Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 35 - Internship Practice (1)

It wasn’t just a rough idea, I knew ‘exactly’ why Lee Cheonghyeon was chosen to appear in the music video.

 

It was because Cheonghyeon himself mentioned it in passing during a variety show he appeared on early in his debut.

 

‘I heard Mr. Cheonghyeon debuted first through a music video?”

 

‘Yes! I appeared in Jang Junhoo sunbaenim’s music video 『Time Passed』 who is from the same agency!’

 

‘And the reason you were chosen among the trainees was… because you’re handsome?’

 

‘From what I later heard from a staff member, yes, that was apparently the case!’

 

They literally chose him based on his good looks alone.

 

However, casting Lee Cheonghyeon in a music video wasn’t a particularly wise choice.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon was good at almost everything, but he had less experience performing in front of other people compared to the other trainees.

 

Choi Jeho and Kang Kiyeon had participated in every competition since they were young.

 

Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo had gone through practical tests in music classes and auditions.

 

In contrast, the only experience Lee Cheonghyeon had standing in front of a crowd was a piano competition he participated in when he was a child.

 

As a result, Lee Cheonghyeon’s facial expressions and expressiveness were the weakest among the five at that time.

 

The future Cheonghyeon quickly overcame this gap as he gained stage experience, but that wasn’t the case now.

 

‘If the plan is to promote them as a talented group that can do anything, even setting aside the issue with Jang Junhoo, it would make more sense for Choi Jeho to be in the video.’

 

The music video’s protagonist was supposed to be a sorrowful man reminiscing about his long-lost first love.

 

A 17-year-old boy in a coat, walking down a street covered with fallen leaves on a lonely autumn day, lost in nostalgic memories? It couldn’t have been more out of place.

 

‘He doesn’t have the image that would make people say he’s perfect for the role.’

 

The current Cheonghyeon was at an age more suited to being called a pretty boy rather than a handsome young man.

 

Choi Jeho, who was known for his ‘indifferent’ image, was the perfect person for this kind of thing.

 

“Even if Jeho hyung is going… I don’t think he should go alone.”

 

Jeong Seongbin said, hesitantly but clearly expressing his opinion. It was typical of his straightforward nature.

 

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

 

I knew what Jeong Seongbin was worried about.

 

Even though the younger ones were minors, Jeho and Seongbin’s ages weren’t that far off.

 

If an adult man decided to harass him, even Choi Jeho might not be able to handle it.

 

But what concerned me more was…

 

‘The controversy over his personality.’

 

After all, the person we’d be sending was ‘that’ Choi Jeho.

 

No one could predict what Choi Jeho might say on that day to provoke others’ anger.

 

I smiled at Seongbin reassuringly and said.

 

“I’ll go with him.”

 

* * *

 

“I didn’t think you’d actually follow me.”

 

Choi Jeho, who had just finished his makeup, said as he showed off a hairstyle that highlighted his neatly styled forehead.

 

Though he couldn’t completely hide his youthful vibe, he definitely looked more mature compared to Lee Cheonghyeon.

 

Today, the day of the music video shoot, I had been sticking to Jeho like a leech from the moment he left the dorm until now when we arrived at the salon.

 

“This is all because I’m worried about you, Mr. Choi Jeho.”

 

“ At least wet your lips before you lie ^[1] At least wet your lips before you lie = If you’re going to lie, at least do a better job at it. .”

 

“I am saying this just in case, don’t actually wet your lips. It’ll make them more chapped.”

 

“You’re so annoying, don’t go around saying things…”

 

“Didn’t I clearly tell you to watch your words when we’re outside?”

 

It wasn’t easy to maintain a smile and act friendly enough to make it look like we were getting along.

 

After checking people’s positions through the large mirror, I spoke in a low voice that only Choi Jeho could hear.

 

“You remember the Ten Commandments for when the camera is rolling, right?”

 

Just in case, last evening, I had sat down Choi Jeho and all the other members to remind them of the precautions to take when the camera was rolling.

 

The content was all basic stuff.

 

1. Keep your mouth shut.

 

2. Smile when the camera is rolling unless instructed otherwise.

 

3. Greet people properly when you’re out working.

 

4. Listen attentively when someone is speaking.

 

5. Answer and react loudly.

 

6. Sit with your legs together and posture straight….

 

…And so on.

 

Even after making them write it down ten times, some of them couldn’t memorize it, so I muttered it by their bedsides all night, asking them to think of it as ASMR.

 

By about 3 am, they said they had memorized it all and could recite it fluently. Indeed, repetition was best for memorization.

 

Choi Jeho answered my question with a look of exasperation.

 

“Ugh. My ears are about to bleed.”

 

“Don’t worry. I checked, and they’re fine.”

 

I said, massaging Choi Jeho’s shoulders, which had been styled to perfection.

 

Well, it was only ten things, so he should at least memorize that much.

 

I had even given a tear-jerking presentation to the planning team to get the lead actor changed.

 

Since that day, the way people looked at me within the company had become 100% strangely negative, but I didn’t care.

 

Compared to the days when I was openly mistreated by Manager Nam, this was heaven.

 

As we waited outside the salon after finishing our preparations, our manager came up after pulling the car out of the parking lot.

 

I sent Jeho, today’s great actor, to the back seat and sat in the passenger seat, then asked,

 

“Manager, will Jang Junhoo sunbaenim be coming to the shoot today?”

 

“Because Iwol asked, I checked with Junhoo’s manager. He said he’s going to shoot separately. So he won’t be there today.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Why? Are you a fan of Junhoo?”

 

“I was just wondering if there’s anything we should be careful about since he’s a senior. Since I’m not filming, just tagging along…”

 

“Oh, come on. Mr. Junhoo isn’t that difficult of a person! He’s not good at expressing himself, but he really cares for his juniors.”

 

What do you mean he’s not? That b*tch did something unforgivable to our kid, you know?

 

I had no intention of agreeing that his rude and aggressive behavior could be passed off as ‘not expressing himself well’.

 

‘Anyway, this means he’s not coming, right?’

 

If he was not coming, that was good news. That meant I wouldn’t have to confront him on Jeho’s behalf.

 

“More importantly, Jeho, you really look great all dressed up.”

 

“Th… Thank you.”

 

What? Did he just hesitate before thanking him? This kid clearly didn’t get enough ASMR last night.

 

When I looked at Jeho through the rearview mirror, he seemed to realize he had hesitated with his thanks and avoided my gaze furtively.

 

‘I’ll let it slide just this once since we’re heading to work.’

 

Still, I was satisfied that he received praise for his good looks. The reaction at the salon was good too.

 

‘When the music video plays, Choi Jeho will be the only one people see.’

 

It wasn’t a bad development.

 

* * *

 

The first film set I ever visited was bustling with activity.

 

As soon as I arrived on set with Choi Jeho, I greeted everyone with a deep 90-degree bow.

 

I greeted the filming director, who had allowed even me to scurry around the set, with a bow so deep I nearly planted my forehead on the ground.

 

‘The main objective was to act as a buffer between Choi Jeho and Jang Junhoo if he showed up… but since he didn’t come, there’s no need for that.’

 

I took a look around the busy set, where preparations were in full swing.

 

The shooting equipment I had only seen in behind-the-scenes footage of music shows was now right in front of me.

 

In the past, I would have been interested in the employment conditions of the video industry, but not now.

 

When I saw Choi Jeho walking to the bench where the camera was pointed, Kang Kiyeon came to mind first.

 

That guy would tremble like a leaf even when you put just one small cam in front of him.

 

‘Considering we’ll be shooting our debut music video, we need to come up with a plan.’

 

He already struggled to keep his gaze steady in the first Spark music video.

 

Considering the not-too-distant future, Kang Kiyeon needed to get used to the camera as soon as possible.

 

I had plenty of experience learning by watching over others’ shoulders at Hanpyeong Industry.

 

Drawing on those memories, I made an effort to take in the camera placements and angles while standing next to our manager.

 

At the very least, I needed to get a feel for the atmosphere so I could help with mock tests or whatever else might be needed.

 

Fortunately, I didn’t need to worry about Choi Jeho’s acting.

 

That guy was good at facial expressions. Perhaps because he had danced for so long, his expressiveness was outstanding.

 

At this point, there was probably no one else on our team who could portray ‘a lonely man showing a hint of melancholy after a breakup’ as well as Choi Jeho.

 

‘That’s part of the reason I chose Choi Jeho. It would be troublesome for me if he can’t do it well.’

 

I had no intention of hearing UA’s team say something like, ‘This instructor is disappointed in Assistant Manager Kim’s decision’ about the results.

 

Suddenly, I was reminded of the freeloaders who had coasted through countless group projects with me.

 

So, this was how comfortable and relaxed they must have felt.

 

I won’t forgive you, but I can at least relate to how you feel now.

 

* * *

 

The filming took place at multiple locations. This was because Choi Jeho was scheduled to shoot all the drama cuts.

 

It seemed the singer would only be filmed singing in the studio or on set. If the two shoots didn’t overlap, that’d be better for us.

 

Of course, I didn’t just stand around watching the filming.

 

As the shooting locations changed several times, I noticed there was a lot of luggage to move, so I started helping carry various bags.

 

People were worried about the weight of the equipment, so I proudly demonstrated my skills, honed by carrying Manager Nam’s share of water battles while hiking up every one of the top 100 mountains.

 

Thanks to that, I even received compliments for how efficiently I managed to carry the equipment without getting in anyone’s way or blocking the cameras.

 

“What’s with all the stuff you’re carrying?”

 

As I was moving the youngest writer’s bag to the car with a sense of satisfaction, someone asked me from behind.

 

It was Choi Jeho.

• 1. At least wet your lips before you lie = If you’re going to lie, at least do a better job at it.