Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 457 - Break Period (2)

“You’re going to learn composition?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

I had to do something to stop the guys from worrying about me so much. Out of several options, composing music felt like the healthiest and least masochistic hobby.

 

“What, are you not satisfied unless you do everything from A to Z now? Was my music actually bad? Or are you trying to steal your dongsaeng’s livelihood?”

 

“I just got interested.”

 

Above all, composition was something I hadn’t challenged myself with until now. At most, I’d only ever put together a few lines of a bass riff.

 

Since I had promised Kang Kiyeon that I would work on changing myself, I had to keep my word. I didn’t want to remain a stagnant person, stopping in a state of pessimism just because life was hard. The timing was perfect, too.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon leaned his back against the sofa where I was sitting. He pondered for a moment before speaking.

 

“It’s not bad. You know your chords, hyung.”

 

“Right.”

 

“It’s a pretty convincing excuse to get your hands on a laptop.”

 

“Oh, is it that obvious?”

 

“Do you think Seongbin hyung wouldn’t know?”

 

“I figure he’d turn a blind eye even if he did.”

 

“Incredible…”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon clapped in admiration. He even complimented me on my extraordinary way of thinking.

 

“Composing sounds good. Who are you going to learn from? The A&R team? If you ask Seongbin hyung, he could probably recommend someone from his department.”

 

“I’ll learn the basics from you.”

 

“Me?”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon’s eyes went wide.

 

“I thought you’d want to learn from a professional expert.”

 

“The moment you started releasing songs on the market, you became a professional too.”

 

“I’m still only twenty, though?”

 

“Expertise is judged by skill, not age.”

 

Despite my explanation, Lee Cheonghyeon still looked dazed.

 

“I know you’re busy. You can say no.”

 

“No, no. I should at least repay the hyungnim who opened the door to early education for me.”

 

“Just throw assignments my way and I’ll study on my own.”

 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I might nag you as much as you whipped me with those all-nighters back in the day.”

 

“I happen to be an expert at staying up all night.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon laughed. It had been a while since I’d heard him laugh out loud like that after the accident. Despite acting all intimidating, Lee Cheonghyeon supported my new hobby by personally creating a terminology guide for me.

 

***

 

Studying composition was more fun than expected. Perhaps because he started out self-taught, Lee Cheonghyeon’s ‘Basic Foundation’ class was very suitable for a beginner.

 

Since my ‘work’ mostly consisted of listening to music and memorizing terms, Jeong Seongbin didn’t meddle much. He had even declared that he wouldn’t use his Death Note during the break. He went as far as putting the notebook in a box and sending it to his family home via quick-courier right in front of my eyes.

 

“Hyung, eat this.”

 

A plate of steaming tofu was placed on the desk. Looking to the side, I saw Park Joowoo standing there with a small dish of soy sauce and a side plate. The side plate was piled high with stir-fried kimchi.

 

“What’s with the tofu?”

 

“I saw an article saying soy beans are good for brain development…”

 

I felt like a student preparing for the college entrance exam. I thanked him and took the kimchi.

 

“By the way, Joowoo.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Aren’t you preparing for finals? Cheonghyeon started ages ago.”

 

Park Joowoo stood silent for a long time before turning around and walking out. The tofu was warm and savory.

 

The problem was that studying only took up a fraction of my time; for the most part, I was incredibly bored. Even if I idly plucked at my bass without an amp or went to the gym, there was a limit to how much it could fill such long days.

 

“Isn’t there something fun to do?”

 

“When did you become such a ‘fun’ addict?”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon asked with sincere concern. I wasn’t a fun addict; I was more like someone who had suddenly become ‘time-rich’ due to an unscheduled vacation. Since I had to win the Grand Prize before our contracts ended, I could be called a time-rich person with a spending limit.

 

I summoned my courage and went to Jeong Seongbin. I opened with the most pathetic tone possible.

 

“Seongbin, can’t I at least do some photo retouching?”

 

“No.”

 

As expected, Jeong Seongbin was firm. I pulled out my trump card expression.

 

“Repetitive work is the best for clearing the head, don’t you think?”

 

“Hyung, I’m planning to buy some clothes. Want to look at my shopping cart with me?”

 

Switching the subject instantly, Jeong Seongbin shoved his phone in front of my face. It looked exactly like the purchase list of someone who had watched exactly two lookbook videos and then tried to buy ten outfits at once just by looking at the model photos online. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it really was only ‘not bad’. What annoyed me was that Jeong Seongbin’s style was still on a much higher level than Choi Jeho’s.

 

I quickly recalled the collection of outfits fans had been begging for Jeong Seongbin to wear. Preppy looks with a casual feel, round glasses, long coats with dress shoes, college-style casual with backpacks…

 

I added items to match certain clothes and deleted others after asking for his consent. The denim cap before my eyes tested my patience.

 

“The denim cap is a bit tough, Seongbin.”

 

“You think so…?”

 

“Maybe I just lack fashion sense, so it’s not clicking for me. There might be things that suit you less, but nothing that doesn’t suit you at all. Can you wait a moment? Let me think of a concept where a denim cap would fit perfectly—”

 

“No, it’s okay, hyung. I don’t even like denim that much!”

 

Jeong Seongbin hurriedly deleted the hat from his cart. He looked like he really liked it, though. There was a denim jacket further down the list, too.

 

After tidying up the list and finishing the payment, Jeong Seongbin said we should pick out some clothes for me now.

 

“I have plenty of clothes.”

 

“You only have black clothes.”

 

He wasn’t wrong, so I quietly browsed the shopping site. Jeong Seongbin stopped me when I reflexively tried to select ‘Black’ in the color filter. Turtlenecks and plain shirts were also banned. It was a very difficult time.

 

“So that’s how this floral shirt ended up arriving?”

 

A few days later, Kang Kiyeon, who had volunteered as the cameraman for the unboxing video, spoke with disbelief.

 

“Let me say this in advance: I never even mentioned this short-sleeve floral shirt.”

 

“You picked the color, hyung,” 

 

Jeong Seongbin countered.

 

That’s because you recommended pure purple…

 

“Where are you even supposed to go wearing this…?”

 

Kiyeon’s expression turned serious. The bright yellow floral shirt seemed quite avant-garde to the eyes of the group’s most stylish member.

 

“Where else could you go but Hawaii in that?”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon added. He was biting his lip, clearly struggling to hold back his laughter. When I gestured for him to just go apply some lip balm, he ran away cackling.

 

“Is it really that bad?”

 

Jeong Seongbin tilted his head. The surprising thing was that Jeong Seongbin didn’t seem discouraged despite this reaction. To his eyes, this shirt must have looked truly pretty. Since I had ransacked Jeong Seongbin’s shopping cart as I pleased, I decided to fully respect his pick, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it might’ve been a mistake.

 

“No, it’s… unique…”

 

At least Park Joowoo, being a friend, took Jeong Seongbin’s side.

 

“I think it’s fine.”

 

Choi Jeho was actually being sincere. If he had known that the mall sold that floral shirt in orange, he definitely would have asked to buy one for himself too.

 

“Kang Kyeon, where did we put our fan-sign props?”

 

“Probably in one of the boxes on the Alpha Room shelves?”

 

Cheonghyeon, who had asked for the location of the props, suddenly returned with a pair of fashion sunglasses with colored lenses. The gold-rimmed glasses with inverted trapezoid lenses had a design that hovered somewhere between retro and tacky.

 

“Hyung, put on the shirt and try these on.”

 

“I already feel I won’t be projecting a very good image even before I put them on.”

 

“I’m confident you can write a new history in the world of idol visuals.”

 

I was pushed toward the room by Lee Cheonghyeon’s encouragement. When I came out wearing the 5-inch shorts he had coordinated for me, an explosive reaction greeted me.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon rolled on the floor laughing and mocked me. Kang Kiyeon, holding the cam, used his other hand to hide his struggling corners of the mouth. Jeong Seongbin was making huffing noises, holding back his laughter. I clearly saw Park Joowoo’s pupils trembling.

 

“You look like someone from an old movie.”

 

If even Choi Jeho was saying that, wasn’t that the end of the discussion? I couldn’t even begin to fathom the hearts of the Sparklers who would see this in the self-produced content later. It was a blessing from heaven that the ‘Gaining Solo Fans’ KPI didn’t appear this time. This look could only produce memes.

 

“It’s such a waste that we’re the only ones seeing this in person.”

 

“Don’t worry. Once the content is uploaded to MeTube, the whole world will see it. And I’ll be showered with praise like, ‘Iwol, your fashion is more brilliant than a sunset on a Vancouver beach.'”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon was practically wailing with laughter. He seemed to find it a terrible waste that only Spark got to see my ‘glorious’ form in person.

 

“How about we send him on a trip dressed like that?”

 

“Kiyeon, is that really something to say to someone in this state?”

 

“Hyung, do you really dislike the clothes I picked that much…?”

 

Kang Kiyeon and Jeong Seongbin pressured me from both sides. It was even more maddening because neither of them seemed to have any ill intent. I was losing my mind.

 

“A trip sounds good. You have to go on a trip during a vacation.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon chimed in with his friend. There’s an old saying that the one who eggs things on is worse than the one who hits, so why is it that there’s no one stopping it here and only people egging it on? This was the ultimate unfair targetted hate.

 

The ‘Make Kim Iwol an Old-Fashioned Person and Send Him on a Trip’ project proceeded smoothly among the members—excluding Kim Iwol. Since I thought it was all just talk, I let them say whatever they wanted…

 

“Hyung, do you have your passport?”

 

“Why a passport?”

 

“To book flight tickets. If you don’t have one, go apply for it tomorrow.”

 

…And a group overseas trip was scheduled.

 

“Do I really have to wear the floral shirt?”

 

“Come on, hyung. Do you think we’d put that heavy burden on you alone?”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon placed a hand firmly on my shoulder with an expression that said to trust only him.

 

“We’re all going to wear them.”

 

“Are you out of your minds?!”

 

To me, who was unable to accept reality, Lee Cheonghyeon showed me a screenshot. It was the purchase history for ‘Colorful Floral Shirts (5+1)’. The option names were as clear as if they were under a magnifying glass.

 

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Red

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Green

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Blue

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Pink

 

And…

 

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Orange

 

“How could you do this. How!”

 

“They give you an extra one if you buy five.”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon ignored my scream. Instead, he kindly scrolled up to show the hidden option.

 

*   Colorful Floral Shirt_Black

 

“I’ll give this to you as a gift to commemorate the trip.”

 

Seeing Kang Kiyeon’s ‘Purchase Complete’ message under the screenshot, I felt a fire rising in my chest. The Spark dorm, which had been cultivated with only beautiful things, was being covered in cheap floral shirts in an instant.