Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols – Chapter 508 – Side Story. Asking the Bold Maknaes about Style

Author: LyraDhani

On a sweltering day in August that hardly fit the phrase ‘the tail end of summer’, Cheonghyeon and Kiyeon, the same-aged maknaes of spArk, visited the ADt Studio.

Having returned from a successful overseas tour that heated up the world with energy as hot as the midsummer sun, the two greeted the staff one by one with bright smiles, showing no signs of exhaustion. We present a dialogue with these two youths who possess an aura as cool as a deep night, yet harbor a burning spark in their hearts.

I heard you just returned yesterday from your world tour. I understand it was your first world tour; how did it feel to perform across the globe?

Kiyeon: I felt incredibly grateful to realize just how many people enjoy spArk’s music. The fact that overseas fans showed enough interest in a Korean group like spArk to make concerts possible, and that Korean fans were willing to take long flights just to cheer us on—it all felt like a miracle. I kept thinking, ‘spArk is truly receiving so much love; this is a precious experience.’

Cheonghyeon: t first, all I hoped for was, ‘I hope nobody gets hurt, and that both the audience and we have a great time’. But meeting many fans and building new memories with the members one by one made me think, ‘Ah, this is why our seniors said you gain energy from performing!’ We had a truly great time playing out there.

Mr. Cheonghyeon, you are also spArk’s composer. How does it feel to hear fans all over the world singing along to songs you created?

Cheonghyeon: Since most of spArk’s songs have Korean lyrics, I always worried that they might feel unfamiliar to people who don’t often hear Korean. But it turned out to be a completely unnecessary concern (Laughs). Since the ones who complete the song are ultimately the members who add their voices, Kiyeon—as a co-owner of the song—must have felt quite moved as well.

Kiyeon: I don’t know if I’m allowed to claim a stake in it… (Cheonghyeon laughs). But the overwhelming feeling when the audience sings along to my parts is still vivid. Because the songs were good, they were loved, and I was able to have such an experience. I’m just grateful to Cheonghyeon for that.

Listening to both of you, I get the impression that you really respect each other. Does that come from your friendship, or is it something that’s part of the team’s atmosphere?

Kiyeon: The team has had a huge influence.

Cheonghyeon: No, you were similar back in the day, too.

Kiyeon: Really?

Cheonghyeon: Kiyeon is good at recognizing other people’s talents. And he doesn’t hesitate to express it. I used to only think about others’ strengths in my head, but I changed little by little while hanging out with Kiyeon. The team was what opened the floodgates.

Kiyeon: spArk is very generous with praise. If there’s one thing worth praising, we have a tendency to drag up something from ten days ago and praise them up to a hundred. Because of that, we see each other’s good points more, and we’ve become a team where we always speak up about the good things we notice.

Speaking of being ‘generous with praise,’ someone comes to mind. (Laughs)

Cheonghyeon: Are you perhaps talking about our Iwol hyung, who wouldn’t lose to anyone in that category?

Kiyeon: We literally just said we’re a group that’s generous with compliments, and you’re already starting to roast someone?

Cheonghyeon: It’s not roasting. I genuinely respect him.

The two, who had been professional while discussing the tour, returned to being mischievous peers once the talk shifted to the team and its members. Just thinking about anecdotes from the team seemed to bring them joy, as smiles bloomed on their faces.

Cheonghyeon’s styling emphasized a sharp impression and the intellectual, artistic aura of a composer by matching wet-look swallow perm hair with thin-rimmed geek-chic style glasses. The watch is his personal property.

Glasses | MannerGhost 20XX S/S Collection Slim Silver

Watch | Oceaner Half-Mechanical Classic

spArk is famous for its skills, but your close bond is also well-known. Do the members also feel that ‘our team gets along well’?

Kiyeon: I don’t know how it compares to other teams, but by my standards, I don’t think it could be any better than this. Even though everyone except Cheonghyeon is a hyung… they are my best friends and my family.

Cheonghyeon: We really are completely comfortable with one another. When we say this, we often hear, ‘If you’re too close, don’t you cross the line sometimes?’ but at the very least, I’ve never been uncomfortable because of the members for that reason.

Kiyeon: On the other hand, people sometimes ask if being too polite makes it hard to become close. Even though I speak to my older members using honorifics, that doesn’t mean I feel emotionally distant from them. Like the word you used in your previous question, it’s actually possible to be close while still respecting each other.

Would the hyungs feel the same way?

Cheonghyeon: That… honestly, I can’t guarantee.

Kiyeon: Because the hyungs are very lenient with us. Their perspective might be different. Come to think of it, we’ve been nagged by the hyungs for minor things, but we’ve never been truly scolded.

Cheonghyeon: It’s because they’re just very generous toward their dongsaengs.

That’s surprising. Your image on broadcast is like an inverted pyramid, giving off a strong ‘Maknae on Top’ vibe.

Cheonghyeon: There are memes of it going around. Things like ‘Eldest-Killer Maknaes’ or ‘Maknaes disciplining the Hyungs.’ But that’s only possible because our older members let us get away with it. Whether it’s for entertainment on broadcasts or to make the younger members feel comfortable sharing our opinions, they constantly tell us to treat them casually.

Kiyeon: If the hyungs hadn’t taken the initiative or played along, scenes reminiscent of ‘Maknae on Top’ or ‘rebellion’ couldn’t have appeared in the first place. And besides, our hyungs absolutely aren’t the kind of people we’d dare mess with recklessly.

Cheonghyeon: Then how did we end up with this cheeky image? Have you been secretly acting like our hyungs’ equal without telling me?

Kiyeon: It’s because the hyungs dote on us so much, but we only ever bicker with them. If you saw the hyungs in person, you’d understand exactly what we’re talking about. Rebellion is unimaginable. Truly.

Kiyeon brought out a rough impression with a gyle cut and silver accessories, creating a free, unrestrained atmosphere with an unbuttoned linen shirt. The flashy outerwear was maximized with a simple inner layer.

Jacket | Daze 20XX S/S Original Series S28sM039

Bracelet | Retrack Horizon Twin Chain 012

Rings | (From right) Nodia Wave Bold, Rome Pair R2, Psie Light Square GK

I heard you’re the duo famous for having a lot of interest in fashion within the team. I’m curious if there are points you focus on when styling.

Cheonghyeon: I focus on whether the mood I want to portray is well-reflected. If the weather is good, I want my clothes to convey that sunny energy. Rather than following TPO (Time, Place, Occasion) for the sake of etiquette, I follow TPO to express my mood—it’s a slightly wrong kind of TPO.

Kiyeon: I have very definite tastes, so I tend to buy and wear clothes or accessories that clearly match the style I like.

Cheonghyeon: Kiyeon knows exactly what he likes: leather, shearling, silver, slim fits, black, glossy finishes. And then he always pairs them with at least one cute keychain or plush charm.

Kiyeon: On the other hand, Cheonghyeon is closer to ‘Simple is Best.’ He might layer clothes or wear outerwear and cardigans, but he doesn’t often wear accessories. He’s really the type who lets the clothes do all the talking.

You were minors at debut, but now you’re both full-fledged adults. Has your styling changed since becoming adults?

Cheonghyeon: My casual clothes have actually become more casual than during my teens. Until high school, I mostly styled myself with coats or slacks, but after becoming an adult, I wear short paddings and jogger pants like they’re my second skin. (Kiyeon: You used to wear mostly classic and formal clothes before.) It’s as Kiyeon says. That’s why back then, many people thought I was older than I actually was.

Kiyeon: I’ve hardly changed at all. The only difference is that when I buy shoes now, I barely pay attention to how tall the heels are anymore…?

Cheonghyeon: Meaning you’ve reached 180cm.

Kiyeon: The members are all so tall that I used to be self-conscious about it. Not anymore.

Even though your approaches are different, both of you seem to prefer bold, striking images in fashion. Do you use similar standards when deciding what kind of stage outfits you like?

Cheonghyeon: For stage or music video outfits, the flashier the better. It’s a means to leave a stronger impression on the viewers across the screen. In Iwol hyung’s case, he says, ‘Your features are flashy enough, so the clothes can be a bit normal’, but then one day he’ll suddenly bring a rose corsage, saying, ‘The more abundance in beauty, the better’. He’s an unpredictable hyung. So, I decided to pursue the absolute highest peak of beauty possible.

Kiyeon: For work-related things, I think the most important thing is whether the outfit can faithfully represent the concept.

Cheonghyeon: If you talk like that, what does that make me? (The editor could not hold back laughter here.)

Kiyeon: Then I’ll change my answer to: a style that the fans like.

Cheonghyeon: Can we change the title of the interview to ‘spArk Cheonghyeon Retirement Commemorative Interview’?

We’ve talked so much that it’s already the last question. Is there a style you definitely want to try during your future spArk activities, or a style you want to dress the other members in?

Cheonghyeon: It’s a shame this is the last question…! Having done many photoshoots and trying to show various concepts each time, I feel like I’ve tackled most keywords. However, when spArk promoted with the song MISSION, the younger members were all minors, so only the two eldest hyungs wore hot outfits. We, conversely, were bundled up tight. I’d love to do a reverse version of MISSION someday.

Kiyeon: Fans have said they’d like to see me wear cuter casual clothes, so I’ve tried making an effort, but I don’t think I’ve quite met their expectations yet. I think it’s just my own lack of fashion sense when picking clothes, so if I get the chance, I’d like to change enough that fans would really enjoy it. It’d be lonely if I did it alone, so I’ll do it together with the members. Thank you for giving us such an enjoyable time today.

Throughout the interview, neither the other members nor the team itself ever left the two’s conversation. ‘People whose mere mention gives you strength.’ This was how Cheonghyeon described his members. His friend Kiyeon felt the same.

The friendship of these two, who first met at age fifteen, marks its sixth year this year. It is already their fourth year since debuting together.

The two boys, who once stood at the eastern and western poles of the arts world—Korean traditional dance and Piano—are now shifting their stage from the classical to the trendy.

May the journey of six young people, each once walking their own separate path before meeting at a single crossroads and continuing forward together in the same direction, endure for a long time, sustained by their desire to encourage and support one another.