Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

Chapter 281: Sleeping Out (1)

“A concert…”

Jeong Seongbin muttered under his breath. It seemed the words had slipped out unconsciously.

‘A concert already? Even if we release a full album in the first half of the year, do we even have enough songs?’

Though if we included unit stages and cover performances, we could probably put together a decent setlist.

But in this age of high inflation, where concert tickets cost over 100,000 won, I didn’t want to put on a show that only looked good. If you’re selling something for money, it should be worth the price, shouldn’t it?

In other words, it meant I had to consider myself dead this year and just work. People said if you suffered through one year, the next would be easier, but when exactly was my easier year going to come?

‘It’s a relief that UA has a lot of experience holding solo concerts.’

This might be their first idol concert, but UA had held numerous concerts before. Among them were some very large-scale performances. That was because their affiliated artists tended to do a lot of performances and tours.

What if UA had mentioned a concert this year without ever having held one before?

If that were the case, I wouldn’t have stayed quiet. Even if it meant getting a double nosebleed, I would have shown myself pulling an all-nighter at the office, making all the employees and executives uncomfortable.Anyway, it was a relief that I didn’t have to meddle with the sound and concert planning. The technical skills that were there just fine wouldn’t suddenly evaporate when it was Spark’s turn.

But something felt off. Didn’t the system usually give something this big as a KPI?

I bet it was one of two things. Either I’d be assigned a task even more demanding than a concert, or a major incident would occur that made it impossible to hold a concert. If it was not going to be easy either way, the former would be better.

‘It’s going to be a tough year.’

The future looked dark. It felt as bleak as when I had just become an assistant manager.

I looked at Jeong Seongbin in the seat next to me. Jeong Seongbin was listening intently to Ms. Jukyung’s words and nodding his head.

Still, having five colleagues surely counted for something. That thought came to me.

* * *

Until mid-January, Spark’s dorm was filled with tension.

Due to Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo’s college entrance exam issues, which started from the beginning of January, a campaign to protect the two main vocalists’ vocal cords was held until the day of their practical exams.

‘There’s really no need for that.’

‘Hey, it’s an important time, we have to help!’

Although Lee Cheonghyeon, who had sternly reminded them to rest their voices except when singing, came back from the studio at the crack of dawn the next day and ignited Jung Seongbin’s fury, the rest of the members still tried hard not to upset the test-takers.

As a result…

“You look happy?”

…Spark was able to see the two return to the dorm with proud faces.

In addition to that, after filming self-produced content to be uploaded for the Lunar New Year in advance and attending an Indenia event, the holidays were just around the corner. Just before the break, Spark was finally granted a much-needed vacation.

I was going to protest in front of the UA office building if they didn’t give us a vacation. Thankfully, it never came to that.

“We’re resting for two weeks? Straight?”

“You guys haven’t had many long breaks, have you? Even during inactive periods, you were mostly still working.”

At Manager Chanyoung’s words, Lee Cheonghyeon was moved.

The guy had already come to understand the precious mindset of an office worker on vacation. When you’re a student, even a month-long break feels short—but as a working adult, stringing together a four-day weekend feels like a miracle.

After the official vacation announcement, we took some time to discuss how we would spend our vacation. Choi Jeho, Jeong Seongbin, and Kang Kiyeon decided to go to their family homes as always.

“What about you, Joowoo hyung? Are you going to Daejeon?”

“Probably…?”

“Then what about you, Iwol hyung?”

Lee Cheonghyeon asked me. When I said I was thinking of staying at the dorm, a commotion broke out from all sides. Even the manager joined in, and my ears were ringing.

“Iwol, would you like to come to my place?”

Finally, Manager Chanyoung suggested I accompany him. Though he withdrew the offer, saying he’d be too anxious about me while commuting.

‘I’m not a child.’

It was a little absurd, but I stayed quiet, thinking it might be a natural reaction for these guys who installed a nurse call in the dorm.

“Should I just stay behind, too?”

“How about you go this time? It’s been almost a year since Cheonghyeon has been home.”

“They have been contacting me, asking when I’m coming home…”

At Jeong Seongbin’s words, Lee Cheonghyeon clicked his tongue.

“If you really don’t want to go, you don’t have to force yourself. But don’t deliberately not go just because of me.”

“Hyung, you be quiet for a bit.”

Lee Cheonghyeon fiercely pushed back at me. He looked pretty irritated, so I decided to hold my tongue for now.

As ideas flew around—me going to Jeong Seongbin’s house, Jeong Seongbin staying behind instead, or me heading to Kang Kiyeon’s place—someone raised their hand.

“Um…”

Park Joowoo hesitated and then opened his mouth.

“Hyung, do you want to come to my aunt’s place with me?”

And before I knew it, we were in Daejeon. Where Park Joowoo’s aunt’s family lived.

* * *

Driving was handled by Manager Daeyeon.

I said I would look into trains, but he said he had to work anyway since it was a weekday and came back with the company’s permission. Wanting to express my gratitude somehow, I offered him every snack I could find at the rest stop.

I got to hear the specifics about Park Joowoo’s aunt’s house after the car had just left the rest stop. Park Joowoo, who had moved to the back seat to eat baby potatoes, told me various stories.

“I… lived at my aunt’s place for a long time. So if I’m not at the dorm, I usually go to my aunt’s during vacations. My aunt and uncle are there… I don’t know if my hyung and noona will be there. They like to go out and have fun. …They’re both older than you, hyung.”

The standard for ‘specifics’ was a bit biased towards Park Joowoo’s experence, but I couldn’t pry any further. Things like why he lived at his aunt’s house, and since when. Family matters were usually like that.

I also heard that Park Joowoo’s aunt had ordered him to bring me along the next time he got a vacation.

Why, though? Was I finally going to experience the ‘I can’t bear to see my Joowoo in the same team as a guy like you, not even if dirt goes into my eyes!’ that I hadn’t gotten from Jeong Seongbin’s mother? If I begged his aunt nicely to go easy on me, would she? From what I heard over the phone last time, she seemed like a nice person.

All sorts of thoughts ran through my head. But I figured it wouldn’t change anything, so I stopped thinking by the time we passed the tollgate.

My superior, the most venerable Jeong Seongbin under the heavens, had said that I had a personality that would be loved wherever I went, so I had no choice but to believe him.

“Have the other members been to your aunt’s place too?”

“Only Seongbin. A long time ago, when I decided to become an idol…”

“…Don’t tell me he went to say, ‘Please give Joowoo to our team!’?”

A chuckle was heard from the driver’s seat. Why are you laughing? I’m being serious.

“It… wasn’t exactly like that, I think.”

Great. Now I look like a crazy soap opera addict all by myself.

“How did they react when you told them you were going to be an idol?”

“They were happy… but they were also very worried. They asked if a shy kid like me could be an idol.”

Park Joowoo smiled awkwardly.

They weren’t wrong. If he hadn’t trained desperately during his trainee period, Park Joowoo would have had to go through a lot of difficulties. Just as he had in the past.

“They must have been surprised to see you doing so well. Right?”

“Yeah. Every time I call, they ask how a person could change so much…”

Park Joowoo smiled. It was a smile of a different kind than before. A smile that was clearly embarrassed but happy.

He said his whole family had watched the quiz program that Park Joowoo had recently been on with Lee Cheonghyeon. He showed me a photo he had received at the time, of his aunt’s family gathered in front of the living room TV.

Park Joowoo had been quite impressive on that program. He guessed the saltwater concentrations in order, located cables just by the sound of current flow (probably due to some shoddy grounding on the set).

Especially when he was contemplating which route to take to catch the monster NPC with little time remaining…

‘Cheonghyeon, …how many points did they say we get for catching one monster?’

‘Purple is the highest at 100 points.’

‘Then… let’s run that way.’

…he showed off the ability to find a monster that had run away by the smell of fabric softener soaked into the monster’s costume.

The sight of him winning by catching the most difficult monster that no one else could find was truly moving. His family must’ve been proud too.

Wait a minute. In that case, wouldn’t it have been better for him to bring Lee Cheonghyeon?

I briefly tried to recall the most recent broadcast I had done with Park Joowoo. Unfortunately, it was the roommate-swap self-produced content.

Now I had to meet his relatives while the nation remembered me as a bossy, nagging control freak. The seat of the new car felt like a bed of thorns.

* * *

Manager Daeyeon dropped us off at the apartment entrance and left like a breeze. We forced a set of native honey we had prepared in advance into his hands and saw the manager off. I had overheard that UA’s holiday gift was a ham set, so we prepared something different for the manager.

With a set of native honey for his aunt in one hand, and holding Park Joowoo’s hand with the other, I said with a solemn expression.

“If I get water thrown at me, you have to bring me a towel. Got it?”

“Huh…?”

Park Joowoo had a face that said, what are you talking about?

You innocent fool. You, too, have to read the first volume of ‘Kingdom Another’ when you get back to the dorm.

“Oh my, oh my! Iwol, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Joowoo’s aunt!”

“Yes, auntie! Hello…”

“My goodness, you’re much more handsome than on TV.”

The unfortunate incident of being slapped with water did not occur. Instead, I received a warm welcome from his aunt.

“Why didn’t you come with him last time?”

“Haha, I went to Busan with Cheonghyeon.”

“Busan is nice. Did you see a lot of the sea? You know, the three of you could’ve come together next time. Right, Joowoo?”

His aunt told us to put our bags down first and headed to the room, carrying my bag and Park Joowoo’s bag one by one.

At that moment, someone ran past me, creating a gust of wind.

When I turned my head, Park Joowoo was being hugged by a young woman.

“Aigoo, isn’t this our maknae, who’s so hard to see!”

“Hello…”

“Joowoo, your arms are getting so firm? Have you been working out?”

“Yeah…”

“To think a baby has grown up so much and is working out… time really flies.”

My eyes met with the woman who was genuinely lamenting. She seemed to be the cousin-noona he had told me about.

I heard his noona worked in society too? The moment our eyes met, we immediately put on our social masks.

“Hello, I’m Kim Iwol from the same group as Joowoo!”

“Oh my, that’s right. I heard you were coming together, but I completely forgot and showed you an unsigthly sight!”

And then we shook hands. It wasn’t the kind of greeting that a noona in her pajamas and someone in semi-casual clothes would normally exchange, but in any case, I probably didn’t leave a rude first impression.

Now only two more relatives to meet. And I only had one life.

Even if their kindness was as diluted as 3 liters of water, I just hoped they wouldn’t see me as the bad hyung dragging Joowoo into trouble.