Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols - Chapter 13
Only Krnovel
| Episode 13. Exit Interview (1)
The basic choreography demonstration that followed also ended without any major problems. Thanks to having memorized the choreography, the worst-case scenario of my body stopping in the middle did not occur.
All the teachers who watched my choreography demonstration applauded.
“Yiwol, you’ve grown a lot!”
“thank you.”
“Your posture is also really good. That’s why your voice comes out so well. You must have been really nervous because it was your first time, but you did really well.”
Objectively, there must have been a serious gap in skill level compared to the members, but perhaps because the overwhelmingly short training period was taken into consideration, the evaluations were generally generous.
What’s surprising is that the system emerged at this point.
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[SYSTEM] As the ‘work’ adaptation period is completed, a performance-based compensation effect is applied.
▷ Excellent ‘attendance management’ is recognized and highly evaluated.
▷ It has a positive effect on the month-end evaluation.
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… … was the content.
In other words, it meant that the performance evaluation items on the resume also had an impact in real life.
My attendance management score is 18 out of 20.
If the only active item is this attendance management, it would be difficult to expect a correction effect unless the score is quite high.
‘If you could give me even one extra point, I’d be grateful.’
There was nothing to be picky about these days, when even a single line of praise was precious.
“We can go a little harder next class. Okay?”
“I will work hard… ….”
“No, you weren’t nervous at all until a little while ago, so why are you nervous here?”
The teachers burst into laughter at my tragic answer.
Sorry, but I had a hard time following this class enough. Don’t take it as a joke.
But I couldn’t complain, so I just laughed hard, following the teachers. It was the very embodiment of Eul’s sorrow.
“Lastly, I have one question. What was the most decisive reason for choosing this song?”
The vocal teacher asked. The answer to this was clear.
“I thought this was the song that best showed what I had learned.”
The teacher smiled, seeming satisfied with my answer.
It’s important to me that there are people who know that I’ve tried to use my brain. It turned out better than expected.
* * *
The evaluation concluded with individual feedback.
We could only take a breather after the staff left and the practice room door closed.
“brother!”
As I was clearing out the desk I had laid out for evaluation, someone climbed on my back.
I looked into the mirror, holding my balance, and saw Lee Cheong-hyeon hanging there.
“Wow. This is the first time I’ve ever received so much praise during my first evaluation! Are you a genius?”
They say that a genius is someone like you in the future who has a face like white jade, can rap like flowing water, and can compose songs really well.
It would be nice if he could show off his great skills and take some good selfies.
You guys probably don’t know how much of a hassle it was to go to the post office to exchange cards on behalf of Manager Nam’s daughter.
I held onto his legs, thinking he might fall, and Lee Cheong-hyeon clung to my back like a cicada.
“I’m glad that you seem to have appreciated my efforts. You guys helped me a lot too.”
“How humble! I really need to emulate you.”
“If you keep saying weird things, get down.”
“If you’re not going to say anything weird, can I keep carrying you?”
“Or so.”
“This guy is strangely generous.”
And yet, Lee Cheong-hyeon immediately got down from my back.
Kang Ki-yeon must have been proud of me for doing well in the evaluation, because he taught me new moves.
I, too, worked hard with the thought, ‘If only I could sacrifice this body to comfort you who suffered mentally today… ‘
But unfortunately, Kang Ki-yeon’s face was ashen throughout the practice. It was clear that he had forgotten what I said about the world having its own body.
* * *
After the end-of-month evaluation, the employees who had participated as evaluators gathered in the conference room located on the second floor of the company.
“Are the kids going to practice next?”
“Yes. Everyone is sincere.”
Minju Kyung answered the representative’s question right away.
UA’s trainees were really sincere. In all these years, no one at UA has ever seen a trainee slacking off at the company.
Moreover, their personalities are all quite pleasant, so compared to the rumors coming from large management companies known for their idol powerhouses, UA’s trainees can be said to be quite gentle.
“Even Yiwol has already become quite well-prepared. Did Joo-kyung bring him?”
“Yes. I was surprised because I did better than I expected.”
When the trainee she cast and brought in was mentioned, Min Joo-kyung continued to comment.
‘I thought it looked okay, but I didn’t think it would actually be a promising seedling… … .’
When the story behind the casting of the new trainee, Kim Yi-wol, was mentioned, the trainers who were unfolding the evaluation sheet showed interest and asked questions.
“Did Mr. Ju-gyeong bring you here? Where?”
“Hongdae. I saw you busking and immediately snatched you up!”
“I can feel it from the place.”
“If Lee Wol is around people, the atmosphere will be a bit weird.”
As Minju Kyung answered, the CEO and the dance trainer added a few words each.
Minju Kyung recalled the first time she met Kim Iwol.
‘It was noticeable.’
The moment Min Joo-kyung saw Kim Yi-wol’s pale and shadowy face on the streets of Hongdae, she thought.
‘It’s going to be amazing to see our kids’ faces together… …!’
Kim Il-wol’s unusually neat posture also played a part in catching people’s attention.
He was tall and had a straight posture, which made him stand out even more in the crowd.
“Anyway, Ms. Ju-gyeong is a real bulldozer. How did you think of bringing in a non-major?”
“I asked you last time, didn’t I? He had a good sense of listening.”
“is it so?”
“Yes. Hongdae is so noisy. You can tell right away if an instrument is out of tune.”
Everyone looked surprised at Minju Kyung’s words. It was surprising.
This is because the image that Kim Yi-wol usually shows is that of him diligently practicing, not the image of him sensitively catching each and every note.
But that day, Minju Kyung saw it clearly.
I’m talking about the change in expression of Kim Yi-wol, who would stand still a little bit away from the stage and slightly frown when a certain part of the melody was repeated.
Kim Iwol didn’t stay near the busking stage for long.
While Minju Kyung was thinking that maybe she wasn’t very interested in the song, the vocalist grabbed the microphone and started giving a speech.
At that moment, a guitarist who was tuning his instrument again alone entered Minju Kyung’s field of vision.
After that, there was nothing to worry about.
Minju Kyung actively explained to a young student who was wary of her, that she was not a suspicious person.
And as he watched the student politely accept the business card he was offering with both hands, he thought, I really hope this guy comes.
‘At first, I was going to cast him just by looking at his face, but… … .’
Minju Kyung coughed in vain. If you go straight, you’ll just end up in Seoul.
At that time, vocal trainer Oh Eun, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the three people, said.
“I think he has a sense. He works hard too.”
The attention of everyone in the conference room was focused on Oh Eun’s words.
He was the main vocalist of a girl group that debuted through a small agency but failed to leave an impressive result and disbanded after 3 years.
As she was an idol herself, Oh Eun was also the person among UA’s staff who evaluated the trainees most objectively.
It wasn’t easy for Oh Eun to hear the words, “You’re working hard.”
It was clear that it was a remarkable achievement for Kim Yi-wol, who had been a trainee for less than a month, to be recognized for his efforts, even though he had been a trainee for a long time, such as Jeong Seong-bin or Kang Ki-yeon.
Min Joo-kyung couldn’t help but feel excited about what kind of evaluation Kim Yi-wol would receive in his first monthly evaluation.
* * *
When I was in high school, I could go home after finishing my mock exam.
But even after the evaluation was over, the trainees stayed behind and practiced and practiced.
After finishing the remaining practice with the feeling of writing an error note, it was time to go back to the dorm.
Today’s lights out members were Jeong Seong-bin and me.
On the way out of the company, Jeong Seong-bin asked.
“Are you getting used to it now?”
Taking care of others all the time when you have a lot of work to do isn’t something that everyone can do.
Still, Jeong Seong-bin was always the same. It was to the point where I thought, “These are the kids who are leaders.”
“Yeah. Except for the one-hour private lesson with Kiyeon that made me feel completely drained.”
“You were released an hour early?”
“You know how to joke around, huh?”
Jeong Seong-bin smiled with a half-embarrassed expression. But I couldn’t laugh, having been rolled around like a chestnut in the middle of winter by Kang Ki-yeon’s hands.
Jeong Seong-bin looked at me and asked.
“You always stay until the end to practice. Isn’t it hard?”
“The teachers teach me kindly and everyone helps me, so it would be rude not to work hard. Fortunately, my stamina was good.”
“Brother, I respect your stamina… … .”
Jeong Seong-bin, who came to teach me moves and then left like a boiled host, trailed off.
This is because all we do is feed salad to growing teenagers.
It seems like a company that doesn’t know the importance of growth. Shouldn’t Kang Ki-yeon come to his senses if he doesn’t grow taller than 175cm?
“It’s not like you only practice hard when you’re left behind. You even go around during break time.”
In the practice room, Jeong Seong-bin was a guy who moved like he didn’t know how to rest. It was the same even after his debut.
Jeong Seong-bin paused for a moment after hearing what I said. It was such a fleeting thing that I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t looked closely.
Jeong Seong-bin quickly relaxed his expression and said with a smile.
“I’m average.”
It was a humble statement, but I’m not sure.
Can you call a life where you wake up at the crack of dawn and repeat nothing but dancing and singing from morning to night for years normal?
In today’s world, you can only work 12 hours of overtime a week for pay.
‘Going back to being a trainee vs going back to the military… … ?’
Jeong Seong-bin, who was solidifying his reputation as one of the top 5 idols, couldn’t answer that question for a long time during the live broadcast commemorating his discharge from the military. Well, that says it all.
If he had been that sincere, he would have been proud of the time he put in. But Jeong Seong-bin had a strange tendency to take his own efforts for granted.
Is there an employee in our department who is diligent about attendance, never spares a helping hand to other employees, and works hard every day to improve their work skills?
If it were me, I could have carried that friend to work starting tomorrow. This is all because modern society is so critical of compliments.
‘Should I just give you that little compliment?’
It doesn’t cost money to praise.
Besides, Jeong Seong-bin was the one who had the least amount of friction among the five Spark members.
Please organize the order so that voices don’t get mixed up during the broadcast, and call out the members’ names consistently so that they’re easy to remember.
To me, a novice fake sparkler who had to be forced into spark, Jeong Seong-bin’s consideration was like a ray of light.
You can always say a word of praise to such a noble person.
If Jeong Seong-bin had prevented the breakup, I could have prevented the unfortunate event of me falling backwards, fainting, and becoming nine years younger.
I walked a few more steps with Jeong Seong-bin and then opened my mouth at an appropriate time.
“Most people don’t work hard every day like you do, even if they want to do something.”
“yes?”
“It’s even more so when you’re young. There are so many fun things in the world. Not everyone can endure something they know is fun.”
Somehow, I felt like I was having an interview with my junior after a long time.
I don’t prefer this kind of atmosphere in conversation, but I couldn’t just stop talking and run back to my room, so I had a hard time continuing the conversation.
“And you’re good at one or two things? You’re good at singing and dancing. Look at me. I can’t sing, and I can’t dance either.”
“brother?”
It was clearly meant to comfort Jeong Seong-bin, but for some reason, it made my heart ache.
In the meantime, Jeong Seong-bin’s expression changed strangely, perhaps because I was whining too much.
They say that if you only talk about yourself in front of others, you’re considered an old fart, and that’s exactly what happened.
“… … Of course, when you think about the countless fans you will have in the future, it is a good idea to work hard to build up your skills now.”
Since you never know what will happen to people, I didn’t forget to add some careful pressure.
Jeong Seong-bin is not the type of guy to do that, but if I made one wrong move and lost a 7-year-old leader, I didn’t think I would be able to raise my head no matter how great the opponent was.
“Fans… … this is… … .”
Jeong Seong-bin smiled bitterly.
‘uh?’
For a moment, it felt like a cold wind was passing by, and the back of my neck felt cold.
I knew this strong feeling from experience.
A person whose self-esteem has fallen to the lowest point. The uncertainty about himself is evident in his expression. A tone of voice that is clearly resigned and not looking forward to the future.
‘Sir, I’m planning to work here until the end of this month and then resign.’
This was a clear signal to resign.