Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

I reflected on the concepts Spark had tackled over the past seven years.

 

From their debut album, where they sang ballads in a winter boy vibe on a frosty, dead grass field.

 

To performing love songs in jumpsuits at an abandoned factory, perhaps trying to convey a sense of contradiction.

 

Among them, there were concepts that suited Spark quite well. They just messed up badly on the seasonal feel or fashion sense.

 

‘From the moment the cyber warrior concept came out, it was clear that UA’s planning ability was dead.’

 

I pushed the image of the five gray cyber warriors, which I didn’t even want to recall, out of my mind.

 

So, what kind of concept should we give to Spark?

 

“We need to highlight their looks and physique somehow…”

 

First, I asked Lee Cheonghyeon, who would have the biggest role in making the song, if he had any concept in mind. He replied.

 

“I want it to fit a vibe that’s explosive. Excitingly!”

 

“Isn’t that just matching the song you’re working on now?”

 

The song Lee Cheonghyeon had been humming, which he was conceptualizing, was actually a track that had been included in the debut album.

 

Knowing how that song would turn out, I could clearly understand what kind of feeling Lee Cheonghyeon meant.

 

“My life goal is ‘Let’s live this one life excitingly’!”

 

It wasn’t particularly helpful, but I took note of the precious composer’s words.

 

“Ah! How about a futuristic concept? It’s cool, right? Like a movie!”

 

“Don’t even utter such a horrifying word.”

 

Unless you want to be a cyber warrior born from LEDs.

 

“Anything else you need?”

 

“Warm praise for a dongsaeng striving for self-improvement?”

 

“Cheonghyeon, who looks cool striving for growth, are you satisfied? Now let’s get back to work.”

 

As I was leading Lee Cheonghyeon back to his laptop, Park Joowoo poked his head out from outside the door.

 

I gestured for Park Joowoo, who had appeared of his own accord, to come in.

 

“We were just talking about concepts among ourselves. Joowoo, do you have any concept you’d like to try?”

 

“Among idol-like concepts… Something with a bit of a strong feel.”

 

His taste was still the opposite of his gentle demeanor.

 

“Do you mean you’d like the lyrics or message to be strong? Or do you want the visible aspects like styling or choreography to be strong?”

 

“…Hmm.”

 

Park Joowoo pondered, seemingly not having thought that far.

 

“Considering Joowoo hyung’s taste, I think he wants the song’s difficulty to be on the stronger side? Like with powerful high notes and such.”

 

“As long as this group has Park Joowoo and Jeong Seongbin, we can’t avoid high notes anyway.”

 

“…If I have to choose, I’d prefer a strong message.”

 

It was quite a philosophical preference.

 

The last time I pondered over philosophy was when I was asked to decide on the management philosophy for Hanpyeong Industry’s website.

 

After asking Jeong Seongbin and the other members, I had a rough idea of the concepts each of them wanted to try.

 

Choi Jeho: Something with intense choreography.

 

Jeong Seongbin: Anything that suits the members

 

Park Joowoo: Something with a strong message.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon: Something exciting and explosive.

 

Kang Kiyeon: A concept that utilizes unique formations, draws attention, and shows off the group’s color.

 

They were like people who’d order five different dishes at a Chinese restaurant. How did they manage to work together for 7 years with such poor unity?

 

Fighting off an incoming headache, I organized in my mind the concept I had to come up with once again.

     

I was at a loss. The only idol album concepts I knew were the ones Spark had done over 7 years.

 

There was only one solution in this situation.

 

Just like when I searched the internet for HR document templates right after joining the company, I had to entrust myself to the sea of information.

 

I squeezed ‘reference research’ into my already packed schedule.

 

The day was so incredibly busy, I felt like I wanted to charge overtime pay to the system.

 

* * *

 

There was a time when I went around collecting supportive comments to prepare a birthday present for Choi Jeho.

 

That was probably… when I said I’d make a book of supportive comments as a gift.

 

Among the posts I saw while browsing various communities, I often came across a type of article that seemed to be copy-pasted whenever Spark made a comeback.

 

≫ UA is probably the worst company when it comes to utilizing the members’ looks.

 

They go out of their way to dress the guys in hideous outfits when just matching their clothes’ colors would suffice.

 

└ >Going out of their way< is the key point.

 

└ Officially the #1 idol group that looks best in casual clothes

 

Below that post were countless pictures of Spark in mismatched outfits that looked like a Tetris game.

 

≫ It takes talent to dress them like this for every stage

 

One of the members must have spilled iced coffee on the CEO’s face.

 

└ Judging by the looks of it, it seems like all five of them spilled it at the same time.

 

└ If you consider that the CEO’s shirt costs 800,000 won, it’s totally understandable/.

 

Amidst the scathing criticism and flashy photos alternating to captivate one’s attention, something caught my eye.

 

‘What is this…?!’

 

It was a photo of me.

 

Wearing a black t-shirt with a fluorescent yellow vinyl vest and white cotton shorts.

 

The post with the shocking photo also had a one-liner comment attached.

 

≫ Kim Iwol’s outfit is truly epic

 

Almost like a Post-it note fallen on a keyboard

 

The expressive comment made me break out in a cold sweat.

 

There was even a comment on that post that only had 3 views.

 

≫ His pupils look completely lifeless. Poor guy.

 

“Gasp…!”

 

The moment my eyes met my own blurry, lifeless pupils attached on the comment, I woke up.

 

It was a terrible dream.

 

‘No matter what, I’ll avoid a Post-it note concept.’

 

I steeled my resolve. Every day was already hell, but I had a feeling today would be no walk in the park either.

 

When I went out to the living room, the first person I saw was Lee Cheonghyeon, who greeted me.

 

“Hyung, did you have a nightmare? You were groaning in your sleep.”

 

“You don’t know how grateful I am that this is reality right now.”

 

“Must have been a really bad dream.”

 

Receiving Cheonghyeon’s sympathy, I headed to the kitchen where someone was standing in front of the induction stove holding a spatula.

 

It was Jeong Seongbin, who had already finished getting ready for school.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Oh, good morning, hyung! Did you sleep well?”

 

Then Jeong Seongbin pointed to the table.

 

“I toasted some bread today. Help yourself, hyung.”

 

Neatly arranged bread was laid out on the table.

 

No wonder it smelled so good since morning.

 

If I had woken up earlier, I would have at least rolled around in bed. His diligence was truly like someone from a moral education textbook coming to life.

 

“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Then Jeong Seongbin sat down and started eating the bread as well.

 

Even this diligent Jeong Seongbin, after seven years in the group, would become known as the ‘epitome of a fierce male idol leader.’

 

I couldn’t even imagine how our future idol life would unfold.

 

* * *

 

There is a saying that ‘learning never ends’.

 

For the past 29 years, I believed that saying didn’t apply to me.

 

I didn’t particularly like studying myself. Why would I want to study as an adult when I was forced to study so much as a student?

 

In high school, I studied to escape home, and in college, my only reason for studying was to get scholarships and graduate quickly to find a job.

 

I could say with certainty that I never studied because I enjoyed it.

 

Even worse, at Hanpyeong Industry, I had to dig from scratch with a seedling shovel due to the lack of a proper handover document.

 

I sincerely wanted to stop being forced to learn something new. If only I hadn’t brought this situation upon myself, it probably would have been that way.

 

But the old saying wasn’t wrong.

 

I admitted this as I massaged my eyes, which felt like they were about to fall out from organizing the monthly TOP 10 lists of music streaming sites for the past 5 years.

 

As life went on, there’d come a day when even a corporate worker might have to study the idol market, proving that learning indeed never ended.

 

‘How can so much work pile up just as I’m about to finish preparing for the monthly evaluation?’

 

I felt like the sad memories I had accumulated at Hanpyeong Industry were coming back to me.

 

As a result of sleeping only three hours a day, practicing during the day, and staring at my laptop at night.

 

“Hyung, I think your dark circles have evolved.”

 

My face had reached a state where even Lee Cheonghyeon said something like that. I also felt like I was developing dry eye syndrome too.

 

“Aren’t you tired after sleeping so little?”

 

“I am.”

 

But if I didn’t skip on sleep now, I’d definitely embarrass myself with a post-it note look in the future.

 

Just thinking about it chased away any sleepiness.

 

“But hyung, what do you do at night? Didn’t you say you already picked the evaluation for the monthly review?”

 

“Preparing for the future?”

 

“Hyung, you really have a unique way of speaking.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon laughed.

 

I couldn’t exactly tell them, ‘Be grateful I’m saving you from looking like kimbap wrapped in foil,’ so I kept my mouth shut.

 

“…Still hyung, you really don’t seem nervous.”

 

“Yeah. You did well on your first evaluation too, hyung.”

 

Park Joowoo and Jeong Seongbin, who were stretching together, chimed in.

 

I didn’t want the attention focused on me, so I quickly changed the subject.

 

“Thanks for the compliments, but shouldn’t we start practicing soon?”

 

Fortunately, Jeong Seongbin, who was always serious about practice, immediately switched into practice mode.

 

The small talk seemed to end there… or so I thought.

 

“Hyung.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Late at night, in the practice room, Kang Kiyeon and I were the only ones left, and he started talking to me, seemingly continuing the small talk.

 

“Can you spare a moment?”

 

Sorry, Kiyeon.

 

I’m starting to get scared every time you open your mouth now.