Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 5: Role Change (1)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
The 5th-anniversary celebration did not end with the live broadcast. spArk released a surprise video on their official account, a role-playing segment titled 'Role Change'.
The concept was simple. Each member selected a personal item that others would find surprising. The members then randomly chose one of the items from a table. The goal was to imitate the owner of the chosen prop for a day.
After some thought, I took out the cute key ring Manager Daeyeon had given me as a gift. The behind-the-scenes story is too long to tell, so I will hold back.
It took a while for everyone to submit their belongings. A fast-forwarded clip showed the spArk members wandering the dorm, deep in thought. A short while later, six cute, personal items sat on the dining table.
『…Were these really in our dorm?』
A bewildered Jeong Seongbin led the others. Everyone suspected the items had been deliberately borrowed from somewhere else. The lineup was that spectacular.
『Who's picking first?』
『I don't think it matters who picks first.』
Kang Kiyeon wisely answered Choi Jeho's foolish question. Not a single item's owner could be guessed. No one in spArk would use a strawberry bi-fold wallet until the faux leather wore out.
We played a meaningless game of rock-paper-scissors. The winner, Park Joowoo, reluctantly picked up a contradictory tin case. It read, 'Princesses don't use things like tin cases'. The trifecta of the rainbow print, the cute princess illustration, and the groundbreaking font was magnificent.
The other members picked their items one by one. As the loser, I took the last remaining item. The diamond painting that no one wanted ended up in my hands.
The lucky Park Joowoo opened the princess's tin case with a trembling hand. Shock spread across his face.
『Why does Jeho-hyung have something like this…?』
A name tag with Choi Jeho's name on it dangled from Park Joowoo's fingertips. There was a strange story behind how His Majesty the Emperor came to possess it.
『My younger sister gave me stickers in this to give to Jeong Seongbin.』
『You were still acting as a sticker deliveryman?』
Choi Jeho nodded. Park Joowoo stared at his beloved hyung in disbelief before accepting reality. When Jeong Seongbin put his hands together, Park Joowoo mournfully shook the case out and safely delivered the cute stickers.
『Joowoo-hyung, can you do it?』
『I'm not confident I can do it well… but I'll try.』
It was the mindset of a pro idol. The second lucky man, Choi Jeho, was tasked with playing Kang Kiyeon.
Choi Jeho held up a cute tea fork and asked, 『Why was this hidden away instead of being in the kitchen?』
『Because if I left it out, I felt like everyone would use it to stab pickled radish.』
It did look too fancy to be used for stabbing pickled radish. It was a valid reason.
『Wait a minute. Wasn't this strawberry wallet Kiyeon's?』
Lee Cheonghyeon, who had chosen the bi-fold wallet, was flustered.
『But it's so cute?』
『What I like is Cherry, not strawberries.』
『They're both red fruits!』
『You're so picky about distinguishing jellyfish, but you're lumping Cherry and strawberries together?』
Lee Cheonghyeon's imitation of Kang Kiyeon was something often seen even outside of official content. Lee Cheonghyeon's overflowing talent knew no bounds. His copying skills, as if he had devoured his friend, were famous even among Sparklers.
This guy's 'I've been waiting. I will serve you properly!' plan has crumbled. Having lost his chance to play Kang Kiyeon, Lee Cheonghyeon hastily opened the wallet. Then he muttered in disbelief.
『This was Joowoo-hyung's…?』
Lee Cheonghyeon denied reality. The role of the singing bowl Park Joowoo was harsh for spArk's megaphone, who had to talk nonstop. Even I thought so.
However, Lee Cheonghyeon could not shout that it was a lie. Park Joowoo revealed the touching true story that the wallet was a gift from a little friend at a daycare center.
『The members bought me a wallet for my birthday, right? So I couldn't use this one, but… I was so grateful for the thought that I kept it.』
『What a truly wonderful wallet…!』
Lee Cheonghyeon gritted his teeth and hugged the wallet tightly. I sent him a massive telepathic message telling him not to cry, even if he was sad.
Kang Kiyeon, whose turn was next, unfolded a note tied to the end of a heavily beaded string. The item's owner was Jeong Seongbin.
『What is this used for?』
『It's a bookmark ribbon. You put it between the pages of a book or a notebook to mark your page.』
『Doesn't that make the book bulky?』
『I sometimes get them as freebies, but I don't really use ones this fancy…』
Jeong Seongbin scratched his head awkwardly. Then, a startled expression flashed across his face. It seemed he had realized who he had to portray.
Jeong Seongbin asked me, 『No way, was this key ring yours, hyung?』
The rule was that you could not pick your own item. With only the two of us left, and me holding the diamond painting, it was natural for him to guess the key ring's owner was me.
『I thought it would be Kiyeon or Cheonghyeon!』
『This isn't your style at all, hyung. Isn't this too much of a smokescreen?』
Lee Cheonghyeon objected. I had something to say about that.
『Our manager bought it for me. He said it was the first time he saw me use an emoticon other than the spArk ones, and asked if that meant I must really like the character…』
『Aha…!』
The story was that I used an emoticon my sister bought me once and caused a huge misunderstanding. Jeong Seongbin, now holding merchandise from a popular emoticon character, complimented how cute the illustration was.
『What's with the diamond painting, then?』
I demanded an explanation from Lee Cheonghyeon.
Lee Cheonghyeon explained it was a historic item that had been in the dorm since long before I joined UA.
『It's a great senior that entered the dorm along with the coloring book. It's a cultural artifact that Kiyeon once tried to bring to a Study With Me session. I plan to make it the symbol of the one-day limited human jewel Cheonghyeon, spArk's Cutie Pretty Visual, so please treat it with care.』
It turned out this thing was item number 'n' for correcting Choi Jeho's personality. I thought he had finished all those things like coloring books and Sudoku in the waiting room, but I was mistaken.
Suddenly, I was entrusted with being spArk's sun, spArk's vault. The thought of tarnishing someone else's reputation made me so excited I felt like I could cry. I just wished they would give me a name tag that said '144p mode Lee Cheonghyeon'.
Soon, a sketchbook drawing appeared on the screen. Arrows extended from the members' faces. It was a swift development that did not care for my feelings.
Iwol → Cheonghyeon
Jeho → Kiyeon
Seongbin → Iwol
Joowoo → Jeho
Cheonghyeon → Joowoo
Kiyeon → Seongbin
The prelude to an eventful day had begun.
『A Grand Reveal of the Close-knit spArk's Daily Life』
A cheerful BGM played behind the meaningful title. Baek Haewon's heart pounded. The mercilessly applied pink filter made her heart flutter.
The first to appear was Kim Iwol, wearing a super stylish t-shirt. The colors and print, nowhere to be found in Kim Iwol's usual neat casual wear, caught the eye.
They're even matching their clothes?!
Is it okay for 5th-anniversary content to be this sweet? Kim Iwol had not even said a word yet, but Baek Haewon's satisfaction level was soaring.
『Iwol | Why is everyone in their rooms? Cheonghyeon is bored! How can we strengthen our team's bond if we're all isolated like this?』
It got even more intense after Kim Iwol opened his mouth. Kim Iwol ignored the perfectly fine sofa and sat on the floor, shouting his lungs out. The Lee Cheonghyeon portrayed by Kim Iwol was truly talkative, like a little Kim Iwol. The broadcast captured him pretending to be shameless, his ears turning bright red.
『Jeho | Hey, be quiet.』
Choi Jeho flung open his door. Choi Jeho, who usually stuck to a t-shirt and shorts in the dorm, surprised Baek Haewon with a stylish outfit of a sleeveless shirt and a zip-up hoodie.
Kiyeon… our Kiyeon did it. Even though the sleeveless shirt was Kim Iwol's and the hoodie was Lee Cheonghyeon's, Kiyeon still did it!
『Iwol | Kiyeon, why are you talking like Jeho-hyung today?』
Kim Iwol was merciless even to Choi Jeho, who had put so much effort into dressing up.
Choi Jeho furrowed his brow at the venomous glare. 『Jeho | …When did I.』
Choi Jeho hesitated before sitting on the sofa. It was a spot close to Kim Iwol. The center, who used to become one with the sofa by stretching out his legs and lying down, was nowhere to be seen. She could not hold back a snort at the intimate distance, so unlike the eldest hyungs.
『Seongbin | So energetic in the morning. You're not fighting, are you?』
When Jeong Seongbin appeared with a gentle smile, Baek Haewon's hands flew to cover her mouth. Even though Kim Iwol was her favorite, Jeong Seongbin in a black slim-fit long-sleeved shirt and well-fitting pants was pure high-stimulus.
The mature atmosphere, which she could not figure out how he had replicated, also played a part. Baek Haewon, unexpectedly sideswiped by a new obsession in the corner of her room, soon found the source of the overflowing chicness.
He showed his forehead, he showed his forehead!
Kim Iwol was the type to push his bangs back even in the dorm. To be precise, he rarely showed a disheveled look. Matching his hyung's attitude, Jeong Seongbin had also appeared as 'Kkan-meo Seongbin'. She kept spacing out at this perfectionist moment.
『Jeho | Who's fighting?… I mean. He's the one picking a fight one-sidedly.』
Choi Jeho blamed others as naturally as he breathed.
Isn't this just Choi Jeho himself? The informal speech is coming out like a habit, isn't it? But it's true that when Kang Kiyeon gets involved with Lee Cheonghyeon, he does tend to blame Lee Cheonghyeon a lot. In that case, should I count this as a half-correct character interpretation?
『Kiyeon | Kiyeon-ah, why are you blaming Cheonghyeon? You weren't like this before.』
Kang Kiyeon popped out as if he had been waiting. His lips curved up, but it did not look like a smile at all.
Strange, was our Seongbin always this scary?
『Iwol | Kang-geon is a little harsh with me, isn't he?』
Kim Iwol added fuel to the fire in front of his wronged dongsaeng. Seeing his hyung shrug nonchalantly, the corners of Kang Kiyeon's lips trembled. The sight of him looking wronged after being falsely accused to his face was the highlight.
『Cheonghyeon | Seongbin-ah, what's going on…?』
Lee Cheonghyeon asked, approaching while hugging a large pillow. At the sight of Lee Cheonghyeon's innocent eyes, the members bit their lips hard. The tense atmosphere, where laughter could erupt at the slightest touch, could be felt even through the screen.
『Kiyeon | It's nothing. Cheonghyeon and Kiyeon, don't fight and get… get along…!』
Kang Kiyeon averted the crisis with a trembling voice. It was a cool response, befitting a calm leader.
It was then. Park Joowoo, wearing a brightly colored t-shirt and alien glasses, strode into the living room, showing off his long legs.
Park Joowoo targeted the empty space between the sofa and Choi Jeho. He lay down at full length and then opened his mouth.
『Joowoo | Hey.』
Everyone's eyes trembled at the extraordinary visual. It was also Park Joowoo who broke the silence.
『Joowoo | You guys seen my glasses?』
『Seongbin | Pfft!』
The arrogant angle of his chin and the posture of crumpling onto the sofa without a care, 100 points. The listless tone and the haphazard way of speaking as if addressing any random passerby, 100 points. Even the act of looking for his glasses while wearing them, a perfect score.