Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

Chapter 265: Metamorphosis (1)

‘Fairy Tale concept?’

‘Yes. Considering the atmosphere of the songs, it would be great to set the overall album concept as a fairy tale, and for the music video to have a dreamy atmosphere as well. The detailed contents are written in the file.’

The pre-release song ‘Winter Night’ and the title track ‘The Words I Want to Say’, though different in genre, shared a similar sensibility. Both depict the narrator telling a story to the listener, particularly during a winter night.

If Winter Night was a song about reminiscing over memories shared between two people, ‘The Words I Want to Say’ contained the story that Spark wanted to tell those who listened to their songs.

I saw ‘fairy tale’ as a keyword that could simultaneously encompass both memories and stories.

So, for the title track music video, I requested that each member be matched with a fairy tale that seemed to suit them.

I also asked for the Winter Night music video to have the same keyword but a different atmosphere. I never expected them to go with an elf fairy tale, though.

‘Is this the key part?’.

The planning team leader, who had opened the file, asked, pointing to the highlighted section.

‘That’s right.’I nodded. The section written in a structured format glowed yellow.

▷ Adopt a story with a warm ending

▷ A cold and glamorous image to cover for the reduced group choreography

▷ Concept photos on a level similar to a fantasy movie

▷ Subtle album design tie-ins within the MV

▷ Give the feeling of a year-end gift

Since these were more vocal-heavy songs, the choreography wasn’t flashy like previous releases. But people no longer just listened to music, so for visual enjoyment, we decided to go all in on elegance and fantasy.

Now that we had gained the ad boost and the camera massage function, it was the perfect time to make Spark otherworldly.

Though I didn’t expect I would become the Snow Queen in the process.

There cannot be two suns under the sky—so how could I usurp the team leader and sit on the throne? It felt like a betrayal of natural law.

Leaving me in my grief, the planning team leader continued her explanation nonchalantly.

“To bring out Mr, Iwol’s otherworldly feeling, we set him as the divine being, the ‘Snow Queen.’”

I had a strong urge to ask them to give me 101 reasons why I had to be the one to play the otherworldly being. However, at the words that followed, I couldn’t say anything back.

“No matter how we looked at it, we judged that it would be difficult to inject vitality in a short period of time… so as a reverse idea, we matched you with a being that shouldn’t have vitality. Let’s work hard to recover well until the music video shoot so that you can go on stage with a bit more color in your face.”

“Yes, thank you.”

This was all my original sin. I stared in dismay at the illustration of the Snow Queen glowing white and glamorous on the screen.

Choi Jeho was assigned the role of Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol. A ghost who lived as a miser in life—though it seemed the real reason was more the visual of the chains wrapped around his body than the story itself.

“If it’s A Christmas Carol, isn’t Scrooge the most representative character?”

“It’s a bit much for an idol to play a miserly old man in a music video, so…”

At Kang Kiyeon’s question, Jeong Seongbin trailed off. Jacob might not have been a towering handsome man, but he would be better than Scrooge.

Going by complexion alone, I’d be more fitting as a ghost, but I appreciated that UA was considerate enough to not go that route.

Jeong Seongbin was put in charge of ‘The Happy Prince,’ which perfectly matched his personality. Reactions of it being a good fit poured in from those around him.

“So is Seongbin hyung going to be covered in gold? Dye his hair blonde? Bedazzled with jewels since he’s a prince?”

Lee Cheonghyeon asked with an excited voice. Jeong Seongbin’s face turned red.

“We have to match the overall color tone of the music video, and the point of ‘The Happy Prince’ story is the prince’s character of sharing what he has with others, so Seongbin’s tone will be matched with an ash gray series. To avoid looking plain, we’ll sprinkle in jewels in the photocards or music video background, but the hair and outfits will be calm and cool-looking.”

At the Team Leader’s explanation, Jeong Seongbin swept his chest in relief. Well, if it were me, I’d also hesitate if they told me to wear gold boots over gold pants.

The gold was taken by Park Joowoo’s hair instead. Inspired by the poet Emily Dickinson’s yellow house in the picture book Emily, his hair blended golden tones with brown from the illustrated Emily. With his rich velvet shirt, he looked like a proper aristocrat.

Meanwhile, there was also a guy who didn’t seem to like his new hair very much. It was Lee Cheonghyeon, who was cast as Bluebird.

“Wouldn’t I look better with blond hair? What if people say it clashes with my skin tone?”

Lee Cheonghyeon, who was set to cover his hair in a serenity color, lamented, fidgeting with his bangs.

“When everyone is torn between black-haired Cheonghyeon and blond-haired Cheonghyeon, isn’t serenity Cheonghyeon pouring cold water on it all? What do you think about this issue, hyung?”

Lee Cheonghyeon grabbed my shoulders and shook them.

“Cheonghyeon.”

“Yean, come on, say it.”

“There are so many colors in the world, and you want to limit your fans to just two options? Are you even an idol? Forget the battle between Black and Blonde Cheonghyeon—we’re going to show them Rose Quartz Cheonghyeon, Dirty Blonde Cheonghyeon, and more.”

“Damn.”

Having realized that ‘There’s no way Serenity Cheonghyeon clashes with his skin tone, but even if it does, it’s worth showing!’ Lee Cheonghyeon dramatically pressed his forehead.

Lastly, Kang Kiyeon was in charge of the soldier doll from ‘The Nutcracker.’ Though called a ‘soldier’, the reference leaned more toward a storybook knight, which fit him perfectly.

“Am I going to be fighting CGI mice…?”

Kang Kiyeon, who had gotten a taste of CG in the ‘Winter Night’ music video, asked with a pale face. Only after the planning team staff waved their hands, saying no rats were coming, did life return to Kang Kiyeon’s face.

And on the day of the title track music video shoot that arrived.

“Hyung, you really don’t seem human.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I, Kim Iwol, shed my humanity and was newly born with the appearance of a completely frozen statue.

* * *

“Seongbin, can you open your eyes for a second?”

At the stylist’s words, Jeong Seongbin opened his eyes. In the mirror, he saw his own face, with cold yet intense stage makeup to match his gray hair.

They said the makeup would fade under stage lighting, but he still wasn’t used to seeing himself with such heavy makeup.

“You didn’t put silver lipstick on Seongbin, right? My kid hasn’t turned into a bronze cyborg, right?!”

“I didn’t! I didn’t put it on, so Iwol, you, stop talking already!”

The sound of Kim Iwol shouting from a distant seat could be heard. Ever since Jeong Seongbin said he would dye his hair a grayish-gray and heard that the motif was a prince made only of bronze, Kim Iwol had been like that.

Kang Kiyeon shook his head, looking at Kim Iwol, who had finally quieted down as it was his turn to have his lips done.

“That hyung is really something else, isn’t he?”

Kang Kiyeon, who said that, looked like a knight on a white horse. Like a little soldier received as a Christmas gift, Kang Kiyeon’s style had brighter and more splendid colors than the other members.

The gold decorations interspersed in his outfit also matched well with Kang Kiyeon’s light pink hair. Perhaps because his T-zone was emphasized more than usual to give the feeling of a soldier. Kang Kiyeon’s sharpness stood out more than usual.

“It’s not like this is the first time Iwol hyung’s acted like this.”

Lee Cheonghywon’s bluish hair swayed lightly as he shook his head back and forth. His hair, which he had been growing out since the ‘Winter Night’ music video shoot and had trimmed into a leaf cut, added to his noble feeling.

An outdoor filming location near Seoul, a set specially prepared nearby, various types of heavy equipment, and splendidly adorned members.

Back in his trainee days, Jeong Seongbin never imagined he’d experience something like this even if he debuted. After all, he had heard countless stories from close friends and seniors debuting at small agencies.

Strictly speaking, not that much money had gone into the music videos up until ‘The Third Letter’.

This was the result that Kim Iwol had fought tooth and nail. He’d practically carved pieces of himself out to persuade the company.

From the concept, color scheme, to the image, there was nothing here that Kim Iwol hadn’t confirmed. What Kim Iwol hadn’t touched… was probably only the line distribution.

Jeong Seongbin picked up the music video storyboard. A cut to be used in the night shooting scene was drawn.

Members dancing in a group in the middle of illuminations on a pitch-black night.

The lights, spread wide on the floor, looking like giant fireworks or a Ferris wheel, flickered over Jeong Seongbin’s pupils.

‘Hyung, is this by any chance…’

The moment he saw this scene in the first storyboard, Jeong Seongbin had called out to Kim Iwol.

Kim Iwol had looked at the paper Jeong Seongbin was holding and then said.

‘Ah, that scene. Yeah, I added it because of Flowering and With List.’

As if he were a mind reader, Kim Iwol had answered without even hearing Jeong Seongbin’s question.

‘Fireworks were the main thing in Flowering, and a Ferris wheel appeared in ‘With List’, so I requested it, wondering what it would be like if we could show a mix of the two. Year-end’s the perfect time to reflect on everything that happened that year, right?’

Iwol had poured himself into this—every detail served the album’s narrative. And all because he thought, ‘Maybe fans will have fun noticing this kind of detail in the MV.’

‘It’s a concept album meant to feel like a gift. If people open it and there’s nothing inside, that’s no good. Plus, it fits the lyrics of ‘The Words I Want to Say’ too.’

Kim Iwol, saying that, looked pleased.

Until then, Jeong Seongbin had thought that he had to completely separate Kim Iwol from work. No matter his talent, Kim Iwol needed rest.

But there was a peculiarity in the way Kim Iwol approached work.

Some tasks gave him stress—he’d think, ‘Why do I have to do this?’—but there were other areas where he willingly poured in more of his time and energy. Most of the former had been passed on to UA, while the latter was still firmly in Kim Iwol’s grasp.

If this area sparked Kim Iwol’s interest, and if Kim Iwol felt a sense of accomplishment from what he had planned.

If that helped in restoring Kim Iwol’s low self-esteem…

‘As Joowoo said, hyung does look lively when he’s working.’

It would be impossible to separate work from Kim Iwol. Given his tendency to become anxious if he didn’t know the work process. And even more so because Kim Iwol’s standards were high.

If so, wouldn’t showing the result Kim Iwol had drawn in its most perfect form be the best thing for him?

Jeong Seongbin’s fist tightened.

Until now, he had respected Kim Iwol, and at times, he had also felt a sense of responsibility to protect him as a fellow member.

‘Showing him exactly what he has drawn in his head might be closer to what hyung wants.’

Now, Jeong Seongbin’s feelings were a little more simple.

Like Lee Cheonghyeon, who wrote new songs every day and revised them repeatedly, matching his pace with Kim Iwol, or like Kang Kiyeon, who was always in a position to teach Kim Iwol something.

He felt greedy and wanted to do well.

When working, he wanted to pull his weight and fulfill his role flawlessly.

Not just as someone who should treat hyung with formal respect, but as someone hyung packed lunch for, someone he came to greet…

“We’ll start filming the A version group shot now! Everyone, please come out!”

…as a colleague to Kim Iwol, who was like a family.

He felt the desire to realize the blueprint that Kim Iwol had designed with all his might in the best possible way.

Heading towards the camera, Jeong Seongbin looked back on the year.

The endless cycle of self-loathing he’d thought would never break. The moment he confidently sang a song once tied to a bad memory. The day people said the company made a good call picking him as leader.

Perhaps this song could be a gift to himself as well. Kim Iwol probably hadn’t intended that way, but wouldn’t that, on the contrary, be proof that this concept worked? Because even the singer himself had been convinced.

‘You’re in the top 4% of vocals, so you’ll be fine.’

‘Seongbin is probably eating right now too, so even if we can’t be together, let’s at least share a meal in spirit.’

‘You did well.’

Silly but unforgettable words floated up gently. Then they shattered and disappeared the moment he faced Kim Iwol.

Kim Iwol was smiling faintly.

“Boss, please hurry up!”

At Kim Iwol’s call, Jeong Seongbin ran as if flying.

And after the music video, which featured beautiful men and dazzlingly shining lights for the full four minutes, was released, Spark grew from ‘Oh, them? I’ve heard of them’ to ‘Oh, them? I know them’ male idols.