Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 446 - Everyday Stories (1)

Lately, Won Chaehee had been living days where even having six bodies wouldn’t have been enough.

 

Starting with the February photo exhibition for Spark’s debut anniversary, following their Bright promotions, filming videos for the Fan-tube channel she opened for self-development in the New Year, and catching the live broadcasts of Genre-Switch and Unmanned Rest Area—all of it had completely devoured her leisure time.

 

And additionally…

 

She had been drafted into a Task Force (TF) team formed for a project the Director had recklessly launched. She toiled away, working overtime nearly every day and attending back-to-back meetings all morning and afternoon.

 

If it hadn’t been for this, Won Chaehee never would have missed the chance to apply for the Genre-Switch audience seats. If it hadn’t been for Unmanned Rest Area, she would’ve had a weekend with nothing to smile about.

 

Fortunately, the TF produced results worth showing off. The executives brushed it off saying they should do even better next time, but the working-level staff knew the performance was nothing short of a miracle. In the process, Assistant Manager Yeo, who had made a distinguished contribution, was promoted. It could be said that her promotion was the only worthwhile outcome of that hellish project.

 

“Let’s all go grab lunch!”

 

Lunch was on Assistant Manager Yeo—no, Manager Yeo, as of today. It was a celebratory promotion meal.

 

‘She did all the work herself, and yet she’s the one treating the whole office…’

 

Even though it wasn’t her own money, Won Chaehee felt a twist in her gut. While Manager Yeo had been insanely busy juggling two workloads, it was obvious that the only one actually helping her had been Won Chaehee.

 

The higher-ups told her to focus on the TF, while her Team Leader told her to prioritize her regular work. Manager Yeo was incredible for perfectly fulfilling the contradictory demands of her bosses; the other team members hadn’t helped at all. Won Chaehee’s own efforts likely hadn’t been of much help to Manager Yeo either.

 

Still, Won Chaehee submissively joined the lunch. To be more accurate, she filled the seat ‘willingly’. Since Manager Yeo was spending money anyway, Won Chaehee planned to aggressively shut down anyone like Assistant Manager Cheon if they started talking nonsense like, ‘Since you got promoted, are you buying us something expensive?!’

 

‘Besides, knowing her personality, she’d insist on taking us somewhere nice.’

 

Just as expected, Assistant Manager Cheon tried to order way more food than the team could even eat, despite contributing nothing. He didn’t forget to whine about how it was a shame they couldn’t have wine at such a high-end Western restaurant.

 

“If we run out, we can just order more. The portions here are big anyway.”

 

“If we stop mid-meal, it ruins the mood.”

 

“I’ll do a quick survey halfway through, then. That works, right?”

 

Won Chaehee forced her smile as wide as possible. She desperately wished he would realize that this wasn’t a place for him to just stuff his face, but a place to celebrate a senior’s promotion.

 

“You worked hard, Manager Yeo. You must have been busy running back and forth.”

 

“Not at all. Assistant Manager Won helped me a lot.”

 

The good-natured Manager Yeo even took care to mention the contribution of her junior. Won Chaehee just smiled and bowed her head once.

 

“Looking at you two, I really think Assistant Manager Won likes Manager Yeo. When I ask for help, you look reluctant, but when she asks, you do it right away. Isn’t that right?”

 

Is helping with actual assigned TF work the same as you whining for help because you’re incompetent? You should be grateful for the help, you bastard.

 

…But she couldn’t say that out loud. Won Chaehee twirled her pasta and spoke.

 

“I didn’t do that.”

 

“Come on, it’s obvious.”

 

Won Chaehee didn’t respond. Instead, she chewed the pasta in her mouth and imagined it were Assistant Manager Cheon she was chewing.

 

“Assistant Manager Cheon.”

 

“Yes, Manager!”

 

“Want to come with me and order a few more side dishes?”

 

“There’s a call bell, why go over there…?”

 

“I want to look at the menu while I pick.”

 

Before anyone could call a server, Manager Yeo got up. Assistant Manager Cheon followed with a disgruntled expression.

 

A few minutes later, Assistant Manager Cheon returned with slumped shoulders, kept his mouth shut, and focused solely on his food.

 

“What would you like for coffee? I’m buying, so please tell me your orders one by one.”

 

“We should split the bill for coffee. Manager Yeo already bought lunch.”

 

“I won’t treat you again after today! It’s your last chance, so order quickly!”

 

At her cheerful insistence, everyone picked a drink.

 

“Assistant Manager Won, want to come to the cafe with me?”

 

“I’d love to.”

 

With a big team, even carrying drinks was a task. The two checked the orders and placed them into carriers.

 

“Who ordered the large size?”

 

“If you mean the Cold Brew, it’s for Assistant Manager Cheon. I upsized it to cheer him up.”

 

Just how much of a scolding had Assistant Manager Cheon received in that short amount of time? Won Chaehee couldn’t even guess.

 

Then, she noticed that the Frappuccino she ordered had also been sized up.

 

“Did someone else order a Frappuccino?”

 

“That’s yours, Ms. Chaehee.”

 

“Mine?”

 

“Think of it as a reward for your hard work.”

 

Manager Yeo grinned.

 

“I didn’t really do much.”

 

“You were busy, Ms. Chaehee. I relied on you a lot, but you didn’t have anyone to lean on, so it mush have been hard for you.”

 

She had been busy indeed. She just couldn’t brag about it in front of the real expert.

 

Besides, she wasn’t given work she couldn’t handle. She’d be getting overtime pay down to the minute, too.

 

Manager Yeo had been an Assistant Manager for quite a long time before making her distinguished mark as the TF leader. Even if  Won Chaehee had done all the work herself, she wouldn’t have been promoted due to her lack of seniority. At best, she’d get a good evaluation.

 

“Thank you. You saved me.”

 

Listening to the gratitude, Won Chaehee imagined a future where this person became her ultimate boss. If that were the case, wouldn’t she be able to work happily at least three days out of the week? The other two days… unavoidable.

 

“Not at all. I learned a lot, too,”  

 

Won Chaehee replied sincerely.

 

“You know, I sometimes think it would have been really nice to have a younger sibling like you,  Ms. Chaehee.”

 

“Were you an only child, Manager?”

 

“Yes. Maybe that’s why I don’t really understand what a real sibling is like.”

 

The two discussed life as an only child as they walked out with the drinks. They talked about the advantage of monopolizing all the love in the family, and the burden of eventually having to support their parents alone.

 

“I think you would have been a great older sister if you had a sibling, Manager.”

 

“You think so? My friends with real siblings tell me they fight all the time.”

 

“They might fight, but wouldn’t you handle it maturely? They say siblings resemble each other, after all.”

 

Manager Yeo laughed at Won Chaehee’s words and adjusted her grip on the drink carrier.

 

“Even if I had a sibling, we wouldn’t have looked alike. I’m adopted.”

 

Won Chaehee suppressed the reflexive ‘Huh?’ that almost slipped out. In social life, you come to realize that certain reactions, even if unintentional, can end up hurting others.

 

“Sorry, did I surprise you?”

 

“No. I was just worried if I had ever said anything insensitive…”

 

“You don’t need to worry about that. There aren’t many people as cautious as you, Ms. Chaehee.”

 

Won Chaehee had known for a long time that the Manager was fond of her. Manager Yeo treated her with ‘friendliness’ that went beyond the kindness shown to a mere colleague. But  Won Chaehee hadn’t expected her to share her personal history like this.

 

“It’s not some grand secret! It happened when I was very young, and I get along great with my family.”

 

Seeing Won Chaehee struggle to find words, Manager Yeo added:

 

“You told me about Spark before. Remember?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Usually, people don’t talk about liking idols to their coworkers, right?”

 

It was exactly as Manager Yeo said. Many professionals hid being a fan because they disliked the prejudice. Not just idol fans, but those who enjoyed subcultures like anime didn’t reveal their precious hobbies to just anyone. They didn’t want to be looked down on.

 

“Some people might reveal it casually depending on their personality. But it made me happy that someone as cautious and well-composed as you shared a story from your life outside the office with me.”

 

“……”

 

“It made me feel trusted.”

 

Finally, Won Chaehee realized why Manager Yeo had shared her past. She wanted to show that the distance between them had grown that close.

 

Once you become an adult, opportunities to be recognized for who you are become rare. To  Won Chaehee, that pure affection was ticklish yet genuinely pleasing.

 

The conversation with Manager Yeo continued throughout the walk back to the office. Won Chaehee heard stories about how her family strangely resembled each other to the point where relatives and friends all acknowledged it, and the anecdote about how her mother named her ‘Hana’ [One] to signify that she was the one and only precious child in the world.

 

“The reason for my name is pretty straightforward, right? It’s a pure Korean name, and since my surname is easy to write too, it was convenient whenever I had to come up with a Chinese-character version. The character for ‘Yeo’ doesn’t have many strokes.”

 

“I know that feeling. The character for ‘Won’ is simple, too.”

 

“I wonder what character Assistant Manager Cheon uses for ‘Cheon’? I remember hearing he uses the one for ‘Thousand’.”

 

“It must be easy for him to write his surname, too.”

 

“Yeo, Won, Cheon… Come to think of it, the surnames of the people on our team are quite unique. Don’t you think?”

 

Now that she thought about it, it was an interesting combination. Won Chaehee’s idols had surnames like Kim, Choi, Jeong, Park, Lee, and Kang—the top six most common surnames in Korea…

 

‘Wait a minute.’

 

Didn’t Kim Iwol say his older sister was eight years older than him?

 

Won Chaehee’s gaze turned toward Manager Yeo walking beside her. She saw a thirty-one-year-old woman of average height and a warm impression, who didn’t look like Kim Iwol at all.

 

It would be rude to ask something like this out of the blue, right?

 

But what were the odds of a person whose age matched what Kim Iwol mentioned, and who was also an adoptee, not being his sibling?

 

“What is it, Ms. Chaehee? Is there something on my clothes?”

 

Above all, what were the odds that two people whose faces became so equally kind when they smiled were completely unrelated?

 

“No, it’s just…”

 

Won Chaehee swallowed hard. She was afraid her words would cross the line from concern to rudeness. The thought of Kim Iwol’s parents—whom it might be better not to know about—made  Won Chaehee hesitate even more.

 

“Oh.”

 

Manager Yeo, waiting for the light to turn green at the crosswalk, spoke.

 

“Didn’t you say the idol you like is looking for an older sister who is the same age as me?”

 

In that moment, Won Chaehee almost dropped the drinks she was holding.