Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 503 - Chat Time (3)

Lee Cheonghyeon had indeed changed significantly, just as he said. The version of him that used to fret over whether the reaction would be bad or what to do if the results weren’t good had long since vanished. Even while balancing work and academics, he found his own ways to manage his mental state whenever he felt burdened or stuck.

 

When he wanted a new challenge, he threw himself into a musical performance on a competition show; when he needed a sense of belonging and stability, he planned a trip. It was hard to believe this was the same person who used to get nervous over a single round of feedback. Now, whenever he finished writing a song, he’d boldly gather all the members together and play it for them without hesitation.

 

Lee Cheonghyeon wasn’t the only one who had changed.

 

When I finished washing up and headed to the room where we agreed to meet, Jeong Seongbin was standing with his hands on his hips, watching Choi Jeho and Kang Kiyeon, who had a laptop between them.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

When I asked while gauging the atmosphere, Park Joowoo, who opened the door for me, summarized the situation.

 

“Jeho hyung and Kiyeon are exchanging opinions on a choreography revision…”

 

Calling it a ‘place for exchanging opinions’ was a bit of a stretch, as the atmosphere wasn’t exactly warm. For starters, both of their expressions were fierce. Part of it was their natural resting faces, but it was mostly because these two weren’t the type to sugarcoat things.

 

In the past, Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo would have been the most restless in this situation. And I didn’t just mean during our trainee days. Even in the past timeline where they were slightly older as a five-member group, Jeong Seongbin tended to avoid confrontation, and Park Joowoo would just hover nearby.

 

But now, Park Joowoo wasn’t staying out of it because he felt uncomfortable; he was respecting their conversation because he knew their conversation wouldn’t turn into a fight. Jeong Seongbin waited and trusted Choi Jeho and Kang Kiyeon to work it out, while remaining ready to step in if necessary.

 

Choi Jeho and Kang Kiyeon had changed the way they expressed their opinions. They’d learned to listen more carefully to what the other person was saying. They still didn’t perfectly understand each other’s words instantly, but they recognized they shared a common goal of creating a better stage.

 

“Seongbin hyung, what do you think? We just can’t find a middle ground between us.”

 

When Kang Kiyeon felt he couldn’t persuade the other on his own, he sought advice from a third party who could provide an objective perspective.

 

Jeong Seongbin didn’t shrink back or retreat when given the chance to speak his mind. Park Joowoo made sure to say what needed to be said whenever he had a point to add. Choi Jeho answered the younger members’ questions as sincerely as possible.

 

And Lee Cheonghyeon didn’t get nervous, even when friction occurred and opinions clashed like this. His claim that he was no longer anxious wasn’t an empty statement.

 

‘At this rate…’

 

Just as I was muttering to myself.

 

“Kim Iwol.”

 

Choi Jeho called me.

 

“You come take a look too. Which way seems better?”

 

“Alright.”

 

As we sat together, putting our heads together to deliberate, I felt certain. 

 

This team would not crumble easily from ordinary troubles anymore.

 

* * *

 

The meeting finally ended after three long hours. We hadn’t even spent any of that time chatting about unrelated things, yet it had still taken that long. The Spark guys spent a good while chatting about how to spend the few scattered days off they had.

 

By the time they decided when to play and when to go out for delicious food, it was nearly dawn. Saying we should wrap things up before we all ended up with dark circles under our eyes, I brought the gathering to a close. After returning to the room with Lee Cheonghyeon, I instructed him to get under the covers and lie down immediately. He didn’t resist and fell fast asleep.

 

As I lay in bed, I heard the sound of the ventilation fan in the bathroom. Though it was just everyday noise, the small sound felt unusually loud. It felt like a fan was whirring inside my head too.

 

‘System.’

 

The thing responded to my call immediately. Apparently, it was making good on its promise to cooperate.

 

‘Tell me the clear cause for the synchronization rate increasing. That way, I can proceed with the resignation process.’

 

I steeled myself and waited for the system to bring an answer. Soon, a new window appeared.

 

+

[SYSTEM] The ‘Synchronization Rate Calculation Criteria’ are being notified to the ‘Subordinate.’

▷  The ‘Subordinate’s’ synchronization rate increases according to the following:

─ When the similarity between the ‘Life Before Reuse’ and ‘Life After Reuse’ increases due to a violation of the ‘Subordinate’s’ duty of confidentiality.

─ When the physical and mental burden on the ‘Subordinate’ increases due to overwork, work stress, etc.

─ When a certain amount of time elapses (disadvantages may occur when changing schedules using the Scheduler).

 

▷ When the synchronization rate reaches a certain level, a ‘Maintenance Operation’ is conducted to verify if synchronization is progressing normally.

▷ The ‘Superior’ may arbitrarily designate the degree of synchronization, considering the surrounding situation, impact, and secondary effects.

+

 

Now that I saw the contents, it was crystal clear. My actions until now were practically a ritual performed to raise the synchronization rate. I blabbed secrets here and there, ground away my sleep hours, and caused all sorts of chaos because my mind was all over the place…

 

Moreover, I had moved up every scheduled date, from debut to comebacks, as much as possible. I’d done everything imaginable to increase the synchronization rate. At this point, I should probably consider it fortunate that it still hadn’t reached one hundred percent.

 

‘So the darkening of my dark circles or the brief stomach ulcer were part of the ‘Maintenance Operation’.’

 

I had wondered why those things didn’t last long, considering they were the work of the malicious system. If a hole had actually been poked in my stomach, it would have been a forced resignation regardless of the procedure, but since I didn’t suffer for long, I suppose I should consider myself lucky.

 

The probability of escaping death had become even slimmer. The synchronization guide only listed examples of what caused the rate to rise; there were no examples of decreases.

 

If the rule was that synchronization naturally progressed with the passage of time, I wouldn’t have been able to stop the rate from hitting 100% no matter what I did. In the process of achieving KPIs, the figures would have inevitably spiked. It was a dead end.

 

If I failed to find another solution, there were things I’d have to take care of first. Like going to that intersection at the right time, or transferring ownership of the folder containing the five-member Spark edits I’d been collecting since debut over to Jeong Seongbin.

 

Whatever I ended up doing, buying myself as much time as possible would be for the best. I focused on the last item of the notice.

 

‘Can you slightly lower the rate of increase for the synchronization rate for future occurrences? According to the explanation, you have a certain amount of authority, don’t you, System?’

 

It would be troublesome if it jumped 10% or 15% at once like before. That would lead to a truly sudden death. I refused to be taken down without even having a chance to act.

 

‘Cooperate at least that much for the sake of a standard resignation procedure. You know that unless I express my intent to quit first, a forced resignation process counts as wrongful termination, right?’

 

The system accepted my proposal without conditions.

 

+

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

▶ Fine, since Assistant Manager Kim has worked hard so far~. I’ll be generous and make an exception for you this time!

+

 

Gee, thanks. You infuriating little bastard…

 

I dismissed it, telling it our business was finished. As the system vanished, my vision turned dark instantly. The humming ventilation fan that had filled my ears moments earlier was gone, replaced by the quiet sound of Lee Cheonghyeon’s steady breathing as he slept.

 

‘Now, my dream is for us to promote together for a long, long time.’

 

Lee Cheonghyeon’s words echoed in my ears. Sleep did not come easily.

 

* * *

 

Despite the peace treaty we established while engaged in a war of nerves, I didn’t see the system again for a while. There were fires closer to home that needed my attention—literal sparks landing on my feet.

 

Or should I say, landing on the top of my head?

 

The world tour in the height of summer was accompanied by immense heat. Everyone was melting like ice on a grill. Because of their visual-focused constitutions—meaning they were delicate despite their looks—Spark suffered double the hardship and adversity from the heat.

 

“Joowoo hyung, you’ve lost more weight again, haven’t you?”

 

“Mmhmm…”

 

Because of the heat, Park Joowoo, who already had a small appetite, barely ate anything besides ice cream. On days with rehearsals or performances, he forced himself to shove down a salad to maintain his stamina, but on every other day, he practically survived on ice cubes and yogurt. It would have been a disaster if he hadn’t built up muscle through weight training.

 

Jeong Seongbin’s face also became gaunt. He was slightly better off than Park Joowoo because he at least ate fruit, but only slightly. Because catching a cold or getting air-conditioning sickness would interfere with the performance, none of them could comfortably enjoy the cool air either. Ah, if our main vocals wither away and disappear, who will sing the songs…

 

“I don’t even want to touch my laptop anymore…”

 

Lee Cheonghyeon collapsed across the sofa, utterly exhausted by the heat generated from electronics. Kang Kiyeon, who was one of the members most sensitive to heat, was also in bad shape.

 

Only Choi Jeho was fine. It wasn’t that he was immune to the heat, but he was practically unaffected by over-air-conditioning, and his skin barrier was so resilient that he could enjoy cold air to his heart’s content without worrying about getting sick or drying out his skin.

 

His appetite remained the same, too. Choi Jeho didn’t mind the local food. He ate whatever was given to him. He was the only one among us whose meal intake didn’t decrease.

 

“To not even be affected by a heatwave… you really are a talent specialized for overseas performances.”

 

“Is that a compliment?”

 

“It’s a 100% pure compliment and admiration for the best Center. Please accept my praise.”

 

Choi Jeho didn’t reply to my words anymore. Judging by the look in his eyes, the brat had clearly concluded that I’d gotten heatstroke.

 

“It’s tough, but let’s hang in there just a bit more, guys.”

 

Even for the members of Spark, who were suffering under the scorching sun, sultry streets, and hot stage lights, there was a ray of light and salt.

 

“We have a shoot at the beach next week.”

 

Our location shoot, chosen to squeeze every bit of value possible out of a fresh new backdrop, was just around the corner. Life immediately returned to everyone’s eyes.