Junhoo, Jeong Seongbin devoted himself to practice like crazy.

Even though school had resumed after IDC ended, he seemed more energetic than ever.

‘Aren’t you tired?’

‘Not at all. Every day is enjoyable lately!’

Like a switched-on flashlight, his smile radiated brilliance.

I asked if there was anything I could help with, but he refused. He said that since he had received help from everyone so far, he wanted to finish it with his own strength.

Jeong Seongbin looked genuinely happy saying that. I realized—this was what someone looked like when they were doing what they loved.

Watching Jeong Seongbin excitedly enter the vocal practice room, Lee Cheonghyeon grumbled.

“I want to go to the ‘Genre-Swap’ live audience too.”

“You think just anyone can attend?”“But we’re on the same team! What, I don’t even get to see my own member’s performance?”

Lee Cheonghyeon exclaimed as if he was wronged. Anyone would think he had a reserved seat in the audience.

“It would be unfair if we went. Jeong Seongbin would get five extra votes for free.”

“Hyung, are you that biased?”

“Of course. I’m totally a hedgehog parent when it comes to my team.”

While Lee Cheonghyeon and I were having a pointless conversation, Park Joowoo was focused on his laptop screen.

“Joowoo, what are you doing?”

I rested my chin on Park Joowoo’s shoulder and looked down at the screen to see a familiar shopping mall.

It was the place where we bought the materials for the headbands we used during the radio appearance. But this time, the cart was full of fluorescent colored paper instead of headbands.

“Even if we can’t go to the site, we can cheer him on together while watching the broadcast… I was thinking of making some cheering props.”

“You? You’re going to cheer for Seongbin?”

“Yeah… There’s also the saying, ‘front-row seat at home.'”

Where did you learn such sophisticated words? It seemed the kids had been doing too much monitoring while I was lying around.

As the three of us were looking at the monitor, Kang Kiyeon also stealthily approached. Then he meticulously examined the items Park Joowoo had added to his cart.

“I think we have some foam board left. I put it in the storage room on the veranda.”

“Didn’t we use that for self-produced content last time…?”

“We used the white side then, so the black side is clean. We could probably make two slogans.”

Now that the company had taken some work off our plates, the members were voluntarily picking up new projects. It was ridiculous.

“What are you guys doing gathered here?”

Choi Jeho, who had just returned from action school, asked, looking at us.

“They’re making cheering props for Seongbin.”

“Ah, that ‘Genre-Swap’ thing?”

Choi Jeho trudged into the living room.

He then silently looked down at the kids who were debating ‘Jeong Seongbin’s name, should we make it with fluorescent lime green paper or hot pink paper?’ in front of the laptop.

After a brief silence, Choi Jeho asked,

“Don’t you think the kids are acting a little strange?”

“They’re just passionate.”

“Right….”

“What are you trying to say?”

While I was grilling Choi Jeho, the kids started pulling out the albums they had in the dorm, saying they should stick Jeong Seongbin’s picture on the foam board.

Lee Cheonghyeon picked up the ‘With List’ album. It seemed he couldn’t bring himself to touch the debut album.

“Let’s be bold and cut out this one. It’s his first solo stage, we have to go all out.”

“The back of that face has your face, Cheonghyeon… Are you okay with your face being cut?”

“For our leader, I can make that sacrifice.”

“Alright. I’ll buy you a replacement later.”

“Actually, instead of With List, get me the new album when it drops. Let’s help with first-week sales.”

Lee Cheonghyeon picked up the scissors after making a deal with Kang Kiyeon to receive the new album within the first-week sales counting period.

Just as I was about to enjoy watching their efforts, I suddenly snapped back to my senses and quickly stopped them.

“Hold it, everyone.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Guys, you should also think about filming this for self-produced content!”

“That’s right…!”

Park Joowoo, with a look of realization, quickly put the albums back in their places. Choi Jeho, watching us come together, shook his head and went back to his room.

***

Until the recording day of ‘Genre-Swap’, Jeong Seongbin was incredibly busy. The start of the second semester of his senior year meant he also had to prepare for his college entrance performance exam.

‘When’s the practical exam?’

‘January next year. Usually, schedules get busy at the end of the year, so I’m thinking of preparing in advance while I have free time.’

That was what he said. Park Joowoo was helping him in various ways with the practical exam, so the other members, including me, decided to just listen to our leader for the time being.

The impressive part was that despite his grueling schedule, Jeong Seongbin never lost his bright and positive attitude.

‘Um, hyung. You really didn’t have to do this much for me…!’

‘What are you talking about? Your voice is Spark’s pride. Choi Jeho, is the quince tea still not ready?’

‘On it.’

Of course, we also treated him like royalty.

I was a pro at taking care of people, after all. I served him with utmost care.

As a result of our devoted care, Jeong Seongbin looked radiant from head to toe. I couldn’t say for sure because I couldn’t see it, but I bet his vocal cords were glowing too.

When we sent the polished Jeong Seongbin off, all of Spark members went to the dorm elevator to see him off.

Honestly, we even considered piling into a car and heading to the broadcast station with him. That plan fell through, though, since our manager, unfortunately, couldn’t split himself in two.

‘Make sure to greet everyone properly when you get there. If the air’s too dry, turn on the humidifier. And don’t drink anything too cold.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll do well!’

With an energetic farewell, he took off.

At least when Choi Jeho left for his music video shoot, someone could accompany him. This felt more like sending a kid off to their first day of elementary school.

We waited for him, preparing reactions for every scenario, from him making a big splash to completely messing up the stage.

And a few hours later.

‘I’m back.’

‘What? The chicken isn’t here yet!’

Jeong Seongbin returned to the dorm a step ahead of the celebratory chicken we ordered in advance.

Perhaps due to security regulations, Jeong Seongbin didn’t show any particular reaction. Even when Lee Cheonghyeon nudged him, he just silently ate his chicken.

That evening, we decided to take pride in the fact that he completed his first solo schedule without crying. If the public reaction wasn’t good, we could just unplug the router for a while.

And just like that, the long-awaited broadcast of Genre-Swap—with Spark’s dorm Wi-Fi on the line—was fast approaching.

***

“Seongbin hyung.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“We’re going to watch ‘Genre-Swap’ tonight, do you want to watch too?”

Lee Cheonghyeon threw the first punch. From afar, Park Joowoo gulped.

Wait, is that idiot crazy? He told us to leave the talking to him, and this is how he planned to bring it up? What if Jeong Seongbin refused? Was he going to make him wait in the shoe rack until the show ended?

Unlike me, who was beyond shocked, Jeong Seongbin remained calm.

“Okay.”

He even agreed. Fortunately, it seemed he didn’t terribly mess up or embarrass himself on stage.

Lee Cheonghyeon, seizing the opportunity, went for another jab.

“Hyung, can we wave slogans during your performance?”

“What slogans?”

“Handmade Spark cheering slogans. We made five.”

“There are such things?”

Jeong Seongbin looked bewildered.

Considering his diligent nature and his habit of seeing the best in people, he must have assumed we’d spend the entire time practicing while he was busy preparing for his stage.

Unfortunately for him, he was wrong. Just sit back and admire the handmade products of Spark’s blood, sweat, and tears.

At Cheonghyeon’s signal—two quick claps—Park Joowoo and Kang Kiyeon scurried to the balcony.

As the two pulled out the slogans from the shopping bags they had hidden, Jeong Seongbin’s face turned bright red.

The slogans, boldly written in gothic font, had phrases like ‘Spark’s Top Vocalist’, ‘Jeong Seongbin, whose singing is as great as his face’, and ‘UA’s New Talent’.

His face, meticulously cut out from the album as if it were a sticker, stood out.

“Seongbin, are you laughing at the members’ sincerity?”

“I think he’s just embarrassed.”

Kang Kiyeon muttered to himself.

He had been just as excited while making them, yet now he was expertly distancing himself.

Jeong Seongbin graciously allowed us to wave the slogans adorned with multiple pictures of his face. Thanks to this, I was also able to experience the so-called ‘front-row seat at home’.

As the broadcast started, we gathered in front of the TV, each holding a slogan.

The main character, Jeong Seongbin, was seated in the center. He looked flustered, but we didn’t care.

“Wow, what’s with the lineup for this episode?”

“It must be incredibly competitive.”

As soon as the performers gathered in the studio, Lee Cheonghyeon and Choi Jeho commented. As expected of a popular program, the lineup was impressive.

“I was surprised too. There were only senior singers.”

“That makes sense.”

Certainly, his luck with the lineup wasn’t good. First of all, there wasn’t a single singer whose name I hadn’t heard before. There were even two performers who had previously appeared on ‘Genre-Swap’.

Despite the challenging environment, Jeong Seongbin maintained his smile and showed off his flower-like visuals. The MCs even commented every time they made eye contact with him.

『Every time I make eye contact with Seongbin, I get startled. He’s so handsome.』

『Thank you for the compliment…!』

The other performers also chimed in. It was a relief that they didn’t seem to treat him like an ‘idol who only relies on his looks’.

Once the performance order was decided, the stage lit up with one breathtaking act after another.

As someone who recently filmed a music survival program, it felt a bit strange to say this, but…

“It feels like only true professionals appear here.”

“Exactly.”

They weren’t using any amazing effects or showcasing flashy dances. They literally came out with just their voices, and yet the stage could be so captivating.

This was a miscalculation. The goal was to show ‘Jeong Seongbin, who performs his own song amidst talented individuals, even against senior singers’,  but I didn’t expect everyone to bring out their ultimate moves.

‘I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with Jeong Seongbin being considered better than Jang Junhoo.’

It was a shame, but considering Jeong Seongbin’s age, this alone was a great achievement.  I decided to keep my expectations reasonable.

And right on cue, Jeong Seongbin was shown in a close-up.

『Next is the turn of the singer who will show a new change in K-pop vocals!』

『Let’s watch the stage of Spark’s Seongbin, who has transformed from a dazzling idol into a lyrical ballad singer!』

With that brief introduction as his backing track, Jeong Seongbin stepped into the spotlight.