Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 36: Experience! The Scene of a Breakup (2)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
Tonight, the three of us decided to have meat with our manager. It was late for a meal, and I was trying to cut back on food. We had been starving since lunch because of our schedule, however, so our manager took pity on us and suggested it.
"Manager says to get ready to head out."
"Let's pack up, then."
Just as we finished packing, our manager came down. We slung our bags over our shoulders and walked to the parking lot.
We had been to this barbecue restaurant together once before. It was the day Choi Jeho and I returned from meeting the lawyer introduced by Lee Cheonghyeon's father. Seeing us on the verge of suing my parents, our manager suggested an unplanned meal on our way back from the consultation.
To think that was already several years ago.
Time passed so quickly. As I was lost in that thought, the car left the company building and sped down the road.
The restaurant was bustling even though it was getting late. We did not have to worry about a seat, though. The owner had received a call from Manager Daeyeon, a regular, and guided us to the most secluded corner table, just like last time.
Ordering only three servings of meat for the three of us was also the same. Back then, I could not eat much because I had no appetite. Now, I held back for my physique, so we ordered just a little.
One practice session tomorrow would be enough to burn the calories, but strengthening my resolve is also important, isn't it?
If I eat recklessly just because I exercise a lot, I could fall apart at any moment.
While our manager placed the order, I set out the spoons and chopsticks. Beside me, Choi Jeho filled the water glasses.
As we prepared for our meal with practiced skill, a commotion arose from across the restaurant. The loud sounds of a toast and clinking glasses echoed.
"Looks like they're here for a company dinner."
"Yes. They're a large group from a nearby office."
The owner gave me that answer while setting down the side dishes. It was a large company dinner. A company dinner at this hour? Did they work a full day without leaving early? Even if they had left at 6 PM, they should have eaten long ago. I desperately hoped it was just a casual meal among colleagues and not mandatory.
"I wish I could feed you guys more."
"Aish. We'll eat as much as we want once our promotions are over!"
I bantered with our disappointed manager. He himself had ordered a single, notoriously large serving while complaining about gaining weight with age. Still, I was only half-joking. Choi Jeho would definitely eat his fill.
"I ate a ton when Seongbin dragged me out, you know. I need to watch myself now."
"You did eat a lot back then."
"You really did eat a ton."
Just as they confirmed that fact, the meat arrived. I grabbed the tongs. Our manager reached for them, but I firmly refused.
"You grilled for us last time, Manager. I'll handle the tongs today!"
"Should I grill?"
"No, forget it. You just focus on eating."
I brushed off Choi Jeho's offer and slapped the meat onto the grill. The sizzling sound was pleasant.
The boisterous noise and the restaurant's simple interior felt nostalgic and comforting.
Last time, I had not even noticed the atmosphere. I could not remember what we ate or taste a thing. I had picked at the meat our manager put on my plate so slowly that it grew cold. Only near the end of the meal did I realize Choi Jeho had been swapping my cold pieces with his own.
Back then, I had no capacity to pay attention to my surroundings. An overwhelming despair crushed me, yet I could not even name the feeling. I was so anxious to fix the situation that I focused only on solving the problem. It was impossible for my distress not to show, but I foolishly thought no one would notice.
"Jeho, do you want some steamed egg?"
"Yes."
At his unhesitating reply, our manager pressed the call button.
This, right here, is what I'm talking about.
I had a tendency to refuse anything offered to me. Knowing this, our managers would offer things to the person next to me instead, ensuring I was cared for indirectly. As long as it was not something I would throw a fit over, like cake or fried food before a comeback, the members would accept.
It was the same even when I was not the direct recipient. We each had our own ways of looking out for one another. If I had realized sooner that this was genuine care and not just one more tiring thing to deal with, I might not have struggled so much.
A huge, steaming pot of steamed egg was placed on our table. Choi Jeho immediately scooped a large portion from the delicious-looking Gawoon de part onto our manager's plate. I subtly slid my own plate forward. The guy said nothing and simply filled my plate to the brim with steamed egg.
Just when our comeback preparations seemed smooth after private lessons and a good meal, we hit a snag right before the music video shoot. The reason was a concept that had absolutely nothing to do with spArk.
"Are you confident you can pull off a heartbroken man?" Lee Cheonghyeon asked.
The concept for spArk's new music video, set to dominate Sparklers' playlists this summer, was a man grieving a painful breakup. It was what we got when we flipped the 'devoted man in pure love' concept on its head.
First off, this guy right here doesn't seem capable of it. Who ever heard of a heartbroken man wearing a gel face mask and a group T-shirt as pajamas?
"Shouldn't we have just left this all to Seongbin?"
Jeong Seongbin jumped, surprised by Kang Kiyeon's cheeky suggestion. The two youngest members spouted terrifying ideas, both with gel masks plastered on their faces.
"Jeong Seongbin wasn't the type for a desperate, sorrowful breakup either."
At Choi Jeho's statement, Jeong Seongbin looked relieved. He must have worried he would be the only one playing an enraged man, slamming the floor in explosive anger. I would have been worried, too.
"Choi Jeho, if you had gone on a dance competition show and performed as a tragic, obsessive, resentful male lead, we could have used it as a reference, you know."
"What about you? Why didn't you film a drama as a second male lead or something?"
"Are you crazy? Who likes it when an idol takes on a romance plot? Do you think I played Do Younghwan, Cheon Yoonseong, and Nam Sajin for no reason?"
It had been a while since the Center Emperor had gotten on my nerves this much. Since Jeyoung was involved, I could not even bring up his dating scandal and could only fume internally. Did he have any idea how wild the internet went when that rumor broke out? If he ever got caught dating for real, it would be the end for both of us.
Despite all this talk, the fact that none of us had even had a first love was a major blow. I did not want to shoot a music video where our collective terrible acting would make viewers cringe. We could not inflict secondhand embarrassment on our fans, who deserved our best. That was why we called an emergency meeting, but we were making zero progress.
"What if we express loss without it being a breakup with a lover? Let's think about it from the perspective of 'an unforeseen separation and the resulting shock'!"
Lee Cheonghyeon suggested, adjusting his face mask. It was not a bad idea. We put our heads together and recalled the farewells we had experienced.
"What about scattering from my elementary school friends when I started middle school?"
"Seongbin, was parting with your friends really that much of a shock to you?"
Kang Kiyeon seemed a little surprised. Then, perhaps recalling Jeong Seongbin and his forty friends, he did not press the issue and simply wrote 'Parting with friends' on the whiteboard.
"The jjajangmyeon place near our dorm closing down," Choi Jeho said.
"This guy is even worse."
Lee Cheonghyeon clicked his tongue at the sheer, unfeeling nature of the suggestion. Honestly, Choi Jeho had gone too far with the jjajangmyeon place.
While everyone else contributed ideas, the quiet Park Joowoo caught my eye. He stared blankly at the mostly empty whiteboard, then finally spoke.
"A bereaved man might be a bit much, right…?"
The living room, once as noisy as a marketplace, fell silent. The quiet, which felt longer than an office worker's weekday, was broken by a small hiccup. Lee Cheonghyeon frantically tried to cover his mouth.
"Hey, you…"
Choi Jeho's eyebrows shot up in anger. He looked like he was about to say something but held his tongue. He only held back because it was Park Joowoo. Anyone else would have gotten a merciless tongue-lashing.
I had thought of my sister. It was the saddest farewell of my life, with no possibility of reunion, so it would have been stranger not to. However, now that we were reunited, using those emotions would feel like a deception. I had no intention of exploiting them for my convenience.
I was not ignorant of Park Joowoo's intentions, either. People who are not okay cannot bring up their scars so carelessly. That kind of joke only comes after you have dealt with old emotions. He could say it because the pain from his separation from his family had healed.
Still, this isn't right!
I shot him a fierce glare. Park Joowoo laughed awkwardly and avoided my gaze. I was reminded again of how dangerous black humor could be. Please, let it go. I don't tell dark jokes these days. I won't in the future either, so let's just stick to happy jokes.
"Do we really not have a single soft and serious breakup story?"
"Hyung, what kind of 'creamy and red soup' nonsense is that?" Lee Cheonghyeon shot back.
I used up all my resentment from my office worker days during the monthly evaluations and my appearance on 'Concern Sharing Group'. What am I supposed to do now?
With my memories of that time already fading, there seemed no point in opening up my case files of utter madness from Hanpyeong Industry. The others would not be able to relate anyway.
"How about we try a past life regression? Maybe we had breakup experiences in our past lives," Kang Kiyeon suggested, searching the internet.
I shot down the idea. A hybrid human like me, with a past and present life fused into one body, had no idea what I might see.
"There are virtual dating games, too…"
"Joowoo, where did you even see something like that?"
"My sister used to play them a lot on her phone, but she'd only say she was playing a game and never told me which one… I don't know the titles."
Park Joowoo had presented a plausible idea. However, I had a feeling that even if we asked his sister, we would not get the titles.
"Hmm… then let's do this."
Jeong Seongbin, who had been resting his chin on his hand in thought, wrote the members' names on the board in order of age. Then, starting from the bottom, he began to assign a mission.