Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 24: Club (1)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
spArk opened a new horizon for able-bodied youth with their fresh, sweet, and [풋풋] love band song for the spring. The digital music charts, music show view counts, and streaming numbers were all more than satisfactory.
≫ This is gonna be an annuity song
Their song 『A Story That Cannot Be Told』, perfect for hyping up crowds, was even praised as an "annuity song." These songs, like salmon, swim back up the charts every season or anniversary. People say having just one annuity song secures your descendants' futures, which shows just how big of a hit the album was.
spArk played the part of a shy lover, passionately yet subtly confessing before stepping back to wait for a reply. If their promotions had ended there, spArk might have been remembered as a spring day's dream instead of a first love.
However, we got carried away while brainstorming self-produced content for the re-Main-d comeback. The company accepted all of our rampant suggestions, which led to this…
≫ Do you guys get high before filming your content? lolololololololololol
└Considering how often they upload new skits, they must be on something regularly
└ If they take it this often, they'll build up a tolerance in a day or two
≫ Look at how no one's laughing even though they're all spouting nonsense You guys are true professionals
└Such dedicated method actors…
└ To think there's not a single awkward member… Our boys were born with the skit spoon…
[The skit spoon that has suddenly approached Sparkler, who thought they had the cold spoon]
≫ I have a question about Choi Jeho On a deserted island, this person lived with a Banana leaf, and last time when they filmed that office worker video? his rank was an assistant manager or something, and this time he's in charge of receipts, but is his Center Emperor position maintained?
└You know what you're doing. There's no way a Muggle would know the Emperor's movements in such detail
└└lololololol
└No, it's not maintained. He's a puppet emperor. The throne is just for show, the fans are all bluffing
└It's because he can pull all that off that Choi Jeho is the emperor
└Our center's talent is extraordinary
≫ Guys, I'm really grateful, but it's okay to stop loving Sparkler so much I'm not just saying that, I'm serious. Go build your friendship among yourselves. Sparkler has had enough. Listen seriously, unless you want to see all the Sparkler vlogs get taken down
└Everyone on social media is screamingㅋㅋcryingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Don't just laugh, listen seriously
└The doll hats the leader picked are all popular items that trended at least once recently, which is even scarier. How many hours is your screen time?
≫ The fact that Lee Cheonghyeon took the leftover soap bubbles back to the dorm because it was a waste, lololol. His recycling spirit is still going strong, I see, lolol
└Wow, it reminds me of the time he put the leftover foam board in the warehouse and then took it out to use again, lololololololol
└ This is that ESG management thing, right? I've memorized it now, Iwol
…spArk was a warm friend by day. At night, they transformed into multifaceted, wild party maniacs. We provided laughter to the public, but spArk's jewelry store image had definitely filed for bankruptcy.
But was this my fault?
I clearly tried to stay true to the original purpose. Though I'd never been a department representative, I put effort into my styling for every video. I wanted to maintain the "there's no senior like this" image from my role.
It wasn't easy. Portraying a makeshift office worker was harder than a standard one. I agonized forever, searching for props a real office worker would never use.
Still, I wanted a cool and intellectual look, so I tried on pair after pair of glasses. When Choi Jeho wore glasses, he became Ji Seongin. I just looked like Kim Iwol wearing glasses, which was disheartening. I had no choice but to pick the cleanest-looking rimless pair. I also put on suspenders and an arm garter for my work life…
How many years did I work at Hanpyeong Industry?
My goodness. The day came when I couldn't remember. Anyway, it was a style I had never attempted during my actual time in the workforce. This meant I had successfully created a sly fashion sense, like someone who learned business attire from a photobook. I also carefully placed the Fortune-Telling Octopus doll on my desk. It was once famous online for showing a team leader's mood.
I also did my best for the Sparkler fan meeting we filmed after that. Through years of searching, I knew the exact keywords fans used to find clothes with a "Kim Iwol feel."
#Cynical #Black #SlimFit #Corduroy.
.
.
.
Even though I just click the black color button and sort by the lowest price!
I went through the same process as the Sparkler members, adding every piece of clothing to my shopping cart myself. I wanted to experience their effort. Usually, our stylists find the perfect outfits, but this time, we chose everything ourselves.
We were also careful not to stray from the album's concept. We were "a slightly more grown-up spArk, but still the same as in your memories."
≫ This is just a cosplay of a crazed office worker and a crazed idol fan. You can't call this self-produced content. It's a comedy.
└Isn't it a tragedy?
└It's a tragedy from afar, and a tragedy up close.
≫ I only watched one Vanpark stage, but I keep making eye contact with the MZ employee Park Joowoo.
└That person has always been a free spirit.
└After one turn of the algorithm, the next thing should come up, but something keeps blowing up, so only spArk keeps showing up. I'm going crazy.
≫ The gap between their stage and broadcast presence is so huge I wonder if it's okay, but you can tell by the fact that watching Choi Jeho, an idol who does his job well no matter what you watch, brings more admiration than laughter.
└But what if variety show captions appear next to Choi Jeho?
└That's where the story changes.
"……"
It happened again this time.
└But it's largely your fault too.
└lololololololololol
However, all the reactions were like this. Expecting the world to bend to my will was arrogant.
It's strange. We were so serious, so why are we being called crazy again? Should we have been less serious to be called a comedy and not a tragedy… It's no use regretting it now.
"We're almost at our destination!" Manager Daeyeon announced.
I should have done some painful self-reflection long ago. Having these thoughts now, on our way to film more content, is far too late for regrets.
Still, it was a relief that this theme was at least somewhat musical. Today, we rented a university club room to film the campus life of the band club, spArk. The spArk Metube channel, which seemed to have been invaded by an ecosystem-disrupting species, would finally find some stability.
We left our office worker shirts and fluffy doll keychains behind. Instead, we brought our instrument cases, which showed considerable signs of use. Lee Cheonghyeon's sheet music was also placed neatly in a clear file.
With our supplies packed, we returned to the school I once attended. As the car drove a little further, the university's symbolic main gate appeared.
There were several reasons for choosing S University as the location. The short travel distance to our evening schedule was the biggest factor.
Lee Cheonghyeon's status as an enrolled student also played a part. The filming would be indoors, so the school itself wouldn't be on camera. However, someone suggested it would be more meaningful to film where at least one member had a connection.
Jeong Seongbin's and Park Joowoo's universities were also candidates. However, their majors made it difficult to secure a practice room for filming. One school's rooms were empty for exam season, while the other's were full for the same reason. It was an interesting situation.
"Cheonghyeon, you don't do any separate club activities, do you?" I asked.
Lee Cheonghyeon replied in a fed-up tone. "Nope. If my schedule gets any busier, I'll really be on academic probation."
"I know your grades. Don't be so dramatic."
Even among the brilliant natural science students, Lee Cheonghyeon was outstanding. The grades from the semester where Kim Iwol hit the jackpot couldn't surpass Lee Cheonghyeon's GPA.
He was amazing, but I also felt sorry for him. I looked at the kid, who looked even more like a university student in his outfit.
"You should enjoy it when you have the chance," I said. "Enjoy your university life a bit."
"Compared to the people in my department, I'm having an easy time at school. Besides, Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo are in a similar situation."
"Jeong Seongbin's department at least lets him attend with friends, and his major helps him get better at his job."
"No matter what, he's not as tired as our leader here, who's preparing for a solo while doing group activities~."
At Lee Cheonghyeon's words, Jeong Seongbin, sitting next to him, laughed awkwardly. It was true that Jeong Seongbin was busy. However, Lee Cheonghyeon wrote Jeong Seongbin's solo song, so it was all the same. They used to fight like they would eat each other, but now they were best friends, holding meetings and making albums day and night.
…No, I'll correct that. It was only Lee Cheonghyeon who looked ready to devour Jeong Seongbin.
Feeling a strange impulse, I nagged the quiet Jeong Seongbin to straighten his shoulders.
"The leader has to be confident, right? Why would you have any reason to slump your shoulders? If you just have Choi Jeho and Lee Cheonghyeon on either side of you, no one would dare mess with you."
"Even if Jeong Seongbin walks alone, no one would mess with him," Lee Cheonghyeon chimed in.
He wasn't wrong. The grueling schedule, hard training, and leadership responsibilities had stripped away the last of the baby fat on Jeong Seongbin's face. Thanks to that, Jeong Seongbin now possessed a jawline as sharp as freshly quarried marble.
I propose creating a system of 'marble handsome' and 'raw stone handsome' as tiers above 'sculpture handsome.'
"Who on our team isn't like that…"
I saw Jeong Seongbin in the rearview mirror. He couldn't deny it and just smiled awkwardly. While we chatted excitedly, the manager finished parking.
"Daeyeon! Can we get out?"
"Check if there are people around."
"Of course!"
I heard the back door open, followed by the sound of people moving. I followed the example of my quick-moving younger members, opened the passenger door, and got out. The half-familiar building stood before me.