Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 53: Flight (2)
Day/Night Mode:
Change Font Size:
TL: FoodieMonster007
The company and the team were in disarray, but we still had things to do. The biggest issue was Park Joowoo's departure. He couldn't bring himself to pack, as if many things weighed on his mind, and it was a struggle to soothe him.
"The timing was bad…"
"What, are you going to pick an auspicious day for your comeback? That's just how life is. An incident can pop up at any time. You're not responsible for this at all, so just pack some more face masks."
After a struggle, I filled Park Joowoo's suitcase and zipped it.
Is this what it feels like to send your child on a school trip?
The feeling was strange, especially since I'd never been on one myself.
Park Joowoo put on his shoes, his large suitcase standing beside him. Manager Chanyoung grabbed another suitcase and adjusted Park Joowoo's clothes. I stuck to them at the shoe rack, checking if he had packed motion sickness medicine and downloaded enough movies for the plane. It was the same when Lee Cheonghyeon first went to Milan for Fashion Week. My beginner's mindset hadn't changed.
"I'm going…"
Park Joowoo waved one last time and left on his long journey. The other members left for their own schedules. I was the only one on standby until the controversy died down, so I had nothing to do but send BubblePop messages. Haha, damn it.
Meanwhile, there were several developments in the tampering issue. Hellas immediately released a rebuttal article claiming it was a smear campaign. Since MYTH's main goal wasn't to fight Hellas, they stalled, saying, 'We are organizing further evidence.'
MYTH had been noisy for years, while Hellas had built goodwill as the nation's favorite group. Because of this, almost no one criticized us. Still, even if no one pointed fingers, three people couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Hellas Polo [Is Joowoo leaving the country today?]
Me [Yes, that's right!]
The three uncomfortable people were me, Polo, and Yuur. Unlike me, those two were in a fierce battle. As the parties embroiled in the illegal contract suspicion, their situation was far more serious than mine. I was just getting hit by stray sparks.
Hellas Polo [For this to happen right before important promotions…ㅠㅠ]
[We're sorryㅠㅠㅠ]
Still, Polo considered his juniors' positions first. It couldn't have been easy to care for someone else while getting cursed at because of a terrible former company, but the sunbaenims managed it. They didn't hesitate to step up when needed. Dong Euion told me the company was in an uproar the day the article was released, so I could guess the atmosphere.
Me [It's not!]
[It's my fault…]
Hellas Polo [If we're tracing it back to the source]
[We'd have to go all the way back to when I started as a trainee at MYTH]
Me [I'm sorry.]
Hellas Polo [Hahaha sob sob sobㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
Yuur called me the morning after the article was published. I told him nothing was wrong and that it didn't seem like other stories would come out. He encouraged me not to worry and to wait. I was so touched by his support.
In reality, no one from UtopiA came to me for a fact-check. I heard it was cleared up while they confirmed the facts with Hellas. I had the rare experience of having my suspicions cleared without even stepping forward.
Some sunbaes also believed I wouldn't have done anything foolish. In the Trio of Villains group chat, Gu Jahan, who holds a 45% share of the conversation, once again flooded the chatroom with texts.
Gu Jahan [Why can't you have a single quiet day?]
Me [I guess it's because I'm an idol~]
A while ago, Gu Jahan had asked if I had any pride. He also asked if it was because I was an idol. I remembered that and tried repetition, a basic element of comedy. I got a horrified reaction.
Gu Jahan [I already said I was sorry]
Woo Yunjae [That's why I told you not to mess with him…]
After joking around, I reassured the sunbaenims that it wasn't a big deal. They worried a lot, so I had to clear up any misunderstandings. Fortunately, I was the chatterbox who held the other 45% of the conversation, so explaining wasn't difficult.
Gu Jahan [I have a question]
[If I told Kim Iwol to switch companies and he actually did, would that be a problem?]
[Even after his contract period is over?]
Me [I'm sure you were joking, but it's a problem if unofficial offers are made behind the company's back while the contract is still active.]
Hellas had clarified they wouldn't renew their contract during the priority negotiation with MYTH. MYTH didn't try to persuade the senior idols further, as they would have had to offer a high profit-sharing ratio. They essentially released them, saying, 'You're free to find your own way to make a living.'
That's why Hellas could consider establishing their own company and even contact UA.
Still, they didn't say a word to the outside world until their contract termination date was near. They diligently fulfilled their contract until the last day and then left. It was a textbook departure with no room for dispute. On the other hand, Gu Jahan, who acted like an outlaw, was very flustered.
Gu Jahan [;;;;]
[I almost got into a controversy for something other than my personality]
Woo Yunjae [See, I told you not to say unnecessary things]
Me [Sunbaenims, your texts are too spicy…]
As I listened, one thing struck me as odd. Gu Jahan had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, yet he knew nothing about tampering.
My curiosity was quickly resolved.
Gu Jahan [The CEO of my company is my cousin]
[I didn't think I'd ever go to another agency, and my cousin said no one else would take me with my personality, so I was never interested]
He said he didn't know because it had nothing to do with him. If he had been close to any fellow actors, he might have heard it mentioned, but that wasn't the case. No wonder it seemed strange that the CEO sent me a gift just for reforming one actor.
Hellas steered the issue to be solely between them and MYTH, and MYTH's harsh treatment was never revealed. I was naturally left out of the news. An article full of useless content insincerely wrote a single line. 'Meanwhile, K, who was mentioned in connection with the tampering case, was found to be unrelated to this incident.' For someone whose picture they had plastered everywhere, wasn't that a cheap way to wrap things up?
I got through it safely, but the bad feeling lingered. I picked up a notebook in the dorm and wrote MYTH's name three times.
They should know I'm letting them live because I have a lot of patience. If I ever get the chance, I'll make them end up just like Yoo Hansoo…
After sharpening my blade of revenge, I saw a text from Lee Cheonghyeon. He asked me to check some music files. Two new files had been added to the ones we were already working on.
Me [What are the new ones? I haven't heard these before.]
spArk's Eternal Soul [It's a Cheonghyeon hard drive dump for the break~]
He says it's a dump, but he's already finished them to a listenable level.
For files supposedly shelved due to lack of progress, they were all highly polished. Others might call me a workaholic, but in my eyes, Lee Cheonghyeon was the true workaholic of spArk.
I wonder if I should put the brakes on him at some point.
Passion was good, but overworking was forbidden. Burnout was inevitable when you had to work without rest while everyone judged your performance. I thought I should get him some fresh air, but when I looked at the calendar, I was shocked. There wasn't a single empty spot until November. This wasn't the time to coax Jeong Seongbin into five comebacks a year. A sigh escaped me.
Me [Looks like you don't know what to do with all your free time]
[I have a schedule I'd like to propose to you]
spArk's Eternal Soul [What is it??]
[Just say the word! The energetic Cheonghyeon will follow!]
Me [Cheonghyeon, are you interested in climbing?]
After Lee Cheonghyeon spent a night in my spot, Choi Jeho often dragged him to the gym. I don't know what they talked about. Lee Cheonghyeon would follow Choi Jeho, crying, and return completely exhausted. He had developed impressive shoulders in just a few days, befitting his gifted frame. I tried to suggest another healthy activity, but a reply came back quickly.
spArk's Eternal Soul [The energetic Cheonghyeon has decided to pour all his energy into his friend's solo album!]
Me [Alright]
[Too bad, but it can't be helped^^]
With that, I reduced the number of things Lee Cheonghyeon would get his hands on. I had to be satisfied with this for now. Next year, I would definitely tie a band around my head and demand a long vacation.
The long-haul flight was boring. It would have been nice if the members were there, but today, Park Joowoo was alone. From the airport to the plane, and until he set foot in a foreign land, he was scheduled to be alone.
For him, with his sensitive five senses, 'waking up upon arrival' was a luxury. If someone was next to him, he could at least pass out when he was truly tired, but alone, he couldn't fall asleep even as exhaustion piled up. The discomfort of being sleepy but unable to sleep just grew.
I wonder what everyone's doing…?
Outside the window, white clouds spread out like a sea. The color gave Park Joowoo a sense of stability. In that familiarity, Park Joowoo saw the faces of people who were not his blood relatives.
"You said the time difference is nine hours, right?"
"Yeah…"
"When it's night here, it'll be morning in Korea. We'll be able to talk just fine."
Jeong Seongbin had told him to call whenever he felt lonely. Lee Cheonghyeon, jaded from traveling abroad alone, brought a bundle of in-flight essentials and packed them into Park Joowoo's bag. Kang Kiyeon personally selected and downloaded popular videos for him. Choi Jeho said he got a recommendation from his sister and ordered disposable hotel pillow covers to be delivered by courier.
"A copy of your passport and the embassy's phone number. Always carry enough emergency money to get back to the hotel by yourself, no matter where you get lost, and make sure to write down the hotel address."
Kim Iwol was even more attentive to Park Joowoo, even when Kim Iwol himself was not in a good state. Taking care of his younger brother came before his own affairs.
"Your manager will be with you, of course, but you can't just stand by and do nothing if there's no one else to help you. You know what I mean, right?"
His eldest hyung was a person accustomed to solving everything on his own. He emphasized these things to Park Joowoo because he himself had lived that way, yet, he was the type of person who wouldn't be satisfied until he personally saw off his adult brother leaving for work. The send-off was excessive for a short, week-long schedule.
spArk acted without calculating profit and loss with each other. They had no interest in how much they received from others. They might remember it to be grateful, but they were not the type to hold it in their hearts to avoid giving more in return. He recalled the younger members who recently opened an errand center, saying they wanted to help their hyungs.
A smile naturally formed on his face.
He sometimes felt anxious that the group might break up because he only chased what he wanted to do. Park Joowoo's family had disappeared from his hands just like that. He tried not to be greedy anymore, but spArk made him dream again.
Thanks to their immense warmth, Park Joowoo could move on to the next step. Jeong Seongbin, whose worth went unrecognized since his trainee days, had now succeeded in showing off his abilities. What Park Joowoo would dream of and make a reality was now entirely in his hands.
The aircraft banked. It pierced through the clouds that had been Park Joowoo's fence, revealing a deep sea below.
His body floated. The roar grew louder as the plane descended. The sensation of being alone felt like death.
Nevertheless, Park Joowoo did not run away. He had boarded the plane, prepared to stand alone. He wanted to show the members that he was okay and that he wasn't just standing still.
The sea grew closer. The plane descended lower and lower. The sunlit surface of the water looked as if it would swallow him whole. An unknown, unkind world, where he couldn't know what lurked, was right before his eyes.
For the first time, Park Joowoo thought that sparkle was beautiful, and so, he dived into the suffocating, water-like world.