Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 12: Park Joowoo's Amusement Park Outing
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TL: FoodieMonster007
"…This is the concept. Does anyone need any further explanation?"
During a meeting for their second album, Kim Iwol delivered a presentation as polished as any expert's.
Park Joowoo stared at the large monitor. The screen showed various photos set against a blue sky.
Images of Ferris wheels, carousels, churro stands, and colorful balloons filled the screen. A spectacular parade and a fireworks display shook Park Joowoo as old memories flashed through his mind.
He had many chances to visit an amusement park. His aunt and uncle wanted to do everything for their young nephew, always taking Park Joowoo along whenever they took their own children out.
Park Joowoo went to the arboretum in spring and visited green mountains and valleys in summer. When the weather grew chilly, he watched fish at the aquarium to his heart's content.
However, he could never bring himself to go to the amusement park.
Even when his aunt promised animals or his uncle offered a headband, Park Joowoo shook his head. Jaeha's pleas about delicious beaded ice cream were useless. The more Sihoo poked his side, the more stubbornly Park Joowoo hid under the covers.
Asking to go somewhere felt reckless and dangerous. If he gave in and followed them, Park Joowoo could be abandoned again. How could he bear the sorrow if his aunt and uncle also left him?
"I hate amusement parks…"
So Park Joowoo lied to his family, but since he genuinely disliked it, perhaps it was not a complete lie.
He could no longer throw a tantrum about not wanting to go. He had to endure his personal feelings to pull his own weight.
Maybe it'll be okay if we're not going just for fun.
His head spun as if he were carsick.
When the day arrived, the journey itself was different from before. As the members decided on seating, the front seat was never discussed. The others always left the passenger seat open for Park Joowoo.
"Joowoo, want some motion sickness medicine?"
Kim Iwol asked as he approached the passenger door. His hand was already in his backpack, which was stuffed full of unknown items.
"No, it's okay… I took some before I left."
After a short exchange, Kim Iwol finally boarded the van. All seven people, including the driver, had to squeeze inside. No one complained about the tight space, even on a long trip.
Should I offer to switch seats even now?
Park Joowoo glanced back. The backseat, where he once sat alone, was now packed. The tightly fastened seatbelt and the fully rolled-up window, meant to avoid cameras, weighed heavily on him.
His eyes met Kim Iwol's. Kim Iwol was wedged into the uncomfortable middle seat in the back and mouthed, 'What's wrong?'
Memories of the last outing, when no one had paid him any attention, surfaced. Park Joowoo shook his head to signal that nothing was wrong.
It's a relief that my expressions don't show on my face easily.
His inability to express emotions once worried his aunt and uncle. The family fretted that the major accident had deeply affected their young nephew.
So the family stayed close to the youngest, spending lots of time with him. They suggested he use emoticons in texts to express himself. They taught Park Joowoo, who had lost so much, a new way to communicate, like teaching someone to read.
Still, Park Joowoo felt awkward during their private conversations. If he was not in the passenger seat, his close friend Jeong Seongbin or the quick-witted Kim Iwol might have noticed his discomfort.
Fortunately, the trip to the amusement park was uneventful. He received a reply whenever he looked back or spoke to the driving manager. This simple fact eased Park Joowoo's anxiety.
The shoot went better than expected. He was busy moving and getting makeup touch-ups, leaving no time for his thoughts to wander.
That was for the best. Park Joowoo, who had less stamina than the others, focused on his work. The immediate task was more important than old memories. Time flew as he reviewed Kim Iwol's words, danced, and checked the results.
"We'll take a short break!"
The repetitive song stopped with the announcement. A stylist rushed over with a portable fan. The scenery beyond the crew looked like a set, not reality. The familiar theme song from commercials and the spectacular parades were nowhere to be seen, as if they only existed in dreams.
Did I have too big of a fantasy about a mere amusement park…?
Hiding his feelings, Park Joowoo smiled and bent his knees slightly. The makeup brush on his face was unbearably ticklish. Waiting for his sweat to dry with only a weak breeze was agonizing.
For the first time, he thought the smell of cosmetics was bitter. Park Joowoo had returned to the dorm then without his memory blacking out or his body aching. His family, however, was no longer in his reality.
Why had he wanted to go to such an insignificant place so badly? He had pulled the covers over his head, hiding his pathetic feelings. Sleep did not come easily, making him even more depressed.
Ironically, morning came again. His days were so busy he could barely breathe. Knowing he couldn't stay depressed, Park Joowoo tried to return to his daily life. Or more precisely, he tried to adapt.
But as always, an incident occurred without warning. This time, it was a recording tailored to the music video's concept.
In the 『With List』music video, Park Joowoo played someone who could not wake up after an accident. The other members played his precious friends, who wanted to fulfill a childhood promise by taking him to the amusement park.
For their own content, it seemed they were now creating a happy ending for that story. Park Joowoo, called out separately, listened haltingly to the explanation.
Giving a positive spin to the open ending was good fan service. Kim Iwol might throw a fit about a rookie group 'focusing the narrative on one member' instead of a group MISSION, but since it was a contracted job, Kim Iwol probably couldn't refuse it.
Maybe Kim Iwol would find a solution. There was nothing Kim Iwol couldn't do. He accomplished impossible things, always finding a way to create a breakthrough.
However, Park Joowoo didn't want to drag Kim Iwol into a non-issue just because of his personal feelings.
Just a short while ago, Choi Jeho and Kim Iwol had nearly fought. Choi Jeho thought Kim Iwol controlled their content ideas, and Kim Iwol had tried to resolve the issue even though it was out of his hands. Kim Iwol always did that much.
And that wasn't all. In 'Do.Salm', Kim Iwol worked hardest off-camera. He drank five bottles of soju on a variety show. He handled all the unpleasant tasks before they ever reached the other members.
Kim Iwol already carried a heavy burden. Park Joowoo felt he couldn't ask Kim Iwol to review the content just because of his own feelings. If he had any conscience, he had to refrain.
Kim Iwol was the type to run to a convenience store late at night for a sick member. He spoke coldly but cared for everyone the most. How could Park Joowoo say something disappointing to a person like that?
So Park Joowoo hid his feelings. He smiled brightly, said he was looking forward to it, and filmed a support video asking the members to find him.
Unlike the music video shoot, the amusement park was open today and much larger. Music played from all directions, costumed mascots walked around, and crowds moved between the rides.
The temporary monitoring room was set up away from the main area. Near the scenic Ferris wheel, the ground was high and the trees were dense. The park spread out below, making his location feel like a different world.
"With so many people and such a wide park, will they be able to find me…?"
Park Joowoo smiled bitterly. The spArk members on the screen, riding a kiddie train and waving balloons, felt like strangers. Or maybe he was the one who had fallen out of their world.
Park Joowoo could not look away from the bright screen, because everyone looked so happy.
Just as he was about to feel lonely…
『If we just keep going like this, we'll be able to find our Joowoo!』Lee Cheonghyeon exclaimed brightly. 『We have to find him, no matter what. Without Joowoo, Seongbin will collapse while singing,』
Kim Iwol added. 『The plants in the pots might collapse too,』
Choi Jeho commented. 『We can't just leave him in a place without a cotton blanket.』
『So you'd leave him if there was a cotton blanket…?』
Park Joowoo couldn't help but laugh at Jeong Seongbin and Kang Kiyeon's conversation. He wanted to join them right away.
But he held back. His anxiety slowly faded, the trembling in his hands subsided, and his heart pounded with anticipation.
『Found it!』Choi Jeho shouted. He had entered a waterway without hesitation and now pulled out a Ziploc bag. He unfolded the crumpled paper inside, revealing the words Park Joowoo had written.
【Come to the place where we all smiled and took a picture together! Don't be late!】
Permission was given to move. Park Joowoo ripped the earphones from his ears and dashed toward the Ferris wheel.
The sun had set, and darkness surrounded them. The amusement park lights twinkled like stars. His members ran toward him, breaking through the multicolored lights.
"Joowoo!" Kim Iwol shouted with a bright smile.
As they were about to have a moving reunion, a bell rang. Fireworks exploded, large enough to cover the darkness.
BOOM! BOOM!
It was more spectacular than a dream and more vivid than any video.
Park Joowoo remembered what he wanted to do with the members. He wanted all six of them to watch the fireworks together. This was true for the Park Joowoo in the music video and the real Park Joowoo.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Jeong Seongbin asked with a pleasant smile.
The sound of the fireworks was as immense as music that shook his whole body. It was a night spent with people he liked, listening to exciting sounds. In that moment, Park Joowoo felt joy.