Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 4: 5th Anniversary Live (3)
Day/Night Mode:
Change Font Size:
TL: FoodieMonster007
Lee Cheonghyeon's graduation photos were famously majestic. His middle school picture showed eyes sparkling with an artist's spirit. His high school days were even better. Lee Cheonghyeon's perfect face and neat clothes left a mark on graduation album history.
Everyone in spArk knew this. Variety shows always featured Lee Cheonghyeon's graduation photos. That was how much pride spArk took in Lee Cheonghyeon's past.
However, one photo had received less attention. It was a picture the world had rarely seen.
Cold sweat ran down my back. While Lee Cheonghyeon remained clueless, I was the only one shouting desperately.
"No…!"
My worry did not matter. The screen cruelly changed to Lee Cheonghyeon's elementary school graduation photo. It had rarely leaked because it was from a prestigious private school album.
"EEEEEEK!"
Lee Cheonghyeon screamed as a child as handsome as a sculpture filled the monitor. Though he had youthful features, 'sharp' suited him more than 'cute', but in the photo, his face was shadowed and his eyes were wide with fury.
"What's with that expression?" Kang Kiyeon asked, bewildered.
To Kang Kiyeon, Lee Cheonghyeon had always been handsome since they met. Kang Kiyeon had never seen his friend look as eerie as a cursed doll.
Lee Cheonghyeon's other past photos were fine. He even had an angelic smile in his childhood pictures. It was as if no photo of Lee Cheonghyeon could be anything but beautiful.
The problem was this one photo. It made him look like a venomous child whose candy the photographer had just stolen, and it was broadcasting live to all the Sparklers.
"What happened right before this…?" Park Joowoo asked cautiously. The photo radiated a spirit and fury unusual for an elementary schooler. It could have been a highlight from a horror manga.
"I've never seen him make a face like this."
Choi Jeho's comment was the final knockout blow for Lee Cheonghyeon. The guy wailed, but no tears fell.
"Out of the four graduation photos, why did you have to bring this one?!"
I feel the same way. I had thought everything would be okay as long as Lee Cheonghyeon stood firm, even after Muindoz's and Jeong Seongbin's images crumbled.
It was all over. The jewelry store was closing, and spArk's vintage shop was opening. I had put too much faith in the humiliation-free visual rapper. His visuals were flawless even in his kindergarten graduation photo.
Lee Cheonghyeon explained it was from his most rebellious phase. That made sense. He had mentioned friction with his family over his decision to play the piano. I felt sorry for Lee Cheonghyeon for facing his most challenging past photo. I promised to edit it with Photoplat after the live broadcast to make it look fresh and soft.
Second place went to me. The reason was not disgraceful.
"They said they weren't used to seeing you with your hair down."
"Iwol goes to the practice room with his hair and makeup fully done."
My un-styled hair and less intense eyes had a big impact. On days with early schedules, managers sometimes came to wake me, but I was always already awake and never greeted anyone in a disheveled state.
Maybe it was because I had no complaints about society until I started working. It was not the look of someone on high alert.
"And you look kind of gentle," Kang Kiyeon added.
I had a good image with adults until high school.
I wonder if that face was only possible before I knew I couldn't go to college.
"But you don't look like a student, either. A little like…"
"…like a teacher."
Park Joowoo finished Lee Cheonghyeon's sentence. My homeroom teacher would cry if he heard that.
First place went to Choi Jeho. The chat window flooded with 'lol's at the heinous photo. You would not believe it was a 19-year-old, even with a caption. I was told I looked gentle with my bangs down, but I had to admit the uniformed Choi Jeho with his bangs down looked like the enraged boss of a lawless zone. I had only seen a student like that on a school action drama poster.
"Did you go to the future to take your graduation photo?" Lee Cheonghyeon asked seriously. Could a ten-year trip in a time machine even produce that photo? A twenty-year installment plan would not be enough.
I remembered Choi Jeho saying on a school-themed variety show that his classmates were always quiet.
I thought they were obviously intimidated by Choi Jeho.
My hypothesis gained more traction. There was no way only Choi Jeho's classmates were well-behaved. All the students at Choi Jeho's school were probably docile enough to win an award for being good youths. How could anyone mess with someone when a face like that was wandering around?
"Wearing glasses usually makes you look more studious…" a flustered Jeong Seongbin tried to handle the situation. Unfortunately, it did not work. It only made people think he looked that way despite the glasses buff. Choi Jeho had never been told he 'looked studious' in his five-year career, even when he wore glasses privately.
"Want to give a winner's speech?" I suggested.
Choi Jeho sighed. He delivered a "guilty" statement for those trapped in the 『Flowering』 worldview. Choi Jeho promised to take a good graduation photo at Hwaro High School, protecting his imperial authority amid the chaos.
The concert invitations were also a hot topic. The news that I had invited guests for the first time became a big conversation among fans. It was not simple gossip. I could not just gloss over it. These people had genuinely waited for a day like this.
"Everyone came to see you. I think Iwol is the most well-connected among us," Jeong Seongbin said with a smile.
For anyone who did not know who came, I briefly introduced them to thank them for coming.
"Yuur and Polo from Hellas, and Gu Jahan and Woo Yunjae came. Heerang and Seongchan from Berion came too. My sister's family and the class president's family also came. The members gave up their invitation tickets so I could have them all in one place."
"Aren't you going to tell the story about how Heerang and Seongchan almost couldn't make it?" Choi Jeho cut in without warning.
"Until now, spArk only ever cleared out the seats for the invited guest section. So I thought I had to invite only ten people this time too. Thankfully, the company secured the seats allocated to me, so I was able to invite them safely!"
Just thinking about it still made me dizzy. Heerang had shown so much affection for spArk that he even live-streamed his attempt to get concert tickets. To think I almost blew the chance to invite someone like that.
I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my deepest apologies…
The guests enjoying the concert generated all sorts of memes. The subjects were mostly celebrities, and they were all amazing in their own ways.
≫ Look at the sunbae-nims immediately ducking down when their juniors are doing a sexy performance so they don't block the view of the people behind them. This is the loyalty of K-Pop.
└ So touching
└ I can stan UtopiA for life with just this one gif
≫ lololol Hellas, not even a light stick, they just bring a brand new official light stick. Is this the power of being from the same company?
└ The funniest part is that after waving the light stick that day, Polo promised on BubblePop that Hellas's next light stick would be lighter.
└ Chaejun: Seeing this, I think it's possible. I'll push for it strongly.
≫ Our boys used to go to concerts together a lot back in the day, but after going through a lot of drama about who went to whose concert, who didn't, how much they cheered, and who they were promoting even though they were from the same company, we barely saw them do it. It's so good to see them having fun. You guys always loved the stageㅎㅎ I'm so happy you seem so much more comfortable with these small things after changing companies.
└ Anyone who's been a fan of Hellas for a long time knows exactly what this means. Ah, you guys, do whatever you want to do.
≫ The person sitting in the guest section doesn't look like a guest, but a Sparkler. Yeo Seongchan, if you're going to be like that, pay for your ticket.
└ Our Seongchan apparently shared all the confetti he caught with the people around him. Please don't be too hard on Seongchan.
└ Don't worry, there isn't a single Sparkler who dislikes Seongchan-nim~-!!! T_T
≫ [2X0214] Bonus_He's not one of us, but somehow doesn't feel like a stranger, Mr. Heerang. Congrats on seeing it in person. Strawberry Park forever.
└ We're so happy there are Sparklers uploading Berion fancams right after the concert. We love you.
└ Strawberry Park forever.
While Yuur, Polo, and the Berion members showed the aura of seasoned idols…
≫
. . .
And the actors were hilarious. They couldn't sync their Bluetooth light sticks, and the lights went out, so they were panicking, going, "What do we do! What do we do!!" worried they'd be the only ones whose light sticks wouldn't turn on.
└ lololololololol why is it so funny that every review from the actors' side has this kind of tension lol
≫ Ahjussi, that's not how you decorate a light stick. Who brings a light stick with a plushie doll hanging from it? You said you watched the vlogs, but now this ahjussi is lying to the fans too??
└ I'm not kidding, I laughed for 30 minutes seeing that doll dangling every time Gu Jahan waved his light stick lololol
└ Gu Jahan's fans can't hold their heads up because of the secondhand embarrassment their oppa gives them, for real.
≫ Pupils unable to process the overwhelming fan service. But waving the light stick with a heart full of support for his juniors.
└ +A mouth that somehow knows all the fan chants.
└ The type to study hard but panic during the real thing.
└└ Are you crazy lololololol
…the two ahjussis' awkward adaptation to an idol concert drew a lot of attention. I was appalled to see a comment suggesting we invite Mo Yunguk to join the three of them next time.
"My sister and the class president said they had a great time too. They both sent me reviews this long."
I used my hands to show how long the messages were, and the members made a fuss.
"You didn't tell us anything like that!"
"I kept it a secret to reveal it here. The class president said she feels bad for you, Cheonghyeon, because the big screen can't capture your real-life visuals."
"Did you tell her I'm just living with it?"
"I told her I'd go have it out with the big screen company soon."
I also mentioned my sister was impressed by Kang Kiyeon's stage. He danced so well, but it seemed she watched with the heart of a parent at a school talent show.
Everyone chattered about the witness accounts of Kim Iwol's guests they had seen. Stories about the members' families who had come before also came up. Every story was a fun episode. The atmosphere was inclusive, with no one left out, which made it even better.
I once wished my sister would at least see a spArk ad on the street. Now, I had invited my sister to the venue, showed her the concert, heard her thoughts, and was talking about it all at our anniversary celebration.
Lately, I often think that I'm a lucky person. I guess this is what it feels like when they say life is worth living.