Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols
SS Chapter 101: Turning the Tables (1)
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TL: FoodieMonster007
While Kang Kiyeon prepared for his solo activities, a few new things happened at UtopiA.
First, the trainees' debut became a reality. Their debut album's release date was discussed for the second half of next year. We put in significant effort to show a different side from spArk.
If we debut them with a similar concept to their senior group, we'll just get double the complaints from both fanbases, right?
UtopiA had Hellas, with their classic and sophisticated style, and spArk, who aimed to be youth idols with the faces of cold, handsome men. Both were fairly common concepts for idol teams, so it was not easy to avoid them.
After much deliberation, we decided the new team's identity would be a conceptual group with a strong, unique personality.
"If the Hellas seniors plan to revive their colors from MYTH, we will reconsider."
"No, I think we're done with the 'gods of men' concept."
Our discussions with the senior members went smoothly. We had not even mentioned making the junior idols into 'gods of men', but they were the first to recoil. No, they said it was fine and cheered for the youngest members' successful debut.
Once we decided on the team color, we supplemented their training program. Being conceptual meant they had to pull off various styles.
I requested additional classes to help them create facial expressions and use diverse gestures, allowing them to stand before the camera without awkwardness no matter what was thrown at them.
I also borrowed a hand from Gyeonghwon, who was busy with his project group activities. I told him to just say he was busy and refuse if it was a bother, since I did not want to get into a controversy for being an abusive senior, but he showed up with two boxes of vitamin drinks.
"I told you to come empty-handed. Why'd you buy something?"
"Senior Seongchan said that when you first came to Greenline, Mentor-nim, you brought enough to give to the security office too…"
"That kid talks about the most useless things…"
He had apparently heard the old story when he recently appeared on a radio show hosted by Yeo Seongchan. It was an episode from so long ago that I could barely remember when it happened.
Back then, we were just rookies who had just debuted.
Now, not only had survival program trainees like Gyeonghwon debuted, but we were also on the verge of debuting a junior group. The world is full of surprises.
The trainees froze stiff in front of Gyeonghwon, who was at the peak of his popularity. When I asked if he could give the kids some advice since he was a good dancer, he carefully observed each and every one of them.
"How does it feel to be on the evaluator's side?"
"…Giving feedback makes me reflect on myself. It makes me think, 'Ah, so this is how disappointing parts stand out!' Until now, I've always been the one being evaluated, so I'd never been conscious of this."
"Right?"
A teacher must know much more than the person being taught. They need a broader perspective, too.
And it is not just the person below who learns. When you guide or advise someone, the person in the senior position also has realizations. It was similar to how I changed through the spArk members while I worked my butt off to turn them into professional idols.
There's a reason they say the most effective way to learn is to teach others, isn't there?
Gyeonghwon, who had gone through thick and thin with me on 'Stage must go on', understood exactly what I was trying to say.
"I'll have to work harder so I don't get told I lack substance for my years of experience. I think I also know how to check how I appear to the outside world…"
"Is that all?"
"Huh?"
"Our juniors helped you have a realistic mentor experience, didn't they? What should you do when you meet them at a broadcast station after they debut?"
"I… I'll treat them well."
His answer was stiff with discipline. I smiled and said, "Right, and since they've received your help, they'll be polite and respectful to you. The first impression you make on someone when they're young lasts a long time."
Once his project group ends, Gyeonghwon will have to find a new path. In his case, since he is popular and Greenline has a good number of trainees, he will probably be able to debut in a new team quickly, but I have heard quite a few stories about people who try to subtly disregard a person's previous activities when they debut in a new team, even if the other person technically debuted earlier.
In other words, they want to play the senior by cutting down someone else's experience.
However, at least the UtopiA kids would not do that. With just this short meeting, Gyeonghwon had established himself as a senior to them. This way, they would feel awkward and would not be able to treat him disrespectfully, even if a senior who was active when they were trainees later debuts in a different group.
Especially if he is an acquaintance of mine, their senior from the same company.
"Did you do this on purpose… to look out for me?"
"Did you think I called you here to exploit you without pay? I don't want to get caught up in any more personality controversies."
"I wasn't misunderstanding it like that!"
"If you do, please, I'm begging you, ask to talk it out, and I don't want to see any more victims of power abuse at our company, so don't forget to let me know if anyone bullies those kids. Got it?"
Gyeonghwon nodded his head vigorously, promising he would. I bought the hardworking kid a delicious meal.
With that, the grand operation to plant an industrial spy was a success.
Next was the news of the Pink Carrot reunion, a legendary senior in the idol scene who also had a connection with spArk. Our vocal trainer, Ms. Oh Eun, mentioned she might need to adjust the trainees' class schedule, so I asked if she had something important coming up and heard the news.
"When?!"
"The end of this year. It's a one-time event."
"If it's at the end of the year, does that mean it's already in progress?"
"We've received the song and are practicing the choreography. We'll be recording soon."
Contrary to her indifferent voice that made it sound like no big deal, the corners of her lips were slightly turned up. It was truly a rare reaction from our always composed and cool-headed teacher.
The staff members who were in the meeting with us were also startled.
"After seeing you guys cover our song on the year-end stage when you debuted… the members talked about it amongst ourselves from time to time, and now we're actually getting together."
"May I ask how many of you are participating?"
"The full group."
"Gasp."
She said it took a long time to arrange everything from securing a practice room to coordinating schedules, as there were members who had moved to different agencies and even one who had retired from the entertainment industry altogether. It was astonishing that they had achieved their goal despite all that.
Their loyalty was as dazzling as their group name. The spArk guys, who heard the news a step behind me, also went wild.
"We have to do the challenge for this."
"Is there any challenge we don't do?"
Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Kiyeon exchanged words amicably. With gratitude in our hearts for our acting senior, Ha Seomyeong-ssi, and our vocal teacher, Ms. Oh Eun, we promised to participate in the six-member full group challenge when Pink Carrot made their comeback.
"They said it won't overlap with the Hellas seniors' comeback, right?"
Jeong Seongbin, who was well-versed in company news, expressed his concern. Hellas was scheduled to release an album with a season song in December.
Since they were not from the same company, there was no ethical problem if their promotion periods overlapped, but he seemed worried that the buzz for Pink Carrot's comeback after so many years might be buried.
"I heard they coordinated it under the table. It won't overlap completely."
It was already common practice in the industry to discreetly ask about popular artists' comeback news to avoid competing on the music charts. While keeping an eye on the chart powerhouses through acquaintances or their respective companies, they would also adjust schedules if fierce competition was expected.
Ms. Oh Eun and Hellas must have been able to ask each other comfortably since they ran into each other often at the company building. Neither team, especially Pink Carrot, was in a situation where they had to risk their lives for a number one spot on the charts, so there was no need for the intense strategic battles that active idols fought.
I was not worried, as they had all been through so much that they must have been seasoned veterans.
After all these various events, the date approached the end of October. Kang Kiyeon's solo activities had concluded beautifully and we had even finished the performance analysis and evaluation.
It was a time when everyone was focusing on preparing for the full group comeback. While we were cooped up in the basement practice room, an ominous atmosphere began to stir on the surface.
Park Joowoo detected the first anomaly. The kid, who was sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, took advantage of a break to rest his chin on someone's shoulder and asked cautiously, his already quiet voice even lower.
"Hasn't the company been a little weird lately…?"
Park Joowoo said the employees seemed busier and more disorganized than usual.
At first, I thought it was because spArk's and Hellas's comebacks were scheduled back-to-back. I had a gut feeling that there was a real problem only after I actually went up to the office.
The phones rang more often, and the conference rooms were always in use.
"Team Leader-nim, are you busy?"
"No, no! Can you wait just a moment?"
While I was waiting to discuss something with Jukyung-nim, she received three phone calls.
Isn't it rare for working-level staff to contact a team leader directly? Does that mean it's a matter of a higher level…?
After waiting for about five minutes, the Jukyung-nim I sat across from looked so tired. I felt a surge of sympathy, a sense of solidarity among office workers that I thought had long since dried up.
"Did something happen? Everyone looks so busy."
"It's almost the end of the year."
"This is the fifth year-end I've spent here, and I've never seen it like this."
I conscientiously excluded the year-end from the year I ran away from home. Jukyung-nim smiled bitterly.
"My, you have such a good memory…"
"If you're very busy, I can come back later. You can also leave me a memo on Dotion."
"No, it's fine."
Even as we were just sharing the main points, Jukyung-nim's phone would not stop flashing. Fortunately, it did not take long to discuss work matters.
After finishing our conversation, I lowered my voice and said, "Team Leader-nim."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Are you sure everything is the same as usual?"
Jukyung-nim reflexively made a face like she had been hit where it hurts. We both barely managed to hold back our laughter.
As if giving up completely, Jukyung-nim leaned back against her chair with a thud, letting her arms fall onto the armrests as if tossing them aside.
"The company is in an uproar, Iwol-ah."
"Why? Did they get audited for taking benefits for a 'corporate research institute' that wasn't actually doing any research?"
"Where do you hear such terrifying examples?"
I thought it was a case I would have been better off not knowing about.
"To be precise, it's not our problem, but because of MYTH."
"MYTH?"
The unexpected name popped up. Did UtopiA get into some kind of joint venture with MYTH? With my poor imagination, that was the limit of my hypothesis.
"MYTH kind of… had a huge blow-up this time, both internally and externally. It'll be on the news soon. UtopiA is in a position of getting dragged into it by the hair."
"What on earth happened that it's affecting an unrelated company? Wasn't the tampering suspicion already over?"
"For company-level employee stalking and exploitation."
"Huh?"
Reality easily surpassed imagination. Stories poured out endlessly about how they had excessively invaded their employees' privacy and unfairly forced them into high-intensity labor.