Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 43: Airing Grievances (2)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
"The camera is very close."
I spoke up to fill the dead air, giving the members time to think of what to say. Then, someone else suddenly spoke.
"Iwol, it's really great to see you looking so much brighter these days."
The compliment was so heartwarming that my chest felt warm just hearing it.
"In my experience, if the intro is kind, nothing good follows."
"But that insight of yours is getting old."
The counterpunch landed as if it had been waiting. Another storm of laughter erupted from behind me.
"How can a person be so consistent?"
"Because I promised not to lose my original mindset."
"That's why I can't make any promises with you."
"I guess it's not Joowoo, then? Joowoo likes promises, doesn't he?"
"You still trust Joowoo after what happened earlier?"
"I think I'm starting to lose my trust in him now."
"I'm disappointed, Iwol…"
A chirping voice, like a local mascot's, pierced my ears. The fact that he jumped in when his name was mentioned meant this guy had to be Park Joowoo. It seemed that in the process of randomly passing the mic, spArk's best main vocalist, Park Joowoo, had been cursed. It was lamentable.
"I have something to say too."
Complaints flooded in. I should have told them to take a number or installed a suggestion box in the dorm.
"You know how the coordis sometimes have to urgently alter our outfits in the waiting room."
"Yeah, we do."
"Don't stand next to them holding scissors then."
Devastating attacks flew in, one after another.
"How much do you need to rip to be satisfied, that you're on standby with scissors?"
The only person with this complaint about me could be Choi Jeho. The uppercut landed perfectly.
"Pfft!"
"Who's the friend laughing their head off in the back?"
"It wouldn't be anonymous if I said that."
A laugh that sounded more like an animal's cry than the Town Musicians of Bremen pierced my headset. It was so embarrassing I could barely lift my head.
"I was just, you know, trying to be ready to offer support at any time."
"You're just putting silent pressure on them to rip it more."
"Do I do it for my own good? What benefit do I get from ripping your clothes? I do it because the Sparklers like it, don't I?"
"If mine get ripped any more, I won't be allowed on air."
I crumbled at the deadpan statement. Choi Jeho once had to change his clothes because he worried the censors would flag his music video outfit.
"I wouldn't go so far as to stop a member from appearing on a music show."
"What a relief."
"He's the type to drag a member who can't perform back on stage…"
The replies didn't sound relieved at all.
When the recording is uploaded, I'm going to find out who reacted and how.
"And when this self-produced content gets uploaded, you're going to look up who made which comment, aren't you?"
Someone hit the nail on the head as soon as I made that resolution.
"Wasn't it decided that the member representing obsession in spArk is Seongbin?"
"We're about equal."
"I think you're a little more obsessed."
"Seongbin, if you say that at this point, won't you reveal your identity?"
"I couldn't bear to leave the misunderstanding that you and I are similar…"
Not one of them backed down. My HP was rapidly draining just from sitting and listening.
"Alright. From now on, I'll nag less, only hold the scissors sometimes, and won't try to hunt down any impertinent friends."
"The fact that you remember this entire conversation proves you're wrong."
"Oh yeah? When this gets uploaded, I'm watching everything and having one-on-one interviews."
"Ugh, so tiresome!"
The 'Attack Kim Iwol' time, which had seemed to stop time itself, ended with a fed-up scream. I felt like I had probably lived my life wrong. Still, it was unfair for me to be the only one targeted, so I eagerly moved on to the next target.
"Cheonghyeon, have you ever thought that you have too many keychains on your bag? Do you really have to burden your perfectly straight shoulders like that?"
"I tell you every day to use a headset instead of earphones, so why do wireless earphones keep appearing from your coat pocket?"
"When the recording space is tight, I wish Jeho would just fold his shoulders on his own."
"Walk a little more gently in the dorm. What's the point of us putting up corner guards all the time? You just ram into them at full power anyway."
The remaining guys annoyed me the most, so I didn't even have to think. The stage was set. I grabbed the mic and chattered away like a sportscaster. My voice had already turned petty, so I grumbled earnestly while the other guys struggled to hold back their laughter.
"Jeho. Should I stick a doll on every drawer? I think I might have to get rid of all my keychains."
Lee Cheonghyeon, who I had scolded for having too many keychains, backed me up. The dorm would certainly become cuter.
If we actually do it, I should film it for our self-produced content.
"And Jeho, let me say one more thing."
"You've said like fifty things by yourself already."
"That must mean the members have a lot of pent-up feelings for you, right?"
"It means you have a lot of pent-up feelings for me."
"It's sad that you say it like that. Am I not a member?"
"Is there anyone who can speak instead of Kim Iwol?"
There might have been someone, but I raised my hand again first.
I trust that if it's too long, the editing team will cut it sensibly.
"Your roommate bought you a mood light not long ago, didn't he?"
"The snake lamp?"
"'Good Dreams Will Come to You!' Baby Snake Mood Light."
"Yeah, that one."
"Why aren't you using it when I went to the trouble of gifting it to you? It has a 4.8-star rating!"
The baby snake mood light was still in its delivery box in storage. This was uncharacteristic for Choi Jeho, who would use any gift he received without a second thought, even a pizza blanket. My pride, which came from my confidence in picking gifts, was wounded.
"Are you embarrassed because the design is cute? Do you want to distance yourself from cute items now? At this rate, are you going to stop sending heart emojis on Bubble Pop?"
"What are you talking about… The mushroom one is still working fine, so I didn't open it."
"You can just use two."
"So that people like Park Joowoo wake up completely when they go to get a drink of water?"
'People like Park Joowoo' must have meant those who are sensitive to light or wake up easily. I was moved by his admirable consideration.
"I'm sorry. I failed to fully appreciate your kind heart."
I offered a textbook-perfect apology. Choi Jeho sighed, looking utterly fed up.
After confessing the inner thoughts they had been keeping to themselves, the dorm transformed into a slightly cozier place.
First, Kang Kiyeon started diligently wearing comfortable pajamas. He sometimes slipped up, but Lee Cheonghyeon teased him about as fast as Kang Kiyeon realized his mistake, so he improved quickly.
I felt proud of him and bought him three sets of pajamas. The guy was absolutely furious.
Whenever Park Joowoo made eye contact with me, he would smile brightly. When I asked why he was in such a good mood, he just shoved a photo from my fansign at me instead of answering.
"The expression is the same, isn't it…?"
"Yeah, I'm touched."
Park Joowoo also gave the other members a big laugh by imitating them at unexpected times. Jeong Seongbin especially loved it. The quiet friend's reversal seemed quite surprising.
Lee Cheonghyeon actually transplanted a few keychains onto the corners of the cabinet that Choi Jeho bumped into particularly often.
Our schedule was tight, so we couldn't film the process. Instead, I took pictures of various spots and reported our status on the official account. I also placed the new mood light next to them.
≫ …spArk_official
What are Sparkler's hobbies?
spArk is busy with dorm-decorating these days!
(Photo) (Photo)
(Photo) (Photo)
└What is this
└The filter is so freaking annoying TTTTTTTTTTTT lol
└First time in my life hearing the word dorm-decorating
≫ I came here thinking, what else would a Sparkler do besides stan spArk, but what is this lolololololololol
└It's not Y2K, so what on earth should we call this lol
└Gen Alpha-core…?
└Does Gen Alpha use mood lights like that?
└I'm Gen Alpha. I will sue for defamation.
└Gen Alpha is so mature, not even crying
└ Sparklers have to stan spArk in secret now, in case they end up on the self-produced content
└lolololololololol
≫ The scale of your decorating is on another level T_T The Grand Dukes are different in every way T_T
└lololol this is just mockery lololol
└A man who would decorate a Grand Duke's castle with fluffy keychains just to make the young lady Sparklers laugh
└You have to get your facts straight, wasn't it to protect the shins of the clumsy young lady Jeho
└To think I'd see Banana of all people taking on the role of a young lady
Since we were decorating anyway, I thought I'd make it look pretty. I downloaded ribbon and heart stickers and decorated the photos like Sparklers decorate their phone backgrounds, but everyone was even more baffled. I'm glad I added the glitter decoration twice.
I bought pinking shears to replace the threatening fabric-cutting scissors. The new item was cute and adorable. It didn't create a scary atmosphere, but it still clearly conveyed my opinion that the clothes should be hotter.
To test them, I took colored paper from storage and made carnations. I delivered the handmade carnations one by one to the trainers who had guided and disciplined us, and to our Hellas seniors, to express my gratitude.
Of course, I also sent them to the close actor seniors. I gave one to Ha Seomyeong through Oh Eun, and for Gu Jahan and Woo Yoonjae, I put them in small envelopes and mailed them to their home addresses.
Gu Jahan [(Sent a photo)] [What is this? lolololololololol]
Woo Yoonjae [Is this a hidden camera?]
Gu Jahan [You got one too?]
Me [It's a token of your junior's heart.] [I look forward to your continued guidance.]
Gu Jahan [You're planning to do something weird again, aren't you]
I was a bit misunderstood… but anyway.
While the other members changed, Jeong Seongbin steadfastly remained the same. The guy lived just as he always had, even after the recording. As expected, the one in power was the best.
With one small change, spArk didn't lose its vitality even during the busy promotion period. When we would laugh just from looking at each other's faces (out of absurdity), how could we ever feel down?
Our daily routine repeated itself. We worked energetically and then mustered more strength to prepare for the next music show. Then, we got a single day off because an outdoor shoot was postponed due to weather.
We unexpectedly got an unscheduled holiday. A few of the guys who had things to do besides group activities left the dorm. I truly had nothing to do, like an office worker who had met their deadline.
Since there's nothing I need to meddle in during promotions… should I try a change of pace?
I turned on the game I dabbled with in my spare time. I planned to give the fans an update on the pixelated Iwol for the first time in a while. I sometimes got BubblePop messages asking if the pixelated Iwol was still farming.
I shouldn't have turned on the game so lightly. The disaster I brought upon myself was large and terrible.