Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 518 - Friend (3)

I answered the phone with lightning speed.

 

“Ma’am! How have you been?”

 

— Oh, do you have a moment to talk?

 

“Of course!”

 

I clutched the phone with both hands and held my breath, waiting to hear what she would say.

 

This bastard Choi Jeho, he didn’t go and tattle to his mom that we had a fight, did he? Well, it wasn’t just a fight, but still… Malice simmered deep inside me.

 

— Iwol, what are you doing for Chuseok?

 

“Me? I don’t have any plans yet!”

 

I’d had many offers to hang out or come over to people’s houses, but I’d turned them all down, so my current schedule was completely blank. I knew this was enough to draw suspicion that I was planning to hog the dorm and play all day, but I actually had a lot of work to do. The situation didn’t really allow me to go help Woo Yoonjae with his autumn harvest alongside Gu Jahan, or to get squeezed between Yur and Polo for a meal.

 

Though thinking about it now, would this make them worry that I was staying at the dorm all alone? I was perfectly capable of playing by myself. I had ten years of experience living independently in a single-person household, after all.

 

As I was entertaining various worries, Choi Jeho’s mother spoke.

 

— That’s perfect. Come to Gwangju with Jeho.

 

“Pardon?”

 

— Come stay over. I’ll make you something delicious.

 

It was a shocking suggestion. Choi Jeho, you brat, you didn’t even give your mom a heads-up that we’re fighting? You tactless fool. How could you let your mother show me this much kindness without knowing the situation?

 

My brain whirred as I tried to think of a way to decline her invitation without being rude.

 

“Oh, no, ma’am! It’s a major holiday; how could I possibly impose on you? Miho might feel uncomfortable if her brother’s friend suddenly shows up, too.”

 

— Miho is going to Seoul to see her unnie, which is why I’m calling you. Those two are so excited about going to the amusement park.

 

“I see…!”

 

Well, the amusement park was certainly important. That meant the older sister, Ms. Jeyoung, wouldn’t be coming home either, so it was supposed to be just the mother and Choi Jeho spending the holiday together. And then, enter me, Kim Iwol, into that peaceful mother-and-son gathering.

 

— You guys don’t get long breaks except for when you get vacation time. This holiday is long, and it’ll be hard for you to feed yourself alone.

 

“It’s fine. There are plenty of places near our dorm that stay open during the holidays…”

 

— It’s just that I really want to cook a meal for you.

 

I had plenty of common-sense reasons to decline. But I simply couldn’t argue with those last words.

 

— Jeyoung already booked your tickets along with Miho’s train ticket, you know? I’ll tell Jeho to send it to you, so take that and come along.

 

“Oh dear, I heard it’s impossible to get tickets during the holidays, how did she even manage to get ours too…”

 

Having heard that the tickets were already secured, I effectively had only one choice.

 

Honestly, it was going to be incredibly awkward… but maybe this would be a chance to finally talk things out openly.

 

I decided to turn this crisis into an opportunity. I thanked Choi Jeho’s mother for the invitation, finished the call, and headed straight for Room 602.

 

“You’re in there, right? I’m coming in.”

 

I didn’t ask for permission because I had a feeling he’d just tell me no, so I just announced it instead. He could have pretended not to notice me as a way to win the war of nerves, but the moment I opened the door, Choi Jeho glared at me openly.

 

“Get out.”

 

“I need to talk to you.”

 

“I’m not listening.”

 

The look in his eyes behind his glasses was ferocious. To the guy who was projecting ‘Get lost’ with his entire body, I was forced to shove the main point in his face.

 

“I heard you’re going to Gwangju for Chuseok.”

 

This time, Choi Jeho didn’t even bother answering. He’d said he wasn’t going to listen, and now he was faithfully putting those words into practice. Seriously, this guy was disgustingly good at making his actions match his words.

 

“Let’s go together.”

 

“Why the hell would you come to my house?”

 

“Your mother told me to come with you.”

 

“Cut the crap. Tell her you’ve got work.”

 

“She specifically contacted me to invite me. How am I supposed to decline that?”

 

“Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

 

He picked up his phone. After a brief dial tone, the call connected.

 

“Did you tell Kim Iwol to come to Gwangju?”

 

Choi Jeho furrowed his brows mercilessly. I wanted to nag him for a whole hour, but remembering his warning not to nitpick, I obediently kept my mouth shut.

 

“Why would you call him? He can’t come. He’s busy.”

 

“…No, he must have his own things to do.”

 

“He probably only agreed because you told him to come.”

 

The instant Choi Jeho snapped back for the third time, a thunderous scolding fell upon him.

 

— Just shut your mouth and bring him here!

 

Even though it wasn’t on speakerphone, I could hear his mother’s shout from where I stood. He couldn’t say another word and just hung up.

 

* * *

 

A few days before Chuseok, the great traditional Korean harvest holiday, on a sunny autumn day.

 

I began the start of my sweet vacation—the first in almost a year—by sitting side-by-side with Choi Jeho in a cramped KTX train.

 

Just in case, let me clarify: the KTX did nothing wrong. The blame lay entirely with Choi Jeho’s shamelessly broad shoulders and biceps. If we hadn’t been fighting, I would have scolded him at least three times to tuck his shoulders in.

 

Was I really too hard on Choi Jeho all this time? Was it too contradictory for me to be surprised that he noticed my true feelings?

 

Saying it like this might make it sound as though I was taking our argument lightly, but that wasn’t it. I was just thinking about anything and everything because I couldn’t stand how awkward this was.

 

This awkwardness had persisted since the day the Gwangju trip was decided. Even Choi Jeho’s composure, which functioned perfectly fine in front of the younger members, crumbled at Kang Kiyeon’s question about what everyone was doing for the holidays.

 

‘I’m going with Choi Jeho to his family home.’

 

‘…Pardon?’

 

I still couldn’t forget the dumbfounded expression on Kang Kiyeon’s face. Choi Jeho’s expression rotting right next to him was a bonus.

 

‘Hyung, you’re already losing in terms of momentum. Do you really think you can win after going into Jeho hyung’s home turf?’

 

‘What are you talking about, Cheonghyeon?’

 

‘How about asking for some home-field disadvantage compensation…? Maybe request first-strike privileges…’

 

‘Joowoo?’

 

Lee Cheonghyeon and Park Joowoo seriously pointed out that my win rate was overwhelmingly low. The two of them discussed strategies with such earnestness that they reminded me of famous military tacticians from ancient classics.

 

The leader was also very worried. Concerned about the worst-case scenario where Choi Jeho and I had to sit right next to each other, Jeong Seongbin even provided a solution just in case.

 

[Mental Pillar Jeong Seongbin]

[Just type a period if you need me, Hyung]

[I’ll call you to give you an excuse to get away!]

 

[Me]

[I’m not in such a desperate situation that I need an emergency rescue phone call from you.]

 

And so, I boarded the train carrying nothing but the heavy worries of my dongsaengs, who had zero expectations for me.

 

Choi Jeho looked out the window, and I stared at the back of the seat in front of me for the entire two-hour train ride. In the midst of this, it was truly irritating me how Choi Jeho pretended to sleep to avoid any rumors of discord.

 

Yet, whenever people recognized us and requested autographs, he’d immediately flash a bright smile and meticulously maintain his public image. He would submissively take the pen I lent him, sign his name, and even deliver fan service comments flawlessly. I was tempted to expose this bastard’s double-sided, hypocritical nature to the whole world, but I decided to let it slide just this once.

 

Even in the taxi on the way there, Choi Jeho only spoke to the driver. I was a leftover piece… no, I was just an extra here too. My high school classmates at least included the extra in the games; this guy was busy excluding me entirely. Who would’ve thought being like a sack of barley left sitting in the corner could feel this miserable?

 

‘Maybe I really shouldn’t have come.’

 

At this point, I started feeling like I’d done something unnecessary. I followed him because I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk, but for Choi Jeho, this was his precious time with his mother after a long while.

 

While sneaking a peek at Choi Jeho in the front seat through the rearview mirror, I locked eyes with the driver who was waiting at a red light. The driver asked if we were friends.

 

“Yes.”

 

While I was agonizing over the answer, Choi Jeho cut it short. It seemed he found it too tedious to explain, ‘We are idols, and he is my teammate’, but somehow, it only made my heart feel heavier.

 

‘I thought after we debuted, we’d at least reached a point where we were on decent terms.’

 

Over Choi Jeho’s gaze as he looked elsewhere, the look in his eyes from that night kept overlapping.

 

No matter how I thought about it, I shouldn’t have come. I was filled with immense regret.

 

* * *

 

“Oh my, you must’ve had a tiring trip getting here!”

 

Choi Jeho’s mother greeted us with open arms. Following behind Choi Jeho as he entered first, I stood there holding an Alpine Herb Salt set, only to be pulled into a hug by her as well.

 

“I told you to bring Iwol, and you couldn’t even do that one thing without putting up a fight?”

 

“Ah, he’s here with me, isn’t he?”

 

“What are you getting snippy for? As if you’ve done anything worth being proud of.”

 

Right in front of me, Choi Jeho got smacked on the back three times. If those were supposed to be affectionate pats, they were incredibly loud ones. Trembling slightly, I offered the salt set to her. Thankfully, she was generous toward me. Ever since becoming a member of Spark, I kept discovering all over again just how many kind-hearted adults there were in the world.

 

The moment Choi Jeho put his luggage down in his room, his mother called him away. Apparently, he had to help prepare lunch. I rolled up my sleeves and tried to follow, but I was sent back.

 

“The guest should be resting!”

 

She was very firm. Usually, if I said, ‘Oh, I can’t just eat for free!’ I could slip in, but today there wasn’t the slightest chance.

 

The mother-and-son cooking team produced an astonishing spread. Unable to just sit still, I went to help carry plates and was startled.

 

“Ma’am, why is there so much food?!”

 

“What do you mean ‘so much’? There are only a few dishes.”

 

Even the full-course restaurants in my neighborhood don’t serve this much…!

 

Leaving me behind as I stood there agape, Choi Jeho diligently moved the plates. I wondered why your appetite was so extraordinary; now I see it’s because you received this kind of elite training. Now it all made sense.

 

We each received a bowl of rice heaped high. It had been a long time since I’d eaten this much white rice. But with braised short ribs and marinated crab sitting in front of me, there was no way I couldn’t. The skill of the master who had captured Park Joowoo’s heart with a single kimchi pancake was truly unmatched.

 

Choi Jeho, you bastard, I didn’t think this poorly of you before, but you really were a scoundrel. Growing up eating all this delicious food by yourself…

 

“…Is it good?”

 

The guy asked with a dubious expression. It must have seemed absurd that his coworker had barged into his family home and was happily stuffing his mouth full of rice. He was usually the type who paid no attention whatsoever to other people while eating, so the fact that he was reacting like this said everything.

 

I still had food in my mouth, so I just nodded instead of answering. When his mother saw me and made a move to get up, Choi Jeho stopped eating and headed to the kitchen himself. He brought back more short ribs, gave them to me, and then went back to focusing on his meal. I, too, accepted his goodwill with gratitude this time.