Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols Chapter 533 - The Best Colleague

The qualities expected of a leader were many and varied. They required a diverse set of auxiliary skills that changed depending on the group’s years of experience and its unique characteristics.

 

Yur had always been told that he was a natural-born leader, but it had still taken him a long time to go beyond simply being a ‘decent leader’ and become the person most suited to lead his group.

 

Some knowledge could be acquired through theory, while other kinds could only be learned through firsthand experience. This was especially true when it came to interpersonal relationships, where it was impossible to discuss the matter without emphasizing the importance of person-to-person communication.

 

Accumulating experience in this area required opportunities to meet many different types of people. Along with the time spent meeting them, you would also need time to organize and reflect on what those new encounters had taught them.

 

It had taken Yur about ten years to truly understand how he should act as a leader. This was separate from how others judged his potential; gaining confidence in the role he had to perform and the stance he had to take required that much introspection.

 

From Yur’s perspective, Jeong Seongbin’s thinking had depth. He didn’t necessarily possess high-level philosophical insight, but he had a broad perspective. Compared to people his age, it was exceptional, and even compared to the people around Yur, he was well above average.

 

What kind of advice should I give to this sharp junior? Yur pondered for a moment.

 

“So, you’re asking how you could have been a better leader to your colleagues, including Mr. Iwol, right?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Since worrying about the past won’t change what’s already happened, let’s set that aside and first define what an ‘ideal leader’ is. That way, we can check if you’re heading toward the right target.”

 

Jeong Seongbin hesitated. While the younger man gathered his thoughts, Yur continued speaking.

 

“In my case, I wanted to be a ‘trustworthy leader’ for the Hellas members.”

 

Having many trainees in a company didn’t just mean fierce competition for a debut. There were times when a trainee on the verge of debuting would disappear due to a whim of the planning team or a single word from the higher-ups. Among the trainees themselves, there were power struggles and invisible factions that led to bullying.

 

Those who spent their adolescence in such a precarious, cliff-edge environment often carried emotional instability even after debuting.

 

And what about once they entered the entertainment industry? If someone happened to miss a customary greeting just once because they were too distracted, it was easy for rumors to spread immediately that ‘their previous image was a facade, and they don’t even greet people in reality’.

 

So, Yur decided to be someone the members could always lean on. His goal was to make them think, ‘If it’s hyung, then I can trust him’.

 

But Spark didn’t seem to have a problem in this area. Even if they didn’t rely on their agency, they resolved business matters cooperatively without any major hostility, and the members were close to one another. They were practically a textbook example of a group built on trust.

 

‘Perhaps his ideal is even higher than that.’

 

Perhaps he wanted to be a leader they could lean on even outside the professional sphere—a true friend they could share deeply personal worries with.

 

“What about you, Mr. Seongbin?” 

 

Yur asked.

 

Jeong Seongbin thought for a long time. Finally, he spoke with a short sigh.

 

“At first, I wanted to be a leader who lived up to expectations.”

 

“Whose expectations? The members’?”

 

“Yes. Even though we have two eldest members in the team, they entrusted the role to me.”

 

“The custom of having the oldest member serve as leader has almost disappeared these days. Did that still bother you?”

 

“Maybe not if the hyungs had stronger follower tendencies than leadership tendencies, but neither of them lacks initiative. And they take good care of the younger members, too.”

 

Because people fully qualified had entrusted him with the role, he wanted to live up to that faith.

 

If he had relied solely on the motivation he had been given at debut, perhaps that determination wouldn’t have lasted. But Jeong Seongbin had someone who continually gave him the drive to keep going.

 

“Iwol hyung helped me remain in that ideal image of a leader…”

 

Even if you worked hard by yourself, it was difficult to become a good person if those around you refused to cooperate. In that regard, Spark was the perfect environment for a raw gem like Jeong Seongbin to shine.

 

Kim Iwol, in particular, respected the leader’s decisions to an almost unusual degree. Whenever the members of Hellas suggested getting something to eat after a meeting, Kim Iwol would always contact Jeong Seongbin first. He wouldn’t join them until he received a reply, even if it meant having to wait. On variety shows and radio programs, he also praised Jeong Seongbin’s contributions without holding back.

 

“At the very least, I wanted to repay that sincerity.”

 

The reason he wanted to be a better person wasn’t to exert influence or solidify his position as a leader, but ‘to repay kindness’.

 

It was both noble and impressive. Especially in a culture where many still took it for granted that members should just follow the leader’s words—even though nothing in the world was truly ‘granted’.

 

it was also noteworthy that Jeong Seongbin had never adopted an authoritarian, commanding stance in such an environment. Despite having the absolute support of his colleagues, he chose to walk alongside them.

 

In any job, situations where opinions couldn’t easily align were unavoidable. Even if you usually tried to listen and persuade through reason, there were times when everyone was too busy and exhausted to speak rationally. As active idols, Spark wouldn’t be much different, so adhering to his initial debut mindset required an extraordinary amount of effort.

 

Jeong Seongbin felt there were flaws in his path. Yur, on the other hand, believed that those efforts had been absolutely necessary. At the same time, he didn’t think Kim Iwol had refrained from pointing out those flaws merely because he was ‘protecting his inadequate younger brother’.

 

“Look at Mr. Iwol’s personality. If he didn’t trust you, Mr. Seongbin, he would never have disappeared like this. He’s the type who needs to have something he can rely on—or, if there isn’t one, he’ll create one himself—before he’ll act.”

 

“…”

 

“And Mr. Iwol asked me to keep an eye on you from time to time. He never asked me to advise you or help you. Given that no one knows where he is, it seems he hasn’t set up a safety net with anyone else, either.”

 

When asked why he thought that was, Jeong Seongbin lowered his head. He knew better than anyone how much Kim Iwol trusted his judgment. It was just that this whole situation had shaken that certainty.

 

“Mr. Iwol always praised you for being calm and level-headed. I feel the same way.”

 

Being young did not necessarily mean being immature. Nor did it mean being inadequate.

 

To Kim Iwol, Jeong Seongbin was a leader worthy of the position, despite his age. The way he chose to display that trust might have been infuriating, but the trust itself was an undeniable fact.

 

“If you want to live up to Mr. Iwol’s expectations, Mr. Seongbin, then pull yourself together so that the image he has of you doesn’t crumble.”

 

“…”

 

“Once everything is resolved,” 

 

Yur took both of Jeong Seongbin’s hands in his own.

 

“At that point, forget about being the leader or being a member. As one person to another, tell him everything you’re upset about, whatever you’ve been bottling up.”

 

Seeing his senior’s warm smile, Jeong Seongbin felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to properly explain that the reason he hadn’t often gone to Kim Iwol for advice was because he didn’t want to burden his hyung—not because he no longer needed him.

 

“Tell him exactly how upset you are so he can never do this again. Mr. Iwol practically hangs on your every word as a leader. Got it?”

 

At the spirited encouragement, Jeong Seongbin roughly rubbed the corner of his eyes. Yur smiled kindly and pulled out a tissue, handing it to him.

 

***

 

After the conversation, Jeong Seongbin headed straight to the CEO’s office. He took a deep breath to keep himself from trembling and knocked on the door. A voice told him to enter. Several staff members, including Min Jukyung, were already there.

 

“Did you get some sleep?”

 

Jeong Seongbin said yes. However, the dark circles under his eyes told everyone in the room just how distressed he had been through the night.

 

The situation was too urgent for small talk. Min Jukyung summarized the information gathered so far.

 

“It’s difficult to track him past the apartment complex using the CCTVs an individual can access. The managers, staff, and members divided the list of acquaintances known to the company and contacted them, but there was no luck. …As for that other matter, I looked into it, but no reports have been filed yet.”

 

“What about the report we made? Did they say anything about when we should try again?”

 

“They classified it as a simple runaway case, so they won’t immediately track his location. I told them that given his mental state… he is high-risk and needs to be found as quickly as possible. However, even if a report is accepted and they find him, they told us they can’t disclose his location to us without his consent.”

 

In other words, since he vanished without a single witness account, no one had seen Kim Iwol. It was bizarre that in the 21st century—especially for a famous idol—a person could vanish so completely.

 

After his unclear tracks, the issue of the contract became the topic of discussion. The fact that Kim Iwol had wrapped up all of his individual advertising contracts, left a written statement of his intention to terminate his contract, and even tried to settle the financial matters had also come as a considerable shock to the company.

 

“As for his individual advertisements, there aren’t any that need to be terminated early because the contracts have already expired. There is one group advertisement that was automatically renewed, but he’d already included the penalty…… in the settlement.”

 

“That’s not a small amount of money. How did he prepare that? Was he really not spending any of his earnings all this time?”

 

“Considering he used to take every ad offered and suddenly switched stance, it seems he’s been planning this for quite some time.”

 

“Which schedules do we need to adjust? Wasn’t Jeho’s birthday live stream supposed to be tonight? I remember seeing the notification on Dotion.”

 

“Yes. But I don’t know whether the kids are in any condition to do it. We need to decide how the company is going to respond before we can post any statements or announcements, so we’ve put it on hold for now.”

 

Spark had kept their winter schedule clear to prepare for their comeback coinciding with their upcoming 4th anniversary. The only schedules remaining for the year were year-end stages, a few variety show appearances, and album preparations.

 

If they had been in the middle of active promotions or if a comeback was right around the corner, it would have been ten times more chaotic. It seemed Kim Iwol had chosen this moment specifically—picking the rare two-day break the members had.

 

“So the company has to decide on a stance before tonight’s schedule…”

 

The CEO rubbed her chin. If they decided to wait for Kim Iwol, they would have to hastily come up with an excuse for his absence from the birthday livestream. If they accepted his contract termination, they would need to release an official notice as quickly as possible.

 

“Right. Let’s pause the business talk here for a moment.”

 

The CEO looked at Jeong Seongbin. Jeong Seongbin’s clenched hands trembled with tension.

 

“How is Spark doing?”

 

Jeong Seongbin swallowed hard. The moment of truth had arrived.