Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 415 - Concert (2)

The aftermath of the sexy concept’s whirlwind was intense. Sounds of swooning and groaning could be heard from every corner of the venue.

 

“Sparklers, you guys always tell us you love whatever we do, right? But it’s clear you have a ‘specific’ concept you love more. I’m sure of it.”

 

“The difference in the volume of the cheers is just…”

 

At Kang Kiyeon and Park Joowoo’s blunt observations, the Sparklers lost their poise. They really wished the boys would just pretend not to notice.

 

Next was the friendship duet between Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo. It was a combination that had appeared a few times before, but today’s unit stage held a special meaning.

 

As they split Jeong Seongbin’s first OST and sang together, the instrumental faded softly during the interlude…

 

『Seongbin.』

 

…and Park Joowoo’s VCR began playing without warning.

 

『Are you surprised? I wanted to do a surprise event, but I wasn’t confident I could fool you… So I’m filming this now, 10 hours before the concert.』

 

Park Joowoo looked bright and innocent, despite having pulled off a stunt that made people wonder if he was shy or bold.

 

『…The fact that we, who spent our trainee days together, are now standing side by side at a concert, singing your song together—it feels like a dream.』

 

The Sparklers, who had been laughing at Joowoo’s antics, grew quiet.

 

Ever since Jeong Seongbin released his first OST and performed solo stages on Genre-Switch and IDC, public opinion trying to drive a wedge between the two had increased considerably. If not for Kim Iwol’s issue, controversies about favoritism and discord might have erupted first.

 

『Even when we weren’t preparing for a concert, you told me to always say what I wanted to do. Maybe you thought I meant forming a band…』

 

Park Joowoo spoke in a voice that was slow as usual, but more affectionate than ever.

 

『My wish is… to keep singing and dancing together with the members, on stages like the one we’re standing on now, for the rest of my life.』

 

On stage, Park Joowoo looked at Jeong Seongbin. Jeong Seongbin couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

 

Every Sparkler knew. They knew how much Jeong Seongbin wanted people to hear Park Joowoo’s singing. Whenever Park Joowoo uploaded a cover, Jeong Seongbin was the first to listen; whenever they filmed karaoke content, Jeong Seongbin was the first to thrust the remote and microphone into Park Joowoo’s hands. To that kind of Jeong Seongbin, Park Joowoo was saying:

 

『To my one and only, most precious friend in the world, Seongbin. Thank you for asking me to become an idol with you.』

 

He was saying that he enjoyed his current life so, so much.

 

Jeong Seongbin wept, his shoulders shaking. Park Joowoo had to sing the second verse alone. Patting his friend’s shoulder, Park Joowoo finished the song that his friend had first presented to the world on his own.

 

***

 

Following the vocal stage of tears and the rap stage of joy, the maknaes showcased incredible diction. Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Kiyeon, decked out in protective gear reminiscent of post-apocalyptic movies, delivered a full-blown rap performance that was dizzyingly brilliant. When Kang Kiyeon took off the top of his hazmat suit and tied it around his waist during the bridge, fans everywhere tore at their hair in excitement.

 

When Lee Cheonghyeon stopped dancing and approached the audience, the fans were so shocked they couldn’t even speak. They had seen him at fansigns, offline events, commuter walks, and even music shows, but the Lee Cheonghyeon who was intentionally styled for a concert was a masterpiece. Everyone felt like joining the Cheonghyeon Love Squad—a private organization likely created and joined only by Kim Iwol himself—immediately.

 

After the song ended, another video played. A lavender-haired Lee Cheonghyeon was sitting in a park with his laptop open.

 

『Hyung, that guy over there is shooting bubbles at the kids.』

 

Bright spring weather. Faded purple hair. And a rare treat: hearing him use polite speech in a private setting. This was Lee Cheonghyeon from the early days of their debut.

 

The camera panned toward the fountain. There was Kang Kiyeon, standing among young children with a bubble gun in each hand, firing away.

 

『Jeho hyung, it’s raining…』

 

『You want me to make kimchi pancakes?』

 

『Yes…!』

 

Then came Park Joowoo, boldly demanding kimchi pancakes as if it were a common occurrence, and Choi Jeho naturally getting up from the sofa. Park Joowoo watched the entire time as Choi Jeho poured the batter into a greased frying pan.

 

『Seongbin, what are you doing?』

 

『Decorating my notebook.』

 

Laughter erupted when the familiar notebook appeared. Saying they were stickers Choi Jeho had brought from Gwangju, Jeong Seongbin carefully peeled each one off and stuck them in the notebook. The arrangement wasn’t exactly aesthetic.

 

『Hyung, give me the camera.』

 

『You want to film a close-up?』

 

『No, I want to film you.』

 

『Me? Why?』

 

『Only I’m showing up on screen.』

 

After that slightly reluctant reply, Kim Iwol appeared. Fans went wild at the sight of him in a plain T-shirt and sweatpants. People had seen Kim Iwol in ‘natural’ concepts, but ‘actually natural’ Kim Iwol was as rare as a wild mountain ginseng.

 

『How should I film you?』

 

『Uh… I think whatever I do will look weird.』

 

『Please do a hand heart.』

 

In the early days of their debut, Kim Iwol received countless requests to make hearts with his hands. This was because of how he would insist on using both hands, even if it meant putting down whatever he was holding on the floor. Even when they were alone at the dorm, Kim Iwol made a heart with both hands. His sheepishly smiling face filled the entire screen.

 

Piano sounds began to flow from the speakers…

 

『I remember you

Who watched over me』

 

…and the first lines of Third Letter began. Sitting side-by-side on stools, the members took turns holding the microphone.

 

『At the end of my drawings

You were always there

To meet you

I drew and drew even in my dreams

Of you, of us』

 

『This hand that I worried

If anyone would take

I reached out carefully

With a trembling heart』

 

『You took it

That hand felt so warm

That I wanted to hold it forever

And just run』

 

『Erasing and erasing again

I took a long way around

But still, you know

Won’t you listen?』

 

Memories of hearing Third Letter for the first time came flooding back. Back then, fans were moved just by the fact that the boys had released a fan song. Now, Baek Haewon understood the weight behind the lyrics.

 

Kim Iwol picked up the microphone.

 

『Tell me it’s okay

To hand over this heart』

 

Kim Iwol’s past two years of trying to only show his best side to the fans flashed by. No fan who saw that effort could ever turn away.

 

『Let me give it a name』

 

She knew that every move Kim Iwol made was for the fans. Giving them the nickname Sparkler and naming every single Spark song wouldn’t be possible without affection. Not without a very great deal of affection.

 

『Called love』

 

She made eye contact with Kim Iwol. His eyes, dark as the universe, smiled at the fans.

 

***

 

The emotional rollercoaster kept surging nonstop, carrying Baek Haewon and over fifteen thousand Sparklers along with it. Even the travel tissues she had brought just in case were completely used up.

 

Even when the fan song ended and it was time for comments, the Sparklers were still wailing. This was because they vividly knew the ups and downs from the moment Third Letter was released until now. The flustered members tried their best to comfort the sobbing fans, but it was no use. From the first row on the floor to the limited-view seats on the third floor, everyone was in a sea of tears.

 

“Sparklers, if you cry like this, we can’t show you the next content!”

 

At Lee Cheonghyeon’s firm words, the tears stopped as if it were a lie. Fans wanted to arrest Choi Jeho on the spot as he laughed incredulously while telling them to stop crying.

 

Baek Haewon quickly wiped her tears. Sparklers were good listeners.

 

A chalkboard drawing appeared before the well-behaved audience. Chalk moved slowly, writing out the words.

 

[Recess]

 

The stage, bright again, now held desks and chairs. From the edge of the stage, the Spark members entered one by one, having changed back into school uniforms. While the other members took their seats, Jeong Seongbin entered dragging a whiteboard. Then, he wrote Class Meeting in large letters on the board.

 

“Guys, we need to have a meeting now. Can everyone focus?”

 

As soon as she heard Jeong Seongbin speak informally, she knew. This was a skit!

 

“Class President, why does our class have meetings so often?” 

 

Lee Cheonghyeon asked, raising his hand. The sincerity in his tone was palpable.

 

“If there had been fewer suggestions, this wouldn’t have happened. But the complaint box is full, so we had no choice.”

 

Jeong Seongbin shook a small box placed on his desk.

 

“So today, we’re going to take time to resolve our classmates’ complaints. I hope everyone treats it like their own problem and helps out.”

 

“Can I put in a complaint that there are too many meetings next week?”

 

“Sure, I’ll pass that on to the teacher.”

 

At Jeong Seongbin’s sharp response, Lee Cheonghyeon lowered his hand. After confirming there were no other complainers, Jeong Seongbin pulled a slip of paper from the box.

 

“This is the first suggestion. It says, ‘I wish you wouldn’t stare so intensely when we get a break during PE class.’”

 

“Joowoo.”

 

“It’s Joowoo, isn’t it?”

 

Kim Iwol and Kang Kiyeon’s gazes turned toward Park Joowoo simultaneously. Park Joowoo’s flustered face was plastered across the three giant screens, including the main one.

 

“No… it’s not me…!”

 

“You’re the only one who would say something like that.”

 

At Choi Jeho’s firm words, Park Joowoo’s face turned beet red.

 

“Actually, it is me….”

 

“You could’ve tried denying it a bit longer…!”

 

Jeong Seongbin’s genuine pity was hilarious. The friendship between the two was truly beautiful.

 

“It’s because you guys stare too much….”

 

“We do?” 

 

Kim Iwol asked back. Park Joowoo nodded vigorously.

 

“We’re just timing the break.”

 

“You even set a timer, yet you still stare….”

 

“Because if we’re late, it’s a waste of time.”

 

“Sometimes I want to rest for just ten more seconds….”

 

The banter between Choi Jeho and Park Joowoo, with one side being too soft, was fascinating. What made it even funnier was that even though Park Joowoo was being overwhelmed, he wasn’t completely collapsing.

 

“You guys love exercising! But I only like it…!”

 

“No, we don’t love it either.”

 

“Don’t lie.”

 

At Kim Iwol’s reply, Park Joowoo’s expression turned serious. The cold beauty fitting of his actual appearance began to drip—no, pour—from his face.

 

“There’s no way to explain that unless it’s love.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon leaned back and laughed. It was a sign of intense agreement.

 

“But Joowoo, you like arm workouts.”

 

“It’s not like that’s all we do…”

 

Kang Kiyeon tried to comfort him, but failed. Park Joowoo looked truly sad.

 

“I don’t hate exercising. I’ll work hard. But I just wish the break time would increase a little bit….”

 

“So the staring made you feel pressured?”

 

“No, it’s just that Iwol and Jeho’s gazes are scary….”

 

Jeong Seongbin’s attempt to sugarcoat it also ended in failure. Close-ups of Kim Iwol and Choi Jeho’s eyes appeared one after another. The sharp, upward-turning eyes of the hyungs were directed fiercely at Park Joowoo. Fans could only hope the main vocalist’s safety would be guaranteed even after this content ended.