Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 453 - Frustration (1)

“There really are a lot of festivals in this country,”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon remarked, looking at the daily schedule posted in the group chat.

 

“And schools, too,” 

 

Kang Kiyeon chimed in. We had three outdoor stages scheduled for today alone, and we’d already knocked out a group interview in the morning. By the time the schedule was finished, it would be the middle of the night.

 

“I’m glad we have several songs suitable for this time of year. ‘With List’ and ‘On A High Note’ both came out right in May.”

 

As Lee Cheonghyeon said, Spark had many songs that suited the spring-to-summer transition. A lot of that was thanks to consistently sticking to a youth concept… but why do you think I racked my brain to pull forward those debut and comeback dates in the first place?

 

If you suffer when you’re young, your later years become easier. Spark now possessed a discography filled with seasonal tracks, festival anthems, public-friendly hits, and easy-to-sing-along encore songs.

 

As long as you considered the timing of events and a few recent hits, you could create endless performance setlists. Five comebacks in one year—it was hellishly exhausting, but I had no regrets.

 

As each member’s individual recognition grew year by year, the reward of seeing the audience’s reaction grew as well. No matter how many people were responding, we always gave our best, but louder cheers definitely made it more exciting.

 

The one who got a particularly explosive response this year was Kang Kiyeon. Despite his ‘Son of the Countryside’ and ‘Little Rock of the Deserted Island’ image, the way he showed off his side as a trained dancer on stage earned him massive popularity for his so-called ‘gap moe’.

 

Park Joowoo made a name for himself in the MeTube algorithm by literally blowing out a speaker at one venue with the sheer volume of his voice. After that, clips of him keeping his distance from the mic became another meme circulating on social media. Not to mention Lee Cheonghyeon, whose face was plastered all over the country, and the center, Choi Jeho.

 

As for me and Jeong Seongbin, maybe because so many ridiculous clips of us were already going around, people laughed at anything we said. It seemed we really needed to be separated from digital media content for a while. I had even given Jeong Seongbin a heads-up that I might look into a temple stay for us, just in case.

 

***

 

“…Now that it’s night, it feels like the festival atmosphere is even more alive. Is it just me?”

 

Jeong Seongbin’s comment drew a roar of cheers. By the time we reached our final schedule, the sun had long since set. There was no natural light, but night events offered the full effect of ‘artificial suns’—the stage lights. I decided to fully enjoy the perks of this golden time. Lasers, fireworks, confetti. What’s not to love?

 

It also helped that more people had become interested in Spark. As their visibility increased, the festival atmosphere came alive. There was no better environment for performing.

 

We were sharing short, pleasant bits of banter in a heartwarming atmosphere when, for a split second, I heard a grating sound. It was an unpleasant noise, like sharp metal slowly scratching against a heavy iron plate.

 

‘Is it an in-ear problem?’

 

Problems with in-ears or microphones were common outdoors. Since the noise was extremely quiet and none of the other members seemed to notice anything, I concluded it was just simple static.

 

“We’ll say our final greetings with ‘Bright’! Thank you!”

 

As the final comment was made and the members moved into their positions, I gestured toward the top of my microphone with my hand. It was a signal to check the audio before the backing track started. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with the mic.

 

『I remember

The first promise we shared』

 

『You said,

Be my eternal star』

 

In the audience, phone flashes swayed from side to side. I could see Kang Kiyeon taking a fan’s phone to record a video before handing it back, and Park Joowoo taking a slogan towel and wrapping it around his head.

 

『I stayed up through the long night*

To go to you now』

 

Even if we hadn’t slept a wink, even if we’d been running around from dawn till dusk, we miraculously found the strength to stand on stage. Our bodies remembered the dance, and our minds didn’t forget the lyrics. Even in the massive crowd, Spark’s lightsticks and slogans with the members’ names were surprisingly easy to spot.

 

『Becoming the light,

I will fill you with myself,

Brilliantly』

 

The landscape blended exquisitely with the lyrics.

The audience area, sparkling like the shimmering ripples of a night sea, and the wide-open sky full of starlight. And…

 

‘Wait?’

 

…The lighting fixture brightly illuminating the space above us swayed.

 

The moment I was about to shout to cut the music, all movement in my surroundings stopped. I’d definitely experienced this before. Specifically, when the System appeared and told me to use the ‘Stick’ function.

 

[SYSTEM] A work instruction from the ‘Superior’ has arrived.

▶ Disasters always arrive without warning, don’t they?

 

I messed up.

 

I had been paying enough attention until now, but it was true that I’d been negligent in my monitoring ever since my mental state was shattered by Park Joowoo’s incident.

 

I couldn’t excuse it by saying it was just a brief lapse. Accidents could happen anytime, anywhere—and I, of all people, shouldn’t have forgotten that.

 

[SYSTEM] A work instruction from the ‘Superior’ has arrived.

▶ I told you. Assistant Manager Kim still has a long way to go. How exactly do you plan to stop a natural disaster?

 

Did ‘a long way to go’ not mean I had more KPIs left? Did it mean I needed to realize my own limitations?

 

Rising anxiety made my brain go into overdrive. I struggled to maintain my composure.

 

There was no need to panic. I even received that Time Stop reward or whatever it was called last time. If the system tried to pull some stunt to interfere, I just needed to use the means I had to get Choi Jeho to safety…

 

[SYSTEM] A work instruction from the ‘Superior’ has arrived.

▶ This is fate. Something that cannot be predicted or prevented—something destined to happen. How can a human defy what’s already decided?

 

The system flickered. The title turned red.

 

[SYSTEM] Emergency measures due to the need for crisis management are being notified to the ‘Subordinate’.

▷ Contents related to the ‘Final Performance Reward’ are partially revised. The basis for revision can be found in the ‘Violation of Confidentiality’ section.

 

My final performance reward was the nullification of my sister’s death and the opportunity for a reunion. It was a process where, if I failed to achieve the final KPI, I would be permanently deprived of the chance to receive the reward based on the personnel disadvantage clause.

 

A short supplementary explanation had been added to the ‘Final Performance Reward’ that reappeared before my eyes.

 

[SYSTEM] ‘Final Performance Reward’ is notified to ‘Subordinate’.

▷ Nullification of sister’s (blood relative) death and provision of reunion opportunity.

▷ Regarding the ‘Violation of Confidentiality’ clause, if secrets are not maintained, the provision of the ‘Final Performance Reward’ may be suspended based on internal standards.

 

My eyes quickly scanned the words. I felt nothing but a dark premonition.

 

[SYSTEM] ‘Violation of Confidentiality’ is notified to ‘Subordinate’

▷ Any information that could affect areas beyond the successful activities of Spark, including details related to future events, is considered confidential and must be kept secret.

▷ ‘Subordinate’ is responsible for maintaining confidentiality regarding the aforementioned details.

▷ The severity of the penalty will be determined by the importance and publicity of the leaked confidential information, with the maximum punishment being ‘death.’

 

‘Successful’ was emphasized. As if it intended to categorize a minor injury to one member as a factor that wouldn’t affect ‘Spark’s successful activities’. In the System’s eyes, such a small issue could likely be covered by the group’s massively increased recognition.

 

The System was the sole judge of a secret’s importance. There was no way it didn’t know what I was trying to do in the face of this accident. For the system, which could see right through my intentions, to explicitly notify me that ‘provision of the reward may be suspended based on internal standards’ meant…

 

It was no different from telling me to just watch the accident happen.

 

Why now of all times? Why choose this accident as the turning point?

 

What kind of fate is it for a life to be ruined by a stupid accident like this?

 

It was a sophistry. If it wanted to talk about inevitability, the system shouldn’t have let me change Spark’s future, or even let me join Spark in the first place.

 

To my endless questions, the System countered.

 

[SYSTEM] A work instruction from the ‘Superior’ has arrived.

▶ I warned you clearly. I asked how long you were going to stay in denial—whether reality changes just because you turn away. Do you think only one or two critical issues pop up while working? Are you going to lose your grip and act weak every single time?

 

The system used the expression ‘critical issue’. Referring to an event where my sister might stay dead, and Choi Jeho might never be able to dance again. As long as Kim Iwol didn’t die, this bastard didn’t care what happened to anyone else.

 

Did it think I wouldn’t make an extreme choice because I found out Park Joowoo had trauma from losing his family? Or did it expect me to do nothing out of the fear of losing my sister again?

 

If it was going to be like this, why did it make it impossible for me to hate Choi Jeho and Spark? Why did it make me look into their hearts, show me they weren’t bad people, and make me feel a sense of camaraderie by sharing the same pain?

 

Because critical issues pop up several times in life? So that I don’t kill myself even if an accident happens nearby, even if it’s agonizingly difficult? Is it telling me to adapt and live on, no matter what happens?

 

Did it ever even plan to return my sister to me?

 

[SYSTEM] A work instruction from the ‘Superior’ has arrived.

▶ I’ve said it before. A company has no obligation to grant everything an employee wants.

 

The system vanished. Time resumed.

 

『It is probably

Whatever you call it』

 

Someone’s part pulled me back to reality.

 

Noona, what do I do?

 

I can’t give up on you. You know that. How can I give up on you?

 

I can’t go back to that hopeless time. I can’t live like that again.

 

I’ve never fully let go of you since that day. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to admit it.

 

I don’t want to part. I have so much to repay you for. Everyone else might have forgotten, but I remember. I remember everything you did for me, and every promise I made to you, without exception.

 

You said you’d wait. I worked so hard, so can’t you just wait for me this one time?

 

No, I’m sorry. I have no right to ask you for anything. I should have handled things better. Because I’m lacking, because I was careless…

 

『Carve the letters

That are meaningful to you』

 

A massive, pure white light source—similar to the one that illuminated Lee Cheonghyeon in the music video—flashed.

 

Choi Jeho stood in the center of the stage. His back and waist filled my vision.

 

Noona.

 

I’m sorry.

 

『Even if I can’t reach

It’s okay, to me…』

 

She was the most precious thing in the world to me.

 

My head told me to stay still…

 

『Reach out your hand』

 

…But I didn’t even know why I was lunging forward.

 

“Choi Jeho!”

 

Choi Jeho turned to look at me. I reached my arm out toward him.

 

“Catch!”

 

‘You, how far are you willing to go with what I tell you to do?’

 

The question I’d asked Choi Jeho at the Han River came to mind. Along with how he had answered.

 

Choi Jeho ran and grabbed my hand without hesitation. I pulled him with all my might. A scream tore through the air.

 

I’m sorry for being such a pathetic dongsaeng. I’m sorry for doing the ugliest thing I could do to you.

 

Don’t forgive me.