Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 524 - Smoke Screen (2)

During their trainee days, Choi Jeho, while arguing with Kang Kiyeon, had asked if a person ‘really needed to hear the words out loud to know that the other person hates them’.

 

Back then, I simply thought that Choi Jeho, who seemed to live life as a lone wolf, was having a rare moment of being conscious of someone else’s feelings. I hadn’t realized that while he wasn’t easily influenced by others’ emotions, he was far from indifferent to those around him.

 

I also hadn’t known that Jeong Seongbin’s decision to enlist—despite his outstanding skills even before debut—stemmed from a lack of self-esteem. Even though he possessed all the qualities of a great leader, it was only recently that I realized he was a person who always needed someone to ask for an opinion, however rare those moments might be.

 

I hadn’t understood how much Park Joowoo’s ‘all together’ truly meant. The impact that the parting from his family had on half of his life was larger than I could have imagined. Park Joowoo had worked for a very long time to overcome his past. Though I knew he would surely be able to stand back up if he faced a similar hardship again, I didn’t want to be the one to hand that pain back to him.

 

And I felt a lingering sense of guilt toward Lee Cheongyeon. For an idol group, a member’s departure was a demerit second only to committing a crime. There was no way to sugarcoat the situation—the group was hitting career highs with every comeback, the fandom atmosphere had never been better, and now I’d be the one pouring cold water over everything.

 

There wasn’t a single member of Spark who didn’t work hard, but Lee Cheongyeon’s affection for the team was particularly special. I’d grown older, gotten used to overtime, and developed a higher tolerance for hardship, but for Lee Cheongyeon, everything from composing and producing to solo schedules was new to him.

 

Despite that, he ground himself down for the team, all to stay a part of it. After working this hard, the only thing he wanted was for all the members to keep doing activities together, yet I was about to ruin that wish.

 

But when I thought of Kang Kiyeon, I simply couldn’t stay in this team anymore.

 

Kang Kiyeon had grown into a remarkable man. In an industry where emotional stability was almost impossible, he’d managed to keep himself grounded in healthy ways.

 

Holding onto a weakening heart while adapting and enduring in society was never easy. I, for one, found that process incredibly difficult. Yet, Kang Kiyeon had done it. Amidst the explosions of major incidents like injuries, personality controversies, press conferences, and traffic accidents, he had repaired the cracks in his psyche as they appeared and made it this far.

 

‘How could I show a kid like that anything more cruel?’

 

I never imagined I would grow this attached to the group. When I first started, I was busy using my brain to find a way out of the game as soon as I completed the KPIs or found an opportunity.

 

Then, somehow I’d become sincere enough to cry my eyes out after winning a Daesang. Back at Hanpyeong Industry, whenever people told me to ‘work like you’re the owner of the company’, I wouldn’t even listen with one ear, yet I had developed too much corporate loyalty for a group I joined through proxy stanning.

 

So, I tried everything I could think of, but no solution appeared. There was nothing I could choose. It bruised my pride that everything was unfolding exactly as the system intended, but what else could I do?

 

I had to be satisfied with the fact that I wasn’t tied to the Hanpyeong Industry, my sister was safe, and Spark was united much more firmly in a better environment than before. For that alone, I felt the struggle of suddenly traveling back in time and rolling through hardships was worth it.

 

I’d already prepared myself. I had used up my synchronization rate to confess everything to Choi Jeho and had even asked Yur sunbaenim to look after our leader. Leaving had effectively become something I could do at any time.

 

Which was why, Jeong Seongbin’s suggestion to ‘take a breath and rest’ was very welcome. I needed to be out of their sight to prepare for my move or whatever else came next.

 

I answered readily.

 

“I’ll keep that very well in mind.”

 

“Or, we could use this chance to consider unit activities for Spark… wait, what?”

 

Jeong Seongbin, who had been offering a backup plan as if expecting a rejection, looked dumbfounded.

 

To be getting this shocked over something like that—this guy was really soft. I wanted to welcome the idea with both arms raised, but I pretended to hesitate because I didn’t want these overly perceptive idiots catching on. In my head, I was already trying to remember the name of the moving company I’d used in my previous life.

 

Naturally, deceiving them didn’t feel good. I didn’t want to betray their kindness. If you sat someone down to rest and they responded by writing a handwritten apology and fleeing, anyone would be furious.

 

‘Still, it’s better to give them a small shock now than to show them something horrible later.’

 

So I steeled myself and accepted the discomfort. Compared to the impact a member’s departure would have on the team, this much suffering was nothing. Endure it, Kim Iwol. You didn’t choose this, but it’s the karma resulting from your existence anyway.

 

I didn’t pay much attention to the unit plans. I had already written the planning proposal for Spark’s next album. With fewer members, there was even less reason to split them into smaller units, so I’d designed everything around a full five-member lineup.

 

Instead, I memorized Jeong Seongbin’s ideas. If I moved them to Dotion, they might be useful by the time the album after the next one came around. Ms. Jukyung, I’m counting on you.

 

Perhaps because the conversation had gone the way they’d hoped, the members of Spark relaxed their postures one by one.

 

“I’m not trying to nag you guys not to fight or anything, but the atmosphere was seriously terrifying when you hyungs fought.”

 

“Kang Kyeon, are you being serious when you say you aren’t nagging?”

 

“Remember how none of us even dared leave our room?”

 

“I thought you guys didn’t really care.”

 

Choi Jeho, sitting with his chin in his hand, replied indifferently.

 

Well, the others had kept talking to us and maintaining a cheerful atmosphere. That was just the sorrow of a working adult. You maintain a bright smile no matter how uncomfortable or difficult things are.

 

“Park Joowoo, were you uncomfortable too?” 

 

Choi Jeho asked his roommate.

 

Park Joowoo answered with nothing more than a meaningful look. Having received Park Joowoo’s newsletter myself, I had absolutely no excuse here. We both offered Park Joowoo a sincere apology. Park Joowoo generously forgave his hyungs.

 

After that, the conversation returned to the usual, trivial daily chatter. As if it were a mandatory rite of passage for successful idols, testimonies of having spent the entire holiday signing autographs poured out.

 

“Joowoo hyung said he went to his family home and did 200 autographs. Isn’t that crazy?”

 

“Wasn’t that basically holding a solo fan-signing event? Joowoo, you can’t go hosting events without the company’s approval.”

 

“No, it’s not like that…!”

 

Though it was just a joke, Park Joowoo panicked and waved his hands. It seemed his family was busy bragging about him to everyone they knew.

 

There were plenty more family stories. Jeong Seongbin shared news that his twin brother Mr. Jeong Seongjun had picked a bias within Spark. The honor went to Choi Jeho.

 

“Why?”

 

“He said the Deserted Island is the greatest variety show of his life.”

 

Jeong Seongbin smiled with the expression of someone who’d reached enlightenment. He even showed a photo of a drawing… though I wondered if I could even call it fan art. It was a sophisticated ink wash painting of a deserted island landscape and a hypothetical smokehouse. None of us knew what to say.

 

“Seongbin hyung, did you show everyone your twin selfie too?”

 

“What’s a twin selfie?”

 

“The selfie Seongbin hyung took with Seongjun hyung when he went home. He called it ‘Which one is Jeong Seongbin? Quiz Part 2.’”

 

“Seongbin, why did you only show something that fun to Kiyeon?”

 

“Because he’s the only one here who can’t tell us apart.”

 

“Is that so…?”

 

The look of bewilderment on Kang Kiyeon’s face was priceless. Even Lee Cheongyeon, who couldn’t identify them from a distance during the leader’s graduation, could now recognize every member of Spark just by looking into their eyes.

 

“This one’s your fault, Kiyeon. It just proves you don’t pay enough attention to Seongbin. Otherwise, how could everyone else pass the ‘Find Seongbin’ challenge except you?”

 

“That’s unfair! Even Sparklers get the ‘Which one is Jeong Seongbin?’ quiz wrong half the time!”

 

Kang Kiyeon protested, but Jeong Seongbin didn’t listen. He was busy adding fuel to Kiyeon’s fire by sending him a gentle look and saying, ‘It’s okay, Kiyeon. Hyung understands everything’.

 

“If Seongjun hyung agrees, why don’t we just swap you two completely? Then we can time how long it takes for Kang Kyeon to notice.”

 

“And if it takes longer than 30 minutes, do I have to write an apology letter?”

 

Park Joowoo struggled to hold back laughter at Kang Kiyeon’s prickly tone. Choi Jeho poured more oil on the maknae’s fire by casually asking what was so hard about telling them apart.

 

“Just you wait. I’m going to contact Seongjun hyung secretly and ask him to put a scratch in his eyebrow.”

 

“I’m sorry, Kiyeon. I was in the wrong, so please don’t do that. He’s seriously into his hair styling.”

 

At Kang Kiyeon’s ultimatum, the hierarchy was instantly reversed. Lee Cheongyeon rolled around on the floor laughing as he watched the leader desperately beg for mercy.

 

The truth was, things within the group weren’t actually that stable. Choi Jeho had lied to the members, even if it was for my sake, and Kang Kiyeon still needed more treatment.

 

Lee Cheongyeon, as Kiyeon’s friend, had suffered alongside him, and as the maknae, had to suppress his frustration and walk on eggshells around the hyungs. Park Joowoo had been busy mediating between me and Choi Jeho. And surely nothing was harder on Jeong Seongbin, the administrator, than seeing the team creak.

 

Though the specific reasons and circumstances differed, Spark still harbored risk factors just like in the past. If those resentments weren’t resolved, the rift might deepen as it did before.

 

“Seongbin hyung is lucky. He gets content just by taking family photos.”

 

“Cheongyeon, when you’re a little older, maybe photos with Soohoon hyung will end up looking kind of similar too…”

 

“Joowoo hyung, how could you say something so insulting to me?”

 

But for the current Spark, such worries seemed unnecessary. No matter what happened, no matter what conflicts they faced, it was clear these guys would find a way to work through them.

 

Thinking that way, my heart felt a bit more at ease. I joined in on the lively atmosphere and laughed right alongside them.