Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 465 - Elder (2)

“Mid-thirties?”

 

Gu Jahan repeated the age range back to me. I nodded. Since Gu Jahan and Woo Yoonjae were both in their late thirties—having already passed through their mid-thirties—they were the perfect people to ask for advice.

 

I was confident in picking out gifts for elders over forty or for teenage girls. However, choosing a ‘gift that could satisfy a man in his thirties’—a demographic I had never properly belonged to nor interacted with enough to exchange gifts—felt somewhat difficult.

 

“You aren’t the type to cause a nuisance to anyone… Are you going to apologize on someone else’s behalf? Tell them to do it themselves. What’s so hard about saying sorry?”

 

Gu Jahan shot back rapidly. He sounded genuinely worried that I might be taking the fall for someone else. I was grateful, but it was an overestimation of my character.

 

“Actually, it’s because I really did cause a nuisance. I have to go apologize.”

 

“You did?”

 

Woo Yoonjae looked surprised.

 

Yes, I caused a massive disaster. The kind where I should bow my head until it wears thin.

 

“How did that happen?”

 

Gu Jahan asked as he poured himself a drink. Neither Woo Yoonjae nor I had a chance to grab the bottle for him.

 

“I received a great deal of help from a certain senior. I even imposed on another senior by staying at his house.”

 

“If that’s all, is there a need to get something huge?”

 

Gu Jahan and Woo Yoonjae recommended some reasonably priced housewarming-style gifts. They also argued there was no reason to spend hundreds of thousands of won just because I’d stayed over for one day.

 

Left with no choice, I summarized the situation as concisely as possible: that this person was a crucial figure who had kept me from losing my way during a dangerous period.

 

When I admitted that, while mentally unstable, I’d been practically dropped off at a senior’s house like checked luggage and even slept there, Gu Jahan took away my glass.

 

“Are you okay now?”

 

“I’m fine after resting for a long time. That’s why I was drinking…”

 

“No, no more alcohol for you.”

 

Gu Jahan firmly pushed the glass to the edge of the table. My glass eventually ended up in the sink by Woo Yoonjae’s hand.

 

“Is it an idol senior? I guess not from the same agency, since you said Spark is the only idol group in UA.”

 

“Yes, which is why a more formal apology is necessary.”

 

“I suppose so….”

 

Gu Jahan and Woo Yoonjae dived into re-selecting a gift. They even set a budget and held a heated discussion. Since the two of them had completely opposite tastes and interests, all kinds of suggestions came out.

 

“I’m telling you, it’s rare to find someone who hates Western liquor!”

 

“There are people in this world who don’t drink at all.”

 

“What about small appliances?”

 

“They aren’t close; how would he know what appliances that house needs? It’s a pain to exchange things if they overlap or aren’t needed.”

 

While the two of them bickered, I just ate the pie by myself. Feeling thirsty, I got some water from the water purifier.

 

Woo Yoonjae, who had been in the middle of the debate, suddenly stared at me. When our eyes met, he spoke up.

 

“Setting aside age or the situation, how about giving the gift that you think that person would like most, Mr. Iwol?”

 

“What I think?”

 

“I understand wanting to give a proper gift since you caused trouble. But sincerity matters most, doesn’t it?”

 

As he said this, Woo Yoonjae placed another slice of pie on my plate.

 

“If it’s a gift chosen with the recipient in mind, wouldn’t they understand your feelings too?”

 

“……”

 

“I really liked the gift I received from you, Mr. Iwol.”

 

That short sentence brought many thoughts to my mind. Just as Woo Yoonjae said, while I was agonizing over a gift for Polo and Yur, I hadn’t actually looked into what they liked. Normally, I would have researched the person’s tastes first.

 

“That’s good advice… thank you.”

 

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I asked if I could have just one more drink. Woo Yoonjae silently filled my cup to the brim with water.

 

“Though I hope it doesn’t happen again, if you ever have a reason to wander, come to my place. Or come here. That way you won’t have to worry so much.”

 

Gu Jahan chided me. Woo Yoonjae also showed his kindness, saying I was always welcome to come over.

 

The seniors graciously yielded the bed to me, the youngest, and went to sleep on the sofa and the living room floor, respectively. The middle-aged men had apparently reached their limit after drinking so much—cleaning up the empty bottles was all they managed before passing out the moment their heads touched the cushions. Since I felt guilty about only receiving food and hospitality, I handled the cleanup myself.

 

After finishing the cleanup, I lay in bed and turned on a Hellas live stream. The phone screen glowed like a soft light in the darkness. The members’ Q&A session flowed calmly like ASMR.

 

***

 

I set up an appointment with Mr. Yur shortly after. I invited Mr. Polo as well. One of them had kept an eye on me, and the other had quite literally saved my life, so naturally I should be treating them with the utmost respect.

 

So, I booked the best restaurant I knew. It was a course-meal place that my former CEO used to book only when he was talking nonsense about ‘planning the future of Hanpyeong’ with the Directors. The fact that the day had come when I would personally pay to eat there with my own money really made me feel the passage of time.

 

I sat there waiting nervously, my legs shaking, when the two sunbaes walked in at the same time. They said they’d run into each other at the entrance and come together. I immediately sprang to my feet and bowed ninety degrees.

 

“I committed a great discourtesy the other day…!”

 

“Oh, stop it! Straighten your back!”

 

Mr. Polo hurriedly caught my upper body. I apologized so desperately that, even though I wasn’t crying, I was practically sobbing. Thanks to that, it took ten whole minutes before I calmed down enough to sit.

 

“Did you get home safely that day?”

 

Mr. Yur asked kindly. I nodded so hard I thought my head might fall off.

 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come see you after only sending a text. I should’ve contacted you sooner…”

 

“Mr. Iwol, stop that and try some porridge. This pumpkin porridge smells amazing.”

 

Mr. Polo cut me off and recommended the pumpkin porridge served as an appetizer. Gauging their reactions, I pushed a spoonful into my mouth. It was warm and thick, but I couldn’t really taste anything.

 

While the dishes were being served, we only exchanged light small talk. Mostly updates about how we’d been and comments about the food. Hearing them say the food was delicious provided a sliver of comfort to my uneasy mind.

 

It was Mr. Yur who finally broke the thin ice.

 

“Your complexion looks much better.”

 

The moment he said it, it felt as though freezing water burst upward through the cracked ice. My fingertips tingled from the cold feeling I’d experienced that day. Truly, I had been out of my mind back then.

 

“It’s thanks to you both.”

 

“Not at all. You’re the one who went through a hard time, Mr. Iwol.”

 

Mr. Yur was composed. Mr. Polo also just listened quietly.

 

“I’ve been… going to the hospital regularly.”

 

“…….”

 

“The company is looking out for me a lot, and we’ve decided to take a break from activities for a while….”

 

Explaining the steps I was taking to improve things felt like a kind of obligation. If you caused trouble for others, you had to promise it would never happen again. Hoping my intentions would come across properly, I carefully chose my words.

 

“I’m trying to properly… get myself back in order. I’ll make sure something like this never happens again.”

 

At my words, Mr. Polo smiled. It wasn’t an entirely carefree smile.

 

“You don’t have to burden yourself so much. I mean, all I really did was give you a ride once.”

 

“If it wasn’t for you, sunbaenim….”

 

“I just think I was lucky to be passing by at that time.”

 

“…….”

 

“I don’t think of it as me giving someone ‘help.’ We both just had good timing. You know what I mean, right?”

 

Mr. Polo pushed a plate of food toward me. He added that I needed to eat properly to regain strength.

 

“The members are probably the same way too.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“They’ll want to be a source of strength for you, Mr. Iwol. I’m saying this because you don’t seem like the type to rely easily on other people.”

 

“…….”

 

“The members of Spark all know about your situation, don’t they?”

 

I understood what he meant, but realistically, it was difficult. I had lived ten years longer than them. For me, those guys had already done their part just by providing me with mental comfort.

 

“Our members are still young. The maknae nly just became adults. I don’t want to burden them with overly dark conversations.”

 

Externally, maybe we didn’t look that different. But I couldn’t afford to forget the age gap.

 

“I don’t think you necessarily need to talk about only dark things.”

 

Mr. Yur smiled.

 

“At least sharing your emotional state a little would be good. That way, the members will worry less too.”

 

Not burdening them with unnecessary concerns, but actually easing their worries instead?

 

I didn’t quite understand. Then, something came to mind.

 

‘Don’t say you hid it because you were worried about us.’

 

The words of Kang Kiyeon, who told me not to hide my hardships under the pretext of being considerate to them.

 

‘Tell us if you’re hurting.’

 

I had replied that I would. And I had kept that promise well. But in the eyes of the System and Mr. Yur, it seemed I still had a mountain left to climb.

 

So I’d have to reveal thoughts even deeper than the things I’d confessed while drunk and being questioned by those guys.

 

I was reluctant. Reaching that point would truly mean crossing a line.

 

However….

 

I couldn’t ignore the memory of Jeong Seongbin’s arms wrapping around me when I came home, or Park Joowoo’s trembling eyes. Nor the sound of Kang Kiyeon opening my door at night for no reason just to check on me, or Lee Cheonghyeon lightly poking my side to tease me.

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“Good. Take it easy.”

 

After that, we chatted away, agreeing to only talk about happy things. I heard their impressions of the Unmanned Rest Area and Bright. When they asked if I had any intention of working as a producer for their new agency once my contract with UA ended, I broke into a cold sweat and told them not to make such scary jokes.

 

Before we parted ways, I handed over the gifts I had prepared. Both refused at first, but accepted gladly once I told them I had chosen them with great care.

 

“Mr. Iwol.”

 

Mr. Yur, now in his car, rolled down the passenger side window and spoke.

 

“Live happily. Joyfully. You might wonder how you can be joyful when there are so many hard things.”

 

“…….”

 

“But that’s the only way a person can survive.”

 

While Mr. Yur started the engine with a smile, Mr. Polo—who had insisted on paying and sent us out first—arrived. He gave me a powerful hug.

 

“See you again soon.”

 

“…….”

 

“And stay healthy. Got it?”

 

Then he slapped my back a couple of times. He hit me so hard my back was stinging.

 

“You’re driving, hyung?”

 

“It’s my car, so of course I am.”

 

“Sweet!”

 

Mr. Polo climbed into the passenger seat with an excited face.

 

“Shall we go as well?”

 

Manager Daeyeon, who had come to pick me up and was waiting for the farewell to end, approached and spoke. The way back felt light.