Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 471 - Passion

The supernatural cosplay following the fantasy concept received overwhelming support. Fans, who had previously quenched their thirst with fan edits, were finally able to satisfy their cravings by sharing high-quality, delicately retouched photos. They were so delighted that it felt as if they could all reach Nirvana and ascend to heaven in pure bliss.

 

However, it was too early to leave this world. There was a mountain of leaks and content waiting to be released.

 

No one knew just how much Spark and everyone at UA had staked on this comeback. Even the choreography video I was currently re-watching for the tenth time was so high-quality that, barring any major issues, it could be sent for final editing exactly as it was.

 

Everyone did great, but Choi Jeho stood out especially. After tasting the sweetness of golden fame through 『Bright』, the guy greedily devoured the camera’s attention.

 

The neatly refined physique and muscle lines I’d specifically requested also played a huge role. The trifecta of facial expressions, silhouette, and dance lines was perfect. No matter where you looked in the video, once your eyes locked onto Choi Jeho, you couldn’t look away.

 

Just as the flashy dance break where Choi Jeho truly shone was about to begin, a large hand suddenly dropped onto the laptop screen. The unwelcome intruder was none other than the owner of that very part, Choi Jeho himself.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Let’s film the video again.”

 

The purpose of his visit was a request for a re-shoot. I reset the video to the beginning and asked.

 

“Does something look weird? From what I saw, even a random screen capture looks good. The fit of the clothes stayed sharp until the end, too…”

 

“I don’t like it.”

 

He placed the cursor on the dance break section I was about to do a final check on. The video paused, and a center-positioned Choi Jeho filled the screen.

 

“Here.”

 

Honestly, it was hard to agree. Regardless of whether I wanted to admit it or not, Choi Jeho’s skill was consistently top-tier.

 

If we filmed ten times, all ten would be good; if we filmed twenty times, all twenty would be great. Choi Jeho’s strength was that no matter which take we picked, it wouldn’t be a waste. No one would ever say things like, ‘This version has this good point while that version has that good point, so it’s hard to choose’. Choi Jeho always delivered the highest level of perfection in everything.

 

And his growth? If you wanted to visualize Choi Jeho’s development, you’d need a quantum leap graph rather than a smooth curve. Choi Jeho, who held the title of ‘Monster Rookie’ at debut, had now become an actual monster. He was praised as an ‘ecosystem-disrupting species’ who deserved his own category within the fancam and stage-video ecosystem.performances.

 

His refusal to settle for the status quo was certainly worth praising.

 

But somehow. Even though he had never been lazy or hesitant, seeing Choi Jeho put in this much desperate effort felt unfamiliar.

 

Was it because he usually acted like everything was no big deal? But Choi Jeho was always serious. He built muscle to ensure he didn’t lack power, and no matter how much group practice we had, he never skipped personal practice. All for the sake of dancing better.

 

On the other hand, he also knew how to cut his muscle mass so he wouldn’t look sluggish and could blend in harmoniously with the members. He even knew how to dim his presence when it wasn’t his part. Being a born star, he couldn’t hide completely, but in group activities, he controlled his intensity as much as he could.

 

Born with natural talent and honing himself to a terrifying degree, Choi Jeho possessed overwhelmingly superior ability compared to others his age in the same industry. His exceptional recognition and endless love calls backed up his value.

 

And yet, Choi Jeho said he was bothered by the details of a single choreography video. In the idol industry, where mainintaining your original mindset often determined the length of one’s career, this was something to be praised. From the perspective of a teammate who shared both hardships and successes with him, it was both expected and admirable.

 

Wanting to be good because it was necessary and wanting to be good because you loved it were similar yet different. Choi Jeho jumped into this world purely because he loved to dance. And he did his job without ever complaining or hesitating. Once again, it hit me just how obsessively this guy truly loved dance.

 

I looked at this guy, who seemed to live in a different world than mine, and asked.

 

“Do you ever feel desperate, too?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean, have you ever desperately thrown yourself into something in your life?”

 

People tend to be lenient to themselves and strict with others, often thinking that someone else’s effort is natural or no big deal.

 

At the very least, I had to be wary of that tendency. Especially because I knew how consistently Spark had always given their absolute all in their work, even in the past.

 

But in the end, there was no need for me to reflect on myself.

 

“I don’t really live my life thinking about things like that, but…”

 

“…”

 

“I’ve never done anything halfway.”

 

Because Choi Jeho naturally drew recognition from everyone around him. Whether you thought negatively about him or took his effort lightly, the moment you faced him, he had this overwhelming force that made you click your tongue in disbelief that someone like him was actually your age.

 

Anyway, if the guy wanted to dance and his body was perfectly fine, who was I to oppose him? The only thing I could do was use him as motivation to keep my own discipline from slipping.

 

The choreography video was re-shot on a later date. It resulted in an increased schedule right before the comeback, but not a single person complained. The re-shot video was, as expected, even better than before.

 

***

 

Up until now, Spark’s comebacks had always proceeded at breakneck speed. It didn’t mean UA was clumsy at their jobs. It just meant every schedule was extremely urgent.

 

If I poured ideas into the content machine, Lee Cheonghyeon would run the machine and finish the songs like a factory churning them out. Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo would take the freshly made songs and mold them beautifully. Once the songs were done, Choi Jeho and Kang Kiyeon would package them so they could be presented beautifully on stage.

 

Doing this whole process within two months was close to a miracle. Working on the title track for the next comeback while currently promoting, or working on multiple songs at once—there was never enough time.

 

It was the same for UA. While managing promotions and support for an active period, they had to finish the groundwork for the next album to be released during the break period. Until they went on a long-term break, no one on Spark’s dedicated team could truly rest easy.

 

Because of this, while others might release concept photos for two members a week, Spark had to release concept photos on Monday, a teaser on Wednesday, and the tracklist on Friday. If we wanted to avoid disasters like abruptly announcing offline schedules for fan meetings or prerecordings, we had no choice but to work ourselves to the bone elsewhere.

 

≫ When is Spark’s MV being released?

└ 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

└ You mean in an hour?

└ The teaser dropped 1 day ago. What were you doing yesterday while this place was burning up?

└ ???? Didn’t the tracklist drop just the day before yesterday???

└ Spark’s time moves 6x faster.

 

But now, we could finally do a proper, heart-fluttering promotion. Why? Because the comeback was delayed a lot because of me…! No one was expecting us to make a comeback in the second half of the year!

 

A whirlwind of complex emotions washed over me, and I swallowed my tears. I desperately needed one of those animal reaction images where it covers its mouth with teary eyes.

 

This time, instead of openly spoiling the album with obvious teaser images, we released symbol-based designs. Without even using the word ‘comeback’. Spark, a group known for straightforward promotions, suddenly moving so mysteriously caused commotion everywhere.

 

≫ What was just uploaded to the official account?

└ Is that a… flask?

└ Are they having a comeback?

 

≫ Hnghh what is this my heart’s pounding

Is it self-produced content? An event? A repackage? A unit? A concert? A mini fan meeting??? Just tell me!

└ Breathe firstㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Plz be a unit.

 

≫ Guys! Spark is doing something!

Let’s gather around and spread the rumors first!!!

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ‘spread the rumors first’

└ If it’s a concert, spread the rumors later so I can secure my seat first

└ They just had an encore con recently, would they do another one already?

└ If they get our excitement to the MAX and then say ‘Ta-da~ here’s the world tour notice~’, I’m plugging the fax machine back in

 

By the time the third image was uploaded with twenty-four-hour gaps between each post, most Sparklers were already piecing the images together and trying to guess what they meant.

 

≫ If you arrange the images in two rows of three, I think they connect into one picture!

Is it a laboratory?

└ What variety show has flasks, notebooks, and beakers?

└ Maybe they’re doing a full-group music show with a scientist concept!!!

 

When the puzzle was complete, a dark, elegant attic filled with a purple atmosphere was revealed. A single beam of light, piercing through thick blackout curtains, crossed over a desk. In the dark picture with low lighting, the only thing clearly visible was a quill pen touched by the sunlight.

 

In the final photo for the bottom right corner, a date was written in small cursive.

 

≫ It’s a comeback.

IT’S A COMEBACK!!!!!!!

└ Since it says ‘2nd’, everyone’s whispering that it might be a full albumㅋㅋ

└ Why did the boys push themselves so hard? T_T Still, I love it T_T

 

Immediately after the source hinting at a comeback went out, a teaser video with a very short snippet of a pre-release track was uploaded.

 

≫ ?? What? Am I the only one hearing this song for the first time?

I guess it’s not a repackage?

We sent them off to rest, and they produced a full album from scratch?

└ Their spite is on another level.

 

≫ What’s the concept?

The props look pretty aged, so it doesn’t seem like an extension of Hwaro High School.

Is it the words I want to say universe…?

└ If words I want to say felt like a fairy tale book, this one feels like a gloomy secret experiment notebook.

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I finally get what you mean.

 

As the ‘leaks’ began to drop, I strictly monitored the members to ensure they didn’t give any spoilers on Bubble Pop. Fortunately, none of my colleagues was loose-lipped.

 

Monday at 6:00 PM, following a wild weekend. The teaser for the pre-release track, Dreamer, was revealed.

 

≫ Wait a second.

 

Papers fluttering over my head as I lay face down on a desk; Choi Jeho’s hand drawing red liquid into a syringe from something off-camera; Jeong Seongbin’s face obscured by black fog; chess pieces rolling at Park Joowoo’s feet; and Kang Kiyeon’s figure reflected faintly over a beaker containing green liquid—all passed by in a flash.

 

A golden tear flowed from Lee Cheonghyeon’s right eye in a close-up. The tip of a long, white finger traced down the tear stain. More strokes were added next to the red mark, and the title Dreamer was completed.

 

≫ Is what I just saw really a Spark teaser?

 

Everyone was stunned by the arrival of a completely new Spark.

 

D-4 until the release of the music video and audio. The countdown had begun.