Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 447 - Everyday Stories (2)

“How do you know that…?”

 

“The articles were everywhere. Since we’re the same age, I got quite a few calls from friends who know my background.”

 

Won Chaehee’s mouth went dry.

 

“Though I don’t think it’s me.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“I heard the facility where the sister was presumed to be placed is quite far from where I was. Different district, I think?”

 

All Won Chaehee could do was listen intently.

 

“Still, since I think of him as my peer, I hope he gets to meet his sibling soon. There really are some terrible families out there.”

 

“It’s not just because I’m a fan; it’s just pity as a human being. I hope the lawsuit gets resolved properly.”

 

“How is his trial going?”

 

“Kim Iwol’s trial? He won the first trial, but the other side decided to appeal.”

 

“They appealed?”

 

A reaction of pure disbelief followed. It was exactly how Won Chaehee had reacted when she first saw the news.

 

≫ f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck

Appeal my ass, I’m getting a migraine just thinking about it.

I’m torn between ‘I’m glad Jeho is out of this messy fight’ and ‘What did Iwol do to have to deal with you people until a second trial?’

 

Choi Jeho’s father gave up on the appeal after losing the first trial. On the other hand, Kim Iwol’s parents appealed while simultaneously diving into dodging responsibility. The last article Won Chaehee saw was about the two of them undergoing divorce proceedings.

 

“People can be so shameless.”

 

“Truly.”

 

“But don’t worry too much! It’ll work out. A lot of people are paying attention to it.”

 

Manager Yeo smiled brightly, encouraging Won Chaehee. Just then, the traffic light turned green. A wave of positive energy washed over her.

 

***

 

The idea inventory of Spark—once always overflowing—had now hit the red. It was a state of emergency.

 

“April Fool’s Day, one of the three major holidays of the subculture world, is right around the corner, and we still haven’t found a decent item.”

 

“Hyung…”

 

Beside me, Park Joowoo looked genuinely distressed. Watching me tear my hair out, Lee Cheonghyeon made a suggestion.

 

“The Bubble Pop switch-up we did last year got a good response, right? How about doing something similar again?”

 

“Are you suggesting we resort to recycling, which is practically professional negligence?”

 

“Cliches are loved for a reason. I’m saying we should reinforce content that has proven demand.”

 

“No. I’m not satisfied.”

 

The argument wasn’t without merit, but I put it on hold. Generally, April Fool’s Day involved light pranks or lies, but since the act of deceiving wasn’t particularly positive, it was better to do an event that wouldn’t make anyone uncomfortable.

 

Spark needed ‘accessible and intuitive content’ to use here. Something to recover the image these guys trashed and to actively radiate healthy energy.

 

Passing by and glancing at my monitor over my shoulder, Choi Jeho spoke up.

 

“So.”

 

“…”

 

“Are you saying we’re doing cosplay now?”

 

The idea notebook prepared by the dedicated team was filled with various keywords. Among them, the best material that Spark had never tried before—and that could leave a strong visual impression—was this.

 

“What are we cosplaying?”

 

“If it’s idol cosplay, popular genres are the standard. Movie characters, vampires, or characters like the Gumiho [nine-tailed fox].”

 

The human encyclopedia, Jeong Seongbin, chimed in. However, it wasn’t enough to pique my interest.

 

A cool and sexy vampire? It would suit Spark perfectly—but it was something anyone could wear.

 

Worst case, if the next album concept was set as vampires, we could release Concept Photo Versions A, B, and C and take more than enough photos then. With high quality, not just a one-time costume. In the first place, that kind of concept suited Halloween better than April Fool’s.

 

“We need something that can only be done on April Fool’s. Something people can laugh off, but also shows we went all out…”

 

“Because the hyungs caused trouble on the island, Iwol hyung has turned into a vengeful spirit. Everyone, apologize.”

 

At Lee Cheonghyeon’s words, Park Joowoo’s eyes darted around. I barely stopped him from actually apologizing.

 

Something unique and non-controversial that people would understand the reason for as soon as they saw why Spark chose it. A genre where the costumes were striking enough to feel like an ‘event’ while being visually beautiful. Something familiar to the fandom, Sparkler, but with a decent amount of public appeal…

 

“Kang Kyeon, get over here!”

 

“Why?”

 

“Give me some ideas. You know about this stuff, don’t you?”

 

“This is it!”

 

The moment I saw Kang Kiyeon, I bolted upright from my seat.

 

“Whoa, you scared me! What’s wrong?”

 

“Kiyeon!”

 

“Wh-what is it?”

 

Kang Kiyeon, coming into the living room, hesitated.

 

“Can you organize a character list for ‘Kingdom Cafeteria ~Another~’?!”

 

***

 

Leave medicine to the pharmacist. Diagnosis to the doctor.

 

And…

 

“…This company is famous for its fabric quality. It’s the shop most used by actual readers. The makeup needs to be at a ‘stage performance’ level to minimize the gap with the costumes.”

 

…And leave manga to the reader.

 

Experts truly were great. Within a single day, Kang Kiyeon had perfectly organized the best costume vendors, makeup references, main colors and items for each character, and even personality analyses.

 

“I have a question. It says here that Prince Dennovan is a ‘Red-haired jerk.’ Won’t mimicking a character like this create a negative image?”

 

“Prince Dennovan ranked 4th in popularity polls precisely because he’s rude. From a moral standpoint, Menol—who not only flirted around despite having a fiancée but also ran away—is more unlikable. However, Menol received some ‘shielding’ from fans because he never belittled Princess Soda in the story and sincerely wished for her happiness even after leaving the Cream Kingdom.”

 

Even under sharp questioning from Lee Cheonghyeon, Kang Kiyeon’s answers were flawless.

 

“I also have a question… how should we divide the characters?”

 

“If you want to provide maximum entertainment, I think it’s best to take on characters that people would think suit you well. The fun of randomness is short-lived, but cosplay that matches the character leaves a lasting impression.”

 

Hearing Kang Kiyeon’s words, Park Joowoo wrote something in his journal. Judging by the movement of his pen, that guy just drew three whole stars.

 

“We absolutely cannot have reactions saying we’re ridiculing the original work. Everyone knows it’s better not to do it at all if that’s the case, right?”

 

Having gone through the Pink Carrot seniors’ cover stage, the members nodded seriously.

 

“The company said they’ll handle content usage permissions. They’ll send an inquiry email today.”

 

“Didn’t the author mention you on social media before, Kiyeon?”

 

Jeong Seongbin mentioned a small anecdote regarding Kang Kiyeon. The live stream where I and Kiyeon rambled about the issue of the Princess’s partner choice and long-haired men had eventually reached the author of Kingdom Cafeteria ~Another~.

 

≫ I can’t believe my work was mentioned on a broadcast…!

I was so surprised by the reports, haha.

Thank you for enjoying it, Kiyeon-nim!

And thank you to the Sparklers in the comments who said they are regular readers, haha.

I’m rooting for Spark!!

 

Since that day, Kang Kiyeon earned the honorable title of a ‘successful fan’. Certainly, with this narrative, there was a high possibility the author would consider the proposal positively.

 

“If this goes through, Kiyeon should play Princess Soda.”

 

“Me?”

 

“You love Princess Soda the most here.”

 

“I appreciate you looking out for me, but it probably won’t suit me.”

 

“None of us have a ‘Princess’ face here.”

 

Forget Princesses and Princes; at this rate, the whole group of Spark looked like they should be going to take a Knight’s entrance exam. We’d have to have a fierce battle over the single spot for ‘Blanche’. To break the somber mood, Jeong Seongbin stepped forward.

 

“Let’s go through the character list once. First, Princess Soda. She is the successor to the Cream Kingdom’s throne, known for her charmingly confident personality. She is a righteous character who never neglects her efforts with the single-minded goal of reviving the Cream Kingdom.”

 

Next, Prince Menol of the Cucover Kingdom, who had entered a semi-forced arranged marriage with the powerful Cream Kingdom. Fed up with a future where he would be treated as nothing more than a synthetic flavoring for melon soda his whole life, he dreamed of a free life while still respecting his fiancée, Princess Soda.

 

Then there was Uron, who suddenly appeared before Prince Menol. An adventurer from the Leaf Tea Continent, she met Menol while restocking on the Fruit Carbonation Continent. Despite coming from a prestigious family, Uron set out to find her own unique value instead of relying on her household, and Menol fell for her at first sight. Menol hid his status as a Prince and built a friendship with Uron…

 

“Value-wise, aren’t Princess Soda and Uron similar? Why does Menol fall for Uron instead of the perfectly fine Princess Soda? Isn’t that just an excuse?”

 

Choi Jeho, who had been listening silently, raised an objection.

 

“If we dig into that, the story gets long. Are you okay with that?”

 

“…Let’s just move on for now.”

 

Kang Kiyeon, jumping in with a skilled touch, made Choi Jeho lose interest instantly. Thanks to that, Jeong Seongbin was able to continue the character descriptions smoothly.

 

Meanwhile, in the Cucover Kingdom, there was someone who envied and was jealous of Prince Menol, who was set to take the position of the Soda Kingdom’s son-in-law. That was Dennovan, the ‘Red-haired jerk’ mentioned earlier. A character whose charm points were the two moles aligned on his neck, he was consumed by a lust for power and clashed with Menol and Princess Soda at every turn.

 

“In the PPT, it says he envied his eldest brother Menol, whose marriage was decided simply because he was lucky enough to be born as a Melon, the most in-demand ingredient for Soda. So, in the Cream Kingdom, the ‘Melon Soda’ position has historically been the highest? Like ‘Pure Power’ or ‘S-Class Talent’ in fantasy novels?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

If I hadn’t been trained by web novels and paperbacks, I might have had trouble following the flow. You really should read all sorts of books.

 

In addition to these, Blanche—the loyal knight and faithful vassal to the princess—and Mariba—who ‘appeared to be a helper but turned out to be a male lead candidate’—were added to the list of characters for makeup. Every single one had a formidable backstory.

 

“Kiyeon, since you have the best understanding of the work right now, which roles do you think suit the members best?”

 

“Assuming I play Princess Soda?”

 

When I said yes, Kang Kiyeon fell silent.

 

The deliberation didn’t take long. A fan always has a blueprint in their head.

 

And so…

 

“This wig is incredibly heavy.”

 

…I became Blanche, the long-haired man who ranked 2nd in the popularity poll. He was a character who was abandoned for being born as a ‘defective cherry’ but was taken in by Princess Soda, to whom he swore eternal loyalty.